As we turned in to the yard with the final carload of my stuff, her son, Solo, was waiting by the black wrought-iron gate. Miss Betty had barely parked when the child was trying to open the trunk.
—Mr. Chetan. Mr. Chetan. I can lift up this suitcase. I can do it.
The suitcase was nearly as big as the child. It probably weighed more.
—Leave it, son. Let me do it and you help your mom take things from the back seat.
Miss Betty declared she was leaving the gentlemen to sort out everything and going to take a five minutes. Solo put himself in charge of settling me into the house. I was trying to unpack but the boy kept calling me. Could he show me his room? Two minutes later he wanted to explain how to operate the TV. I had barely packed a drawer when he demanded I inspect the kitchen. What to do? He was only being friendly. Solo showed me everything—down to turning on the water heater if there wasn’t enough hot water in the pipe. He was a completely different child from the morning they had stopped to give me a drop. A right little chatterbox.
—Mr. Chetan, is that the last box you’re bringing up?
—Yes. You stay. There’s nothing else to bring. Ouch. Oh jeez-and-peas that hurt!
I had stumped my so-and-so toe on the sharp edge of the concrete step. Books tumbled out the box I was carrying. A flashlight went clanking down the steps. Solo rushed to help.
—You all right, Mr. Chetan? You all right?
—My toe. Damn. That nail going to turn blue. I hit it and then the flashlight dropped on top it.
The boy ran after the flashlight and scooped up the books.
—You want ice to put on your toe?
—Don’t worry. I’ll manage.
—These steps are very dangerous. My daddy fell down these same steps and died. Right here.
—For true? Right here?
—I don’t remember anything because I was small but I know he fell down.
—I’m sorry.
—Sometimes he used to drink, get drunk and fall down.
—You mustn’t say that about your father.
—But Mammy told me that happened.
I hoped Miss Betty wasn’t listening. Her window was open so unless she was sleeping hard she must have heard. Children these days.
—I’m sure your father was a good man.
—Just please be very very, very, very careful on the steps. Okay? Especially if you come home drunk.
—You’re not going to see me drunk. I take my Carib or a Stag now and then but I’m not a drinker. And Solo, you must be careful on the step too. If I knew about your daddy’s accident I wouldn’t have let you run up and down with boxes.
—I’m accustomed to the steps. Nothing will happen to me.
He bent down and picked up a large plastic bag.
—A boy in my class said he does thief Carib beer from the fridge and drink it in the backyard.
—I hope you never do that.
—Mammy said that is the one thing she will give me licks for. I can do anything but that.
It took the both of us till evening to put everything in place. Of course I could have done it all much faster but Solo refused to leave my side. I didn’t mind and, although this boy’s blabbing nonstop, half the time he’s muttering to himself. At dinner Miss Betty acted like she hadn’t heard what Solo said about his father. Still, it bothered me. People like to run their mouth—especially when it’s nothing to do with them. No, I wouldn’t want that for these two. About half past eight I asked Solo please, let’s knock off for the day. What wasn’t put away could wait.
—Solo, you can help me again but not too early. It’s Sunday tomorrow.
—Okay. I won’t come in your room and wake you up then.
—Before you go come let me whisper something in your ears.
He smiled and came close.
—You mustn’t go around telling people that your father used to drink. It doesn’t sound nice especially since he’s passed. And it will make your mom cry.
He leaned into my ear and whispered back,
—My mammy won’t cry for that.
Friday night is pizza and TV. You should see Mr. Chetan and Solo—happy as pappy and I’m like a Wednesday in the middle. They don’t care that a film’s boring for me. If I don’t want to see the car chases and the shooting I best go in my bedroom. Funny how Mr. Chetan made it clear he was only staying by us for a few months. After a year I noticed he stopped that talk. I’m glad. He’s a help plus he’s security. People know a man living about here. I wish I could say a good-looking thing like him by we because of my charm but hands down it’s because of Solo. Them two real tight. He’s not a father but he’s a natural at fathering.
With Sunil dead and gone long time, my riding partners through thick and thin, Deedee and Gloria, are forever behind me to get out and meet people. They find I’m too young to stay home. Their thing is gambling. Two of them don’t let a weekend pass without showing their face in the casino. Well, I surprised myself and had a good time. We stuck with the slot machines them. My rule was to stop when I reached my limit. If you see games. Cash Hunter. Slotfather. Dog Ca$her. Moola Rouge. When we were fed up playing we sit down, eat we belly full, and relax we-self. Tonight we’re not going far. South City Mall has a brand-new casino. But them girls’ foot hot for so. We’ve hit casinos all about. Grand Bazaar. Couva. Penal. One time we reach quite Woodbrook. And is only Chinee people running them. How Chinee people reach from so far to open all these casinos in little Trinidad I don’t know. It must have a story behind that.
In the casino my arm started paining me bad. Gloria noticed me rubbing it.
—What happen, girl? Your arm like it giving you trouble.
—You have anything I could use?
—I have a cream. A muscle relaxer. Problem is if you put it on here, people on the other side of the casino will smell it too.
—Don’t worry then. You see from the elbow to the hand? Remember I break them two bones years ago. Every now and then it will pain me. And if rain fall? Worse yet.
I saw Deedee walking between the machines towards us. She’d been watching live roulette.
—A white fella just take them for a whole ten thousand dollars. Ten thousand. We better go make friends.
I had to laugh. Not one of us have a man and we are unlikely to find one here. The pickings these days real slim.
—You win anything, Gloria?
—Girl, tonight’s not my night. I played Wish upon a Jackpot and I tried my luck with Gold Raider but nothing doing. Must be the full moon. All you might think I’m making joke but I’ve never won a red cent when the moon full.