Chapter 36 Corrupt
Corrupt
Everytime I enter this room, it’s a mess. I drop my bag on my desk,
exhaling loud enough for them to hear. “A so unuh treat unuh classroom?” I ask, eyes scanning the scattered chairs and chalk dust footprints.
“No, Miss! A the boy dem!” Two girls at the back call out quickly, like they’ve been waiting to blame someone all morning. I smirk and just like clockwork, the boys jump to defend themselves, their voices overlapping like a live podcast.
“Mi know seh a unuh!” I say, playfully accusing them. “Unuh nuh easy at all.”
“Miss yuh know seh yuh nuh rate wi,” Jahmeel says, his head leaning on his hand.
The class erupts into laughter. They’re my form students—Grade 11—and they’re always on a thousand.
But I love them still. This group has heart.
And a whole heap of mouth. “Don’t say that, Jahmeel.
Yuh know teacher loves y’all,” I say, eyes softening.
As I speak, I catch Adrian walking up to my desk, silently wiping it down with disinfectant wipes.
“Thank you, Adrian,” I say with a grateful smile.
" He does this every time. He nods, already heading back to his seat like it’s nothing.
It’s how I set the tone in my classroom, vibes first, learning after.
If you’re in my class, two things are guaranteed: you’ll laugh, and you’ll learn.
That’s something Mrs. Adams always said.
I need to call her. It’s been a minute. I raise my hand, signaling for quiet.
“Guys, you are too noisy now.”
A few mutters. “Okay, Miss.”
I settle into my chair and write on the board:
Summary Writing
“So, what do you guys already know about it?” I ask, turning around.
Instant chaos. Everyone starts shouting different answers.
I sigh. “Raise your hands, please. Mi only have two ears.” They quiet down and start raising hands. I point at a quiet girl by the window.
“Remind me of your name, sweetheart,” I say gently.
She stands. “Jania Lee.” She’s gorgeous. Chocolate-toned, thick, well-groomed hair pulled back into a bun. Eyebrows arched like a pro. She’s a likkle hot girl with her head on her body. I like that.
“Go ahead, Ms. Lee.”
“Summary writing is basically cutting down a larger work… and yuh don’t use opinions or examples,” she explains.
I nod. “Exactly right. Anyone want to add?”
Half an hour later, the concept is fully broken down, notes are taken, and they’re now trying a summary on their own. Some read quietly. Some write. Some pretend to do both. Me? I scroll Instagram while glancing up every few seconds. Then I spot Jania on her phone under her desk.
“Did you finish your summary?” I ask.
She startles. “Yes, Miss. Can I use the bathroom?”
“Leave the book,” I say, and she drops it on my desk before slipping out. Minutes pass. Then the bell rings. The class groans.
“Mi nuh like how Miss class fly so fast,” Ashley huffs.
“And the boring class dem feel like two hours,” Jahmeel chimes in.
I laugh. “Aww, see you guys tomorrow.”
“Tek care, Miss!”
Once the room clears out, I stay behind and call Nickoi. “So weh yuh deh?” I ask, already blushing at whatever dirty joke he’s about to make.
“Deh up a mi dawg restaurant. Wah yuh want? You want lobster?”
“Yes, babe.” Typical Nickoi. Always picking food for me like mi a child. As we talk, I notice Jania’s bag still on the floor. All now she nuh come back?
“Yah, mi soon link yuh,” he says, and I hum into the phone just to tease him.
“Who a’ accept that?” he asks, tone getting deep.
“You,” I reply, lips curled in a smug smile.
“Zara, who yuh a deal wid?” he asks again, voice even lower.
“Not you,” I tease, laughing as I try to keep it cute.
He falls silent. Then: “Oh.”
“I’m playing, babe,” I say quickly. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mami,” he replies. A knock at the door interrupts the moment.
Ms. Andy, the janitor, is standing there with her broom. “Hi, Teacher… Mi ready fi lock up now.”
I nod. “One student left her bag. Mi a check if she still in the bathroom.”
“Alright. Mi just a sweep in the meantime.” I check the bathroom?
It’s empty. Weird. As I head back, I hear something, low sniffles echoing from around the corner.
I follow the sound and freeze when I see her.
Jania’s sitting on a desk in the stairwell, sobbing, and standing over her is a guy in a black pullover.
He’s not in uniform. He’s not even a student. What the hell?
“Mi just did a… t-talk,” she sniffles, barely getting the words out.
Then I hear him say, “Just watch wah go happen if yuh dweet again.”
That voice. My eyes narrow. What in the Jordane is this? He really has a banker and a school girl? And a temper too? Beyond me.
I step in. “Excuse me? Jordane, a so yuh deal with a female?” He freezes, eyes wide.
“Mi cya believe you,” I say, voice rising. “Whatever she do, yuh nuh have no right fi squeeze har up or raise yuh voice so. Yuh not even supposed to be on this compound.”
He stammers. “Sorry, Miss Williams. A wah recommendation mi come fi pick up. Mi tell har fi link mi.” I glare at him hard.
Nickoi has his flaws, cocky, reckless, but he’s never raised his hand to me.
Not once. And now that I really look, Jania’s wrist has a dark spot.
Her cheek looks red too. So him box her?
“You think Nickoi put him hand pan me?” I ask, keeping eye contact. He says nothing. Nickoi kinda ‘queeze we up too… but go awff.
“Shame on you cause yuh know why too,” I add.
I look at her. “Get your bag and go home, Jania.” She scurries up the stairs, head bowed. I turn back to Jordane. “And mek up yuh mind who you staying with,” I say before I walk away.
NICKOI
The minute Karlisa step in and lean ’pon the counter, mi know she up to suh’m.
That fake smile, that casual stance. I see right through it.
Used to be a police mi shoulda never look pan, but mi did young, reckless, and weak to a pretty face.
That fling? Dead. But clearly, not dead enough inna her mind.
Man fawud fi food, not flashbacks, and definitely not no old fire trying to reignite. Especially not when mi have Zara now.
“So yuh nah look my way?” she asks, tilting her head.
“Wah yuh up to? Yuh off duty?” I sip the Henny.
She nibble on a fry. “Mi partner did want stop here. Mi neva plan fi come… but mi change mi mind.”
“Hmm.”
Dani slides the lobster box on the counter. “Fi yuh thing dis, mi killa.”
“Respect.” I inspect it.
“3 grand,” he tells me. I hand him the cash.
“Mi want one more,” I say, thinking of Mama.
“Same way?”
“Yeah, fix it up.”
Karlisa still standing there like she’s waiting for me to invite her into something. “Good thing mi come. Never know mi woulda buck up inna mi one-time man,” she smiles. I look at her deadpan. She really want drag up what we had huh?
Gutta walks up from the seaside with Anna. “Yuh a move soon?”
“After mi get the next box.”
“We deh a the car,” Gutta says, heading back with Anna.
I glance at Karlisa, then shift my eyes to Dani behind the counter.
Watching him prepare food is easier than dealing with her.
Everything about her presence pulls me back to a version of myself I’ve outgrown.
Back when I had outstanding traffic violations, a gun under the seat, and too much pride to comply.
The police bwoy who stopped me that night was aggressive.
Already decided I was guilty and when the search threat came, I knew I couldn’t let it happen.
Then Karlisa stepped in, asking for 20 grand like I was made of money because of the car I drove.
But she didn’t really want the cash. She wanted leverage.
She wanted me. And I gave in. Girls are drugs.
“Mi see yuh friend last night… Lennox,” she says. “Him deh pon the corner. Seeing him, make mi think ‘bout yuh.” I say nothing.
“Congrats,” she adds. “Saw the ring she posted.” Still, I say nothing. Zara need fi private that shit.
“If yuh ever need a favor… mi deh yah.” She smiles. I remember the file she slipped me from the station, the favor that led to a late-night link-up. The kind of help that always came with expectations. I exhale. “Maybe we can meet up after?” she pushes.
“Look how long dat. Yuh feel mi woulda diss mi woman fi you?” She laughs like I’m being dramatic.
“Mi know yuh have yuh wife, and yuh probably loyal now, but come on, Nickoi. People know how yuh stay. If yuh ever want… the usual, just say the word.” I stack the next box on the other and walk off. At the car, Gutta leans on the bonnet. Anna’s already in the back seat.
“Everything good?”
“Mi nuh trust Karlisa,” I say, leaning beside him.
“Wah she do?”
“She a talk ‘bout when we used to link, then drop in favors like she still matter. A nuh what she say… it’s how she say it.”
“Intuition never wrong,” he says.
“She even mention Lennox… like she know something, or want mi fi think she do.” I breathe out, heavy.
“All the careless shit mi used to do… feel like it a haunt mi. Like mi past cut up say man a move correct now.”
When man inna me dawg phase ain’t shit went wrong.
“Wi affi watch har,” Gutta says, eyes scanning the spot.
“True. But mi nah entertain har,” I say, sliding into the car. She’s not a problem—yet. She doesn’t believe I’ve changed, but when she realizes I’m not biting? That’s when she’ll bite back.