I glance up. “Whose phone?”
He chuckles. “Eat too much, man.”
I finish chewing and swallow before asking again, “Whose phone?”
“Yours. From your birthday, yuh did say you want it,” he says, and I blink. He remembered?If spoiled was a person, it would be you.Nuh true.
“Nickoi, you always giving me stuff,” I say softly, looking at the phone. “And mi did tell yuh fi get used to it,” he replies. I hug him. I can’t stop smiling. “Mi wah can spoil you too,” I murmur into his chest.
He hisses softly. “Wah mi did say bout that?”
I grin. “I know, I know. But when your birthday comes mi nah go cyaa give you half a wah you gi—” Before I can even finish, he grabs my face and kisses me.
I smile against his lips. When he pulls back, he holds my gaze.
“Shhh,” he says. I swat him playfully before picking up my fork, placing a piece of lettuce and tomato in his mouth. He chews. I follow with a bite of nugget and lettuce, chewing while watching him. Awww.
“Watch dem,” Mommy smiles, amused. “Unuh ready fi go home?” Nickoi looks at me.
“Yes, we done tek the pictures,” I say, nodding.
He nods too. “Ah.”
NICKOI
“What you doing for your birthday next month?” she asks softly, then I shrug, telling her I normally smoke, drink, buy something expensive fi miself, and spend time with mi dawgs.
“I want to do suh’m for you,” she sighs. “But it won’t compare to your gifts.”
“Mami, relax,” I rub the roundness of her belly. “Which Caribbean country you woulda wah go?”
“But a your birthday, Nickoi.”
“And as mi seh already, mi ideal birthday a fi buy a new car or a house, drink and smoke, but mi wah this time different. An mi nuh think Jamaica a the right place, yuh see mi?”
“Okay… Barbados?” she offers with a smile.
“Ah,” I nod. “We can go deh fi mi birthday, the 6th of July, spend a couple days, and then you come back the week after when it close to yuh due date.” My phone starts ringing. I glance over. Uncle Orion.
“Wah gwaan?”he beams as I answer.
“Deh yah wid wifey,” I say, looking at Zara lying beside me.
“Nice, nice,” he says, making me chuckle.
“Wah you deh pan?” I ask, sitting up as Zara slides her hand off my chest.
“Well, mi just wah hear from you… how the bet a go?” he asks.
I start laughing. “Well, not exactly as planned, like two a wi pocket might get burn still.” Rolls Royce money nuh normal… and neither is Bentley money.
“So wah you a say, mi a get the Rolls Royce?” he chuckles.
“Yah,” I say, looking over at Zara again as he bursts out laughing. She’s watching me now, face curious but I turn back to the call. “But mi a get the Bentley too.” Both a we a win.
“Wah yuh mean?” he asks, surprised.
“Mi get both a dem,” I say, grinning.
