She right bout that. “Respect, though,” I say.
Then she gives me another bag. “Bought this for myself, but mi a go give your fiancée as a gift cause mi love her already. Tell her say she do something legendary fi change you,” she says, and I laugh.
When she’s finally done babbling, I open my car and take out a brown bag, handing it to her. She smiles as she takes it. “What’s this?” she asks, curiously.
“Early Christmas gift exchange,” I say with a smirk.
She laughs, holding the bag like it’s gold. She starts opening it and I gently grab her hand. “Don’t open it yasso.”
She grins. “Rich bwoy,” she whispers.
“Go on,” I say with a low laugh. She climbs in her car, but before she drives off, she calls out to me.
“Take care of yourself, bro. And call me more often.”
I nod once. “Yah. 1 British.”
She laughs. “You still call me that?”
“Yah.” Even after all these years, even when she speaks patois, the British accent still slides through. It’s who she is.
“Drive safe,” I tell her.
“I will, same to you,” she says before pulling off.
I stand there for a moment, watching the road where she disappeared. Then I turn, and jump in my car.
13
Pressure
I pause Nickoi’s game the second I hear his car engine outside. A quick glance at the clock, it’s seven on the dot. What a way him say him‘soonfawud.’
I head to the door, and there he is, bag in one hand, gift box in the other. I pull it open wider, and he flashes a soft smile before stepping inside. I close the door behind him, and he chuckles as his eyes land on the game I’ve been playing.
“You know how fi set it up?” he laughs.
I nod, a little proud. “Yeah… mi did a watch yuh.”
He drops onto the couch beside me, still grinning. “So mi see back one a mi friend, and when mi tell har say we engaged, she send a gift.”
I smile, heart lifting as he hands me the bag. I peek inside and gasp. A sneakers. Not just any sneakers. It’s Prada Gabardine. I remember admiring one Nickoi’s mom wore… and now here I am, holding a pair that looks just like it.
Mi love this fi me.
I cradle the shoe like it’s fragile. “Damn… mi love dem. Tell her thanks,” I beam, eyes still fixed on it.
“Mi a go call har,” he says, already pulling out his phone.
I nod, too busy falling in love with the shoe to care about much else. The amount of gifts mi get lately… and mi still not even look pan some.
“British, look yer,” he says, turning the camera toward me. I smile, still holding the shoe in my lap as she starts talking. Her voice is warm and bubbly. First impression? Mi like har already.
“Hey, baby mama!” she says with a wide grin, and I smile back. She’s beautiful her hair braided into warm brown plaits. I can’t really see what she’s wearing because of the way she holds the phone, but her vibe is loud, vibrant.
“And Nickoi, you didn’t tell me she was this pretty? Damn, that baby gon’ be mad pretty or handsome!” she exclaims, and we both laugh.
“Thank youuu. You’re really beautiful too… and I love the shoes, like seriously, thank you so much,” I say, still admiring them in my lap.
