Statement of Regret by Kwame Kwei-Armah

Author:Kwame Kwei-Armah
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781408142103
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-12-18T00:00:00+00:00

Scene Two

The next morning. Very early.

Issi, iPod on, dressed in tracksuit, runs into the office. She takes off her computer rucksack then trackie jacket, and starts to warm down. She takes off her iPod and connects it to the speaker system next to her computer. It’s playing a ‘bashment’ tune, ‘Me Gal pon de Side’, by Frisco Kid. She sings along with it as she warms down.

Issi

‘Caah, me gal pon the side jook the best

All when she ready fi go love an caress

An she have the bumper an the chess

Some other gal a vex

Right yah now ah she mi have inna mi nest.’

The rhythm starts to move her. She lifts her left leg in the air, holds it aloft and starts to rock back and forth, bashment dancehall-style.

Issi

‘She tell mi say how she hear say ah mi ah jook Dawn

An mi all buy Chini brush roun a Tom

The other day wi ketch up an she tell mi she gone

Big and serious mi tell her fi gwaan.’

She changes the lyrics to the chorus. Since she is dancing, she doesn’t see Junior walk in. He stares at her.

Issi

‘Caah, me man pon the side jook the best

All when he ready fi go love an caress

Touching her arse and breasts:

He love me bumper an me chess

Some other gal a vex

Right yah now ah he mi have inna mi nest

Cha! … the girl pon the side have to get she rating,

Most married man have a next girl mating …’

Eventually Junior coughs. Issi jumps, startled, and switches off.

Issi I, I was, cha, what you doing in this early?

Junior ‘My girl on the side sexes the best?’ You wanna be a little more careful than that? Gives it right away.

Issi Gives what away?

Junior That you’re an old reggae bashment queen. Respectable intellectual like you, should be ashamed of yourself …

Issi Shouldn’t I just?

Junior Song gives away your age, though. Who uses ‘Chini brush’ now Viagra’s here? (Quickly.) Not that I have used either.

Issi Uh ha.

Junior You ever had sex with a man who’s taken Viagra?

Issi Umm, a few times.

Junior Thought so. Some of my friends do, they don’t need it but they just wanna do the stallion ting … History of heart problems in my family precludes me from that ride – if you’ll excuse the pun.

Issi Excused. You don’t usually get in this hour.

Junior No I, know. I just … well!

She looks at his clothes. Same as yesterday.

Issi Did you actually go home last night, Junior?

Junior (smiles) I meant to, but I was going through everyone’s computers and … I got carried away.

Issi You went through everyone’s computer?

Junior I do it all the time. Little scans, just, just, you know, see what everybody’s doing. But last night I couldn’t seem to stop. I just kept looking and looking to see if, if, well, other things that I written or done had been, I don’t know, stupid, I would have known …

Issi Had been what?

Junior Corrected, rewritten or something … I know, stupid. Just everyone here is

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.