I woke up late and still felt like I haven't slept.
Seeing as though we had to leave early to get to the countryside on time.
Walking next to J'ai, I frowned at him as he kept that knowing smirk on his face.
It's quite obvious that we were active last night. It shows in my walk.
Hopping a bit with a little soreness involved.
I ditch the panties and wore a small shorts underneath my dress instead.
I sat on the very back seat and away from J'ai who I pushed to the front.
He didn't look happy about it and still joined me behind his brother and sister-in-law who sat in the middle.
"What did I do?" He asked as if he doesn't already know. "Babe?"
I looked at his face and he stares back at mine.
Without saying anything else, David began our journey. He chatted with Zac and Lilly who asked lots of questions.
This one listened but stayed quiet because I'm moody.
We even got to buy breakfast on the way, and I'm just happy that I haven't been feeling sick by the food.
Feeling this child growing inside me is so weird that I don't know what to think. Even my tummy feels a little heavier and harder, yet I can't imagine how it will be in a few months as I'm already over two months pregnant.
Reaching our destination after passing so much bush, I rushed out to use my grandma's bathroom.
"Tawana!" She greets as she's already standing on her verandah expecting us.
I gave her a quick hug. "Mih wah wee-wee, grandma."
She rushes me inside.
I happily relieved myself and it felt like an whole hour has passed.
As I exit, my hands being wet as I forgot to wipe my hands on the towel. I exit her house to see everyone comfortably seated on the large verandah.
"Mih can get a better hug now grandma?" I smiled.
She playfully hissed and stood, hugging me better.
Afterwards I sat next to J'ai as the look he's giving me was a silent request.
Just how I had him close while meeting his family, I wanted the same for him when meeting mine.
He conversation they were having has resumed and I'm silently dying with laugher at the way grandma was talking.
She understands English, but with her accent it was a bit funny. They were all trying to understand each other.
A weh daddy deh fih hear him mada a twang.
I looked at David and he too was hiding his laugher.
"Tawana!" The voice of my big germy cousin Lexi.
She walks into grandma yard holding her little sister nastily on her hip.
The poor baby looks unkept.
"Yuh bathe Jenny from morning?" Grandma asked her the question I had in mind.
It's after eight.
The child had dried drool on her face and her diaper looked full with urine.
Shi come fih disgrace wih.
Fih disgrace mih!
"Not yet." She stopped and didn't climbed the stairs. "Mommy a ask if yuh have any ginger?"
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!"
I laughed and looked at J'ai who was shocked by the description.
"Sexy pine?" He looks at me and asked.
"Round fat sexy pine. She's asking for the ripe ones that are usually sweet." I told him.
"Tawana!" My uncle yelled from down the road and I laughed waving at all of them including grandpa.
"Uncles! Grandpa!"
They waved at me.
"All the family lives in this area?" Zac asked grandma.
"Only three percent. Others are overseas and the rest are scattered over Jamaica." She tells him.
"Tawana!" I heard a familiar voice and my eyes widened.
"Winnie!" I screamed, getting up again but I carefully made my way down the stairs.
"Yuh try tek time." Aunty Michelle warns me.
I was lifted off the ground by Winnie, but knowing her, I had to acknowledge something.
"Careful, mih pregnant."
An she carefully puts me down and held my tummy as she bends to say this. "Hi mih little baby. Be a little boy suh when mih have mih daughter yuh can marry har."
I pushed her head away as we laugh.
"Yuh naw change." I told her.
"Shouldn't you be speaking English. Yuh still chat bad." She laughs for the better. "Mih bestie turn baby mother when a just yesterday wih a play dutty pot and deh feed wih dolly wid tree bark and call it jerk chicken."
I laughed louder.
"Come introduced mih tu mih daughter future father-in-law." She held me carefully at the waist and by the hand as if I was a baby.
"Mih can walk enuh." I laughed at her antics.
I can see J'ai looking out at me.
He's worried as if I'm forever clumsy and will hurt the baby.
"You can, but my future son-in-law must be protected at all costs."
I rolled my eyes, returning to the verandah.
Aunty Michelle has her husband peeling the pineapple while she's holding the clear plastic bags and putting the slices in.
Grandpa came with the cows milk and grandma went to prepare it. Warming it in a tea pot and sprinkling salt in it.
She came out with it in a mug and hands it to J'ai. "Give her when it's warm. She's greedy and will drink it even when it's hot."
"Same suh. She use to burn har tongue everytime." Winnie blinks at me.
I playfully rolled my eyes.
She then continues to chat with Lilly about something they seems to have in common.
What dem find fih chat bout?
Feeling thoughtful, I gave Winnie my seat and sat on J'ai's' lap to feel his body on mine while I drink my tea.
Mih nuh moody again
Plus mih wah watch the fat on the top of the milk when it cools.
"Yuh know seh a stink mouth Lexi tell mih seh yuh deh here." She revealed and I laughed, almost coughing on the milk that I just swallowed.
"See the crowd here." Grandma muttered.
I saw them. Over twenty and they were walking quite fast.
"Do you want some?" I offered J'ai, putting it to his lips before he had a chance to respond.
He took a sip and looks confused.
"It tastes different." He commented.
"Mhmm hmm. No additives or preservatives." I boast, drinking more.
With the crowd came more noise and less space, making the once big verandah seems small.
Just come, no broughtupsy.
Grandma wasn't feeling the crowd so she told me and my guests to go inside. It's the one place they all know is off limits if they weren't invited in.
My milk was finished, so now we were enjoying the pineapples that aunty got us.
"Mih daughter mother-in-law." Winnie walks in not minding grandma.
"Yes Winnie?" I smiled.
"Mih a guh ova yaad fih the sum'n mih know yuh like." She winked.
"Don't bring that stinking red erring come ova yah." Grandma points at her.
"But grandma..." I tired to complain.
She shots me a look. "Winnie, bring mih four bananas from in the shed."
Shi naw tell har please enuh.
Si dem old people yah.
Winnie held back her laugher and went out for what grandma wanted.
So she had J'ai tormented as if his skin was on fire.
"What is it?" I asked him.
"I'm smelling fritters."
I laughed, wiping my eyes that a few tears fell from.
"One day yuh go laugh and push out dat baby!" Grandma tells me as she walks in with a large plate filled with fritters.
J'ai's' smile widens.
"Any milk remaining?" I ignored her to ask.
"You'll have to make it yourself." She passed the plate to J'ai them revealed a bottle of sorrel.
"Grandma..."
"It has rum in it." She looks at me with attitude.
"So you love him more than me?" I gasped.
"Well..." She tease.
I pout and got up.
"Grandpa! Yuh wife mean tu mih." I walked away to find grandpa.
"Yes little calf." He teases me, but I'll take it.
"A wah Jerome a duh up yah!" I heard one of my cousins say.
My eyes widened.
Winnie came and found me, taking me back inside.
"Is Wahm'n?" Grandma asked.
"Dirty Jerome." She tells grandma.
"Who is Jerome?" J'ai asked.
They looked at me and I sigh.
"My ex."
The flitters almost fell from his hand.