“Weh him deh?” I ask, trying to sound calm. But mi head already chip. My chest tight. Mi want blood.
“I don’t know… mi did deh pan the road and him stop inna him car and do it. Den him drive off with him friends,” she sniffles. I overtake everything in my lane.
“Aight, Janel. Just gwaan home. Mi soon reach.” I hang up.
Usually the drive tek fifteen, maybe twenty minutes. I reach in ten. Hoodie up. I jump out of my car. As mi reach mommy house, she’s already at the door. “Nickoi, the dutty bwoy box up Janel enuh! Mussy true yuh run out him sister, or cause yuh and him sister did fight,” she says, brows knitted.
My brain short-circuits. “A him one?” Marsha, Mommy’s best friend, ask from behind her. Janel’s face red.
She’s still sobbing. “A neva him one,” she sniffles.
My eyes move to the corner where Jordane is. His whole face tight, eyes locked on his phone. Normally Jordane loud. Real protective. But now? Silence. “Wah do yuh?” I ask.
He’s still quiet. Just glaring at his phone, then cut his eye at Janel like she disgust him. I stare at him. Sup’m nah right. “Badman mi a talk to yuh,” I repeat, louder. He finally looks up. His face says enough, he’s heated, but not just about what happen.
“Yuh know him personally? Cause this nuh make no sense,” Marsha says, stepping in.
“Yuh say you and him never have nothing and him just box yuh so?” Marsha asis and Janel shakes her head slowly.
Jordane scoffs. “Nuh know why yuh never just stay a foreign, enuh.”
“N-no… a cause him see me with Lorie before him even know say Nickoi a mi bredda but mi nuh real—” she stammers.
“Stop lie!” Jordane barks. “You and him deh. A Lorie give yuh the man. And true Lorie tell dem say you and eh’ dawg used to have suh’m, the man come box yuh up wid him fren dem.” My head spins.Eeeh?
“A nuh that!” Janel cries. The whole house quiet. Eyes wide. Even mi. But mi not even a process that part right now. That’s not the priority. Right now, mi want the bwoy and mi want Lorie.
“You nuh know weh the bwoy deh?” I ask her, voice low. Dangerous. Janel looks at me, tears streaming.
“No.” She sobs. I hiss, my whole body tight, and I storm out the house.
“Yuh call Nick fi come get the man inna trouble, when a you gone follow bad company and deh wid big man! Tek yuh lick dem, man! Weh yuh a call the man fa?!”
Jordane shouts from inside. I stop halfway down the steps.
Him concern bout yuh Nick.
“Shut up! Nuh big woman yuh deh with!” Janel snaps back. I freeze. So… she nuh deny it?
“Lef har now, Jordane,” Mommy defends, making me hiss.
Mek mi see if she a go say that when mi come back.Chubble.
“A-and a him alone box mi. Him fren dem just accompany him,” Janel says, and I shake my head.
Mi know the one Lorie did a try bruck har out from long time. “Mommy, a you cause this too enuh. Cause yuh love sorry fi people and tek in the batta ears gyal, and now look, she a’ introduce the pickney to man and yuh deh yah a chat ‘bout lef har?” Jordane snaps.
“Ah… easy now,” I cut in, stepping outside.
My car parked right beside Mommy’s. I quickly remove the license plate. “Mi a fawud,” Jordane says when I open my door.
I stop him. “No.” Mi cya afford fi him get hurt.
“A wah gang a dem enuh,” Jordane says, eyes full of worry.
“Mi a go Gov man,” I reply, calm but firm.
He stares at me, tight-lipped. “Yuh nuh know wah a go happen, bredda,” he sighs.
