Building Blocks- Deal with Daredevil

Chapter 7: It's official

Dorian's mother back tracked along the hallway to Dorian's bedroom after seeing him scrutinising his appearance persistently in a mirror. "Way yuh dressin to go so?" she queried as she leaned on the door to his dishevelled bedroom. "Like yuh have a date owa? Ah goin an finally have a daughter-in-law? Buh doh make me a granmudda yet eh, ah too young for dat." "Yeah ma, ah goin an meet a gyual," Dorian sarcastically remarked as he removed his shirt and put on another. "Ah know yuh nuh bein sarcastic wid me. Ah doh know when yuh go ever bring home a nice gyual for meh to meet. Not dem back-ah-yard gyual an dem dat Sure thing an dem does be limin eh. Ah want a decent, educated, pretty daughter-in-law. Yuh hear meh?" "Hmm. Like you go be datin she owa?" "Steups. Shut up! Da shirt look good," Dorian's mother commented as she walked in the room and straightened Dorian's collar from behind him as they looked in the mirror. "Dah is why ah tell yuh learn yuh wok an doh study Sure Thing; so yuh could get a nice gyual one day an settle down, an move out of dis junk yard. Look for a gyual wid money too, who real like yuh, so she go put yuh in house, buh wouldn't cut style on yuh. Buh yuh still have to have a lil sometin in de bank. Yuh know wa ah mean?" Dorian turned to face his mother as he remarked, "Ma, ah know yuh care bout meh an ting, buh, I doh wa no gyual put meh in house. I go put she in house." "Hmm! Aright." She raised her neatly waxed, dark eyebrows and smiled to reveal a couple of gold teeth. "Peep!Peep!" Dorian kissed his mother on the cheek. After looking at the time on his wrist watch, he quickly grabbed up his personal belongings and ran off, pulling up his falling trousers as he went.

"Hey man! Finally!" shouted Shotta from the driver's seat of the car that was blasting rap music. Dorian gave him a hand grasp before running around to ride shot gun. They both nodded to the beat of the music as the car rolled off. "What were you doing so long man, putting on a pantyhose and make-up?" Shotta teased. Dorian glared at Shotta with sarcasm before singing along to the music with his eyes closed and his face displaying much emotion. "Hmmmm!" Shotta teased, staring at Dorian's appearance. Startled by Shotta's loud and sudden outburst, Dorian opened his eyes and looked at Shotta confused. "You came out to impress her today! Ha! Ha!" Shotta continued, laughing. Dorian blushed and steupsed at Shotta's observation. Dorian continued singing along with a smile on his face and his eyes closed. "Hmm! Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!" Shotta teased, looking at each item on Dorian: his hair style and cap; his shirt; his shoe; his jewellery. Dorian steupsed and shook his head. "Ha! Ha!" Shotta exclaimed, nodding to the beat. "Hmm. She won't be too impressed with your time though. I thought you said the meeting was starting at five man?" "Yeah." Dorian blankly remarked. "Man it's six eighteen." "So?" Dorian replied with a slight frown on his face, "Is Trinidad... and is Government. Dey nuh startin no five." "Aright man, if you say so. I was just implying that you could have shown her you are a man of decency and order. That's all." Shotta sarcastically replied with a serious disposition. Dorian glared. "Ha! Ha!" Shotta could not maintain his demeanour. "Besides," continued Dorian, "Bad man doh walk in de dance wen it now start. Save de best for las, yuh know. When DJ Dare come, party now start. Gyuals dem now start to scream an dance." "Well, I hate to put it to you bro," softly commented Shotta, before raising his voice to scream "This is not a party! Not everything is about music. You are not invited as DJ Dare. It's a meeting with official people to better the community man. Show some respect brother." Shotta squirmed his face and altered his voice to appear as though he was saddened. Dorian stared out the window. Honestly he wanted to be late because he was afraid to face Zoe and Government officials. "Jus, ... shut up an drive, drive, drive." Dorian sang a line from Rihanna's song.

"Man are you going to get out of the car or not?" Shotta queried, staring at Dorian. "Why you doh come out first?" asked Dorian, as he stared at the number of cars parked outside the community centre and professional looking people walking around. "Man, if one of us doesn't get out of this car right now, I'm going to release some toxic matter up in here." Dorian looked at Shotta and screwed up his face "Aww! Yuh disgustin man." "Oh! Oh! I think it's coming," warned Shotta."Yeah right." Said Dorian. "Oh! ... Sigh!" Shotta remarked closing his eyes and smiling. "Aww!" Dorian exclaimed, as he held his nose and dived out of the car. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Works like a charm everytime." Shotta teased, coming out of the car and locking it. "Yuh disgustin!" Dorian relented. Shotta laughed. "Oh man. Look who. She looks mad," Shotta warned as he looked ahead beyond Dorian who was facing him. Dorian turned to look. It was Zoe walking hastily toward them with a clip chart in her hand. Dorian stared at her from head to toe. He was suddenly disturbed by a smack in his stomach by Shotta's heavy arm. "Stop drooling man. Close your mouth." Dorian realised his mouth was opened and quickly closed it.

"Hi." Zoe stated calmly, looking at Shotta. She then turned to Dorian, opened her eyes wide, shook her head and questioned "Where were you? An what happen to yuh phone? De meetin start since quarter past five," she stopped to look at the time on her I-phone. "Is now almost quarter to seven!" Attempting to ease the reality of the situation, Dorian sighed, looked at Shotta and remarked "Ah tell yuh dey go start late." "What?" exclaimed Zoe. "Yeah what?" repeated Shotta. He was standing behind Zoe. He attempted to make signs to Dorian about what to say without her seeing, such that Dorian looked at him confused. Zoe turned to glance at Shotta, who quickly reverted to a smile as Zoe turned to glance at him. "They were wonderin if you not comin again and if to call off de programme." An annoyed Zoe related to Dorian. Dorian bent his head and put his hand in his pocket, while twitching one of his feet on the ground. "Look, dey now wrapping up. If yuh come in fast, dey might still have de programme." Zoe urged, turning to walk back inside the building. Shotta began to walk too, but Dorian did not move. On realising that Dorian did not follow them, Zoe turned back. "What happen?" she queried desperately, gesturing with her free hand. Dorian appeared disturbed. Again, Shotta signalled and made signs in the background. Unwilling to let Shotta hear what he was saying, he replied softly, "Look, Zoe. Ah doh know if dis is for me or if ah cud do what dey expect. I is jus a boy from de block, yuh know. I doh hav no degree or nun to talk wid dese officials. I doh have what dey want. Plus ah know ah done disappoint yuh aready." "Dorian, de people waitin for you inside dere. Dey're waitin to hear what you have to say; what is your ideas, because you are a part of dis community and you know it better dan dem. Odawise, dey wouldn't come in de community an would jus plan from de office. They are in your turf. They are not goin to judge you if dat is what yuh afraid of. They really want to do dis programme. Dey will listen to you." Dorian was a bit surprised at Zoe's encouragement, how she spoke in a down-to-earth manner and how she did not give up easily on him. Yet he continued to complain, "Plus ah seein man in suit an ting. Look at me. Ah know yuh tell meh no earring an ting buh dah is jus me." Dorian complained. "You look fine." Zoe remarked. "Really?" Dorian queried, smiling. His heart skipped a beat at her words. "Well I mean, you look ... like you. De people you're seein in suit com straight from work. Dey didn't have time to go home an change... So, yuh comin?" Dorian paused and then agreed. As the three approached the door, Dorian's heart began to race.

When they reached inside, Dorian saw a few persons sitting on the chairs and one man standing at the podium. The people looked around as they walked inside. The man at the podium stopped talking. Zoe made a signal to him before going to sit in the front row. She called Dorian and Shotta to sit by her. Shotta was about to follow her, but Dorian prevented him by grabbing his arm and shaking his head. Shotta looked at him confused. Dorian kept a straight face and stood at the side. The man then announced "Okay, okay, ah, well, everyone, we wanna welcome some of de members of de Enterprise community who will be helping us work on dis project, or rather, who we will be helping facilitate the programme. So, ... Zoe? You wanna come and introduce them? Yes?" So Zoe stood up and approached the podium. The man from the podium stepped down, checked his wrist watch and then looked at Dorian and Shotta and smiled. He approached them, welcomed them and shook their hands before sitting. Shotta looked at Dorian, raised his eyebrows and smiled. Dorian rolled his eyes. Zoe began, "Well good evening again everyone. Am, we don't want to be too official but let's just give these members a round of applause and make them feel welcomed." So the group began to clap. Dorian became uneasy but Shotta smiled and laughed and thanked the group. "Okay so, tonight we have Dorian and his friend, am, ...I didn't get his friend's name ..." "It's Shotta!" Shotta shouted. Zoe opened her eyes wide. She meant to know his real name. "Hi everyone I'm Shotta." "Pleased to meet you Shotta." "Hi Shotta." Some of the group welcomed and smiled and Shotta ran to shake their hands, leaving Dorian alone standing at the side. Zoe continued, "So, am, what I will do is welcome up Dorian here to share his experience here in the community and what he feels we can do, or what activities we can help with or fund to help young people stay out of trouble. But before I do that, since he wasn't here earlier to hear about what the programme is actually about, I will just give him an unofficial run down. Am, Dorian, do you want to sit for a while?" Some people looked at Dorian. He shook his head to Zoe. Attempting not to scare him too much, and adhering to the signal of a man in the crowd to leave Dorian, she ignored that he didn't want to sit and quickly continued.