Page 45 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

Zara

It only took us two hours to reach to Buff Bay town. As I look through the window at the place I once called my home a smile appears on my face. Nickoi approaches the Buff Bay square and turns on Nelson street. So many childhood memories. It feels like a yesterday enuh.

Everything looks the same, just a little more developed. Apart from the new business places and the houses that were once board and are now concrete mansions, Buff Bay is the same.

“Go straight up now,” Mama instructs, she’s sitting in the back of the car. We pass the Salvation Army church and I remember when my mother and I would go there on Sundays. Long time yuh nuh go a church.

I smile at the new houses, some of them were built recently. I can tell by the way they look. Dem look good mon.

“Up here look so different,” Mama says in the back. She used to live with us here in Buff Bay before we moved to Spanish Town.

Mek mi give unuh a likkle backstory. I was eleven years old going to Buff Bay primary when I had to leave.

I did Gsat and I passed for Titchfield High School but I didn’t get to go there because my father, Henry got in some trouble with some men so we had to leave since he was our bread winner.

We relocated with him and my mother got a transfer for me to St. Hugh’s and I’ve lived in Spanish Town ever since.

“It looks the same to me just a lot better,” I say. Nick looks a little tired.

Look how long him a drive.

“You okay?” I ask and he nods.

“Mi good mon,” he says with a smile and I look away.

“Nickoi yuh go turn right a deh yellow and green house deh with the shop,” Mama directs.

“Arite,” his voice low. I watch as he pulls over behind a train of cars parked on the side.

Watch yerrr, wi man alone a push a Benzzz!

Girl come dungggg! I smile at my old house.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen my grandma, Hanett.

She’s my father’s mother. Majority of my family is from Buff Bay.

My paternal grandfather, Harish, is originally from Caripachima, Trinidad.

He moved to Jamaica in the 90’s. Funny how men in those days took ‘90’s love’ to heart.

Imagine travelling milessssss just fi likkle rub dung?

Bwoyyy mi extra! Seriously though, when I was a little girl dem always tell me stories that my great-great-greattttt grandfather came during the Indian Indentureship in the 1910’s. History class a pan Wednesday still...

I smile and look around. The veranda is crowded with the older family members talking and catching up. On the outside, the younger ones are taking pictures or doing TikTok dances. I spot my grandma walking over to the car. She’s known as Miss Hanett even to her grandchildren

“See Hanett deh,” Mama climbs out of the car. Miss Hanett comes at the window, her eyes on Nickoi.

“Hello dear.”

“Hey wahm,” he looks away from his phone. Dem affi bury deh bwoy yah wid da phone yah!

Hello Miss? Don’t even mention death when it come to my man.

“Nothing much just happy to see my family again,” she laughs. “What’s your name though?”

“Nickoi.”

“Nice. I’m Hanett,” she stretches her hand and he shakes it.

“Ah,” he smiles. That’s it? This man is soooooo antisocial, it’s crazy.

“Nice to meet you... you’re sweet,” she smiles. “Your lashes so long and pretty! My God... dem make yuh eyes stand out,” his dimples sink deeply as he blushes.

“Respect aunty... big up yuhself,” his voice low.

She looks at me and exclaims. “Watch fat face!” I smile sweetly.

“Am I... that fat?” She’s the second person commenting on it. I open the door and hug her.

“Yesss but it’s been so long.” She squeezes me tight, rocking us. “Miss yuh bad bad mi likkle Indian,” her eyes finds my hair and I can already hear her famous line.

“Yuh have pretty hair and ever inna wig, why yuh nuh wear yuh real hair more gyal?” she asks and I laugh.

“Mi nuh know mi just love wig,” I say softly. She chuckles and shake her head then she looks at Mama.

“How yuh look so young Sandra?” she asks, dropping her hand to her waist.

Mama laughs. “Lawd, a God’s rich blessings.” I turn to Nickoi and his eyes are glued to his phone.

“So yuh nah come out?” I lean against the door resting my arm on the window.

“Soon fawud. Go link yuh family mon.”

“Nah leave you,” my eyes sweeping over him. “Let me show you the place I once called home,” I joke and he laughs.

“Ah.” He pulls the door and steps out.

I hold his hand and use my other hand to point at the meat shop in front the house. “Me use to in deh so everyday because the old lady in there was my friend she died a couple years ago.”

“Wah happen to har?” he studies me, making my cheeks grow warm.

“Old age,” I say as I push the gate open. “Me use to live here with my parents and Miss Hanett. That house next door to it was Mama’s house so we all come like we live together,” I explain.

“Eeeh so yuh parents were neighbours?”

I laugh. “Yesss mommy did live with Mama over there so but move when she get pregnant with me, since Miss Hanett house bigger fi hold all a wi,” I look up at him, holding eye contact.

“So unuh did lef Mama by herself?”

“No, she did have her husband, Mr. John. Him come from Spanish Town and was linking Mama.”

He laughs. “So why did you leave here?” I get silent. Mi really hate talking about that chapter of my life.

“Ah yuh nuh affi tell me,” he says, reading my expression. I want to tell him but I just hate the emotions and memories it evokes.

I hold his hand. “It’s kinda touchy, but yuh tell me about your dad so mi a guh tell yuh bout mine,” I sigh.

“Zara!” One of my cousin calls out and I wave.

“Mi soon come,” I say and turn to Nickoi.

“My father been a drunkard and him cuss people almost everyday til one day him get in a some problem with some badman weh seh dem a guh kill him so him did affi lef,” I pause. Nickoi’s eyes are fixed on my short figure.

“Keep going... ”

“Um... yeah... John had a house in Spanish town but him did a stay with Mama so him decide fi mek daddy go there. So everybody just move to Spanish Town except Miss Hanett cause she a nurse down a the clinic, she nah lef har work,” I add.

Nickoi is already tired. “Ah mi see pree.”

I pout. “Mi a talk too much?”

“Nahh mi like listen to yuh voice. Soothing y’know?” his eyes dark, tongue swiping his lip.

“You like my voice?” I cross my legs.

“It turns you on?” he responds. We burst into laughter at the song reference.

Without words, he tilts his head back and I feel his eyes gliding my panties to my feet. I purse my lips, trying to focus.

“But yeah,” I point at Buff Bay primary. “Mi use to go a deh primary deh enuh.”

He smirks. “Oh right deh so... you could just walk.”

“Yeah,” I nod. “And the church wi pass, me, mommy and my grandmothers go there.”

“Oh, church girl,” his mind wandering.

I point at a road. “Deh so is a short cut to one of the best river inna Jamaica”

“Arite tour guide,” his chuckle sweet in my ear.

I look over my shoulder at him. “Yes come on let me show you inside,” I imitate a tour guide’s voice.

Everyone starts looking at us as we approach the veranda. “Hey Zara, a yuh boyfriend dat?” My cousin Gabriella asks and I simply nod.

“Mi know him from Instagram,” she tells me even though he’s in front of her. The other cousins are just there looking. In awe, I guess?

“Him can dress,” they say to me. Why dem nuh just tell him?

Nickoi laughs at them treating him like a celebrity. “Wah unuh seh unuh rate the image?” he asks them.

“Yessssss!” they say in unison eyeing him flirtatiously. I mentally roll my eyes. Mi nuh like how them a look pon mi man enuh.

“Come and meet my aunts Nickoi,” I pull his hand and he walks with me. My aunts smile at me. Miss Hanett has a lot of children. I don’t even know some of them.

“Michelle pretty daughter this and her boyfriend?” Aunt Lucy says to us. She talks a lot. Cya forget that about her.

“Yuh fat likeeee... look how yuh use to mawga,” she chuckles. This fat line again. Jesus, mi affi go on a diet then.

“She always nice tho,” Aunt Toya defends. They’re my father’s sisters.

Speaking of the devil, I hear his voice around the domino table. “Unuh think mi ramp!?” He laughs. He’s playing domino with my uncles and my cousin Dino. Anybody would a think a argue him a argue.

“A Dino that?” Nickoi asks and I look at him in astonishment. He’s staring at me in shock too.

“You know Dino?” I finally speak.

“Then nuh muss,” he says. “Know him from KC when mi use to run and them thing deh.”

I-

“What?” I gasp.

Imagine me end up in a relationship with a KC man. When I was attending St. Hugh’s I avoided them like deadly diseases. Now look where life brought me.

Right inna one a dem life yuh drop and buss yuh face mi gyal.

“Yes Zara,” he chuckles. What a bwoy full a surprises. Nosahhh.

I look at Dino for a while. “Gwan go talk to him nuh,” I say.

“Dino,” I call and his eyes connects with mine. He gets up immediately with the goofiest smile on his face. As usual.

“Never know you would a come enuh,” he walks up to me.

“Well mi guess mi surprise you,” I shrug.

He spots Nickoi. “Prezi!” and they both dap up each other. “You and mi likkle cousin dehhh?!”

“Yah a me lock har dung,” he says with the cockiest grin. Ugh. Nickoi. I blush and walk inside. I spot Gavin and Sash in the middle of a convo with our cousin Eva. We didn’t get along growing up. She always grudge you. For what? Man, looks?

She looks at me. “Wah’m?” Instantly I feel the tension after so many years.

I smile, it works every time. “Nothing, good to see you,” I land my gaze on Sash peeping outside. Muss a man out deh.

I look at Gavin. “Yuh alright?” he inquires and I nod.

“Weh yuh girlfriend?” I ask and get a weird look in return.

“How yuh know?” he narrows his eyes.

“Yuh post,” I say.

“Oh she deh a work... yuh eat yet?”

“She nuh muss get sup’m fi eat if she hungry?” Eva says with an attitude.

“A mi best friend this enuh mi affi care fi har,” Gavin tells her.

“Mi nuh eat yet,” I say.