Cedrica looked at her sister. "All our stuff is in the closet up stairs." She didn't need to clarify that. Tori thought how lucky she was that she took a bath before the light went out. On the bright side, the girls were in the light. Tori stepped down the porch and sat on the step.
Cece sat by Tori huffing alongside her. "We could go back to Brampton. We could stay with Vijay."
Tori glimpsed at her sister, "The Indian?"
"What's wrong with that?"
"You just wanna stay 'cause you like him." Tori pouted. She reminded herself that Vijay was a little Indian that stayed next to them before they moved. The scent of onions, spices, and the unknown clouded her nose despite not being presented. "He stank."
"He told me once that it's the food they eat." Cece picked at her shoelaces. "Then the food they eat stank." She rolled her eyes. "I just don't wanna go all the way to Brampton and come back smelling like a dog tried to fuck me."
"Well, Tori." Cedrica placed her hands in her lap. "If a dog chasing you, it's because you look so delicious."
"So... you mean dogs wanna fuck me because I look like ham?" Torielle twisted her attention at her sister. "That's not bad." Cece shrugged.
But what was bad was the distance from Brampton, Ontario to Nova Scotia. "First off, do you even know how to get from Brampton from here?" Cece's eyes aimed at the dark clouds above. "Well, it's going to rain."
"That's not what I asked!"
"Well, no. But you know we can't stay out here forever."
She didn't whether to call her sister stupid or not. She guessed there was something wrong with her head. She never mentioned it but Cece walked with a slight limp. "Look, something wrong with her. Now she in the house with no lights." Said Cece. "We've been on the streets before. This easy."
Without looking at her, Tori shook her head, "You stupid."
"I don't wanna be here. And the longer we stay; she'll come out here with the broom." Tori wondered if she was letting her know of the dangers or something else.
Back then, they had a dad. He didn't walk out but also they couldn't remember what he looked like. Anytime she thought about the event, she drew a blank face. Tori questioned if the man ever existed. Maybe it was a movie.
"Come on, we'll go to Mr.Ingram." Suggested Cece. "He usually gives us food."
Tori straightened her back. "We ain't dogs. Speaking of which, I'm stealing Moco." Cece's eyes expanded, "You're stealing the dog?"
"Y'all better not steal my goddamn dog!"Davea yelled through the door. The girls looked at each other. Cece smirked; Tori lifted from the seat and rounded the house to the backyard.
Moco was a little white dog covered in dirt. He was attached to a power cord, the plug hanging from his neck. "Moco!" Cece shouted, jogging over to the small animal. His tail waged with delight. As Cece grew near, the poor dog snorted and gasped. "Stop it. Calm down." She shushed him. Cece looked back at her sister. "Tori! He choking!"
Moco panted. Cece looked at what the cord was attached to; a hammered stake in the ground made out of wood. She got on her knees and thought to loosen the cord around the dog's neck. Tori came over and yanked the stake out the dirt. She pressed her toes into her shoes and hoisted the stake out. Cece tried to get her fingers under the cord to give Moco some air.
"The stick isn't coming up!" exclaimed Tori. "Wiggle it!" Cece demanded. She slipped two fingers under the cord and scrapped her nail against a second one. Underneath she could feel flesh, when she withdrew her hand, blood marked her fingertips. "Moco how long you been out here?" The stain on the rug wasn't piss but a drink or other.
Torielle continued to struggle with the stake in the ground. She delivered a football kick hoping to break it. Cedrica grabbed the plug of the cord and traced it. As she pulled on it, Moco whined and whimpered. "I'm sorry Moco..." She peeled the cord around his neck, Moco jumped, his cries getting louder. "It's stuck in his neck."
Tori sat on the grass and jerked at the stake. "Everytime we ask where he at. She said he was in the back pissin'." The stake was starting to bend; Tori bounced to her feet and grabbed the shovel sitting by the back fence. She raced back to the stake and pounded the shovel in the hole. Digging up the dirt to dig underneath.
Through the back door, Davea tapped on the glass. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Cece screamed, "You can't tie a dog up with an extension cord!"
Davea opened the back door, a cigarette in her left hand. "Quit fucking with my dog!"
"Fuck you bitch!" Tori flipped her off whilst digging into the dirt. She put a foot on the stake and dug with the shovel. Cece laid Moco down on his side. "Don't worry Moco." Cece pulled the cord away from Moco's throat, the dog's breathing shallow. "I almost got something!" alerted Tori. The stake bent more, she dropped the shovel and yanked the wood from the other side. Pulling in an upward direction, moving the wood to the west, and shaking it upward. "Do you think it would be easy if we had water?"
"Maybe." Cece patted the dog's side. She thanked Davea mentally for not interrupting them but knowing her, she had a plan cooking in the wait. "You know what I'm calling the police on y'all and I'm telling them you trying steal my dog." The back door closed behind her. "I don't give a fuck!" roared Tori as she leaned over the stake. Putting her body weight over it, lifting her left foot up. She fell face-first at the wood snapping. The mud kicked up flew on Moco and Cece. "I got it!"
Tori planted her palms in the soil. She came to her feet and took the cord off the wood. "I think you tugged on Moco for a minute." said Cedrica. "He whined a bit."
Tori came with the cord in her hands. She wiped the dirt off her face and sighed. "Is Moco breathing?" she asked, her heart beating against her insides. Cece hovered her hand over Moco's nose. "It's a short breath but a breath."
Tori handed the cord to her as she stood up. "Put the cord over your shoulder. Let's bounce."
_________
Davea said she would call the police but the police never showed up. Cedrica walked with the dog in her arms and Torielle kept looking over her shoulder. Cece looked back and narrowed her eyes. "You know she always lying. Ain't no police."
Tori furrowed, "Why you think she let us take the dog?"
"Because she never wanted the dog at all?" The answer seemed obvious to her but Tori dug deeper. "Poor Moco. Let's go to Mr. Ingram."
"Now you wanna go?" blinked Cece. "At first you was like... we ain't dogs."
Tori walked ahead of her sister, as she passed her. She pushed her, "Don't push me hoe!"
"At least you didn't fall."
Mr. Ingram's shop, The Snacknest wasn't that far. Tori still looked to the streets thinking the cops would drive alongside them and snatch them up. The Snacknest was positioned between a liquor store and a hair salon. Cece contemplated peeking in to see Ms. Barrett. "Hey, Tori. You think I should get my hair done?"
"No... idiot. We're on the streets and you're worried about your hair?" To Tori, her sister was just trying to be funny. "I hope Mr. Ingram has Little Debbie cakes. Lately, all he has is those awful Mamut cookies." she stuck her tongue out upon mentioning them.
"I like Mamut." said her sister. "Disgusting!" Cece held Maco tight as she sped past her sister. "That is the worst candy of all time. I hope the police come and pick your ass up."
"Why?" Tori paused. "Whoever believes marshmallow and chocolate go together needs to be in jail."
Her sister was being ridiculous. What about smores? "What about those fancy cookies?" she mentioned. Cece gagged, "No candy should have marshmallow in it!"
"Stop discriminating against marshmallows. That's racist."
Making it to the shop. Tori pulled open the door and held it open as Cece walked inside the cool air conditioning. "Hello Mr. Ingram." greet Cedrica. "She kicked us out the house again."
"Old man, you got food?" Tori bellowed across the shop. Tori wiped across the counter, she swiped across fifty cents and a yellow bag of chips. "I guess he knew we was coming," Tori picked up the bag of chips. Holding the top she split the bag open. "I love Lays."
Cece put Maco on the counter, she hovered over his nose again. "Still shallow." she patted down his side. "Breathe puppy." Maco's body rose and fell with the breaths he took. "Imma go find some scissors." said Tori. "You can't cut an electric cord with just any scissors. It's made out of rubber, Tori." Cece clarified. "Where's Mr. Ingram?" she searched around the shop. "I came in here for Little Debbie. I want a cupcake."
Torielle knew all too well she had a problem with food. She wasn't dumb, she watched life stories on TV with people talking about their weight. She wasn't aiming to be six hundred pounds or more. But the food made her feel happy. She also never told Cedrica that she was afraid of going hungry. It only happened when they got kicked out.
The first time they were kicked out. Vijay came and found them. Instead of two on the streets of Canada. It became three and back then Vijay was a lot of help. One would think, living in Canada all would be well. To a point, it was. Tori hated having to hold a cup and watch as dimes or quarters fill it.
She hated pennies. Her eyes started swelling with wetness. "Hey, what was that guy's name?"
"Who?"
"Remember when we got kicked out the first time? What was that guy's name?" she said. "I don't remember." Cece went behind the counter, pushing the gate and going to the door that led to the back room. She wrapped on the barrier calling for Mr. Ingram. "Maybe he went out." said Tori.
"He left the shop open? That doesn't sound like him." she pushed against the door and to her surprised it was open. Peering into the blackness that masked everything, she hopped on the side of the wall trying to find the light switch. "Mr. Gram!" called Tori. "Imma take the Little Debbie cakes!" It sounded like a warning.
Tori searched in the dark along the wall. Her fingers crossed wood and the sound that fell letting her know what the item was. She searched for the broom with her foot and bent down to catch it. "Use this Cece."
Tori used the broomstick to elevate the switch. The lights buzzed on, Cece screamed at the top of her lungs as she ran out the area back into the shop's front. Tori turned around to view a plump man with a sword through his stomach.