"You can't." said the baby. "They are buried."
"Buried?"
"There used to be people here... people like you. A werewolf. The head he carries."
"That's... that's Nas."
"Growden is racist. Same with Yawa... Shakur..."
A child is speaking to me. "Drop me."
I would. I really would. "I can't do that." I shake my head. Only God knows what could happen to me if something happens to them.
The mermaid crinkles her brow at me. "Drop me!"
I gently put her in the manger. She starts tossing and turning. "You dumb bitch!" she shouts. "Fucking kill me already!"
I can't do that. I turned my attention to the chicken baby. "You don't look evil..." I huff. "FUCKING COCK DROOLING BITCH! KILL ME! KILL ME NOW!"
I would. I would if I had insurance, but I don't have insurance like that.
"You shut up..."
I have to take care of them. The chicken baby flaps his bird like wings. Tel's voice gets deeper. "He doesn't talk! Listen you!"
I roll my eyes. "You dumb fucking large bitch! You monkey ass sour pussy bitch!"
"Who is you talking to." I'm about to fulfil wishes. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Kill me!"
"Why should I?"
"What the fuck did you do?"
I killed myself. With reason! "I'm killing you knowing I could end up like you."
"You are a soul with no body!" Tel screams. She breaths in, "I'm sorry, let me introduce myself."
No need. "My name is Tel. I am the daughter of Janna and Andre. And Raquel."
"Raquel?"
"That would be Quinn now. My mother left me and my brother to die but that monster is keeping us here. Soul and body."
"Why?"
"He wants to be the devil of the hood." she explains. "Father is senile, a word that's getting passed around."
I glance at the chicken baby, cooing. "You see, senile is referring to multiple things. While the word itself is tied with sickness like Alzheimer's disease or dementia. One of the Growdens is sick."
"Who?"
"Zebedee actually died from parkinson's before that his illness made him skip stairs and clear anymore of the fact thereof. His soul is shook."
Zebedee was on the plantation. "Do... I need to kill him?"
"You're jumping too far ahead." Tel glowers. "The Growdens are fucking retarded. Once Zebedee got severely ill, they aimed to take advantage of that man. His wife was black, this is also tied to Davea, who is Alexis's granny."
I haven't even thought about Cedrica. "Alexis is fine. Shiloh made Dareion the father, but we don't know. We said it was Chauncey."
"Wait, Alexis doesn't know her father?"
"Dareion's name is Jesus, but he used to say pronounce like a Mexican. The boy hates his name. His mother is Davea. The man fucked the granddaughter just because..."
"Incest...?"
"Davea is the mother of Dareion. Davea is the grandmother of Alexis, making poor Cedrica, real name. A baby of incest. Shiloh is Dareion's niece, but you will never hear about Uncle Jesus where his name shouldn't be."
"He got kicked out the house?"
"It wasn't rape."
That's a nasty conclusion to something. "Dareion, Jesus. Could not stand his niece on top of her acting like her mother who is his sister. He worked for Growden and Mable wanted a job. There's a connection."
"How would you know all this?"
"Everybody is sick. Mable wants to forget and none will let her retarded ass sleep in peace. She tormented a child over bullshit that had nothing to do with Aleigha's family. The realm speaks to you." the child blinks. "Yawa is Aleigha's brother. Your father is hiding, your uncle is not Chai. Why speak in confusion? Because when children are abused they have imaginary friends."
I never... "I never..."
"You spoke to the dog..." Tel says. "Mable asked the son of the Growdens and the son lied about his age. Shikki doesn't like bullshit. Olisha beat Mable up while she on the streets and Chava just so happen to meet her at work."
I can't stop saying Yawa is my father in my head. "What about my life!"
"Hadi was on drugs previously. She had been going to rehab after you were born, early. Mable told her."
"To get rid of me or something."
"This part... is missing." I suck in air. "Hadi used you to get out of jail. She took you out the house and robbed a store but the police saw a baby and were confused. They let her go and bought food for YOU."
Mable put my mother on drugs. "It's called a ransom." Tel says.
"What about the basement in the church?" I can't breathe. "The basement is what killed everyone and a girl got ate by another. They were down there and chauncey was sick as hell. Shikki just got back from saving his daughter and man had the money so a revival happened. But in the basement, she had a bullet that was still there and the baby had a heartattack."
"What is that boy--"
"Let me finish! Aleigha had no choice but use the power and that's how we got here. As for Andre, Janna, his father knew Gata and Gata'a wife cheated on him. Not because she wanted to either."
"Why?"
"Much like Uncle Jesus, he wanted her quiet. Get into bank account and he was a lawyer."
"Lawyer?"
"Henri and Gata were at odds because Henri went to jail behind him. He said he didn't do his job right, so the man got raped in jail." Tel's eyes flutter. "Aleigha used to do that. Still does when a nigga is a problem. Henri wanted to fuck up his life and he did."
It's too much going on. "I can't hear the Ghetto. What about my mama!"
"I'm surprised you care. You have blessed memories. She sold Mable out for the drug trip. Your mother couldn't keep getting herpes, Yawa, Shakur was upset. She left Islam and fell in love with Ecstasy, ironically. Your mother used to leave the house I bet you remember a lot of doors." her forehead crinkles.
"What do you mean?"
"SLAM!" Tel shouts. "That one door that was busted?"
"Why can't I hear?"
"It doesn't want to talk to you."
"But I need to know! What about Keku!"
"You don't know those people!" Tel's eyes glow. "Okra used to be a daycare worker. Hadi sent you and your sister to the daycare and Okra had eight other children at her house that she was taking care of, that was not hers to begin with. The police did not know but one escaped. That is Keku! Keku's name is Joshua, and he was shot by this woman that acted like a man. The poor female was born with a dick... she couldn't bare looking at so many pretty children not hers. Just like Mabeline."
Tel faces the ceiling of the barn. "This is purgatory."
I'm still confused.