Page 71 of Not My Type
“Truth is, I did it to show you that I’m with you regardless of what you’re doing. Always.”
25. APALLE D
Zara
After our little moment I got myself ready to leave before it got too late. The curfew had already passed, but it doesn’t seem to bother Nickoi. I figure that since he’s so ‘powerful’, maybe he has the privilege to be on the road, even after curfew hours. I finally take up my phone and walk over to the car. I’ll just wait in the car until he’s ready. I pull the car door and hop in, waiting patiently for Nickoi. Mama comes to my mind.
I wonder if she’s okay. If she’s still arguing with my dad? Is she worrying about me? I know the latter is definitely true.
She muss call you a hundred time and probably a print missing poster, my subconscious jokes. Lawd God.
That thought really sounds like something she would do. I want to call her, but I refuse to power on my phone. She’ll just have to wait until I get home. I’m trying to avoid arguments at all costs, and that’s exactly why I’m ignoring my mother’s calls.
Nickoi finally gets in the car, and I put my seatbelt on. “What kind of plans you have tomorrow?” he asks after a while of driving.
“When I leave school I’m going to the bank,”I tell him. Mi nuh have nuh other plans.
“Okay,” he says, focusing on the road.
“What about you, what you doing tomorrow?” I ask, looking over at him.
“Work,” he retorts.
What he means is that he’ll be chopping all day.
“Oh okay,” I say, looking through the window.
He turns onto my lane, and parks in front of my neighbour’s gate instead of mine. Smart.
He leans back in his seat. “Be good,” he smirks, looking over at me.
“I should be the one telling you that,” I joke, getting out of the car. “I’ll try.”
He chuckles, and I narrow my eyes at him. He laughs harder causing me to smile. “Mi a call yuh when mi get back home,” he tells me.
“Bye... be safe,” my voice comes out soft and he smiles before he drives off.
I walk towards my house, mentally preparing myself for any encounter that I’m about to have with my family. I open the gate slowly and gasp when I hear Gavin’s voice. Ahh bwoy.
I slowly walk into the living room, and spot him sitting in the sofa next to Mama. Dem did a chat yuh, my subconscious starts. Maybe Which maybe? Mi can see the guilt pon dem face.
I hear another familiar voice. It’s Aunty Marcia; Gavin’s mom. I set my purse down after taking account of everyone present for the round table talk.
“Goodnight,” I greet, and everyone answers except Gavin.
Him inna malice with yuh.
“A almost 12 o’ clock and yuh just a reach in? You not even call me fi tell me weh yuh deh,” Mama complains.
I sigh. I should’ve called, but I had to power off my phone because my mom wouldn’t stop calling me, and breaking through my DND. I’m not ready to talk to her yet. It’s going to be too much. I have to be ready.
“I told you I’d be at the nail tech,” I say and Mama hums.
“Nobody nah spend over ten hours a nail tech; that me know,” Gavin chimes in matter-of-factly.
I roll my eyes at him, looking back at Mama.
“Which paat a worl yuh did deh Zara?” she isn’t pleased.
