Fatal Attraction (Jamaican Novel)

•Chapter 7•

Tanoi Cunningham

Wednesday||Greater Portmore, Jamaica||9:12 A.M

"Cheyenne go lock off the stove deh!" Mama Olive calls out from the back of the yard.

Chey got up from the floor where we sat in her bedroom to go and do what her mother told her to do. 

It took her three days to persuade English to allow us to come to Portmore to see her mother, she didn't want to come by herself, but I didn't mind tagging along, it was only for a day and a night.

English wasn't fully on board but they found Jaydon's car somewhere in Constant Springs, I'm not so sure if that's the right place either, English wouldn't tell me exactly what happened. Miss Gloria called me yesterday and asked when was the last time I saw him, I told her the truth, the last time was when I brought him the medicines.

She was getting hysterical about him meeting in a car accident, me not telling anybody where he was and just assuming I had something to do with it because he's a lawyer and I wanted money, she was saying a whole bunch of things.

As if yuh need nutn from him.

Jaydon naav nutn can offer mi.

I didn't ask English anything more, he wouldn't have told anyway.

He preferred to keep that between him, Dad, and Imani.

Since when Dad and Imani a keep secrets?

Especially wid each other.

Chey walks back into the room with an eye roll, "Mommy deh right a the door a talk to the neighbor eno".

"She just miss fi call yuh name" I smile at her, "at least your mother can call you and bother you".

"Hmmm", her face falters as she inspects my posture.

I'm sitting on the floor with my head against her bed, I wasn't feeling much like myself today. I never am feeling much of myself these days.

"What you thinking about?" she asks, sitting next to me and laying her head on my shoulder.

I sigh, "Nothing specific, feeling tired and drained that's all".

For the past few days I've felt tired, my mood was all over the place. English asked me a question before we left and my response had him staring at me for a solid minute, he then hit his palm on my forehead and told me not to stress him out for the next two days.

Guess him have things fi do and stressing about me being in my feelings would only cause him to stay home just to look after me.

Chey did him a favor by bringing me with her.

"Mi understand that yuh waah we go watch movies tonight?"

"That would be nice but who ago carry we?"

I look down as she lifts her head with a very mischievous smile.

Groaning, I shook my head, "anybody else but Mikey".

Mikey was her cousin, he drove a taxi from Portmore to Mandeville. He's....how do I say this nicely without being rude?

A coke head.

Him ano coke head per say.

Him just act like him deh pon coke more while, him nice and all a that but him head nuh good. 

I'll be damned if I allow her to let him take us.

"Me ago tell Mommy" Chey beams, she jumps up from the door and goes out the door.