Gloria (5 page)
I start walk down the road to catch the tram downtown even though I got no idea where I going to go. And then suddenly three youths step into my path and decide they want stroll wid me.
‘So what yu name beautiful?’
I don’t want say nothing to them. I just hold on tight to my bag.
‘We not after yu bag yu know. We just want to get to know yu that is all, and give yu some protection as well. It nuh safe for a beautiful young woman like yuself to be walking out here all on her own like dis. Yu nuh know that?’ And then they start prancing and circling ’round me. One at the front, one at the back all the time them moving and moving. Trotting ’round me as I carry on walk.
‘Yu nuh want say nothing to us? Is not us yu need be fraid of yu know. Is all them other ones out there. All them bad bwoys that just ready to pounce.’ And just as he say the word he raise him hands like claws right up in front of me wid a big wide smile pon him face. And the other two laugh.
Next thing I hear is the clip-clop of a horse and the whirl a the wheels turning, slower and slower until it almost come to a standstill right next to me. I keep walking and leave the bwoys standing there patting themself on the back because they think they so smart and funny. But the horse buggy not making like it want to pass me. Then I hear this voice in a loud sorta whisper say, ‘Miss, miss.’ When I turn ’round it is a Chinaman sitting in the back seat leaning over trying to catch my attention. He broad and square for a Chinaman and even though him sitting down I can see him tall. He well dressed as well in black pants and jacket and a crisp white shirt.
So I say, ‘There is something I can help you with?’ But him no answer, so I say, ‘I hope you are not mistaking me for some other kind of woman. I have you know I am a respectable woman on my way to the store.’
‘You have trouble?’
‘And that is any of your business? Go ’way man.’ And I start hurry but the buggy keeping pace with me.
‘Not to be rude, but young lady such as you walking by self with things in Hong Zi grocery store bag catch my eye, and I think you have trouble with youths.’
‘What trouble?’ And I kiss my teeth. ‘You just mind yu own business and leave me to mind mine yu hear me?’
‘I can offer ride to wherever you go.’
‘What is the matter with yu man? Cyan yu hear me tell yu I don’t want nothing? I am walking the street and the last time I check it still a free country so I not committing no crime. Leave me nuh?’
So the buggy tek off and I think thank God. But no sooner than the horse and black canopy disappear ’round the corner the three youths show up again.
‘Yu Chiney daddy leave yu in him dust darling?’
‘Yu more interested in our company now?’
‘Why yu nuh let us escort yu so we can pass di day nice?’
I just keep walking. I know the tram stop only ’round the corner down the road a ways.
‘It better yu stick wid yu own kind yu know.’
‘The Chiney dem do the same ting. Stick together.’
‘Birds of a feather. That is how it is.’
And then they start get closer and closer ’til they brushing up against me. Just here and there, like they touch the hem a my dress, or brush ’cross my back, or catch my arm as they circling round and round.
When I turn the corner I see the Chinaman buggy park up by the kerb. So I quicken my step and when I get up to it I stop. And he is sitting there looking at me. He reach out his hand and I just tek it and raise myself into the buggy and sit down. The driver flick the leather and the horse move off leaving the three bwoys standing on the sidewalk like they cyan understand what just happen.
We go pass Cross Roads and head down Slipe Road towards Chinatown. It feel good to be riding in the shade with the breeze brushing my face.
‘You just maybe lose job I think. And you being a domestic that would most likely mean you also lose place to live.’ And he look at me like him expecting an answer.
‘Yu asking or telling me?’
‘Asking.’
‘Yes, yu right. Yu happy now?’
‘That is nothing for me to be happy about. It seem more like sad.’
I turn my body ’round square on to him. ‘And even if it is, what is it to you?’
He just stare at me and after some long while he say, ‘I have daughters. One not too different age from you. If man come ’cross my daughter in trouble I hope he stop and offer some assistance.’
When we reach North Street the buggy stop outside Hong Zi Wine & Spirits and we step down and go inside. The store cool and dark with the shelves stack and liquor pile up in boxes and crates all ’round the room, and a big mahogany counter at the far end for people to conduct their business.
‘Mr Henry, the truck ready to leave for Spanish Town. Anything else yu want go on it?’
‘Show me.’ So the bwoy hand the Chinaman a piece a paper and he read down it and say, ‘Yes, fine.’ And the bwoy tek back the paper and go out back where I hear some big old engine start up and set off down the road. I just stand there and look at him, and realise that this here is Henry Wong, owner of wine merchants and grocery stores where every week for the past six months I have been picking up supplies, and whose brown paper bag I am standing there clutching.
‘Is there something yu want from me, why yu bring me here like this?’
‘Something I want?’
‘Don’t play me for no fool. Yu know what I mean. Just because I a domestic don’t mek me stupid, especially ’bout the ways a men.’
He tek off his jacket and hang it on the back of a high sorta stool chair that standing behind the counter. Then him roll up him shirt sleeves. Slow and careful. First the left one and then the right. And then he sit down on the stool and fold his arms and look at me.
‘I bring you here because this is where I coming. But now you here I not sure what I fixing to do with you.’
‘Yu don’t have to do nothing with me. I can just walk outta here right now and that is that.’
‘That is that? You have job? You have somewhere rest your head?’
‘That is no concern a yours. I cyan even believe I am still standing here talking to yu.’
‘You want glass water or maybe lemonade?’
‘Lemonade! Yu think lemonade going fix my situation?’ Him no answer me. Him just sit.
‘I know woman in East Kingston, Franklyn Town, run small boarding house. Respectable establishment, prices reasonable. Breakfast and dinner as well.’
‘What yu doing all this for?’
Him look at me serious and then him say, ‘You want leave? There is door.’ And he motion his head.
So I turn ’round and I walk. Just as I stepping outside I say to him, ‘How come yu name everything Hong Zi when yu name Henry Wong?’
‘Name not Henry Wong. Henry Wong name British immigration officer give. Real name from China, Hong Zilong.’
I walk down to Barry Street and I go find Mr Ho shop. When I get there the place busy-busy. Mr Ho is run off him feet and the little girl helping him don’t seem like she have the first idea what she is doing. So I just walk ’round the counter and pick up one of the long white cotton apron hanging on the nail and tie it ’round me and start serve the next customer. Mr Ho see me and smile but him nuh say nothing.
When it time to shut up Mr Ho tell the girl she can go home and he will tidy up and sort everything out. After she gone him say to me, ‘You need work, Gloria? Domestic position not work out for you?’
‘It turn into a disaster Mr Ho.’
‘You want come back shop?’
‘Yu serious for real?’
‘The girl mean well, Gloria. But she slow and she get confuse. She nuh know what is what, especially since English start fight with Germans and governor make all his regulations over prices. She make mistake. She not so good wid adding, not like you. She nuh know how to please customer, or suggest maybe they try something new, or get little extra, or take advantage of special offer. She just give them what they ask for. That is all. But that not shopkeeping Gloria, eh? We know that.’
I think for a minute and then I say, ‘Yu maybe think I pressing my luck but I need a raise Mr Ho. Me not staying with Auntie no more. So when I get somewhere I going have to pay real rent.’
‘You not got nowhere to live Gloria?’
‘Live-in domestic. Yu lose the job, yu lose the bed.’
Mr Ho knot him brow like he got a earnest fret and then him start look ’round the shop like he thinking what to do.
‘So where you sleep tonight?’ But I not got no answer for him.
He tek off his apron and start walk into the back room where he got the storage of rice and flour and bottles and cans and such like.
‘It not much space and it dangerous with toilet out back but maybe if you manage with pot we lock door and you sleep here. And tomorrow we think what to do.’ He pause and then he say, ‘I would take you home with me but, you know, too much explaining to wife.’
I cyan face going back to Auntie to ask her for nothing. Anyway, I reckon the room nuh worse than sleeping under the table or up next to her gluing my body to the wall.
Mr Ho say I must go get something hot to eat and he wait for me to come back. But I say no, is OK. I don’t need nothing.
‘Gloria, you must eat something. If you not want rice then we open can bully beef and pull down some hard dough bread, but you must eat. You have money?’ I don’t say nothing. ‘You take this.’ And he reach in him pocket and pull out some change and say, ‘Step ’cross street and get rice and pork. Is OK. I wait for you.’
When I get back Mr Ho open the door and hand me a cold soda and say, ‘You eat now. I already make space for you in back room and wash out old oil tin for pot. For overnight, you know. You rest now. I going lock you in ’til morning so everything safe and sound.’
When I go in the back room I see he stack up some big bags a flour and throw some old sack over them. And next to that he fold up two more sacks for me to have something to pull over myself in the night if I need to. The oil tin he leave standing on the floor in the middle a the room.
When I finally rest myself down I lay there and think about the life that the good Lord give me and the trials and tribulations He put in my path, and whether He mean for them to mek me strong or if it to break me down. And I wonder when He finally going say, ‘All right Gloria Campbell, I pardon yu now and it OK for yu to carry on yu life with the same good fortune and good grace that anybody who been through what yu been through so young should deserve to have.’
The next morning when Mr Ho come to open up the shop he bring a flask a hot coffee and some rice and sausage in a shut pan.
‘You have good night, Gloria?’
‘Yes Mr Ho. Thank you.’
‘Good. You nuh work today. Today you look somewhere live. Then tomorrow plenty time start work. Plus I give you rise. Nine shillings a week. Just like King Street. How that sound to you?’
‘Very generous Mr Ho. Thank you.’
‘You go wash up out back now and then you eat and then you go see ’bout room.’
I walk up to Henry Wong’s wine store. When I come through the door he sitting behind the counter. ‘You change mind ’bout something?’
I swallow hard like it is my pride that is going down my throat so thick and lumpy. ‘Lodgings in Franklyn Town?’
And he just turn to the bwoy and say, ‘Go fetch buggy.’
Miss Sissy run the boarding house. It a old ramshackle place with a lot a rooms and a big wooden table in the kitchen that she must seat a dozen people or more. She say that is where I going eat my breakfast at six-thirty and dinner at seven, and if I not there at dem times I not going get nothing. She tek her hand and brush back her wavy grey hair that she got tie up in a bun but it still loose, and she take a puff on her pipe.
She show me the room with the little bed and drawers and closet and I ask her if she got a room can sleep two.
‘Sleep two? What yu planning a doing? Yu cyan be moving no man in here yu know. That is a strict rule a this house. No men, not morning, noon or night. This whole house is for women and women alone yu hear me?’
‘I understand Miss Sissy. It just that my sister is in service up Cross Roads and I want if I can to bring her here to be with me and finish her schooling.’ Miss Sissy look at me like she suspicious but Henry Wong nod him head like it OK and she say all right.
The room bright and airy and it got two single bed push up against each wall wid a little tile table between and a lamp on it. It pretty and clean, and the rent she is asking going leave just enough each week for tram fare and any little extra me and Marcia need.
When I go get Marcia she cyan believe it. She pack her grip and wave goodbye to Norma so fast I was out the gate again almost before I come in it. When she see the room at Miss Sissy’s she happy. She turn and spin and jump and dance in the little gap between the beds and she hug and kiss me. And then she throw herself down on top a the bedspread with her hands behind her head and kick off her shoes.
Mr Ho say the girl not a bad girl, she just need training that is all. So now I got to follow her every step she tek from bagging up the flour and rice, to weighing the saltfish and counting out the cans and stacking the bread on the shelf. I got to watch her out the corner of my eye while she serving the customers young and old, regulars and strangers, as she weigh and count and pack the goods for them, and tek the money and give the change. I even got to see how she pile up the empty boxes and garbage out back. She call Lynette. She small and don’t look like she could lift a full bag a rice if her life depended on it, but it turn out she stronger than she look and it seem like she doing all right. Mr Ho happy enough. He glad he nuh fire her because now he got the two a us out front he spending less time serving and that seem to please him. Me, I dunno. Four months later and there is still something not right ’bout that girl. It playing on my mind. I cyan put my finger on it that is all.