Ruin

51

Friday: 4: 15 P. M.
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"My turn now fi get some shut-eye," Lucas says, dropping his hand luggage, beside the pile on the floor, and kicking off his shoes.

I do the same, smiling at his statement.

I don't blame him. After driving all the way here from Kingston, I'm pretty tired too. And I wasn't even driving, so I can just imagine how he feels.

"OK," I say, kicking my sandals to the side, and pulling out my phone. "I think I'm gonna have a look around this place."

"Ah. Gonna take a shower first," he tells me, as he starts stripping out of his clothes. "All you nawh sleep tonight, after you slept all the way here, don't?"

I smile. "Why? After mi and bed nuh inna malice."

He laughs and shakes his head, picking up a bathtowel, that's folded on the shelf beside the bathroom door, and wrapping it around his waist; making the chance of me ogling his body shortlived.

To my disappointment.

In an effort to distract myself, I open WhatsApp and click on my mother's chat.

I have to let her know that I've reached safely, else it's nonstop fretting on her part.

For a woman with high blood pressure, nobody worries more than her.

I can't go anywhere without her knowing that I've reached in one peace.

I remember this one time, in high school, when I, with my very presumptuous self, decided to go to a fete, after school, with my friends, without her permission or knowledge, until about 7:30 P. M.

It wasn't until almost 9 o'clock that I reached home because I couldn't get any bus after the party was over. The buses tend to stop carrying schoolers after a certain time in the evenings. To make matters worse, my battery was dead.

When I finally reached home, I found my mother and father waiting for me at the foot of hill, in the dark. My mother had just returned from the police station where she'd gone to file a missing person's report; and it wasn't even 24 hours yet.

I got a piece of cursing that night. My mother rarely beat me for anything, but when it came on to 'cuss-cuss'? She did that 'til mi blue.

And the fact that my friend who also went to the same fete, without an issue, overheard everything...yuh know shame?

Can you imagine?

Big, big sixth former couldn't even go a one after school jam go enjoy herself, without all the dramatics.

I laugh at the memory now, but, from that day, I vowed not to do that shit again.

Ever.

Me: Mummy mi reach.

Her response comes in within seconds.

Mumzel: Alright mi gyal. You OK?

Me: Yes. Just checked in. The place is gorgeous 😋

Mumzel: I can imagine.

I turn the call on video and grin when I see my mother's red face smiling back at me. People always say we look alike, and I can kinda see why now; especially when she smiles.

"Come make mi show yuh the place," I tell her, bouncing with excitement.

"Gwaan nuh!"

...

"It really nice fi true," Mummy admits when I finish giving her a tour of the rooms.

The only one I left out was the bathroom since Lucas was still in there.