The smell of Pooh's blood was thickening in my nose as it coagulated in the carpet fibers underneath the large wedding picture of Trenton and I.
Lawrence had shown up unexpectedly, and I concluded I couldn't eradicate one scheme without another one surfacing, this time I stared at a 6 ft 7 in man who spoke softly but had enmity across his brow. I'd rested the briefcase on the floor unevenly causing it to fall forward, he'd noticed it but redirected his eyes toward my belly before lowering his gun and tucking it into the pocket of the hoodie he'd worn. He hadn't even inquired about the large blood stain which made me even more suspicious. He'd been listed as a Pallbearer on Trenton's obituary.
Trenton's guns were inside the closet, how could he not have known they were? Any attempt to strike and kill would prove ineffective---I yielded my intent and listened to him stammer on about getting there as fast as he could. ADT had him listed as an emergency contact. Unh hunh---
"I remember when I first saw u, I thought Bro was fantasizing for the longest time, I couldn't believe u were real."
I wondered what he meant, but didn't ask, he could kiss my ass. I hoped I didn't have to fight that giant. He was a threat to me where I stood against the door, my feet were swollen and I stood in one shoe. The Under Armour letters danced across the hoodie in front of me, he stood 10 feet away, demon floated upward. I backed against the door as if I had more space behind me. He could sense my fear, "Relax," he said.
Murder floated from the letters, I was becoming more afraid each word he spoke, I'd learned to rely on my instincts and they told me he was evil as the rest.
"Do u know what happened to Christy? I, I can't stop dreaming about her," He said. That was game, I saw right through it. "I keep getting a call from different numbers, most of the time Nakia would be close by. I've known her since we were kids and Trent---well, they didn't always concur when it came to the money."
Oh?
"I don't know what happened to her, she's dead."
He watched my reaction as I watched his, I could see something familiar in the way he looked when he spoke about her I'd been smitten once too but I didn't trust him, if Pooh could snap anybody was suspect.
"U don't miss her?" He asked.
Did I? It didn't matter, I was ready to get it over with, kill me! The only thing that assured me was I carried a promised child.
"Yea, I guess so."
WHAT THE FUCK DID HE WANT?
"U just gonna stand there?" He asked.
Yep.
The words across his shirt were reminding me of a dream, and that I hadn't even mourned.
"I bet u don't even miss Trent, huh? Did u even cry?"
I waited for Trenton to come inside the home any moment, the front door was slightly ajar I watched it and would scream soon, it was emerging to my throat from the pits of my gut. I watched him put his hand in the hoodie pocket. I told him the cops had come to the home and had just left. He saw me looking at the door suspiciously.
"They weren't supposed to leave u here alone, are u alone?"
I said I was about to leave, he asked about the briefcase. I said it was mine.
"Let's go see what I've done to the Orchard, it's not far from here, come on."
Nope.
"I'm waiting on someone, they should be on their way. Where are my children!?" The thought almost made me break down, "What happened to your eye?" he asked. I said an accident, had he known what had happened, was this a setup? I was so afraid, my knees were shaking, "I won't hurt u," he said. "Did he treat u well?"
I wanted to know about my babies! He was dismissing my inquiries about my sons!
He turned and walked toward the living room, "They're gonna have to rip up the whole carpet, I'll save u some money and do it." I hesitated before walking unevenly from the door, I'd stood in front of the door knob hole to keep him from seeing inside. If they weren't Frat brothers, then how did they meet?
"I'll sell the home, too many memories," I said. "Where did u and Trenton meet?"
He laughed before saying, "He was my brother-n-law's right hand man, he did me a favor, and let's just say---once Trent did u a favor u could never live it down. I owed him big time, he's not a fair man to deal with. I worked for him."
The briefcase yet laid beside the storage room door where it had fallen over, he watched it as hard as I had, the thought of Trenton still being alive had come on strong, "Where is he buried? Trenton, where is the cemetery he's buried in?"
"Oh---the cemetary. Not far from here, I'll take u. That's a lot of blood, did he die?"
"WHO?"
He pointed---I knew what he meant initially but, he who.
I was getting extremely uncomfortable and the frequency was returning, the voice in my head was becoming louder, they had really fucked me up. I hadn't wanted to talk about three ghosts, "I have to go to the police station," I said as a warning.
Lawrence worked for airport security, Christy's car was parked there---in employee parking! He knew I knew, what was his aim!?
"Look, I need to talk to u about Christy," He sat down. "I saw the coroner's report, the autopsy---for the body in the trunk, it didn't mention the victim being pregnant. Also, I talked to her after she went missing but before the head was found. Someone's been calling---"
Was he saying he didn't think she was dead? Troy had cut off her head, her bracelet and keys were inside of the basement!
Troy had even shot her twice! She couldn't conceive, could she?
"That's impossible! How could she be pregnant, and she's dead!"
"U have to trust me we were expecting a child. There is alot u don't know, let's go back---does Jermaine Hathaway ring a bell?"
Terrell? I just looked at him as he sat on the edge of the sofa, the words from his shirt were constantly taking formation and floating, almost manifesting mid air. Unread. Ryella's letter laid on the floor, what did it say? The rest?
"Yes."
"His mother didn't know who she was dealing with when she met Martin, my own mother said it was just something about him, every woman wanted him back then, she was a holy woman though. I guess when Jermaine was born his mother saw Martin for who he really was a master of evil, depraved and ungodly. He was born a reprobate and when Martin got him into law enforcement it made him more sinister. It was too late for his mother, she had a daughter years later, by Martin. He'd made his way back."
He told me to just hear him out before I spoke, I agreed.
"His sister met Redd? Your oldest son's father? " I nodded, he continued.
"Everybody knew Terrell's preference, he targeted the troubled teenage boys, ya know, several complained at the detention center where he worked in Mansfield back in the day. They said he would visit them when they were released and I'd even heard he would have ceremonious sex with them if u know what I mean."
The sex was ceremonious. Go on.
"As a child his mother had taken him to a preacher, nothing worked, soon she put him out, his father took him in. One thing I know is u can't kill a demon, u can cast them out but they always find a host. Also sometimes they return. I never liked Brown because I knew where he had come from.
Martin's mother considers his condition to be a gift and claims to be a soothsayer but was a prostitute--he has no father, they are many. She owns the Windsor Court in New Orleans but has never been fond of her son, she blames herself for his existence."
His story sounded so cinematic and I wondered why he would tell me this, how loyal was he to Trenton, he had to be dead! Jermaine would use whoever to get where he wanted to be, he even knew how to keep them around. Redd was a pawn. My soul was being ripped apart as he spoke.
His phone, what had I seen in it? Why did I kill Terrell? I couldn't remember! I don't even know if I killed him!
"It wasn't even about your child's father, after his purpose was served he wasn't needed anymore. U ever ask Trent about Trena's father, she had a brain tumor, did u know? Also she had epilepsy, they thought. Lawrence said Trenton's grandmother had died in the fire on that land, Emily.
Again, a man's debt is never paid. How do u bury demons? U can't, u lock them up forever."
I could see the red sunset through the closed blinds but also hear commotion outside as I had before he had come, he didn't seem like a threat. He said he had ten children who were they! I asked, "They all just started dropping dead, the murders were so--- just in the worst ways, he had alibis for them all."
Murder...
Enamored...
"Trenton loved u as much as he loved Jennifer, when she got away no one heard from her. She aborted their child, it drove him insane, he needed counseling."
I saw the grip Martin had on Trent, they all seemed like favors---the homes, the Orchard, he inherited it, but he wasn't entitled to the land, it belonged to someone else, Martin just snatched the deeds from under them, he had power. The trees had come from nowhere on his land, the whole Eden fascination surfaced and he promised The Ellis' prosperity. In return he only wanted apples from one tree---the rest were theirs. However it needed a special fertilizer.
I really needed to leave! I was so scared, did I really want the Orchard? My sons, I wanted them and nothing would stop me! He was not telling me ANYTHING about them! I knew why Mama had convinced the doctors I was epileptic saying when we moved the Shreveport I had been on medication for epilepsy, she lied to get the prescriptions and kept me hospitalized most of my childhood! The pills created a problem, I couldn't remember all the shit that had happened! I had been off of them almost three years and it was all coming back! I was not a zombie anymore...I remembered the man in the peacoat and the demon Daddy tried to cast out! Martin had won in the end hadn't he? They stayed and used him! I remembered the boy, much older---I stood in the doorway Mama was drunk, Daddy insisted he was weak. The boy watched me through the mirror, I watched him. He didn't look the same, the reflection had taken a new form.
I screamed, "Go to bed!" she yelled. I couldn't sleep at night and soon started visiting the doctors. Daddy started killing shortly after. The picture, it was a picture in Redd's phone. I remembered him and blanked out.
"---let him do anything to your sons, go to the Department of Child Protection Services in Jackson, they will help u. I said nothing incriminating, but be careful."
I hadn't noticed but I was pulling my hair, he grabbed my wrist, I remembered the night he and Nakia had come to the home in Keithville, I'd had an episode. I just wanted my children and was so confused, why did he want to help me? I mentioned my nephew. I would find him!
He informed me that Trenton had asked him to do away with the child after he had taken Kerri, that was his only insurance Martin would not kill him. He said he didn't hurt Kerri but the child didn't deserve what he was up against. Martin would convince Kerri to sacrifice him.
"The land would not produce"
The Orchard?
HOW? I needed to get to the Orchard and quick! Was my nephew buried under the tree? Had Martin brainwashed my sister to kill her son and fertilize MY LAND!
Cockeyed Bastard! Both of them!
Eardrum floated from the hoodie. Then adore and Neuroma---
"Trenton loved his sister but had no sayso all those years, the old man knew . Martin's own son Keyon wants to bring him down! I mean when I married Nakia they were close but let's just say he and Sabrina turned out good. They have been trying to take him down for years. Many years, how old do u think he is?"
I ignored the question, and knew youth was on his side but the muthafucka was pushing 80---easy. How old was Mrs. McNamara?
My phone vibrated in my pocket, I noticed Lawrence's reaction as he stood up saying we needed to go to the orchard, and see the improvements. I had planned to go, but alone. I would go in the middle of the night with someone to dig.
Also, I needed Christy's remains exhumed where ever they were. She had buried her stillborn child in her father's grave, that was all the DNA I needed to prove she wasn't dead.
I stood up and walked toward the door, Lawrence stood beside the blood stain.
"I knew someone was here when the alarm was disabled, I'd honestly expected to see Trenton."
He laughed, I sensed some sort of relief in him.
He said he hadn't seen him in months, not since he asked him to keep my sons, he even had pictures. "Let me send them to your phone."
I didn't trust no fucking body! Hell No! I said I didn't want to see them, and was under enough stress. They were some Nakia had taken. "Really, I think u should see your son TJ."
The look on his face told me he had been disturbed by whatever it was, and as I had when Daddy tried to cast the demon out, again I wondered where had it gone? I prepared to leave out, this time through the front door. I told him I would call him later to get the pictures and knew the prophecy was true.
What had happened to my nephew, I wouldn't rest until I found out and everyone involved would go down! Including Kerri's easily influenced ass! I believed she had sacrificed my son as well! I felt used, they had used Redd---Shameka was Terrell's sister! That's why he had shown up at her home! I wished I could go back to the day we fought, I was so sorry! She tried to warn me, surely she knew. I couldn't even apologize, she couldn't hear, I needed her to forgive me. I knew what it felt like to be deaf. Did Trenton ever have good intentions, he had once said I thought I was running from danger but had ran into it and I had, all the way around.
The text from Nathaniel came through, he said it was urgent that I called him. I told Lawrence I would call him to meet him at the Orchard. I would dig under the tree and find my nephew! I'd known what she had done but didn't disclose my intentions.
"If I were u, I wouldn't disturb the ground if u wanna see a good season, its hundreds of thousands at stake," He said before walking out of the front door behind me, I leaned on my bare swollen foot and held the tennis shoe in my hand. I didn't respond but saw how he looked back inside and down the hall at the briefcase.
"Trust me, the devil can be beat."