"Way you?" My aunt rushed passed me with grocery bags in her hands but not before kissing my cheek.
"Huh?" I turned back to look at her.
"Where were you?" She laughed. She knew I was still trying to catch on but some of the words sounded more French than English to me.
"Ooh, I was in the room." I moved to help her unpack the groceries.
"Okay. Come, I asked my friend for a job at his store and he's willing to give you one to do inventory." She rested the grocery bags on the counter and started back for the door.
Realizing what was happening, I ran back to the room and grabbed my phone, sprayed deodorant under my arms and changed my shorts for pants.
"Babe, I think I'll be getting a job. I'll let you know what's happening."
"Okay, let me know how it goes. I love you."
"Love you too."
I heard her blow the customary kiss at the screen before I disconnected the video call and made my way outside to my aunt's Vitz. I got in the front and rolled the window down waiting for her to put her phone down and back out of the driveway.
"You can drive?" Aunt Claudia dropped her phone into the cup holder and started the car.
"Not really." I chuckled.
"Such a serious question is a yes or no question." She looked over at me.
"Well, no." I was a bit ashamed to admit it, my mom didn't drive and I never had any interest in learning.
"Tell me something, you gay?" She didn't look over at me this time.
"Uhh.. yeah." Looking through the window, I started picking at my fingers.
"Okay. Did wah ask but me just assume because you dress like a boy?"
I didn't answer.
"So why you dress so?" We were out of the community and driving down Trotters Road now.
"It's comfortable."
"So you don't like dress and so?"
"Nope."
"Okay then."
The rest of the journey to the store was quiet. I was left with my own imagination on what would happen from here on out and as I did many times before, I pushed the thoughts away because I knew nothing ever happened like they played out in my mind. My aunt sang along with the soca songs playing on the radio, I wasn't a huge fan of soca but I knew enough of them since Mya was.
We pulled into a hardware store with boring brown walls and BROWNIE'S HARDWARE written in yellow letters. My aunt parked the car and we both got out and started towards the entrance. I paid more attention to the flip and flop of my slippers than where I was going but I managed to get safely inside without running into anyone.
"Weh Brownie?" My aunt asked the woman sitting behind the cash register. She made it obvious that business was slow right now with her bored, uninterested face. She also looked at my aunt with familiarity as if she saw her one too many times.
"Office." She responded in a monotonous tone - she didn't lift her head as she continued scrolling through her phone.
Aunt Claudia dragged me off towards the back of the store. We came across a plain wooden door that she knocked on once before pushing it open and entering with me on her tail.
"Good Afternoon, Brown." Aunt Claudia greeted the tall bald-headed man that sat heavily in his tall office chair behind the wide desk that took up most of the space.
2. New Number, New Job.
Start from the beginning
