Page 28 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

After our little moment I got myself ready to leave before it got too late.

The curfew had already passed, but it doesn’t seem to bother Nickoi.

I figure that since he’s so ‘powerful’, maybe he has the privilege to be on the road, even after curfew hours.

I finally take up my phone and walk over to the car.

I’ll just wait in the car until he’s ready.

I pull the car door and hop in, waiting patiently for Nickoi. Mama comes to my mind.

I wonder if she’s okay. If she’s still arguing with my dad? Is she worrying about me? I know the latter is definitely true.

She muss call you a hundred time and probably a print missing poster, my subconscious jokes. Lawd God.

That thought really sounds like something she would do. I want to call her, but I refuse to power on my phone. She’ll just have to wait until I get home. I’m trying to avoid arguments at all costs, and that’s exactly why I’m ignoring my mother’s calls.

Nickoi finally gets in the car, and I put my seatbelt on. “What kind of plans you have tomorrow?” he asks after a while of driving.

“When I leave school I’m going to the bank,”I tell him. Mi nuh have nuh other plans.

“Okay,” he says, focusing on the road.

“What about you, what you doing tomorrow?” I ask, looking over at him.

“Work,” he retorts.

What he means is that he’ll be chopping all day.

“Oh okay,” I say, looking through the window.

He turns onto my lane, and parks in front of my neighbour’s gate instead of mine. Smart.

He leans back in his seat. “Be good,” he smirks, looking over at me.

“I should be the one telling you that,” I joke, getting out of the car. “I’ll try.”

He chuckles, and I narrow my eyes at him. He laughs harder causing me to smile. “Mi a call yuh when mi get back home,” he tells me.

“Bye... be safe,” my voice comes out soft and he smiles before he drives off.

I walk towards my house, mentally preparing myself for any encounter that I’m about to have with my family. I open the gate slowly and gasp when I hear Gavin’s voice. Ahh bwoy.

I slowly walk into the living room, and spot him sitting in the sofa next to Mama. Dem did a chat yuh, my subconscious starts. Maybe Which maybe? Mi can see the guilt pon dem face.

I hear another familiar voice. It’s Aunty Marcia; Gavin’s mom. I set my purse down after taking account of everyone present for the round table talk.

“Goodnight,” I greet, and everyone answers except Gavin.

Him inna malice with yuh.

“A almost 12 o’ clock and yuh just a reach in? You not even call me fi tell me weh yuh deh,” Mama complains.

I sigh. I should’ve called, but I had to power off my phone because my mom wouldn’t stop calling me, and breaking through my DND. I’m not ready to talk to her yet. It’s going to be too much. I have to be ready.

“I told you I’d be at the nail tech,” I say and Mama hums.

“Nobody nah spend over ten hours a nail tech; that me know,” Gavin chimes in matter-of-factly.

I roll my eyes at him, looking back at Mama.

“Which paat a worl yuh did deh Zara?” she isn’t pleased.

Didn’t I just say I was at the nail tech? “Out with a friend,” I sigh.

Gavin turns to the TV, pretending to be glued to the screen. I guess he’s ‘minding his business’. Aunty Marcia walks out of the kitchen with a cup in hand.

“You should a call though,” she says and I nod. The way how everyone is acting I can tell I was the topic of discussion.

Mi say! Topic of the round table talk.

“Yeah,” I say walking to my room. I close the door behind me and finally power the phone on. 43 missed calls. Mommy really call this much?

I shake my head, placing the phone on my dresser. It starts ringing almost immediately, and I gasp when I realize it’s my mom. Just answer.

I press the green button before I put the phone to my ear. “Zara.. ” she speaks slowly.

“Yes mommy?” I answer, sitting on my bed. Calm down Zara.

“ Nuh tell me seh yuh been a ignore mi calls,” she says more like a question. I don’t respond.

“Why you a stress out your grandmother?” she questions and I feel guilty.

Sigh. “I really didn’t want to cause any stress on Mama,” I say in a remorseful tone.

“Everybody a say that the guy you’re talking to is a badman and mi know that’s not your type. So if the bwoy a force yuh mek mi know enuh!” She’s upset.

Who gave her that idea? Must Gavin. Him same one, him alone know Nickoi.

“Mommy he’s not forcing me,” I say and it’s her turn to be quiet. I just fidget with my fingers until I hear her again.

“What happened?” she questions.

“Mommy I know that you’re disappointed in me.” I start.

“No baby I’m not disappointed. It’s just that everything weh mi a hear is so surprising,” she admits.

“Okay,” I gulp.

“Mi know yuh expect mi fi lash out and trust me I was going to... But after calling you so long and not even ring the phone nah ring, mi start fret and a seh a really run we run weh mi pitney just because of boyfriend,” she explains. I smile.

“Mi really just wah know what get yuh fi like this bad bwoy so! It a puzzle mi mind and mi a ask Kace weh him think and him a seh it must be something, so tell me.” I smile at that.

She’s actually hearing me out. Can you imagine? Yes, God love yuh.

“He has this dark side that intrigues me mommy... It’s like in his eyes there’s no emotion. Then there are times—well sometimes around me, his eyes seem so different, like he’s alive. His dad died when he was young and it scarred him,” I relate.

“He’s just a nice guy and that’s why I fall for him,” I add, pouring my all out to my mother. Give me a piece of tissue.

I want to laugh at my thought but I ignore it. My mom’s line is silent. “Mommy yuh listening?” I ask into the phone. She makes a choked sound, making me worried.

“You okay?” I inquire.

“Yes Zara mi just get emotional,” Is she crying?

“You crying mommy?” I ask with a smile.

“No,” she laughs. She’s lying.

“Zara I totally understand that and I see why you fell for him too. I just want you to know that men like this use sex to distract themselves from their life and if he has money whole heap a woman a guh run him down, so be careful with stuff like that,” she tells me.

I nod, remembering the earring that I found in the car. Zara tek yuh mind off a that.

“Yes mommy and, thanks for understanding,” I smile even though she can’t see me.

“Yes baby, and a true it late mi nuh ask yuh fi add him pon the call enuh,” I widen my eyes at that. Lawd God. I laugh awkwardly.

“Yuh think a joke? Me wah see the man weh have mi daughter heart,” she jokes. Awww.

“Them muss a wonder if mi lost,” my mom chuckles.

“Weh yuh mean mommy?” I ask with a laugh.

“The boss muss send people fi look fi me, cas mi tell them seh mi a tek a bathroom break so mi could a call yuh, but mi in yah long enough! Mi affi go back a the people dem work,” she tells me and I laugh.

“Cya wait fi yuh come down and stop work,” I sigh.

“Me too, cya wait fi see yuh. Anyways, member fi collect the money tomorrow, you hear?” She reminds me.

I nod affirmatively out of habit. “Alright mommy, I love you,” I’m sure she can hear the smile in my voice.

“Love you more mi baby,” she says before she hangs up.

I smile to myself. I feel so relieved, and I know Nickoi will love to hear this. My phone rings just as I pick up the remote. It’s Sash. I answer the call.

“Hey.”

“No mon a thief them did thief the dolly?” she asks dramatically. I laugh.

“Nosah,” I smile, scrolling through Netflix.

“Mi seh gyal, how yuh treat me so bad?” she asks and I shake my head.

Wah she a talk bout?

“How mi treat yuh bad Sash?” I ask, still scrolling.

“Mi dung a bar and see your father drunk as usual, and see two hot bwoy step in,” she starts. She love man, a which man she see now and she already have Marko?

“Mi notice say them look familiar, so me step in a the shop and him start warn Henry. Then your father now gone try fight him. Mi say the youth fist him right in a him eye!” I sit up, wondering what kind of problem my father got himself into. Jesus that man.

“A people we know?” I ask worried.

“Hear yah? Gyal a you a the reason him fist Henry! Cause him box yuh. But look how mi tell yuh say the bwoy love yuh off and now unuh deh? Mi seh girllll mi nearly faint,” Sash says and I gasp with my mouth wide open as I process everything.

How Nickoi find out that? Why him hit mi father? Woiie! My subconscious takes nothing seriously.

“Okay, mi a call yuh back,” I hang up and dial Nickoi.

After five failed calls, I start getting angrier. I take a deep breath and call him again. “You have reached the voic— ”

I hang up and call again. Voicemail .