A few blocks away Ronald was heaving so hard that Latoya finally decided that they were at a safe enough distance. As they ran she noticed that no one was still in pursuit of them.
"I can't run no more," Ronald gasped.
"Let's go in here," Latoya said while motioning towards the liquor store. As they entered Ronald's eyes suddenly lit up bright. He broke free from Latoya and ran up to a large Black man in a gold Adidas track suit with white Nike's and hugged his legs.
"Daddy!" Ronald screamed.
"What the fuck ya'll doin' here?" Their father, Nathaniel, asked. "Lucia gonna beat ya'll asses when she finds out you here."
"Lucia dead, daddy," Latoya said. He placed his beer and cigarettes on the counter and knelt down so that he was eye to eye with Latoya.
"What I tell you about sayin' shit like that?" Nathaniel asked. "When she do die you gon' feel bad."
"Well, she is and I don't," Latoya replied. Nathaniel looked at Ronald and he had his head down. A tear rolled down his cheek and fell on his cast.
"What happened to your arm?" Nathaniel asked Ronald.
"That doesn't matter," Latoya said before Ronald could respond. "But there is police all over the house. Lucia got killed by the Bug Lady! The city people are tryin' to make us move in with her! We gotta keep runnin'!"
"What is she talkin' about, Ronnie?" Nathaniel asked.
"Mama had worms comin' outta her mouth and she couldn't breath so she is gonna be like grandma and everything" Ronald said. His father just looked at him and then at Latoya.
"Fuck," he said. "Fuck. I picked the wrong time to bring my Black ass back home."
"Daddy, we gotta go now" Latoya pleaded. Even though they were blocks away from home Latoya felt like any second either the police or even worse the Bug Lady would show up. She began looking towards the door nervously. Nathaniel hugged the two of them.
"Lemme get to the house and see what's happenin'," Nathaniel said.
"Did you hear anything I jus' said?!" Latoya screamed. "I swear my life is turnin' into a bad movie!"
"Dontchu raise your voice and me, Latoya," Nathaniel said. "I'm goin' back to the house and you two are comin' with me."
"Latoya said that one of us has to die before anyone believes us" Ronald said.
"Everything yo sister say ain't true" Nathaniel said. "Now come on. Ain't nobody dyin'."
Nathaniel walked the kids over to his car. A long green 1983 Cadillac. Latoya sat in the back seat while Ronald sat up front with his father. Latoya wanted to sit in the back so she could duck if the pastor, his wife, the social worker, or that policeman saw her. Ronald was too happy to see his father that he didn't care what happened. He smiled as if he no longer feared the Bug Lady. "That stupid kinda confidence that gets kids killed in movies," Latoya thought to herself.
As they pulled onto their street Latoya sank down into the back seat. Ronald waved at the social worker and stuck his tongue out at her as they passed. Nathaniel slowed down but did not stop, for which Latoya was very grateful.
"There mama," Ronald said while pointing to her covered body. "I don' know who that is though" he said while pointing to the police officers body. "I bet the Bug Lady got 'em though."
"Can we hurry up?" Latoya asked. She was peeking over the seat at the crowd that gathered. Suddenly someone pounded on the rear window causing Nathaniel to slam on the breaks. It was the pastor. "Drive, daddy!" Latoya shouted.
"Why is Pastor Jones actin' a fool?" Nathaniel asked as he climbed out of the car.
"I am so sorry about Lucia" Pastor Jones said. "Me and my wife tried to help her but…" he said, not quite sure how to bring up how Lucia had died. "There was no pain" he lied.
"What?!" Latoya shouted. "What do you mean 'no pain'? It looked painful to me!"
"Ya'll saw her die?" Nathaniel asked. "Pastor, how you let the kids see that kinda shit?"
"They insisted," he said.
"But they jus' kids" Nathaniel said. He was beginning to get angry and Latoya, as much as she did not like the pastor, did not want to see what would happen if he got angry. “You tellin' me that you can't stop a few kids?!"
"Now just calm down, Nathan," Pastor Jones said while holding his hands up and backing away.
"No, you calm the fuck down!" Nathaniel screamed.
"Daddy…" Latoya said as three officers made their way towards the commotion.
"It's okay, baby," Nathaniel said as he slowly backed away from Pastor Jones.
"Is there a problem here?” one of the officers asked as his hand slowly slid towards his nightstick.
"Not at all," Pastor Jones said. "He is just upset about his wife, that's all."
Nathaniel looked at the officers as they turned around and walked back towards the second covered up body. Ronald got out of the car and stood next to his father. He looked like a miniature version of Nathaniel. Latoya looked exactly like her mother who had died a while back. They all walked towards Lucia's body. Nathaniel scratched at his beard and tugged on his earring. This was something Latoya knew he did when he was nervous. She had seen him do it whenever they got pulled over or when a police car was behind them. She took his hand and squeezed it.
"Thanks, babygirl" Nathaniel said as they neared Lucia. One of the coroners on scene was about to stop them when Pastor Jones waved him away. The coroner shrugged and back away. Nathaniel lifted the sheet and jumped back. "What the fuck happened to her?!" he screamed.
"Worms," Pastor Jones replied.
"Ain't no worms do this shit!" Nathaniel shouted.
Pastor Jones walked a little closer and saw the condition of Lucia's face. He gagged and crossed himself before grabbing the kids and running back towards Nathaniel's car. Nathaniel tried to cover her face but was afraid to touch her. He face was completely swollen and black. Her lips were bright pink with grubs crawling around her eyes. The coroner walked back to the body, only his frightened eyes visible over his mask.
He ran over to a policeman, frantically removing the mask.
"Her face didn't look like that a minute ago!" he shouted. This caused the crowd to once again explode with glee. They pushed their way past the police, attempting to catch a glimpse of next weeks biggest story.
From her side window Miss May smiled as she headed downstairs to the kitchen to boil more water.
"Fuck this!" Nathaniel shouted. "I'm gon' fuck that old bitch up!" Nathaniel ran towards Miss May's house while Latoya chased after him.
"Daddy, stop!" Latoya shouted. "You don' understand her! She got powers!" Latoya caught up to her father and grabbed him by his jacket. "Daddy, she is gonna kill you!"
"Ain't no old ass lady gon' kill me, Latoya! Now let me go!" Nathaniel pulled away from her causing her to fall to the ground and continued. By now the crowd had caught up and waited to see what could possibly happen next. Some of them wondered aloud how fun church next week would be. The neighborhood kids actually wished that it was not summer and that school was in session so that they too could discuss what was happening.
"Daddy, don't die, okay?" Ronald said.
"Boy, I am gon' beat that lady like a drum" Nathaniel said while patting Ronald on the shoulder. "Jus' you see." Nathaniel continued towards Miss May's house.
"Stop!" an officer shouted. "I hope you don't expect us to just allow you to attack an old lady while we just sit back and watch."
"I wasn't expectin' you to," Nathaniel said. "But I would strongly suggest you do." He had a look of pure hate in his eyes. He had never been in love with Lucia. He met her about six years ago. She was on Normandie selling herself for enough money to get her next fix. But he saw that she had once been beautiful. He felt that he could change her. He believed that if she were pregnant that she would finally settle down. He thought he was right until he saw her back on the corner he had met her. She was four months pregnant.
Nathaniel floated in and out of Lucia's life after that. He was not there for Ronald's birth but stopped by every once in a while to check up on him.
Nathaniel was not even sure that Ronald was his child until he was about five and his features became more dominant. Since then he has been as good a father as he could be. Right now he felt that his son's life was in danger and the only way he knew how to respond to a threat was to attack it until it stopped moving. The police stepped aside. Nathaniel mouthed "thanks" and continued towards Miss May's house.
"What do you think you're doing?" someone asked. Nathaniel turned and saw Mrs. Watson right behind him. "If something happens to you your kids are going to be in the same spot they were in ten minutes ago: No parents. Is that what you want?"
"What kinda man would I be if I didn't do something to help my kids?" Nathaniel asked.
"What kind of man would you be if you beat an old lady?" Mrs. Watson responded.
"The kind that beats two for the price of one if you don't get out my way" Nathaniel said as he continued walking. He arrived at Miss May's with the crowd behind him and his children at his side. He ran to the front door and pounded on it. After a moment it slowly opened. Miss May stood with her arms crossed and water dripping down her apron.
"Nathaniel? I didn't know you were out" Miss May said as she opened her arms wide for a hug. Nathaniel looked at her and spat in her face. "That wasn't nice at all" Miss May said as the saliva rolled down her brow and over her lips. A small wisp of smoke came from her mouth, startling Nathaniel.
"What the fuck are you?" Nathaniel asked as he backed away slowly.
"Where you think you goin'?" Miss May asked. "I'm jus' gettin' started." Nathaniel's eyes got large as he grasped his throat.
"No!" Latoya screamed. She tried to run towards her father but Pastor Jones grabbed her by the arms. Ronald was frozen where he stood, the front of his pants getting wetter by the moment.
"You're the Devil, ain't you?" Nathaniel gasped. He could feel something trying to work its way up his throat unsuccessfully.
"Not even close" Miss May replied. She scratched the stray hairs on her chin and Nathaniel fell to his knees. "Ya'll wanna help him?" Miss May asked. No one approached. Even Latoya who was now free from the grip of Pastor Jones did not approach. "Scared of a little old lady?" Miss May smiled, her yellow teeth causing a few to gag. The police did not even dare reach for their weapons for fear of the same fate that befell their comrade.
"Goddamn demon!" Nathaniel shouted as he threw a punch connecting with Miss May's jaw. She rolled with it and took a step back. Many winced at the sound as his fist met her jaw. Nathaniel fell in her doorway, collapsing to her hardwood floor. "Demon…"
"That punch should've killed her," one officer said as he crossed himself.
"I don' think she can die," Latoya said.
"Lord help us all," Pastor Jones said as he slowly backed away.
"Are ya'll finished?" Miss May asked.
"I think so!" one of the neighbors shouted from the crowd.
"Good" Miss May replied. "I got some greens cookin' and I don' want 'em burnin'," she said as stood over Nathaniel's unconscious body. "Somebody come get this fool off my porch." No one made a move. Miss May sighed and reared back and kicked Nathaniel in the ribs. He flew off the porch and tumbled down the stairs, landing hard on the lawn.
"Daddy, you okay?" Ronald asked as he knelt down near his father. Nathaniel moaned and rubbed his ribs.
"Ya'll need Jesus" Miss May said as she slammed her door.
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