The Bet (Persaud Girl)

by Mott, Teisha

  Andie opened her mouth to retort, and Nathan burst out laughing. “I’m just messing with you, plastic skin!” He said. “Relax nuh.”

  Andie rolled her eyes. “Come use the bathroom in my room,” She told him.

  “Trying to get me into your bedroom, with the parents downstairs?” He faked an appalled expression.

  Andie did not respond. Nathan looked at her, her face pink with embarrassment. He decided not to tease her any further.

  He followed her upstairs and down the hall. She pushed the door to her bedroom and led him in. Nathan whistled in awe. Andie’s bedroom was straight out of Home and Garden magazine! It was painted in brilliant tropical blue, and the thick teal blue carpet swallowed his shoes. She had a four-poster bed, a teal blue chaise lounge and a window seat with fluffy lime green cushions that Nathan was sure Joie would enjoy. She had a sleek glass desk with pull out work surfaces, paired with a white, modern side chair. The linen was tones of teal blue and light green. Tucked away in a corner was a large storage trunk, perfect for seating friends and hiding junk. Although she had a small CD player, Nathan noticed there was no television in Andie’s room. In fact, the only other appliance was her laptop computer that was neatly tucked away in a corner on her desk.

  “You have a really nice bedroom, Andie!” Nathan said.

  “Thank you,” Andie said with a smile. “Sammy’s is next door. The bathroom separates us.” She opened the bathroom door to show Nathan.

  “Did you decorate your room yourself?” Nathan asked.

  “Oh, no!” Andie said. “Mommy and Grandma Sylvia are responsible for this dolly house.” She looked around. “This room has changed so much over the past eight years. The bed is the only thing in here that is me. I chose it for my birthday when I turned eighteen. You can wash your hands.”

  Nathan went into the bathroom Andie shared with her sister, and closed the door. It was as exquisite as the bedroom with marble and silver fittings. Rosilda, Nathan assumed, had done an excellent job in cleaning it, because there was nothing out of place – not even a streak on the mirror. Nathan looked at his reflection. His hair was all over the place. Fern was right. He was badly in need of a haircut. He would try to get one over the Heroes Day Weekend. Nathan squirted a small amount of hand soap into his palm and worked it into a lather. He scrubbed his hands wishing he could wash his face as well. The ten minutes at the poolside had made him feel sweaty. He dried his hands, straightened his shirt and jeans and emerged from the bathroom. Andie was sitting cross-legged on her bed waiting for him. She smiled.

  “Nathan, I am really glad you came to dinner,” she said.

  “Me too,” Nathan said, smiling back. He stroked her face with the back of his hand. “I like your family. They seem cool and definitely entertaining. But most of all, I really like you.”

  He leaned forward, and Andie was positive he would kiss her this time. She did not feel the same trepidation she did at Bella Mia. This time, she was hoping he would.

  The door burst open, and Christopher stormed in.

  “You two are holding up dinner!” He charged. “What are you doing up here so long?”

  Andie wanted to slap him. “Christopher Persaud, if I have to tell you one more time that you do not barge in here without knocking…”

  “I’m sorry!” Christopher said. “Mommy said I should come and see what is keeping you and Nathan. I did not know anything clandestine was going on in here that would require me to knock before I come in!”

  Andie shook her head, and Nathan swallowed a chuckle.

  “Let’s just go down,” She said. “And how do you even know the word ‘clandestine’?”

  ***

  Dinner was served in the formal dining room. The table was set for ten, and Theresa had outdone herself, serving crème of pumpkin soup and mango sorbet as an appetiser, followed by a main course consisting of grilled snapper with lime and ginger butter, pan roasted chicken breasts with glazed carrots, couscous, duchess potatoes and broccoli almondine.

  Andie sat between Nathan and Samantha, and listened as Grandpa Ravi and her father got into a heated discourse about Jamaica’s exchange rate regime.

  “I do agree with you, Andrew,” Grandpa Ravi said between bites of his potatoes, “that for most small open economies, changes in the real effective exchange rate will impact economic activity. It is going to affect relative returns both in the tradable and non-tradable sectors. But, what you’re not seeing is that this is a standard prediction, and Jamaica is not like typical countries. It will not hold for us.”

  “Dad, just like our Minister of Finance, you insist on over-analysing a really simple matter!” Dr Persaud said, shaking his head. “The reason that we have theories is because they’re proven and should work, irrespective of the country. If they didn’t, then what would be the point of teaching such theories to Samantha and Andie and Nathan? And the theory clearly stipulates that one sure fire way of correcting the current account deficit is to allow for depreciation in the real exchange rate.”

  “And when that happens, Grandpa,” Samantha added, “our trading decisions will be altered through changes in relative prices, if the exchange rate is adjusted above Jamaica’s inflation differential relative to our major trading partners.”

  “Don’t instruct me on Economics theory, Samantha!” Grandpa Ravi said. Andie realised he was getting annoyed with her sister. “I know the theory. I was probably around when the theory was invented years and years ago – before you were even born or considered. What I’m trying to explain to you and your hard headed father is that the theory means didly squat in the Jamaican economy.”

  “Now, Ravi! No name calling!” Grandma Sylvia said gently, patting his hand. “And I really don’t think we should be quarrelling about Economics in front of our dinner guest. He might think we are feral.”

  Nathan smiled. “Actually, Mrs Persaud, I am tending to agree with Mr Persaud on this,” he said. He glanced at his Economics lecturer. “Albeit, Dr Persaud, the theory holds true in most cases, it really hasn’t been able to hold water in our particular case.”

  Dr Persaud glared at Nathan. “What are you saying?”

  Nathan took a sip of his water and proceeded with caution. “Simply that it is obvious that in Jamaica the real exchange rate does not affect the major elements of our current account, and it is really only useful for correcting any external imbalance that we might be facing.”

  Grandpa Ravi smiled. “You’re right, Andrew. This one is brighter than most!”

  Andie snickered, and her father gave her a dirty look.

  “Let us not get ahead of ourselves, Dad,” Dr Persaud said. “And, you Nathan, when you are writing your final paper, and you make one off, sweeping statements like the one you just made, I will unapologetically reward you with an F, whether or not you are dating my daughter.”

  “He is not ‘dating your daughter’…” Andie began, but no one was paying her any attention.

  “No, no. It’s not a ‘one off’ statement, Dr Persaud!” Nathan countered. “If you’re examining the impact of the real exchange rate on the current account from an elasticities perspective, then depreciation in the real exchange rate should result in less imports and more exports, and visa versa. So far, history has proven that most categories of imports and exports are not responding as they should. So if you’re looking at tourism, for instance, you don’t see any demand response to changes in our exchange rate for Jamaica’s tourist product. As a matter of fact, excepting for coffee and cocoa, I think, all the elasticities are running counter to the theories!”

  “Many other factors are going to impact international trading decisions,” Dr Persaud pointed out. “Jamaica is not operating in a vacuum here. You have to also consider what’s happening in the economies of our trading partners – has there been any change in the price of non-tradables relative to tradeables? Has there been a
ny real change in wages? You will not necessarily see an immediate or dramatic impact of the exchange rate on tourism because of, say, fluctuations in the real income of Americans. That does not mean that the exchange rate fluctuation has not affected tourism.”

  “Exactly!” Samantha added. “You have to bear in mind, Nathan, the whole concept of leads and lags! The adjustments that come from the changes in the exchange rate don’t have to happen right away.”

  “But even in the long run, they’re not evident, Samantha,” Nathan pointed out. “If you look at Jamaica’s real effective exchange rate index since 1989, you’re going to see that it is inconsistent with the trends in the current account.”

  “I have not seen the REER index, Nathan,” Samantha said. “Perhaps you could explain it to me.”

  “I am personally not interested in hearing that right now, darling,” Grandma Joyce began.

  “No, no. Let him go ahead, Joyce,” Grandpa James said.

  Nathan laid down his fork and turned to Samantha. “There are two phases to the REER index. The first phase is 1989/1990 to 1996/97. The second phase is 1997/98 to now. In the first period, there were high inflation rates that were way above the depreciation rate – and this is bearing in mind that there was free float of the currency after 1990 and no capital controls after 1991. In the second phase, the REER has remained generally stable.”

  “And your point, Aesop?” Dr Persaud asked, also getting annoyed.

  “My point, Dr Persaud,” Nathan said coolly, “is that if you look at the relationship between the REER and the current account, you’ll see that there are times when both variables have run contradictory to the theoretical predictions.”

  “Right,” Grandpa Ravi added, smiling at Nathan. “For example, in 1992 and 1994, there was appreciation in the real exchange rate and surpluses on the current account. And in 1993 and 1995, there was substantial depreciation in the REER and deficits on the current account.”

  “Yes my dear father and my dear student,” Dr Persaud said. “But as I have been trying to tell you, there is nothing in the literature to even remotely suggest that the current account adjustment to changes in the Real Effective Exchange Rate must be immediate! In a dynamic setting, an improvement on the current account in one year may have been as a result of exchange rate depreciation in prior years. That does not mean, if you will allow me to reiterate, that the theory is crap!”

  “Alright! Enough!” Mrs Persaud raised her hand to end the argument. “To your corners Mr and Dr Persaud, and your respective lackeys. I, for one, am sick of hearing about Jamaica’s real effective exchange rate.”

  “I agree!” Grandma Sylvia added, and Grandma Joyce nodded in approval. “Can’t we have dinner one Sunday afternoon without it becoming a financial debating match?”

  “But the fact is, Mom…” Dr Persaud began, ready to argue again.

  “The fact is, Daddy,” Christopher interrupted, “that you are perfectly right. “And also, Grandpa, you are perfectly right, too. Now since that has been established, Theresa can serve the lychee cake! I have eaten all my dinner and I deserve desert!”

  Grandpa Ravi laughed. “And you, Christopher, are perfectly right, too!” He turned to Nathan. “I like you, Nathan. You certainly are not like the regular mamby-pamby UWI graduates I have seen lately. You sure you don’t want to go into finance instead of foreign affairs? We could use a brain like yours at Persaud Financials!”

  “Leave him alone, Ravi!” Grandpa James said. “Nathan has just the kind of intellect that we need in the Foreign Affairs ministry right now.”

  “Wouldn’t it be something if Nathan decided to drop out of University and become a model?” Grandma Sylvia asked. “He’s such a pretty boy!”

  The entire Persaud clan laughed, and Andie felt a huge sense of relief. Her family liked Nathan. She glanced at him, and he gave her a faint smile. His hand found hers under the table and squeezed it. That squeeze meant everything to Andie. She knew then exactly how she felt about him, and prayed that he would soon say he felt the same way about her.

  ***

  After dinner, Andie gave Nathan a tour of the house. Then, they hung out by the pool with Samantha, and helped Christopher with his homework. After going over a problem set of his own with Samantha, and helping Andie with one of hers, Mrs Persaud came out to say he should probably be heading home. It was almost ten when Andie walked Nathan to his car.

  “I had a really great time this evening,” Nathan said. He took her hand into his. “Your family is awesome.

  “Thanks,” Andie replied, shyly.

  “Will I see you at school tomorrow?”

  “I’m sure you will,” Andie said.

  Nathan was staring at her. “What are you going to do for the rest of the evening?”

  Andie shrugged. “Watch TV, perhaps. Or I’ll read some more of Anne of Green Gables.”

  “I knew you’d enjoy it,” Nathan said. “It was one of my favourites, and Joie’s favourite now.”

  Andie did not respond. Nathan was still staring at her.

  “So I’ll see you then,” he said. He had not let go of her hand, and she did not want him to.

  “Bye Nathan.”

  “Bye pretty girl!” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Good dreams…”

  When Andie was able to exhale, Nathan was in the car and had already turned on the engine. He waved to her before pulling out of the driveway. Andie watched as the car sped down the drive and through the gate. She sighed. ‘Pretty girl’. That was her new name. With a smile tugging the corners of her lips, she turned towards the house, and went straight upstairs to bed.

  ***

  “Weh you deh from day, my yout’?” Jeremy Malcolm greeted Nathan as he entered the common area of the house.

  “Norbrook,” Nathan answered smugly. He put the care package Theresa had given him in the fridge and poured himself a glass of crangrape juice. He examined the bottle. It was almost finished.

  “Norbrook?” Jeremy questioned.

  “Yes,” Nathan tried to sound nonchalant. “I had dinner with the Persauds – all of them, including Ravi and Sylvia Persaud, and James Moreno, and his lovely wife, Joyce.”

  “You lying skunk!” Jeremy said, not believing a word Nathan was saying.

  “I have Andie Persaud right where I want her,” Nathan said, draining his glass. “Her family loves me, and she is totally into me.”

  Micah entered the common area just in time to hear Nathan’s last comment.

  “Play with fire, Hansen, you bound to get burn!” He commented.

  Nathan did not comment. He did not see how he could get burned, or lose the bet. Only if Andie found out. And he would soon work on a way to fix it so that she never would.

  163

  The Bet

  chapter seven

  Wednesday afternoon. Eve of week 4

  “Hey, Klao! Hey Bee!” Andie dropped her textbooks on the table and plopped in between her cousins.

  “Well, we didn’t know you still studied with commoners!” Klao commented. “To what do we owe this divine privilege of having our cousin join us in the library tonight?”

  “You’re wasting all that wit in Law School, Klao!” Andie rolled her eyes and sat next to her cousin.

  “So what’s up with you?” added Bianca.

  “I’m excellent, thanks for asking, Bianca,” Andie sang. “I got an A on my GT11A paper.”

  “We heard,” Bianca said. “Congrats.”

  “So how’s the boyfriend?” Klao asked. “How comes you not with him this evening.”

  “C’mon,Klao! Nathan is not my boyfriend.”

  “Right!” Klao said. “You aren’t totally crushing on Nathan Hansen, he doesn’t have eyes for you, and I’m the queen of England.”

  “Well, your highness,” Andie said, “You don’t
know anything about anything. Nathan and I are just friends.”

  “Here comes your ‘friend’ now!” Bianca said, giggling.

  Andie looked up, and her face erupted into a huge grin when she saw Nathan crossing the main reading room, followed in tow by Fern and Shauna.

  “Jeez! That grin could light up all of Jamaica!” Bianca commented. “My eyes!”

  “Shut up!” Andie said good-naturedly. Nathan spotted her and came over.

  “Hi, pretty girl!” He said, ruffling her hair.

  “Pretty girl?” Klao snickered. “How trite!”

  Andie nudged her. “Hi guys. What are you all doing?”

  “These two punkies are trying to bribe me into taking them to the movies,” Nathan said. “But I think they need to study.” He turned to Fern and Shauna. “See, dumb and dumber, this is what real UWI students do.” He motioned to Andie, Klao and Bianca. “They study after class.”

  “I’m only here because my brother, Dylan, hasn’t gotten here yet, and he’s my ride home,” Klao chimed. “I wouldn’t mind taking in a movie this evening at all, actually.”

  “See, Nathan,” Fern returned. “You are the only UWI student who believes in studying and more studying.”

  “Though he is clearly studying something new of late,” Bianca said cheekily, and Andie gave her a withering cut eye.

  “Fern, Shauna, these are my cousins, Klao and Bianca Persaud,” Andie said, introducing them.

  “Hi,” Fern said. “It’s like we already know you though. Andie talks about you all the time. Klao is in Law and is the eldest 1982 baby, and Bianca is in Medicine and lived in Oxford for three years.”

  “And we know about you, too,” Klao said. “Fern with the braces who is smart in Politics and Shauna, who only reads Sidney Sheldon.”

  “I read Jeffrey Archer, too,” Shauna defended.