Nicole Burgher
I was waiting backstage the first time I saw her.
Back stage was tight. With all the deejays and singers that were billed on the show and their crews, plus the ones hoping for an opportunity to hit the stage, and the girls who came to try and get close to one of the stars - it was tight. I found a space on the wall at the back and decided to just wait until later.
Spectrum had turned into a big show. The backdrop was black, with a huge skull and crossbones on a background of flames. Like a flag for hell. I wonder what them UWI students know 'bout hell? I grew up in hell, but I'm not going to stay there forever. And I wasn't waiting on somebody to come save me either.
"My yout', you have Rizzla?"
I looked up. It was Mikey. Now, Mikey never bought weed and he definitely never bought Rizzla, but he had a car. It was an old bruk but it could drive, and I didn't have the money for a taxi tonight.
And behind Mikey and little to one side there was a girl. She was with another girl. A girl in a skimpy little dress leaning over the barricade, waving at somebody, with her breasts looking like they wanted to jump out. She was skinny, though. But as to the friend, she was ...
"Yow! wha'pen to you, man? You deaf? You have Rizzla or not?" Mikey was still talking.
... she was round. Not fat, just nice. Hips, and she looked like maybe she had D-cups under that jeans jacket. But her face was young. She looked like ... well, she looked uncomfortable. She looked in my direction. I smiled. She started to smile, then looked away.
"Pablo. A wha you a look pon so?" Mikey turned to look behind him. "A whoa! She look like she soon drop outta dat dress."
I took out the pack of Rizzla that I had. Well, only two papers left, and gave it to Mikey.
"Respect, Pablo. Catch yuh later."
When Mikey moved off, they were gone. I needed to concentrate anyhow. I was there to work, not to look one of these UWI girls. Besides, these girls only go for the stars. But one day ... Cho! I didn't come for that. Just work.
When I came down off the stage, I headed down to the back of the Union and stood up next to one of the speaker boxes. It wasn't so
crowded, and you could still see the show from there.
There she was again, by herself. She kept looking at her watch.
Then, next thing, the crowd was running. Running into the courtyard. She turned, too, and ran - blindly - into me. I caught her. She was pulling away, trying to run with the crowd. I held on.
I said, "It's all right. It's all right. I didn't hear a gunshot so probably it's just a fight."
She looked at me then. I said, "Come this way." I was trying to take her behind the speaker box. The crowd was mostly pushing toward the steps that led down to the courtyard. There was still space behind the boxes. "Come on."
I pulled her in behind me and looked out to see what was happening. People were still running, and Spragga was on stage trying to calm them down.
Security guards were taking out two men. People stopped running. They parted to let the men through. One of them was Mikey. Cho! How a man can so fool? You can't come to a place like this and keep up the almshouse behaviour. I kissed my teeth.
She askedd, "What is it?"
"It's OK," I said. "It really was a fight. The security taking them out. That's all."
We came out from behind the speaker. The show was starting again. "You all right?" I said.
She still looked scared. "Yeah," she said. "I just want to find Melissa and go home. She was supposed to meet me at two o'clock."
I didn't want to tell her that the last time I saw Melissa she was sitting in Daddy Ranks' lap, so I said, "She's all right, man. She's probably still backstage." This girl, looking at me for all the world, like I was supposed to tell her what to do.
Then she said, "You're that deejay, aren't you? You were on the show."
"Yeah."
"You were good."
"Thanks."
I was there thinking how I was going to get home. It was a long way from UWI to Southside. Well, it wasn't like I'd never walked that far.
She was speaking. "Is something wrong?" Looking at me like she really thought she could fix it.
"No. I'm all right. Just thinking."
"About what?"
About Mikey. If they carried him to the station or just let him go outside. About how I was gonna get home. About this girl in front of me.
"About how I don't have any manners. My name is Kemar. And you are?" I held out my hand.
She looked at my hand a long time; then she shook it. "Lisa."
"It's nice to meet you." I was still holding her hand.
"You too." She started to pull her hand away and I let go.
I said, "So, you going to wait for Melissa?"
"Yeah. I don't want to just leave her. When the show is over I'll wait by the exit."
"Well, I'll wait with you, if that's OK."
"Yeah. That's nice of you."
"Well, since I saved you, I couldn't just leave you alone like that."
She smiled.
After the show, we still didn't see Melissa. It was almost five o'clock. Lisa said, "Well, I guess I should go now. I hope Mel is OK. She must be gone, I guess."
It was still dark.
"How far are you going?"
She said, "Just over to College Common. But I drove, so it's OK."
"I'll walk you to your car then."
"OK."
At the car, she unlocked the door, then turned back and smiled. This was it. I would probably never see her again. I stepped a little closer. She didn't move and I leaned in and kissed her quickly, just brushing her lips. She was surprised, I could tell, but then she kissed me back. I drew her into my arms. She was soft, like I had thought she would be. I kissed her again, for real, this time. She put her arms around me. I wanted to touch her: her hair, her waist. I slipped my hand under her jacket and up, my thumb brushing across her nipple. It was hard.
A car engine roared to life nearby and I pulled away. She was not a girl to have sex in a parking lot.
"Lisa."
"Yeah?" Her voice was husky.
"It's late. You should go home."
She looked at her watch again. "Yes. It'll be light soon and my parents will be awake." She got into the car and started the engine. She put down the window.
"Do you need a ride to somewhere?"
"Me? No man. My car is right over there."
"Goodnight," she said, still looking at me like there was something else to say.
"Goodnight."
I watched her until the car was out of sight and then started to walk down to the gate. It was almost dawn. I might see an early bus.
I never saw her again.
- Nikki Burgher
