Page 259 of Not My Type
“A wah deh happ’m Aunty?” Gavin probes.
I sigh. “Zara seem like she in a trouble,” my mother tells them and I continue to cry.
Zara you a cry fi too long now.
“A must joke this, wah kind a trouble? Mi nuh just talk to har and she alright this mawning?” Gavin is worried.
“Zara what is happening? A Nickoi do yuh sup’m?” Mama asks angrily.
“Mi need fi go to her,” my mother says. “Unuh a stay or not?”
“Open the back door Aunty,” Gavin says.
“Alright mi a come,” Mama tells her.
“Zara talk to mi now what happ’m?” Mommy blares as she drives out.
“Mi and... mi and Nickoi break up,” I cry.
“What!?” They ask in unison.
“Him put him hand pan yuh?” Mommy questions.
“No mommy,” I retort.
“Oh alright we are on our way wi soon reach,” she hangs up.
I open Instagram and tap on Nickoi’s story. He posted a video fifteen minutes ago, wearing a black hoodie pulled over his head, smoke drifting up from the blunt between his fingers.Zara why you a check him page?
Everyone piles out of the car as soon as my mother parks. Her eyes soften when she looks at me, and she pulls me into a warm embrace. “What happen between unuh?” Mama asks, sitting down in the chair.
Mi cya tell dem the real reason why wi lef. Even though we are not together, I’m not gonna tell anyone what he did. I still love him and I don’t want him to get hurt, or go to prison. “We got into an argument because of one of his female friends,” I partially lie.
“Him cheat!?” Mama always thinks the worst of him.
“Me and har cya get along,” I tell her. Gavin sighs.
“A want deh gyal deh want yuh man enuh,” he says with an attitude.IKDR!!!
“So him tell yuh fi leff?” Mommy probes, and I shake my head.
“In a way, but him never run me out,” I say, if that even mek sense. Him dweet in a tactful way, I guess.
When we’re done talking, Mama asks me to cook with her. I know it’s her way of trying to cheer me up, it isn’t helping, but I appreciate it anyway. She starts telling me funny stories about my grandfather, and then moves on to stories about me as a kid. I laugh a little, but inside, I’m still hurting. He’s still on my mind. I try to focus on my family, hoping it’ll take my mind off him. But could I?
He creeps in my mind every now and then as we prepare the meal. As soon as Mama shares the food and everyone is settled to eat, I lose my appetite.You? weh been a nyam dung the place lost appetite?
“Put the TV pon My Wife And Kids fi mi,” Mama turns to Gavin. He laughs and springs up.
“One thing fi sure Mama a guh watch Micheal enuh. Nuh true Zara?” Gavin asks, picking up the remote.
“Yea,” I simply nod.
He looks over at me and then back at the TV. Him realize enuh.
When he puts the show on, he steps closer and sits beside me. I move the fork around the plate but I really don’t want the food. “Yuh still have it pan yuh mind,” he says with his eyes on the screen. I don’t say anything. “A so it go when yuh a go through breakup.” I sigh.
“Mi a go sleep,” I say, giving into the urge to be alone. My mother and grandma exchange looks, but neither says anything. They know I need the space.
