Page 263 of Not My Type
She walks away, still smiling, and I look away just in time to catch Michelle staring at me. Shit. As she walks over, I feel a bit awkward, knowing she’s about to bring up Zara.
She approaches me with a pleasant smile. “Hello Nickoi,” I return the smile.
“What’s up Ms. Michelle?”
“Just here buying some food for me and mommy,” she says, and I feel a little disappointed. So Zara nuh deh here?
Haha yuh wah see Zara, my subconscious tease.
Mi see har yesterday with har cousins, and she did look sad. Mi wah ask her fi Zara, but mi nuh know wah she a say to dem. The way she look pan mi yesterday, it woulda come off like she hate me.
“Oh, yuh good though?” I ask instead, and she nods.
“I’m okay,” she looks back at the line. “Mi affi go join back cause yuh see how dem pack in here,” she steps off, and I gesture my hand over to the server.
“Hey you want change yuh order?” The same girl asks, and I shake my head no. I point at Ms. Michelle.
“Deal with her. On me,” I say and she smiles before she starts giving the girl her order.
Miss Michelle looks back at me. “Thanks Nickoi.”
“Yah,” I smirk. She’s silent for a while before she speaks again.
“Mi wah talk to you enuh,” her words slip out slowly.
“Ah,” I say simply.
The girl comes back with our food and Ms. Michelle takes hers and I take mine to add pepper to it. When I’m ready to leave, I give the server extra money. “Respect, and tell Aunty seh mi did deh yah,” she nods.
“I will,” she beams and I walk out behind Miss Michelle.
When we’re outside, she sighs, placing her food on the car bonnet before she looks back at me. “It’s about Zara,” she says, her tone shifting.
How she sound so sad? I look at her, curiosity building, waiting to hear what’s on her mind. “The only time I see her really happy, apart from being around me and mommy, is when you’re around. And ever since you two broke up, mi nuh think Zara eat two meals good,” she says, worry lining her face. Jah Jah. “Mi nuh know what’s really going on between you two, and mi nuh deh here fi cause trouble, but if you could look for her, please, it would mean a lot to me,” she says, almost begging.
“Weh she deh now?” I finally ask and her face lightens up.
“She’s at home with Gavin,” she retorts. “From the breakup she would a come out and socialize a little, but yesterday she go out and come back and mi nuh know what happen, but Zara get worst and as her mother it really a bother me,” she says with a sigh. A probably true she see yuh.So wah go happen when mi go and she see me again?
Mi d’evu know why mi feel so guilty. “Mi a go link har,” I say and she hugs me. I hold out my hand with the food, using my other arm to hug her.
“Thanks,” she smiles, picking up her food from the car. I spot Mama inside, watching me, and mi can tell seh she nuh inna me. That good still.
ZARA
“Yuh would a go a Riu?” Gavin asks, his voice cutting through the silence as I watch the TV. I glance over at him, shaking my head, not even bothered to entertain the question.
“It’s a nice hotel,” I say, eyes still glued to the TV, not really feeling the conversation.
“Mi a plan fi go deh fi spend a weekend,” he says. “Me, you, Sash, and mi girlfriend, but mi affi go ask dem wah dem think.”
“A Mobay?” I raise a brow.
Mi nuh wah go back a Mobay too much crazy things happen there for my first time. He notices my face and he sighs. “Zara every weh bad enuh but that nuh mean yuh cya have fun, just be careful.” Him not even know say mi nearly dead there.
“Yeah,” I simply say, eyes glued to the screen. I’m watching Good Girls, and Rio’s got me feeling some type of way. His energy? Too familiar. It’s like he’s giving me PTSD. Reminds me too much of him.
“Mi miss the Zara weh mi did used to,” he sighs.
