🧭The Next Day...

°Tyrone's POV°
8:25 A.M.

🎶Top choppa mek eh money fast dawg, top coote!
Rich inna mi prime, yuh nuh si di black coupe?
Gyal a gimmi brain like mi nuh gah school...
Yeh mi clean everyday, watch eh Clarks boot!
Anuh lie a juss eh truth, wah di vibes, wah di move?
Bout dem a chop, my yute weh di proof?
Nah mek money den bredda wah do you?
When mi been a knock yuh gyal, dawg anuh nut'n new, dat a true...🎶

The shrill sound of Marksman 'Top Coote' pulls my attention away from Candi-- whose chin is resting on my lap, her small body lodged between my opened legs--and towards my phone that's vibrating heavily on the night stand.

I groan, then hiss my teeth. A who the fuck that a call man dem time ya, man!

"Let it ring, babe," Candi tells me, her voice muffled by my dick that's in her mouth.

That mi out fi do, yes.

Peeling my attention away from it, I refocus same on the woman, giving me brain, reaching out and pulling her head back by her braids.

The phone stops ringing, and the room goes eerily silent.

Releasing the breath I didn't even realize I was holding, I relax, tilting my hips, forcing my hood deeper down her throat.

But the tranquility is short-lived as the phone goes off again.

CHO, fuck!

"Yo, wul on deh..."

Twisting my body to the left, and reaching over, I pick up the device, my heart skipping a beat when I look at the caller ID.

Shit.

A wah gwaan yah now?

It's unlike my old lady to be calling me this early. Unless something's wrong.

Clearing my throat, I swipe to accept, placing the phone at my ear. "Morning, Mumz..."

She takes a few seconds pause before saying, "Hope mi nawh bother yuh."

Well...

Mi wouldn't say that, stills.

Tapping Candi on her forehead, signalling for her to go easy, she frowns but stands, and I sit up, scooting further along the bed's edge.

I chuckle. "Nuh say that, Mumzi, man. You can never bother me. What's up? Yuh good?"

"Mi deh yah mi bwoi. But mi hungry issa shame."

My heart sinks at how wishy-washy she sounds. Almost like she's embarrassed to tell me.

"From morning mi not even tek mi pill dem," she adds.

Grinding my teeth, my hold on the phone tightens. Dem fuckry yah mi nuh like hear now eno. "How comes? Yuh nuh eat noth'n from morning?"

Pulling the phone away from my ear, I look at the time. Minutes to nine. As a diabetic? Jah know? I put it back as she speaks.

"No sah. Not a thing nuh deh ya, mi bwoy."

Jah Jah.

"So...so weh Tash deh? She couldn't buy two egg or sum'n look bout gi' yuh?"

"Tasheika nuh deh here eno. She get a likkle supermarket work, so she gone look 'bout it this morning."

Tash is my younger cousin. Likkle pickney who had a bright future ahead of her. But, follow friend and company, tek up big woman business pon her head mek man breed her outta school.

"So weh TJ deh?" I ask, referencing Tash's son.

Mumzi scoffs. "She bring him gone spend time wid him father side a people 'cause mi cyaa manage fi watch him."

Zeen.

Mumzi isn't as strong again as she was one time. She a get up inna age. Plus, she has diabetes and high blood pressure, so she can hardly manage herself, worse she has recently been diagnosed with arthritis. So mi get why she cyaa manage fi monitor TJ. He's three and give nuff talking yuh fuck.

I sigh. "So a you one deh home?"

She hums.

Fuck.

"Alright, tell yuh what, mi a go pick up two things from the supermarket and bring come. Yuh can manage 'til mi reach?"

"Wah else mi ago do? Mi affi manage."

Hating how defeated she sounds, I feel fuck up. "Aite. Soon forward then."

A thought comes back to me and I frown. Mi not even know wah the fuck fi buy. Unless..."By the way, the things dem weh mi buy wah day did good? Yuh woulda want dem deh again?"

"Yea man. But, don't buy the Basarati rice, or whatever it waa name. Doctor say mi fi ease up offa the heap a white rice."

Mumzi say Basarati rice to pussyclaat!

...yuh couldn't nuh hear that, Dawg?

No.

Yawh fuckry eno. Yu pussyhole.

Biting the insides of my cheek to quell the urge to laugh, at the thought, I exhale. "Ah. Nuh say a word. Ago still buy it, so Tash can use it, and buy sum'n else fi you."

"Matter-of-fact," I add, "mi always hear people a talk 'bout this Quinoa thing. Ago mek yuh try it too."

"Kin wah?"

"Nuh worry yuh head, yaggo seet when mi buy it," I tell her, chuckling. 'Cause mi know she goodly curse bad words if she nuh lowe that.

She laughs, catching on regardless, and the sound warms my heart. "Yuh naffi do mi so eno, lily bwoy. Yuh know mi and dem fancy word deh nuh mesh."

I hum. "That good man, Mumz. Yuh good otherwise?"

"Aii."

Rate that.

"Ah. Gimme 'bout an hour fi drop a yuh foot, cool?"

My eyes follow Candi as she exits the bathroom and comes to lay down on the bed, picking up her phone.

"Don't bother go drive fast and crash now eno," Mumzi says, bringing my attention back to her. "Mi nawh dead."

"Mi nawh crash, Mama. Yuh grandson a big time driver eno, yuh never know."

"Hmm? Mek sure."

I chuckle. Always worried.

"I will."

"Aii. Later. See yuh when mi see yuh."

"Ah."

The line disconnects and I sigh, pulling the phone away from my ears.

"Who's that?" Candi's question makes me look at her.

The fuck?

Yo know wah...

Springing to my feet, I walk to the bathroom to hold a quick wash-off.

About five minutes later, I walk back into the room to find Candi with my phone in her hand. She looks frightened when she sees me.

I simply sigh, shaking my head and chuckling dryly.

A them same fuckry yah mek mi swear mi nah gi' nuh gyal mi code eno.

My lips draw into a thin line, and I crick my neck, trying my best not to lose my temper. "Why yuh hands up mi phone?"

Ignoring my question, she asks one of her own, saying: "Who yuh did a talk to so long pon phone, Dada?"

Yuh see all dem fuckry yah? Then, tell mi say tha woman yah righted inna her head part...

Walking over to my closet, I pull out a pair of dark-washed ripped jeans and a plain white Tees, tossing the shirt onto the bed before opening the waist of the pants and stepping into it.

"Mi gyal, awah?" I finally answer her, smirking.

"Don't mek mi rude to yuh!" She holds my phone out to me, her hand outstretched. "Open this."

Open yuh bombopussyclaat! Aye...

"You open it, 'cause clearly a yours," I deadpan, pulling the pants up, letting it rest just a little tip below my waist, so that only the waistband of my Calvin Klein underpants is visible.

Yo, uno warn her eno, she a talk to man like she and man a size.

She think a Bob, or whatever the sodomite she have a fuck a Portmore name, this?

Candi's eyes follow me as I move around the room, not paying her any mind as I continue to get dressed.

Realising she won't get her way, she huffs, tossing my phone pon the bed. It's bounces then settles near the edge.

And I chuckle deeply. A thru she don't even know wah the devil a tell mi fi do.

Fist yuh inna yuh face, yuh fuck!

Ignoring her, despite myself, because mi sure she hear say a mi granny mi did a chat to, and just waa start up fuckry, I pick up my shirt, pull it over my head, then reach for my wallet and keys that are beside each other on the dresser.

"Yuh see why mi hate man! If man ano the devil, nuh devil nuh deh!"

"Argument yawh look eno, B, but a better yuh breeze mi yuzeet." She do it every fucking time. Mi tired a it now.

"Where are you going, Beau?" she asks, as I spritz myself with cologne, as if finally realising what's happening.

She change her tune fast.

"Mi a go link mi granny," I deadpan.

A blanket of annoyance settles over me now.

She perks up. "So, mi fi get ready to?"

Mi woulda probably take her, if she never piss mi the fuck off.

Since Mumzi always a say she waa meet mi woman. But Jah Jah.

"No. Stay. Mi soon forward back."

"So, yawh leave mi alone here?" She pouts as our eyes meet.

Yuh know say mi ago gi' woman a break? Be by miself fi a while. Big woman t'ing.

"You're free to go." I shrug, not caring for her attitude. "Mi nuh tie yuh."

"But--"

"Candi, today is the day after the Lord's day, don't mek mi sin miself."

Cyaa tek the bagga nagging morewhile eno, star.

A when she get so fucking annoying?

The thought causes me to hiss my teeth loudly.

Everytime she come wid the bagga fuckry, mi just feel fi leff her bloodclaat!

Worse mi a pree her differently, from Kimani say wah him say, and she not even know.

So a better she bill and stop keep up fuckry argument wid me inna the Monday morning yah. Oh.

I then add, "If yuh waa mi drop yuh a Shopper's Delite and yuh get sum'n go up, then put on yuh clothes quick, yuzeet."

My eyes rake over her naked body: full breasts and small waist. Flat belly, adorned by a shiny silver navel ring. Her skin is still a bit shiny too, courtesy of our earlier activities; brown and smooth and glistening under the harsh LED lights.

Settling between her parted legs, which I know she parted out of spite, to tease me, her fleshy pussy beckons to me.

Unt un. I look away, feeling my erection grow.

Why the mad gyal dem always have the fattest pussy, Dawg?

Pushing the thought behind me, I reach for my shoes, from the shoes rack, behind the door, setting them down at my feet. Twisting my wrist to look at the time, I frown. Look how long the woman call mi, Dawg, and mi still deh yasso a waist bloodclaat time.

I can feel Candi's eyes boring a hole in the side of my head as I pull up my pants that's sagging and fasten the belt.

Mi know she vex, mi can feel the energy radiating off of her, but she good. A life. Nawh mek nuh woman stress mi 'cause she can gimmi a one bruck, yuzeet.

Not when so much other pussy deh a road.

Looking at her now, I chups after her, but she rolls her eyes.

After pushing my feet into my black bank robbers, I turn away from her sulking face, and move towards the door when she makes no effort to get out of bed, still.

"A cut mi a cut now eno. Yuh nawh come?" I ask to make sure.

"No, I'm fine. I'll stay here by my damn self." Attitude fi kill.

"Ah. Later then."

A sarcastic hum greets my ears, making me hiss my teeth before turning and walking through the bedroom door, pulling it closed behind me.

Soon fix your fucking business, man. Watch waa go gwaan.

°

°

°

°Deanne's POV°
10:04 A.M.

My phone buzzes as I take another bite of the crispy toast, licking the excess strawberry jam residue from my lips.

No man! A who this a text mi so bright and early?

Running my finger along the sensor, my phone unlocks with a soft click. Slowly chewing the piece of bread that's in my mouth, I drag down the notification bar, and look at the WhatsApp message that'd just come in.

Seeing that it's from my bestie, I click on the icon and wait for it to take me to the chat.

This likkle gyal nuffi deh a class?

Weh she find time a text...?

Chuckling when I read what it says, I wipe my hand in my shorts, to remove the breadcrumbs, then settle more comfortably on the stool as I text her back.

Any day Mr Samuels hear her a call him 'Mr Ranstid' she will know.

Wid her out of order self.

Clicking out of App, I click on IG, watching as the feed automatically refreshes itself.

My smile spreads as it settles on MainDangers' 'Night Vibes'.

Connecting my AirPods, I swipe to the second slide, preparing to laugh my ass off.

Watchya now. Bare foolishness this now eno.

. . .

A few minutes of me laughing to near death, pass, before I hear shuffling in the other room, as I'm scrolling through the comments, followed by my mother's loud voice.

"Apple!"

No sah! Hear how the woman a halla mi name. Yuh woulda swear mi never siddung right yasso, literally less than twelve feet away from her.

"Yes, Mommy?" I turn to face the arch, separating the kitchen and the living room, as she comes to stand at the doorway.

Why the hell this lady never gwaan a work, man?

She came up from country this morning, before day break, with the intention of going to work, but changed her mind last minute.

I don't know why.

Mussi fi stay here and torment me.

She clears her throat. "Yuh know say mi waa yuh do sum'n fimmi..."

Mi know say a must sum'n like that, man.

Wouldn't be my mother if she sees me sitting down on my phone and don't find sum'n fi gi' mi fi do.

Once ano school-work yawh do, yuh might as well nawh do noth'n, fi she.

Pulling the glass of 'OJ' to my lips, I pause before taking a sip, saying, "Wha that now?" Mi nuh trust her when she say this eno.

Her smile is endearing. Sum'n big she a beg eno, mi just know. "Yuh can run go dung a Wharf fimmi?"

Wah?

"Wharf?" I exclaim, almost spluttering the juice that's in my mouth.

Mess up the lady kitchen mek she knock yuh out, idiot.

Her smile drops, at my tone, and she gets serious now, placing her hands akimbo. "Wait, then yuh hard of hearing? Nuh that mi say likkle while?"

I frown. Seriously, Mommy?

"Ano that, gwaan bend up yuh face so, 'til it set so and cyaa go back. 'Cause mi nuh know a who and you."

Biting my tongue, to resist the urge to hiss my teeth, for fear of losing a few, I sigh. "Wharf, Mommy, really?"

"Yes. Ano now though, a later. So yuh naffi kill up yuhself. Ali say fi carry the paper come and she beg her colleague clear it fi her when him a go over the port go clear the other customer dem own."

Oh.

"So how it ago reach up?" I ask, referring to the barrel.

"Ali boyfriend ago carry it up fimi."

Raaayyy, watch good nephew-in-law Oshane...!

My smile spreads. "Oh. So mi just ago carry the paper and come up back?"

My mother nods, her eyes circling the living room.

Hearing that make mi feel likkle bit better...but still.

Look how mi say mi a tek the day and lay dung inna mi bed. Cho!

But, as them say: when yawh plan, God a wipe.

I sigh, biting off another piece of the toast, savouring the crunchy texture, mixed with the sweetness of the jam.

Through the side of my eye, I see Mommy move further into the living room, mumbling beneath her breath.

Awah now?

Mi know mi mek sure clean and wash the plate dem, from early this morning, but knowing my mother, if she nuh find sum'n fi murmur 'bout, she nuh name Cynthia Ludlow-Bradshaw (to be).

"A who fa sweater this?" she asks, finally popping up back at the doorway, holding up the black pullover by the tips of her thumb and pointer fingers.

I stare at her, my brows furrowed. Ano Ali own, mi never see her in a it yet.

Unless...

Watchya, yuh know say a Shane leff him sum'n yah tho? Rahtid. Ali never see it?

Him use it shelter yesterday evening fi come in from him car, 'cause rain did a fall and Ali decided fi spite him wid the umbrella.

"A mine," I lie.

'Cause as much as she loves Shane, mi know she woulda cuss if she know say him come here.

This woman swear say she nuh waa nobody bring nuh man a her yard. Worse when she nuh deh ya.

Upon hearing that, her face softens, as she looks at the piece of clothing in her hand. "A when yuh buy this? How a the first mi a see it?"

Why mothers think them affi know every piece of clothes weh yuh own?

"A joke. A Rickel own and she lend mi."

Her eyes narrow at that. "So how yuh just say a yourn?"

'Cause mi a liad.

A crime?

"So nuh mine?" I tease.

Mommy hisses her teeth, loudly, and toss the sweater back onto the couch's armrest. "Likkle gyal, stop confuse mi brain and go siddung."

I can hear the smile in her voice.

And I laugh, my eyes following her as she walks over to the fridge and open it, her playful demeanor turning grim again.

"A who the baxide do this? A who drink off the orange juice and leave the blasted empty carton box inna the fridge?"

"Rassclaat," I mumble under my breath.

Guilty as charged.

A figot mi figot fi tek it out eno.

"Jesus, Mommy, how yuh can miserable up yuhself so?" I try to sidetrack her, knowing she won't stop once she starts.

If yuh waa mek my mother turn on 'Stone Love' inna her throat, mek she come see empty plate, empty box, or empty noth'n inna the fridge, or dirty plates inna the sink. Then yuh will hear.

"Don't ask mi that!" she hisses, tossing the empty carton into the trash can and slamming the lid close. "If uno never did a do noth'n fi mi miserable ova, mi wouldn't miserable, don't?"

If yuh say so.

"Ano spite mi leff it in deh fa. A figot mi figot fi tek it out, likkle while."

Her head snaps to me. "Oh, never see smoke without fire! A you leff it in deh that's why yawh come chat and tell mi shit!"

The heat rises to my cheeks. She nuh hear mi say a mistake?

She can gwaan yussi. Cho.

"Yuh eat already?"

"Don't come gwaan like yuh care 'bout mi! Mi know a distract yawh try distract mi thru yuh nuh waa mi talk 'bout the nastiness weh yuh do. Don't act like mi born big. Mi might born a night, but ano last night!"

Lawd have mercy.

Control yuh daughter nuh God!

Pretending to be offended, I tsk." See, mi care 'bout mi mother wellbeing and look how she a hangle mi. Then she same one cuss say we nuh care 'bout her when we nuh ask. See how life unfair?"

Mommy hums, but settles down. Then hiss her teeth. "A soon claat yuh wid sum'n ova yuh rass head. Gwaan play like yuh have more sense than mi, lilly gyal."

When she says that, I know she's calm. So I grin. "But, seriously, yuh nawh eat sum'n, lady?"

Starve herself then walk and fart up the place say she full a gas.

Typical.

My mother sighs, moving to sit on the stool on the opposite side of the marble counter. "Yuh couldn't leave some a weh yuh look 'bout fimmi?"

"A bread. And yuh know yuh nuh eat bread unless a whole wheat."

She frowns.

"Mi leave tea fi yuh tho."

"Soso tea?" She makes a face.

"And boil franks."

"Mi nuh waa that." Turning, she looks at the pantry then rubs her nose. "Mi honestly not even know wah mi feel fa. Woulda probably drink likkle soup. But mi nuh waa boil it."

Hear ya. "Then buy it then."

"Where?"

"Outta Dassa," I tell her, moving over to the sink to wash my plate.

"Dassa have soup so early?"

"Maybe. She always boil red peas soup fi the man dem weh work uppa the hill. So she probably has leave."

"Oh."

"Yeah, mi can go buy it fi yuh, if yuh really want it."

She regards me skeptically, narrowing her eyes. "See how yuh glad fi run go road?"

Her comment and the look on her face makes me laugh. "Cyaa please yuh eno, lady. If mi never offer now, yuh vex and say mi introduce yuh to soup idea and nuh go buy it."

She blushes, but looks away to conceal it. "Gwaan like yuh know mi yussi."

"Mi know yuh like the backa mi hand!" I say through a grin.

She hums. Then stands. "Alright, hurry up and do that and gwaan go buy it. A go fi the money 'cause it feel like gas a tek mi up."

As the words leave her lips, so does a fart, making me scream out in laughter.

Same God Almighty t'ing mi just say!

. . .

10:45 A.M.

The sun is scorching hot, outside, but I make my way through the door, walking briskly through the metal gate, and turning up the lane.

Dassa's shop is a small, blue and red, half-concrete-half-plyboard structure erected at the entrance of the lane leading to my scheme, at the foot of the hill.

It's a little cookshop and bar that she started running a few years ago, mostly catering to residents of the community and a few workmen who frequent the area.

She's an older woman, but her kids are all grown now and don't pay her much mind, so she hussles to put food on her table.

Mi nuh wrong her.

Woulda do the same t'ing too.

It helps that she gets a lot of support though. So, yea...

Adjusting the legs of the short, black tights I'm wearing, as it keeps riding up my thighs and exposing my bits, I sigh. Shudda change tha shorts ya eno, cho!

Just hope none a dem likkle pervert ya weh ever deh pon the lane nuh see mi.

The pebbles crunch beneath my crocs as I walk past the Davey's yard.

Shavar isn't home, most likely at school, and I don't want to make the mistake and see Chance, so I hurry past, keeping my head straight.

Weh Mommy say again? One large red peas soup, if she has none, and couple piece of fried chicken back.

Ah.

The community is eerily silent, being a work day, and most people are either at work or at school. Mi nuh mind still.

Less hassle. And less people fi call to.

I'm a few houses down the lane when I spot a silhouette of a man, sitting on the wall near Ms Dawn's house, prompting me to pull at my shorts.

Peeling my eyes away from the shadow, I bring my attention to the actual man: dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. His back is turned to me, but his whole demeanor tells he's focused on his phone.

Wait, mi a see doubles or wah?

His head is down, so he doesn't see me, but his presence makes my heart suddenly skip a beat.

Because...

Nuh Driva that?

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Guys, I'm slowly getting obsessed with this book and mi feel like mi a give RUIN bun. Help 🥺

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