by Londyn Skye
“Oh, stop bein’ such a prude, Julia! We’re cousins. We should be able to share anything with each otha’,” Mary Jo teased in return.
“I don’t think it makes me a prude to not wanna hear about your bodily secretions,” Julia joked. She glanced over at Lily as she laughed. “Does it, Lee- Lay-? Umm, I’m sorry. What’s your name again?”
“Lily,” she answered, standing there meekly with a bundle of dirty clothes in her arms.
“Wait.” Julia squinted her eyes while staring at her. “Lily? You’re Lily?! Lily Adams?!” There was more and more excitement in Julia’s voice each time she spoke her name. “From The Dream Symphony?!” she squealed, with the giddiness of a child.
“Yes, ma’am that was me.”
“I knew I recognized you!” Julia got up from the bed and walked closer to her. “Oh my God! I knew you looked familiar! All day long, I’ve been tryna figure out where it was I’d seen you before! I can’t believe this!” she expressed with excitement. “Mary Jo and I went to see you in concert! It was the most spectacula’ thing I’ve eva’ seen! You and your show were amazin’!”
“Thank ya’ kindly, Miss Julia,” Lily replied, managing a faint smile afterward.
The more euphoric Julia became while continuing to talk to Lily about the parts of the show that were her favorite, the more venom began to build within Mary Jo. Every positive adjective Julia used was the equivalent to sharp daggers going into her ears. The delight that shined on Julia’s face, caused the steaming-red tint on Mary Jo’s to become a shade darker. The pressure within her mounted for every second of attention Julia directed at Lily until toxic words suddenly spewed from her mouth. “That nigga’ will neva’ be good at anything otha’ than scrubbin’ my filthy unda’garments!” she yelled, pelting Lily in the face with her blood-soaked underwear. It caught her on the lower cheek and left a bloody smudge mark near her mouth.
Lily dropped the clothes in her arms and stood there frozen in utter disgust.
Julia turned toward her cousin with her mouth agape, looking equally as disgusted. “Mary Jo,” she said faintly as disbelief washed over her. “How could you do somethin’ so vile?”
Mary Jo ignored her cousin’s question, wrapped her naked body with a towel, and stormed out down the hallway to the bathroom.
Mortified by what her cousin had just done, Julia turned and looked at Lily with a great deal of empathy. Lily still stood there frozen, wondering if this was also among the things James wanted her to “just let MJ have her way.” Lily thought that Mary Jo could never get to her again, but as fury built within her, she now questioned if she could ever tolerate such loathsome treatment quietly.
“L-Lily. Are you all right?” Julia asked, concern gripping her words.
“Yes ma’am,” she lied, as she began to bend down to pick up the filthy underwear from the floor.
“Don’t!” Julia grabbed Lily’s hand and stopped her from further humiliation. “I’ll throw those away lata’,” she said, taking the rest of the clothes and tossing them into the corner. She then went and moistened a rag in a bowl of soapy water that was on Mary Jo’s dresser. She walked over with it and began cleaning Lily’s face off with it where Mary Jo’s bodily secretions were now encrusted. “Mary Jo’s my cousin, and I love ’er, but I’m appalled by her behavior sometimes,” Julia admitted as she continued dabbing the cloth on Lily’s face. “It scares me really. I’ve even mentioned it to her fatha’ once or twice, but she can neva’ do any wrong in her daddy’s eyes,” Julia huffed. “My Uncle Joseph makes every excuse in the book to justify that girl’s crazy ways.” She began mimicking Joseph’s voice. “Oh, Mary Jo’s just tired. She’s just stressed. She’s just lonely,” she mocked. “I done heard every damn ridiculous excuse in the book.” She suddenly threw her hands on her hips. “All along I’m thinkin’ to myself, when is this damn man eva’ gonna realize that his daughta’s a few wooden planks short of a full staircase!”
Despite being dehumanized just moments before, Lily could not help but laugh.
Julia finally finished cleaning Lily’s face and then guided her over to the bed to finish her venting session. “Do you know this crazy girl came to visit me in Ohio and tore my apartment up afta’ your concert? I don’t even know what triggered it! Mary Jo and I tried to get into your afta’ party because I just had to meet you. I’s dyin’ to tell you how moved I was by your show, but there was a line a mile long to get in that place. Mary Jo stomped off when they wouldn’t let us in. Then she demanded that we go home right then and there.”
Julia had no way of knowing that Mary Jo was livid over being denied access to the post-show gala because she had every intention of spying on James and Lily from the shadows of the room. She wanted more validation of their romantic involvement, especially after watching Lily walk in on James’s arm in her beautiful ballroom dress. Fury over the fact that she was unable to obtain more valuable visual confirmation had led her to tear Julia’s apartment apart like a category five hurricane.
“Mary Jo was totally silent on the train ride home,” Julia continued. “She just stared out the window without eva’ utterin’ a single word. When we got back to my place, she walked in and broke everything in sight! Next mornin’, I came back from work and she was gone. Left without a word. No apology! No explanation! Nothin’! Just gone!” Julia swirled her finger around her ear. “Cert-i-fied nut! I’m tellin’ ya’!”
Lily instantly liked Julia. Her chatty, forthcoming ways reminded her a lot of Isabel. She did not think anyone would be capable of putting a smile on her face after the way that Mary Jo had just degraded her, but Julia’s authentic kindness had miraculously suppressed her surging rage.
“So now I’m just all confused about somethin’,” Julia said, looking perplexed. “In a newspapa’ article, I read that you’d earned your freedom. Did Mary Jo hire you to work for her recently or somethin’?”
“No ma’am, I’m still owned by Ms. Mary Jo’s fiancé, James Adams.”
“So, you neva’ earned your freedom?”
“No. It was just a story they used in the paper to attract attention to the show.”
“Ahh, I see. So, Mary Jo’s fiancé is the same James from the newspapa’? The man who discovered your talent?”
“Yes ma’am, he sure is.”
“Interestin’. When I read that article in the school paper, it neva’ dawned on me that he was the same James that Mary Jo’d been talkin’ about all her life. I think she might ‘a mentioned his last name before, but I wasn’t half payin’ attention wheneva’ she was squawkin’ about that man. Figured whoeva’ he was, he probably couldn’t stand a nut like her anyway.”
Lily laughed again.
“Now I’m wonderin’ if somethin’ must’ve happened between the two of ’em afta’ your show. Maybe that’s what triggered her to go off like a cannon in my apartment. Do you know if the two of ’em saw each otha’ that night?”
No, she’s just a jealous bitch. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Hmm. It’s just so strange that her nastiness seems ten times worse when it comes to the way she treats you. This may sound crazy, but by the little tantrum she just threw, I’d guess she’s envious of you. Jealous even.”
Exactly! Except you left out the part about her bein’ a bitch.
“Don’t make sense that a girl whose got it all could eva’ be envious of anybody. But hell, nothin’ ’bout that damn girl makes sense sometimes. But don’t tell ’er I said that though, okay?” Julia whispered.
Lily pretended to zip her lips.
“This may come as a shock to you, but Mary Jo’s neva’ once apologized to me for anything she’s eva’ done,” Julia said sarcastically. “So, I know that she’ll neva’ apologize to you for what she just did. So, on her behalf, I just wanna say how sorry I am for the way she just tried to humiliate you…” She leaned in close to Lily. “And for the fact that you’re forced to tolerate her nutty behind at all,” she whispered.
�
��Thank you, Ms. Julia.” For the first time in weeks, Lily managed a genuine smile in return for her kindness.
Julia took Lily by the hand. “Listen, try not to let Mary Jo get to you. It took me years to masta’ ignorin’ her foolish ways, so I know it’s no easy feat, but just try, okay?”
Lily nodded, remembering that James had suggested the same. But after the rage she was feeling just moments before, she was happy to have the reminder.
“So, I’m curious about what happened to your show? There were the oddest rumors circulatin’ around Athens that it was ova’, but I don’t hardly know what to believe with all the different stories I’ve heard. Some were claimin’ it ended ratha’ tragically. Is that true or are you just performin’ in Virginia now?”
“No ma’am. It’s ova’.”
“But why? People still talk about how exhilaratin’ it was.”
“Ask Ms. Mary Jo why. She’d know betta’ than me.”
Julia gasped and her tone suddenly became serious. “Lily, please don’t tell me she had somethin’ to do with it endin’?”
“I’m fairly certain that she did.”
“Oh, Lily, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right.”
“No! It’s not all right! Why would she do such a thing?!”
Ova’ a damn man! Lily wanted to confess. “Your guess is as good as mine,” she replied instead.
Julia got up from the bed. “Well, I want answa’s! She needs to fix this!”
Lily grabbed hold of her arm to stop her. “I’m sorry!” she then said as she released Julia’s arm, quickly realizing that her action was a punishable mistake. “I-I didn’t mean any harm.”
“Lily, I know you don’t mean any harm. It’s all right,” Julia assured her while patting her shoulder.
“It’s just that I’d really prefer you not to say anything to Ms. Mary Jo about it,” Lily explained. “Trust me, it’ll only make things worse for the both of us. Besides, you said yourself that she ain’t right in the head. It ain’t no way you can reason with crazy.”
Julia rethought her decision. “You’re certainly wise beyond your years,” she replied as she sat back down on the bed next to Lily. “I just hate for her to get away with this. You deserve to have your show if that’s what you want. Why anyone would have the gall to stop such a beautiful display of artistry is beyond me. Mary Jo owes you. She owes you and that William Werthington fella … ’specially afta’ all the rumors I heard about what they did to his house.”
“His house? Wh-what happened to his house?” Lily asked, her heart suddenly racing.
“Oh my, you hadn’t heard?”
“No ma’am, what happened?”
“Well, it was rumored around school that the Ghost Rida’s burned that place up into ashes on Christmas night. Some people claim they was tryna kill William for helpin’ you put on that show, but that they killed some elderly Negro couple that was there instead. I rememba’ seein’ thick smoke in the air for days off in the distance, so perhaps what everyone was sayin’ was true. I neva’ saw the house with my own eyes, so I don’t know for sure. With the way that town’s always spinnin’ tales, there ain’t no tellin’ if it’s true or not. I hope to God it’s just anotha’ one ‘a their wild made-up stories. I’d hate to know that Mary Jo was a potential catalyst for somethin’ so catastrophic.”
Lily was suddenly paralyzed by her words.
“I think I hear Mary Jo,” Julia said quietly after hearing a set of faint footsteps in the hallway. “Somehow I know I can trust that all ‘a this will stay between you and me. And I promise I won’t confront Mary Jo about your show, if that’s what you prefer,” she whispered.
Lily may as well have been comatose. Again, she failed to reply.
“I betta’ go bathe before Mary Jo thinks somethin’s up. Keep your head up, Lily,” Julia said just before she departed from the room.
Julia had helped Lily take two steps forward on her emotional progress, but the news of what had allegedly happened to Anna Mae, Ben, and William’s home was like a massive blow to the stomach that immediately knocked her twenty steps back. Lily held her shattered emotions together long enough for Julia to depart from the room, but no sooner than she heard the door shut, she began to hyperventilate. She shoved the collar of her dress into her mouth and held it there to help silence her sudden fit of heavy sobs. She sat there rocking back and forth, purging weeks worth of sorrow, all while praying that the crumbling of William’s home and the loss of two beautiful souls was truly just a rumor.
Chapter Seventeen
Ghost Rider Code of Ethics
Section 7.1
Ghost Rider Brotherhood
A true Ghost Rider will not injure a fellow member. He will not allow animosity or friction to arise and remain between himself and other Ghost Riders. He will not deceive a fellow Ghost Rider by disappointing or imposing upon him in any way. Nor will a true Ghost Rider withhold information that may be necessary to further The Ghost Rider cause or to uphold our fundamental codes.
Duke Dixon pounded on Jesse’s front door after rudely showing up unexpectedly.
“Dix,” Jesse greeted him after opening the door and letting him in. There was no handshake that followed. The coldness was typical in their relationship. They were secure enough in their friendship to feel as though that sort of manly affection was not necessary. Instead, it was tradition for them to grab one another a beer upon their arrival. Jesse retrieved one for each of them from the kitchen and joined him in the living room.
Duke guzzled half the bottle before speaking. “Ain’t seen you at a rally lately,” he said, jumping right into the reason for his visit.
“Been busy,” Jesse replied.
“Busy avoidin’ us?”
Jesse furrowed his eyebrows and gave him a curious look, wondering what his motive was for the intrusive line of questioning. “I ain’t obligated to check in with you,” he said, remaining calm after giving him the benefit of the doubt. “You sound like a naggin’ ass woman,” he insulted, and then took a swig of his beer.
Duke threw down the school newspaper article that his cousin, Tex, had given him. “I ain’t naggin’, just wonderin’ how in the hell it is that you failed to tell all the Rida’s about this bullshit?” he said, motioning his hand toward the paper.
Jesse picked it up, glanced at it, and tossed it back on the table. “Like I said, I ain’t obligated to tell y’all shit.”
“I ain’t just a friend, Jesse. I’m one of our tribunal counsel memba’s. So, you know good ‘n damn well y’ur obligated to tell me about that!” he said, pointing to the paper again. “Withholdin’ that kind ‘a shit violates damn near every oath you swore to the Rida’s!”
“It’s time for you to leave,” Jesse demanded, struggling to maintain his composure.
“We could have you banished for this!”
Jesse jumped up from the couch. “Do what the fuck you gotta do! But if you set foot in my house again talkin’ to me like I’m y’ur goddamn kid, you’ll be leavin’ here with a few less teeth than what ya’ come with!”
Duke jumped up out of his seat as well.
“My cousin, Rusty, died fightin’ at that William fell’urs house tryna put a stop to that damn show afta’ you went to Tex’s place bitchin’ and moanin’! And now you stand here without a goddamn thing to say about it?!”
“They should’ve put a stop to that show long before it eva’ got that far outta control! All that shit happened on their watch! Right unda’ their goddamn noses! They spit on the Rida’ codes! And now you have the audacity to question my loyalty to the oaths I swore!”
“To hell with all ‘a them! You were one of our foundin’ memba’s! Forget swearin’ to the oaths! You helped create the goddamn oaths!”
“You got ten seconds to get outta my house before I throw you the hell out!”
Duke refused to back down. “At least tell me that piano playin’ bitch ain’t still breathin’?!”
Jesse
stomped closer to his longtime friend. “I said get the fuck outta my house!”
“Jesse this ain’t you! There’s gotta be some good goddamn explanation for why you’d fail us like this!”
“Five seconds left!”
“What about James, huh?! You didn’t do anything to that little pansy for any ‘a this eitha’, did ya’?”
Jesse grabbed Duke by the collar of his shirt and shoved him toward the front door.
Duke stumbled backward a bit but still stood his ground. “I don’t know what it is about you and that damn boy! You done let ’em be a pussy his whole fuckin’ life! What makes you think he’s above gettin’ away with shit like this, huh? Elizabeth’s been dead ‘n gone f’ur ova’ a decade now, so don’t botha’ usin’ her as an excuse this time!”
“Don’t you mention my wife to me eva’ again, you piece a shit! It ain’t none ‘a y’ur fuckin’ business how I decide to deal with my boys!”
“It is my business when a grand masta’s lettin’ his own son get away with this treasonous bullshit!” Duke stepped closer to Jesse and put a finger in his face. “You need to put that little pussy ‘a y’urs on a leash … Or I will.”
Jesse grabbed Duke by the throat this time. “Lay a hand on my son and I’ll kill ya’ myself.” He escorted Duke to the door with his air circulation cut off, shoved him onto the porch, and slammed the door.
Duke angrily kicked a planter and shattered it to pieces. He then marched down the steps, jumped on his horse, and sped off the Adams plantation, hell-bent on dealing with both James and Jesse in due time.
Chapter Eighteen
Ghost Rider Code of Ethics
Section 8.2
Consciously allowing without objection or assisting in the education, betterment, or advancement of any inferior race beyond the societal status that our organization has deemed acceptable is strictly forbidden and is punishable by penalties assessed by the tribunal, up to and including banishment from the Ghost Rider organization forever.