The UWI Lecturer & the Politician's Son BOOK 1

Chapter Twenty-Two- Too much, Too soon

Anashé

Alright, day one.

The best part about being involved in a sex-tape scandal right now...and I'm using best here loosely—is the fact that it is now exam time. This means all of the campus pupils are not on the premises. The place looked scanty, so fewer eyes were on me as I walked up to my department. I had grades to submit and I'm almost certain Dr Knight, if she's seen it, will request a meeting. I'm looking forward to that...especially since I now know she and Lee-Ann are friends. I'm sure she'll take the opportunity to scare me, let me know how serious this all is. And I know...it is.

My phone rang just as I'm about to open the door to the Department and I looked to see it's Mommy.

It's a video call, so I held up the phone to my face.

"Hey mommy,"

Her face looked red, like she was crying.

I immediately got scared, because she was just staring at me.

"Mommy?"

"Tell me seh annuh yuh inna di video, Nashé," she cried. "Tell me! because mi can't tell from what I seeing on the phone."

Fuck...

The video is islandwide now I suppose. I didn't wanna react or even engage in hyper-emotions. The last time I did that I learned that I can't take elevated stress, so...I took a breath. If Kai hadn't taught me anything, the man taught me to hold my composure a bit better.

"Mommy," I said firmly. " that video is not me and rest assured that I'm handling the situation."

"Nashé the whole community have it say a you."

"Yes, the dunce, dark and deluded, will have it say a mi without any proof," I shrugged, " nuttn we can do about that, but I'm telling you it isn't me, so calm down."

She took a few deep breaths and wiped her eyes. Everything inna mi wanted to cry with her too, but I've done enough crying. A time fi serious now.

"I've never met Malikai, you've told me you are dating him and we've spoken only through phone and he's been very generous , but could he have something to do with this?" Her lips were trembling. "Like revenge porn?"

What?

"No, mommy, it's nothing like that." I smiled at her. "If you knew the man I was with you would not even think that."

She let out a heavy sigh, leaning back into bed. Her brown eyes peeled out at me, like she was searching my soul for a lie.

"Mommy, trust me." I forced a smile, " things like these blow over fast. Once the next big news hits this will be stale, just watch—Jamaica festive bad."

"Uhn mm, yuh too calm fi me."

"I have to be mom, how's Mala?"

Smooth subject change.

"She's at school, thank God ten year olds don't have access to this side of the media." She shook her head. So she thinks...it's just that Mala bear isn't a bad kid.

"Yeah, mommy," I pressed my lip into a hard line. " Thank God."

The conversation ended with me reassuring her that it'll all be fine and giving me a doubtful nod and her well wishes. As a Jamaican mada, God affi come down an convince her before she believe... suh mi nah stress myself. Mi barely believe it's gonna be okay either as much as Kai has tried to convince me. He seemed...kinda flustered these days. Like there was a lot on his mind. But he refused to really talk about that stuff with me. The only time I was ever privy to any of it was when he made me a part of that meeting just so I'd know he's handling things. And to be honest, I think he also did that to toughen me a little. I don't know how much toughened I'd get from having two dysfunctional dinners back to back, but between Lee-Ann and Toni, I felt like one of them worked.