Chapter twenty-two

                  Sariah's pov

  I told Rajae to call or message Earlan's friends and tell them that he was in the hospital while we drove home. The taxi driver had called Rajae to say he was on his way home with my children. I didn't realize the time had flown by so fast while we were at the hospital.

  Typing a quick message I sent it along with the video of Earlan screaming like when I was giving birth to his mother. She called a few seconds after and I told her what had happened. After which I was speaking to Tracy on Ms. Charmaine's phone when I heard her say to someone in the background "a mussi all she push him off a di stairs" Tracy went "hey" to Ms. Charmaine and whomever.

  I took several deep breaths before hissing my teeth nastily and ending the call. I bristled with anger all the way home.

  Quickly opening the gate and letting in the children, I thanked the taxi driver who refused my offer of payment and drove off. I walked inside because Rajae had driven inside and parked. He was on the phone with someone and mouthed to me to open the back gate.

  After sorting out the children, I changed back the passcode to the former one.

  "Balla dem gone dung a di hospital." Rajae coming inside. "Earlan says he needs clothes, two fractured ribs him say di doctor says."

  "Who carrying his clothes to him?" I asked.

  "My same taxi brethren, he's going to drop them off to Pelpa by the hospital," Rajae replied.

  I went upstairs and put two suits of clothing in a small stylish bag. Good thing he keeps so many of these fancy bags I thought. Going back downstairs I hand the bag over to Rajae and prepare a light meal for the children.

  My thoughts and emotions were in turmoil that night and I couldn't sleep. I knew I didn't have much luck with people which is why I mostly kept to myself. Out of spite, I didn't send Earlan's phones to him, but I know his mother must have gotten to speak to him from one of his friend's phones. That's if she hasn't darkened her arse gone down there. 

  I shook my head as I lay there thinking all manner of things. I messaged Rajae that he would be giving an eye on the children the following morning. His only reply was an "ok." I had to go and settle the dispute at my old home once and for all and I wasn't joking with my sister.

  Morning came too soon and I got up and got ready. Hopefully going this Saturday morning I will be able to see the tenant who lives at my house. I sip from the cup I took with me and drive straight to Harbour View. Glad to reach this early I turned in Carissa's gateway blaring my horn. That should make the dead wake.

  Driving away I parked on the sidewalk at my gate and switched off the jeep engine. I got out after holstering my gun in my waist and saw Carissa at her gate looking in my direction. She screamed and ran towards me when she saw me. We hugged each other grinning happily.

  "I'm going to deal with this matter and come see you in a minute," I told her.

  "Ok, oh hear wha" she began to say and I turn to look at her, "Javier say it seems like him mada head a go, so see how best yuh can deal wid it." She whispered glancing about.

  "A'right," I said and walked towards what I once called my gate. I opened it and was at once embraced in huge hugs before I could step in properly. It was my nieces from both my sister and brother. They have gotten so big, they were almost unrecognizable. I chastise myself for being a bad aunt, as I hugged them tightly to me feeling emotional. I loved them but disliked their parent's ways.

  I lift my tear-filled eyes and saw my sister standing at her back door. I guess she was surprised to see me as she wasn't wearing her ugly mischief-making frowning face. My nephew came out and upon seeing me he raced towards me. He was more grown with facial hair like Rajae. I smiled despite how sad I felt. It was my past, my unhappy struggling lonely times here, with no one but my children to talk to.

  "Hello, how are you?" I greeted my sister walking up to her.

  She looked lost for a moment then she said "mi a'right."

  "That's good to know," I said looking up at my house, "is the tenant home?" I asked deliberately directing my question at her.

  "Yes aunty, she no go work on Saturdays." Kyesha the oldest of my nieces replies.

  "Oh good, I hope to have a word with her. How are you all, do you get along alright?" I asked them.

  "We no talk to dem ino." My sister answered with much attitude. Someone was jooking me in my side and I turned to see that it was Javier.

  "Oh ok." I said "I thought you all get along because I heard she and her children were such nice people. I'm going to have a word with her."

  I mounted the steps taking in the beautiful view I had always and still loved. The front door to my house opened and I turned to see a middle-aged woman.

  "Hello," I said with a pleasant smile.

  She smiled. "Hello to you too." She said and began opening the verandah grill.

  "I hope you don't mind me popping in on you without notice," I said good-naturedly.

  "Not at all, I'm glad you're here." She said with a wide smile. "First I must say it's an honor to meet you." She said and I clasp her into a hug because I saw that she wanted to hug me. Heads looked out from inside and I beckoned them forth with my hands.

  Two young women came forth and after the introduction, I clasp them both in huge embraces. "It's so nice to finally meet you, even though I've heard you want to move because of certain discomforts," I said getting into the matter of why I'm there.

  "Yes. Buoy mi affi say dis, you and your sister are two total opposite." She said shaking her head, her voice took on a somber tone as she continues to speak.

  "Everything that is petty and causes hindrance mi face each day. Mi leave early, mi come in late and mi life still ina misery. Honestly, I don't try fi mek no problem wid yuh sista, but she keeps going all out of her way fi mek problems, all di while wid me and mi daughters and mi can't tek it no more." She voiced sadly shaking her head.

  "If it wasn't fi one lady up dey so wey name Carissa mi woulda gone a'ready, yuh wouldn't come see mi here."

  "I'm so sorry you and your daughters had to endure all that. I hope after I leave today things will be a whole lot better." I told her.

  "I really hope so because everything else is fine it's just her behavior-" she was saying.

  "No look dung yah pon mi, yuh think mi no know a me yuh a chat. A no da-" My sister began yelling angrily but was cut off by Javier who was saying something to her.

  "Excuse me," I said to the tenant whose name was Ms. Doreen. I walked back down the hill and went to where my sister was standing. I took her hand and walked out through the gate with her.

  "Let's go for a walk." I told her and we turned down the road. I wave and smile at a few neighbors then direct my attention on her.

  "You cannot live and be like this anymore," I said sternly, she was not a child and I knew she was only being desperately spiteful.

  "I'm ashamed to refer to you as my sister because you have such terrible ways." We stopped and were facing each other.

  "You have done nothing but make your children embarrassed and looked down on in this community and it stops today. Do you not see how beautifully your children have grown? Have you thought about them getting into descent relationships with descent partners? Or do you want them to have to settle with riff-raff just because no one wants to be seen with them because of whom their mother is?" She was staring at me with her mouth hanging open and I laid down the rest of it.

  "I want my nieces and nephews to be able to come around me without people pointing at them and saying bad things about them because of you. I want them to walk down this road with their heads held high." I told her while she closed her mouth but continues to glare at me.

  "After today I don't ever want to hear that you do anything spiteful, or say anything bad to anyone who does not trouble you. And make sure you begin to treat Ms. Doreen with the utmost respect that she deserves. When she or her children greets you, greet them back mannerly. You are getting old and will need people to look out for you, stop making enemies where you can have lasting friends. I'm not your sister if you can't do those few things for me." I said and watched as her tears began to fall.

  She nodded her head and wiped at her tears. "Now can I take you and the children shopping?" I asked hoping this will help her to change her ways and even see things in a different light.

  After taking her and the children grocery shopping, I bought some Kentucky fried chicken. My jeep was overloaded and I thought about my grocery shopping that needs to be done also.

  I went to Carissa and gave her thirty grand. "You need to pack a bag to come and visit me next week," I told her gaining a wide smile.

  "Then yuh cancel it and tell mi yuh busy." She said kind of sad.

  It was true and I sigh. "I think I will force myself to make the time, this time," I said looking at her daughter who could now pass for her sister.

   "If yuh say so, mi a wait pon di call though." She said and I chuckled.

  "A'right mam, tek care a yuhself," I told her and got in my jeep. I honked my horn as I drove slowly past my gate, I didn't stop but slowed down at the corner shop where some youths I knew were sitting around. I gave them fifteen grand to buy themselves a drink then drove off.

  It was now afternoon and I stopped at price mart and purchase some snacks and juices for the children. I wasn't sure what to buy because I hadn't gotten to see what was in the house. This thought brought me back to Earlan's fall the day before and I sighed tiredly.

  Programming my mind to relax and enjoy the drive home, I turn on the stereo and look for my new song list, which featured most of the new young entertainer Jashii. While I enjoyed the music, I thought about what I was going to cook for dinner.

To be continued.....