April Showers

1|bad news

The thuds of raindrops could be heard disciplining the zinc roof on what used to be a warm spring day. The assault was sudden and vengeful.

Monstrous clouds had crept upon the land.

Little Noah was soaked in a corner after he was made victim of the unpredictable weather. His four year old hands were shaking, but he couldn't bring himself to get a towel and dry off. His mom had distinctly promised him a haasin for this.

The boy could not have predicted the weather and could not find the courage to explain. "Mommy go beat mi, mommy go beat mi." he chanted repeatedly as he shivered and sneezed.

"Noah! Noah, yuh nuh hear mi a call yuh!"

His mother was heard moving around the house in search of him. "A who him tink him be?" She would stamp him if he was in the rain again.

Noah was alerted by his mother's footsteps, they sounded closer. "Noah." She was now standing in front of him, peering down at his drenched figure. Her shadow set over the wall he had braced himself against.

"Ye-yes mom-mommy." He stammered through the shattering of his teeth, he was sure to have a cold after this.

Shaking her head, his mother assessed his clothes, his mudded shoes and his trembling hands. "Ahh bwoii." She sighed as if the world was on her shoulders; it was. Twenty-nine years old, no husband, no college education. All she had to show for her life was the house she stood in and her little boy. She slaved as a hotel maid but it was hardly a job to brag about. It was the best she could do.

In moments like these, when her son decides to disregard her warnings, she felt especially worthless. He would be their way out, he was her little ray of hope. She didn't like having to ruff him but he never listened.

"Git up affa di grung and change yuh clothes!" Her temper quickly flared. She had told him not to get drenched again. It was for his own good. He would catch a cold that she would have to nurse.

One thing was clear; he absolutely hated cold medicine. Maggie had to bribe the boy just to get him to open his mouth.

"Noah mi seh fi git up and change yuh clothes!" She shouted once more, and the poor boy bounced upward as if he sat on fire. He rocked back and forth on his heels, and when he was sure his mother would not hit him, dashed into his room to change. He thanked whatever spiritual power saved him.

Fast forward twenty-four years.

Noah stands in the middle of the family plot in which his mother's grave was freshly dug. There was an air of sadness. No one dared utter a word.

It was unlike regular grave diggings in this area; one hand for rum, one hand for shovel.

Here, there were four persons. All with torn expressions, and all very focused on the task done.

It was general knowledge that the grave had to be perfect, neat, just like Maggie. Noah's deceased mother.

Noah had grown up to be a handsome young man. He had beautiful black skin, now prickled with sweat. Muscular hands earned from his day job. His overall features gave him a rugged look. He seemed as if hard life, was feeding him bitter medicine.

He was taking the death of his mother harder than anyone else. They weren't as close as he wanted them to be before her passing. He was career focused. Always thinking that his mother would be there when he was ready to spoil her.

She was his motivation. Somewhere along the line he lost sight of her. Noah felt responsible in some way. He should have been available for her. He should have taken more time to talk to her. Shouldn't have said he was busy when she wanted to bond.

He knew no father. The bastard was too much of a coward in Noah's eyes. Maggie was his father and mother. She made sure he had everything he needed. His mother wasn't rich, but she made sacrifices to ensure, that her Noah, was always in school, and always fed. Even when she had to go without.

His only goal in life was to make her comfortable and not want for anything. He wanted her to feel the same swelling pride, he felt when someone said "A Noah mada" that he felt when someone said "A Maggie son". What Noah hadn't noticed was that money in itself would have never made his mother happy.

She had a big heart.

It was ironic that the same heart was the way she had to go. Cardiac arrest.

Returning to Jamaica he expected to be celebrating. Noah had planned to treat his mother to whatever she wanted. He wanted her to pursue dreams she had put on hold.

Maggie had always wanted to open up a restaurant "Maggie's; Taste of Jamaica".

With her skills in the kitchen, it would have been big.

If only he had finished the villa earlier. If only the glass arrived on time. Tears burned the back of Noah's eyes and he fought the urge to cry. The last time he spoke to his mother, he promised to be home as soon as possible. Recapping the conversation, the last one he had with his mother, he felt ashamed of himself.

Noah had been away finishing a project in Barbados when his mother had called:

The phone rang. Taking time to dry his hands Noah picked up on the fourth ring. It was his mother. He should have known. She had been pestering him about meeting a nice church girl she picked out for him.

"Wahpn mommy, how yuh duh?" Noah asked. He hoped nothing went wrong this time. Last she called he had to send more money for the house. He didn't want her having to stress over these things.

"Yuh dash mi weh eeh?" His mother answered cheekily knowing full well that her son placed her as highly as she placed him. She was proud of him. His work. He was everything she wanted him to be so far.

"Tied up here now but soon see yuh." He hadn't been at home in a while because of the villa project but as soon as the glasses got installed he would be on the first flight out of Barbados. "Miss the cornmeal porridge already." He joked.

Maggie laughed. Her boy and his porridge. She was glad he was coming home. "Perfect time fi meet yuh future wife and har son." She was serious. Noah was not having it. Not again.

He had no intention to marry some stuck up self-righteous 'church girl'; Anna her name was.

"We will see." Noah supplied trying to keep the reluctance from his voice. A contractor walked into the open kitchen signaling Noah to come over. He was forced to cut his conversation with his mother short. He sent her his love and promised to call soon.

He didn't call.

He was extremely busy with ensuring the contractors were paid and satisfied as well as speaking to the owner of the villa. It didn't help that the glass arrived later than planned.

When he came back someone claiming to be Anna had informed him of his mother's death and expressed her condolences. Apparently Anna was taking care of his mother in his absence and he now understood why his mother wanted him to be with her.

Due to embarrassment and curiosity Noah decided to get to know Anna. His mother would have wanted it. His mother also wanted him to be a father figure to Aaron, Anna's son and he would give that a try too. "Mom, I'm sorry I didn't make it in time." Noah whispered to no one "If you wanted me to give it a try, I will."  The bushes rustled and a thunder clapped. The men decided it was time to head back home before the impending rain.