Love Yuh Bad

Nostalgia

📍Montego Bay, Jamaica | 🗓️ December 9th, 2022

Noelle's POV

"Mi ago miss you enuh" my mother says as she wipes her tears from her face.

I don't know if it's just me but my mada eva ah bawl.

The worst part is as she start, mi start right backa har.

Because mi nuh frighten fi bawl.

She was dropping me off at JFK airport, as I was preparing to take a quick holiday trip to Jamaica for my winter break.

I just graduated college in May of this year, and I was taking a gap year before I applied to graduate school.

I currently worked as a teacher in Brooklyn as I prepared to take the GRE.

"Marcia, anuh you seh you neva did ago cry" my aunt Shauna laughs as she starts to take my bags out of the trunk of the car.

I have been staying with her and my uncle Stefan since moving to New York for work. She is my aunt through marriage, as uncle Stefan is my mother's big brother.

"Shauna, Noelle ah mi one gyal pickney enuh? Everyday mi bawl fi dah gyal yah...honestly couldn't imagine life without her" my mother says chuckling as she continues to wipe her face.

"I'm going to miss you too Mommy, but don't worry its only for 7 days. I will be back soon, plus you know me...mi love my yard too much fi leave too long" I say to her as I kiss her cheek, hugging her from the side.

"Just remember to be safe yuh hear? Jamaica anuh the same anymore, it's been a while since you have been home. Just take proper precautions er?" She warns me, placing her pointer finger in my face.

She raises her brow a bit in frustration before she lets out a sigh.

Yes...look pon how the bawling ago start again now dwl.

Aunty Shauna rolls my checked bag towards me.

"Don't mind har Noelle, you know how your mada stay already. But make sure you tek caution fi true, and listen to yuh cousin and aunty dem. Jamaica nuh nice at all no more mi dear"

I nod my head in response and grab my purse from the backseat where I was sitting, placing it alongside my carry-on bag and suitcase.

I hug them both. Being mindful to hug my mother extra long, I was going to miss her.

I hate leaving her alone, ever since mi did ah pickney. Mi eva a follow backa her.

I say my final goodbyes to them both and turn to enter the airport.

I started to look for my airline's sign, silently praying that the lines wouldn't be too long.

I struggle with patience sometimes. I just have a hard time waiting on other people to be honest.

As soon as I spotted the Jetblue line, I ran straight to it, because today will not be the day I miss this flight.

Crazy crazy....

After I checked my bag, I was able to get through TSA with no issues.

Actually, scratch that...one of the dutty TSA agent dem di throw weh two of mi nice clean bath and body works set dem weh mi did ah bring fi mi aunty.

People muss think seh money grow pon trees, yuh know how long mi save fi buy mi sumn dem.

Chro.

After leaving TSA, I walked to my gate.

I was about 2 hours early for my flight, which was not a surprise because which Jamaican you know ago late for a flight?