Chapter 71 Reaction
Reaction
PART TWO
I finally let him go, watching as he closes the box. His eyes flutter for a few seconds before cutting over to Gutta. They’re bloodshot red. Gutta catches it right away and steps closer.
“Get rid a’ this,” he says, voice low, grave, before heading inside.
“Yow, Keno wul deh side ya.” Gutta slips his spliff between his lips, lifts the box with Keno.
“We a put it inna the trunk,” I hear him mutter. Nickoi drags himself up the stairs, every step heavy. I let him go. Instead, I stay out on the porch, watching Gutta and Keno carry the weight toward the Crown. The energy is draining…
Rick looks lost, nostalgia eating him alive. Junior’s eyes are fixed on nothing, like the air itself carrying memories. He must’ve been close to Nature too.
“Jah Jah,” he breathes, turning his head away. The heaviness settles in my chest.
“You have the note?” Keno asks.
“The G have it,” Gutta answers, pale, his voice stripped of its usual edge. For the first time, he sounds… broken. This shake up everybody. Gutta is always the one smiling, always joking, even in the worst moments. I used to think he was coldhearted, but now I see it’s just his way of coping.
Junior slips inside and shuts off the games. I sigh. Just a while ago, we were good, laughing, chilling and now the mood flip so quick.
So life go, man.
“Mi just wah know a who enuh!” Keno growls. They’re by the car, voices low but heavy.
“Mi have an idea, but mi nah say nothing yet till di Don talk,” Gutta says, serious this time. His face gone cold too.
“Dem a go regret dis,” Keno spits.
“Deaf,” Gutta adds. Rick squeezes my hand and I look at him.
“Sis, just be deh fi bro, you hear? Mi affi cut with Gutta dem ‘cause mi never drive mi car.”
I nod. “I will.” He walks off, joining them. At first, silence. Then Gutta snaps again, voice sharp, teeth bared.
“Mi a done all tutty shot inna bwoy head, enuh just watch.” And he means it. It’s eating him up.
“A wah elder, enuh. Dem fool deh send dat fi the man fi hot up him head,” Rick mutters.
“War dem want,” Keno growls.
“A war dem a go get then,” Rick replies.
“The killa mi a wait pon fi say the word,” Gutta snarls. “And mi know him a go say it.”
They lower the box into the trunk. For a second, they just stare at it, heavy silence pressing down.
“Rest up, legend,” Keno breathes.
“Rest up inna the thug mansion, elder,” Gutta adds before slamming the trunk shut. Just before telling me goodbye.
“Yow Zara we soon link up enuh, later,” Gutta tells me and Keno waves.
“And go inside,” Keno instructs.
“Okay and bye,” I say, walking over to the door. My mind runs on Nickoi again. I can only imagine how difficult this is for him.
Bwoy dem just always a provoke him.
Joe opens the gate and the crown drives out fast. I can tell Gutta is mad by the way he’s driving. I spot Junior’s Porsche and remember that he’s still inside. I check the living room and the kitchen.
Junior is no where to be found so I head up to our room and hear Nickoi… crying? While his brother is in the room? Oh my…
“T-The man did have so many plans bro,” he cries. “A-And because of medem kill the man d-dawg.”
I look down.
“Yow mi doh wah you a blame yourself enuh, member say daddy did tell we say this life comes with consequences and you know this,” he tells him. I like the factthat he still considers Owayne his dad.
“M-Mi know that but the man did good ova weh him deh and dem just gokill him,” he sobs. “Fi no reason at all?” I’m crying too just by hearing him like this.
“It’s a message to you, matter of a fact a wah message to the whole Outlawgang.
So you know a who send this,” Junior says.
I sigh and lean over the bannister with my eyes on my babies creeping around on the carpet withtheir toys.
He’s crying, yeah but the rage in his tone drowns out everything else.
“A Lennox handwriting. Mi know a him but if him want me why him nuh come fi me?” He’s hoarse.
Lennox. The one weh never want yuh leave the party, my subconscious tells me.
Hmm… and that one today was weird.Nickoi doesn’t just show his emotions to people.
This is unlike him and it shows me how much he’s hurt.
“Him a pare down we strength by hurting the people we love,” Junior tells Nickoi. True. Will he try to hurt me too? Um… Doh go there.
Nickoi chuckles but as he talks his voice breaks.
I hate this.
“And yuh know seh him mad though? Cause from him kill Nature him show seh him out a him mind and suicidal … cause mi a tell yuh seh him dead already eno,” Nickoi gives me goosebumps. Instantly. “Every b’claat over desso dead eno Junior, yuh nuh believe mi?”
“Of course… and eh boy know yuh love Nature,”’ Junior hisses. “Everyone a dem fi dead. Mi with yuh mi bredda.”
“Lennox father kill daddy and now Lennox come kill mi God father? A the worst thing him could a do,” Nickoi snarls.
“Dem might take dem physically but we stronger cause we have both spiritually,” Junior tells him then he goes silent. “Yuh know you affi go really protect Zara though,” he adds. My heart speeds up.
“Mi know dat.”
“That would a shatter you,” Junior breathes.
“Yah,” Nickoi agrees.
“The gang affi stay close so we can protect each other and get somethingplanned,” Junior says. “Especially when I killed his father and you have thebusiness that he wants plus yuh did banish him from Outlaw a we him apree the most.”
Oooh so Lennox was an Outlaw.
“Yah,” Nickoi breathes.
“Him coulda kill Nature, enuh, ‘cause him isolated,” Junior says, making a lot of sense. Nickoi exhales, letting the weight of it sink in.
“Mi know him woulda attack me when me least expect it, enuh, an’ mi stilldrop mi guard,” he hisses loudly.
“…daddy must a turn in a him grave to the point weh mi reach.”
“Stop chat shit. Yuh know how much good yuh do fi di business an’ digang?
Him woulda proud, him PROUD. Yuh only a normal man; yuh love yuh family, so nuh use dat fi seh yuh nah gwaan good.
Plus it nah too late figet back pon yuh game an’ mu’rda bwoy , an’ di both a we know yuh a nuh wah easy killa,” Junior says, and I’m surprised.
Was he always like this? I thought he was… a nice lil’ office guy.
“And bredda nobody neva expect him fi kill Nature so all if yuh guard didup that would a still gwaan,” Junior tells him. True.
“Well war a go start yah now and mi a mek sure mi kill every one a themGolf man deh. Later mi a go fawud, mek the man dem know say by 6 o’clock the mandem must deh a the underground,” he says and I panic. War?
I dare you to stop him, my subconscious warns.
But wars only end one way…
Bloody… and people a guh dead from both Gangs, I know…
“Mi o’ substitute fi you, gwaan heal yuh zi mi?” Junior retorts and I’m happy he did. Maybe I couldn’t talk him out of this.
“Ah.”
I hear a shuffle sound like he’s hugging Nickoi. “Bro… we a go strike them twice as hard as they did to us. Smaddy affi dead back… and we a kill Tommy and him shut.” Sheeesh.
“Yuh know,” Nickoi chuckles, though his tone still carries weight. I don’t like this at all. Realizing their conversation is wrapping up, I hurry into the living room where the babies are, trying to shake off the unease.
“Laad look how long mi lef unuh alone,” I hiss. But do they care? Nah.They’re too busy creeping on the carpet, tearing through everything theyshouldn’t touch, chaos wrapped in tiny bodies. Dem never miss mommy at alllll.
I gasp when I see Zahir with Nickoi’s Ps5 controller.
Tek it fasss!
“Hey!” I whisper yell, taking it from him. “Not this baby.”
Junior walks down shortly after. “Zara mi a lef enuh.”
“Bye Junior take care,” I say and he nods.
“Hungry?” I ask in a baby tone, gently scratching their belly.
“Ma Ma,” Zahir smiles.
“Mhmm hmm?” I ask with pleading eyes. He smiles, showing off his dimples. Cute boy. Zai touches my legs and I grab her cheeks gently making her giggle.
“Someone in a good mood today,” I smile sweetly.
“I’m gonna make something for you,” I say, standing up and leaving them on the carpet.
“Ma!” Zai coos.
Zai! I’m coming back,” I smile. I make their formula and feed them, my eyes scanning the kitchen. Everything pressing in at once. The danger… the war.
“Oh boy,” I breathe out. My anxiety skyrockets like never before. When I’m done staring and overthinking I get the babies to burp before I walk to the room with them.
Zahir rubs his eyes as I approach the door. “Mommy gonna put you to sleep.” I peck his cheeks before I look at Zai. She’s just looking at me. I peck her cheeks before I say, “I love you munchkins.”
Hesitating, I push the door open and breathe when I find him sitting on the bed with his back facing me.
Back to reality. After five minutes of putting the babies to sleep they close their eyes.
I peck their cheeks and move away. It was so dreadful, putting them to sleep with an angry man across from me.
I slowly sit beside him, leaving a little space between us, just in case. After amoment, I hesitate, then slidemy hand into the space,brushing against his. Gradually, our fingers lace together.
Yuh never stop til yuh dweet.
He looks at me, and I meet his gaze. His eyes are red.
Damn.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him. He doesn’t respond, he’s just looking at me.
“I’m here for you,” I say, rubbing his hand with mythumb before meeting hisgaze again. His eyes are likevermillion, catching me off guard, but somehow I steady myself. “Even in times like this… just tell me what you want.”
He looks away and I move closer, slowly snaking my arms around him. I know hehates it when people pity him.
“You don’t like this, when Ishow compassion in timeslike this right?” I ask. He doesn’t answer so I guess I’mright.
I draw back my hand and hegrabs it. “Only when a you.” His voice rough.
“What can I do for you?” I meet his gaze. I’m happy he holds my hand.
“Just listen,” he says and I look at him attentively.
“Okay I’m gonna listen,” Ipromise.