Ruin

65

Thursday: 7: P. M.
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"A how the TV so blurry, Manda?" Deidre asks, pointing the remote in her hand to it and opening the Netflix app.

We're all gathered in my bedroom for our usual girls' night, which is more like Sanai and Deidre keeping me company almost every night since I moved in two weeks ago.

I look at what she's talking about. "Oh. A mussi the consecrated olive oil weh Mummy rub on it weh day when them come pray out the house."

She giggles and shakes her head, not removing her attention from the TV which is mounted on the wall above the dresser. "Aunty Queenie nuh easy eno."

I smile, but I don't mind it at all.

It has been a family practice for us to get any new place, whether built or rented, blessed with prayer before moving in. It has been like that ever since I've known myself, so I'm used to it by now.

"Yes she and Sis. Pat--" I start to say...

Before the sound of Sanai's voice cuts me off. "Where were you, Bruno?"

I'd forgotten that she's been on the phone with her man holding for him for forever.

"No, don't tell me shit! I've been calling you from after three this afternoon. 'Til now is when?" She looks at the phone in her hand. "Seven O'clock! So where were you and why was your phone off?"

Like this month is Man Problems month.

No man!

Her statement catches my attention and I peer up at her from where I've been laying my head on her lap.

She puts the phone on speaker in time for us to hear him say, "Bill nuh, Slim!"

Typical.

"Don't tell me to fucking bill, Bruno!" Sanai spits. "I know where you were. I've been on the video call, that you turned your camera off for, so I heard everything!"

"A work mi did deh, Slim! A wamp'n to yuh, man? Yuh nuh easy eno."

Sania hisses her teeth. "Work? Really? So yuh phone nuh pick up over KPH? And why is your camera still off? Hmm? As I said: I heard everything! I know you have a bitch in your car! I heard everything!"

Bruno hisses his teeth equally as sassy as Sanai had. "Slim, mi soon call yuh back, because yawh get man head hot now."

"No!" Sanai screams into the mic. "Mi nawh hang up tha call yah so til yuh reach home! Mi nawh hang up tha call yah so til yuh reach a yuh fucking yard!"

We hear rattling on the other end of the line before Bruno's voice saying, "Slim!"

The horns blaring in the background suggests he's still driving.

"Don't 'Slim' 'Slim' me, Bruno! You are a fucking liar and a cheating, dirty, stinking whore!"

Jesus!

"Cho bomboclaat, Slim, man!" Bruno hisses.

But Sania rolls her eyes. "No, it's OK. It's fine. You know what? It's over! I'm done. We're through, Branardo Chambers!"

The sound of Bruno hissing his teeth, again, comes so clearly you'd think he's in the room with us. "Over? Over wah? Aye! Calm dung yuh fucking self!"

"Or what?"

"Slim."

The way he says so brings back memories.

"No, don't 'Slim' me. Gwaan play with your hoes. Just look how yuh replacement ago deh yah inna the next couple minutes."

Jesus peez!