Chapter 6

Lamais's pov

I stretched and yawned turning unto my back, glad that I didn't have to get up until I wanted to this morning. Sunday mornings are always quiet, back in the days when grandma was around I would have to be up and in the kitchen helping with breakfast and dinner prep. Then I would go to the gardens where grandma always sends me, as a way to calm my spirit before church. I would stay there walking around and speaking to the flowers until she calls me inside to get ready, it was the best way for me to avoid squabbles with my older siblings.

I push off the cover and swung my feet over the side of the bed as nature calls, after taking care of my hygiene and feeling fresh I made up my bed then went downstairs to the kitchen. Three malta and four empty red stripe bottles standing on the kitchen counter made me chuckle happily.

Cushane was healing from his past hurt, I was glad I followed my mind and invited him inside my home- I needed friends also and his spirit was free. I'v learned so much about him from what he had told me yesterday, we grew up so differently I had felt like crying. He had such a happy childhood surrounded by loving family and friends, while I had such a lonely one with my family being mean and making fun of me.

At one time I had thought they had all simply hated me, but it was only as I grew older I realize they were somewhat jealous and at the same time afraid of me. "Hi hi," I laughed. I was use to talking to myself and the flowers also, sometimes I had a whole conversation with myself- laughing and also replying back to whatever questions I ask. My dad had caught me doing so on more than one occasions and told my mom and grandma that they needed to carry me to get a check up.

"𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒆! 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒍𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒚! 𝑨𝒏𝒅... 𝑾𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑩𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆'𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒚!"

I had yelled at him one evening, not knowing the full extent of trouble my mouth would get me in. I've had to move all my stuff into my grandma's room and everywhere she went there I would be also. Both my parents had curse and fought nightly until my dad's things were thrown out into the street, and he had left.

He had visited on numerous occasions, but he didn't speak to me until I was fourteen. Grandma had told me not to apologise to him because I didn't do anything wrong, she had taught be not blurt out things I knew about people when I was angry and I grew into myself from the things I read in people around me. Some were too despicable to talk about anyways, I rinsed out the teapot before pouring water inside it to brew tea.

"Up a top dey!" I heard a masculine voice sounding like Banton calling from outside.

I walk to the living room and took up the bunch of keys. "Morning priestess, waan program somn ina di shop yuh know," Banton said.

"Morning, yuh nuh si Shanty?" I greeted him and ask as I opened the grill and walk along the front path down to the shop.

"Eehe, a tell mi bout priestess nuh waan nobody badda har suh early pon Sunday morning," he replied.

"And you still come badda mi?" I ask and he grinned.

"Just cool nuh priestess, yuh done know how di ting set," he said while I open the shop.

"Mek sure a buy yuh come to buy out di shop," I told him smiling.

He laughed brawlingly and said. "Woiee, priestess a bare tings yuh gwane wid ino."

"Order wey yuh want suh mi can guh back guh mek mi tea," I told him good naturedly.

"A'right gi mi two bokkle a 𝙏𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙩 and two bokkle a 𝘽𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧," he said and I took them from off the shelf and place on the counter.

He counted out the money while I put them into a bag, he hands me the money and I took it in my left hand and counted it before handing him the bag.

"Have a good day," I told him.

"You too, no caan come spend di day wid yuh?" He said then ask.

"Banton! Cum out mek mi lock back mi shop," I told him rolling my eyes.

"Hi hi hi hi, Jah know priestess yuh nuh feel fi likkle buddy sometime?" He laugh and ask.

I released a breath loudly and look at him, he's always so brave at taunting me. "Hey, yuh tan good ino priestess, I swear I woulda pet an' pampa yuh. Tsk mi sey, if yuh know how much mi waan come up ina big house dey. Wine up ina dah punany dey wey mi know sey 𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩, hi hi hi a wey yah duh read mi up?" He stated then ask.

"Yuh done chat?" I ask firmly.

"All wha a gwane yuh know mi a real youth ino, mi have a nice piece a buddy yah to- yuh wouldn't regret it," he said and I seize the opportunity to read him.

I smile candidly. "Hey mi gone cause mi nuh want yuh draw me up," he said and went out of the shop.

He climbed unto his bike parked infront of the shop, then look back into the shop at me and I wonder if I should tell him what I read. Banton has always been a cool youth, never afraid to speak his mind and works hard. He would have more money if he didn't party so hard and gal out his earnings, he was now looking behind him up the road and he revved the bike then look at me again. I called him with my right hand and he shut off the bike and climb back off the bike.

"Congratulations, you're going to be a daddy soon," I told him and watch his eyes widened.

He chuckled a bit then ask. "Really?"

I nod my head and he said. "Mi nah pay yuh fi read mi ino, cause a you mi waan breed."

"I wasn't going to charge you but now I will, one crate a malta or a case a minute maid and doe mek me stop a your yard fi it," I told him seriously.

"A dey mi want yuh stop, a gon buy it and put pon mi verandah," he said while walking out of the shop.

He climbed unto his bike and started it, with two big rev it shoot off down the road. I lock back the shop and went back to making my tea, it was hard to find a descent, respectable and loyal man. I do think about my future at times, as a bishop at my age I should be married and making a family. Grandma says I'm bless and that I will marry the love of my life, I've never doubted any of her sayings apart from the latter.

I sipped at the hot cocoa tea, the old things always were the best I said to myself. I still did some things my grandma did, but in a more modern way. She would pound the cocoas to powder, now I simply put them into the coffee grinder and turn it on- it was done in less time and I would pour it into the glass jar it was kept in. The rich taste of the cocoa always leaves a chocolate taste in my mouth and I love the smell of it.

The gate buzzed opening as I sat down on the small back porch, footsteps came from the path at the side of the house and then Tishawna came around the corner. She spot me immediately and came towards me.

"Good morning ma'am," she greeted leaning her head to one side, she was growing beautifully and I want only the best for her.

I smile. "Good morning Tishy, you came to stay in the shop today?" I return her greeting then ask.

"Yes ma'am," she answer.

"Did you have breakfast before coming?" I ask her as I got up and went inside for the shop key.

"Yes ma'am," she replies coming to stand just inside the kitchen.

I hand her the shop key and she turns and leave, after eating some fruits I began prepping my dinner. I would have done so from the night before, but a certain gentleman came and took up my time. A Turkish-canadian, standing six feet with brown eyes, brown hair, golden light brown skin and pink lips.

"Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" I ask putting the dish of mutton under the pipe and washing off the browning.

Why in hell was I thinking about the man's good looks and physique, he had made it clear he want to be my friends- I must be experiencing some kind of desperation of not being married and settled as yet. Why am I even thinking about this right now, he was way too old for me anyway.

I covered the dish of seasoned meat and put it on the bottom shelf in the refrigerator, what I need to focus on was the upcoming seven days of convention. I push the thirty-two year old man to the back of my mind and went for my notepad and pen.

To be continued...