Page 10 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

“You think mommy aguh like this?” Mommy asks as she puts a polka-dot blanket in the camera. One thing I know for sure about Mama is that she highly believes in ‘less is more.’

“She’d love the maroon,” I say truthfully.

Mommy leans her head— pondering it. “Yeah, maybe she think it too pretty pretty.” She puts it aside and pick up the burgundy blanket instead and I carefully line my lips with my brown lip liner, just before adding my nude lipstick, followed by my lip gloss.

Mommy is shopping in Walmart. It’s her favorite place to shop, if not Target, when she’s sending us barrels. “I chose both,” I hear her say as I pop my lips. This lip combo ate zownnnnn. All now mi cya see nuh crumbs!

A smile tugs at my lips as I start brushing knots out of my hair.

I have natural loose curls. People typically call it ‘coolie’ hair.

I hate when they do, but I rarely wear it because one, it’s difficult to groom, and two, wigs are just my thing.

Sometimes I do style my hair bone straight if I feel like it though.

Or if mi nuh have the wig funds. Thinking of that, I need to call Clova to make a hair appointment.

I want to try a short hair, so I’m thinking of getting a bob wig.

I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ve never tried bobs.

“You think Bob cut would fit me?” I ask curiously, and notice that she’s speaking to an employee. As soon as her eyes turns to the phone, I ask my question again. “You think a Bob cut would fit me?”

She nods. “Of course, yuh see yuh face shape just like your father, Bob fits your face.” The moment she mentions him my smile fades.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my father, but he definitely doesn’t deserve to be talked about— especially by mommy.

The amount a things him do her and she still strong.

Gavin and Sash appear out of nowhere, and walk in, without knocking as if it’s their room. “Hey Aunty Michelle,” They greet in unison.

“What’s up? Look how long mi nuh hear from you guys,” Mommy beams. They respond merrily. My smile lingers as I navigate between their conversation and combing my hair.

“You look good though Aunty mek mi see yuh good!” Gavin starts. I smile, grabbing my hair to the back. It’s a struggle especially with these elastics. She laughs loudly. I zone out their conversation as I get my hair slick back.

“See the phone yer,” Sash says after a while.

“What a way yuh hair catch neat,” Mommy compliments.

“You know mi try,” I say with the warmest smile. Gavin comes behind me.

“The gyal have use Aunty,” he runs his fingers through my ponytail and we laugh.

“What time you have?” Mommy questions.

“7 o’ clock,” I retort then she says. “Oh, so what time the nine night a start?

“About dem time yer but yuh know how yuh daughta take years fi ready,” he says, pinching my cheeks. I roll my eyes playfully and hear mommy chuckling.

“Mi a leff unuh mek unuh get ready, call mi later baby,” she purses her lips. I do the same— in the perfect kiss gesture, just before we smile sweetly. It’s our thing.

“Dem cute essi,” Gavin coos before telling her to ‘take care.’ Sash waves then the call ends. I spray oil sheen in my hair. “Your real hair really pretty enuh, yuh fi wear it more,” his voice warm. For a moment I feel good about wearing my natural hair, only to hear Sash’s remark.

“No, it make yuh look too much like a teacher,” What does that mean? My eyes find her.

“Wah you mean?” my eyebrows furrow.

“It mek you look too decent yuh just need a glasses with it,” she smiles. Oh?

“Leff the gyal true yuh head dry?” he hisses before he looks back at me. “Yuh know how much people want pretty hair?”

“Gavin every hair texture pretty,” I shake my head. This is the exact reason why I preferred wigs. Less Judgement, and I could easily fit in.

An hour passes before I’m finally dressed.

I decided to do a simple but cute look, a Celine blouse, black leggings and my custom chrome Bridgets.

The straps practically transparent, shiny, like they’re barely there, and cute as they sit between my white pedicured toes.

Yess gyal come out eeeh! I stole some of Mama’s Estee Lauder Beautiful, coating it with my Yara, my Gucci Flora and look at my reflection in the mirror, my ponytail swinging.

Go awfff. I smile at my appearance once more before I grab my Dior saddle bag and walk out.

I find an irritated Gavin sitting in the living room. Ooop.

“Remind me fi nuh carry yuh nowhere again,” he frowns.

I laugh. “Where is Sash?”

“She gone already, the boyfriend mussy wah help in a the bar,” he says in a sarcastic tone.

“Ohh,” I say and follow him out. I can’t tell the last time I actually walked through Homestead. It feels so new to me, maybe because I’m always taking an Uber or an Ontime. “Is it walking distance?” I ask, and he shakes his head no.

“If we walk we nah reach fi now,” he retorts and stops a taxi just in time. We climb in the back and greet the passengers. I breathe out.

My thoughts immediately turn to Jordane’s brother. I bite my nails subtly. He has been plaguing my mind ever since that moment at school. The heartbeat between my legs increase— so does my actual heart. I immediately squeeze my thighs together to quell the feeling.

This is all too strange to me.

I relax in the seat and try to focus on the moving buildings through the window instead, but I keep seeing his lustful stare and hearing his deep, husky voice. Draws a wet up? Lord Jesus help me! Is a likkle piece of leggings me inna! It can’t withstand the puddle that’s gathering there.

Zara, over a man you nuh know? Who’s clearly not your type?

I can’t help it. Not even Malik got me like this during actual sex. Imagine. It’s oddly riveting. It makes me curious about him. Like, I kinda want to know him. *Cough Cough*

The sound of old school music blasting in the distance tells me that we’re almost there. I welcome the new focus. My big brown eyes peer outside at the crowd of people along the way. There are cars parked on both sides of the road causing the driver to move slowly.

“Why so much people nuh have on no mask, like COVID nah bother keep,” a middle-aged woman mutters from the passenger seat.

“Long time dat stop keep lady,” Gavin chimes in before saying. “Right yer so,” to the driver. He pulls over. We get out and Gavin pays our fare. I was about to speak but I refuse to compete with the music. I can barely hear myself.

“See the gyal Sash deh!” Gavin blurts in my ear as we approach the house. Sash is serving soup. She spots us and walks over to us–her forehead twisted in worry. I wonder what’s wrong.

“Unuh wah soup!?” she shouts over the music and we nod. I don’t love it but I’ll take it or whatever. Gavin steps in front of her.

“Mi will do this fi yuh,” he says. He takes the apron and sanitizes his hands. She’s relieved, she doesn’t have to utter a word for me to notice. Her smile is radiant in the poorly lit area.

“Thanks Gavin.” He hands me the soup and I take it carefully.

It’s spicy. I rub my nose with my eyes on him. “Thank you,” I tell him. He shares out soup for himself and another for his sister.

“Gwan go sit somewhere,” he tells us and Sash holds my hand and leads me inside. The house is not a mansion but it’s big. I notice that a part of it is unfinished.

“A yuh boyfriend house or a fi him uncle?” I’m curious. She sips the soup. I wait as she eats her chicken foot.

“You know say, him live yer with him family and them a extend the place,” she explains.

“Ohh,” the dumpling half way in my mouth. “A who cook it?” She shrugs.That’s my cue to throw it to one of their hungry belly dogs. She’s too silent. Not our usual Sash. I guess she’s grieving or something, probably had a good relationship with the man.

“Mi think a mi first time a come yer so enuh,” I mutter.

We’re at Johns Road. Imagine, it’s so close to my home and it’s my first time being here.

Just to show how much of a homebody I am.

I’ve never had a reason to be here anyways.

Plus, it’s a hot spot, and mi nah talk bout wireless signal for internet.

I heard that they even have a Don, but I’m not sure how true it is— neither am I interested to probe about it.

Sash is still awfully quiet. I observe her. She’s glaring at someone. I follow her stare and spot a stout girl with jumbo braids staring back at Sash. She’s dressed in a very short dress with a pair of Bridgets. She couldn’t wash har toe dem? Nosaaah. I feel the tension. “What’s wrong?”

“Mi nuh know enuh, a deh gyal deh mi wah know why she a look pan mi so fah,” Sash rolls her neck.

“No pay her no mind,” I try to calm her and the girl approaches us.

“A wah?” her voice growls over the loud music. Sash springs up in heat.“A wah mek yaw watch me, a wah... you a the gyal Marko deh fool round with!?” She asks and I just stand next to her.

I don’t know what’s going on here, I don’t even know who Marko is. Sounds like her boyfriend though.Yuh mean the two of them boyfriend, my subconscious corrects me.

The girl chuckles. “A me Marko love enuh bitch and yuh keep on a run in so mi come fi beat yuh” she says surprising me. Bitch? And beat who? Cya nice clean Sash. I hate drama but there’s no way this girl is going to disrespect my cousin like this. There’s no way.

“Bitch like you and yuh maddaaa!” Sash points in her face. I hold her wrist, and step forward.

“Beat who? Yuh cyaa’ beat har enuh,” I warn, just in time to see Gavin there.

“Hello miss if yuh love yuh likkle life yuh walk weh from dem! If not you touch a hair pon mi sister or mi cuz’n,” Gavin is so close to the girl that she’s visibly intimidated.

“Come out a mi face,” she says in a mellow tone and Sash starts laughing then she taunts her. “Think yuh did bad!”

“Mek it rest Sash,” Gavin sighs. The girl glares at us before she walks away.

Then Sash suddenly storms off across the road, causing us to follow her.

She walks up to a tall man and starts arguing with him.

He’s dressed in a black hoodie and denim shorts, with a brown pair of desert Clarks.

That must be Marko. He’s definitely a scammer.

He leans on his black Mark X and Gavin rolls his eyes.

“Mi hate the dutty bwoy,” he whispers to me.

“A har man that?” my brows up, judging him. Yuh must stop that! my subconscious scolds me.

“Yes mi dear, scammer she want,” he walks away. I follow close behind.

“Mi want a decent man,” I tell Gavin and he nods. The bad man weh yuh did a admire today decent? Even a get horny for him, I ignore my subconscious.

“Mi a go finish serve the soup you a come?” he questions but my phone starts ringing. I look at him and shake my head.

“I’ll be here, mi affi take this call,” I walk over to a corner. It’s probably Malik.

“You a call me on private number now!?” I was disappointed when I realized it was him, even though I had very much expected it to be.

“You wouldn’t answer if you saw my number,” he says and I roll my eyes.

“Glad yuh know. Wah yuh want?” I ask impatiently, dying to hang up “I want to fix things,” he says and I laugh. He’s hilarious.

“Start with your obnoxious self,” I snap.

“Ouch, I’m working on myself and I’m trying to work on us too,” he tries. Uh-uh. Get somebody else to do it.

“You’ll never change. Don’t call back mi phone, yuh sick mi stomach!

” I hang up. As I stare into the dark with my arms cross, I feel my blood boiling.

It’s crazy actually. Tears prick at my eyes, because something deep down inside me still wanted him.

.. but I knew he isn’t going to change. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

The men I date are always like this; obnoxious and selfish.

“Boyfriend problems?” a voice asks from the dark.

He steps closer and I get to observe his face. He isn’t familiar. “Why you eavesdropping?” I ask angrily.

“I wasn’t,” he shrugs. “Saw you crying... a man always make unuh cry enuh.” I hiss and look away.

“I am Bux,” he says holding his hand out.

“Oh... hi,” I say, uninterested. He chuckles.

“Yuh wah nothing fi drink?” he asks and I shake my head no.

“Fi yuh drug me?” I snap.

“Yuh love fi judge people,” he accuses and I roll my eyes. Him cyaa’ move?

“Why you talking to me?”

“Because mi see seh you need someone to talk to,” he retorts.

“Actually, I have someone to talk to and he’s not very far away,” I glimpse at Gavin.

“Ohh, you no need no company?” he continues. What a man determine.

“Mi good, mi nuh need your company.”

“Ah, since yuh seh you good, mek mi lef you alone,” he hisses. Him lucky if him wah vex.