It's like mih salt when it comes to working in establishments that cares zero for their black workers.
A when me go can lucky.
"Wahmn' Navy!" One of the many vendors outside asked through the crowd congregating at the doorway.
Nuh one a dih gyal dem daddy have dung yah inna market weh him constantly give mommy bun wid. Shi just love off him pickney dem but a pity shi nuh know wih a two face sumaddy like wih fada.
"Nuh dem Asian people yah mon. Mih come bout' ya fih wuk everyday and deh bammy face one deh name pussyclaat Kim nuh stop touch touch mih up. Mih nuh look like dem fucking goods cause mih nuh deh pah sale. If a nuh mih hand, shoulder and bloodclaat hair. Mih fucking nigga bloodclaat head, him a touch up wid him dutty hand him probably feel up himself wid. Den today him pass him place fih a bar mih inna dih bathroom affa piss hold mih a dih cash register and him mumma come tek it fih mih free mih bladder. Nuh Kim a push up him raw bloodclaat fat front pah mih and mih go report it to dih boss who hire mih. Dem deh yah a ignore mih suh mih tell dem mih quit and wah mih money, a same way dem a gwaan like mih nuh deserve a pay. Rassclaat camera in yah as proof and mih always have mih phone weh mih record him a flirt wid mih every bloodclaat day."
"Unnu give the young girl har money!" Another vendor yelled.
They still moved around unaware and I grew angry, slapping my hand on the wooden counter which got there attention now.
Deh fraid mih mash up sum'n.
Dat mih fih duh.
"I don't want y'all son likkle Chinese shrimpy dick but if I don't get the likkle chum change I'm suppose to then I'm bringing the inspectors here to see around back. Then for the proof I got with him touching me inappropriate and the recordings of him flirting and promising me foolishness. I got all the evidence so bring on my money." I switch from patwah to English, amusing those watching the confrontation.
"You don't finish work so you don't get pay." One blabbers out.
A wah dih rass dis.
Mih affi stand up look pan him good.
"Oh okay." I laughed, marching around back to get my bag and I know they're watching me from the cameras.
Dem can see dat but dem neva a see dem perverted son, bredda, nephew, dwag shit.
I returned with my bag and a Bluetooth speaker that connected with my phone.
"You look beautiful again today, Navy. Can't you smile a little." The fucker's voice came from the speaker surprising everyone.
"Mister Kim. I'm working." Came my response. "Please don't touch my hair."
"It's soft but I can give you money to do it. You wanna look like a Dolly, eh Navy." That one made the Jamaicans laugh.
"Mister Kim." You could hear it in my tone how upset I was. "No thank you but I just want to focus on the work... Please don't touch my shoulders... I don't need a massage... Fada Gad... Sir, leggo nuh."
I played another one.
"Young girl that cooks, nice. You can cook for me one day Navy. It looks and smells good..."
"Don't touch my plate, Mister Kim." I warned.
"Okay. Eat and get more sexy, but I can care for you." He offered and I hummed, disagreeing.
"Take this and get out. Don't come back here." The mother came with an brown envelope and put it out for me to take which I gladly did and stopped the recordings that were playing.
Fucker dem cheap. Cyaw even get a check or the money sent to mih account straight.
Like dem want sumaddy rob and pick mih pocket in yah.
I looked at the amount stapled on it then checked the inside seeing that it's a thousand dollar short.
Don't know why mih nuh go do hair. Know mih could a get more money then.
"Hello, how dis have seven grand when a eight it seh. Today count suh nuh rob mih mek mih call the police down here."
"You late after lunch and..." She claimed and I put my hands on my head.
Dunce.
Stupid.
Slow.
Foolish.
Mentally ill.
"Yuh deaf or sum'n! Yuh brother up there on the cameras and you take over my register, I went to use the bathroom and your son held me back wanting to molest me so I pushed him away and ran. I'm late because of you people, not on my account so I deserve my money and not a dollar short. It's this or I'm going to the police station. Better yet, mih broadcast this and dih voodoo dolly dem unnu have roun' a back."
"Mih know dem have it inno!" A customer laughs out.
"Milani!" Someone called and I look to see a familiar face calling me over next to the man who hired me.
A when did Chinese man move.
But nuh wah rich man dis.
Dark skinned, dreads, stout built, people man...
"Lucky." I grinned, rolling my eyes at the bitch over my shoulder as I walked away.
To how I was happy to see him, my anger vanishes a bit. The side hug was everything and I even smelt him too.
Mih just weird but from mih know him, him always have food and right now mih hungry.
Lucky, it's what everyone calls him and for that reason being that he has never being shot directly. He has over ten grazes and twice as much stories about his run in with gunmen or even law enforcement.
Why he has them, only few knows and one being that he's been protecting his best friend for as long as I know.
That's another story.
"Give him the envelope." He tells me and I do that, still underneath his arm.
Next was the notification on my phone to see the correct amount transferred to my account.
A wah dis now. It's the first, big man Lucky have connections.
"Thanks." I scoffed, upset about my time and energy being wasted when they could've done this long time ago.
I will never put back a foot in here.
"Don't come back...!"
"Wull a unno raw like sea side, mih don't buy my groceries in here, neva." I cursed, slipping away from Lucky before he stops me from telling them my mind.
"All unnu who deh buy in yah, a every week as unnu mek dih money a yah suh unnu affi spend it. Wull a unno change above voodoo dolly and smell a burnt candle wax. God bless and protect mih has mih walk out yah. No weapons that falls against me shall prosper. Fada Gad any thing that dem wah curse and cast pah mih or nobody fih mih, send it back ten folds. Return to sender, Amen." I clapped my hands and stepped out into the afternoon heat.
Market just have a smell deh weh mih can barely identify a certain smell at times.
Sewage, seasonings, rotten vegetables and fruits, sweat, raw fish...
Mussi dutty Kim and him flat batty mumma mih a smell.
Mih even thirsty, chat and cuss too much.
"Weh yuh nah seh, Navy." Another lady who knows my family asked as she came outside with some customers who decided they weren't buying there.
Good! News go start spread now.
Hope dem nuh obeah mih rass.
"A true ting?" Another asked.
"As God." I agreed, looking at a regular customer who always let me cash his items. "Guh buy even a likkle sweety and collect yuh change or even the receipt paper and smell it. A nuff a dweet and a true dem reasonable wih buy from dem and nah support wih own black people. Most a dem like dis place a wuk dem obeah."
"An dem thief wid dih salt fish too."
"Dem wet it up wid wata suh it cost more. Even have a machine inside weh change dih expiry dates pan dih products dem and anything pan special expired longer and a dem get sold dih most. Guh in deh and pree dih flooring under some shelves and tables, a candle wax yuh go see and wih know seh light nuh gone every day suh. If mih stand up tell unnu, mih sleep yah suh tonight..."
Mih extra.
"Milani!" I see Lucky calling me again so I told the crowd later and approached the bus that he was standing next to.
Like mih go see dem lata.
What a man fih thick.
Well, stout. Woman fih thick.
"Thanks fih wah yuh duh inside. Mih know dem neva did go give mih more." I thanked him.
"Dat good mon. Mih a fawud ova Twin plaza come on nuh, mih go bring yuh home after." He offers and I nod.
First thing mih see is a bag of national water crackers on top a box full of it.
"Yuh nuh stop eat dem dry sum'n yah?" I reached over taking one from the box.
"Yuh still love food?" He asked and I laughed, looking around as he reversing out of the parking space with the help of a vendor.
Road a market nuh normal, especially pan a Friday.
"Yeah, but we cyaw get what we want sometimes suh when it come a foot wih affi mek use a it." I explained.
"True mon. But a weh ya gwaan wid?"
"Deh yah a try survive and ting." I find some rubbing alcohol in the glove compartment and applied it to my hand so I can eat in peace.
Mih did a fass. Mih eva deh search.
"Bout seven years now mih nuh see yuh fah, tell mih wah gwaan." He chuckled at my lack of explanation and made his way out of the heart of market though the traffic was horrible.
"Daddy dash wih outta him house two months afta mummy finally get the chance fih duh farm wuk a Canada." I smiled at his surprised expression and continued.
"From mih graduate Mobay high a dung a Sandy Bay area mih deh fih bout five years now a work a hotel and guh school. Wah be chef but neva get the position sake a bad mind. The head chef wah come fuck mih off wid him none existent buddy inna dih locker room and manager wah mih bow fih get promotion..."
Lucky starts choking and I would've laughed if it wasn't serious.
Den a mih ova yah suh a nyam the dry crackers and still a chat. Mih brave eh.
"Ehhhh." He glimpses at me with disbelief, then puts his focus back on the road.
"Yeah. Cuss out dem nasty rass and report dem. Mih neva lef yet until a new manager gyal come bout and would a nail me next to Jesus pan dih cross. Mih think a me did maga, but dih gyal suck out and look like skinny minny bruk and tough wid dih dutty attitude shi have. Mih couldn't tek dih constant drama wid she cause obviously mih nuh inna dih freaky batty fuckry dem inna. Mih resign but not before mih beat out har dutty bloodclaat wid the old wig shi nuh stop wear."
Lucky laughs harder, going at it while I stuffed my mouth with more crackers.
It soon done but mih will tek another and deh look out fih any vendor who a sell a bag juice or sum'n.
Due to a few little stops he made, he told me to continue as we walked upstairs to the roof of Twin plaza where the bar and restaurant were.
"...Mih left there and guh stay a dih place mih kotch up wid wah cute bwoy but mih couldn't tan. Bwoy buddy starts stress mih out and have mih a mad suh mih fawud back a mih parents yaad... Molly!" I was surprised to see my old friend standing there with her arms opened.
Mih chat tu much and nah watch mih surroundings and Lucky not even would a seh nothing.
I hugged her tightly and she even slapped me. "A years mih nuh see yuh enuh Navy!"
"Mih fih tell yuh." I grinned, looking at her nice clean body. "Yuh look good eh dolly."
"Thanks, much like you mih love. Always sexy. Suh a which buddy a stress and mad you?" She inquired and I laughed.
"Soon fawud Milani! Nuh start deh story deh yet!" Lucky called out to me as he approached the back with the boxes in his hands.
What a man fih love gossip and mix up.
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