Page 61 of Not My Type (Not My Type #1)

“Same way she disrespect me enuh,” he says, drinking his soup.

“Yuh nuh act like a father,” mommy snaps. He hisses, his focus on his plate.

The delivery man comes and I take out my money before I meet him. “Hey goodnight,” he smiles as he gives me my orders. I pay him and he leaves.

As soon as I reach back inside, I hear my mother and my father arguing a little more. I ignore it and push the door open. “Nickoi?” I call and he looks at me. “Mi buy this for you.”

He gets up and takes it from me. “Thanks,” he says. He sits on the seat and I look at him for a while.

“What you want to drink?” I ask.

“Water,” he tells me and I walk out. I gasp when I spot my father in my mother’s face and of course she isn’t backing down from him. What the hell? And Nickoi deh yah, what an embarrassment. I didn’t expect them to be taking this argument so far. Mi not even know weh dem a argue bout.

“Drankro if mi have a man that nuh suppose to affect yuh!” My mother argues. Lawd God.

This whole thing is bringing back bad memories that I thought we left behind. “A mi make you have wah yuh have!” He shoves her chest, Mommy shoves him back. Mama steps closer. Lawd Jesus! And say what now? keke’s voice

“Henry you need to stop,” Mama holds him.

“Wah yuh do fi mi Henry? But put mi through hell. You make me and that likkle girl go through some things weh wi should a never go through. Member when wi nuh have nothing fi eat and you gone a bar gone drink rum and drunk yourself and when yuh come yer wah yuh do? Yuh cuss wi out. A me tek my money weh mi make up a the store and go a foreign pon the program and make a life. Mi married to Kace and mi go through hell up deh too and you dutty drankro a come disrespect me and expect me fi give you mi money and buy things fi you with mi hard working money? A wonder if yuh realize say next Friday she a 22 and almost out of college? Dutty Drankro a me and mommy do that!” My mother cries.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen her cry. He starts shouting. “You too ungrateful!”

“Ungrateful bout what? See Zara deh ask har!” Mommy yells as she looks at me.

“Zara only go pick up fi you!” he retorts.

“Stop the shouting nuh,” Sash says to him.

“That mi a seh, wah him a cuss Michelle fi har money fa?” Mama asks. Mommy walks off and he grabs her and she pushes him. Mi nuh wah nothing get physical enuh.

“Mi a call Nickoi,” Sash says to me and I shake my head no. Mi nuh wah Nickoi get in a this. And go get in a trouble or even get hurt.

“Henry leggo Michelle!” Mama yells.

“All mi do is beg yuh a money and you a diss me. Yuh think ya go diss me?!” He pushes my mom again and she pushes him back and they start fighting. Embarrassing.

My body starts getting heated as tears flow down my cheeks. Everything a happen so fast. Mama and Sash are arguing while my parents are having world war three and I can’t do anything but cry. Mi feel numb and mi cya move.

Flashback “Stop chat up with deh man deh!” Daddy yells and I get up, walking towards their room.

“Henry a mi boss how mi fi stop talk to him?” Mommy’s voice soft.

“Mi nuh like how him a look pon yuh!”

“Henry you cya stop the man from look all you need fi know is that I love you and Zara and I’m gonna stay loyal to my family,” my mother sobs.

“Gwan chat... mi say fi stop deal with him. Matter of fact delete him number!”

“Mi cya do that, a lose mi a go lose mi job!” her voice is shaking.

I push the door and find my mother staring up at my father with fearful eyes while my father towers over her short figure. “Weh mi say mi nuh care if yuh wah lose yuh job!” his voice roaring through the house.

“Henry,” mommy begs.

“Why you nuh just let it g–” he cuts her off when he hits her in her head.

She instinctively blocks his blows with her hand on her head. I cry as I watch them. “Stop daddy!” I cry and he looks at me.

“Gwan a yuh room, NOW!” he shouts and I scurry to my room with tears flowing down my cheeks unendingly.

Present This time I’m not gonna run from this. I try to pull my father away from my mother and he turns on me. The first fist he gives me cause me to stumble. He fists me again and again.

“No mon!” Sash shouts and runs to my room calling Nickoi.

And just as I expected he comes out and holds my mother. She wraps her arms around him as she sobs. It breaks my heart.

“So all har mother yuh come fi take over too!?” He starts.

Oh shut up Henry. “Yuh need fi bill!” Nickoi’s voice echoes as he comforts mommy.

“Yuh good?” he inquires with his eyes on her.

“Yes a just Zara him fist,” mommy tells him.

Sash comes out with a cloth wiping my mouth and Nickoi’s emotionless eyes find me, jaw clenched and the image of that night in Perry’s car revisits me. My gaze drops to his hands and they’re formed in a fist. Ah bwoy.

“Wah mi did tell yuh say if yuh put back yuh hand pon har?” he asks Henry.

Henry steps back. “A woman yuh have strength fa punk?!” Nickoi’s voice frigid.

He walks up to Henry and punch him so hard he falls to the ground.

He doesn’t wait for him to get up he starts giving him uppercuts until Henry manages to get out of his grip; then the fight starts.

To my surprise daddy is struggling miserably.

For someone who is always winning fights in the streets.

“Stop!” I scream. I don’t like this. Anything can happen in a fight especially a fight in a kitchen.

Nickoi is throwing punches violently as daddy gets one and two hits off him.

I gasp when Nickoi slams him in the fridge and starts choking the life out of him.

Out of nowhere my father falls and kicks Nickoi while he’s on the ground.

Nickoi grabs his collar and pull him back up and punch him mercilessly in his face and he stumbles again.

Nickoi gives him another fist. And another.

. And another then he staggers to the counter.

Sash snaps her fingers. “A that him fi get bout him a fight Aunty fi har money.”

“Mi a call the police cause mi nuh want him in yer no more!” Mama says as she walks outside with her arms around my mother.

Henry tries to hit Nickoi again but the sudden punch to his mouth sends him to the ground then blood starts oozing from the fresh wound on his lips. I hold Nickoi while crying. “Stop please... just stop,” I beg. He turns to me and his face softens.

“Mi a leave right now and mi nah lef yuh, so take up some things,” he tells me and I nod.

“Bwoy yah think him a come in here come run the place and bad mi up in a mi own house!” Henry says, grabbing Mama’s machete. God make him stop nuh.

“Yuh cya bill yuhself!” Sash asks him.

“Betta if yuh gwaan around!” he shouts.

“Mi nah go around enuh!” Sash argues.

“Henry stop,” I say to him.

“Yow. Put dung enuh, cause if yuh make dat touch me, as much as much as mi respect mi ooman and her old lady dem a yasso mi woulda’ blood yuh up, so just easy yuhself, and wul a meds, yer mi a tell yuh?” Nickoi warns.

I look at Nickoi. “Please..” this need fi stop. He sighs.

“Him think him a take weh mi Pitney!?” Henry’s voice blaring. Who him a talk? Kiss mi tooth.

I quickly get my stuff and walk out. Nickoi looks at mommy. “You and Ms. Sandra nah stay here with this wasteman either.”

“Sash go home,” Nickoi demands.

“Mi fraid fi walk go around by miself,” Sash whines, looking up at him dreamily.

“Alright just stay in the car,” he tells her.

“Bout yuh wah come take over mi family!” Henry continues.

“Everything is yuh problem. Clothes in a the barrel, mi money, Zara and even when Nickoi talk to us,” Mommy says from outside. I sigh.

After a while we got in the car. Nickoi drops off Sash at her house before we head to his house in Kingston .