Wong For Me (Short Story)

9• The countryside

Grandma sighs and got up, heading inside.

"Wahm'n Tawana?" She wasn't looking at me but at my company.

"Nothing much. Yuh good?" I asked but I don't want to know.

"Yeah." She nods. "Good morning."

She finally acknowledges them like I know she wanted to.

"Good morning." They respond and she looked surprised by this.

No sah.

Mih affi guh tell daddy seh him niece wild!

Mih wah laugh and cyaw laugh.

David did though. He got up and claps.

"Jenny, yuh still naw talk yet?" David teases the baby.

She only smiles at him.

"Mih hear seh yuh pregnant. A true?" Lexi peek up and looks at my still small tummy. It wasn't visible much.

"Yeah." I smiled.

"Congrats." She said, yet looks at J'ai.

"Thanks." Not.

Grandma came out with two huge gingers as big as a man's finger.

Grandma watches her leave and shook her head. "Shi go spread news seh yuh deh here now."

"What did she say?" Lilly asks.

"She is saying that my big cousin Lexi that just came here, she'll go around and gossip to everyone that I'm here with company."

They nod, understanding what is happening.

"You want more sorrel?" Grandma asked J'ai who grins.

"Absolutely. How much is it?" He asked, thinking money is everything.

"It's a gift. We are family." The way grandma spoke, she does so slowly so he can understand and she can also understand what she's saying.

Mih wah laugh.

"My husband and sons are coming from the farm with produce. He went to get fresh cows milk for Tawana." She points at the men walking towards this way from far down the road.

Now mih know seh mama nuh have use fih har glasses.

"You drink cows milk?" Babe asked me.

"Only if it's straight from the farm." I grinned.

"You look surprised. She doesn't drink it in the states?" David inquired.

"Never. She doesn't trust the box milk or even the fruits sometimes." He stares at me as if I'm being strange.

"It's all the preservatives and chemical then." David knew it.

"You got that right. I can't smell any of the fruits or vegetables in the stores or market. I'm sitting right here and can tell that grandpa has honey bananas hanging in his shed and aunty Michelle is next door hiding her pineapples."

"Gyal Tawana!" Aunty Michelle pops up. "Wah yaa chat mih seh?"

I laughed and got up, hugging her as she came on the verandah. "Mih a smell yuh pine dem."

"Yuh not getting any." She lets go of me and went straight for my guests. "Hello, hello."

She's pure drama.

She shook their hands then asked. "Y'all eat pineapples?"

They nod.

She smiles and went towards the opposite end of the verandah where her house is in sight. "Mih husband! Bring four round fat sexy pine come!"