One Day Mi Affi Win

2

Reaching the crossroads I greeted everyone standing there waiting on taxis to either go to work, school, or wherever they planned to go today. Only hope it doesn't take long for me to get a taxi. Seeing one coming that was almost full I immediately walked toward it.

'Nuh waa late fi the ppl dem work'

After squeezing in one more passenger the driver drove off toward Linstead. Upon arriving in Linstead I paid the driver and then walked off to my workplace. Seeing the clinic I smiled because I was getting paid today. Passing the patients I greeted them with a good morning before heading towards my workstation. After signing in I placed my bag down and then went straight into working mode.

A little before lunchtime I heard a notification come in on my phone. Taking it out of my bag to see what it was I got excited just by reading the first few words of the email. Scrolling down to the bottom of the email I opened the pdf to see the amount I got and I almost screamed.

'$100,000 ye gyal after one month a hard work'

Placing the phone back in my bag I say a small prayer to the big man upstairs. To some, you'd think it's not much but to me, it's enough for now.

To think my mom had to struggle so hard for so long doing every possible job under the sun to send us to school, the disrespect and so much more she had to take just so that we could achieve something in life, without any help from my so-called 'father'. He got her pregnant so early before she could finish nursing school, married her, and, promised to take care of her and the child, but since he became a police he turned for the worst. The many public embarrassment, women coming to her because of him and to top it off he publicly divorced her in the newspaper! Every time I think of everything he has done to us I get angry. I had hated him for most of my childhood but stopped after graduating high school. I had forgiven him because I was old enough to grasp a certain understanding of life. I made a promise to work hard and to give my mom a life she deserved to live, a life that was wasted by being with my father. And I can't work hard and be blinded by the anger and hate that I have towards him. That will be a constant distraction while working towards my goals. He just isn't worth it. He didn't make himself worth it. And no I have not accepted what he has done, and neither will I ever, but I need that peace of mind while trying to get everything my family deserves.

When lunchtime came I went to the bank and withdrew $50,000 leaving the rest inside. After budgeting what I withdrew I'll decide what I'll do with the rest. Leaving the bank I headed toward Tastee patty.

'Tastes patty a the best. Argue wid yuh mada.'

Ordering a beef patty, a banana bread, and a bottle of water I head upstairs to eat.

'Affi spend the money wise cya done it and mi just get it. Plus mi have plans too.'

As I started to eat the patty I remembered my sister told me to call her. Going on WhatsApp I found her contact and proceeded to call her. Mi love mi sister bad, bad, bad. She's just eight years older than me. She got married and is now living with her husband in America. They met around the age of fifteen and thirteen years later their love is still strong.

'Thank God fi har husband weh stick it out wid har and take har out a poverty.'

"Wahmp big head" She answered the call.

"Nth. Mi deh ya a eat one patty."

"Laawd God mi cya wait till mi come out deh fi buy five siddung and eat"

Laughing I asked her how she was doing.

"Nuh too bad enuh. Deh here a finish up some assignments then get ready fi go work. The professor say mi a do good pon the course work them." She answered smiling. I'm so proud of her. Being that she finished school in Jamaica she had to attend school over there to get a permanent job. Which is why she's studying to be a nurse.