Chapter 44 Rendezvous
Rendezvous
When I get back to my car after spending half an hour in the bank, I call my mother.
As expected, it goes straight to voicemail.
Don’t know wah she a do wid phone, enuh.
I hiss and redial, phone pressed to my ear.
I just want to know what kind of soup she wants.
Sometimes she switches up, takes chicken instead of her usual, pork chop soup. Voicemail again.
I hiss louder and walk toward Corey, the soup man. I order the pork chop and get served in less than a minute, even though he’s surrounded. People watch, but none dare to complain.
Dem nuh mad. Dem done see seh mi a Don enuh. Anycussing gwaan, a inna dem mind.
I give him $1000. He nods, zips open his fanny pack, takes out my change, and I walk off.
“Yow, mi killa,” he calls after me.
I nod.
“Respect,” I hear him say as I get in the car.
The heat hits me instantly. The car feels like an oven.
I start it up and the A/C kicks in fast, cooling the car down.
I pull off, Chronic Law’s Rich Law playing through the speakers.
By the time I near my house, the music stops and the phone rings.
I pressmy thumb to the steering wheel, answering the call.
“Yes, Nickoi.” I shake my head when I hear her voice.
“Now you a call back?” I ask as I turn into the yard. Gate already open, my securities already doing their job. I blow the horn. They wave me through.
“Mi just put yuh miserable babies to sleep, so mi never near the phone,” she says. I smile.
“Alright mi—”
Before I can finish, she cuts me off. “Yuh buy mi soup?” she asks, voice lifting with excitement. Never see a woman love soup so yet. She knew I was going to the bank today, who tell mi fi tell her? She kept reminding me, over and over again, about Corey’s soup.
“No sah, mi neva’ member,” I say, selling the lie smooth. She starts arguing, expected. I’m smiling as I get out of the car. She’s not even looking outside. Must be upstairs. She never hear the engine?
“Look how much time mi tell yuh fi buy the soup fi mi? Mi walk yuh up and down the stairs a drill it inna yuh head and yuh a tell mi yuh figet? Eeeh, Nickoi?!”
Mi nuh know why she love soup so much, especially Corey’s soup.
“Yuh nuh see how much time mi call yuh?” I ask again, walking inside. The living room spotless, Mommy definitely upstairs. I can stretch the lie a little more.
“Mhmm, and wah yuh did a call mi fa?” she asks dryly, still upset.
“Mi did member seh yuh did wah something but mi neva’ member exactly wah, so that’s why mi did a call,” I lie smoothly.
“Nickoi, how yuh fi figet the soup?” she presses. I push the bedroom door open. She’s sitting on the sofa next to my bed. Her eyes lock onto the soup cup in my hand and she starts screaming.
I laugh.
“Yuh see you!” she squeals, grabbing it. “Thank you, Nickoi!” I smile as she takes a sip and moans.
“That’s why mi love yuh enuh. Why mi even believe you though? Yuh never let me down yet.” She hugs me with one arm and dives back into the soup.
“A the right one mi buy?” I ask, watching her chew on the pork.
“You cyaa go wrong when yuh buy pork,” she says, looking up at me, her face softening.
“Wah, Mommy?” I ask, reading the shift in her mood.
“You just look like Owayne a while ago,” she says, voice low. I sigh. I hate when she brings him up. I miss him too, just like she does. Mi woulda have more guidance inna the streets if him did still deh yah, but mi a tough it out with the knowledge him lef wid mi.
“Mi miss him too,” I say, and she stops drinking. I slide closer and put my arm around her.
“Daddy a watch ova wi enuh. Him always deh near,” I say and she nods. I lean in and kiss her cheek.
“Heart a love enuh, Mommy.” She smiles.
“Love you more, mi son,” she replies, then sips the soup again. We talked a while, mostly about business. I didn’t even realize I’d dozed off until I felt her shaking me gently, food in her hand.
“How long mi did a sleep?” I ask, eyes heavy.
“Bout two hours. Look like yuh barely a get sleep,” she says, concerned. I take the food and sit up.
“Thanks.”
Mi nah tell har say mi sleep schedule non existent. That would just start another lecture I don’t need. After eating, I pour some Hennessy and scroll through Instagram.
“No book deh yah weh mi can write this down fast?” she asks suddenly.
“No,” I mutter, going back to scrolling.
As she talks on the phone, I hear a name that instantly pisses me off. My whole mood shifts. Wah mommy deh pan?
I glare at her.
“Lorie, yuh can stay wid me inna the meantime while yuh look a place, as long as yuh behave yuhself.”
“Mommy, weh yuh a do?” I snap, not even trying to hide my reaction. She fans me off.
“Mommy, Lorie nah stay inna yuh house enuh!” I warn. Wah do har? She a work a Poor Relief now and a provide shelter fi the homeless?
She ignores me, still deep in her conversation.
I sip more Hennessy, furious.
Mi wah know why she always pity Lorie. Always soft towards her.
As soon as she ends the call, she starts up with me. “Yuh hate the gyal, but wah mi fi do when she ask fi help? Mek she stay pon the road?”
“Make she stay wherever she did deh from she get discharged. Whichever house she did find,” It sounds harsh, but mi nuh care. Lorie nah come round mi. Nah come near mi mother neither. Mi mother might blind, but mi see straight through her f’ry.
“She just a stay fi a while,” she insists. “A nuh like she a move in.”
“No. Mi nah allow it.”
“Member a fi me house enuh. Even though she have har ways and unuh have history, mi willing fi help the likkle girl,” she says again, still stuck on this foolishness.
Mi temper a boil now.
I pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Nickiesha, nuh mek mi cuss bad word.”
She blinks.
“Nickoi, why yuh stay so? Why yuh so paranoid? Yuh paranoid ‘bout the wrong things, man,” she hisses.
“Fi protect mi mother from a potential enemy mi paranoid bout the wrong things?” I laugh once, then go silent.
She lets out a long sigh.
“Lorie hate me enuh, and she nuh like none a we either. She a never fi we. She set up Janel and just because she silent inna the hospital don’t mean she with we. Mi cyaa trust she.”
She goes quiet.
“Mi nuh know wah fi do enuh. Wah yuh suggest mi do, since yuh nuh want har near?” she finally asks.
“Give har the link so she can deal with the house. Other than that, yuh done.”
After that, we talk it through more calmly until she ready fi leave. I check on the babies, still asleep.
Then I head downstairs and spend the whole evening smoking. Three spliffs after before I hear the door, Zara walks in, I give her a look.
“Mi did deh a workshop,” she says quickly.
I nod.
I don’t say a word. I just inhale, then exhale slow.
ZARA
This man is not in a good mood. Instead of bothering him, I toss my bag onto the sofa and stride to the island. I pour some orange juice into a cup and take a swig.
No questions.
When he’s ready to talk, he’ll talk.
I shower, eat dinner, and stay in my room for a while. It’s not until he finally pushes the door open that I look up slightly, he’s probably ready to sleep. I purposely glue my eyes to the screen.
I don’t want to seem like I’m dying to know what’s bothering him… even though I am.
“Nah sleep?” he asks. I smile, shaking my head.
“Mi a watch Riverdale, so mi nah go wah sleep yet.” He nods at that, silent for a few seconds.
“Sorry ‘bout mi silence earlier… Mi never inna the best mood, yuh zimi? But mi rate how yuh give me space,” he says, making me smile. Me too. Gyal a learn. “You wah know wah gwaan?” he asks, watching me closely. I hesitate, then nod.
“Yes… tell me.”
He starts filling me in on the whole Lorie drama. I listen carefully. I get it, his mom just wants to help someone she feels sorry for, but I also understand why he’s not having it. Lorie’s not to be trusted. Especially not around his family.
“I understand both perspectives, enuh babe,” I say, running my hand through his hair. “So… what unuh working with?”
“She a go get a house fi har and dat’s it,” he replies. Silence stretches for a few minutes while I keep running my fingers through his hair. He suddenly lifts my hand and inspects my fingers. Not sure what he’s looking for. Then his lips curl into a soft smile.
“You ready fi be mi wife officially?”
“Can’t wait,” I breathe. We both smile.
***
The next day, we made breakfast together while taking turns feeding the babies.
Not gonna lie, it’s the happiest I’ve been in a while.
Before I leave for work, I kiss and hug all three of them.
The school day flies by. Just as I’m leaving, I hear my name.
“Hey, teacher!” I turn to see Ms. Bloomfield, the Physics teacher.
“Hey!” I smile
“Which school yuh attend?” she asks.
“St. Joseph—” I start, but she interrupts.
“No man, high school.”
“Oh, St. Hugh’s,” I reply.
Her eyes light up.
“Cause I knew I remembered your face. We were in the same English class. I’m Rissa Bloomfield.” It clicks.
“Ohhh yeah! I remember now,” I say, grinning. We catch up for a bit, exchange numbers, and then I head home. Nicki’s in the kitchen when I get back.
“Hey Nicki,” I greet.
“Hey Zara,” she smiles warmly. I walk over to Nickoi, lean in, and kiss him lightly.
“Good evening, Nickoi.”
“Evening, mami,” he smirks, still focused on the babies.
As I head up the stairs, I feel his eyes trailing me. He wants to follow, but the babies have all his attention. I can’t help but smile.
About an hour later, I’m showered, fed the twins, now I’m scrolling through Instagram reels. Nothing serious, just passing time. I feel him hovering behind me, and my lips curve before I even look up. He smells like heaven.
How it smell though?
Don’t know, but it had to be this..
“Nickoi,” I giggle, not taking my eyes off the screen. Truth is, I haven’t registered a single reel since he stepped in. He buries his face in my neck, and my breath catches.
“Wah yuh a do?” he asks, voice husky.
“Scrolling through Instagram,” I manage, heartbeat kicking into overdrive. He moves off the bed. I turn, eyes raking over him. Black hoodie. Black shorts. Black desert Clarks. He notices me staring and smirks. I shift awkwardly, suddenly shy. He chuckles low. Yuh too easy, gyal.
“Mi a mek yuh know a new side of me,” he says, holding his arms out. He takes mine, pulling me gently to my feet. “Come… mi have somewhere fi show yuh.” Ouu. Okay then. I slide into my Hermes slippers, still curious.
“Where are we going?” I tilt my head. He bites his bottom lip, eyes scanning me head to toe.
“Jump pon mi back.”
I giggle, but his expression is serious.
“Anuh gimmicks, babes. Jump up.”
“A’right,” I say softly, still blushing.
You keep smiling, yuh cheek nah hurt yuh?
I hop onto his back, arms around his neck, and he walks us out, one hand around my thighs, the other on my ass.