I'm Jamaica

Nine: Jada

I was in Divan's room Wednesday evening when I heard the door bell.

Divan stopped reading and listened to hear the bell again. As soon as it rang the second time, he burst out of the room shouting "Jada!".

I followed him and I watched from the stairs as he opened the door. It was the mailman. I watched Divan's shoulder fall in disappointment.

"Hello boy, here you go." He handed him a brown envelope and with that the mail man was gone.

Divan closed the door holding the brown envelope the mail man handed him.
"Since when did mail men ring doorbells?" He mumbled dropping the envelope on the table.

"Sorry." I moved over to the table to pick the mail.
"It's from the social services." I read the address on the envelope, "It must be about Jada." I said talking to Divan but when I looked away from the mail, I saw him at the fridge picking chocolate bars.
"Whatever." He sighed removing the wrapper of a bar.

"I'll give mum and dad the mail." I ran up the stairs.
Their room wasn't far away so I halted at their door and knocked.

I heard dad say, "come in"
"What?" Mum asked.
I handed her the envelope.
"What's that!" Dad asked.
In my head, I told myself that that was a very silly questions.

Mum tore the envelope open and read the contents out loud. There were a lot of boring words but I got the fact that Jada would be here soon and that they had to sign the document.

"Oh. Why don't you do the signing, while I get to the store?" Dad asked, standing up.
Mum nodded and told me to pass her a pen.
"What are you getting at the store?" I asked.
"Baby stuff, it's been a while since a baby came here."
"Cool, then I'm coming."

We had baby proofed the house on Tuesday but we hadn't gotten enough diapers and toys. I headed outside following dad. I opened the garage and there it was, my dad's newest car.

"The key." I asked stretching out my hand.
He dangled the keys as he said, "No way, not my new car. We'll take your mum's."
"Seriously?" I moaned moving over to mum's car.

Dad pulled out another key from his bermuda shorts. He threw it to me and I caught it. Then I sat in the driver's seat while dad took the passenger seat.
Dad had started teaching me how to drive the week I clocked fourteen so I was able to drive in neighborhoods and streets but not on highways.
Luckily the mart was half a mile away. I could handle that. I put the gear in reverse and out of the garage we went, I put the gear back in drive and I had my leg on the accelerator.

"Slowly." Dad warned.
"I'm not speeding." I said not moving my leg from the accelerator.
"Slowly." He repeated like he hadn't heard me.
I put a leg on the brake almost hitting a car.
"I said slowly." Dad repeated.

I wanted to hit my head on the steering. Then we approached a bend. I hadn't nailed that part yet so I began to ease my pressure on the accelerator and slowly moved the steering to the left, a few seconds later I did it.

"Yay!" I squealed.
"Good job." Dad rubbed my shoulder. I began to see the mart ahead. It took me a half a minute to park properly but dad helped too. I got out of the car and kept the keys in my pocket.

A doorman opened the door for us and we were in. Dad and I joked along the way, well dad did most of the joking and I laughed trying to comport myself in mart.

"Here's the baby aisle." I pointed to the aisle as my dad and I were trying to find our way around.

"Okay." Dad moved into the aisle.
"What haven't we gotten yet?" Dad asked looking at creams.
"Diapers." I grabbed a box of diapers.
"Does she still wear those?" Dad asked.
"I think so but let's get it anyway."
I dropped it in my trolley.