Deep Connections: Shanakay's Story

Chapter 1

It was a bright sunny day in the parish of Clarendon where 3 young ladies were fast asleep in their beds. The sun had just peaked from behind a mountain and was slowly making his way up in the sky, birds were chirping happily and mothers and fathers got up to make their children breakfast and some mothers would go off to the markets while the men went to hang on the street corner or go off to their farms. These girls were the same but none of them knew of it. A coincidence is what one would call their birth but it was as if God had a plan that no one would ever know of. Their names were Khadeen, Shanakay and Melissa. Khadeen was a slim girl that had short hair which was recently processed. She was almost never sad due to her optimistic personality but often times when things got overwhelming she would break down and cry. She had that kind of good air around her that made you trust her just by looking at her perfect smile. Her current boyfriend, Milton Morgan or Junior as others would call him, was a lucky guy but he didn't seem to act the part. The other girl, Shanakay, was also slim built similar to Khadeen and they both had short hair except Shanakay's was natural and very curly. She had a beautiful smile that complimented her features very well. The third girl, Melissa, had a very strong personality and was often the leader in whatever situation she was in. She had long, straight hair which showed her strong Indian descent or as Jamaicans would call her a coolie girl. She was often loner due to her lifestyle of living with a lady named Miss Malcolm, who often traveled a lot as she managed Melissa's trust fund and her parent's companies. Melissa was an only child whose parents died in a plane crash when she was six years old. Miss Malcolm would take care of her until she turned age twenty one so she could take over the family business.

When these three girls met they were surprised to find out they had the same birthday and were born in the same hospital, May Pen Hospital. It was a weird coincidence because Melissa's mother was not even ready to give birth but as she was passing through May Pen her water broke and she had to be rushed to the hospital. Khadeen's mother had been ready to give birth late in the night at about 1 am and Khadeen's father had to run in some tights to get a taxi to bring her to the hospital. He didn't normally wear tights but he had just come in from a night of cycling and he just jumped into action. Shanakay's mother had taken sick a few days before so she was already in the hospital. The doctors feared that she would loose Shanakay but her mother had hope. They were all delivered at 3 am in the morning on Monday, January 5, 1998. When they grew up and finally met each other they became inseparable which was a shock for Melissa because she had no idea she could like or be close to anyone. She was always the bold one, willing to say what's on her mind at any point and was almost always ready to get in a fight. She had been suspended once from school for fighting one of her classmates and she was willing to do it again no questions asked. Khadeen was the pacifier of the group, the one always keeping them together but had a terrible temper that would rear its ugly head on occasion when she did not have her way. She was quiet around people she didn't know but wasn't afraid to be vocal around those close to her. Shanakay was known as the silent killer which was weird because she looked so innocent. She was even a tree hugger because she always loved nature and littering was a big no no for her. The girls had not much luck in relationships and Melissa gave up the idea of being in a relationship permanently. Khadeen had to continue to let her know that she would find someone that would change that but Melissa remained adamant. She was her own boss and very independent which made people avoid confrontations with her. The teasing of Khadeen in high school did not sit well with her and she often got into trouble for defending her friend but her defiant nature would not let her behave herself. They attended Glenmuir High School and they were very strong in academics but sports not so much.

**************

Khadeen was startled out of her sleep suddenly when she heard her father's rough voice echo through the house. She knew he didn't like the idea of anyone sleeping in past 8 am and by her phone it was 8:15am. She rolled out of bed and spread her red, cotton sheets into it then proceeded to put her teddy bears on it. She looked over the other side of the room where her brother was still asleep and making some bike noises while he slept. She hit his leg trying to wake him up but he snored even louder. She nudged him again but her brother remained undisturbed so she hit him hard which caused him to jolt awake.
"A what happen?" He asked in a dazed voice.
Khadeen rolled her eyes at him,
"You know dad don't like when we stay in bed after 8 so it's time to get up."
Their personality difference was clearly evident and people often asked if they were even related. Khadeen barely spoke patios and her brother barely spoke standard English which often led to arguments between the two to which Khadeen would either walk away or show her brother who was older. This sometimes led to their father intervening leaving both Khadeen and her brother with sore behinds. Those days were behind her now though because her father decided she was too old to be getting beatings.
She walked out of their one bedroom house that her mother had built before she left their dad and straight into the kitchen. She said morning to her father who replied morning and she walked past him to take out the dishes to wash. When she was finished she came back in and politely asked her dad,