Page 25 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

NICKOI

We park at a corner where we can get a good view of everything. Gutta points out a man and I shake my head in disbelief. Issa rum head that enuh. Jah know.

After a few seconds of watching him, I’m sure it’s her father.

The resemblance is striking. He isn’t old — just careless and doesn’t seem like a seasoned drunken person.

But, he’s getting there. He has a cup in his hand and a black kerchief tied around his head.

By the looks of it he’s entertaining a group of people around him.

“A really him box mi woman?” I ask in disgust. The man is a mess. Mi know seh a him daughter but a my woman.

“A him man,” Gutta nods.

Oh, because with what’s about to happen, I need to be sure. (Even though my intentions aren’t to kill him because I wouldn’t want Zara fatherless like myself.)

I look at him once more before I look back at Gutta who’s doing the same. “Wah dem seh him name?”

“Henry,” he answers.

I sit back in the seat for a while in my thoughts. I like to think before I act. Right way. Gutta winds down his window and I take the time to observe the lane, the bar, then back at the wasteman.

Wah likkle youth a pass.

“Yuh fawud,” Gutta calls him and he walks over to the car. He didn’t even hesitate. Real bad man in the making. He reminds me of you when you were growing up as a juvi.

“Y chop?” The likkle man asks.

“Me come fi link Henry who that be?” Gutta asks him and he turns, pointing at the same man.

He’s talking and everyone is laughing. Ghetto Chris Tucker. Muss comedy show this...

I look back at the little juvi as he wraps up the conversation. “Arite me G, nuh say 40,” he knocks his fists with Gutta’s before he walks away. We look at each other.

“Likkle man grimy already enuh,” Gutta laughs. I chuckle for a while then I look back outside.

My phone rings. Talia.

“Talia?” I speak. Why she affi call now mon?

“I called you earlier, Papi, and you didn’t answer,” she complains.

“Mi busy whole day and you wouldn’t believe if mi tell yuh seh even now mi inna the middle of a business, same way,” I lie.

“I hate how busy you are these days, no time for me,” she mumbles. I sigh. I could careless.

“Gonna call you when I’m done... cool?”

“Okay te amo papi,” she hangs up. You nuh love her?

Mi nuh know nutt’n bout love. Mi rate har.

As soon as I slip the phone in my pocket, I pull the door to step out, my phone starts ringing again. A loud hiss escapes me. Gutta gets out of the car and softly shut the door. I mentally groan when I see Lorie flashing on the screen.

“Lorie?” I say annoyed. A plan thing dis?

“Mi just see yuh car you couldn’t make me know you a come this side?” She asks.

“Why me need fi tell yuh every move mi mek?” I ask dryly.

She sighs. “Yuh fi stop gwaan so with me enuh.”

“Lorie mi a deal with sup’m, mi a guh talk to yuh later,” I sigh.

She hisses. “Yuh mother tell me how yuh find new gyal weh yuh have in a yuh house. Wah bout the Latina? Mi feel a she alone did worthy fi stay in deh,” the moment she says that I hang up. Too nuff.

I get out of the car, closing the door before I signal Gutta, walking at a slow pace over to the bar.

“Mi have yard way a California enuh!” Henry brags and the women around him laugh.

“So how yuh still live a yuh Mother-in-law yard?” someone asks and he laughs. Damn idiot.

“Wah wi go do mi Don?” Gutta asks.

“Mi a go talk to him, nah wild him though,” I retort.

“Yuh sure him go wah talk?”

“Him affi talk,” I simply say. Gutta stays at the door and I step in. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me.

Sup’m you used to when yuh go in a the garrison.

“Wah fi you bossy?” The bartender smiles. Mi a buy a water and think how mi go deal with this.

Mi did a think fi just grab him and warn him but that too grimey. Mi wah have a normal conversation with him. After all, nuh mi father-in-law? Henry steps in and he looks at me. What a good timing. I notice that his cup is empty.

“Wah in a yuh cup?” I ask him in a gentle tone. I don’t want to scare him. Not yet.

“Special, but it done,” he slurs. The man already drunk, plus he’s smoking a cigarette. Jah Jah.

I look at the shopkeeper. “Give him more special... on me.”

“Wah yuh name?” I ask just to be sure. He chuckles.

“Everybody know seh a Henry mi name so yuh nuh come from round yer,” he jokes.

I still have a straight face. A few stupid people laugh at his lame joke and I mentally groan. Bag a idiot. The woman hands him a cup and he starts drinking. Him d’even wait. I observe him for a while.

“Well Henry, mi fawud fi talk to yuh bout a likkle incident weh gwaan enuh,” I try to stay calm; even though I want to choke him til’ I see his veins and his breath gets windy.

“Mi nuh know bout no incident,” he laughs, irritating me more. Him a fool?

“Yah go know mon when man warn yuh,” my voice deadly. By now everyone is looking.

“Try put down the phone before me bruck off yuh neck,” I hear Gutta say to a man who was about to video us.

Henry looks at me, he’s probably a little sober now because he has a serious expression on his face. Nuh faze me at all.

“Warn mi bout what?” he asks, leaning his head from side to side. Is that supposed to intimidate me?

“Watch yuh tone, mi come yasso fi talk, mi nuh do deh argue thing deh,” I simply say.

“Bill fi real Henry and listen wah the man a seh,” A slim girl says. She looks a little familiar. Nuh know weh mi see har though. Mount a gyal yuh see in a fi yuh life and yuh a only 24.

“Shut up yuh mouth and gallang home!” Henry snaps at the girl.

“Easy nuh,” the bartender tries to stop him when he moves closer to me. He raises his fist, and tries to hit me and Gutta holds him back.

Neva’ fawud to be physical enuh... but if a that him want, him ago get it.

“Let him go,” I tell Gutta. Make me kill him. Now.

“Don?” Gutta sighs, maybe worried that I’ll hurt him. Yuh cya’ hurt har big man fi real. I shake my head before I look back at him. “Henry mi see seh yuh jumpy but nuh try dat with me cas mi will kill yuh,” I warn, eyes narrow and tone frigid. Him try know.

“Wah yuh come bout?” he asks.

“Just wan’ yuh kno’ seh mi name Nickoi, ask anybody bout me,” my voice grave. “Mi nuh ramp wid people, so don’t mek things worse yer?”

He’s silent then he says. “This yah youth yah,” he shakes his head unfazed.

“You know wah piss me off?” I walk closer to him.

“Mi nuh know,” he frowns.

“Guess nuh mon,” my smile sinister.

He steps back. “Mi seh mi nuh know,” he repeats, sounding frustrated.

“Mi nuh like... when people mess with mi own,” It comes out slowly and deadly. By now him muss know what this bout. Him cya’ so dunce or slow.

He grabs my shirt with a fist. It’s the worst thing he could do. Without thinking I push him away and grab his throat, using my right hand to punch him in his left eye. He winces and stumbles. Gutta steps forward.

“Doh put back yuh hand in a Zara face yuh hear that ol’ bwoy?” I glare at him.

The slim girl gasps. Who she?

“A Zara send yuh?” he asks holding his eye that is already getting dark. Lovely.

“No, but just know say if yuh touch har again mi a guh know. So, watch yuhself and mark mi face too,” I warn, then I walk out of the bar, leaving a loud chatter in the building. I get in the car and Gutta joins me inside with a low chuckle.

“That him fi get,” Gutta says, closing the door. “The ol’ bwoy fraid enuh.”

“Kill mi wah kill him,” I say clenching and unclenching my fist.

“Cya do that mon but mi see seh you did wah nyam him food,” he laughs briefly.

“Never know seh a that mi o’ deal wid, the man would a mek anybody kill him,” I breathe.

Gutta is silent for a while. “Wah yuh go do when Zara find out?” he asks with his eyes on me.

I shrug. “D’even know star, but when me reach deh bridge deh, mi cross it. ”