Saints

13

"Shantel, yuh alright?"

Mi faada put down the shoes polish n di toothbrush n wipe off di sweat off a him forehead.

"We cyah skip church? Or go di church round di road? A mean, nobody nah even come church tomorrow. Dem a guh di retreat."

"Well da-?"

Before him coulda done chat, di dry foot gyal mek a appearance like she tink everybody wah see har. Mi nuh know why daddy eva a tek up ole crosses off a di road an a bring dem inna di house.

"Nutten daddy. Just think a time we try a betta one."

Mi mek up mi face offa di gyal an gwaan iron as she fling har long mawga han dem roun him shoulda.

"So Shantel, I convinced your father to allow you to go on the retreat."

Mi look pon daddy an seh, "Yuh neva haffi.. "

A mean, mi woulda happy fi go if mi neva did ago see dutty Chad.

"Yuh ago like it Shantel. Whole heap a people your age."

"Thanks daddy." Mi seh.

Probably did look bad seh mi purposefully nah chat to do gyal even though she stan up inna di room inna one like nighty like she a saint a stare pon me a expect me fi seh tanks. Mi couldn't bring miself fi dweet until daddy gimme a look weh mek mi know seh big as mi is, a some good lick ah woulda get under mi skin.

"Uhm.. Thanks Patrice." Mi seh, a look dung pon mi church dress.

........

"Hey Shan. You look beautiful. Very beautiful."

Mi look over pon him and shot him a box. Everybody inna di bus turn round same time. 

"If yuh nuh leave me alone yuh see."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"Driva! Let me off-"

"Uhm, driver, she's just joking around." Him seh to di driva, den him turn to me an seh, "I thought we had something special.."

"No. Di only thing we have a gwaan is dat you love kiss mi afta yuh kiss odda gyal." Mi kiss mi teet and look tru di winda as di driva start di bus.

"Babe, I'm sorry about that."

Di driva about fi go inna di closest lane when him stop an open di door fi let in Beenie. Him did have a smile pon him face, but it disappear di second him see Chad a sit down beside me.

"Move." Mi say, a look pon Chad.

"You're not serious."

"Very serious. Yah stress me."

As him a mek a move fi get up, Beenie sit dung up a front beside stush gyal Gabby. She start grin like pleased puss and mi start feel vexation a tek mi ova.

Wid a piece a annoyance a lick me, mi seh, "hold on driva. Nuh badda move yet."

Di driva tek a deep breath like him tired already an mi get up an go sit down inna one free seat roun a di back.

"Gwaan now driva." Mi seh, as mi put mi earphones inna mi ears.

Cah badda wid all a dem damn boy yah. Damn stress left an right.

..

When we reach di lickle place weh hitch up pon a hill corna, mi come out. 

A girl accidentally drop har Bible pon me toe an mi look pon har good.

"You don't go to my Church." Mi seh, sure mi neva see her before.

"No, I don't." She smile and tek up her Bible. "I go to Mona Baptist. Didn't they tell you that we'd both be here today?"

Mi shake mi head and she seh, "I'm Samantha. What's your name?"

"Shantel."

Suddenly, she look up pon di hill top an seh, "Curtis goes to your Church??"

"Yeah, you know him?"

She smile an seh, "Yeah. He's my neighbour."

We start walk go up di hill, and mi seh, "Where do you live?"

"Cherry Gardens."

Mi raise a eyebrow an gwaan walk.

"Do you know where they want us all to meet?"

She point pon one a di building dem an di two a we start walk towards it.

"Shan Shan. Yuh see weh Chad did a do?"

"No." And mi neva care either.

"Di driva ketch Moesha an Chad inna di bus a-"

"Mi nuh wah know." Mi seh, a mek up mi face an hold up mi hand fi stop har.

Damn dutty bwoy.

"Curtis. Save us a seat." Samantha say loud so she get Beenie attention.

Him nod him head and mi walk go inna di auditorium type place an mi sit down right beside him. Him glance over pon me and lean more pon di side a di chair weh far from me.

Mi roll mi yeye dem an start chat to Samantha.

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