𝙰𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚖 - 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬. 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑂𝑛𝑒

ՏI᙭Tᗴᗴᑎ

🏵️ڿڰۣp໐ง pคtri¢ē &ຖikki

It was twenty-three minutes after nine and I was sitting on the padded bar stool that Mama uses to sit on behind her shop's counter. I had arrived exactly an hour early and every car that seem to be approaching the shop sent my heart lodging in my throat.

I wish there was something to do other than just sit and wait in the already cleaned, stocked, and meticulously organized shop. If only a few customers would arrive and keep my distressed mind occupied, but the only person that came to buy anything was Onenie and he ordered two pounds of flour (already bagged on the shelf with the cornmeal and rice) and two tins of jack mackerel.

Nothing to do but take them off the shelf, hand them to him, and give him his change. When he left I sat wondering how a one-handed man who lived alone made his dumplings. A few ridiculous scenarios played in my mind but pretty soon thoughts of OD's pending arrival had me forgetting about his inability and lack thereof.

I went and sat back on the stool glancing at my phone to check the time again and discovering I had WhatsApp messages. I stifled a yawn behind my palm and unlock my phone. My heart pounded in my chest as my belly grumbled.

I had been too anxious to eat breakfast so I had gotten ready and headed on to the shop. I looked on the shelves where bags of peanuts, wriggles, winter fresh, and various cheesy snacks hung from nails and my decision to eat one of the spicey shrimp and crackers that hung on the shelf behind me proved to be my undoing and not the anticipated arrival of OD.

I tried to swallow the peppered dried shrimp but it somehow got lodged in my throat and before I knew it I had a coughing fit that seemed to ignite my burning throat, ignoring the WhatsApp messages I hurried to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water as my phone started to ping the arrival of more messages.

I drank the water in huge gulps halfing the bottle. The cold liquid was a much-appreciated relief but before I could take another drink from the bottle my phone started to ring.

"Hello," I answered my voice coming out weak and gravelly.

"Gyal look fra when...hey wait how yuh soun suh?!"

"Mi cho---"

"Pet a fuck yuh a fuck? In a d Sunday yah, guuurrlll yuh sinnin!"

I chuckled and shook my head at Nikki's shenanigans. "Dutty gyal all yuh can tink about is fuck? A choke mi choke"

"Wooiieee Medz a choke yuh wid e long cocky!"

I took a drink of the water as she said this and the mouthful of liquid spewed from my mouth making a watery design on Mama's shop tile.

She was filling my ears with her raucous laughter and as I wipe my mouth I look to see a vehicle approaching the shop. My heart started to thud wildly in my chest but when it continued to pass I let out a heavy gush of breath I did not know I was holding.

"Hey Pet weh yuh gone?!"

The sound of Nikki's question regarding what was happening brought my attention back to her and her previous take on what could have resulted in me sounding gravelly.

"Yuh c yuh mix up gyal wah mek a Medz cocky a choke me?" I said going for the mop which Mama kept in the back room which facilitates storage and sleeping quarters for Jay and Deenie. "An how yuh know e cocky long?"

"Watcha yah mi fren a get possessive," she laughed and I shook my head only Nikki could take curiosity to a totally different level.

"Yuh nuh ab nuhtin fi duh inna d Sunday yah? Yuh man n pickney dem nuh need yuh attention?"