Chapter 3: 2

🧭8 Months Earlier...

°Tyrone's POV°

5:15 P.M.

"Weh yuh say, bossy, we a buy gas now? Or we a wait til later?"

"We can do either," I tell Perry, pulling to a stop behind the last car in the line as the stoplight by Immaculate changes to red. "Which gas station better?"

"We usually just full up a the one a Dunrobin. Them nuh bad."

"Ah."

"Thickaz, yawh come?" Perry suddenly shouts, repeatedly hitting the side of the bus as a signal for me to pull over. "Yo, tek up!"

Before I can stop properly, he hops from the step and jogs further up the street.

Pulling over unto the soft-shoulder, I sigh, staring at them through the side mirror, adjusting the kerchief on my head. The sun hot yuh fuck...

The fair-skinned Immaculate girl walks towards him, and he puts his arms around her waist, leading her inside the bus, just as he turns, spotting another girl coming through the school's gate. "Browning, yawh come too? Treez?"

Them typa girl deh nuh tek bus, bredda.

Yuh can see the uptight mark pon her face.

Perry obviously doesn't pick up the vibe since he continues to walk up to her, despite her blatantly ignoring him.

Why the dawg still a feature she?

A act like her shit can mek patty.

"Come nuh, dawg!" I shout, hissing my teeth. Think mi have whole day fi waste yasso?

Tooting my horn, I watch as he turns on his heels and runs back to the bus, hopping onto the step and shouting, "Road!"

Long fucking time!

Shuffling to get more comfortable in my seat, I pull off, speeding down Constant Spring Road.

As we reach the intersection at Electrical Depot and the new plaza, I spot a browning waiting to cross the road from ED side. Tooting my horn, I point ahead and she nods. "Yo, Perry, see one deh. Go fi her nuh."

"Weh she deh?" he asks, getting off and walking in front of the bus, as I fan down the other bus that's speeding towards us.

But, it doesn't stop, swerving away from us and going to stop before me, one a di wasteman dem who ever hitch up pon the step, jumping off.

"Yo, Jimmoy a real wasteman eno, dawg!" I say to Perry, feeling instantly annoyed.

Jimmoy is the driver for the bus that's blocking us: Chrome.

Word on the street is that Chrome and Shottaz ——my bus——are the baddest 'round town. So, mi nuh know wah the competition fa.

Flaka, Chrome's conductor, laughs, hanging off from the doorstep, then addresses Perry with a snarky, "A tru a you and the boss a work today make yawh gwaan like yuh a run dung work a day time? But yuh still lame."

A wah this man?

"Watch tha style yah!" He hops from the bus step, sprinting into the middle road, fanning down the approaching line of traffic so he can grab the bag from the woman who's finally crossing the road. "Town?"

The woman nods and he looks to me and smirks. "Uno lame! Mek we show uno how we dealid road like thugs, no pretty bwoy t'ing. Uno nuh ready fi road yet."

Look how long Perry fi go fi the woman, him stand up like gyal and make tha pussy ya tek the work!

Scoffing loudly, I attempt to go around them, but the likkle rat bat turns the bus cross way the road, blocking me.

The passengers behind me cry out as I floor the brakes.

Shaking my head, I chuckle. Ah boi. Chubble no set like rain.

Jah jah.

"Yuh see how dem drive dutty?" Perry says, hopping back onto the steps, shaking his head.

I hum. "Yuh nuh see a duppy bat them. Them new to badness."

Feeling as if they've won, Jimmoy sticks his head through his window and smirks.

My blood boils and I forcefully push my window open, sticking my head through. "Yuh cyaa style me, suck pussy Jimmoy!"

"Memba yuh owe whole heap a ticket eno, old bwoy!" Perry says to Flaka. "Police have summons fi yuh!"

Cyaa believe the dawg dem just do that.

My mind reels.

Yuh see if a never one thing..."Watch when we reach a Treez. Watch how mi ago fuck him up!"

"No, driver, no bother wid the foolishness. Make him gwaan 'cause a trouble him come fi cause inna the evening ya," a woman on the front seat says. "Over one passenger, him nearly mek we crash!"

"Mi just did want him touch mi pussyclaat bus and him see," I hiss, getting riled up regardless.

"Nuh watch that, Dada, mek him gwaan," Perry tells me. He knows what I'm thinking and how I am when I get dawk. "We must wul him a next time."

See why mi nuh dealid some man?

When yuh exchange two words wid them, them pass them place, thinking you're friends.

I hum, pressing gas as I feel the tension in my temple build.

The traffic is unbearably thick as it's rush hour, on a Friday, but this part of the road is free. For the most part. Until we reach Richie B's gas station where the traffic builds again.

"Turn on back the tune deh. Clear the air."

Ah.

Following Perry's instructions, I press play on the radio, relaxing slightly as the sound of Bayka's 'Mobster' fills the air.

.         .           .

The feel of my phone vibrating in my lap pulls my attention away from the road and to it, as we reach Tile City.

With an exasperated sigh, I lower the radio's volume and pick it up when I see the caller ID.

"Weh yuh say, Candi?" I answer, placing the device at my ear.

"Babe, where are you?" her nasally voice greets me.

"Work," I say, trying not to let the annoyance I feel seep into my voice. "A wah?"

"Yuh can buy one barbeque Zinger and a famous bowl fi mi later, please?"

Who?

Fi go stand up inna KFC long line, pon a Friday at that, yuh mad?

Listen nuh..."Nuh food no deh a yuh yard, B?"

The words come out harsher than I intended and I bite the inside of my cheek.

"No, only flour leave and yuh know mi a try cut offa the heap a flour," she tells me and I can tell she's pouting. "Plus, mi ova Kimone a do mi hair. Please nuh, Dada!"

I sigh, switching lanes as a robot taxi stops in the middle of the road, picking up passengers.

Realizing that I've lost the focus I had on the road, because mi affi a focus pon Candi being a brat, I sigh. "Ah, mi will see wah can gwaan..."

"Thank you!" she exclaims. "Love you."

I hum. "Hang up."

When she does, I toss the phone onto the dashboard, inhaling a sharp breath.

"Yuh alright driver?" the same fat lady, sitting on the matey seat, asks and I nod.

How that concern you, lady?

I don't know why but the entire day has been a nuisance.

To top it off, the thought of having to join KFC's long line inna the evening ya brings an instant frown to my lips.

All waa gwaan a lazy Candi lazy eno.

Mi sure a last week mi buy her grocery.

So how it fi done already?

Fool she tek man fa...a send man go join long line when mi shoulda a look fi go home go wul a fresh and stretch out inna mi bed.

Worse mi have another early day ahead.

Mi have a funeral tomorrow, and mi nuh inna the bagga foolishness inna the evening yah yuzeet. From morning mi up and dung...mi tired. No waa nobody daughter try stress mi!

Matter-of-fact, a one round trip mi a mek and call it a rassclaat day.

A loud tapping along the side of the bus pulls me out of my head. "Tek up, tek up! Halfway Tree! Mi have seat!"

At the sound of Perry's voice, my attention is brought to the two Queen's girls before me, standing underneath the big tree across from the prep school, and I nod, pulling over.

°

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°Deanne's POV°

5:35 P.M.

"Halfway Tree?" a loud voice booms around us, making me lift my attention from the photo my best friend Rickel's showing me on her phone. "Mi have seat!"

Looking at the ductor who's hanging from the step of the bus that has stopped at our feet, I nod.

Mi swear think the bus dem strike to how long we stand up yasso a wait...

We're standing under the big tree, up the road from the arch where we usually take the bus, a few feet away from Missa Chin shop.

It's only the two of us here, as, not only did Ricky want to fill me in on the latest suss ——which we didn't get a chance to discuss today——but we also wanted to get a bus before the other students in hopes of getting a proper seat.

Thank God tha one yah kinda empty.

'Cause mi tired bad.

"Yuh nawh tek this?" I ask my best friend who hesitates a bit before getting on the bus before me.

Passing the two empty rows by the door and behind the driver's seat, we make our way to the third row——Rickel calling dibs on the window seat, pulling me to sit beside her.

As soon as my ass touches the seat, she turns to face me, saying, "Yea, so as mi did a say. Mi a think 'bout fi go over him yaad tomorrow. Wah yuh think?"

She's referring to Jev, a boy in her community who she's now interested in.

I shrug. "Yuh sure? It nuh too soon fi yuh tek tha step deh?"

They've only been talking for a week; primarily over the phone. Isn't it too soon for her to go to his home?

She barely even knows him. Except that he's one year older than us, is also in upper six, at JC, and lives in her community. He claims he has liked her for a while now, but was too afraid to tell her. Pssh.

It's not like I don't believe him eno but I don't believe him. Yuh know dem way deh?

He just seems too much.

Him look good and everything eno, from the pics she just showed me, but mi nuh know if mi like him fimmi friend.

He looks too player-like.

Her lips form a pout. "Yuh think so? Mi never really plan fi do noth'n still. Just probably Netflix and chill, like him say."

Yeah right.

Giving her an incredulous look, I say, "Which bwoy actually mean Netflix and chill when them suggest Netflix and chill, Ricky?"

She goes silent and I sigh. Exactly!

Not wanting to be the one to tell her what to do though, I open my bag and take out my novel, shrugging as I add, "But it's up to you still. You must know if yuh waa do it or not."

She hums as I plug my ear buds into my ears. Nothing is playing, but this way no one will disturb me.

Rickel remains silent and I use the opportunity to start reading, quickly getting lost in the imaginary world the author has painted.

Except for the few seconds break to pay my bus fare, I don't peel my eyes away from the book, thoroughly enjoying the plot, resisting the urge to laugh every now and then.

The traffic is thick, so we're barely moving, but I'm glad as I want to finish at least two chapters before the bus gets to Treez.

Glancing across at my friend, I see that she's busy texting someone. Probably Jev.

Shaking my head, with a small smile on my lips, I refocus my gaze on the paragraph I've been reading over and over for the past two minutes. This just too sweet...!

"Schoolaz..."

Yuh know say mi cyaa bada. Waiii!

"Oi, Schoolaz."

I feel a light tap on my shoulder, prompting me to pull out my ear buds.

Turning to Rickel, I quirk a brow. "Hmm?"

"A you the ducta a call?" she asks, tilting her chin to point ahead.

At her words, my eyes fleet towards the door, where the conductor is, seeing him pointing at me.

I quirk a brow. Mi nuh pay this man already? A wah him want?

"Miss Queenz. Come up yasso beside mi driver and give tha baby mother ya tha seat deh."

Wah?

My eyes move from his face, to the woman in the yellow maternity dress, who's standing beside him at the door, a baby attached to her hip.

Yuh serious?

Mi hate when them do this essi!

Mi always affi wonder why people see say bus full and still try get on, expecting people fi get up outta dem seat give them.

Worse when them old or a breed.

Like...wait pon a next bus nuh!

Hissing my teeth under my breath, I bend the edge of the page I'm on, so I don't forget where I was reading from——and the book just a get sweet eno!——before closing the novel and putting it back inside of my bag, and stand.

CHO!

A one thing mek mi a get up eno.

A just tru is a baby mother and she looks heavily pregnant.

Worse him catch mi pon a good day.

Because...

"So why him never tell smaddy else fi get up?" Rickel asks, frowning.

And I give her the 'I-know-right' look before moving to go where the ductor instructed.

Mi hate tha seat ya eno! 'Bout it name matey seat. A the worse seat inna the bus to rahtid.

One: it make mi back hurt mi.

Two: mi always affi a bruk mi neck fi see weh mi a go.

Three: Mi ano matey, so mi nuffi siddung pon it!

Regardless, I sigh, squeezing to fit in the small space between the driver and the fat lady that's on the front fold-up seat that's also nestled in the cushion.

Yuh see why mi hate tek bus sometimes?

Tek mi outta mi good, good, comfortable seat fi come tek squeeze up...!

"Thanks, Miss Queenz. Mi know yuh vex but we affi respect the baby mother dem, yuzimi."

Discreetly rolling my eyes, I hum. Move from yasso man. Cho. Now mi not even ago can continue read mi book.

Shuffling to get a bit more comfortable, I sigh, staring at the different faces in the back of the bus.

My eyes meet Ricky's and she pouts making me smile.

"A you smell so sweet?"

A low, deep voice meets my ear and I soon realize that it belongs to the bus driver. It's cool and smooth, immediately sending a shiver down my spine.

Folding my lips to quell the urge to smile, I shrug, adjusting my bag on my lap. "Mi nuh know, maybe."

What's it to you?

Glancing at him, through the side of my eye, I see that he's crouching over the steering wheel, his hand outside of the little window, trying to adjust the rear view mirror on his side.

He's about to say something when the sound of the conductor's voice cuts him off.

"Half-way Tree? Tek up!" the ductor shouts, making him recline in his seat, pulling over to the curb.

"Yuh usually tek bus?" he says when the bus stops for a woman standing by the gate of Active Home Centre.

Quirking a brow, I frown. "Why yuh ask?"

"'Cause a the first mi a see yuh."

Hear ya.

"Watchya, so yuh know everybody weh take your bus, sir?" I ask, smiling.

Mi bored so might as well...

Disregarding my teasing, he shrugs. "Nuh really. But a me mostly carry the Queen's girl dem go Treez...and a the first me a see your face."

Because as a good gyal, yuh cyaa too common. Purrrr.

"Good." I smirk. "Then I'm special then."

He looks at me, as if taken aback by my comment, then nods, chuckling lowly, pulling off from the bus stop as the ductor tells him to: 'Do road!'

Since his head is covered by a handkerchief tied around his face, I can't see his face properly, but I can tell he's smiling when he says, "Cyaa argue wid that."

Of course not.

Normally, I don't entertain bus drivers nor conductors, especially while in uniform, but something about this guys makes me want to continue talking to him.

I don't know why.

Maybe it's his voice.

Or his aura.

Or both.

"And to answer your question, no, I sometimes get picked up from school."

"But, when I don't," I add, "I take the bus...and it's the first I'm seeing you too."

Although I can't see his face, I think I'd remember him.

He smells good too.

And he's one of the neatest bus drivers I've seen in a while. You can tell he takes pride in his appearance.

Chacha bwoy!

That. Is. Swag.

Biting my lower lip, I stifle the giggle which almost escapes.

"Well, good. Then I'm special then," he answers, mocking the way I'd answered him earlier.

I laugh. "Touché."

"Yo, we still a get gas or wah?" the ductor asks, propping up against the opened door.

"When we a forward back from Treez, we stop," I hear him say. "Ago waa yuh grab sum'n a KFC fimme too."

Aye, him voice sweet fi true eno.

Mi nawh lie.

Tilting my wrist, in an effort to distract myself, I look at the time.

Almost six o'clock and mi still deh pon road!

ME weh affi go home and go do mi hair fi funeral tomorrow?

I sigh.

Jeezam!

Mi all forget 'bout that eno.

With all of the ups and down at school today, trying to organize a project that's due early next week, it slipped my mind.

See why mi hate group work? Nobody never can cooperate yet fi get the process flowing in a timely manner.

We spent hours simply trying to decide who does what, and now I'm late for my personal business.

Kiss mi fucking teeth.

"Wah yawh fret pon?"

Feeling a small nudge by an elbow in my side, I twist my body to face the man beside me. "Thingz."

"Young girl like you?" He turns to face me and my heart skips a beat when I see his face...but he quickly turns his gaze back onto the road ahead before I can properly register his features. "Wah yuh have fi fret 'bout?"

Why this man don't focus on the road and stop pree me?

And FYI, homework, life, upcoming CAPE exams, my future...should I continue?

"Who say mi a young girl, sir?" I ask instead, deciding to play it off. After all, I don't know this man from Adams. "Yuh see mi age paper?"

He hums. "Well, yuh still inna uniform, so..."

"Sixth form...!"

"So? That nuh mean say yuh big?"

Wah tha man yah know 'bout me though, God!

Fixing him with a pointed stare, I tell him that, "As a nineteen year old, I should think so."

Clearing his throat, he toots his horn for the car in front to move up. "That nuh say. Yawh still juvenile."

I hum. Whatever.

Not even ago argue wid you today.

Despite my innerself telling me to drop the argument, I don't. It bun mi too much. So I continue with a sassy, "By the way, yawh act like your piss no just start burn grass. Yuh not even look much older than me, yawh chat."

Feeling the woman beside me burning a hole in the side of my head, I decide not to pay her any mind.

What a way she nuff. Inna her long-time big woman wig.

Swaaty like...

He laughs and it's the sweetest, most foreign sound.

It makes me roll my eyes.

"Yuh got jokes," he mocks.

"After mi ano clown, sir."

He doesn't say anything, only laughs, and I hiss my teeth.

Gwaan yaa, mister man.

'Cause yawh look smaddy fi inna chattings wid.

Feeling my phone vibrate against the  elbow that's pressing on my bag, I open the zipper and retrieve it.

My smile spreads when I see the text that's on the screen.

Ricky💕: Mi miss yuh! 🥺

Me: Hush.

Ricky💕: Mi say tha woman yah come side a mi wid her picky picky head pickney weh no stop put the piece a dutty crocs pon mi uniform! Kmft.

Ricky💕: I'm this close to losing it 🤏

I laugh aloud, looking up to meet my best friend's eyes, seeing the look of annoyance on her face while the woman beside her sits oblivious to what's happening.

Me: Behave! 🤣

Ricky💕: I am. Else I would've told her that her wig waa fix. 🙄

Murda!

She and tha one yah side a mi a mussi sisters.

I giggle again, folding my lips to resist letting out the big dutty laugh that tickles my lips.

My smile turns into a frown when I feel the fat gyal beside me shuffle, mumbling to herself that, "Them likkle school gyal yah nowadays love man, essi. And ask them two plus two a how much them cyaa tell yuh."

A who and she?

A cyaa me she a stop wid!

Likkle miss Oompah Loompah! Yuh try shut your mouth ova desso. Oh.

Ignoring her, because I'm in my uniform and I don't intend on disgracing my school, I reply to Ricky's text.

Me: Hush. We soon reach. Yawh follow me go buy the hair right?

Usually we aren't allowed in stores while decked in uniform, but as sixth formers, we get a bly.

A privilege I don't mind having...

Ricky💕: Yea.

Thank God!

'Cause when it comes to picking and choosing, I'm the worst!

.           .         .

When we finally get to Halfway Tree, it's a quarter past six o'clock.

Fi smaddy weh never go pon plane yet, mi feel jetlagged yuh frig.

Mi just hope the store nuh lock!

As soon as the bus pulls into the parking space, by the transport centre, everyone is on their feet, pushing to get off.

Mi nuh wrong dem. A bout an hour we inna traffic eno!

Nosah!

Waiting for the crowd to subside, I get up when the last girl, on the seat directly in front of me, stands, flipping it up.

"Yuh nawh tell mi later?" I hear the driver say, loudly enough for only me to hear.

Without looking back, I give him an half-assed, "Later," before heading towards the door.

Through the window, I see Rickel who's staring at her phone while she waits for me by the vendor who's selling donuts beside the bus shed.

My eyes make four with the conductor's who gives me a funny look as I'm about to step out of the bus.

A wah?

When I step down off of the last step, he grasps my hand, discreetly putting something in my palm and folding my fingers around it.

Frightened, I unfold my fist, seeing the hundred dollar I'd given him for my bus fare.

I stare at it, then at him, quirking a brow.

"That good, man. Nawh collect nuh fare from yuh today," he tells me, as if sensing the question lingering on my lips.

"Huh?"

"The boss say him like yuh and woulda like fi wul on pon yuh number."

Watchya!

Then them bus man ya bold eeh! Them nuh see mi inna mi uniform?

And if the "boss" say that, why him couldn't tell mi himself.

He had no issue chatting me up about everything else.

Looking the ductor over from head to toe, I scoff.

Then mi never know say mi did tell nobody say mi want nobody.

Chuuuuups.

"Mi have a man," I say, walking away.

Excuse.

Bright.

"A so you gwaan?" he shouts after me, but I keep walking, pretending not to hear him.

Uno can gwaan yawh, sir. Bus man a heartache and pain.

Uno can gwaan 'bout uno bizniz wid uno 'free drive fi get gyal' scheme.

...Mi still ago use tha hundred dollar yah buy one water though.

Yuh lucky.