Don’t forget for a moment that I am telling this story the way it was told to me by Nicole herself. She never explained how she started her late night business except to say that she had to make a lot of money quickly or lose the home she grew up in. I thought it best not to press her for more details because I saw that it was difficult for her to talk about. What she did explain to me is that her mother literally lived in limbo for close to a year. She had taken care of her mother while awaiting the birth of her son, knowing that the small savings her dad had left was quickly diminishing. That could not have been easy!
(English) Women’s Long Evening Dress
Once her son was born, Nicole used whatever money was left to start a bridal boutique in the space that was once her father’s study. She bought fabric and spent hours sewing bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses. Soon orders were coming in faster than she could sew, and she was forced to hire help. Some customers requested ‘brand name’ gowns so she began to source gowns from up and coming designers in Manhattan. Her buying trips to Manhattan included short stays in Trinidad, Barbados and Tortola where she plied her secret trade. The funds were then invested in gowns and accessories for the boutique.
When Nicole and I met, her son Trey was already 5 years old and her mother had long snapped out of her grief and had taken over the care of her grandson and the daily management of the boutique. As it turns out she was quite good at managing the boutique and once it began to turn a profit she had convinced Nicole to extend beyond bridal wear to club and day wear. The boutique became quite popular, customers loved Nicole’s designs and soon she became the go-to designer for young reggae artists.
When I asked Nicole about Paul, she shook her head regretfully and told me that he was not a part of her or her son’s life. She added that she had long gotten over him and was quite happy living the single life. She planned to retire her leather thongs and become a proper mom once she had paid off the mortgage for her family home.
Unfortunately, I lost touch with Nicole a few months after she left Barbados and I have never seen her again. I still smile when I think of her, she loved to make a grand entrance! like the night she wore a black lace bodysuit over tiny bejeweled thongs to go out with me. I remember being tickled pink by the reaction of the women when we walked into the popular waterfront bar where my favorite jazz saxophonist was playing. They stared with a mixture of admiration and envy but what they said was in stark contrast to the expressions on their faces. Nicole swept by them with a confident stride and her beautiful head held high. The crowd parted and we were given a prime spot in front of the stage, what a fun night that was!
I remember the lime and sugar scrubs and the mayo masks she made to help cure my constant acne breakouts. I remember our Bridgetown shopping trips and our long chats. I remember watching while she did her makeup and zipping her into corsets or thigh high boots. I remember giggling helplessly when she dressed me up in what she called ‘pum pum shorts’ and a blonde wig and told me I was beautiful. I think of her sometimes and I pray she made it through, I hope she became the perfect mom she wanted to be for her little boy and most importantly, I pray that she’s happy and loved.
The end.
