Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

After Mrs Dalrymple and her son, Richard, minced the wigs that Richard didn't like on her, she returned to her Revivalesque turbans. Alopecia universalis had peeled the hair off her head after a prolonged period of depression in which she mourned her husband. She continues to date Roland Shaw, occasionally, yet Richard is still to break the ice between himself and Roland.

The Sunday after Mama D revealed her bald head, Richard met a young lady at Devon House. He was very excited about her and spent his nights talking with her during the free-talk hours. Mama D was aware of Richard's new preoccupation but didn't intervene. It was he who was now going out on dates regularly, and he would come back whistling melodiously.

Yesterday, however, he sang a different tune. The plan was to take Jackie to meet his mother, and then to the early movie, but he came from football late. He took a quick shower, ignored his dinner and called a cab to take him to Carib. He would introduce Jackie to Mama D another time. She watched him through a crack in the drapes as he waited anxiously at the gate for the taxi. He reminded her so much of his father.

Richard was upbeat about their first movie date. When the cab reached 'The Clock' at Cross Roads, he looked over to Carib. Patrons were still in the queues. Just as the car turned right to stop at Carib's gate, he saw a mass of bright orange in the crowd. His heart skipped a beat. The person decked out in the bright fiery shades started to wave frantically when she saw Richard. The car stopped.

Richard stared in bewilderment at the animated young woman in a short orange-tinged wig, orange platform rubber slippers, orange necklace and earrings, and a short, sleeveless, orange dress. "Richard!" she shouted. And in unison, everybody in the queues turned to look at him still sitting at the front of the cab.

Just as Jackie stepped out of her queue and headed towards the fence, Richard said, "Driver, turn up the police station. Carry me back home." An impish grin took over the driver's face as he took one last glance at the young lady dressed in orange, staring in disbelief at the accelerating taxi.

Along the way, in his fury, Richard changed his mind. The driver diverted to his friend Larry's house. When he arrived at Larry's gate, he was on the veranda. Richard went through the gate with a hung-dog look. Larry's girlfriend, Rachel, came out to greet him.

"What's up Richard!" she exclaimed. Richard's face was stiff as buckram. He didn't answer Rachel. He reached into his pocket for his phone, which had been ringing non-stop since his flight from Carib. He pressed the silent button and replaced it.

"So what's going on, big man?" Larry asked, "what about yuh date, she stood yuh up?" By then Rachel had retreated, sensing it was not a time for pleasantries.

Richard, now sitting with his back facing the road, was quite reticent, as Larry derided him. "She chicken out, too hot fi yuh, man," he said teasingly.

"Yuh right about that, a guess she setting Carib on fire by now."

"Fire, yuh mean seh Carib burn down again!?"

"No man, stop the pussyfooting, man!"

"But what yuh mean fire?"

"Orange, man, orange ..."

"Like that girl coming out of a car at the gate?"

Richard spun around.

"Who is that?" Larry asked slowly.

"Tha ... tha ... that's Jackie," the uncomfortable Richard stuttered, "she's my date."

Hearing the slight commotion, Rachel joined them again. She opened her mouth wide when she saw the heaving and panting Jackie at the gate. Richard exited the veranda and approached her as Larry and Rachel watched silently.

When he reached the gate he said to Jackie, "Look ..."

"Well, you look, you damn wretch!" Jackie blurted as she pulled off her orange-tainted brown wig exposing neatly done cornrows. "How dare you!" she shouted, plopped the wig on to Richard's head, and bolted into the waiting taxi. "Saps!" she bellowed as the car pulled away.

As Richard stood in embarrassment, his black face glistened under the orange wig. He turned around to see Rachel and Larry about to collapse on to the floor as they were overwhelmed by laughter.