She was being carried to that dark cold place.

That place that filled her with fear.

That place where invisible ugly dead looking people lived.

She felt his strong arms carrying her there.

She wrapped her legs around his hips so she would not fall and as he walked to that place, she watched the scenery pass her by.

Then, she felt the pain and began to cry.   

 

 

Her eyes open wide; she sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around her.

This isn’t a dream, she thought, it is a memory.

Her phone rang.

She glanced at the name of the caller and sighed.

It was him.

She ignored the call.

It wasn’t wise to answer; they would only end up in an argument.

Besides, she knew that she hadn’t gone back to him even though she had slept with him the night before.

The sadness crept upon her as she sat there trying to get a grip of her thoughts.

 

Some years ago, it was as though her mind had opened on a whole new level, a level where she couldn’t comprehend.

Her brain felt like it was short circuiting all the time.

Aside from all the other weird things she was feeling and seeing, her thoughts seemed to be going too fast for her to even think straight and she was remembering things in detail that she didn’t even know she could remember. Not to mention how her body had started to function.

 

This had been happening for years now, these dreams, nightmares, “knowings” and visions which even occur when she was awake.

 

It only got worse when she spent time with him.

Things only got worse when she spent time with him.

She knew deep down in her heart; it wasn’t wise allowing him to visit, seeing that they were not together anymore but she kept on hoping that this time it would be different.

It hadn’t been different.

 

She slipped out of the bed and began to clean the house. 

 

 

Tristan ended the call and resisted the urge to throw the phone at the wall. He had been calling the whole damn day. She was not answering. He knew what that meant. Why the hell does he keep on doing this to himself, he asked himself. He should leave her alone. She keeps on leaving him anyway. It is clear what she wants is to be left alone. He glanced over at the guys waiting on him in the car and made a decision. 

 

 

September 28, 2011 

Wednesday – 7:15 am

 

Although I saw Tristan that night during the election campaign, I really spoke to him on Christmas Eve at a Christmas Eve party that’s really when his and my life became entwined. Let me try to tell you this detail by detail. 

          It was in the afternoon, Christmas Eve day 1997; I was out at Auntie Bobbette’s gate waiting anxiously to see the bicycle man riding towards me with the food we had ordered from Burger Castle. Although the name suggests burgers, that wasn’t what we had ordered. We had ordered rice and peas and curry mutton which I had not eaten in a long while. Added to that, I was extremely hungry, so I was waiting impatiently for the delivery guy to show up. I was outside there at the gate when Johnny drove by, honked his horn and shouted for Sammy. She didn’t hear him. He saw me and handed the two invitations to me instead. “Tell her to come” he begged, and I immediately asked if I could come too. He hesitated then shook his head, “sure, you can come” he said. 

Justin and Ryan had called several hours before, to tell us that they were on their way from Kingston. Justin had invited me to go with them (he and Ryan) to the grand market kept in Brownstown, St. Ann every year. Well that was before they moved it to Falmouth square some years ago, back then the grand market was always kept in Brownstown. I have never been to the grand market but had always wanted to go. However that year, I thought it wise to go to the party instead of going out with Ryan and Justin. 

You know, I need to tell you a thing or two about Justin and me. Give you a rough history of our relationship. Well, bring you up to speed as to why I thought it wise to go to a party instead of going with Justin and his friend to the grand market, an event that I had always wanted to experience. Hell, I will talk to you about Justin a little bit later when I feel strong and brave enough to talk about him and when it doesn’t hurt so much to talk about him. For now suffice it to say, I thought it was wiser to go to the party than go with Justin and Ryan. In retrospect, maybe I should have gone with Ryan. For sure, my life would have taken a different turn; I would have chosen a different path. Well that is if there is no preordained destiny for each one of us, right. 

 

 

Her phone alarm went off and she pushed the notepad away.

This will have to wait.

I must get out of the house today!

Today I must go to Falmouth, she reprimanded herself.

She hadn’t ventured out of the house for days.

 

The sinking feeling of trepidation gripped her.

What would she face once she stepped out of her house today? She wondered. What would she come home to find? She asked herself.

 

She would come out of the house.

She should not allow the same thing to happen again, Alex reminded herself. 

 

Alexandria Prescott mentally shook off the feeling of fear and foreboding and went to get ready.

 

It was Wednesday. The busiest day of the week in Falmouth. Added to the usual ‘bend down day’ event that happens every Wednesday, where people from as far as Kingston and as near as Martha Brae came to buy and sell their wares, there was now two cruise ships docked at the Falmouth Pier and tourists were being ferried up and down the streets.

 

A taxi swerved around the corner and Alexandria jumped out of its way.

She slammed the taxi door shut and quickly apologized to the driver who had started to cuss.

She had slammed the door too hard, he complained.

 

Alexandria sighed, yes, my day has begun.

 

She gave a grateful smile, and mouthed a thank you, at the male driver who had slowed down for her to cross and rushed across the main road.

Upon crossing, through the corner of her eyes, she noticed the antique looking sign at the front of Martha’s supermarket and quickly glanced around her, looking at all the shop signs.

She frowned.

They were all done in the same black and white Georgian style frames and looked ancient. Falmouth has changed since the last time I came here, only three weeks ago, she thought.

 

Actually, the big changes were made to the town of Falmouth several months ago in March when the Falmouth Pier was officially declared open. However, little things were still changing in Falmouth daily. Alexandria was just noticing some of these changes.

 

She walked around to the Falmouth square.

It took her breath away.

The old water fountain was spraying water and no longer looked old!

 

There were now beautifully decorated signs posted at the water fountain and at the Albert George Market. 

Flowers were strategically planted at different locations to give the square a garden look and the square now had old brick tiled floor and even chairs for people to sit on.

 

Alexandria was impressed.

 

It was a great improvement from the last time she had seen it; old, dirty and trodden down, the new look made even the business place located in the square looked well, particularly the furniture store Courts, painted in yellow and blue and the National Commercial Bank, NCB also painted in yellow and blue.

 

What a pity it was only fixed up because tourist would be coming here, she thought.

 

Alexandria walked around the square reading the signs.

 

The signs planted at the fountain informed her that Falmouth was the first parish to receive piped water even before New York.

It also stated that the Falmouth water square was also the original Sunday marketplace where the enslaved slaves and later peasants sold their provisions giving the location its second name which was Market Square.

It mentioned that “the market remains a major shopping event particularly the Wednesday bend-down market”.

Alexandria sighed and wondered why they didn’t state that bend-down was given its name because at the time of its inception, all items were normally located on the ground and people had to “bend down” to pick them up to look at or buy.

That would be interesting information for the tourist, she thought.

The next sign planted at the Albert George Market informed Alexandria that the Albert George Market was more than a hundred years old and was once the largest market in the country. The market was named after the grandsons of Queen Vitoria. Another thing we got from Britain, Alexandria thought as she walked away from the sign.

 

Market Street was busy, crowded with tourist from the cruise ship and with the locals who were busy going about their daily life. The street was filled with colours, white, black and brown people dressed in assorted styles, colors and fashions.

 

Alexandria was standing out at the Falmouth post office.

 

She looked around her wearily and joined the throng of locals who were on their way to work. She stared at the many buses parked on the street side, lining one side of the road from one intersection to the next, listened and watched as the men shouted at their prospective passengers trying to coerce them into choosing their bus to take them to their destination and felt confused and unsure of where she was going. She saw one of the guys they often referred to as the back-up boys for the buses and went over to him. 

“Prescott!” he cried out,

 “Yuh goin to Mobay?” Alex shook her head in reply and asked,

 “Where is the Hague taxis?” 

“Ovah deh soh” He pointed to the gas station.

“Thanks!” Alexandria didn’t know his name.          

“Prescott, you know you still look good.” He said in parting as he smiled at her.

Alexandria smiled as the words “still look good” echoed in her head and darted across the road to where the Hague taxis were parked.  

 

In the early 70’s to late 80’s, Hague district was considered the place to live by those of the poorer Falmouth residents’ second generation educated children. Then, Hague was considered a suburban community who prided themselves in being middle class, educated professionals who were constantly striving to be in a better financial and social position than their forefathers.

 

When the then P.J. Patterson led government with the aid of the Chinese contractors started building the highway 2000 road that ran pass Hague district the community had already increased in numbers but not of the correct kind of community members, in the older resident’s opinion.

 

At the time of the inception of the building of the Highway 2000 road, the government was faced with the problem of relocating many of the squatters from the surrounding area where the road was going to be located.

 

Though the government had the right to throw the squatters off government owned land.

 

The squatters had nowhere to live.

 

After many quarrels and demonstrations by these squatters and the public at large, the government finally made provisions for the squatters by relocating them to government land that was in Hague.

 

Hague like Falmouth was now going through some major social changes. Nevertheless, it remains a relatively small community that keeps on growing which houses the only pepper factory in the community and its environs as well as several dilapidated garment factories ran by couple overseas companies, heavily backed by government funds.

 

 

 

Alexandria paid the taxi driver the fare and slipped out of the front seat of the car. The taxi driver handed her the change and asked, 

        “Do you know what a man needs?” Alexandria laughed and replied.

         “No, I definitely don’t know what a man needs, Simon.”

        “Alright, I will tell you the next time mi see yuh.” Simon said as he slammed the car door shut.

 

 Alexandria sighed and slowly walked into her mother’s restaurant.

No, she definitely didn’t know what a man needs. 

 

 

Rosalind Thompson was having a lousy day.

Her only employee had called in sick, which meant that she had to call in sick at her job again for there was no one else to operate the little restaurant & bar establishment that she had running.

Alexandria wasn’t dependable but Rosalind had called her on the off chance that she could come help her out.

 

Alex walked into the restaurant and Rosalind smiled, Adonia was glowing today. She looked radiant as though a light was surrounding her and emanating from deep within.

 

It wasn’t often anymore that she saw her child glow like this. Love and pride rushed through her heart. She resisted the urge to rush to her child and cuddle her, protecting her from the world and everything in it so that she could keep on glowing and said instead. 

            “Adonia, mi glad yuh cum!” Alex threw her bag in the chair and looked around. She didn’t want to be here; she was already feeling it those awful feelings that always swamped her the moment she stepped into her mother’s restaurant. 

          “Yuh alright?” Rosalind watched the light emanating from Alex dissipated and began to worry. 

          “Just the thing that always happen when I am here, I will be alright” She assured her mother. 

“So, what’s wrong with Enid?” 

“The same ting whey always wrong with Enid me need somebody else fi run di restaurant.” 

“Mama Rosa yuh deh yah?” Alex frowned, shook her head as her mother motioned to her to go serve the customer and silently begged her mother to go instead. “Please just give me five minutes and I will be ready to help.” She whispered.  

 

 

“Mi caan believe it seh di prime minister resign man, a him mi when vote fah.” The young man stopped talking, laughed, took the joint from behind his ear, pulled the lighter from his pocket and lit the joint.  

“ You know, seh a di first time me a vote!”

After taking two puffs he handed it to Tristan. Tristan handed it to Tommy who was leaning against the car. 

“You vote fi him cause yuh a idiot, mi maddah seh a only two kinda people vote fi JLP di very rich and di idiot dem.” Tommy took a draw.

“you nuh rich so you a one a di idiot dem.” Tommy deduced as he took another draw from the joint.

“Mi when vote fi PNP, me when vex when dem nay win.” A young man in the group said laughing hysterically as he puffed heavily on the spliff.

 

A heated argument about politics ensued between the two men until Tommy cut them off by saying,

 

“Wha yuh a seh you can’t believe, him an Shaw get enough money out ah poor people, him can afford to resign, mi wish me when have sum a dat deh MILLIONS dem get from IMF, you know wha me would ah do wid dat deh money deh bwoy.”

Tommy grinned and looked up in the sky, as the others laughed and agreed that they could use couple millions, even couple hundred thousand would do.

Bradley felt the need to state the obvious. 

“But ah Shaw dem ah seh ah go run di country next” He took the joint and took a long draw passing it back to the young man standing beside Tristan.

  “So him musn’t noh get enough money yet” another crackle of laughter from the group.

“Or Holness, mi nevah see him as a man fi run di country, him caant even run di education system well and dat a fi him ministry”

Another marijuana joint was lit and started making the rounds as the conversation continued. 

“Fuck!”

“Mi when know seh Golding would ah in a shit from him give up Dudus, Golding own ah people dem a ton pan him an him know seh Christopher Dudus a go give di Americans dem all di information about him, soh it wise fi him fi resign before dat happen.”

 

Tristan inhaled the scent of the marijuana.

He liked the scent of it even though he did not smoke.

Someone handed him a beer, he took a sip and nodded in agreement with the group of young men who surrounded him. 

“From him go in ah power him bruck all him promises to di poor people and di youths dem.” The young man said as he blew out smoke creating circles in the air.

“Whey di free education deh?”

“It noh free at all and whey di new jobs dem deh?”

“Whey dem deh!”

“Lawd deh gyal yah deh come up di road look good!” Tommy slapped Bradley on the back jumping up and down excitedly and shouted,

“Gyal yuh a say one, yuh look good eeeh”

“I would take you home to meet my mother.” Bradley added and the other men began to whistle, laugh and jeer. 

“Hi Mr. Davis” The girl called out, smiling sweetly as she passed the men. 

“Soh ah so you a do it, you ah go dis me soh,” Tommy gave his bad man stance,

“a only Davis you see out yah?”

He held out his hands for a touch from the girl and screwed up his face to show his disapproval when she only laughed and passed him by.  

 

Tristan’s phone started ringing he glanced down at the number and automatically felt guilty.

He walked away from the crowd and answered the phone. 

 

 

Tristan walked over to the old bus stop which was in front of the Courts building and looked around for Alex.

She was not there.

He was about to call her when he saw her across the road, chatting to two men. He walked over to her and picked up one of the heavy bags at her feet. Greeted the men and asked Alex if she was ready. 

            “Thanks for coming Tristan,”

Kurt took up the other bag as Brian said goodbye.

Tristan began to walk towards where the buses were now located.

 “I didn’t have anyone else to call.” she explained apologetically.

They walked to where the buses were at. A barrage of backup boys surrounded them. One tried to take Alex’s bag intent on placing her in the bus he was loading.

Alexandria began to act weird, seemed confused and unsure as to which bus to take.

Ignoring the guys’ comments and calls to come into whichever bus they were packing, Tristan led the way.

He was getting angry, upset even.

Alexandria was acting weird again.

He hated taking the bus, hated when the backup boys acted that way and by now, he should own a car, picking her up and driving her home not taking public transportation.

Alexandria was never alert, he fumed, she took any bus and that could get her in trouble and he was tired of her acting weird, of her trying to control his very existence, of her taking things for granted, of her never listening to him, of her being stubborn and, and, and…there were so many things wrong with her! 

 

Alex slipped out of the vehicle and took the bag that the conductor handed her. She slowly walked behind Tristan and watched him walk ahead of her.

The dog ran out to meet him, jumped on him excitedly.

Tristan barked a command to the dog which went unheeded. 

 “Alex hurry and open di door noh!” Tristan commanded.

 Alex tried to get the dog to move instead.

 Tristan got even more upset. 

 “Just open the damn door!” he shouted.

 Alex gave him a look, slowly found the key, and open the door. 

“Look at that you always have to do your own thing.” He dumped the bag on the floor and glared at her. 

“I was just trying to help.” Alexandria explained. 

“How yuh a go help?” he asked, “All you needed to do is open the door so I could get in the house and away from the dog.”

Alexandria sighed she knew it made no sense explaining to Tristan what she could have done.

He would not believe her and there was no proof. 

“I could have helped.” Alexandria said firmly and began to unpack the goods from out of the bags.

 “The dog would have listened to me if you”

“You have done the worst thing possible” Tristan declared.

He stared at her with hatred. 

“How you think that mek me feel?” 

Alexandria was beginning to think that Tristan was on something. Sometimes he seemed to get into such a rage for the slightest thing she said or do, things that she just could not understand why they got him so mad. 

 “You slept with Justin, you fucking whore!” His voice was loud enough for the neighbors to hear.

 “Alex yuh play me, you fucking bitch!” Alex instantly felt embarrassed and ashamed. 

“And wha you doh?” Alex shouted. 

“Nuttin as bad as you, yuh in love wid him, fuck!”

          “And yuh just call me when yuh need me like me noh have feelings, me tired a you a use me.” Tristan slammed the door shut.

 

 

Alex stood in stunned silence and disappointment.

She was hoping that Tristan would stay.

She had wanted to spend some time with him.

She curved the urge to run after him and slumped down unto the floor.

Tristan hates me, she acknowledged. 

I will not call him again she promised herself.

With that resolve, she pulled herself up off the floor and began to unpack the grocery bags.

 

But Alexandria Prescott had never been good at keeping that promise.

 

Prologue        Ch. 2       Next chapter