"What do I have to do?" It wasn't like he could refuse. He definitely agreed that he brought this on himself plus the demon understood his past, present, and future. "I want a church. A house."
"You need to fill it." he said.
"I do." Besujia looked between his legs. "I could use you."
"I wanted to give my daughter a new body."
"You did. You're so in love with your daughter but not her mistake."
He inhale as he stood firmly. "You fucked a white woman didn't you?"
"I was drunk."
"And now you are an imp. Goofy ass nigga." Besujia eyed him. "I remember you in the church. All you do is lie to me. So now I teach you all how to lie."
"I ask for forgiveness…"
"I fucking doubt it." Besujia looked at her hands, Shelle's hands. "I'm gay."
And?
.
.
.
In the car, he had to admit. Having the antichrist inside was unnerving. "Where are we going?" they asked. "I don't like this." The double voice was horrible to hear. "You wanted a church. Do you want here or in another country."
"I don't know." they said. "Why am I gay?"
He looked at them and then at the road. "I don't know."
"Do you think I'm gay?"
"I wanted the body for my daughter."
"Sickness." they growled. "I don't want to be gay."
What was so bad about it. "I know this girl. She is gay. But lonely.
Ok…
"She thought she was gay--"
"Stop saying gay!" he exclaimed. "She is gay. You wanted Torielle to be gay so she wouldn't get pregnant. You fear having a gay child. Why?"
"I just…" they came to a stop light. He inhaled holding the steering wheel. The antichrist cocked their head. "Are you gay?"
"Oh my--"
"I don't have a gender. I am him and she."
"That's great…"
"Why do you fear women?"
"I do not."
"Why did you kill your daughter?"
"To give her a new body."
"Are you crazy?"
"No."
"Why did you shoot your daughter?"
"So she could have a new body."
"Are you crazy?"
"No!"
And they went in circles. He said No, they asked the question over and over. Montgomery broke, "ENOUGH!"
"You are crazy." they told. "Torielle was never gay. Her mother is gay."
"Yahoska isn't gay!"
"She is gay. She didn't ask Tori to be gay. Tori saw her mother in bed with another woman."
"So she could be gay." he assumed.
"Guessing."
He drove pass the light that took longer than usual. "Who touched you?"
"Nobody."
"You lie."
"I don't."
"You lied."
"Fuck you."
"You can't."
"What--What in fuck's name do you want! You want a church, you want a body, you want me to confess. You want--You want--You want--"
"You called me." they said.
"I regret!" Montgomery hissed. "I just want my daughter. He was speeding down the street. "Why am I gay?"
He ignored it. "Why did you choke her?"
"Because I wanted to."
"Do you hate gay people?" Besujia blinked. "No."
"You are lying--"
"Ok, I hate them. I hate faggots. I hate Mexicans. I hate white folk. I even hate my own skin. I hate rats, cats, niggas with teeth. Niggas without teeth, I hate cornbread, I hate cauliflower, I hate the fucking sky. I hate you. I hate this damn car. I just hate everything!" he fumed.
Besujia gazed at Montgomery. "Why are you gay?"
He stomped on the pedal. "Listen you red bone mother--"
"You lie. Lie and lie again. Who touched you?"
"FUCK YOU!" he thrashed in the car. "FUCK YOU. FUCK YOU. FUCK YOU."
"Who touched you?" they asked again.,
"My mother was gay!" he gritted his teeth. "My mother had a woman. She was gay."
"Who touched you?" they asked calmly.
"Ms. Harper!" He yelled, grabbing the sides of his head. "Ms. Harper!" he cried.
"Mister." Besujia spoke.
"No. No. No." he banged his head against the wheel. "Miss Harper!"
"Mister. That's what Saint said."
.
.
.
"Good morning, Good morning." the pastor approached the podium. He saw at the congregation. Women waving fans and children with their fathers and or mothers. The women dressed in neat skirts or dresses towards their ankles. Some in jewelry.
"Bruh, how do you get pass this level?" Chauncey pressed the buttons on the Gameboy. "Put that shit down before mama beat you again." told Seign.
"Nigga what--" he looked to his right. His mother withdrew her hand. "Put that shit down before I take somewhere…" she muttered.
Saint looked over the seat, "You always doing something."
"Johnny." his mother pulled his shorts.
"I hate that nigga…" mumbled Seign. Saint John looked back and stuck his tongue out.
"I heard his granny just died."
"Probably from sucking dick." Seign rolled his eyes.
"No but for real like… his granny know voodoo and she pure African."
Seign turned slowly at his brother, "And?" his nose scrunched up, "II n'y a rien comme ce sang de la Louisiane. Who fucking cares?"
"I'm just saying…" Chauncey shrugged. "Why did you say she was sucking dick?"
"Shut the fuck up about my grandma!" Saint John turned. "You French talking niggas always got something to say. This ain't even yo country."
"What the fuck that mean!" Seign stood up from his seat. "Stop right now, I wish the hell you would." Seign's mother slapped his thighs. "Sit down."
"You know what I know how to handle you. You not finna embarrass me." Saint John's mother hoisted him by his arm. "Let's go."
"But mama--"
"Shut the fuck up Johnny!" she swore through her teeth.
The boys settled down with their mother's warning. They listened to the pastor.
"Good people we have demons." the congregation agreed. "Demons inside of us. Changing us! Tryin to force us into the devil's clutches. Make us commit sin."
"Yes lord…"
"I fucking hate it. Cause… I'm good man. I'm a good husband. I do what I'm supposed to do. I do what I can do. But demons tell me I ain't shit." the pastor was passionate, convicted. "Open your bibles to Mark 9:17."
Most of the congregation followed, Chauncey didn't care. In the bathrooms, Saint John howled. He scrambled all over the bathroom floor. He caught a breath, coming up from the tiles and ducking behind a sink. "Bring yo ass to me!" his mother screamed. "I can't take it no fucking more!"
"Mama, I'm sorry!"
Back in the nave. The pastor went, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute." he gazed at the congregation. "A spirit that makes you mute. See, ladies and gentlemen, we need to speak. For when you speak you are heard. When you speak, you can… tell the truth. Do you understand me?"
And the congregation rejoiced. "I won't let a damn demon hush me. No the hell I won't! Because I know that nigga finna lie on me. As soon as I shut up, that nigga finna lie. But God is with me!"
"Amen!" they shouted. Aleigha pursed his lips. If it was one thing he couldn't stand was lying in church and Pastor Mark was fucking his wife's brother. But last week he damn homosexuality.
He took care of Montgomery as a stepfather and frequently touched his mother. Then Ms. Harper loved going to the club. That was Saint John's mama.
She talked to Montgomery often, the little nigga was big for his age. He guessed she was into that. "Mama…" he tapped his mother.
"Yes baby," she tilted her head. "I gotta go to the bathroom," he said.
"You can't hold it?"
He shook his head. She inhaled, she didn't trust half the people in church. "Come on." she got up with her son and headed to the bathroom.
"Listened to me, let me tell you my experience. With lying. I got a brother named Teddy. I go to his house during… THANKSGIVING." he holds the folds of his suit. "Cause you know you supposed to be Thankful for a nigga on thanksgiving. Now, I shouldn't but I will. My brother ain't got clean draws. Hardly none at all."
Somebody muttered, 'Damn'.
"So during thanksgiving, I went in bought my brother, TEDDY, so goddamn draws. He wear draws with the hole in them."
Somebody said, 'That's a damn shame.'
"I gave him so nice tighty whitey. As men I wear draws, my son wear draws--I mean he got too--"
"The devil took them off me, pastor!" tittered a black man. The church snorted, "My brother that sound like a personal vendetta."
"Hush Pastor!" a woman tossed her hand in the air. "I will not. We got young niggas now struggling everything to pull they pants up. I saw a little nigga yesterday, I go to myself," he put his hand over his heart, "I know he going through something…"
The church tittered. The pastor continued, "He just a little boy and I got a son so I know." he counted on his fingers. "they lie to they mothers, they want to be like they fathers--and little girls grow up looking like they beautiful mothers. Me personally, I can't have a daughter…"
"Why pastor!"
"Because I'll kill a nigga for even opening the door for her…" he rolled his eyes. "I trust a man with my daughter. My motherfuckin' DAUGHTER. That's my DAUGHTER. And demons love little girls. And make them lie. Lie with a nigga that's beatin' on them, lie to they mothers, lie to the lord, lie in church, lie to people and…" he rubbed his fingers together as began to walk the floor. "Lie to themselves. I can't have a daughter."
"Goddamn I fucking hate yo ass!"
As Hannielle and Aleigha came to the bathroom. Mable's voice reached her ears. "Well, I'll be damn…" she stopped her son from going in. "Mable!" Hannielle called as she rushed into the toilets. "I ain't got no fucking money, I ain't go shit because I'm spending it on you! Got me sleeping behind the fuckin' church!" she punched her son in the cheek as he laid motionless. "Mable! Mable!"
"I fucking can't stand you!" she kicked him in the stomach. Hannielle pushed her away from Saint John. "You on that shit again!"
"Fuck you honey!" blasted Mable. "You don't know shit about me! You don't help me! You don't know what I go through!"
"Don't you got cancer!" Hannielle spat. "Don't you got aids! I told you how to get help you act like ain't nobody tryin' to help!"
"Bring him back you can do that for me!"
Aleigha ran in the nearest stall and pulled down his breeches as quickly as possible. He thanked the lord.
"I'm not bring him the fuck back. Let that boy rest!" Hannielle slapped her. Mable swung at her, Hannielle blocked it with her forearm and pushed her back. "I hate you!" she yelled. "And!"
"You know what--" she inhaled deeply, "I'm sorry yo' son dead. Aleigha let's go!"
'Fuck', "To the front?" he came out of the stall. "No we going home…" she ushered her son forward as she exited--she fell.