Chapter 6: 5

⏱️ Same day...

°Deanne's POV°

4:10 P.M.

"Mi know mi body firm and comfortable eno, baby girl, but yuh nuh plan fi ease up?"

I don't know how long I've been lying in this man's arms——his one hand gripping my waist and holding me steady——but the sound of his voice makes me lift my head to face him.

Something about the way he says 'Baby girl' makes me all queasy inside.

He's staring at me, intently, with a smug smirk quirking the corners of his lips.

Holding his stare for a while, I bite my lower lip when I finally register his words.

Mrrrr! Mi shame!

Lowering my face, to conceal the blush, I scoff. "Don't feel too special. A see mi did a try see if mi feel yuh hood...but it come like it likkle, 'cause all now..."

The look on his face almost causes me to laugh aloud.

Yuh frigga yuh...don't bright!

"A that yuh mek yuh mouth say, likkle girl?" he sasses back. His voice is deep and gruff. And bwoy does it do something to me. "Yuh cyaa manage this, hear that!"

Hear ya!

A wah yuh know 'bout me, sir?

A weh yuh deh when mi a bruk big hood...?

Inna mi head. As a technical virgin.

Offering him a pointed glare, I smile cheekily then say, "Yuh waa bet?"

I don't know what came over me, but the words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Mommy waa hear mi fi pop mi rass!

The man's grip on my hip tightens, and I discreetly inhale a deep breath to calm my fluttering heartbeat.

I can feel the heat of his hand on my skin, through the dress.

Remaining silent, as he regards me with narrowed eyes, as if assessing me to see if he should call my bluff, we hold eye contact for what seems like forever.

Since it's the first I'm seeing him up close, I take the time to study his features.

He has really pretty eyes.

Him lip dem nice too. Yuh fret.

Fi a man, dem look plump and soft yuh frig.

Imagine a kiss dem deh...or...better yet...

A wonder if him suck——

"Weh mi pickney deh!" I hear Mommy's voice, breaking the trance,  making me quickly spring to my feet.

Yes, man!

'Cause yuh not even know the man name and look weh yuh mind gone, likkle gyal!

Without sparing Driva as much as a second glance, I walk briskly up the slope, making my way over to where my mother and cousin are standing.

Ali is the first to spot me.

"See her deh, Aunty!" she shouts, tapping my mother's shoulder.

When she turns, the look of terror on her face transforms into a relieved grin.

"Mi pickney! Thank God!" she says, prompting me to run up to her, sighing as she envelops me in a warm hug.

Only now do I notice that the crowd had dispersed.

Aunty Sheryl and Aunty Nadine are nowhere in sight, either.

No, man, it come like mi did inna mi owna likkle world! Fight all done and mi nuh get fi see who win!

"No, man! A how yuh dutty so?" Mommy shrieks, pulling me at arms length. "And, how yuh foot dem chip up, chip up, so, Apple?"

Looking down, I note the bruises on my knees; the dried up blood on my skin making them look far worse than they actually are.

I sigh, fixing the hem of my dress which is also messy with the mud and cement residue. "A when mi drop, dem scrape up, Mommy. But them nawh hurt mi no more."

"Drop? How yuh drop?"

Shrugging I tell her that, "A site mi did a site one bakkle weh Aunty Sheryl fling and drop."

Mommy hisses her teeth, turning and cursing under her breath. "Yuh see how Sheryl tek carelessness and nearly bruk mi pickney foot though, Lord! And if mi create excitement now, yuh hear...!"

Ah boi.

Don't mek she start now, God. Mi a beg.

Feeling eyes on me, I turn to face the  chocolate walk that's down by the graves, seeing Driva talking to the same brown guy, from earlier, his eyes not leaving me.

The white button-down shirt he was dressed in is now draped over his right shoulder, leaving him in a white, v-neck Haines T-shirt, that sits snugly against his ripped muscles and broad chest, paired with dark, skinny-fitting ripped jeans.

Mmm. Sexy.

My heart skips a beat.

And my face flushes when I remember the convo we just had.

Particularly the promise I made to this man that mi can tek big hood!

Mi eno...

Mi!

Deanne Bradshaw!

Weh fraida buddy like the deadly plague?

Waii!

...and yuh know say mi have a feeling say him buddy big too?

Mi nuh know why...

Sum'n 'bout him just gimme 'big hood' vibes.

Not like I'm experienced in that department, anyways.

'Yuh cyaa manage this hear!' his words come back to me, making my face heat up, at the thought.

His words were cocky, a bit too cocky, but he seems to be confident in his abilities. Him sound like him can fuck good. Mi nuh put it pass him eno. In fact, a want tell yuh say his aura alone tells me he has it locked.

Damn.

My curiosity piques.

Biting down on my lower lip, I reluctantly peel my eyes away from the sexy specimen of a man.

But, when I turn around, my eyes meet Alicia's. She gives me a knowing look, but I quickly look away, pretending I don't have a clue what she's on.

She better nuh ask mi noth'n either.

"Mommy, mi hungry eno!" I say, walking briskly to catch up with my mother who's almost going through the gate.

I can feel Ali's eyes on me still.

Mi know she suspect sum'n but mi just ago gwaan play oblivious.

Mommy turns to me, her puffy eyes narrowed. "Them have food up deh, mi look like mi carry di pot wid mi? And supposed mi never miss yuh and come look fi yuh, yuh wouldn't know say yuh hungry?"

No, mi did too caught up a lay dung inna man arms.

Food was the last thing on my mind.

"How yuh can gwaan so, Mommy man!" I tease, wrapping my arm around her neck.

Flicking my arm off of her, she hums then looks past me. "Wait! Mi never see uno eno! Uno come! Food and liquor a share up uppa yard!"

Turning to see who she's talking to, I see Driva and the other guy making their way up the slope.

Jesus!

My breath quickens the closer they get, and I shuffle on my feet.

Then look how mi run off mi big mouth to the man and now mi cyaa bare fi look inna him face.

"Uno mussi a say mi a bad host. Look how mi carry uno come witness bakkle war and now have uno a starve!"

At Mommy's words, both men grin, but my gaze is fixed on Driva's.

Wow, him smile nice too.

...Apple, get ahold of yuhself nuh gyal!

Yuh cyaa like off the man and yuh nuh know him.

Nuh you say yawh give man a break 'cause man a crawsis?

And him look like one big one...

Worse him a bus driver!

And we know weh dem say 'bout bus drivers.

Them buddy ano fi dem!

And looking like he does, he's bound to have a few bed-warmers.

If him nuh all have woman a yard too. And three baby mamas, otherwise.

Plus, yawh schoolaz, the poor man not even a look pon yuh dem way deh...

'Memba say a him same one call yuh likkle pickney wah dayah.

In fact, him just call yuh likkle girl a while ago!

The man not even tek yuh serious enough fi believe say him can fuck yuh!

So chill——

"Deanne, a wah do yuh! Mi nuh teach yuh manners? Why yawh stare pon the man so, lilly gyal!?"

The sudden sound of my mother's voice makes me jump, my eyes narrowing at Alicia who's stifling a laugh from where she's standing beside the brown bwoy. Mi nuh know wah him name either.

"Mi a talk to yuh and yuh not even hear a wud weh mi say! Yuh just a stare so like yuh inna staring contest! Yuh like off the bus driver?" she continues, chuckling loudly.

Driva chuckling too makes my cheeks flush once more.

Lady!

She ever a try embarrass mi in front of people!

Hissing my teeth, I walk away. Cho, Mommy, seriously?

No likkle brotupsy?

"Wait likkle bit! Mi ago pretend like ano me yuh just hiss yuh teeth after, hear likkle pickney!" she says, her tone playful. "'Cause mi nuh waa mek yuh affi swallow two a yuh teeth dem fronta yuh crush!"

Jesus Christ!

Wah do tha lady yah, man?

"Mommy!" God, open up yuh Earth and swallow me now!

"'Mommy' wah?"

She swear think say mi a laugh up wid her eno!

ACT YUH AGE, MAN!

"Yuh just love embarrass people!" I hiss, not looking back.

I can feel eyes on me, but I don't stop to see whose it is.

Hearing my mother laugh behind me, my grimace eventually turns into a smile too. But I keep walking, still pretending to be upset.

Anything to get away from that man.

And that woman who doesn't seem to know her age.

Or her limited.

CHO!

°

°

°

°Tyrone's P.O.V.°

4:21 P.M.

"Uno want soup? Or uno nuh eat from people?" the lady——Ms Cynthia——asks, extending a metal tray, stacked with stryofoam cups towards Kimani and me.

Contemplating, I look between the tray and her face.

I usually don't, eat from people that is, but I trust her, for some strange reason.

Plus, the likkle warmness will do me good right now.

Mi nuh nyam noth'n from morning——except drink likkle tea——and it come like gas full mi up to rassclaat.

Jah Jah.

And the funny part is that Candi did deh a mi yard eno. And not even fi look 'bout likkle breakfast gi man.

And have the audacity fi a nag mi over fuckry...

Yo! A piece a bad feeling tek mi inna the church, mi did affi go buy a hot Pepsi, cross the road, and wul a sleep inna the bus back.

Regardless, mi still tired.

Body feels drained yuh fuck.

Worse mi never get no sleep last night.

One: mi reach home late, after picking up Candi from the hairdresser.

And two: mi end up fuck her inna the middle night after mi and her catch up over some fuckry of the sorts. All now mi not even know wah she a kill up herself ova. Woman a problem eno yute! That's all mi can say.

Provoking and spiteful yuh fuck!

She knew I had a trip this morning and came with her nonsense. Mek mi lose sleep fi wah? Only God He knows.

Now mi can barely function.

Thank God Kimani decided to come. He drove the bus here for me, so I could sleep in the back.

And even then, I barely got any rest.

Jah know.

A few seconds pass before I sigh, reaching out and taking a cup from the tray, as Kimani followsuit. Wah go done him tek it.

"Uno waah food too?"

"Nah, man, mi will gwaan wul off tha soup yah. Thanks."

"Aii!" She smiles before walking away.

My eyes scan my surrounding as I bring the flimsy cup to my mouth, blowing the steam away before taking a sip.

A goat head soup...

Know how long mi nuh drink this shit?

"This bad!" I hear Kimani say from beside me, and I see him, through my peripheral, peering into the cup.

E man slap off that fast yuh fuck!

Chuckling, I hum.

It can gwaan, yes.

Funeral food's always nasty, but the soup bad.

Wonder a who boil it?

"A wah time dem people ya say them a ready, dawg?" he asks after a moment of silence.

Swallowing the piece of goat skin I was chewing, I say, "Mi nuh know eno. But, judging by the fact say food just a share, it nuh look like a any time soon. Affi go ask the big woman when she pass back, yuzeet."

"Ah."

Upon bringing the cup to my lips, I pause when something small and blue flashes before my eyes.

My eyes narrow, following the petite beauty across the lawn.

She holds her head down for a few seconds, typing something on her phone, while she walks, before she stops completely.

This is the first I'm seeing her since she disappeared earlier.

My brows furrow as I take her in.

Who she a text?

My frown deepens.

Mussi her man.

Same yute weh mi see her a text yessideh.

Ricky or some shit like that.

The thought annoys me.

And I don't know why.

Ano like mi nuh expect her fi have a man, yuzeet.

Which school girl, nowadays, nuh have man?

If a even one likkle spoogie.

For some reason the thought of her sculling school to go link this fool, on the regular, upsets me.

The dawg goodly just a use her too.

I know the vibe, 'cause some years ago, that was me and any catty weh willing fi take the risk, knowing fully well I didn't want anything other than easy pussy.

Jah Jah.

I don't know, but for some reason I want to think that she's different.

A virgin.

Innocent.

Then again...no she just tell yuh straight up say she can tek fuck?

Hmm...

Implying she can tek big hood, mi doubt issa school bwoy a pipe her dung...

Yo...not even waa think 'bout that dawg!

The fact that a school girl have mi head tha way yah comes as a surprise to me, cyaa even lie.

Affi ask miself awah cause alla this?

Mi really affi wonder, dawg.

Because...

Raising her head to the sky, briefly, as if thinking, she refocuses her attention onto the device in her hand.

My eyes don't leave her, involuntarily roaming her body——noting how the dress accentuates her curves. She's petite, but her assets are notable.

Really pretty too.

Look like she have likkle coolie inna her.

Woulda fuck it.

Clearing my throat, in hopes of clearing the thought, I look away.

Nuh know wah the fuck mi a say. Not even know the 'B' name, yo. Her mother did say it when we dung a the grave eno, but mi nuh memba it. Dian or Deon. Or sum'n like that.

Plus, a likkle pickney that, bredda.

When mi a five, a run up and dung inna brief, she just a change nappy and a shit up herself.

...noth'n nuh wrong. She old enough now. Plus, she like yuh too.

Who say so?

Her mother's teasing from earlier, and her reaction to it, comes back to me, twisting my lips into a lopsided smile.

A smile which soon drops when I look at her again and notice she's still typing.

A wah the fuck she a type so long?

Have a mind go tek it from her eno.

...go easy.

"A wah yawh look pon so, Dawg?" Kimani's voice pulls my attention away from her and back to him.

Quickly glancing at him, I go, "Hmm?"

He's following my line of sight. When his eyes land on the subject of my attention, he chuckles.

My jaws tick. "A wah so funny, Dawg?"

"A tha 'B' deh yawh pree?"

"Who that?"

Playing oblivious is never convincing but I don't give a fuck.

He chuckles. "Don't play coy wid mi, dawg. Mi see say yawh pree her from evening."

"Nuh know wah yawh chat say, bredda," I tell him, throwing the empty soup cup into the trash bag that's hanging on the fence beside me.

He hums.

And I look at him, raising a challenging brow.

"Yuh like her. Noth'n nuh wrong wid that, a woman she name eno. Wah yawh go 'round the thing fa?"

"Yawh watchman, Dawg?" I huff.

"No eno. But it nuh tek Einstein fi see say yawh feel her. Stop gwaan like yawh wasteman, Dada!"

His comment causes me to hiss my teeth, despite it being the truth. "Yuh nuh see say a likkle pickney that, bro?"

Why it feel like mi a try convince miself more than Kimani?

"She nuh look likkle to mi!" He shrugs.

I fix him with a pointed glare. The fact say him a look pon her in that light pisses me off. "That a to you!"

Them man yawh fuck anything weh pass the age of consent, but ano me that.

"She pass 18 don't?" he continues to press.

"Yeah. She say she a 19." Don't know why mi still a entertain him and dah argument ya stillz.

He gives me a look. "So waah the problem?"

I sigh, shrugging, because not even mi nuh know the answer to that.

I guess avoiding my growing attraction to her just feels like the right thing to do.

Matter-of-fact, I didn't even know I would've seen her again, after meeting her yesterday.

What a coincidence it is that the funeral I'm chattered for is her family's.

"She doesn't feel me like that." Perry tell mi say him write mi numba pon hundred dollar give her and all now mi nuh get a call or text.

"How yuh know that? It obvious she a pree yuh. Mi see it. The other chick see it. All her mother see it. And mi sure yuh see it to, all yawh gwaan."

Mi see it, yes. I chuckle. Then sigh, folding my arms across my chest. "Yuh figot one major factor inna alla this still."

"Wah that?" he asks, taking a bottle of Dragon from a woman walking around and handing them out.

Cyaa drink liquor pon hungry belly. That a madness.

I tell the woman that when she offers me one too.

"Candi," I continue saying to Kimani as he brings the bottle to his lips and takes a swig. "And her head done nuh screw on good. Wouldn't waa set up muma so, yuzeet."

Candi has a temper and is spoilt. So I know she'd throw a hissy fit if she were to see me with another woman. Possibly attack the female too. She did it the last time.

She's unpredictable. And mi wouldn't want affi hurt her.

So...

Kimani scoffs and I look at him, narrowing my eyes. "Wah that fa, Dawg?"

He has a look that I can't quite place, on his face. "How long yuh say yawh deal wid dah girl deh again?"

"'Bout four months," I tell him, regarding him skeptically.

I always got the feeling he doesn't like her. Although I don't know why. She's a cool girl.

Candice has been around them a few times since we started dealing, but I can count on my one hand the amount of times I've seen Kimani address her.

He's always so aloof around her. Unlike Perry who actually made her feel welcomed. But Perry is my cousin, so maybe he felt obligated to show loyalty. While, Kimani, as my best friend, couldn't give two fucks.

"Oh," he barely says.

"A wah?"

"Nothing."

"Mani, don't gimme nuh fuckry answer. A waah the problem, daddy?"

"Mi just think yuh fi slow dung wid tha girl deh yuzeet?"

"Who?" I ask, furrowing my brows in confusion. "Candi?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

He sighs. "Mi never waa say noth'n, 'cause mi n'ave nuh proof yuzimi. But mi see her wah day ova Mall wid a nigga, yuzeet."

Wah? "Which mall that?"

A one mall mi know.

"Portmore Mall, bredda."

My heart skips a beat, but I keep my face impassive. "Eeeh?"

A when Candi go Portmore and mi nuh know?

And which man dat Mani see her wid?

I try not to think too much on it. After all, I don't want to lose my temper here. I'll just ask her about it when I get home ——handle it in private.

"Yeah," he says. Then adds. "She never see mi still, but mi see her. Did all think uno leff or sum'n. But since yuh say wah yuh say awhile ago, I guess not."

Clearing my throat, I look away, seeing that Schoolaz had disappeared. Mi need fi ask her wah she name. Feel fuck up a call her 'Schoolaz'.

Ago get her number too.

Since Perry's child's play didn't work, mi ago approach her like a big man and tek it.

"Yuh good, dawg?" Kimani asks after a couple minutes of me being silent.

My mood has shifted.

I nod, grinding my teeth. "Yeah man. Soon come back. Ago shot a piss."

Without giving him a chance to say anything, I walk away.

Passing the crowd of people, gathered on the veranda, I spot Ms Cynthia, sweeping out the living room.

She stops when she notices me, fixing me with a smile.

Were I to look beyond her politeness, I would've thought she liked me. Genuinely.

That woulda good...since mi plan fi fuck her daughter.

Having a mother-in-law on your side never hurts.

Clearing my throat, I fix her with my most charming smile. "Good evening, again, Miss Cynthia."

"Evening, Driva."

"Tyrone. Or, Dada."

"Evening, Tyrone or Dada," she says, and I can tell she's teasing.

Can tell say she did a trouble inna her days eno. Now mi see weh her daughter get her cheekiness from.

I chuckle at the thought. "Is there a bathroom here that I can use?"

She looks slightly taken aback by my use of the English language, and I resist the urge to smirk. Mi know people always think say thru yuh drive bus yuh nuh have no sense. Pity dem nuh know say mi have twelve subjects siddung pon.

Nodding she says, "Yes, man! Just go down the hall and turn left. The last door on your right."

"Blessings," I tell her, before walking away.

My phone buzzes as I almost reach the last door.

Stopping in my tracks, I pull it from my pocket and unlock it. The name on the screen causes my frown to deepen.

Candi: Babe! You OK?

I hiss my teeth, remembering the small detail Kimani just advised me.

Contemplating whether to text her, after about two minutes, I decide not to. Clicking the power button on the side of the device, I slide it back into the back pocket of my jeans.

Chuckling dryly, under my breath, I shake my head and reach for the door's knob.

As I'm about to turn it, it turns in my hand, from the other side, and my eyes widen when it opens, revealing a practically naked Schoolaz, wrapped in only a soso white towel.

Her eyes bulge when she notices me, her mouth dropping to mimic my expression.

"Fuck, sorry, mi never know say smaddy in ya!" I say, feeling out of fucking place.

Her face flushes. "Sorry, mi never know say smaddy out here."

She moves, as if she's about to get out of the way for me to pass, but she's turns suddenly, her towel hitching on the door's handle and falling from her body in the process.

Mi pussyclaat!

I stare at her: her perky titties and stiff brown nipples staring at me.

My cock twitches as my eyes travel over her body, moving across her small waist then down to her shaved plumpness.

Pussy fat yuh fuck.

Mi hood jump.

Jah Know?

Ano like mi nuh used to naked women. Mi see naked pussy, breasts, and ass everyday. It's just that it feels illegal seeing hers.

I clear my throat and she subconsciously moves to grip the towel tighter.

The moment she realizes that there's no towel to hold shows on her face, and her head immediately snaps to look down at herself.

Her mouth practically drops to the ground and her face goes red when her eyes meet mine again.

But before I can reassure her that there's no big deal, she steps back, slamming the door in my face.

Leaving me dumbfounded.

And a little stiff.

Fuck!

And mi waa piss eno, yute!

Jah know?

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