Chapter 40

                         Arly's pov

  Ignition brought the two hundred grand from Natty to me the following morning before daybreak. "Mawnin, general." He greeted me, and I nodded and took the envelope from him.

  Natty was over in his weed grung when I went to mine and began reaping. He and a few men who had been working with him came over to my weed drying hut an hour later while I was hanging out the weed trees on the lines and began a casual conversation. The conversations were cool, but his energy was off. "Mi waan change out two vehicles, wey yuh think?" He asked.

 "Which ones?" I asked, sitting on my haunches a few yards in front of him.

"Di camri and the hiace. Think a Noah would a duh well fi mi madda travel ina and a jeep or a town ace fi when more than four of us a move one time." He answered as if he was undecided, but I know him better than that.

While we reason about the asking price, he kept scrutinizing me, so I took out my phone and called my vehicle dealer friend Marcus. I put the phone on speaker, and his whole composure changed after the agreed prices and vehicles were completed. Turbine's displeased facial expression was barely hidden as I noticed that he chose to stand mainly behind Natty away from his view. I glance towards Copper's penetrating gaze and give him a meaningful look before asking Natty if he had started reaping his weed. The subject was duly changed, and the atmosphere was more relaxed until they left, and I went back to work.

  That evening, Copper came to borrow my powersaw and told me. "This morning, Natty and Turbine have it out wicked in a di bush at the back. A guh tell Turbine sey him must carry di machete fi rass yuh a chop if yuh nuh agree fi mek di dealer exchange di vehicle dem, suh Turbine tell him sey him nuh like hear di truth das why him have yuh up, and di two a dem start a piece a cussing. Turbine tell him sey him a guh go wey, and more dan half a di man dem walk wey wid him."

  "Yuh know sey mi feel him bad energy, because usually mi nuh call di dealer suh, but mi know him nuh trust mi, das why mi call di man mek him hear. Mi a louw him out, him a guh sey mi a move sideways but mi a guh find aneda job wey when mi come home mi na've nuh time fi him bagga bagga." I tell him in response.

  "Yow, mi not even waan stay round him nuh more ino. Right now him a get some information and is another big heist him a pree. Mi feel like him only a put up wid wi fi di man power, if dis guh thru him a guh show him true colors and it betta if mi gwane before dat." He reasons.

"Which part yuh a guh gwane guh? Start stay in wid yuh 'oman and pickney. Find work in a yuh yard fi duh a evening time when yuh come from work, or find an evening class and guh." I tell him encouragingly.

  He nodded his head and says. "Mi madda nuh stop grumble sey she sorry mi build up di house ova dey suh, nuh know wey mi a guh duh."

  I took out Tiony and our sons that evening, and we spent our time talking on the park bench while keeping an eye on the boys enjoying themselves on the rides. "Any heist him a guh pon, mi nah guh by myself, suh him can gwane plan and wait until last minute fi tell mi fi it look like him just get di information. Mi not even waan guh nuh wey wid him, if mi nuh guh, him a guh start a pree mi again. Mi know him nuh done all a di money wey him have, but laziness cause him fi nuh waan invest in a nutn."

  Tiony squeezed my hand that I had enscounced with hers, and I relaxed automatically upon realizing that I was tensed up because of my vexed thoughts. "It would be nice to open two stores out by our community entrance. A lot of times, people run out of things and have to drive all the way into town. Not to attract idlers, but it's on the main road, and I think it would be a good business investment. A wholesale and retail store, or just a grocery store, the chickens would definitely sell as well as the fruits, and if we purchase in bulk, we could sell back at a reasonable price." She reasons, and I smile looking at her and could almost see the ideas and thoughts materializing in her mind.

  "We can reason more about it when we get home." I tell her and call the boys as it was getting dark.

  "Mr. McGrath?" A familiar male voice called out to me when we were close to Tiony's jeep, and I looked around to see Danny, who was a delivery truck driver for the company I used to work.

  I walked towards him so as not to let him get near to my woman and sons. "What's up, Mr. Danny?" I asked him in greeting.

"Buoy, I a call yuh phone from when, but mi nah get yuh." He says.

"Mi change mi number, caan tek people still a call mi bout di company and mi nuh work dey again." I responded so as to not make him feel offended.

  He glances over to Tiony's jeep and says. "Mi si you and yuh family out, suh mek mi mek dis quick. Di new manager out fi fire everybody and mi a try hustle somn fi mi self, suh a das why mi a try get yuh fi ask if yuh can help mi a wi split di money fifty fifty?"

  I would be stupid to pass up this good opportunity, so I responded. "A wey yuh a talk bout mon, anytime yuh ready."

"Mi ready now, mi a walk pon chalk line." He tells me.

My hustlers drive kick in, and I tell him. "Hundred and two hundred feet hoses, toilets, face basins sets, water pipes, electrical pipes, at least twenty boxes of any tiles yuh taking, grouts, tinsets, tile cutter, paints, shovels, buckets, drill sets, electrical saws, hammers, every tool wey yuh can move, den load di back wid cements, and put a water tank or two pon di top. Carry dem guh deliver to Mister Audley and him wi show yuh wey fi drop dem and mi wi sell dem as fast as possible. Mi a guh mek him know fi look out fi yuh."

"Deal." He says, and we bumped fists and went in opposite directions.

  I drive to Pizza Hut, which we had agreed on earlier, and bought two large pizzas. Tiony and I exchanged ideas and did numerous rough checks until sleep was calling us. "Good night, we will continue this a morning." I tell her.

"Mmnhu." She murmurs already sleeping off.

The next morning, early, I told Daddy what was up and parked Tiony's jeep at the back of my sister's house the moment André drove off. I covered it up, then went back to Daddy, who continued to inform me about more materials being dropped off over where Dagger-master was building. Mattic's and Copper's relayed displeasure of him living there was intense. He was an okay friend, but once he lived there, every last person in our born district would know where we reside. Natty was clearly not thinking, and as always, the talibans were depending on me to solve the problems and deal with Natty, which I don't want to do presently.

  "A how your face suh long?" Natty asked, coming out onto his verandah.

  I sighed on a breath and shook my head, putting on a very convincing act to lounge the subject of my visit without him suspecting that I was lying. "Two police officers approached me yesterday and a ask a who a build pon dem land. I had no idea they had gone in to housing and the lands over on that side was being validated to be sold, so they say they were reporting me for giving my friends permission to build on their lands that they were already in the process of buying."

"A'right, me e just tell Dagger-master fi stop build immediately because mi caan badda wid nutn pertaining to di law. Mi not even did remember sey him sey him did a guh start build, mi have so much other important things pon mi mind." He says with his face, showing that as usual, he couldn't bother to know the details.

  Fine prints were not his favorite, I guess some people's brains were too narrow for things that are important to them, while things that shouldn't be important to them were accepted as such. He hissed and rolled his eyes at my serious stare at his blatant lying that he didn't remember to tell me that Dagger-master was building over on the side where I resided and asked. "Can you tek care a di housing matter without any fuss or attention and court matters?"

"Mi a duh mi research, suh hopefully. Next time uno a use mi name wid somn suh important mek mi know. Tssk." I tell him in an unfriendly tone of voice and hissed.

"Nuh badda start bitch, breakfast a cook if yuh 'oman nuh gi yuh none dis mawnin, or yuh mussi nuh sleep good last night because a dem crosses police dey." He tells me with his right palm turn sideways in my direction, then took a deep breath and released it loudly before continuing.

"Si if yuh can get all a di land dem a di back a wi fence line fi buy, mi caan afford fi nuh police buoy a watch out wi bumbo-hole right now. A you have di brains fi duh dat, just come to mi fi di money when yuh get thru wid everything and wi guh from dey suh."

To be continued...