“Mi not even wrong yuh fi block har. Cut har off, mi support that.” He’s upset. I can see it.
“Mi love Sash enuh… don’t get mi wrong. But me and har attitude? That nah guh work.”
“Mi know this,” Gavin says, looking around. Then his eyes land on my dresser. The ultrasound polaroid.
He picks it up, smiling. “A the baby that?”
“Sure is,” I smile back, feeling the warmth in my chest.
“Bwoy… you a go be one lovely piece a mother, essi.”
“Thank you,” I beam. He stares at the picture a while longer.
“Hey likkle Zara… or Nick… mi nuh know yuh gender yet, but yuh a go be one spoil baby, memba mi tell yuh that.”
“Fi real,” I laugh.
“And anuh lie… cause look how Nickoi spoil you. Right now, that baby a go come in like rotten teeth with the spoiling.” We both crack up.
“Mi can’t wait to meet my baby,” I say after the laughter fades.
“Me too,” Gavin replies, lifting the picture again.
“Watch mi likkle cute God child…” he says in a high-pitched voice that makes me laugh harder.
Then he gets serious. “You a mek mi be the God father?”
I smile. “Why yuh even a ask? Of course you a be mi baby God father, Gavin.”
“My pleasure,” he grins, pulling me into a hug.
24
Outlaw
I pull the blazer over my shoulders and smooth it down. Black. Tailored. Paired with black slacks and a crisp white undershirt. My black suede loafers are already on my feet, as I fasten my Rolex. The light hits the face, and it gleams.
One spritz of Creed on my neck. One on my wrist. Rub them together, jaw tight. My reflection in the mirror looks calm, but inside? I’m burning.
Half a million dollars worth of drugs gone.
I head downstairs. Zara’s already at the door waiting, looking at me like she wants to ask something. I give her a firm nod. She follows behind me without a word. I unlock the Benz. I walk around, hold her door and she climbs in.
I try to focus on the party. My father’s party. But my head’s stuck on what Scar said. How the man mean say $500,000 in drugs just disappear? Bullsh*t!
I keep telling myself I’m not going to react. Not tonight. My father deserves the respect. But God knows I can’t think about anything else. The fact say mi drugs missing and it’s just friends round it, man weh mi call mi fam, that part cut mi deep.
Yow, a who wah dead man?
Just a name mi want. I hiss low, grinding my teeth. Mek mi get this party over with before mi start get dawk inna dis. I huff, thumb pressing the start button in my Benz. Engine growls to life.
Zara looks over, eyes sharp. “Babe, wah wrong with you?” she asks.
“Mi nuh inna the talking mood,” I say, gripping the steering wheel tight as I pull out. She turns away, quiet. Probably offended. Right now? Mi deeven care. Maybe later mi care. Right now, mi woulda say it again.
My leg rocks back and forth, focus on the road but my mind spinning fast. Smaddy really tired a life, so much so dem thief man drugs?Mydrugs?
My subconscious hisses at me,‘Dem people yah love fi see yuh mad, mi G.’
