𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚊

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗

Shures Valley| St. Catherine|
Tuesday, December 19, 2022

Bringing Zaire around my family members is a decision that fills me with doubt. While I have no ill intentions in my own relationship with him, I cannot ignore the fact that my family members, particularly the older generation, may not have the best intention for him. They have a certain set of values and beliefs that do not align with mine, and this has lead to many uncomfortable situations in the past, ones that I don't want to have to deal with over the holidays. I worry that they may be too accepting of him if and when they learn of his financial background. Not only were they greedy and money hungry, they were often very judgmental of people inside and outside of the family and this has been the cause of much unnecessary tension and conflict.

Even though I have explained my family dynamic to him, he was still insistent on us spending Christmas at my family and then New Years at his. He assured me he could handle my family members if they step out of line and could defend himself.

I have no doubt about his ability to protect himself in case things become uncontrollable. However, I prefer to avoid putting him in a situation where he would need to do so.

-

As we ascended the hill to reach my home community, I provided him with last-minute instructions. Shures Valley, the community we were entering, was relatively small, primarily occupied by my extensive family. Taking in the familiar surroundings, I reflected on the fact that this place had been my home for two decades, where I resided with my father following my mother's passing.

Zaire steered the vehicle up the driveway of my childhood home, and we stepped out. As I got out, I was warmly welcomed by my one of my favourite cousins, who eagerly approached me for a heartfelt hug. Overjoyed, I reciprocated the embrace with equal happiness.

"Yuh tek too long fi come back a yuh yaad eno gyal," my cousin, Shane, said as he continued the hug.

"Well yuh could a come look fi mi to. Afta mi neva lost," I shot back playfully.

I sensed Zaire's gaze fixed on the interaction, likely because he wasn't familiar with Shane. Sensing the need to bridge the gap, I interrupted the hug and introduced them to each other. Fortunately, they immediately engaged in a conversation, breaking the ice. Meanwhile, I retrieved our bags from the car and started making my way towards the house. Since my brother flight wasn't until a few days, it would only be Zaire and me until the weekend. After settling our belongings, I sent a message to my female cousins, notifying them of my arrival home. Curiosity got the better of me, so I peeked out the window to observe Zaire engaged in conversation with my male cousins and a few other boys from the community.

Thank God.

My male cousins have always been extremely protective of us girls. At times, their protectiveness can become quite bothersome, but over the years, I've grown accustomed to it and learned to cope with it. It's something I've had to deal with throughout my entire life.