Igniting the Fyah | HRT1

Chapter 2

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::: October | Friday :::

The following day at work, June was surprised to see five of Leilani's friends ready and waiting for her. She was surprised to see this many of them at once, for she wasn't even aware that she still had that many slots available. Choosing to not question a blessing sent from God and Leilani, June quickly prepped her station and got to work.

When June had moved on to her second client, Shaniel had interjected herself into their casual conversation. "Unu sure unu waa wait pon June?" she asked the remaining three customers. "See we have two more tech weh naa do nobody nails right now." Hearing the ladies insist for the umpteenth time that they don't mind waiting, Shaniel gave them a tight smile and moved back to her small office.

Within the next hours, June got done with her clients and collected their payment. By then, it was nighttime and June had to help Shaniel close.

Shaniel, who was still angered that June had that many clients waiting all at once, rested her elbow atop the broom and said to the other woman, "Yu cya keep that many clients waiting while other techs are here empty-handed. It reflects bad on us a business."

June heaved a heavy sigh. "How?" she asked, not bothering to hide the annoyance from her tone. "They were my clients and they had no issue waiting. Yu even see seh me ask dem several time if dem mind wait and dem seh no."

"Whatever ino, June," Shaniel said, also feeling annoyed. "Yu just afi keep yu coworkers in mind. Mi nuh want dem think mi a gi yu preferential treatment, especially because of-"

June's heart picked up its pace. "Yu tell dem?"

Shaniel immediately shook her head from side-to-side. "No." she confessed, resting the broom to one side. "Still. It wuda seem preferential."

June nodded, gathered her bag to leave. "Mi get wa yaa seh but is like mi seh - they were my clients, dem neh have no problem a wait." Now standing at the door, June had an afterthought that punctuated her prior statement. "Mi naa gi none a your other tech dem my money ino because if a did me dem wudn do the same for me." June believed that whole-heartedly. She didn't have a close relationship with any of her other coworkers. Not that she wanted to. June found it hard to place her trust in people ever since her encounter with the Beckhams.

Shaniel sighed at her employee's statement. "Arite, June. See you tomorrow."

Nodding, June walked off to Ocho Rios' buspark. She did not have to wait very long before she found a taxi heading to Claremont. The car was jam-packed and reeked of a bad odor. June was unsure if the scent was coming from the sweaty school children piled into the trunk, or the man in the front passenger seat who had his arm hanging out the window. The journey couldn't end soon enough.

When she arrived at Claremont, she paid the fare and began the short walk to the Beckham's house. She hated having to still be in contact with these people. Unfortunately, she didn't have any other choice but to wear a bright, fake smile and engage in whatever conversations if it meant seeing Zach. The young boy was the only person June would roll over for.

Knocking on the large mahogany door, June took a step back and waited for someone to answer the door. While she waited, she took a look around. A few things had changed since her visit last weekend: more potted plants were lined next to the metal railing of the verandah; the once orange walls were now painted a faint green; the window that Zach had broken was replaced.

June's eyes drew back to the door when it swung open. In the doorway, was the cartoon villain herself: Heidi Rivers-Beckham, a fifty-four-year-old woman who was set on making June's life a living hell. Like she was accustomed to, June hid her scowl behind a tight smile. Heidi didn't pretend as if she was happy to see June.