Building Blocks- Deal with Daredevil

Chapter 9: The Building Blocks Project

"Zoe, you look really special today," complimented Carlos, a co-worker who was working with Zoe on the 'Building Blocks' project. Carlos was successful, charismatic, intelligent and handsome, the type of men that were usually interested in Zoe. He had been wooing Zoe for a while now, and was all the more forward since he found out she was single. Zoe however had not succumbed to his requests for a date. "Thanks Carlos, but I am in a t-shirt and jeans. Dere's notin special about dat." "Zoe, come on. By now you should know that what you wear does not affect your stunning beauty and intelligence. You are radiant all by yourself." Zoe couldn't help but blush as she straightened some papers in preparation for the 2nd community meeting in Enterprise. The project group was already in the community centre waiting for members of the community to arrive. It had been about a month since the last meeting.

Suddenly, their attention was caught by a large, rowdy crowd entering the centre. Carlos quickly drew Zoe behind him, holding her hand. "This doesn't look good." Carlos remarked. "Why aren't the police officers doing their job?" Zoe quickly yanked her hand out of Carlos' grip and walked off to greet the crowd of men. "Zoe!" Carlos called out, causing Zoe to turn around with a disturbed facial expression. She then remarked "Carlos, meet Dorian and members from Enterprise who will be taking part in the discussions dis evening." She then turned back to face the crowd as she remarked, "Welcome. You can have a seat anywhere." Dorian led the crowd of men and was smiling while staring at Zoe. She noticed and quickly turned away. "Zoe!" Dorian called out, causing Zoe to turn back to face him. She gave a slight smile, which she believed was done out of courtesy. Dorian walked up to her smiling, with his blue eyes glittering in the lights. "Ah didn't see yuh to talk to yuh since de las meetin." "But I saw you almos every evenin on de block on my way home from work." "Yeah, buh ah see yuh get back yuh ride, so yuh jus use to pass quick an blow yuh horn. Is only d time when yuh did stop to tell meh bout dis meetin an how to prepare an den yuh speed off real quick." Dorian laughed. Zoe gave a slight smile.

Dorian then stared directly into Zoe's eyes as he remarked "Am, how yuh lookin extra special so today?" Zoe's smile died and she looked away to the side, slightly opening her mouth. "Am, ah didn't mean to be disrespectful or make yuh feel uneasy," Dorian quickly assured, noticing her expression "Sorry, jus forget wah ah jus say." And he walked off to sit. She noticed him rolling his eyes as he walked off, indicating his disappointment with himself. "Zoe!" Suddenly called Carlos, which disrupted Zoe from her thoughts. "I know we're doing this programme to help out this community but you shouldn't get too friendly with them, yuh know?" Zoe looked at Carlos astonished. She sighed and shook her head. "It is de friendliness dat will cause dem to want to work with us Carlos." She argued before storming off to organise some papers. Carlos stood still with his arms on his hips. He sighed and shook his head. "Women. Can't live with'em; can't live without'em." He then noticed Dorian glaring at him. He quickly looked away and walked off to finish organising. "Ey, Shotta," Dorian called softly to Shotta sitting next to him. Shotta was chatting with a notorious tomboy sitting on the other side of him. "What man! Can't you see I'm having an important conversation here?" "Steups. How to make polourie is a important conversation?" Dorian argued. The notorious, big-boned girl of East Indian descent, who wore cornrows, tattoos and male clothing leaned forward and glared at Dorian. Dorian noticed and stuttered "A-am, ah didn't see yuh dey B-Beat down. A-ah jus need to b-borrow Shotta ears for ah minute, if yuh doh mine?" 'Beat down' was the girl's alias. She glared for a moment, then remarked "Well because is you Daredevil, me ah go led yuh talk wid him for twentay seconds. If yuh cross dat, yuh know wah yuh ah go have for meh, which yuh could deliver 'pon meh anytime." She was also an illegal Jamaican immigrant. Dorian swallowed. "S-sure." He managed to reply.

"Shotta, yuh ain't find dah chupid head fella only stick up under Zoe?" Dorian queried. "Man, I don't know man! You think I have time to be looking at who is sticking up under Zoe when a man is trying to fix his own business man?" Dorian frowned and looked at Shotta. "Yuh cyuah be serious." Dorian whispered. "You feel polourie is really polourie man?" Shotta explained. "You, want to get wid dat... AIDS Jamaican?" Dorian queried, opening his eyes wide. "Why do people have to assume that all Jamaican women have AIDS man?" Shotta had lost track of his volume. This caused Beat down to stand and approach Dorian. "So yuh ah feel meh ah have AIDS eh? Why yuh doh gwone check in ah yuh dutty pants an see wha fee look like it have AIDS eh? Yuh nastiness!" By this time, everyone in the centre had ceased and was looking on at Beat down standing over Dorian who sat on a chair blocking his mouth and raising his eyebrows. "Yuh ah feel, yuh is ah best ting in ah ere, an could get any gyual yuh ah fi want eh? nderst me tell yuh, yuh cyan come near fi meh man back in Kingston. Him ah own ten blocks and you ain even come ah close. Yuh still ah answer to Sure ting. Yuh duttiness! Doh come in ah ere an feel yuh could disrespect meh! Eh!" The police officers had approached and tried to calm the woman down, but she continued talking to the officers while walking back to her seat. "Him ah jealous ah he fren dey ehno. How he fren ah go get sometin special and him in ah go get none. Dais why him ah lime wid only man. Me ah wonder how he feel he is a best ting an no real woman want him. Too disrespectful and dutty!" she quarrelled, while sitting down. "How yuh ah say meh ah have AIDS? Yuh was dey?..." she continued quarrelling while sitting.