Shakirah Bourne - In Time of Need - A Collection of Short Stories

In Time ofNeed

A Collection ofShort Stories

ShakirahBourne

Copyright 2014 Shakirah Bourne

All rightsreserved.

ISBN-13:978-9769564909

To my family who neverstopped loving

To my friends who neverstopped supporting

To the writers whonever quit

These are for you.

CONTENTS

Originally published by Arts Etc (No.28, 2012)

When my parentstell me that they was going to get marry, join in holy matrimonyand have them relationship bless before God, I was worried becauseI could have swear that them was married every since.

When I askDaddy to explain why them wasnt marry already, he cuff me round myear and tell me to stop being rude, and when I ask Mummy, she laughand send me outside to play. But I was determine to find out whatthem was hiding from me. What was it to be marry and in holymatrimony?

My Mummy andDaddy live in the same house, sleep in the same bed, and scream ateach other several times a day bout bills and money. Daddy doeslash Mummy cross she head with he belt when she give trouble, andthe days when Mummy hit he back and them get blood all over thehouse, them would hug and cry and kiss after. I wanted to know whatchange when people get marry.

That day I runthrough the back door; and jump over the paling fence into MissMaynard yard. Kim, Miss Maynard daughter and one of my bestfriends, was stooping down buck naked, bathing with a hose. Whenshe see me she shout, Think fast, Jamar! and douse me with water.I holler out and run all over the yard, pretending not to want toget wet, cause if Kim know I did enjoying it she would stop. Soon,I was buck naked too, and we run round playing and screaming untilMiss Maynard push she head out the kitchen window and yell to shutthe hell up and come inside.

We was insidedrying when I turn to Kim. Kim, when two people get marry, whatdoes happen?

She look at meand throw back she head and laugh. How it is you dont know whatis married, you foolish boy? You does go in the church with all youfamily and friends, but that not important. The part that matter islater on when you cut the cake.

And what sospecial bout cutting a cake?

Kim frown. Iaint know, you know; I think it is a special cake. Biiiiiigggg,big, big! And it does got a little man and woman on it, and whenyou mummy and daddy eat the cake, them would be marry.

I was notconvinced. How you know? My parents keep talking bout someceremony and something call holy matrimony.

I hear mymother talking bout them and the wedding, Kim insisted, and shesay the ceremony dont change a thing, so it would got to be thecake!

That make senseto me. Mummy and Daddy probably didnt want me to know about thiscake cause them know I would want piece.

I feel sobetrayed that I plop down on Kim bed. Them aint tell me nothing,you know. I keep asking and asking, but them aint say nothing boutno cake.

I hear mymother say them selfish so, Kim replied.

I pause andthink. I wonder what sort of cake it is, though.

Kim put herfingers on her lips and sit down next to me. It is black pudding,she whisper, and Miss Clement making it.

My mouth dropopen. Miss Clement does make the best tasting cakes in the village,but I never get she cake too often because my parents say that shedoes charge nuff money. I shook my head in disbelief, but Kim keepnodding she head. We sat in silence in the bedroom for a fewminutes, looking at each other, and then an idea come to me. I jumpup off the bed.

Let we getpiece of that cake and get marry before them!

You gine getwe in trouble, Jamar! Kim hiss at me, but she had that smile, andI know what that mean.

How we gineget piece of it? she asked.

I sit back downon the bed feeling real bad, because I didnt know how I would getpiece. Kim realise I was sad and put she arm around myshoulder.

Dont worry,Jamar, we will figure out something, she said while rubbing myshoulder, and then she try to cheer me up.

She lookthrough the window and point at something in my yard. Come let wego put some cream on that cat over there.

I smile. I gladI pick Kim to get marry to, cause she know how to make me feelbetter.

Come long, Isaid, and after we will make a plan to get some of that blackpudding.

#

Kim and I hideand follow around my parents for the next couple days, and nothingwas different. Daddy quarrelling bout how much money them spendingon the wedding, and he cant understand why she invite so muchpeople, and half of them aint she friends. And Mummy screamingthat them aint she friends, but she want them to see she getmarry.

In themeantime, I was picturing marry life with Kim and was a littleworried, cause when she give trouble I suppose to beat she, but shestronger than me so I wondering how I will win the fight. I wasglad I didnt say nothing, though, cause Kim tell me that she findout she suppose to give me the most food and the biggest piece ofmeat that cook when we marry.

Then she tellme we had to kiss all the time, and when we start practising I washaving a real good time. Now I wasnt worried no more, and I waseven more determine to get piece of Miss Clement black pudding,cause Miss Maynard does cook nuff saltfish and pigtail, and mymouth watering already.

One Thursdaymorning Kim and I was playing Snakes and Ladders in the front housewhen we hear my mother shout out that she got to go and look at thewedding cake at Miss Clement house. Daddy was inside lying down inthe chair, but he get up and tell she that he would stop by MissClement house for she cause he going down by Tallman to playdominoes.

Kim nudge me.We should go and see what the cake look like.

I jump up andshout, Daddddyyy! We want to come wid you!

NO, standhome! He yell back. I really dont know why he does got to get onlike that sometimes.

I stupse andsit back down, and Kim nudge me again and call me to come closer.Come let we follow he, she whisper.

You gine getwe in trouble, I say, but then I give she the smile, so we creepout the house and follow Daddy down the cart road.

It was realnuff fun following Daddy, and we pretend that we was in the movies,ducking behind the breadfruit and coconut trees when we think hewould look back. We was having such a good time that we was bothdisappointed when we reach Miss Clement house.

Daddy hollerfor Miss Clement, push open the front door and went inside.

What wesuppose to do now? Kim ask.

I point to atiny window. We could try to peep through that kitchen window.Bend down let me climb up on you shoulders.

Why I cantclimb up on you shoulders? Kim said, pouting.

I stupse.Girl, you bigger than me!

So I get on Kimshoulders, but we was still too short and I couldnt seeinside.

Why we justdont peep inside? Kim ask after we fall down pun each other thesecond time. Just pull the back door.

Before I couldsay anything, Kim sneak over to the back door and open it soft, andthen we tip-toe into the kitchen. Miss Clement had the biggest andbest-looking kitchen I ever see in my life. First thing, it wasmade out of wall, and it had tiles. You would have never expect tofind all this in she board house that got all the paint peeling offon the outside and the breakdown gallery.

I was sodistracted by the big kitchen that I didnt even notice the cake onthe counter until Kim point at it. It was bout three cakes in one,with pink and yellow icing flowers all over it, and I couldunderstand why people get marry just for this cake. I hold Kimhand, and for a few moments we just stand in the kitchen staring atit.

But then wehear voices, and loud footsteps on the board creaking toward thekitchen. Me and Kim was so frighten that we run and hide under thebig table in the middle of the kitchen. It was a good thing thatthe tablecloth was long, so it stop them from seeing we.