Saints

22

"Shantel, mi know we nuh get along, but I'm going to be your step-"

"Stop it right deh suh!" Mi hold up mi two hand dem inna di air fi stop har.

"Shantel-"

"No. No. A Sunday. Mi wah mi mind clean an mi heart pure."

"Wid weh yuh gwaan wid a Church.. " she murmur under har breath.

"At least mi nuh deh wid di pastor.." Mi seh back, loud enough fi mek sure seh she hear loud an clear.

"Yuh come close doe." She seh back, "Weh yuh think Chad ago tun couple years from now?? Right inna him daddy footsteps him ago follow."

"Mi nah trust your judgment.. cause mi sure yuh two dry foot dem haffi question yuh judgment every time yuh lef yuh yard an come yah."

Fi some reason, daddy neva hear di rest a di conversation, but him hear di last part an step in come tell me bout how me supposed to be more respectful to mi future madda before him fling some lick under mi skin.

Mi shut mi mouth same time cause, big as mi is, mi still fraid a lick.

Mi decide fi wear flat shoes todeh cause a bare rain a fall an mi a nuh idiot enough fi guh wear cute heels inna dutty wata.

Mi fling on lotion pon mi foot an offer some to Patrice. Mi might love fi cuss har off but mi nuh mean.

When we reach a Church dat day, Moesha run up to mi.

Is like she come Church early just fi chat. She push through couple people like a big news she have.

"Excuse mi. Mi can talk to Shantel? Shan Shan, mi need fi tell yuh sumn."

"Wahp'n?"

"Yuh hear bout Beenie? Him gone a foreign."

"Wah?"

Mi foot did start scratch mi but mi figet bout it as soon as she seh so.

"Yeah. Him mada buy him plane ticket."

Mi did feel vex. Why mi a di last smaddy fi find out bout dis??

As mi about fi say sumn, pastor step up to di podium up a front an seh, "We're doing things a bit differently today. We'll divide the Church into adults, young adults, teenagers and children. You will all be in different sections of the Church."

Him introduce di teacha fi each set a people, n mek everybody know seh him will lead di adult class. Since di Church did have a couple sections, mi neva think nobody woulda notice weh mi gone, so mi guh roun a back guh use the bathroom.

As mi wash mi han an come out, mi see Chad a sit dung a stare off inna space.

"Yuh did know seh Beenie did a guh foreign?"

"He's getting a catheter put in so he can get treatment." Chad seh.

Him face did straight doe. No lickle antics or nutten. "Sumn else wrong.. "

"My mother died like two weeks ago and my friend is sick. Do you expect me to smile?"

"Him nuh sick. Him have-"

"His kidneys aren't working Shantel." Him seh, a roll him eyes like him a expect mi fi know.

"But him young.."

Him tun roun inna di chair properly an seh, "Shantel, being young doesn't mean you're invincible. It could happen to any of us.. though knowing you, the only thing that will happen to you will be teen pregnancy."

"Excuse me?!"

"Come on Shantel. You never really had a problem with messing around with me, then right after that you went straight to Beenie. 'Hard to get' is not a phrase you know."

"Yah talk? When yuh try fi deh wid di whole Church??"

Chad lean down pon di lickle table beside him an continue fi look straight pon mi.

"I was being stupid, trying to make you want me. Thought I could get you to chase me instead of the other way around."

"Why?"

"Does it matter? Its in the past."

"Yah gwaan like a last year. Tell me why?"

"I'll tell you when I feel comfortable enough to." Him seh, then him clear him throat.

"Don't you want to go back inside before your father gets upset again?"

"Come wid me."

"Shantel, talking in that voice won't affect me anymore."

"What voice?" Mi ask.

"That voice you use on me sometimes. You don't do that on purpose?" Him ask, looking confused himself.

"No?" Mi say, a try wonder how mi even sound.

"Hmm.. " Him seh an get up off a di chair. "I wonder if you use it on Beenie.."

Mi neva know wah fi say, but him tek mi han an seh, "Let's go inside."

"Wait. I need to ask yuh sumn." Mi say, an pull pon him lickle.

Him stop an look pon mi.

"Yah plan fi tun a pastor like yuh fada?"

Him pink lips part fi expose him white teeth as him start laugh so hard dat him eyes close.

"Me?? Who would listen to me anyways?"

"So wah yah plan fi do?"

"I'm going to be a computer engineer,  Shantel." Him say, sounding sure a himself.

The longer him stan up close to mi, did more mi smell him cologne an realize how much mi did start get used to it dat mi barely notice seh him wear anything.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Do you know what you want to do?"

Mi shake mi head an him lean forward an kiss me pon mi forehead. It did feel soft and sweet, an mi feel mi heart pick up pace.

"You'll figure it out soon." Him seh, an pull weh an say, "We should go in-"

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-Asherene