"Ye mon. Not even air itself cah come between we. Memba dat."
*********************
Karissa Kizeah Thomas' life changed at the age of 16 years old when her grandmother passed away from cancer, leaving her to fend for herself. She pursued a career as...
With my feet casually crossed on the comfort of my plush bed and my mind wandering, i found myself staring at the stack of bills before me.
'Sixteen gran. Sixteen !?' The words echoed in my mind.
It's a sum I never imagined I could earn in a single night, yet here it is, tangible evidence of my efforts.
Me honestly nuh believe dis ago work out fi me enuh.
But me not even ago beat up miself, and gwaan like all a this a my fault.
Cause me gwaan wid miself tonight.
If a never fi dah ooman deh, me coulda make money like crazy.
But me nah wild nobody daughter, cause me muss make it one day and-
"Karissa!" The urgent voice slice through the air, jolting me out of my reverie.
"Yeah, me still deh here. Me a hear weh yuh say," I respond hastily, the lie slipping easily from my lips as I hop off the bed and reach for my purse on the dresser.
I unzip my purse with practiced efficiency and carefully tuck the wad of cash into it. I then make a mental note to deposit it in my bank account at a later date, knowing it would go towards my light bill for the month.
"Mi seh. Yuh have some tings fi admit to God essi pon judgement day cause yuh lie like show. Me never say a word. Me just did a call yuh cause yuh silent," Stacia tease.
A guilty twinge prick at my conscience, but I brush it aside, "Girl. Right now my head deh all bout the place."
"Me realize cause yuh barely utter 3 word since me call yuh. A wah gwaan? Yuh alright?"
I sit on my bed and take the phone into my hands once again, pondering how to begin recounting the disastrous shift I'd just endured.
"Me a feel fi leff dah place here and go work uppa the new club name Seastone, honestly. Cause me nah make no money here suh and a bare fuckery the manager a keep up," I say indignantly to my best friend on the brink of tears.
"Me deven make me minimum tonight cause one..," I continue, "A bare girl did a work tonight. Two, yuh know how Warren come dung when it comes on to Kayla and Lisa. Me tiad a the favoritism ting wid dem."
Stacia sigh on the other end of the call, "Bwoy. Me nuh know how yuh manage her enuh. A wah Warren do tonight?"
"You have two girl up deh right. One name Kayla and the other name mussi Lisa. You supposed to hear me talk bout dem nuff time. Every minute them put dem two girl deh pon the stage and kick off the other girl dem just so dem two gyal deh can nyam a food. Like wah gwaan fi we? we nuh wah nyam and belch to?
Gyal dem deh pon the stage fi all one hour bredda and every chupense go infront addi stage and then when people start back weh cause them say them nah go up there, miss warren she start get mad. Like how the fuck you upset true nobody nah guh, when you have lisa and kayla pon stage the ENTIRE DAY!
You get weh me a say Stacia? Me cah bada no more.. feel like stay a mi yard morewhile and no go nuh weh but a true me nav nobody fi bank pon."
After staying quiet for the longest, while listening to me rant about how my career sucks, Anastasia sighed. Life took a turn for me in 2018 when my grand-mother died from breast cancer, when i was completing my last year of lower high school.
My father isn't a present figure in my life and my mother travels often so it was just me and her. My grand mother would take care of me with the little allowance she received from her children and older grandchildren, by using it to send me to school, paying my school fee and helping out with the basic necessities.
But all of this changed when she died and Anastasia knows how difficult it is for me since she was with me throughout my healing process. My mother occasionally sends money for me, but not enough to cover all my basic needs. She will send money every year to cover my UWI tuition and a little for my self, but to how time hard, that only serve me for about 2 weeks then it done, but regardless i'm still grateful.
And i know about money management so it isn't even about that.
Breaking the silence, Stacia finally speak up, her voice filled with empathy and understanding, "Bwoii girl, it ruff uppa the club, nah lie. Every girl me know weh step foot ina Blaze Club nuh last one much less three months cause a the manager. Just wull it out yaa Rissa. Only batty man life nice everyday."
Regardless of how sad and depressed I am because of the situation at work and life itself, I had to laugh. She knows how to put a smile on someone's face and comfort them at the same time.
"And when me get me pay cheque Friday, me send you a likkle something fi help you out yzm.. And Rissa tomorrow a new years eve mama, so lets just pray and hope tomorrow better." she added.
Stacia knows I'm not the one to accept handouts easily. I have a prideful streak, a refusal to be pitied or judged by anyone.
But her offer is different.
It comes from a place of love and understanding, a genuine desire to help me through a tough time.
"Thank you sweetie," I replied softly, "And girl me ago try push through .. yaa di best enuh .. me swear when me rich me a bring yuh up ladder wid me.. I love you .. ago hold a sleep fi the slavery tomorrow."
Anastacia chuckled, her laughter contagious, "Ah me gyal. I Love you too."
********************************************* Hi lovelies. This is the end of this chapter. How did i do👀? Please leave positive feedbacks with ways i can enhance my writing skills❤️
