See. So unlike him.
Hmm...
"Mummy, stop kill up yuhself and gwaan go relax and cock up yuh foot. Mi alright and so is Luke. Yuh worry too much." And know yuh BP easy fi trigger off.
She simply hums, and I know she wants to murmur but keeps her peace.
When she finally seems to relax, I ask her, in an effort to lighten the mood, "Weh Daddy deh? Him gone work?"
Heaving a heavy sigh, my mother takes a moment's pause before saying, "No sah. Him deh yah. Well, dung a road. Mi send him go open up shop fimi."
I pause my chewing. "Watchya, God a come?"
Daddy turn down a day's work?
Something wrong.
My mother chuckles. "Him claim to say him no feel the vibes fi go noweh today sah."
Oh. "Waah go done."
Mr Fenton Smikle nuh know noth'n name rest, so yuh must know.
"Him a bawl say him tired misses, so mi honestly couldn't bother complain when mi hear him say him nawh go een this morning."
See wah mi mean. "Act like yuh nuh glad," I tease. "Yuh get company and sum'n now."
"Mi glad, yes," she says, and I can just about hear the smile in her tone.
It makes me smile too.
A moment of comfortable silence lingers between us, before Mummy clears her throat and softly says, "Alright, mi nuh waa hold up yuh time, mi know a work yuh deh. Mi ago set on sum'n pon fire fi that man get sum'n warm fi eat when him come up, so later."
OK, top wife.
Nodding, although she can't see me, I uncork the bottle of water that's set before me and bring it to my lips. After taking a sip, I go, "Aii. Alright. Tell Daddy evening fimmi."
A must 'memba fi call him later and trouble him.
"Aiii."
Maintaining the smile on my lips, I say, "Later. Love you."
"Love yuh too, mi wash belly."
Mmm...
As soon as the call disconnects, I dial Lucas' number.
It rings for a few seconds before going to voicemail.
Which doesn't sit right with me.
Sleep or no sleep, that man always answers my calls; when we're on good terms that is.
So I try again.
Same thing.
I sigh.
Then try...again.
And again.
And again.
Upon the tenth attempt, I sigh. Then yuh mean fi tell mi say a so Lucas a sleep dead that him nuh hear the phone a ring so much time?
Feeling slightly agitated, I sigh again.
This brings Shane's attention over to me, who voices his concern with a raised brow and a firm, "Yuh good, Dawg?"
Clicking the power button on the device resting on the countertop before me, I turn to face him, Jade, and Sherice, whose eyes are all on me now, and nod.
YOU ARE READING
Ruin
Short StoryAs a little girl growing up in the small rural community of Shadow Grove, I used to always hear my mother say, "Wat sweet nanny goat, ago run him belly!" I never truly understood the meaning of that phrase...until now. Little did I know that a man w...
