On Time (Persaud Girl)

by Teisha Mott

  Her only angst now – and it was not even a proper angst – was that Matt had yet to say the words ‘love’ and ‘girlfriend’. It was not that she needed to hear those words, Klao thought. She knew that Matt loved her. Everything he did and said proved it. And as far as everyone who knew them was concerned, she was his girlfriend. Klao’s mind returned to earlier that evening…

  They had decided earlier in the week that they would drive Klao’s CRV to Montego Bay for the twins’ party. Yes, they could fly down like everybody else, but had silently agreed that they would prefer to take the three hour drive alone -- just the two of them and Minx. Matt decided on Friday morning that, since Klao was usually very inept at servicing her car, he would take it in to Marvin’s garage for a general service before the trip. Of course Marvin would not allow any of his workers to touch Klao’s car, so Matt had been stuck at the garage, and Klao had been stuck at the office. Eventually, Mary came to the rescue by coming to pick her up.

  “I shouldn’t even come for you!” Mary declared. “You are spiriting off with my brother to Montego Bay and you couldn’t even ask if I wanted to come!”

  “You would say that you had to work on the wedding and mark papers and write this weekend!” Klao pointed out. That was Mary’s excuse for everything. Now that school was back in session, all she ever did was mark papers, work on her thesis, and plan Bianca’s wedding. Even Sheena got left out, although, Klao noticed, Sheena did not blame UWI, but actually blamed her. She had been feeling the chill around Sheena for weeks!

  “Whatever!” Mary brushed her off, as she guided the Suzuki Swift up Marescaux Road. “What time Matt said you guys would leave?”

  “By eight thirty…” Klao told her.

  “Good!” Mary smiled wickedly. “Because I am kidnapping you!”

  “Kidnapping me?” Klao was confused. “Where are you taking me?”

  “Choir practice!” Mary said the words as though they were synonymous with ‘Chateau D’If’!

  “Choir practice?” Klao repeated incredulously. She glanced at the sky and wondered whether it would snow in Kingston. Despite her remarkable singing voice, Mary abhorred the idea of singing in the choir. St. Andrew had a ton of choirs for her – the youth choir, led by Mary’s nemesis, Georgia Maragh; the senior choir (that Mary called ‘the old people’s choir’), the mass choir, that anyone of any age could join, and the women’s choir. Mary never refused a solo for church, but always had a plethora of excuses when approached to join a choir. “Which choir practice are you going?”

  “Youth choir!” Mary reported sadly. “Music Day is coming up and Georgia wants them to do ‘For Every Mountain’. Apparently, I am the only person she could find who can manage the lead!”

  Klao was now in double shock. “You are doing a favour for Georgia?”

  “No! I am doing this for God!” Mary said firmly. “And for Brooklyn Tab. I don’t want any of those tone deaf amateurs in the choir massacring such a lovely song!”

  Klao resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The members of the youth choir werenot tone deaf. Sometimes Mary acted as though she was the second coming of Whitney Houston. But, on second thought, Klao could see her point. ‘For Every Mountain’ was on her Brooklyn Tabernacle CD, and the lead required someone with powerful pipes. Not any mamby pamby soprano could take it. Mary, however, ego notwithstanding, was the perfect choice.

  “So you have to come with me!” Mary continued. “I need you to prevent me from cutting Georgia on the Sabbath if she rubs me the wrong way. I will take you home after – with ample time to go get your freak on with my brother!”

  Klao did not say anything. She recalled indeed hoping to ‘get her freak on’ with Matt the night before. But Matt was not a man who took his dedication to God lightly, and he would have none of it. Klao wondered how long he would last. She recalled a scripture in the Bible about ‘better to marry than to burn’. She wondered whether Matt would propose… and what her response would be… who they would get to do the wedding. Perhaps Pastor Rollins, the chaplain from Mobay Mercy, would come up and do it. He was SDA… She drifted further and further away, lost in the blissful day that was going to be her wedding to Matt. She thought about the church and the flowers and her gown. Caitlin would be the mini bride… she wondered how Mary would manage being the wedding planner, a bridesmaid and the featured soloist all at once…Would she change her name to Klao St. James, or do the hyphenated ‘Klao Persaud-St. James’? Where they would honeymoon… She wondered what the wedding night would be like… She hoped Matt wouldn’t be awkward. He was a virgin, she knew. She had never met a 27 year old virgin man before! She hoped his father or Marvin would give him a few pointers when the time came… she wondered whether it would be appropriate to ask Darrin or Jeremy or even ‘man whore’ Phillip to school him a bit on the art of pleasing a woman…

  “Where the dickens are you?”

  Mary’s sharp voice brought her back to the present. She blushed, realising they had arrived at St. Andrew and Mary had parked, gotten out of the car, and was waiting for her to do the same. She slowly unfastened her seatbelt and tried to avoid Mary’s gaze.

  “I am convinced you were dropped on the head when you were a baby!” Mary declared as Klao followed her to the choir rehearsal room.

  Choir practice had gone smoothly. Georgia managed to not upset Mary, and even allowed Klao to sit with the other sopranos as they learned the melody for ‘For Every Mountain’. Klao knew it was unlikely that she would get to put on the blue and red robe and sing with the choir on Music Day. In the first place, only members – through birth or baptism -- were allowed in the choir. Second, she kept getting distracted by Mary’s powerful voice as she sang the lead and the runs, and could never remember when it was time for the choir to sing.

  At eight fifteen, Georgia dismissed the choir, and the young people scattered. Klao checked her phone and saw a text from Matt. He had to make a last minute stop at the Inn before heading to Long Mountain for his things. He would be by her place by quarter to nine. That was fine by Klao. She glanced at Mary, who was at the piano instructing Steve, the choir pianist, on how she preferred the lead-in to the song. Klao wondered whether the deacon on duty had locked up the bathroom inside the church. She totally needed to potty.

  She was fortunate, she realised, to find the bathrooms were still open and empty. She hated peeing in the hearing of others. Matt teased her about it all the time, and threatened to break in on her one day. She didn’t think he would, but she made sure to lock the door whenever he was around. Then Klao froze. Voices were approaching. Crap! She was through, thank God. But she did not want whoever it was to know that she was in the stall. She was glad that she had chosen the stall for the physically impaired – more space, she always told her cousins – so it was unlikely that those people, whoever they were, would not choose that stall and find her hiding there.

  “… So what is she? Mary’s new tail?” Klao heard the voice of Patricia, the official one-man welcome show for the young adult Sabbath school class. “Everywhere Mary is, she is following behind!”

  Klao didn’t need five years of law school to figure out that Patricia was talking about her.

  “Can I tell you?” Georgia responded. “That is how Mary does it – she jus’ drop Sheena for a richer and less attractive lap dog!”

  “Poor Sheena!” Another voice tut-tutted. “But is not only Mary she following up. What about Matt?”

  “What about him?” Georgia asked, sounding nonchalant.

  “You nuh ‘fraid you get kick outta yuh role as ‘Sister Pastor’?”

  “Oh please!” Georgia said. Klao could imagine her rolling her eyes. “That will never happen.”

  “Really?” Patricia asked. “Because they look tighter than tight to me – like something going on. You don’t see how he all over her at the Inn?”

  “That is because she is giving him money!” Georgia ‘educated’ her friends. “Last church board meeting, he told us that Persaud Ente
rprises alone had given him how much million dollars, and Miss Lady’s parents sponsoring the clinic with medicine and all kinds of things.”

  “Really?” Patricia squealed. “I wonder when I will be rich so!”

  “Never!” Georgia said firmly. “Anyways, Matt is not a fool. He must be all over her while the money coming in. When the Inn is alright, he will walk her out. I am just giving him time to roam all he wants; but he will find his way back home…”

  Klao lost the rest of their conversation as they left the ladies’ room. She was numb with shock. She knew Georgia did not like her, but she didn’t expect her to be so callous. Was that how Christians were supposed to behave?

  She was quiet as Mary pulled the car out of St. Andrews and turned on to Hope Road.

  “That wasn’t too bad!” Mary declared.

  “Hmm,” Klao commented.

  Mary glanced at her. Klao’s face was like stone. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Nothing!”

  She was staring straight ahead, not even blinking. Her jaw was tightly clenched. Mary knew that face. It was the face of someone who was fighting back tears.

  “What is the matter with you?” She asked again.

  “Nothing!” Klao repeated a bit too sharply. Then she made the mistake of blinking, and a tear fell out.

  Mary pulled over the car. “Tell me!”

  “It’s nothing, Mary!” Klao insisted, wiping her tear with the back of her hand. “Can you drive please? Matt is probably waiting…”

  “You are not going to Mobay until I hear who or what upset you!” Mary told her matter-of-factly. “So talk up!”

  “Georgia…” Klao began, and Mary’s eyes narrowed. She paused.

  “What did Georgia do? Did she say something to you?”

  “Not to me… To Patricia and another girl… But I overheard.”

  “What did she say?”

  “Nothing! Forget it!”

  “What. Did. She. Say?”

  Mary was glaring at her, and Klao was scared, more for herself at that moment than for Georgia after Mary found out what she had actually overheard in the lavatory. The entire story came tumbling out. When Klao finished talking, Mary started the ignition again, but instead of pressing forward to Millsborough, she did a u-turn and headed back towards St. Andrews.

  “Mary, what are you doing?” Klao was in shock.

  “Shut up!” Mary barked. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me before we drove out of the churchyard. You think I have gas to waste? I don’t have an unlimited trust fund like you, y’know!”

  “But, Mary…”

  “And you need to stop the stupid crying man! When Georgia talks her crap don’t swallow it and cry – unless you believe that Matt is only with you for the money.”

  “Of course not!”

  “Well, tough up then! Because I am not always going to be there to defend you from Georgia.”

  Klao was sorry she had said anything. Now Mary was going to cause a scene. Mary pulled into the church yard. She did not even park properly or shut off the engine. She just pulled up the hand brake and jumped out of the car in the middle of the driveway, leaving the door open and the lights on. Klao jumped out behind her.

  “Mary, please don’t...”

  Georgia was standing under a tree with her friends, waiting for her father to pick her up. As usual, Elder Maragh was late. Mary stormed over to her. Her back was turned, and she did not see Mary, but she certainly felt her when Mary whacked her solidly upside her head.

  “Oww!” Georgia gasped. “Mary what is wrong with you?”

  “But God, Georgia Maragh tonight would be the night that I finally kill you!” Mary informed her.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Excuse you?” Mary repeated. “Excuse you? I am not excusing you, Georgia, because you have gone too far now!” Mary turned to an astounded Patricia and the other girl, who Klao did not know. “Did Georgia say my brother was only hanging around Klao because of the money she and her family give to the Inn?”

  The girls nodded, too terrified to even deny or explain what happened.

  “Did she say that Matt would walk her out as soon as the Inn was okay?”

  More nods. Mary turned to Georgia.

  “Do you know what they call people who enter into relationships with other people for money? They call them whores. Are you calling your Minister and my brother a whore?”

  “I – I – I… !” Was all Georgia could manage.

  ”If I wasn’t a Christian, and if I did not respect my brother, I would cut you! But all I am going to do is warn you.” Mary’s eyes looked like two slits in her head, and she was pointing one of her immaculately manicured fingers at Georgia. “So you listen to me, and listen to me good, because this is the last time I am talking! Matt loves you as a child of God because it is his duty -- as a man of God and your Minister. He does not have any other kind of feelings for you – never has and never will. So do yourself a favour and find someone else to stalk and stop saying you are ‘Sister Pastor’. And don’t hold your breath thinking that he is going to ‘stop roam and come back home’.

  “I don’t know what is wrong with you -- why you are so evil. But you see the next time you want to give Satan control of your tongue, just be very careful who you are talking about. And make sure you don’t talk about me; and make double sure that you do not talk about my brother or his girlfriend, because if I hear that you do, I might forget that Jesus is in control of my life, my temper and my passions, and I might find you, and I might slap the spit out of your mouth with the heel of my shoe. Are we together?”

  Georgia nodded, and satisfied, Mary strode back to the car, with Klao trotting behind her like the lap dog that Patricia had described her to be. She did not say a word as she got into the passenger side and fastened her seatbelt. Mary was something else! Who else did she know who could drive the fear of God into a bully like Georgia Maragh? She was going to slap the spit out of Georgia’s mouth with the heel of her shoe? Where did Mary come up with these expressions? But Klao did not focus on that. She was more interested in the fact that Mary had described her as Matt’s girlfriend. She wondered whether Matt had described her as such when he was alone with his sister….

  “Crap!” Matt declared, pulling the CRV over to the soft shoulder.

  “What’s the matter?” Klao asked, being dragged most unpleasantly from her reminiscing.

  “I forgot something!” He unfastened his seatbelt and got out of the SUV.

  “What?” Klao was concerned. They were almost on the toll road, and she hoped they would not have to turn back. “Matt…” He was coming around to her side.

  Klao was stunned when he opened her door and reached across and unfastened her seatbelt and pulled her from the vehicle.

  “There is something I had in my mind to do all day … I don’t know how I forgot!”

  “Matt what are you…”

  He silenced her by taking her face into his hands, and in a move worthy of one of the cheesy Harlequin romances that Klao used to read when she was a teenager, leaned in and kissed her so thoroughly that there was nothing she could do but stand there and kiss him back.

  “Oh my…” She managed to breathe, once he had pulled away. Suddenly, the Harlequin romances were not so cheesy after all.

  “I promise I won’t forget again, okay…” He whispered.

  “Okay!”

  Matt smiled, and planted a tiny one on her forehead before helping her back into the car. Klao thought she was butter, and that she would just melt away into oblivion on the car seat. Matt reassumed his position behind the staring wheel.

  “Next stop, Westgate Hills!” He announced, and satisfied that everything he ever needed in life was sitting next to him in the SUV at that moment, he cruised on to the toll road.

  ***

  “Klao… wake up. We’re here… I think…”

  “Wha…” Klao opened her eyes, a bit confused as to where she was. Matt was looking at h
er.

  “We’re here – at your house...”

  “We are?” Klao was slowly coming around. She blinked in the darkness of the CRV and looked around. They were outside the formidable looking electronic gates, behind which was her childhood home in Westgate Hills, St. James. How on earth did they get there? The last thing she remembered was going through Fern Gully with Matt, and they were singing along to her WOW 5 CD. She must have fallen asleep!

  “I fell asleep?” She moaned, as she rooted around in her handbag for the automatic gate opener. “You made me fall asleep?”

  “I made you fall asleep? I was telling you about a trip I took to Grand Cayman after hurricane Ivan, and the next thing I knew, you were asking me if I thought it was a good idea to put butter on your waffles. There was no bringing you back after that!” He chuckled.

  “Well, the point is that I should have been awake to be your third pair of eyes on the drive!” Klao said as the gate slowly creaked open like a giant taking a yawn, and Matt cruised down the driveway. “Suppose you had fallen asleep?”

  “Well, I didn’t! God was looking out for me, and I was looking out for you!”

  Klao smiled a bit. She was glad she had God and Matt looking out for her. And he was right. The important thing was that they had arrived home safely.