Verse 23: Nazzari

The semester ended the way most things do in Neon City—too fast, too loud, and without asking me first. The year wasn’t bad but next I was back on a rickety bus heading south.

East west, South is where I went.

Nazzari.

The smell of saltwater and grilled fish hit me first. I hated fish ever since I almost chocked on one when I was young. Walking along the cracked sidewalks I used to trip on as a kid, I felt nostalgia.

I kept my head down walking through the market, earbuds in, like if I looked too long at the stalls selling papayas and cheap sunglasses, I’d get sucked in.

Actually, that’s a great advice for those visiting Nazzari. Don’t stare at the hawkers or they won’t leave you alone. Seriously, they’ll follow you home.

My mom nearly crushed me in a hug when I arrived. She said I’d gotten thinner (I hadn’t). She asked about my classes and if I’d made any friends. (I guess). After that it was the usual mother nagging, fussing like I’d returned from war.

It was strange being back in m old room, well, I wouldn’t call it mine since I shared it with my older brother. The batman posters, the small desk and the lumpy bed. It all felt small, like it had shrunken somehow.

Then my phone buzzed.

You have been added to a group chat.

By who?

Then the chats flew by.

Malik: Yo, sup bitches!!!
Remy: Mal, what the fuck you doing this early in the morning?
Keisha: It’s literally 3PM. 😂

Remy: Oh shit!! Slept the whole day Keish’
Sheila: What’s down guys? Group’ already active, damn
Malik: Yo, Sheila where you been at. I’ve been trying to call you
Sheila: I was travelling Mal. Just landed….Where’s loner boy and Elena?
Malik: Elena’s with my aunts in Nazzari. Just added Davis, maybe he hasn’t seen it yet.

Well, that solved the mystery.

I stared at the chats for along time.

Typed something. Deleted it.

Typed again. Same thing.

Apparently everyone had also gone home. I thought they’d stick to the hostels, partying their brains out. Guess everyone gets homesick every once in a while.

“Davis?!” someone called out from outside.

I opened up the window and it was Tariq waving.

He was my best friend growing up, we went to the same schools and had the same friend groups. Other than me, he was the smartest guy I knew.

“Tariq, nice to see you man.”

“Man, you look….different.”

“You should look in the mirror,” I shot back. We cracked up instantly.

“Come out, bro. Or do you want me to ask you to let down your hair?”

I probably mentioned this but Nazzari is a fishing town, one of those semi-island towns surrounded by water but wasn’t a full island. It’s one of those.

We walked on the brown sandy paths like we used to do, just catching up. He told me about his University, I told him about mine. Funny enough, our universities were both in Neon City but had barely seen each other. We promised to fix that next year.

“Hey Tariq, nice to see you man.”

“Tariq, how you been? School treating you right?”

That was Tariq—everyone knew him. It’s always been like that walking with him. In a small town where everyone knew everybody, he somehow managed to be more popular than everybody and I was the opposite.

We didn’t speak long and he had to leave when he was called by his girlfriend and I was left overlooking the ocean. I have always loved the ocean breeze, the quietness. It wasn’t until 5PM that I actually went back home.

That night, back on the bed, I scrolled through the group chats again. Sheila had posted a meme of a racoon breaking into a trash can with the caption: “Loophole Heist Energy.” Keisha sent some gossip about Professor Langston was apparently panicking about his missing phone but refused to involve the cops.

Elena and I were the only MIA from the chats. Wonder….

“Davis!!!!”

Mother’s voice drew me from my thoughts.

“….Food’s ready!!!”

Well, time to sit, relax, have some good food.

Soon enough I would be back to Neon and with it the craziness.