Jenna was on the phone, speaking to her sister and Kailen’s mother, Regina. Regina was twelve years her senior and was the second of Oswald and Yolanda Marsden’s seven children. Jenna was the second youngest. There were four girls and three boys. Regina had known of the love affair between Jenna and Selwyn and had kept her silence for both their sakes. Regina had come to the United States five years ago and was now married to Oliver Rodriques, an automobile mechanic and they had one child and were living in New York.
“How is Kailen, I’m dying to see her. I’m so glad to hear that you and Selwyn are getting together again, Jenna.”
“She’s okay and can’t wait to come up. He came out here for me and we talked. We had some differences, but we’ve put all that behind us now. When I’m bringing Kailen, I’ll be coming for two weeks, but he’s filing for me and Jaimie. I don’t know how long it will take but Jaimie and I have our visas. Most holidays we’ll be up there with him until our immigration status change.”
“But didn’t you tell me that you were talking to a guy by the name of Brad.”
“He didn’t love me. There’s this girl he’s in love with. He had a girlfriend who even came to fight her over him and ended up throwing some beer on me. Anywhere I go with him and she’s there she’s always giving me some dirty looks and he can’t stop talking about her.”
“So are they together now?”
“She was engaged to another guy but he was wild and she left him and was looking Brad. Yes, they’re lovers now. Brad came to my home one day and saw Selwyn and got angry after Jaimie told him that he was his father. I told him to leave and he did and one of my friends told me that she saw him and her the next day having lunch and she was all over him. I called and asked her about it and the way she behaved. It’s like she owned him and I had no right to be asking her anything. You know me, Gina, I would have fought her all the way for him, but I know it was no use.”
“You and Jaimie will have to spend a few days with me, Shanella and Oliver.”
“I hope I don’t get ostracized.”
“Of course not, I think daddy and mummy will understand.”
“We’ll see, Gina, we’ll see, but I’ll see you then.”
“Okay, bye until then, Jenna.”
***
Darren was thankful that his punishment was now over. He had gotten a reprieve by more than two weeks for good behavior and of course his good showing in his first year as a senior in high school. He was now down at a party at Sheree’s home. He had told his mother that he and Bianca had broken up by mutual consent. Apparently Darren had gone to this party and couldn’t take his eyes off Sheree. He was starving himself to buy phone cards to recite sweet love verses to her. Bianca felt neglected and had sought out the friendship of Stephan Jordan, whom she knew was interested in her. Stephan was actually a good friend of Darren. Darren hit the roof when he heard, but when Bianca confronted him about Sheree and of course there was Kay-Ann before her, both of them decided to go their separate ways. Actually Darren and Kay-Ann’s romance only lasted a month. She told him that her real boyfriend who was four years her senior had returned home from Trinidad and wanted them to get engaged.
***
Rick and Celia left Reasons at twelve that night and headed for home. There was still some amount of strain in their relationship. Although Celia continued to come up on weekends and they slept in the same bed they hadn’t been intimate since the fight between Rick and Teddy. They had only gone to Reasons because one of Celia’s friends had invited them to her birthnight party. They hadn’t danced together or anything but just mingled among their friends.
They were driving on Watson Drive when, Celia said.
“I think that car is following us.”
Rick looked through his rear-view mirror, but he couldn’t make out the color of the car. They turned on Abigail Avenue when they noticed a car before them. It was a white car. Suddenly the car braked up and Rick had to jam down hard on his brakes nearly running into the back of the car in front of him. They heard the car behind them also jammed down hard on its brakes.
Rick and Celia weren’t too badly shaken up. The driver of the car in front came out of the car and to Rick and Celia’s surprise it was Teddy.
Celia was appealing to Rick not to come out of the car but he opened the door and got out. The driver of the other car also got out. Celia came out of the car when she realized that the two men were going to fight Rick.
Several vehicles drove by but none of them stopped. Probably those motorists may have believed it was some friends who were having a friendly conversation, Celia thought.
“Why don’t you leave us alone?” she shouted at Teddy.
“Hold her for me, Bilton, while I beat up her man. I’m going to show you something. After tonight you’re going to be afraid to even look at her again,” Teddy said as he rushed at Rick with a pipe wrench and Celia screamed and tried to get out of Bilton’s hold to go and help Rick.
Rick ducked under his swing but lost his balance and fell on the ground and Teddy came down on him trying to gouge him in his belly. Rick rolled out of the way and put out a foot and Teddy fell over it and the wrench fell out of his hand. Rick and Teddy came up off the ground at the same time. Teddy fired a right fist that caught Rick in his face. Rick hit Teddy in his belly and he backed away and suddenly pulled out a knife and Rick heard Celia scream.
Teddy came in fast, slashing at Rick.
“It won’t be like the last time, boy and when I’m finished with you I’m taking her with me,” he said.
He slashed at Rick again, this time catching him on the arm and blood spewed. Teddy kept slashing at Rick, who kept backing away. Rick knew that he had to get the knife away from Teddy or else the man could damage him badly.
“Bilton, take her to my car. I’m taking her away from you, Rick,” Teddy shouted as he shoved the knife at Rick intending to gouge him in his belly, but Rick fell to the ground and Teddy sought to stamp his foot in his face. Rick drew away at the last minute and caught Teddy’s foot and twisted it and he fell and the knife fell out of his hand. Rick sprang to his feet and kicked away the knife. Teddy was also on his feet and he came at Rick, who hit him in his belly and Teddy grunted. Rick remembering that the man wasn’t a fist fighter delivered left and right combinations to Teddy’s belly. Teddy was sagging on his feet and Rick slapped his face several times before hammering his midsection and seeing that the man wasn’t falling, he kneed him in his belly. Teddy was rocking on his feet before Rick kicked him in his belly and then chopped him at the side of his head and Teddy collapsed to the ground and lay still.
Celia seeing Rick’s defeat of Teddy elbowed Bilton in his belly forcing him to let her go and she ran to her man.
“Are you all right, Rick?” she asked, seeing the blood on his shirt sleeve but Bilton was bearing down on them.
“Hey boy, you’ve beaten up Teddy. I’m going to show Celia how brave you really are,” he shouted.
Rick put Celia behind him as he prepared to face Bilton.
“Back away, guy, this is between Teddy and me. I’d warn you to go about your business,” Rick warned.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? You’d probably go around boasting of having beaten us up,” Bilton said and swung a fist at Rick, which the latter ducked.
Rick knew that his only chance against Bilton was to avoid his fists and not get into a wrestling match with him. While in Miami he had boxed in his college gym against several Cubans and they always concentrated on your midsection and Bilton’s protruding belly was a good candidate for his punches.
Rick ducked another punch from Bilton and hooked him in his belly. He moved out and kept moving away from Bilton, who was beginning to get frustrated at not being able to hit Rick. Rick came in fast and delivered two blows to Bilton’s midsection and moved away. Bilton came down fast on Rick in an effort to hold him and probably wrestle him to the ground. Rick sidestepped him and hooked him in his belly. Rick seeing the wind going out of Bilton came in fast and let off several punches to Bilton’s midsection.
Bilton charged him again, but Rick sidestepped him and put out a foot which tripped the man. Bilton lay prostrate on the ground, finally raising himself up and Rick came at him again hitting him several times in his belly before the man fell again. This time Rick waited for him to get up while glancing at the seemingly unconscious Teddy. Bilton took his time to get to his feet and Rick could see that the man was almost out on his feet. Rick moved in for the kill, delivering blows to all parts of Bilton’s body. Rick slapped his face several times and then kicked him in his belly and Bilton collapsed to the ground and lay still.
Celia had in the meantime taken out her camera-phone and was filming the whole incident and it was her shout that saved Rick as Teddy was bearing down on him with the wrench. Rick ducked under the wrench and kicked Teddy in his belly and the man fell to the ground screaming, the wrench flying out of his hand. Rick was over him in a second and drew him up.
Rick held Teddy in his waist while glancing over at Bilton but the man was still out and posed no immediate threat.
“Listen guy, Celia is my woman. Do you understand? She has always been my woman, so get that into your head and stop stalking her. She doesn’t want you and if you ever so much as call her or do her anything you’re going to have me to deal with,” Rick shouted at him before pushing him away.
A couple of motorists who had stopped to watch the fight came up to Rick and congratulated him before going to their vehicles and driving away.
“Come, Celia, let’s go home and leave these scums where they are, if they want to report it to the police that’s their business. But we have the evidence on tape to nail them,” Rick said taking Celia’s hand.
Teddy watched them go. He knew he was in deep trouble. He hadn’t reported to the police station to be interviewed by the Corporal investigating the case. He had lavished huge amounts of money on Celia and her friends. He had gone to bed with her friend, Carrie Newsome and Celia had caught them together and stopped talking to him. When Rick returned to Jamaica he had threatened to tell him about their affair if she didn’t start sleeping with him again. She had met him on a few occasions, but steadfastly refused to go to bed with him. When she and Rick were breaking up she had sought him out, but again refused his advances. He had decided to put the pressure on Rick and force him to leave her.
He looked at Bilton, the latest card he had played on Rick and Celia and had lost out. Bilton had charged him thirty thousand dollars to beat up Rick. He still owed him twenty five thousand dollars of that money. A thought came to him as he saw the wrench lying on the ground and then he saw a huge stone nearby. He could use it to bash in Bilton’s head. At least he wouldn’t have to pay him that twenty-five thousand dollars. He knew that despite the abundance of cell phones there were still a few call boxes around from which he could report the murder as an anonymous witness of course. He would also describe the car and the man and woman he saw leaving the murder scene.
Teddy went for the stone before another thought struck him. Celia had been filming the whole scene. How would he explain his presence there? He walked away to his car in disgust. He hoped that Bilton never regained consciousness at least that would take care of Rick. But if they thought they had gotten rid of him they were making a serious mistake as he still had one more card to play. Bilton was regaining consciousness when Teddy drove off.
Celia was able to bandage up Rick’s arm as it wasn’t a big cut. That morning when they made love she didn’t hold back, but gave fully of herself as they went on and on finally crashing against each other in a crescendo of sounds and emotions. Celia was the first to stir in the afterglow of their lovemaking.
“I think we should report it to the police,” she said for about the third time since the fight.
Rick got up and went to take off the condom.
“Darling, I’ll report it later on today, we’ll even give them the pictures to watch,” he told her as he came into the bed and lay beside her.
“I’m sorry for what happened.”
“Stop blaming yourself. There are people out there who feel that the world is against them,” he said. “I’m afraid Teddy is one of those persons.”
“I feel so tired. I want to get some more sleep. After those terrible events and then to have come back here and enjoyed ourselves the way we did I know that we’re going to make it.”
“Of course we are, I mean things have happened, but never enough to tear us apart. I think we belong together despite the challenges we’ve been through.”
“Yes, darling,” Celia said before dropping off to sleep again. Rick watched her fall asleep.
Teddy had shown himself to be a coward and the same could be said about Bilton. Even if Teddy now called Celia and issued threats she would know to ignore them or tell him. He and Dorine Binghey had been out once and he had been giving serious consideration to dropping Celia and going with her. But he had to pay special tribute to Celia for although they hadn’t been on speaking terms she had made it her duty to ensure that if she wasn’t coming up their helper who came in on Wednesdays knew what to do. She would also call and give him instructions on preparing his meals. Dorine had called him twice this week, but he had turned her down. He didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Celia. He knew that although he was in his late twenties, he wanted a steady relationship with a woman that would lead to marriage. He knew that even if he had gone with Dorine it wouldn’t have lasted long. Those girls were hot and usually although they weren’t promiscuous, no far from it, went for the hottest guy around town and he wasn’t sure he could keep up with them. Celia could also party plus she was a homemaker and knew how to take care of a man. Rick turned off the lights and got into bed beside his woman, shortly he was snoring.
***
The fourth memorial service for Byron and his four friends took place at the St. Ann’s Bay Church of God. Many of the relatives and friends of all five men attended and the church was overflowing. The Minister, the Reverend Garnet Coleman, gave a rousing sermon and prayed that the bodies of the men would be found so that the family could finally have closure.
***
Selwyn had visited Jenna and they were seated on the front patio of her apartment. He took some sips of his champagne and relaxed.
“It’s a good thing that I have this teaching job that I can spend this long out here.”
“Do you get paid during the holidays?”
“We don’t get paid.”
“Jenna, when I looked back, I realize that I was in the wrong. For one thing, I was gone from you and you weren’t hearing from me. Maybe you got angry and decided to have an affair with this Robert and then this guy Brad.”
“Don’t forget about Sean Castel.”
Selwyn took some more of his drink.
“I think I was a coward. I should have stood by you, but I shrank back fearing what my family might think. Are you willing to change Jaimie’s name back to Wynter?”
Tears came into Jenna’s eyes and she had to fight hard not to begin shedding them.
“He’ll want to know why his name’s been changed and why Robert isn’t his father anymore.”
“But remember that he told Brad that I was his father.”
“I didn’t tell him that you were his father, Selwyn,” Jenna said.
“Neither did I,’’ Selwyn reiterated.
Both of them were left to marvel at how Jaimie knew that Selwyn was his father.
“He’s very intelligent. He’s sure to have noticed the resemblance he bore for you.”
“That’s why I feel so bad. But I’ll make it up to him.”
Selwyn put his arms across her shoulder.
We’ll have to do a deed poll. I’ll have to check out the cost and how long it will take.”
“By what date is Kailen supposed to come up?”
Jenna told him by the end of September. He told her that he wanted her to get a feel of the country as this would be the Fall. Jenna agreed and in the meantime she would start the deed poll for Jaimie. Selwyn left pleased that all the issues between himself and Jenna were finally settled.
***
Corporal Bayliss banged his fist on the desk after he finished watching the pictures that Celia had given him. He decided to put out a call for his colleagues to apprehend both Bilton Francis and Steadman Pryce. He was even more peeved that Teddy hadn’t reported at the station for him to interview him regarding that first fight. Both Rick and Celia were advised to bring charges against both Teddy and Bilton.
***
Bilton had recovered enough to drive home, but that Sunday he had gone to see a doctor, telling him that he and his woman had a fight. The doctor told him that his woman was very strong to have inflicted the kind of blows that Bilton had received to his body. The prescription had almost cost him five thousand dollars and he didn’t have a health card he being a free-lance enforcer. That would almost bring his bill for Teddy to pay back to the original thirty thousand dollars.
Teddy had employed his services telling him that this Uptown man was trying to date his woman and he wanted him to warn him off. Bilton had no idea that the man could fight like that. Then Teddy had gone to fight the man first, probably in an attempt to impress the woman.
Bilton searched the whole day Sunday for Teddy but to no avail. The man’s cell phone was giving him his mailbox. It was an angry and frustrated Bilton, who headed for home that Sunday evening having failed to find Teddy. His woman complained earlier in the day of not having any money to cook much less to buy snacks for their three children. Earlier they had quarrelled when she saw the amount of bruises on his face and later on his body. She said that he should go and look a proper job instead of trying to settle other people’s quarrels for them. Bilton knew that they would probably quarrel half the night.
***
Teddy was using another phone. He had no intention of paying Bilton. The man was a fool and obviously a coward. If Bilton insisted on getting his money he would get somebody to beat him up for a much lesser amount. He would get a gun and go after Rick and Celia probably taking away Celia from Rick at gunpoint. What he knew was that he wouldn’t face Rick again without a gun. He reached May Pen at five that evening intent on going to Albert Deacon’s hideout in Four Paths and negotiate with him over the purchase of a gun. He would then find out where Celia was, go there and take her away and when Rick came looking for her he would shoot him.
***
Brad was about to leave his office that Wednesday evening. Rick had told him of his fight with Teddy and Bilton. From all accounts Rick had beaten up the two men. Bilton was in custody and a warrant had been issued for Teddy’s arrest. Brad was about to take up his briefcase and car keys when his desk telephone rang. Morgana had gone home early complaining of a terrible headache.
Jenna was on the line.
“Brad, how are you? Do you know who’s calling you? Don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten my voice already.”
“Of course not, so how are you, Jenna?”
“I’m doing all right I guess, everything’s fine. Jaimie and Kailen ask for you all the time. You knew that Kailen’s papers have come through. Jaimie and I’ll be going up to spend about two weeks with Selwyn. Jaimie will miss those days in school but his teacher has promised to email me all the class work he’ll miss.”
“I’m glad to hear that you’re going up, if only for that short time. I hope that everything will be all right with you. Say hello to Jaimie and Kailen for me. I’ll probably come to visit you and them one day this week,” Brad told her. In his heart he knew that he was lying and he wouldn’t go to see them. Both he had Jenna had made hard decisions and they had to stick by them.
“That would be very nice of you. I’m sure we’d all love that. You can phone and tell us when you’re coming.”
“I’ll do that and bye for now,” Brad said before hanging up. He picked up his briefcase and car keys and headed out intending to stop at Morgana’s home before going home.
***
Robert patted Bobbette’s protruding stomach as they lay on the bed.
“All the while I knew she was lying,” Bobbette said.
She was of course referring to Jenna and what Robert had told her about her. Robert was trying to come to terms with the fact that Jenna had another boyfriend in Selwyn Wynter. He had seen the guy around, but had no idea that he and Jenna were lovers. What was even more shocking to him was the fact that Jenna was married to the guy. She had confessed that he migrated a few days before they became lovers.
“I didn’t know that she was seeing that guy and was actually married to him.”
“So why didn’t she just give her husband the child?”
“Apparently their families are bitter enemies. That’s what she told me.”
“So what happened to Brad, oh my gosh, I can just imagine how he felt.”
“He’s now seeing Morgana. She broke off with Stewart after catching him in bed with April.”
“That’s the girl he brought to our wedding. I was always encouraging him to settle down with Morgana, but somehow I got the feeling that she went for Brad.”
“So what will happen to Jenna now?”
“All the while her sister was filing for Kailen so I suppose her husband will be filing for her and Jaimie. When she goes up, I suppose they will rekindle their marriage. I hope you don’t mind what has happened, Bobbette,” Robert said, sitting up and looking down at the floor.
“No, I’m really sorry it happened, but now you’ve explained everything to me, I think I can forgive her and ask you to do the same.”
“Let’s go down to Jimmy Chang and chill out a bit. I feel like sleeping until tomorrow, but I’m not going to indulge in self pity,” Robert said to Bobbette.
“As I said you’ve got to forgive her. You’ve lost Jaimie, but you have a baby growing in my stomach that you put there. And very soon you’ll be a father again.”
Bobbette saw the broad smile on Robert’s face and knew that he appreciated what she had just said.
“Let’s go and get ready then.”
“Okay, but I’ll just sit on a chair and watch you guys play,” Bobbette said as they began to get ready.
***
Glen was in Lavern’s Place on Hope Road having lunch when Leona walked in and sat opposite him.
“Wait, what are you doing here, Leona?”
“I want to talk to you. Where is your girlfriend? If she’s around it can stay for another day.”
“Bev’s at home. Why did you have to pick a fight with her?”
“I was very angry and felt that the rumors about you and her were true.”
“Okay, do you want some lunch?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’m only half way through my lunch. Do you want something to drink?”
“I’ll have a hot soda,” she replied. Glen called a waiter over and ordered a soda for her.
When Glen finished eating, he and Leona went outside and sat in his jeep. Her car was parked nearby.
“What’s so secretive that you couldn’t say it in the restaurant?”
She looked away from him and then drank some of her soda, which she had taken with her. For a moment Glen thought she wasn’t going to answer him.
“I’m pregnant,” she replied. Glen felt his pulse racing. He and she had broken up more than two months now and it had been a month before that in April when he last had sex with her and he had always used protection.
“So what does that mean?” he asked. In his teens he had given a girl, Aileen Nothover, money, to have an abortion, but then Aileen was seventeen and he, eighteen and both of them were still in school.
“I’m not accusing you of getting me pregnant. I’m just saying that I’m pregnant and I want your help. I want to do an abortion.”
“Who’s the father of your child?”
“You know who it is. If you can’t help me, tell me and let me go my way.”
Glen knew that if he helped Leona to abort her baby, he would be in a way responsible for anything that happened to her. What would Bev think if she found out?
Glen felt that he ought to be angry. So she was really along with Duncan. There had been times when he had felt like hauling up Duncan and asking him about her.
“You know something if I was a different kind of guy I’d just push you out of my jeep and drive off.”
“I only began seeing Dunan after we started quarrelling and you wouldn’t let me live with you.”
“I think you’re lying. Why can’t you speak the truth, Leona? I believe you’re taking me for a fool.”
“I’m not and if you don’t want to help me I’ll just be on my way.”
“I think you had better go. I don’t know why you came to me. Maybe you thought you could pin it on me, but you know you can’t, so why come to me?”
She opened the van door and stepped out, but he grabbed her hand and drew her back into the vehicle and closed the door.
Glen was still fuming. After a while, he calmed down.
“Do your parent’s know?”
“Only Duncan and I know and now you.”
“So why is he refusing to help you?”
“He’s denying paternity and saying that I should give it to you.”
“How far advanced are you?”
“Two weeks, I’ve done all the tests.”
“So, Duncan doesn’t want to stand up to his responsibilities. It’s a pity that school’s out. I’ll get some of those guys and together we’ll talk to him. Men are more confidential than women at least some men are.”
“I don’t want any trouble or scandal.”
“Nothing like that will happen. You know that we had to do the same thing to Janice Barrow’s boyfriend, Dirk Harris and he eventually stood by her.”
Leona nodded, she remembered the whole episode.
“Leona if you knew you were pregnant, why did you go to fight Bev?”
“I didn’t know at the time and it hasn’t affected me.”
Leona thanked Glen and left and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that he had to brief Bev on this latest development.
When Glen reached home, he decided to call Bev. He didn’t feel like he was doing anything wrong. He and Leona had just come out of a relationship and he and Bev were in one now. He felt he had a duty to tell her about Leona’s pregnancy and what he knew. He didn’t want her hearing about it from somebody else.
***
Bev was in her room, she just had a bath and was fixing up her hair.
“Bev, how are you?”
“I’m okay, I thought you were coming by me later on.”
“Yes, I was planning to do that. It’s just that I saw Leona this afternoon and she told me that she was pregnant.”
Bev felt a weakness in her belly. She stopped fixing up her hair.
“What did you say? Leona’s pregnant for you.”
“I didn’t say anything like that.”
Bev took up the comb she had dropped.
“But you were her boyfriend up to about two months ago.”
“During the whole of that time she was also seeing Duncan Sawyers. The last time I had sex with her was about three months ago and I always used protection. She says it’s Duncan but he doesn’t want to own up.”
“So what is she going to do?”
“She was begging me to help her, but I told her that I would get some of those guys and confront Duncan and let him live up to his responsibilities.”
“You’re right I’d like to go with you guys.”
“We were thinking of only us guys, but I suppose you could come too as I know that you’re a confidential person.”
“If she knew she was pregnant why did she come to fight me. Do you think I could have hurt her?”
?