Windy Valley Secondary – Trials of the Young and Restless

26.SEPT.08

Susan’s mother had just heard the news from Sharpie that he will not marry Susan.

“You don’t know Susan mekking baby?” Susan’s mother asked. She wondered if Sharpie knew about the pregnancy.

As he returned to the driver’s seat, Sharpie coolly replied: “Ah so me hear.”{{more}}

“But the baby is yours,” said Susan’s mother, annoyed with Sharpie’s attitude.

Sharpie slammed the van door shut and glanced at Susan’s mother. “So dem say,” he said in the same relaxed tone of voice.

Susan’s mother snapped back: “And you nah gwine marry her?”

Sharpie turned up the volume on the radio. “What for?” he said. He could see the mother’s face contort with disbelief. He continued: “Me nah really know if the baby ah fi me own.”

Susan’s mother felt history repeating itself. As Susan’s father had said to her, so Sharpie was saying about her daughter. “There are tests to prove you’re the father,” she retaliated.

Sharpie shook his head and beeped his horn: “Me nah go take no test.” He beeped his horn harder. “Come, come me ready fi leave.” Passengers began to enter the van.

“Ah gwine tek you to court”.

Sweat started to stream down the side of Sharpie’s forehead. There were signs that he was starting to crack. With a raised voice, he said: “No need, I hear Susan has been running around with whole heap of men”.

“You know Susan nah go do that”.

“You sure?” questioned Sharpie.

Sharpie had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt in her head. The passengers’ gasps of disgust reinforced her suspicion. Perhaps she didn’t know her own daughter. Could Susan indeed have been running around with several men, she wondered.

Sharpie could see Susan’s mother contemplating what he had said. He felt that he was off the hook, and continued in his relaxed manner. “All me know is that me nah gwine look after no other man picni”. Sharpie beeped his horn, and started the engine.

“Is your picknie. Me sure ah yours,” Susan’s mother said, trying to convince Sharpie, but most of all trying to convince herself.

The van started to crawl slowly in a circle, waiting for any last minute passengers.

“Even if it fi me, ah don’t want she. Me nah want any gal who have picni. As soon as me hear them have picni, me leave them.” There was a chuckle by one of the male passengers at the back of the van.

“How we gwine live? We have no money to live on. Who gwine buy food, clothes, nappies?” Susan’s mother pleaded. “Sharpie, you have to help us”.

“Me can help.” He paused, as a large smile spread across his face. “See that other little pretty daughter you have. Give me her, and me make sure you won’t hungry.”

“A what you saying, she just fourteen, me nah give you no daughter,” retorted Susan mother.

“Why not? You gave me Susan, why not the other?”

Susan’s mother felt that she had been taken for a ride. She had placed her trust in Sharpie to look after Susan, and he turned around and used them both.

“You’re nothing but a Mama pimp!” Sharpie laughed out loud. A couple of the passengers laughed along with him. Others gave disapproving tuts.

Susan’s mother could feel her blood boil. She had never felt so ashamed in her life. With all the vile from within her, Susan’s mother hawked up the thickest phlegm and spat it straight in Sharpie’s face.

This time, Sharpie cracked, and leapt out of van to attack Susan’s mother. The crowd screamed. some pleaded with Sharpie. some tried to shield Susan’s mother. One Rasta man intervened and stood in between the pair, but he quickly removed himself when he saw Sharpie draw a knife. The crowd backed off, leaving Susan’s mother to Sharpie’s vengeance. All Susan’s mother could see was the blade shining brightly, as Sharpie brought the knife down in her direction.

• The Windy Valley Secondary series is fictional. Any resemblance to real events, places or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.