Page 243 of Not My Type
Dem woman yah nowadays thirsty once dem see seh a man have money. “Safe journey,” she tells him. I roll my eyes.
As we keep driving, Nickoi grabs some of my fries while I munch on my Zinger. After a while, I fall asleep. When I wake up, I realize it’s been a minute. I stretch, then ask, “Where we at?” So long mi did a sleep? Or babe just a drive fast? Yup, definitely the latter.
“St. Ann,” he replies. I blink, still groggy, but then spot the Krispy Kreme box beside me. I grab a doughnut, taking a bite as I sit up, the sweet glaze melting on my tongue. His phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen. “Hey Nickoi,” a female voice greets when he answers. I lean back, pretending not to listen, but I can’t help it. I tune in, my curiosity piqued.
“Juaqína wah happ’m?” Kiss mi tooth! I continue to look because mi really wah know why she a call Nickoi. Why not Gutta, Junior or somebody else? Dat mi a say too... the gyal wah yuh man!
“Sup’m do mi car,” she tells him and I pout.
So why she never call somebody else a who tell this girl seh mi wah sit dung a wait til har car fix? Zara stop. Mi don’t like her mon. Mi know but just be nice.
Nickoi pulls over, and Gutta, Junior, and the three cars in front of us do the same. I face palm myself when he says. “Soon fawud, Mami.” I mumble, barely above a whisper, my “mhmmm” trailing off as I watch him walk away.
After a moment, Nickoi gets back in the car, and the convoy moves out. His hand slides onto my exposed thigh, pulling my focus away from the window.
He glances at the road, then quickly at me. “Why yuh seem so upset? Why mi a get dah energy deh from yuh?” he asks. A jealous she jealous.
I shrug. “I don’t know cause I’m not.”
“Ah,” he moves his hand. Nickoi know sup’m do yuh.
I continue to stare out the window, the music soothing me until my eyelids grow heavy and I doze off again. The hum of the car and the soft beats fade as I drift into a light sleep.
“Baby?” Nickoi’s voice pulls me back. I blink, slowly opening my eyes. “Yuh neva’ sleep last night?” he asks, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern, eyebrows raised. “How yuh so sleepy?”
“I’m tired,” I say looking at him with my eyes slightly open.
He looks down. “Put on your slides and come on.”
“We reach?” I ask and he shakes his head no.
“Wi stop in Falmouth cause the man dem wah KFC but Suzanne and Anna wah use bathroom so fawud,” he holds the door for me.
“When wi a go reach?” I whine, trying to slip on my D&G slides, but I don’t have the energy to get them on properly.
Nickoi widens the door and steps closer to me, his hand gently cupping my ankle. “Hold up your foot,” he says, and I do as he asks. His hand glides over my small foot, easing it into the slide with a smooth, careful motion. A small smile tugs at my lips as he secures it in place. I fix myself quickly before walking out with him. They got through quickly and Gutta hands me a bag.
“This a fi Zara. Dem say Sakura is nearby so Anna is getting something for you,” he tells Nickoi.
“Ah respect.”
I walk into the KFC and spot a line of people outside.
I walk up to the security. “Hey, I just want to use the bathroom,” I say quietly. He hesitates for a moment, scanning me, but when his gaze shifts to Nickoi, he nods, giving me the go-ahead.
I smile and walk in. When I’m done using the bathroom, I get back in the car. Den life nice eech TC’s voice. Mi did done my Kentucky on our way down enuh, and watch yah now… mi get more. Cho, bubblegum.
Nickoi comes in with food and eats some for a while before he drives off again, following the others.
When we reach Mobay, it’s 6:15 pm. Babe was right. I know he said 6 pm, but he’s really close, plus we stopped a couple of times. “Which area we going?” I ask, looking over at him.
“Ironshore, the deadyard a keep, but mi house deh a Flanka,” he tells me, and I gasp. Even though mi never come a Mobay, yuh have some place in Jamaica weh we neva go before but we definitely know dem. Flanka is like that fi me.
“Really?” I ask and he chuckles.
“Mami mi a nuh stranger yer enuh,” he rasps. I stare at him hard.
Wah else him nuh tell me?
