"The realm answers to prayers. We talk about God status all day." he looks at me. "I can't believe you're empty…"
"Empty? Oh…" my mother lowers her head. "There is a ritual. You wanna be a vampire or a werewolf?" Hannes says. "Or…" he smirks. "We could be something not many know."
"What's that?"
"A fish." he chuckles. "Mermaids are rich in the Ghetto." A sharp sound pieces my ears. Is somebody screaming? "Careful with that word." warns my mother.
"She can't be a fucking mermaid." my sister rolls her eyes. "I wish I could but being a mermaid is like… it's just different."
"For one you can't even possess or trade a body with a mermaid." adds my mother. "But, nonetheless, it's a body and a ritual." Hannes clicks his tongue. "Mermaids in the Ghetto are a purity."
"Then don't fuck with them!"
"No."
"What in God's name is wrong with the hood?" mother grabs her head. "Do you niggas understand the definition of consequences?"
"Sure. We can't be angels, right? So angelhood to us in this," he twists his wrist in thought. "Black State, is like ascension."
"I… I…" I smack my lips. "I don't want--It's my body! It's my body!"
"Yes but image always keeping your body…" he says. "This is a world in which you can lose everything." he points at his temples with two fingers. "As I walk from the sea, nothing can follow me."
"ugh!" I look at my sister with her hands on her hips. "Mermaids have shadows on land."
"Yes! Massive! It's fucking scary."
"Mermaids are giants?" I ask. "No, it means the soul is heavy like a wave. They are strong. I mean everything in the water is fucking pretty. Everything looks calm; so why not be a mermaid and live in peace?"
"Are you gay?"
"What?"
I inhale to hide a life. "Do you want to be a mermaid?"
"I just told you, I lost my body! And you askin' me if I'm gay?"
"Yeah, you gay? Talkin' about mermaids and shit." Simisola retorts. "Fine! I'm gay!" Hannes sneers. "Mermaids can't be got. Aleigha wanted Shikki to be a mermaid after he found her half drowned in a fucking pool."
"All of this shit started with the Bibilio family." Simisola looks up. "This shit started because of fucking Mable!" he yells. "Mable has a dick!"
"Is that important?" I ask quietly. "Mable Harper is a fucking pain." he says. "But like you mean, transgender or--"
"The other one."
"Ok."
"Mable kidnapped a black child under drug influence. The doctors and lab professional's that examined her corpse said that she suffered a psychotic break. She high on shit she couldn't get high off of. And had a 5% result of Bell Palsy and 25% of Down Syndrome."
"I go to Amalaric." I say. "Her ears were in a book for history. Aleigha cut her ears off."
"Because she fucking took a screwdriver and stabbed Shikki in the ears." he looks down. "But as for this moment." he looks at my mother. "I got 12 hours in this body if I don't get exorcised."
"Well, what do we do?" asks mom.
"We have to leave her." he says.
"Don't say that shit so goddamn calmly like I'mma jump and say hell yeah. I'm fucking 19 and I haven't seen my mama. Are you fucking conscious?"
"Hadi can't walk! She's wearing out her soul like that!"
"I can carry her!"
"Your human, Mokiri."
"And I box."
"Oh my god." he slaps his face. "I need to get to the truck. I need Chia's plans at the house."
"And I khow where his house is."
"NO!" he declares. "The Other House on… fuck! Peppermint!"
"Who?"
"This is the shit I mean--You're clueless!"
"Fuck you Ol' Yeller."
"Fuck you, Cruella!"
"Enough!" my mother shouts. "If I have to stay then I'll stay."
"I'm with Mokiri! I'm not leaving my fucking mom!"
"She's weak!"
"I may be human but don't test me!" I claim his throat. As I'm about to apply pressure to adam's apple, he vanishes and my back hits the wall. "Now…"
"Mokiri!" Simisola come to my side and tries to lift me up. "I don't want Yawa's piece of land, child, wife, or whatever."
"What the fuck do you want?"
"I wanna fucking live! My family is fucking dead, I done seen shit--I lost everything! I wanna be a mermaid, so you fucks are gonna help me!
"Gay!" Simisola blurts. "Mermaids are only women!"
"That's a lie and you know it!" Hannes lifts his foot to march. I put my arm up and across Simisola's neck to pin her back. "I dare you!"
"HELP ME!"
"FINE!"
.
.
.
Thank magic a soul can just slide through doors, open it from the other side, but still use the power of a dog to force down bodies. Hannes stood in his wolf form with a man's throat in his teeth.
"Where are we going?" I got mama on my back as Simisola takes the lead. "I'm not going anywhere except the door."
"The fuck you are!" he howls. "I want what I want. If you don't I'll put your weak fucking mother up for sell!"
"BITCH!" Simisola's hind legs show. Her fangs are out, "I don't have to Bow to you!"
"What?" he smirks. "Oh, but your father sure could."
"Simisola, let it go! He's probably lying!"
"I'll do a trade off. If I get what I want. I'll tell you about Capria."
"Tell us now nigga!"
"No…"
"This is fucking bait!" Simisola swipes her claws across his face, he dodges, Hannes brings his hand upward cutting her chin. He takes his left hand, grabbing the side of her head and forces her to the ground. "Mokiri, put me down!" my mother claps my chest. "Poor puppy."
"Fuck you!"
Mama pushes off my back and races in her full wolf form. She has multiple tails that wrap Hannes. This wolf is different. He barks the word and mama's tails are on fire. They judder as they shrink behind mama's back.
I play football and all I got is tackles. I go for the feet but he catches me and throws me towards the backroom. "It's easy, if I get what I want. We all win. We talk about Yawa's second children with Leneke."
"Are--Are you saying… Daddy cheated?" Simisola says. I get up. I'm really not a dog anymore… I look at my fingers. I'm no good.
Do I still have my soul?
My shadow is still there…
"That's step mama… so… Chia took Okra Tubbs. She's a good hoe ain't she? Suelo Tubbs."
"Suelo?" I grimace. "Why Tubbs?"
"Nigga dad absent. Rapist."
"Say no more…" I can't keep up this type of energy. What about Mama? Ubayd is gone; if anything he got caught and died. Simisola can't keep doing it. It's just me. "Alright, what do you want?"
"I got a body but I want the ritual. It's like a rite of passage. I know Eugenija has it."
"Why?"
"White bitches have everything."
"Fine…" I can't do anything else. "Where COULD it be."
"In the sanctum. Atheist in this bitch build shrines like telephone booths."
"I'm not understanding--"
"MOKIRI!"
"Hush!" I demand. "What else you wanna do and mama can barely walk!"
Hannes looks at me, "Just like the closet."
"You want a rite that's in a bolthole?" says Simisola. "That means keep out of it."
"If anything, they got a mermaid somewhere. Get me that and I'll take y'all out here."
"I have a brother missing--"
"Fuck him. Let's go!"