Page 98 of Heart Of A Goon II

“Mi know seh ‘Mommy’ better be di next word weh come outta yuh mouth.” She waved that wooden spoon in my direction.

It always made me feel good that she preferred for me to call her mommy and not by her name. A few times I slipped, and she playfully swatted and reminded me.

Since our talk in the bathroom, I had been helping her more. I figured out a way for her to use the shower. I took one of the waterproof pool chairs from the back, and put it into the shower, and it worked perfectly. She was so grateful for the small gesture. It took me less than ten minutes to come up with the idea, and she was so grateful to have some of her independence back.

“How am I going to keep your son if I cannot feed him?”

She started to light the candles in the kitchen. “You fed him scotch bonnet, right?”

“Uh huh,” I replied, waiting to see where she was going with that question. The one thing I learned was that she had a smart mouth, and I think that was what I loved the most about her.

“You tried to kill my bwoy.”

“Mommy!” I hollered out with laughter, as she joined me. She gave me back my shit, and I loved her for it.

“Sharon, you ready?” Gams came in the villa through the back. Each villa had a path that led to the next. All except Menace’s villa. You had to get on a golf cart or take the walk to get to his.

Gams was holding more candles in her arms. I helped to remove some and put them onto the counter. “Hi Sweetness… feeling alright?”

I smiled. “Yes, Gams… I could go for a cookie of yours right now.”

“Then have one.” The way she said it was like she knew something and was fishing. When she cupped my face before we boarded the jet, it gave that she suspected something.

“Gams, I’m pregnant.”

She had a wide smile on her face. “I knew it, Sweetness. Haven’t touched a drink since we been here. Congratulations, my love.”

Gams gave me a hug and reached up to kiss my cheek. “And you… welcome to the grandma’s club.”

“I’m gonna need all the advice… you’ve done the grandma thing and now the great-grandma thing.”

Gams was the glue that held the Infernos together. With cookies, wisdom and her nurturing spirit, she was what kept them together all of these years.

“I have two Carib’s on chill over in the backyard… you ready?” She chuckled and went behind Sharon’s chair to push her.

This had become their ritual almost every night. They would share a beer, sit in the back and watch the kids swim, or look out onto the beach. Since Sharon was in a chair, she couldn’t get onto the beach. Instead, she settled for being so close that she could smell the salty ocean water.

“Just leave me in the dark then,” I sulked, faking with my hands crossed.

Gams put her hand onto her thick hip. “Go wake up the girls. Between them and their husbands, all they have been doing is sleeping. I’ve had to force them to eat… wake em up and sit on the beach.”

They needed their sleep, and I didn’t want to disturb them. I wasn’t there to know what went on, so I wasn’t about to be the annoying friend who forced them up. Long as they were here and safe, that was good with me.

“We have tomorrow… I’m gonna shower and try to nap. Call me when you bring her back home?”

Gams nodded. “Get some rest then, Sweetness. Thanksgiving will still go on… I will use the grill if I need to, to heat things up. Are your brothers joining us for dinner for a change?”

“I’ll check with them.”

“We have the space…. They’re welcome to join us.”

Don and Navy wouldn’t mind walking over and having dinner. I wasn’t sure about Menace and Stevie. While Stevie would be excited to come over, I wasn’t sure about Menace.

“Have fun,” I called behind them as I closed the door and finished lighting all the candles.

While lighting candles in Sharon’s room, I gathered her laundry to toss it in the washer. Crossing through the living room, the view from the huge bay windows stopped me in my tracks. With the laundry basket hiked under my arm, my mouth was open as I took all of it in.

The sky swirled in this periwinkle gray color. The clouds were dark and heavy, and the once blue ocean no longer appeared to be blue. It mimicked the sky above it, which worried me.