GWEH (Go Away)

12. Red Eye

"Look how Dushane buss up mi lip. Watch weh mi ago do when I hold him!" Mommy yelled from the bedroom. She was by the dresser, looking in the mirror, tending to her bruises. 

I rolled my eyes from my position at the doorway. I felt brave because I knew Mommy was fully focused on her reflection.

"A good. And you nah do nothing. Yuh just a chat," I mumbled under my breath with a grin.

"Weh, you say, Tamara," Mommy asked.

"Mommy, I said it was just a small split. Put some Vaseline on it, and you should be good in a couple of days," I did a quick cover-up.

"Mmm," she hummed then asked. "You set up your new phone yet? Give me the old one until I get paid."

"Which new phone yuh talking about? It Looks like you forgot to say it's the same LG I have." The phone I currently own was Mommy's old phone that she gave me when I upgraded to an iPhone.

"So you really nuh look in the bags?" she asked then looked towards my bed, probably for the bags in question but they were still on the floor from when I threw them there. "Watch yah," Mommy hisssed her teeth then went and pick the bags up. She carried the bag to the sitting room and I followed her there and watched as she sat on the long couch and start go through the them.

She took out a heap of panties and lacy lingerie. Then came skin products and perfume from the first bag. The whole time I watched with my mouth partly open. 

The twenty-five minutes timer went off for the rice and I quickily went and turned the stove off without even checking to see the outcome since I make enough rice that its now a muscle memory to get the shelly texture. 

By the time mi turn round mommy had empty the second bag. She now had four boxes out. I figured one must be a phone since she mentioned it. I went close to see what they were. 

"Set this up and give me the LG," Momy said handing me a box with the apple design.

I hissed my teeth. "Mi nah keep it. Mi ago give back Jermaine."

"You mussi lick your head or something. How you so ungrateful? A so mi grow you, bout you a come chat bout give back. You crazy?"

"Cho mommy. A never daddy buy the stuffs yesterday. A Jermaine and him a look me. I don't want anything from him plus a people man."

"So what if a him buy it? I knew it was not your father from mi see the amount a things come in her. God send you good man and you a form fool. As for people man, Jermaine and Kristen nuh deh. A nuff gyal a look him and him choose you. You fi be grateful."

"Grateful fi what? Mi nuh interest in man. And how them nuh fi together when they have a young baby and him always deh bout!" I shouted.

"Miss, lower your voice when you a talk to me. You think a Jermaine you a chat too. If you nuh want man a woman you want?" Mommy laughed. "One night stand baby that mi dear. Ask me anything you want to know about them mi will tell." Mommy continued to laughed. "Tammy come sit down beside me." 

Look how the woman a try turn me inna one little gossiper.

I shook my head and walk off go wash mi hands then flip the chicken in the oven. Them have a good forty plus minutes left on their timer. After returning the chicken to the oven, I decided to go do the toss salad, so I began gathering the stuff while mommy is busy unboxing and setting up the phone.

"This want charge," I heard her say.

"Mommy, why you a set it up when mi already tell you say mi nah keep it?" I was getting a bit irritated with her attitude about the whole thing. Why she and mi father a push mi pon man weh mi nuh want?

"That a your business. You nuh want the phone so mi a keep it. You nuh want nothing good. Make me see you with any of them waste man deh outta round together and you will see," She threatened. "Them nuh have nothing but dry shit inna them batty but this good man from out of port you a turn down...All that Neiko weh mi hear yuh name a call pon," mommy start to go off on a tantrum but stopped and took a deep breath. " You know what mi call you earlier to come sit and you nuh come. Tamara Moore put down that knife and bowl before mi mash it inna your tough head. Come here. Come and come sit down beside me."

What a woman aggressive and love lick.

 I know she is getting angry, so I waste no time sitting an arm's length away from her on the long couch. But Mommy skooted closer to me and sighed as if I was the one being unreasonable.

"Up town Jermaine come from. A rich people pickney. A carnival Kristen and him meet and them have a drunk fling. Everybody in the community know this so how you nuh know? You a mi pickney are what? You have to keep up to date and things weh a gwaan around yuh. ANyways, Kristen got pregnant and that a that. But she and Jermaine nuh together, you nuh realize say him always park next to the sidewalk and have him baby. Him never go upstairs. Him nuh want har. The baby a bout six months old now and him still nuh want har, a just him youth a hold him here."

"Mommy, so a really this you call mi fi come tell me? You coulda tell me this while I cut up the vegetables."

"A weh mi get you from? A muss outta mi batty. Listen a good man and him single. And anuh like say him can't get sumbody. A nuff gyal a run him done out a round. So, count your blessing and stop run left progress."

"Make him go deh with one a them then. You and daddy stay just a like...come a push mi on man. Mi tell unu say mi want man?"

"Tamara, stop galang so. You a big woman now a time fi yuh start act like one. You can't stay lock up inna the house. You too timid and childish. A man will do you good. See God send you somebody proper."

"God nuh have nothing to do with this. Mi nuh need you a push mi fi go out in the world. When mi want man, I know where to find them. Right now mi good. Man nah go nuh where, nuh that you used to tell me?"

"That a when you did a pickney and in school. You finished high school over two years ago, and you insisted on going back for sixth form; that is done now. Book work done, you have to live a little my daughter, look how you nice. Bubbles and clip days done."

"hmm." I hummed hoping to finish the conversation."

"Look see Jermaine all get you vibrator," Mommy said showing me one of the other two boxes. "You can use them her practice."

I took the box from her and threw it in the bin. She laughed and shook her head, then got distracted by the other items. 

"All Apple Airpods and watches come with the phone. Well, me a take them with the phone, you lucky."

"I don't have anything to say. Mi can go finish weh mi did a do?" I asked because me know she don't like me leaving without being dismissed.

"My girl, do weh you want do enuh! See Kristen deh, she and her people open up a hairdresser salon and a wholesale downtown. How you think them people deh move up from them once destitute life? Mmm? Jermaine upgraded them. Him sex har once, gyal breed and them nuh deh again and she still set. Even if you nuh want him, breed fi him then."

"Mommy, you too, red eye."

(1362 Words)