Jagdeep and Jalil on OC Transport

In the storied, tropical realm of the Republic of Guyana, a unique society exists, made up mainly of Africans and Indians, both of whom were brought to this part of the world in ages past by European colonists who exploited them. The ancestors of today's Afro-Guyanese were forcibly brought to Guyana from West Africa, and the ancestors of today's Indo-Guyanese were brought as indentured laborers for the most part from Southern India.

Fast forward a couple hundred years, and Guyana is a uniquely diverse and multicultural nation. While maintaining great cultural and linguistic relations with the former British Empire, Guyana has come into its own as a nation. Politically and geographically, Guyana is part of both the Caribbean and South America, which makes it a dynamic destination for reasons of tourism and commerce.

Long considered a third world country with great potential, Guyana is coming out of its British colonizers shadow. This wouldn't have been possible without Black/Indian cooperation. Nevertheless, while the Indians and the Africans of Guyana have a power sharing agreement, this doesn't mean that racism doesn't exist. Guyana has had Afro-descended and South Asian men and women as Presidents, and for the most part, relations between the two communities are peaceful. Indeed, quite a few mixed-race people of African and Indian descent, known as the Douglas, call Guyana home.

Meet Jalil Barnes, a young Afro-Guyanese man born and raised in the City of Georgetown, Capital of the Republic of Guyana. The son of poor farmers, Jalil excelled academically, and dreamed of a life outside the Republic of Guyana. Six feet two inches tall, brawny and ruggedly handsome, Jalil definitely stood out among the many young scholars produced by the Republic of Guyana.

The young man's drive even won him the esteem of Mr. Matthew Sharma, the Director of the prestigious Cadmus Collegiate, an elite private school catering to the sons and daughters of Guyana's wealthiest people. The school was owned and operated by a group of wealthy Indo-Guyanese, and the Indians made up sixty percent of its student body. Jalil was one of its few Black students, and he recently became its first Black male Valedictorian.

When Mr. Sharma, a former Mayor of Georgetown, was appointed the Ambassador of the Republic of Guyana to Canada, he approached Jalil Barnes and his parents with a unique offer. Jalil was nineteen years old, a recent graduate of Cadmus Collegiate. Alas, the education system in the Republic of Guyana left much to be desired, and Jalil was less than impressed with the universities which were available to young people like himself, following their Collegiate studies.

"This will be a terrific opportunity for you, Jalil, in Canada, as part of the diplomatic mission, you will receive a first-rate education at a Canadian university," Mr. Sharma said enthusiastically, and Jalil, overjoyed, pleaded with his parents to accept. Although Jalil's parents, Mariam and Malik Barnes were hesitant to send their son so far from home, they relented because they wanted him to have the opportunities which they lacked.

"Take good care of my son, Mr. Sharma," said Malik Barnes, and the tall, slim and dark-skinned, silver-haired Afro-Guyanese Muslim farmer looked at the chubby, well-dressed Indo-Guyanese politician-turned-educator, then held out his hand. Nodding, Mr. Sharma shook Malik's hand, and for a brief moment, the old farmer wondered if he was sending his son out into the world like a sheep among the wolves...

"Mr. Barnes, no worries, I will treat Jalil here like he were my own," Mr. Sharma said, smiling a bit too much. Jalil Barnes shook Mr. Sharma's hand and hugged his parents. A few weeks later, Jalil Barnes and Mr. Sharma boarded a flight from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport in Georgetown, Guyana, to the MacDonald-Cartier International Airport of Ottawa, Canada. Thus began Jalil Barnes journey into a brand new world...

At first, Jalil Barnes was blown away by the sheer size and scope of Canada. Roughly eight hundred thousand souls call the Republic of Guyana home, while Canada has a population of roughly thirty six million souls. During his first few weeks in the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Jalil got himself a Presto bus pass and explored different parts of the Capital in this manner. Soon he grew confident enough to walk around on his own, getting to know his new digs, as they say...

"Excuse me, could you please tell me how to get to Carleton University?" Jalil asked a tall, brown-skinned young woman whom he saw at a bus stop on Bay Street. He'd been walking around downtown Ottawa for hours, mostly exploring, and getting lost. It was mid-August and he'd mailed his transcripts from Cadmus Collegiate in Guyana to his intended school, Carleton University. He'd gotten an acceptance letter from the Office of Admissions, but he had yet to set foot on his new campus...

"The number four bus is coming soon, it goes right to Carleton, I am waiting for it too," replied the smiling young woman, and Jalil thanked her profusely. He took a last look at the oversized map of downtown Ottawa which he'd purchased from a little shop in Chinatown, and tucked it away. While he did so, he noticed that the young woman was looking at him.

"Yes, I am new in town, I'm Jay, well, Jalil," he said, smiling faintly, and much to his surprise, the young woman returned his smile and shook his hand. Jalil took a good look at her and realized that she was of South Asian descent, but an altogether different breed from the Indo-Guyanese whom he was used to dealing with. This gal was five feet ten inches tall, athletic yet curvy, with light brown skin and golden brown eyes, and her dark hair was tucked under a bright orange turban.

"Good to meet you, Jalil, welcome to Ottawa, I'm Jagdeep Bhattal," the young turbaned woman replied, sounding very much like the white Canadians Jalil had spoken to throughout his journeys around Ottawa. Jalil nodded, and then, realized he was still holding onto her hand. Why do I do these things to myself? Jalil asked himself silently, before rectifying the situation...

"Nice to meet you Jagdeep," Jalil said hastily, and Jagdeep nodded. Awkwardly he let go, then smiled some more. Jagdeep looked at Jalil, and that's when the young woman noticed two things. Firstly, the big and tall, smiling young Black man with the funny accent was looking at her intently and standing a bit too close. Second, he wasn't bad-looking, even if a bit too 'new dude on the block' for her...

"Here comes the bus," Jagdeep said, and Jalil nodded, and then courteously stepped aside to let her go first. Jagdeep nodded, and was about to go into the bus, when a tall, chubby white guy in a suit brushed past her, almost shoveling aside, and forced his way onto the bus. The bus driver, a pale and lanky, bald-headed middle-aged man, saw this and said nothing, indeed, he didn't even ask the chubby, rude guy for his bus pass.

Sighing, Jagdeep got on the bus, showing her U-Pass to the driver, and Jalil tapped his Presto card against the electronic reader. Jagdeep went to sit in the middle, since the bus was packed and most people tended to avoid the swivel chairs at the center of the bus. She thought that Jalil was about to sit near her, but he walked right past her. Jagdeep's gaze followed him, wondering what he was up to...

"Sir, you shouldn't shove your way past a lady like that," Jalil said, getting in the chubby guy's face. The white guy looked at Jalil as though he had two heads. Jalil stood in front of the older man, his eyes filled with fury. Everyone on the OC Transpo bus was staring at him but the young Black man did not seem to notice or care...

"Listen, buddy, if you don't get out of my face, you're going to regret it," Mr. Chubby White Dude said angrily, but he remained seated, even as Jalil stood before him, smiling wickedly, hands in his pockets. That's when the bus driver stopped the bus, and then walked up to Jalil, visibly angered by what the younger man was doing. Jagdeep heard the bus driver and the young foreigner argue, and shook her head. She took a deep breath, then rose from her seat.

"Sir, this doesn't have to escalate, this man here brushed past me and did not apologize, and my, ahem, friend, got upset," Jagdeep said, stepping between the irate bus driver, the shouting chubby guy, and the incensed young man. Jagdeep looked at Jalil, silently imploring to keep his mouth shut. The young foreigner had no idea how close he was to getting into some serious trouble. Don't get into trouble on my account, Jagdeep thought, exasperated by such foolish bravado...

"Lady, I don't care, I want this young man off my damn bus," the bus driver said, and Jalil, angered by the man's tone of voice, started toward him. Hastily Jagdeep placed herself between Jalil and the bus driver. Looking into the young foreigner's dark eyes, Jagdeep shook her head. Jalil looked at her, and his expression softened. Nodding, Jalil headed for the middle door. Jagdeep watched him go, then, for reasons she couldn't explain, followed him...

"Hey, come back here," Jagdeep called out, and she chased after Jalil, who was walking toward Lebreton Flats at a brisk pace. Hearing her voice, he turned around, and seemed quite surprised to see her. The big and tall young Black man scratched his head, puzzled by the beautiful but strange young South Asian woman who walked toward him, an irate expression on her beautiful face. Sweat pearled on the parts of her head not covered by the orange turban...

"Sat Sri Akaal," Jalil said, smiling faintly, and Jagdeep paused, and looked at him, suddenly puzzled. Her eyebrows were raised, and she licked her lips, thoughtful. Suddenly it dawned on her, why the brother's accent seemed so damn familiar. Jagdeep remembered attending a meeting of the South Asian Students Association at school, and encountering Indo-Guyanese people there. This guy Jalil sounded a lot like them.

"You are from Guyana, I take it, well, Jalil, I got news for you, you're in Ottawa now and we do things differently," Jagdeep remarked, in a rather sharp tone of voice. This is one bossy Indian beauty, the young man thought as the tall, curvy turbaned gal stepped up to him. Jagdeep sighed, seemingly exasperated by his demeanor and Jalil nodded, smiling as though he'd just won the damn lottery or something.

Jagdeep paused, then proceeded to lecture him about the social norms of Ottawa, and how lucky he was not to get himself arrested. The system out here was really biased against minorities, especially dark-skinned men, and in altercations between men of color and white males, even the boorish ones who assaulted women, the lily-white police force would side with those who looked like them nine times out of ten.

"Jagdeep, sister, I am not as naïve as you think, I know about white racism, and how they treat men who look like me, I'm not afraid of them," Jalil said, and he continued to smirk in that cocky, fearless way that Jagdeep thought was probably emblematic of Caribbean males in general. She remembered visiting the City of Toronto and watching Jamaican guys swagger everywhere in the GTA like they owned the place...

"Whatever, Jalil, I just thought I'd offer you some advice, now, if you'll excuse me, I have to walk to Carleton since you made me miss the bus," Jagdeep said sharply, and she walked past Jalil, deliberately elbowing him along the way. Jalil watched Jagdeep as she began walking up the hill, in a direction vaguely reminiscent of Chinatown. Could the Carleton University campus really be located close to where he liked to buy his favorite foods...

Jagdeep walked up the hill at a brisk pace, her curvy form practically undulating, and her round bum swaying this way and that. Jalil held his breath as he got a glimpse of that big round bottom. Growing up in Guyana meant been surrounded by curvaceous feminine beauties of all hues, yet Jalil, a booty gawker from day one, had to admit that the Indian Canadian turbaned beauty was in a class by herself. Can't let that one get away, he thought to himself with a lustful grin.

"Jagdeep, wait up," Jalil called out, and he hurried up and caught up to Jagdeep. The young Indian woman shot him a look that could have melted a polar ice cap, and Jalil hastily raised his hands in the air in mock surrender. Smiling, he apologized, hoping that he sounded sincere. Jagdeep looked him up and down, and smiled wickedly, and Jalil froze, unsure if she was buying what he was selling, or if she was about to smack him. Jagdeep looked like she could do either...

"Apology accepted, Jalil, now, if you shut up and follow me, I'll get us to Carleton in no time," Jagdeep said, smiling sweetly, and Jalil saw it, the mixture of loveliness, coyness and venom behind that smile. All those things, and perhaps something more. Nodding, he returned her smile and followed her. They walked through Chinatown, past Yang Sheng restaurant, one of Jalil's favorite spots, and up Bronson Avenue, toward Colonel By Drive.

"Wow, is this the Carleton University campus? It looks like a small city," Jalil remarked, as he and Jagdeep stood on the bridge, having finally reached Colonel By Drive. Jalil took it all in, the campus that sprawled, surrounded by lush greenery, and its own lake, and it apparently had its own train station, for he saw a bright red tubular train pull into campus. Smiling, he yelled enthusiastically, so great was his excitement...

"Well, I'm glad you like the place, let's go before you scare them Canadians," Jagdeep said, smiling at Jalil, quietly marveling at this strange young man who absolutely did not hold back in expressing himself. Jalil nodded, and smiled gratefully at her. They walked down the path, and thus made their way into campus.

"Today is the Orientation Day for international students, this afternoon I am meeting school reps in the Tory Building, I'm starting school in September, I'm going to be an engineer," Jalil said excitedly, and Jagdeep looked at him, and bit her lip. Jalil stopped looking at the vast network of buildings and the throngs of people, both students and staff, who went about their day. He looked at Jagdeep, his expression unreadable. For once, the brother from Guyana actually fell silent...

"What a surprise, I came here as an international student, three years ago, now I'm a permanent resident, I am in civil engineering," Jagdeep said proudly, and Jalil nodded, then flooded her with questions about the school, the immigration rules, and campus life. Jagdeep tried her best to answer the storm of words, and the odd, and rather beautiful human being it issued from...

"I'm going to get my civil engineering degree, find a way to stay in Canada, make money and take care of my parents back in Guyana," Jalil said firmly, and Jagdeep saw nothing but resolve on the young man's handsome, dark brown face. For some reason, she felt both awe and pity toward this young man who had no idea what life could throw his way. It wasn't going to be easy for Jalil, especially given his brash, hard-headed nature...

"Jalil, you're a hard headed young man but I believe you can do these things, if you ever need help, don't hesitate to call me," Jagdeep heard herself say, and then the young woman ( and part time teacher's assistant ) pulled a card out of her wallet and handed it to her impromptu but endearing traveling companion. Jalil beamed at her, his face filled with a fierce joy, then he nodded gently.

"Jagdeep, I'm sorry if I caused you any grief today, thanks for looking out for me," Jalil said, and he took the card from her, then held her hand in both of his. Jalil bowed his head with his eyes closed, and then thanked Jagdeep, before letting go of her hands. Jagdeep, brought up in the Sikh faith, knew little of the ways of Muslims, especially the ones from the Caribbean or South America, but she nodded gracefully.

"This is the Tory building, good luck, Jalil," Jagdeep said, and Jalil nodded, then shook her hand. She watched as the young Afro-Guyanese Muslim man walked away. Decent head on his shoulders, if somewhat impulsive, but by the sacred beard of Guru Nanak, the lad's got a nice ass, Jagdeep thought to herself.

Smiling, and surprised at her own thoughts, Jagdeep headed for the Instructors Lounge, located in the upper reaches of the Loeb Building. One of the joys of being a teacher's assistant at Carleton University during the second half of the summer meant long hours spent correcting papers, and holding office hours for students who almost never visited...

When Jagdeep went home, to her By Ward Market apartment, she worked out for a bit, then took a shower and watched returns of Pretty Little Liars on Netflix. Afterwards, she checked her Facebook, mainly to see what all of her friends were up to. Her best friend Cheryl, a blonde-haired young white woman originally from Oakville, Ontario, just got engaged to her Jamaican fiancé Clarence Jones, and couldn't stop posting pictures of her ginormous engagement ring. Jagdeep, who was a year older than Cheryl and hadn't been in a relationship for quite some time, felt a bit sick and envious of Cheryl's happiness. Well, just a little bit...

Feeling bored, Jagdeep called Cheryl, and much to her surprise, her favorite perky blonde picked up on the second ring. Cheryl greeted Jagdeep cheerfully, and then launched into a long tirade about how a certain Sikh Indian female student was all work and no play. Jagdeep hesitated, then decided to tell Cheryl about the weird yet fun day she'd had...

"Hmm, Jagdeep, sounds like Mr. Guyana has the hots for you, maybe you should give him some of that Punjabi loving," Cheryl teased, and Jagdeep gasped in shock, then laughed it off. The two young women bantered like that for a while, and then Cheryl switched to her favorite subject, her upcoming nuptials with Clarence, and how fantastic his athletic, chocolate-hued body was...

"Well, I don't know if Jalil has the goods, but he looks good," Jagdeep admitted, mainly to interrupt Cheryl's flow. Cheryl, who had been in the middle of describing her last bedroom escapade with her beau, suddenly paused. When Cheryl asked Jagdeep when was the last time she got laid, Jagdeep looked at the phone as though it were possessed, then giggled...

"Jagdeep, darling, you're in Ottawa, not India, if you need to get laid, find some guy or some gal who tickles your fancy, and get the deed done, you'll be much happier, and on that note, goodnight," Cheryl said, and she hung up promptly after. Jagdeep sighed, and then put her cell phone back in its charger. The young woman lay on her living room couch, and thought long and hard about the conversation she'd just had...

"Mainū ika ādamī dē saparaka dī lōṛa hai, I really do need a man's touch," Jagdeep thought to herself. Lying on the couch, clad in a Black tank top and red shorts, her long dark hair flowing freely on her shoulders, the young woman felt totally relaxed and at peace. Well, save for a certain burning need inside of her, which her best friend Cheryl had only reawakened with her lustful conversation about banging her man...

"Hmm," Jagdeep whispered, as she began rubbing her breasts, pinching her hardening nipples, even as she felt a fire beginning down below. Pulling down her shorts, she slid her fingers between her legs and began teasing her clitoris. Closing her eyes, Jagdeep began masturbating. The young woman licked her lips as she pleasured herself, and in her fantasy, she was not alone. A certain talkative, fearless Afro Guyanese stud with a hunky body invaded her innermost thoughts...

"Let me help you with that, sweetness," Jalil said, in Jagdeep's fantasy, and the tall, dark and handsome, strongly built young Black man approached her, a cocky grin on his face. Jagdeep smiled as strong arms pulled her close, and full, masculine lips pressed themselves against her own. Jagdeep kissed Jalil full and deep, and then looked into his chestnut eyes. The Guyanese hunk was burning with desire for her, and she couldn't wait to experience the whirlwind of passion she felt rising inside of him...