Page 231 of Not My Type
I glance over, and there he is, standing at the staircase, watching. Shit! My heart starts racing from the shock. I wanna scream, tell her not to say another word, but how would that look? I hang up the phone. Imagine you a chat somebody and just fi find out say them a listen? The worst feeling. Wah mi do now?
He’s silently watching, a grave look on his face, like he’s taking in every word. How long him deh desso? Laaad Gad.
She rings me again, but I turn on my Do Not Disturb. The silence hangs heavy between us, and it’s suffocating me.
“Good morning,” I say, hoping that he’ll just say it back and we go ahead with our day. He makes his way down in silence. I swallow.
“Yuh can go back enuh if everything a change,” his voice deadly.
I don’t like his tone. A now mi feel bad. That’s exactly what Mama say in the beginning of the call. So that mean seh him hear everything. My face heats up. I’m a little embarrassed that he’s suggesting that I leave. In other words run me out that’s just how mi see it.Zara nuh start with the foolishness.
“Nickoi... Mama just miss mi,” I defend.
“So mi a seh yuh can go,” he repeats it again. Him really wah mi fi go? After mi tell him say this is why mi neva’ wah live with him?
“Wah yuh mean go?” It comes out shaky.
“Mi a say you can go there back since me a mek things change,” he sounds... hurt? Ahh bwoy. Look wah Mama cause.
“Nickoi watch the things that you say when you’re angry cause a nuh me... I like it here... a she, and yuh sound like you a run mi out and yuh know how mi feel bout that,” I shake my head.
He hisses. “If I overheard you talking with your mom about me like I’m taking you away from them and changing things I’d feel offended too but just understand that Mama likes you, she just always have me around and now that I’m not there it’s foreign to her,” I explain.
He doesn’t look at me. “Everything good.”
He’s still upset. I sigh. “Mi cya bother enuh.” I grab my bag and head upstairs, tossing it on the bed before starting to get ready for school.
As I shower, his words replay in my head, the tears threatening to spill. I feel like maybe I should just go back to my mom’s house, especially sincehe’s basically telling me to leave. Who wouldn’t feel embarrassed? I wrap the towel around my body, staring at my reflection in the mirror. ‘So mi a seh yuh can go’ His words are haunting me. I can’t say any better. I stare at myself. I know he’s upset because of the way Mama was talking, but why would he say that to me?Because he’s upset Zara.I bite my lip, trying to stop myself from crying.Stop cry, Zara, it’s okay.
I look up, startled, as he swings the door open. His expression softens the instant he sees the tears cascading down my cheeks.
“Mi a use in here,” I whisper, and he doesn’t hesitate to secure the door behind him. This is Nickoi... as if he actually plans to listen. He pulls me to him, my back pressing against the vanity. I look up, his gaze intense, and the tears keep falling, deepening my humiliation.Woiiee,my subconscious laughs.
“Zara, stop cry,” he says, wiping my tears gently. “Only one time mi wah be the reason fi yuh tears, and mi tell yuh this already, so stop the crying,” he pauses, his gaze softening. “Mi nuh rate the way Ms. Sandra did a talk yuh zi mi. Mi nuh like the hypocrite vibe. Mi know yuh different, mi meds that sometimes, but mi nah try fi change yuh or mek yuh do nutt’n yuh nuh wah do.” I nod, feeling the weight of his words
“I know but Nickoi she used to me around her so she’s gonna say stuff,” I sob.
“Mi know she use to you just a room away from har and now yuh miles away but a so she go deh deal with the thing like mi a tek weh har happiness and a change things... mi nuh rate them thing deh.” I get it..
“I know and I’m sorry about what she said but mi never know you would seh mi must leave,” a dat hurt mi.
He looks away before his eyes finds me again. “Mi nuh wah yuh leave and mi nah mek yuh leave mi just did vex mi swear mi would never and will never disrespect yuh like that.”
I stare at him blankly. “Okay,” I say, and he pulls me into a warm hug.
“Yuh kno’ man love yuh and mi sorry bout wah mi say... mi nuh usually say things out of turn cause mi always try fi think bout things before metalk, but mi just did upset mi d’evu tek the time fi think. Jah know,” he heaves a sigh. I smile at him, he’s so sweet. People would never know the side of him that he shows me when he’s with me.
“I love you too.”
64. TEASE
Zara
Mrs. Adams smiles at me as I study the documents that she printed for me. She’s going next door to collect something from her church sister. “I’ll be back soon, mi affi go see what Vinette have for me,” she tells me.
“Okay Mrs. Adams mi a gwan see what mi can get from these documents,” I say before I start reading again. She walks out.
As I keep reading the documents, I jot down notes and watch videos to clarify things. I feel a wave of relief. Then, a noise from the living room snaps me out of it, and I look up, startled. A wah that? I move slowly off the chair and poke my head out of the room and gasp when I see Mr. Adam’s quickly walking out with a young girl. Mi raatid! She looks like she’s in her early twenties and I’m sure he’s in his sixties.What a dutty piece a man!
