Windy Valley Secondary

04.JULY.08

Trials of the Young and Restless
by Shane-Ann Connell
(edited by Sharmal Connell)

Last week Sharpie, Susan’s van driver boyfriend, tries to get her to have unprotected sex. Sharpie argued that it was okay as they were going to get married soon. Susan knows her father would disapprove, but she didn’t care, as Sharpie looked her and her mother. As Susan drives up to the school gate in the front seat of Sharpie’s van, her friends Miriam and Ras look on as Susan’s father Roy approaches the van angrily.{{more}}

“Daddy a me boyfriend” shouted Susan.

“Wat! Dis van driver?”, said Roy “You call this big dutty forty year old man, a boy?”

“A who you calling dutty?”, said Sharpie coolly. “Me a clean somebody. Yo can’t smell how me fresh”. Everyone in the van started to laugh.

“You fresh to backside, yo want to keep me pickney from her school work?”

“Whey ar yo dey know ‘bout pickney? Ar yo dey only know ‘bout pickney when dem come big.” Sharpie responded.

“You tink me a joke?” Roy thrust his fist through the side window, and barely missed Sharpie. Sharpie looked at Roy sternly.

“Well if ah war yo want.” Sharpie lifted up his T-shirt to reveal a big knife tucked down his pants. Roy released Sharpie immediately.

“Susan me go see you later,” said Sharpie turning away from Roy. Sharpie looked back as Roy sucked him through his teeth before driving off.

Roy was fuming. He turned to Susan and said “You crazy”.

“Why you bother me fah, you never bother when me was a picnkey”.

“Susan me nah want you fi go down di crooked road. It hard fi get back pan the straight and narrow”.

“You should know. Now move yourself. You can’t see me have fi go school?”

Lessons were tedious, and whatever was being taught never registered with Susan. She found herself drifting off to sleep.

“Susan!” snapped the teacher. Susan jolted from her sleep.

“Had a late night?”

Susan was too embarrassed to go into the finer details.

“No, Miss”.

“Finding the lessons boring?”

“No, Miss”.

“Then please enlighten me as to why you find the urge to sleep in my classroom?”

Susan did not have an adequate response.

“Susan go to the Headmistress.”

The chair scrapped against the floor, as Susan sluggishly gathered her books. Lately she seemed to be seeing the Headmistress more and more. As she journeyed to the Headmistress’ office, she already knew what she was going to say. Then she thought, it was not worth the hassle. Instead of taking the right turn leading straight to the Headmistress’ office, she took a left, down the winding pathway leading to the school gates. She could survive without school, she thought and walked out the gates.

For Ras school was great, but nothing could beat the pleasure of walking Miriam home after school, even though her home was on the other side of town, but that did not matter. As Ras walked out of the school compound, he noticed Miriam laughing with Sharpie. Sharpie had better think again if he thought that he was going to have Miriam, thought Ras. No sooner was he about to call to her, when he saw Miriam get into Sharpie’s van. Stunned Ras watched the van drove off. Had she forgotten about their walk? Anger boiled in Ras, this was one girl that Sharpie was not going to take.

“So whey Susan dey?” inquired Sharpie.

“Me nah know, all me know is that she went to see the Headmistress. Don’t know ‘bout after that.”

Sharpie pulled up outside Miriam’s house. “A wat dis, the White House?” he said as he admired the house.

Miriam giggled. “It’s where I live”.

“Me never know”.

“Me never said,” replied Miriam as she gave a sly smile. “I have to go”. Just as Miriam was about to leave, Sharpie laid his hand on her thigh.

“Me go see you again? Right?” It was just the signal that she wanted to know that Sharpie was interested.

“But Susan?” she said innocently.

“Nah worry about Susan” replied Sharpie.

The van drove off leaving Miriam staring at the great white house. A cloud hung over her, she hoped that her father was not in one of his drunken stupors, and would not molest her tonight. If her plan worked then she would be Sharpie’s girl, and they would live together. The main question on Miriam’s mind was, would Susan, her best friend, be able to forgive her?

To be continued…

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