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°Deanne's POV°
6:50 P.M.
"Tha one ya nice!" I say to Ricky, pointing at the shoe on the display shelf.
We're in V.I.P shoes, beside EZ Fashion...where I've been for the past ten or so minutes, looking for shoes to wear to the funeral tomorrow.
Reaching out, I touch the strap, loving the quality of the material.
Yea, mi like tha one ya...
With a loud hiss, Ricky sits on the ottoman, crossing her arms and sulking. "This a make the fourth sum'n yuh say that 'bout now eno, Apple."
Clicking her tongue, she adds, "Then when yuh try it on yuh change yuh mind."
I can hear the frustration in her tone, which causes me to giggle. "A true this time. This is the one. Big woman thing."
Mi know she tired now man. A from evening mi and her a walk up and dung. Oh gosh...!
She hums.
And I remove the shoes, asking the sales rep if I can try both feet.
As I'm putting them on, my phone goes off.
Noting the name on the caller ID, I quickly answer. "Hello?"
"Apple, yuh mind if mi boil some porridge later?" the soft voice greets me as I place it at my ear.
Porridge?
"Wah kinda porridge?" I ask my mother, nestling the phone between the crook of my neck and shoulder.
After fastening the strap on the last foot of the heels I'm trying on, I stand.
"Sum'n easy. Like cornmeal or plantain."
I make a face. I love porridge, but mi cyaa bother wid that tonight.
Mi want sum'n weh mek sense: sum'n solid weh can full mi belly.
And porridge mek mi hungry...
"No sah, Mommy."
She sighs. "Mi tired man. A sum'n easy mi did a look fi look 'bout, 'cause mi cyaa manage the hassle fi go inna kitchen tonight."
Hear this woman like smaddy a pressure her fi go cook, tho God.
After all, it's only the three of us: me, her, and my cousin Alicia.
And most times Alicia sleeps out.
Especially more so nowadays.
So that leaves only Mommy and me at the house.
So I don't know why she a kill up herself. But she just nuh know how fi rest.
"Alright, mi can cook sum'n fi miself then," I assure her. Then add, on second thought, "Or, better yet, mi can buy sum'n when mi a come."
