24 Hours of Anarchy | Jamaican Purge

- Chapter 7 -

I swallowed the lump in my throat hard.

There were about three rifles aiming at all of us.

Omar squirmed and held onto me, causing one of the perpetrators to take his aim from Jenny to us.

"Wah unu a do yah so?" A male asked.

It was hard to see their faces.

"Wi just a try gaw mi house," Danny responded. "But wi did affi hide out,"

"Unu come out," another man said, using his gun for emphasis.

Danny was the first to climb out of the dumpster. He helped me climb out, then picked Omar out. I could hear Jenny sniffling, as she followed suit.

I could now see the perpetrators' faces. It was three men. The one who told us to climb out had straight back cornrows that past his shoulders. The other two were in low haircuts.

Omar was hitched on my leg.

"At least lower di gun in front of a child," I said.

I don't know what kind of Supligen boost me to talk smart to a man holding a gun.

The man eyed me pointedly before slowly lowering the gun.

"Wi nuh want no problem bossy," Danny stated.

Jenny squirmed next to me until she was holding onto my arm.

Great. Now mi have two people pon mi.

"What unu doing outside?" A voice said, running over to where we stood.

"Mama go back ina di house," one of the men said.

The large shadow running towards us came closer. It was a woman who looked in her fifties. She was in a long dress with a bonnet on her head.

"Mommy mi tell yuh fi tan ina di house. Wi will come deal wid dem," another one of the men said.

"But Eric dem need help. Look pon di poor baby,"

She made a move to touch Omar but he just clung to my leg tighter.

"Look how him scared. Come inside," she said.

"Mommy, yuh crazy?" One of them yelled. "Wi deven know dem. Wi nuh know who dem a run from."

"Dem need help," she intoned. "Wi can't just leave dem out here,"

"It's okay," I told her.

Jenny nudged me.

"Come honey," the woman said.

"Mommy dem seh dem alright," the long hair man said.

"Lenny, what if a did one of unu out here?" she replied. "Wi can't just lef dem out here. And lower di gun,"

Lenny sighed and lowered the gun to his side.

"Alright," he agreed. "But by daylight dem affi lef. Mi nuh care if di Purge nuh up yet,"

The woman took my hand and began walking us into the house. The men were following us close-by, still having their guns ready.

We entered the house and heard the door close behind us. One of the men entered a passcode into the alarm system. I pretended to survey the house; just to get a glimpse of it.

'7788990'

That's not much of a secure password.

"Sorry about my sons," the lady apologized. "My name is Audrey."

"I'm Cassandra. This is my brother Omar,"

"I'm Jenny,"

"I'm Danny," Danny moved to shake Audrey's hand but one of the men stepped between them.

"Calm down," Audrey chuckled. "That's Lenny,"

She pointed to the man with the long cornrows. His expression was stone face.

I casted my eyes from him.

Seems like him believe a him alone have gun.

"That's Eric and Leon," Audrey pointed to the other two men.

"Wah unu a do hide ina dumpster?" Eric asked.

"Wi did a go ah mi house," Danny answered.

"Why? Wah happen?"

"Some wires burst and we didn't have current where we did a stay," I lied.

Hopefully Danny and Jenny get the idea and play along.

"Well unu can only stay here until mawning," Leon said. He had an unusually chirpy voice. "We cya help nobody but wiself."

"Unu want something fi drink?" Audrey asked, taking out an assortment of tea.

"Actually, can we borrow your bathroom?" I glanced down at Omar.

His eyes were red. That's how they usually look when he's ready to sleep.

"Sure dear," Audrey answered. "A di first door on the right,"

I walked off with Omar and Danny.

"I want some tea," I heard Jenny say.

"Yuh ready fi bathe?" I asked Omar.

We didn't have any clean clothes to put on, so he'd have to wear the same clothes. Even if they have all kind of shit from the dumpster on it.

Danny slid down the wall and slumped to the tiled floor.

"Shit," he huffed. He ran his hand over his face exhaustively.

Mi nuh have no motivational speech fi him right now.

Part of me feels good that we've been busy trying to get through the night. It made me forget about Mom.

I rummaged through Mom's bag and saw that she packed a first aid kit. I took out a cotton ball and a small bottle of alchohol. I wet the cotton ball and placed it on Omar's cut.

He winced and swat my hand away.

"Ow. Dat hot,"

"Mi affi clean di cut so it nuh get infected,"

I moved closer to him as he backed away.

Mi cya badda wid pickney sometimes enuh.

I grabbed his hands and pressed the cotton ball to the cut. Omar was yelling and fidgeting to get away from me.

Him extra. Next thing people think mi a kill him.

I let go of him and glanced at the blood on the cotton.

"Mi hate yuh," he spat, pushing me roughly from him.

I almost lost my footing, till I felt Danny help me regain balance.

I felt my cheeks become hot and my throat clog up.

"Mi just a try help yuh," my voice was shaky.

"Mi nuh want yuh do nothing fi mi," Omar shot, looking up at me.

"Mi will help him," Danny said next to me.

I walked past him and exited the bathroom.

My eyes were burning with tears.

Omar is mad at me and who can blame him?

Mom's dead because of me.