Young

14

Hissing I stand up to close my windows because the loud music next door is making it hard to concentrate on my homework.

The noise was still there, but it had toned down a bit, becoming less loud.

I returned to my position on the bed staring blankly at the laptop.

'Dutty people and dem music bruk mi vybz.' I internally cuss hissing my teeth.

I move the cursor to the top right corner of my screen, clicking out of the tab, and then proceed to close down my laptop.

Tomorrow mi finish it.

"Nia" my mother shouts from the kitchen.

I roll my eyes but go to her nonetheless.

"Come gaa shop fi mi deh mi daughta" she says using her hand to motion me towards her.

No.

"Mi wah suger and one tin milk" she hands me a crisps $1000 bill.

I nod grabbing a shopping bag from a drawer in the kitchen.

I enter the shop ordering what I was sent to buy.

"Psst" I heard from behind me, I opted to ignore the person staring at the lady grabbing what I wanted.

"Browning a you mi a call" the person who I assume was the one from before says.

I roll my eyes Aunty Sherdene hands me my items and I give her the money.

Meanwhile she went for my change I place everything in the bag. She hands me the change and I smile telling her thanks before exiting the shop.

I felt someone grab my hand roughly pulling me towards them.

"Yuh nuh hear man a call yuh" the person who I now come to realize as Dada, the community wannabe bad man.

"Mi deaf?" I ask rolling my eyes looking elsewhere.

I hear him let out a loud laugh "Mek mi tell yuh dis" he says pointing his hands in my face his grip on my hands getting tighter.

I slap his hands from infront of my face, trying to free my hands from his hold.

"Know who yah dealid we anu size " he says using his index finger to push my head off.

I let out a laugh "wah yah go do?" I challenge staring directly at him. The males around just looked not uttering a single word out of their mouth.

The moment he lifted his hands a voice from behind me stopped him "mi dare yuh."

Splinta walked up towards us pulling dadas hands off of mine

"Everybody leff from yasso" he commands, everyone got up some did so swiftly while some took a while due to old age.

Dada let out a nervous "ohh a you a fuck it" he says.

Before I could comprehend what was happening Splinta grabs him by his shirt.

He says something to him but I couldn't hear.

He pushes him away roughly "fawud yah Ania"

I walk behind him taking glimpses behind me to see if blacks was still which to my surprise he wasn't.

He walked me straight to my gate not saying anything.

A the same splinta dis weh nuh stop chat?

"Mek me see yuh hand" he says, I walk over to him and he looks at my arm.

I now notice the bruise that was forming from the strong hold dada had on my me.

He lets go of my hand "lata" he says looking down the road at the few people staring at us.

"Lata"

I walk in heading straight to the my house, mommy was in her room so I placed the items on the counter and walked to my room.

I look at my hands frowning.

Look how dis dutty man bruise up mi skin.

My phone beeps a message coming in.

Andre❤️
Come outta door.

I sigh getting up.

I put on my slippers walking to the gate, looking down the road I see Andre parked a couple houses down.

I walk to his car ensuring no one was watching.

The second I closed the door he took my hands in his looking at the bruise.

'A mussi doctor' my subconscious mocks laughing. 

"Who do this" he asks letting go of my hands.

Bet yuh say a dutty splinta tell him.

"Gwaan like yuh nuh know" I answer looking out the window.

He uses his hands to turn my head back towards him "mi wah you tell mi"

"dada" I answered my gaze drifting to my hands.

Andre nods not saying another word.

I look out the window at the people passing some looking at the vehicle while others held their head straight.

"Yah go school tomorrow?" He asks after a while.

"Yea why?"

"Ahh me ago pick you up afta just call me" he says.

His phone rings stoping me from saying what I wanted.

"Lata"  I open the door as soon as he answers, I  exit the car walking back inside.

My aunt was seated under the tree with her friends the minute I entered the yard they looked at me with discouraging gazes.

When dem reach out yasso.

"Come here mi niece" my aunt calls.

I walk over to her suppressing an eye roll.

"Wah mi hear say gwaan round the road this mawning" she says leaning towards me.

She an dem ghetto lawyer ya nuff yuh fuck.

"Nothing" I answered shrugging.

"Nuh you dada a wull on pan?" she says trying her best to get in my business. "You an him inna things?" She adds.

Everyone under the tree looked at me expectantly.

"This you stop mi fah?" I ask hissing my teeth.

Everyone looks at me astounded "so yuh chat to you aunty likkle gyal" Arlene says.

"Unuh cyaa find wuk?" I answer back crossing my arms.

They all stare at me shocked muttering amongst themselves.

"Watch how a gon tell yuh madda like the beating weh yuh get neva enough" she says smirking.

What I would do to slap the smirk off her face.

Hate the lady suh till!!

I walk away hissing.

I enter the house heading straight to my room.

Kmt everything bout todeh juss messed up.

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Sooo?..