My worst fear is recognized when they pull into a circular driveway. He eases his car into the garage and I lose sight of my wife. Shit, what do I do now?
Tarcia
Finally, I am allowed to talk to a public defender. After being detained for two weeks without the benefit of a single phone call, I am being released on a technicality. They are not going to press charges against me for assaulting an officer as I originally feared. Feeling better than I have since this whole mess started, I walk out of DeKalb County Jail a free woman. They wanted to blame a black man for hitting his wife, but I was defending myself against her.
Regretfully, I say good-bye to Chauncey, but we are going to stay in touch because we still have unfinished business to handle. He gives me a little pink pleather pouch with some instructions to read, but I dare not open it until I am safely out of the jail. It feels good to be in my own clothes again even though they are splattered with dried blood. That jailhouse garb leaves a lot to be desired. The fact that I didn’t have anyplace to go and no money to get there doesn’t hit me until I get outside.
I haven’t felt this alone since my mother passed away. Suppressing a shudder, I walk to the nearest intersection, which is Memorial Drive. I knew I would find a phone there and with any luck, my cousin would accept my collect call. I hadn’t talked to her, or anyone else other than Chauncey for that matter, in over two weeks.
I am nervous about placing the call. I’m not ready to hear my cousin tell me she told me so, but since I have no other family in Georgia I don’t have any choice but to call her. Kentee, of course, is out of the question, at least until I find out where his head is.
I wait for what seems like an eternity for the call to go through. I start talking the second I hear her voice and do not catch her greeting.
“So what’s up, Lorena?”
“Huh?”
“Lorena Bobbitt. Last I heard you were cutting up some shit.” She is laughing at my expense.
“Oh, you’ve got jokes.”
“Lighten up, cuz. What else am I to say to you? You’ve been AWOL for two weeks; the least you could have done was call me.”
“I was in jail.”
“Stop lying.”
“Trust me, I wouldn’t lie about something like that. They wouldn’t let me call anyone.”
“So where you at now? I thought you were somewhere having make-up sex. I didn’t know they locked you up.”
“I’m standing on Memorial Drive near the jail. Can you come pick me up?”
“Sure, I’ve got to be at work by four but I’ll swing by and get you.”
“Thanks, cuz.” I hang up the phone. Questions swirl through my mind, but I am so tired I don’t have the energy to ask them. I will wait until after I’ve taken a bath before I try to find out what has been happening while I was locked up. At least my cousin had enough tact not to try to chastise me over the phone.
The little pouch that Chauncey gave me is itching against my skin. I had tucked it into the waistband of my pants. I still don’t know exactly what it contains, but he made me promise to wait until I get settled before I open it. He called it a gris-gris bag. I recall his parting words to me as he leaned in close and whispered in my ear.
“Don’t play with what you don’t understand. This magic is potent, so don’t open it until you are sure you intend to have this man Kentee in your life. Cleanse yourself. I’ve written down everything you need to do. Follow my instructions to the letter and tell no one of the gris-gris you have received. Do you understand?”
I nodded, not trusting my voice to answer. He was scaring me. “I’ve put you on my list of visitors. Come see me in a week and bring the stuff I asked for in the letter. Remember, trust no one.” I am awakened from my trance-like state by the honking of a horn. Lasonji is laying on the horn and waving at me impatiently to get in the car. Traffic is stopped behind her and Memorial Drive is not the place to start a backup.
“Damn, girl, are you going to get in the car or hold up the pole?”
“My bad. I wasn’t paying attention.”
“No shit. You were in a zone.” Relieved to be off the street, I get in her car. She looks me up and down and shakes her head.
“Please don’t say I told you so. I’ve had a rough time.”
“I won’t. I was worried about you. I got back to your apartment right after they took you away. The neighbors said you freaked out and attacked Kentee, but I didn’t know it was serious enough that they kept you in jail all this time.”
“Hold up, you weren’t looking for me? What’s up with that? I could’ve been dead.”
“True, but you could’ve been off minding your business and expecting me to mind mines. Did Kentee press charges against you?”
“No, my lawyer said he didn’t, but in cases like this it’s up to the arresting officer to decide what to do with you. I probably would have been released sooner if I hadn’t assaulted an officer.” I rest my head against the window. I am so tired and happy to finally be able to let my guard down.
“You did what?” Lasonji hits the brakes so fast I almost bump my head on the dash. I hadn’t buckled up, but I quickly secure my seatbelt after that.
“It’s a long story and I promise to fill you in but I need to take a bath and change my clothes if I have any left.”
“Okay, I won’t give you the third degree right now. The fire destroyed the kitchen and the living and dining rooms. I was able to get all of our clothes and some of the furniture out of the bedrooms. I had to throw away both mattresses because they smelled of smoke. I also managed to get an apartment right down the street, so you can bunk with me for a change.”
“You did all of this in two weeks?”
“I didn’t have much choice. I didn’t want to waste all my money staying in a hotel and I’d planned on getting an apartment anyway. The fire just sped up the process.”
“Damn. My, have the tables turned.” Here I am again with my life in the toilet.
“Do you want to go get your car first, because I have to be at work in a few hours and I don’t want you to be stranded if you don’t have to be.”
“Shit, I need my car, but I need a bath more. I can’t stand the smell of blood and it’s just going straight to my nose right about now. Can I take a quick shower and still get to my car?”
“Yeah, but we’ll have to hurry.”
I like her apartment community immediately. If the inside looks as nice as the outside, I know I will enjoy staying with her.
“Hey, nice place.”
“Thanks. I’m month to month right now. I really want to buy something soon, but I didn’t want to rush into a house purchase that I would later regret.”
“Dayum, cuz. You got it like that?”
“What? Just because I crashed with you, you thought I was broke?”
“Naw, I didn’t think you were broke. I just never expected you to land on your feet so fast.”
“So I guess that means you didn’t have a contingency plan. Did you at least have insurance on your apartment?” I don’t bother to answer as I follow her up the stairs.
“The bathroom is down the hall. I put your clothes in bags, but I haven’t washed them yet. I’ll give you a pair of sweats to wear until you can figure out what you got. Some towels are in the linen closet.”
I follow the hallway, unbuttoning my shirt as I go. The gris-gris started to heat up as soon as I walked into the apartment and I can’t wait to get it off of me. Before it was itching, but now it is actually burning me. Grabbing a towel, I shut the door and immediately strip. I don’t look at myself in the mirror until I am completely naked.
I am shocked by my appearance. I look as if I have aged five years. I have bags under my eyes and my cheeks appear sunken. I lean closer to the mirror looking for answers. Lasonji’s voice comes through the door.
“I put the clothes on the bed to the left. Let’s try to get out of here in the next fifteen minutes, okay?”
“Okay.” Tea
ring myself away from the mirror, I turn on the water. The shower is refreshing, and I have to stop myself from getting carried away. I turn off the water and quickly dry off. Rushing from the bathroom, I quickly put on the clothes Lasonji has laid out for me. She has my bedroom furniture and I am pleased to see my purse on the nightstand. I put the gris-gris in the nightstand drawer. I wouldn’t have time to deal with it until I get back to the apartment anyway.
Swinging my purse over my shoulder, I meet Lasonji in the hallway. “Alright, I’m ready.”
“Thanks, it ain’t much, but it will do for now.” She could have rubbed it in my face and I am grateful she didn’t. I’ve worked most of my adult life and I barely have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of. Lasonji hands me a key and I slide it on my keychain. I like my humble pie served hot and right now I am feeling a little cold.
We drive to my place in silence because I really don’t know what to say. I mean, I have no plan or backup plan. Now, not only am I out of a job, I have no place that I can call my own.
“I don’t get off until midnight. There’s some leftover pasta salad in the refrigerator if you want it and feel free to help yourself to anything you need. We have a washer and dryer, so you can wash your clothes. Sorry I couldn’t do it for you.”
“You’ve done enough already.”
“I left the phone number on the kitchen counter. I looked for your cell phone, but I couldn’t find it.”
“I had it with me, but the battery died. I’m just glad you were able to get my purse.”
“You were lucky. Your apartment got the most smoke damage but the apartment downstairs suffered water damage and they weren’t able to recover much of their belongings, if anything.”
“Did they say what caused the fire?” I knew but I was wondering if anyone was pointing the finger at Kentee’s child.
“I didn’t stick around to ask. Folks were kinda upset so I just grabbed what I could and got the hell on.”
“Can’t say I blame them. I’m still pissed off my damn self.” When we arrive at my apartment, the windows on the front of the building are boarded up and I want to cry just looking at it. My hand stalls before opening the door.
“Are you going to be alright?”
“Yeah, it’s just strange looking at this in the light of day. I’ll see you later, and thanks again.”
“Shit, that’s what family is for.” She kisses me on the cheek as I give her a hug. I’m not used to accepting kindness even if it is from my family.
Kentee
I turn my phone off cause the last thing I need is for that crazy-ass Tarcia to call while I am trying to win back my wife. I had not planned on begging for a second chance in front of ole dude but I am willing to do whatever I have to do to get my family back.
I hate that I am gonna lose my fuck partner, but I am tired of Tarcia’s shit and want the stability that Leah provided. She is such a good woman, I have a hard time believing that I fucked up so bad with her. That was never my intent. Sucking up all the pride I can muster, I knock on the door. Craig answers and by the look on his face, he seems to be expecting me.
“Hold on a second.” He closes the door in my face without inviting me in. A few seconds later, Leah comes out and she looks beautiful. I have to stop myself from pulling her into my arms and never letting her go.
“What are you doing here?” She hisses at me as if I’ve lost my damn mind.
“I had to see you and since you would not return my phone calls, I followed you from work.”
“Did it ever occur to you that I didn’t want to take your phone calls?”
“Leah, cut the shit, I’ve got a right to see my children and know where they are.”
“Don’t you come over to my house talking about your rights after what you put our children through!” Her voice is shrill and rising. I knew she was going to be mad, but I wasn’t prepared for this she-devil before me. She is so mad, I completely miss what she says.
“I know I fucked up, but I can explain.”
“Save it, Kentee. You knew the rules when I left the children with you. The fact that you ignored them is the only thing I care about.” Sensing this spiraling out of control, I pull my ace in the hole out of my pocket, wanting to shock her with a little bling-bling. I open the top, anticipating that she will smother me with kisses and tears. Boy, am I wrong. She laughs.
“What’s that for?” She is laughing hysterically.
“Uh, it’s for you. I want us to try this again and this time, I promise I’ll get it right. Tarcia and I are through and I just want my family back.”
The door is snatched open and ole dude comes out to see if everything is okay. He places his arm around my wife and I want to slug him. “Is everything okay, sweetheart?”
She doesn’t answer him, she just points to my ring like I’d pulled it out of a box of Cracker Jacks. That’s when I notice the rings she is wearing. She is not only wearing an engagement ring, she has the wedding ring to match. I feel like someone has their hands around my lungs and is squeezing the air out of them. Surely she can’t be married; this has to be some kind of sick joke.
“Craig and I are married.”
Not only am I feeling like an ass, I look like one as well. If it wasn’t such a punk thing to do, I would faint. Why didn’t I just wait to spring the ring on her? At least I would have kept some of my dignity, but that phat-ass ring she is sporting makes mine look like a chip.
“Oh, I see. I guess you didn’t think it was important enough to tell me about.”
“Frankly, Kentee, what I do is really none of your business. Now if you’ll excuse me, we have some other things that we need to be attending to.” They turn as a couple to go inside, leaving my dumb ass with my mouth hanging open.
“What about the kids?”
She turns back to me as Craig goes in the house. “What about them?”
“When can I see them?”
“When you arrange through the courts to have supervised visitation. You will not put my babies at risk again.” She turns and closes the door in my face. Damn, what could I say? I brought this shit all on myself. I want to knock on the door and demand to see my children, but I don’t want them to see me like this. I feel as if the carpet has just been pulled from under my feet, landing me on my ass.
Losing Leah was never really an option to me. Because she allowed me to get away with my dirt before, I assumed she would let me get away with it again and again. Now, I’ve lost any chance of winning her back. Craig looked as if he was there to stay. And what exactly does supervised visitation mean? I don’t have the money to hire a lawyer, but I am not ready to give up on my children. Defeated, I walk back to my car. Tears run unchecked down my face. What am I going to do now?
I told you she was giving up the pussy. That voice is back in my head, only louder. I don’t bother to tell it to shut up because this time, it is right.
Tarcia
Fishing my phone from my purse, I plug it in to charge. I’d thought Kentee would have at least called to check on me, but I don’t have any new messages. Nine times out of ten, he is sniffing behind Leah’s ass and isn’t thinking about me.
I quickly leave the parking lot and the bad memories it holds for me. I check my wallet and lucky for me I still have money in it, so I stop at McDonald’s for a Quarter Pounder with cheese. After eating prison food for the past few weeks, I am in need of a real grease fix and no one does it better than Mickey D’s.
After eating, I drive back to Lasonji’s to see how much of my life she was able to salvage. Since the bag still smells of smoke, I don’t dump it on the bed. Surprisingly, much of my clothing is there. After putting the first load in the washer, I retrieve my instructions from Chauncey. He’d written:
“Put the gris-gris that I gave you in a secret place that no one will find. You cannot—and I repeat, you cannot—use it right now. Place it inside two socks, one black, one white, in that order, and store in a dark place. Remember, if it�
�s discovered or used before its time, the power will be destroyed.
Are you alone? If not, do not go further. You must be very focused when you deal in Magick. If your thoughts are unclear, you will getmixed results, so concentrate. We are going to start with a simple money spell. Follow my instructions to the letter and remain focused. I can’t say this to you enough.
You will need a blank deposit slip, honey, a green candle, a toenail clipper, sugar, sage, and a few strands of your hair from a brush—not a comb—and a black cup. Hopefully you have all these items at home but you will have to do some shopping later as you learn more.
Mix a pinch each of sugar and sage together, using a burnt end of a toothpick to stir. Add a teaspoon of honey to make a paste. Write the amount of money you would like to receive on the deposit slip. Don’t be greedy. Add hair and toenail to paste and spread it over the deposit slip. Light the candle and burn the deposit slip in a black cup until only the ashes remain. Wipe ashes over your breasts. Do not bathe for twenty-four hours.
The hardest part of Magick is patience. The fastest way to kill a spell is through obsession and impatience. Money is not going to float out of the sky, so don’t expect it. Come see me in four days.
Chauncey
Damn, his handwriting is tight. If I didn’t know he was gay, this handwriting would have clued me in. People don’t take the time to write like that anymore. Despite feeling utterly ridiculous while performing the spell, I do everything Chauncey told me to do. Luckily, Lasonji had everything I needed, including the green candle, which I will replace when I go to the store. While I wait to put in my second load, I make a laundry list of things that I need to do, which includes going back to my old apartment and checking the mail.
I don’t feel comfortable in Lasonji’s apartment when she isn’t here. I feel like I am being nosey as I peep around. I didn’t pay much attention to the décor when I first arrived, but now that I have some time on my hands I am able to inspect things more closely. She has furnished the entire apartment, including a new bedroom suite for herself. Briefly, I wonder what happened to my old set, but I have enough on my plate without worrying about trivial shit.
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