Two Days Later

- N A O M I -

It's been two days since I've been anywhere and done anything. Two days sleeping to recover from that night. Two days since I've seen my daughter or anyone else other than Kam.

Aside from the times he would bring me food or when I would shower, the bed has been my safe space.

When yuh see liquor yuh fi cut yuh eye dem, cause yooouu neva make fi it.

Agree, I'll stick to my wine and weed.

The thought of taking another day to rest up plaque my mind. But on the other hand, I'm determine to get out the house for fresh air and to see my baby.

Kam couldn't care less, if I stay in or go out. According to him 'anything I want to do he's with it'.

Since I've been so adamant about getting out the house, where on our way to visit his mom and then my parents afterwards.

"What's the purpose of telling me to put my seatbelt on if you're not going to do the same?"

Quickly looking at me and then back at the road, he pulls the seatbelt behind him and latch it.

"That defeats the purpose of it Kam" I roll my eyes. Placing the doughnut up to my mouth, I take a bite into it.

Using my tongue to clean my mouth, I shake my head and release a low moan of satisfaction as I savor the flavor of the jelly that fills the middle.

Call me old fashioned but I'll choose prestige donuts over the newly introduced Krispy Kreme any day. Thats nothing but high blood sugar and early case of diabetes.

Seeing him take glances between the road and me in my peripheral vision, I wipe my hands with the wet wipes and look at him.

"What?"

"Nuh make dem noise deh in yah, before me affi pull over and give yuh sumn fi moan fah" switching his hand that hold the steering wheel, his other goes to his pants to adjusting his crotch.

"Bet!" I challenge him.

Love f-ck f-ck like dawg.

Feeling the car swerve over to the side of the road coming at a complete stop, I pop my eyes and mouth equally open.

Den him serious?

You blind?

"Babe I was joking enuh" I say.

"That with you now" he hissed his teeth, legs now shaking.

Slowly turning his head to look at me, he stares for a little while.

With my cheek now reddened by his continuous gaze, I turn my head to look ahead. Pointing at the road I say "start drive nuh".

Shifting the gear to drive, he moves off and back on the road to continue the journey. Seeing his jaw twitching, I can tell he's irritated.

Suh him really think me woulda wah give it up on the side of the road?

"You really thought I'd be okay with f-cking on the side of the road?" I ask.

Ignoring me he continues to look ahead. Retrieving his phone from the console he skips through the music.

"If yuh play nun in here and ignore me question me f-ck yuh up" the audacity he has.

With no response he starts playing Lightning - Mortimer lowly.

"..."

Nah bother f-ck him up?

I mean, his song selection was not expected. As if he sensed the tension and manipulated it to a more calmer atmosphere.

Placing his phone back in the console, both his hands now on the steering. Adjusting himself slightly in the seat, his once tense body now relaxed.

Hearing him lowly sing along to the lyrics, smoothly moving the vehicle on the asphalt a tingly feeling runs up my spine.

Ever hear a bad man sing love song?

Instant waterfall.

Nuh likkle self control?

Now thinking about it, is f-cking on the road such a bad thing?

Oh no, not at all. It's a decent decorum.

Inwardly rolling my eyes I move my hand over to the middle console and rest it on his crotch.

Gripping his length I lean over and kiss his neck. Trailing my tongue up to his earlobe I whisper "stop anywhere you like, I'm all yours".

Gently grabbing my hands, he ease me up off him. Sitting back in my seat I fold my hands and look at the road ahead, a pout now on my face.

Refuse me now and bet when him want some later mi spite him and nuh give him none.

"Almost there, relax" he says.

Hissing my teeth loudly purposefully, I roll my eyes and turn my head sideways to look through the windows at the passing vehicle on the other side.

"What you think bout the house?" He questions.

"It's nice" my response dry.

"Thats all?"

"Yep".

Ignoring him for the rest of the ride, Low playing music was the only noise in the car.

Pulling up to a high gated house, they open automatically when he comes at a halt.

When open, we enter into the driveway a middle age woman walks from out the house when she spot the car driving in.

With a smile as bright as ever, she grabs the tail of her skirt and saunter her way to the car as he parks.

Stepping out first, he walks around to my door and opens it. Taking my hands he helps me out the vehicle, closing the door behind me.

"Is this her Saiah" she questions him.

Like his family knows about you before you know about them.

Mi seh, first Issa and now her.

With a simple head nod, she doesn't hesitate to pull me into a hug. One that's heart whelming. Rocking me from side to side in her embrace, she pulls away and give me a once-over.

"Nuh know wah yuh do me boy, but me ago love and cherish you like piece a gold" she beams.

Issa second this?

Be quite.

Leading me up to the door and in the house, we walk into the kitchen. Stopping at island that separates the kitchen and living hall she stretches up to the cupboard.

So short, by the looks of it Issa and Isaiah would most likely resemble their dad rather than him his mom.

"Weh me manners. I'm Kassy, Saiahs mommy?" She introduces herself, placing two glass cup on the island she open her fridge door.

With redden cheeks I respond "Names Naomi".

"Pretty name for beautiful woman" looking back at me she ask "want anything to drink?"

Taking out a jug of juice I ask her what she has.

"Well this is cucumber and ginger weh me make two days ago but me have cran water as an alternative if yuh nuh like the healthy option."

"I'll take a glass of the healthier option any day" I say to her, smiling up from the glass she's pouring to look at me she focuses back at the task at hand.

"Even without a cleaner you manage fi keep in here clean and tidy though moms" isaiah walks in the kitchen to join us.

Walking over to the kitchen sink, he washes his hands and rip a piece of napkin to wipe his hands dry.

Walking over to me, he hugs me at my waist and kisses me on my head.

My man.

Corrections, our man.

"You grow up and see me love clean don't it, why me woulda hire somebody else fi do a job weh me can do best?" She answers him.

"To make your life easier" he responds.

Sliding over the glass she pours for me, before I could take it up, Kam takes it up and turn it at his head. Looking up at him he looks at me sideways while still gulping it down.

"Couldn't just ask for a cup." His mother retorts.

"Thirsty mum, she eat and drink the entire drive like her belly nuh have no bottom. A my time now fi full mime."

Side eyeing me, his mom doesn't responds. Taking another glass she pour me another one and this time I take it up before he could.

Why she looked at me like that?

Lady know weh we all know but gwaan play ignorant.

"How long have you guys been together?" She inquires.

"A year" he answers.

Nudging him I say "Don't listen to him, it's been two months I believe."

"And you have such effect on him already, listen for the years I've brought this child on gods land I've never seen or heard him talk about settling down much less getting married. Always been against it" she says.

So I've heard.

From the lady weh yuh scam and take the wine from, yuh gwaan.

With a soft smile I look up at him. Using his mouth to playfully point at his mother he chuckles after.

"You would think he's experienced in the relationship area based on the love he gives."

"Talking bout love, me seh m'luv me hear him seh di word wah day yah, a so me heart jump out a me chest and come back in" she uses her hand to show the action.

Joining her in laughter, he releases me and head out into the living hall.

When he's out of sight she whispers "know him lifestyle come with a lot, but thank you. Thank you fi give him a chance, continue doing whatever it is that you're doing that's pushing him to be a better man." She holds my hand and squeeze it with each word that escape her lips.

Her eyes tells a story, one that I'm note aware of. But by her tone you can tell she's genuinely happy her son is changing for the best.

Only if she knew I've done nothing but love on him as much as he's to me.

"In all honesty, he's only been receiving what he gives. If anything I should be thanking you, after all you're his mother."

Taking my hands, she leads me out into the back yard and into the gazebo. With my glass in one hand and my phone in the other, I take a seat.

The rest of the time spent with her consisted of getting to know each other, and her telling me stories from his childhood.

Not once did I see Isaiah after he left us in the kitchen, but knowing him he's probably taking care of 'business'.

*
*

- I S A I A H -

Pulling up and parking in the driveway of her parent's home, I shift the gear to park and turn the engine off.

Pulling back my seat to give my legs room, I lean my head back and look side ways at her.

"Still not going to answer my question?"

"What question?"

"'Bout the house" I simply say.

"It's nice" is all she says.

"Yuh seh dat already Ny, come with something else." I say with much authority.

"I don't know what you want me to say, it's just a house. Must be a reason why you bought one here knowing you won't be here that often." She utter nonchalantly.

"That me buy it fah yes, actually staying longer than we planned" still looking at her, she meets my face with a confused look.

"Want you fi move back wid me" I add.

"Why?" She ask, her nose now flared.

Taking two long held deep breaths, I hold her hands to bring her over to my seat. Her two feet now on both side, she straddles me. Her hands playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Wah show yah pree, nuh want yuh trip just meds me" holding her chin, I lift her head to hold eye contact.

"Good?" I added.

She nods, pecking her lips I slowly move my hands around to her ass, caressing her cheeks. Resting her head on my chest, it rise and fall due to the deep breath I suddenly take.

I start "aside from the other things we've reasoned about, there's one thing I didn't tell you."

Laying out to her the choices that comes with leaving the game, I revealed to her the plan I'd put together to get caught in order to get out.

"How'd you know it would've played out like that and not another way?" She inquires.

"I didnt, just bet on myself" I boastfully replied.

Touché. Get the point.

"Being connected to the Italian mafia, loyalty is one of their most valuable attributes and as much as I wanted to be out completely I couldn't, I'm still not." Snapping her head up from my chest, she looks at me with squinted eyes.

"But yuh tell mi se.." using my finger to hush her I continue.

"My qualities and capabilities makes me irreplaceable and in order to go through with the plan, I had to come to terms with a deal with the organization".

Explaining to her what the deal consist of and how one phone call would turn a simple day of tending to my own life into handling "priority matters" for them. I Informed her of what this trip was initially intended for, but that plans changed and taking over was my next responsibility. Instead of yielding, I made her aware of how I turned things around to work in my favor and that includes moving here permanently to make them benefit tremendously which would equal to my past commitments.

Throughout the entire time explaining it to her, she's been calm. And I must say I'm surprised.

Calm and deadly, doe take it light.

"So you're going to move back to 'oversee' the drug operations here pretty much? What's the sense of going to prison only to come back out and still doing the same thing you tried to get out of" She questioned, calmness still present.

She have a point.

No shit!

"Weh me ago do now a light work compare to weh me use to. It was either taking over and running the ground one hundreds percent and still traveling to attend to other matters or to move here and only commit to one big assignment."

Getting up off me and she return back to the passenger seat. Looking outside with her hand at her jaw bracing on the door, silence now fills the car. The noise of music playing by the neighbors is the only thing that fills the void.

Observing the surrounding neighborhood, the essence of peace can be felt by the simplicity of the environment. No loud cars, no pollution of any sort from a neighboring city and just pure tranquil.

I can't help but to think how can she not want to move back to paradise? Literally.

But then again, I can't make that decision for her, can't force her. The way how I view here might not be how she perceives it.

Hearing her heave a sigh, she turns to me "So you bought a house and made a whole plan thinking I would what, be comfortable with just giving up my life and my daughters to start fresh here with you?"

"Not even the audacity to approach me and lay the plan out to me, so I could have an idea of what you're doing".

"And I apologize. But you have to understand, I'm so used to handling business my way, in that moment the only thing I could've think about was to get one up on him so the other extra shit I don't have to deal with anymore." I tell her.

"What's so bad about the favors you were required to pull through?" Her voice now laced with anger.

Deciding to tell the truth about the reason why we visited Italy, I explained to her that I don't want to be conducting anymore business in that manner, mainly because I planned on building a solid family with her.

You done f-cked up.

Seeing pain visible across her face, I try comforting her but she pulls away quickly.

"So all the nice treatments are what....to conceal the real reason for the travels and not because you want us to get away?" Her voice break with each word, her eyes now filled with tears.

My heart breaks seeing her like this. Never my intentions to hurt her, never have.

"Should've known all this was too good to be true, you're too good to be true."

"..."

Reaching to open the door, I flick the latched button to shut all four preventing her from leaving. Nah go allow har fi walkout while she a braked down.

Attempting to open the door she yells "open di f-cking door nuh".

"Ny relax, would take yuh pan many other trip regardless, hence the visit to Paris, just that being away from you me cyan do it. Bringing you with me was the only option."

"You ever meds seh me have a child, yea me might not know weh yah do but I'm around it. If f-ckry gwaan me daughter woulda be affected, yuh ever meds dat Isaiah?"

Jah.

Cyah seh me never warn yuh.

As much as me wah fi console her enough fi she see the bigger picture, just affi hold off and accept me wrongs. See seh she did have a daughter from jump and still reel her into me messed up life.

And still is.

Hearing chatters approaching the car, my hand swiftly grip my gun under the seat. Looking in the rear view mirror to see who it's coming from, I hiss my teeth and place it back in its previous position when I realize it's her baby father.

F-ck him a do yasso.

Figet seh dem have a daughter my G?

Know dat, but why him deh Jamaica. Not even out the country she can go without him a tale har.

Shaking her head, she snickers to her self while folding her arms "Point proven, always have to be on guard when I'm with you, where's the peace?" She lowly says.

And she right, but that's why moving back here would be better.

Nuh badda go seh dat inuh, if yuh know weh me know. Right now a best if yuh low out she cause she bigger than you.

All the better, she serve a greater purpose fi me.

"And you know the funny thing, I don't mind moving back I even told Kay that the other day. But the way your going about just makes it not worth it...."

"I'm starting to think maybe this just might not work. I'll do but only so much but when it comes to Imani I can't have her around certain things."

Turning to her as those words leave her lips I say "So weh yah seh?"

She sighs, not once looking at me " I don't know".

Me know, mean time fi wrap it up.

"Ahh".

"That's it?"

"Mhmhm, Imani come first so do weh yuh have to" I tell her.

Mumbling under her breath, I press the unlock button. Not hesitating, she pulls the door open and turn to walk into the yard.

Tell har a thing already, nah go back and forth with har and at this point me nah go force har fi make no decision she don't want to.

Seeing a familiar female walk pass the car, Ny stops in her track and turn around when she calls at her. Masking her emotions she sports a fake smile.

"A him dat? See di luxury car enuh and aseh wait deh a which celebrity di gyal dem go deh wid now" she's loud, accent deeper than Ny and Kays.

Just seh she sound ghetto and done.

Well.

Taking her hands to pull her inside, Ny says "take it down a notch".

Watching their retreating figure as they go in the house, I look beside me and see that her purse and other items are still here. Pulling my door, I step out the car and lean on it, waiting for her to return.

See if me did a wah waste man