The house was a lovely mixture of the cutesy delicacy of a woman’s touch with a few random things left by a lethargic man. A shirt laid on the top of a sofa, while the plates organized in size like a pyramid scheme laid on the coffee table.

That coffee table separated all three of us in this living room.

I looked at the two siblings. Irwin and Nodewin, or was it Nodelyn? He was agile too, for he was able to avoid an earthenware rabbit that was flung at his head.

Irwin watched me with hatred from the adjacent room. Nodelyn paced around the coffee table that rested between the two sofas. She slowed and stared at Irwin. He frowned. The fireworks were about to go off.

“Did you steal it?” she asked.

“I did not steal anything, Nodelyn.” He looked away from us.

Okay, it was Nodelyn.

She turned and headed to the doorway. “Soon come back.” she turned.

“Where you going?” he asked.

“Your room,” she said, not looking back.

“Oy leave my room alone.”

She twirled around, “Oy is whofa house this?”

“It ain’t yours. Aunt said I can stay here,” he retorted.

“She also said you supposed to pay rent.”

“I do not have a job yet.”

“Go get one!”

He shrunk back from that.

“What is in your room?” she asked, measurably.

He averted his eyes as we all stared at him.

“You dutty bloodcloth disgusting piece of shit! You a thief again!”

Again?!

He snorted in response and kept looking away from her glare. She continued, “You, you a still thief?! Rahtid thief, you…”

Those words drowned out as I swore my hearing must have gotten fuzzy. Her voice got hoarse, distorted almost. She turned round back after a moment and that was when I saw the tears. I sighed. Hated to see it, especially with Irwin acting oblivious.

She sniffled and came back again. “We put you up and then you have the audacity to bring the same foolishness a Kingston over here suh? I had to move, because of you! I had to leave Kingston, because of you!”

Nodelyn paced, shooting the occasional death glare at her brother.

She moved? Hold up, what happened in Kingston?

His face softened, losing all that hard edge. “Do whatever you wa' do,” he replied.

I remembered seeing him in that shoes often enough. This was a small community in a small country. It was not hard to not know the person who lived next to you, much less their habits, it was rather easy.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I tried to recruit him once, never got his name, but I knew those shoes. There was no way I forget those. Once I described them to her she asked me questions. She probed me as if she was searching for something deeper than what my words conveyed.

She was a rather beautiful woman now that I think of it. Compared to him, I wondered if they had different fathers.

“Sis, me no have nothin’ like that. A lie him a tell,” he said.

“You! You expect me to believe that, how him know your shoes dutty john crow!?” she threw back at him.

She came next to me and her size around the waist made me feel I should eat more. I looked away as she asked. “You would do all this…why though?”

“He better not be expecting me to join his team,” he interjected.

She looked up over my head. “Irwin shut up.” Back to me, “You—”

“I ain’t doing it for that reason. I am doing it because they want to chop you up.” I interrupted her.

He puffed up his chest. "I have my cutlass so them can come."

Here I thought I had a running back. That's the mentality of a linebacker, a mad one at that. Still, I realized something and I had to say it. "That, that right there is what I hate to see. You are fighting over stolen goods. It ain't yours brah."

"You nuh fi say anything to me," he said.

I replied, "I shouldn’t. Let me guess. You want everything given to you or... You take it right? By any means? You got to have it? Ambition with no direction. I see youth like you all the time. Never like nothing taken from you... Well, call me badmind. Cause I’m taking that laptop. Don't like it? Take something from me then. I dare you."

He stared with parted lips. It was closed after a second, for he said nothing.

I turned to Nodelyn. "They do not know who he is. But they will find out it is him eventually. I don’t want any violence in Berry Hill. Right now things are good, the whole of us are living good?”

She brushed her cheeks drying the tears off. “Right,” Nodelyn uttered after a sniffle.

“So I just want to find the best way out for him. Because the youth them was asking Arden to help them fix your business, because they were saying it must be someone who lives in Berry Hill. Because they could not find you when you run through Mr. Parkinson’s field.”

Recruiting him on the team was still on my mind. The idea was, one good deed now, maybe he wouldn’t be resistant to it later. It was foolish thinking, but I felt being foolish was still in fashion nowadays.

“Harden…?” she said to herself.

“Arden,” I corrected her. It was pronounced R-Deen for some reason.

“Oh, is a short guy?”

My eyes widened. “Yeeeah…”

“I know him. Him used to work at the hardware up a Lacovia whe’ Campbell used to own."

“Oh ok,” I replied.

“Me always a see him round the fields, not sure if he is working,”

Trust me, he was not. I rocked my head. “Don’t think he is…but I am not sure. Not really friends with him like that.”

“He does construction. He actually made that window."

I looked at what she pointed at. Wooden frame, metal nails firmly screwed in. It was neat and looked professionally done.

“He is talented enuh. Campbell was training him and…boy me nuh know. At least him have a talent, him can find work, now and then—Unlike some long boy who a live inna this house."

Irwin kissed his teeth. I restrained the urge to laugh. His sister was a tough customer.

“If I can get the laptop, I will bring it back to the man,” I said, leaning forward.

“If they ask…” she said.

“No, I will not mention Irwin’s name. I will do it through Arden this way nobody will make no noise. Arden was sent to get it back so him can make a thing off that and Irwin get a clean conscience. Oh and throw away that shoes.”

Irwin shot me a glance and then rolled his eyes. “You nuh even find no laptop yet.”

“Because you are terrible at lying and I did saw you walk in this house with something. I was not sure what it was, I was cooking at the time. But as he described, same clothes and shoes too.” She passed me and approached closer to Irwin, who backed away with a grin. “Listen to me Irwin, go get the laptop before I take a broom and slap you with it!”

Mini-Glossary

Badmind - In reference to a person that is envious of another person's success.

Dutty - means 'dirty'

Bloodcloth - used alone or as a noun or verb in various phrases to express annoyance, contempt, or disdain. (historically means strips of cloth once used before toilet paper)

Rahtid - used alone or as a noun or verb in various phrases to express surprise, disbelief, or shock.

John Crow - A worthless human being or bottom feeder.