I have nothing else to do but sit on the floor. Every once in a while, mama breaks down in tears. The door comes open. This would be my time to act like a dog and bolt.
A man dressed in full military black has an tv and sets it on the carpet. "Klara said watch Abner." he states.
Ubayd grimaces, "So a spirit can get us."
"She said she was thinking about sending you to Smiley to get it over it. But she'd have to pay a fee." the man says and leaves. "Don't touch the tv." Ubayd looks at me.
It has slot for a VHS. There's already a tape inside. "I wonder what's in it." says Simisola. "Like I know it's Abner but what episode?"
"Sola, get away from the tv." warns my mother. "I'm not watching it. Does touching count?" she crawls over to the small tv and ejects the tape. "Episode 45: Obey City."
"What's Abner?" I ask.
"King Trauma had a gimmick to collect more hoes." she says. "It's wicked."
"That nigga ain't right." adds Ubayd. "All Aleigha's folks went against him. He put his daughter first and she knew shit she wasn't supposed to know. We all stayed in the apartment."
"Apartment?" I say.
"Aleigha owned a big apartment, it was really a hotel. It's still standing and he takes care of the church below the mountain." says Ubayd.
"I heard about Yo Gotithehm Ten. It's in the history book that Shikki made angels and one of them made a mountain with the harper lady under it." I note.
"The school holds the history of why we're in this shit," says mama. "Aleigha got it from his daughter. The spell is actually easy to break but we can't find the book."
"All Shikki did was write…" says Ubayd.
"This episode is trash…" I hear Simisola. Ubayd rushes to stand and his fist meet his sister's cheek. "What in God's name are you doing!" Ubayd kicks her in the legs. "Get up go sit by mama. Kan yajib an atawaqae an yaqum muakharatuk alghabiat bifiel shay'ma ant la tastamie abda!"
Simisola crawls away and grips mama's arm. Ubayd bends down, shuts his eyes and turns off the tv. He kicks the screen and throws the tv towards the door. "Just sit still!" he barks.
Yo Gotithehm Ten is climbed by the hood witches. A part of Virginia is under the mountain. The textbooks even said there was a secret spot under the city to it. But only the vampire kings know. Back when I was going to the main school in Locucts--wait, what.
Principal Vinitharius would leaving early. What the fuck was that? That was a random thought.
I... lived in the hood? I think, well considering everything else I may have. OF COURSE I DID BECAUSE--because… I feel faint.
"Mokiri, hey. Little sister." Ubayd comes over and grabs my shoulder. I can't breathe. "Mokiri…"
His voice is wobbly. "Maybe she's hungry." Simisola is a blur. "Mokiri!"
I can't hear… I look at my brother and his face changed a bloody man with olive skin gawks at me. My shoulder hits the carpet.
.
.
.
I don't know how long I've been out.
Mama is crying and speaking a prayer in Arabic. I blink my eyes letting her know I'm ok. "Ya alhamd lilah!" she puts her hand under my head and rise to press against the wall. "Oh my dear, you scared me. I thought I lost another." she pulls me in embrace.
"Mokiri you faint!" Simisola eyes me. "We have a mini fridge."
"We ain't got shit in it."
"They haven't fed us in seven days. I've fasting, this is not halal." my mother's face crinkles. I truly believe somewhere in there is a treacherous woman. It feels nice being around my mom but it feels so awkward. I didn't know. I'm her daughter, I should do something shouldn't I?
Ubayd goes to the door and bangs it twice, three times, four. "Hey!" he bangs and bangs. "I know one you ignorant ass white folk is out there! You got niggas in here dying!"
I doubt they care. "Tell them mama needs bones!" alerts Simisola. "Bone?" I look up at her. "It's fine. Sola, hush."
"Mama you need bones for your legs!"
"It's a ghost keeping hold of me. I'll be fine…" says mama meekly. "A ghost can't hold forever--you're using your soul to walk on?" my eyes grow. "Mama," I get to my feet. "That can't last forever you walking on nails!"
"Exactly, that's why she ain't got no damn strength!" hisses Ubayd. "I'm fine!" a soul wobbles, she starts coughing. Mama holds her throat, her eyes are yellow for a moment. "I should have been a bat."
That's what you learn about werewolves in school is that dog spirit is a symbol of bravery, protection, smart, understanding and loyal. But you never know what you get with the spirit.
A dog is a human in the soul. My eyes get hot. I answered my own question. I tap my mama's hand. "Who's Tala?"
"Tala was a dog we got for you ages ago. They bonded with you." she says.
"Tala's a jinn" adds Simisola. "It was only because you were sick. I don't have one."
"You don't have a jinn?"
"The vampire magic and jinn magic don't work the same. Even though it looks like it." Ubayd rolled his eyes. "Shikki is different."
"So, how did you get to be a werewolf?" I ask.
"The realm. We are dead." he stresses. "The jinn kept you alive as a bargain with mama. If you don't have the jinn, you can die."
"Which honestly isn't a bad thing." says Simisola. "You get cool powers and you go to church to get major blessings. But they also have to weigh your sins and then Anubis chooses if you have the guts or not."
"The Obayifo is a African myth. That spirit is strange." adds mama.
If I can die, I would rather be a werewolf again. Vampires have enough as it is. Even with all I went through with my father being basically a pimp. Was he? "Mama, can I ask a question?"
"Of course." I walk over to her and she grabs my legs. "What was dad like?"
"Yawa was--"
"Bipolar." chimes Ubayd. "Daddy was bipolar."
"Ubayd!" mama snaps. "He was like… we African so daddy went through some shit and I remember pop had scars."
"He was attacked by a lion."
"Yeah, Ubayd!" Simisola chastizes. "Dad's just scared of cats."
"I thought maybe the lion was sick. It is unusual for animals to walk up to people." says mama.
"He got attacked by a cat?"
That's pretty typical. I excepted something a lot bigger with theory being he was a pimp. "Mokiri, you need to speak!" growls Simisola. "It's magic in the room. I can't hear a thing."
"You know what. I'm jealous." Ubayd paces. "She gets to choose because she isn't dead. Mama you could have given us a jinn."
"It's not too late but I don't have the material."
"To summon a jinn?" Jinns are spoken about in light but we discuss the existence of devil things. "IS a devil and a jinn the same."
"It's Shikki's magic little sister."
"What is a devil thing?"
"Well, from what I learned in school. A devil thing can come from closet prayer or created by the company. I'm not sure how that works." I explain. "We learned once that mermaids exist but you need a ritual. It used to be drowning. Then you have fairies and fairies come from drug use but originally they didn't call them fairies. In fact, it just comed from 'away with the fairies' and may be inspired through the concept of changelings."
"You know a lot." claps Simisola. "You got the chance to go to school?"
"That's great, I wanted to be an engineer." says Ubayd. "Can you summon one?"
"No. What I learned in rites and rituals, it's about what connects with the soul. So you either are or not. And you said I had a jinn but the jinn, I think, left."
"It left…" mama sounds.
"You know what!" Simisola puts her hands on her hips. "We have been here, for fucking ever."