Bad Juju (18 page)

“You fed her too much pigeon.  Now we can add the bone powder to our potion.  One last ingredient.  You need to slit your arms and let a few drops of blood trickle into the chalice. 
Excellent
.  A few more words to the Baron and
then
we will drink.”  Lucien
passed the chalice around a few times until the potion was all gone.  He murmured a prayer thanking the
loas
for accepting the boys into
the
Bizango
Society
.  The candles and incense blew out by themselves.

“
Congratulations
.  The Baron considers you family.  You are now brothers
of the
Bizango
Society
.
”  The boys were pleased with themselves, both smiling ear to ear.  “You both need to come
by
two or
three times
a week for some more lessons on the black arts.”

***

The weeks flew by, turning the brutal winter of northern Wisconsin into a lush, green spring. 
While
the
mortician’s death remained unsolved
, reports of giant wolves, bears, bobcats, and coyotes
ran
rampant.  Many of the town’s residents were buying rifles with scopes in preparation for an animal attack.  Despite the town’s paranoia,
Lucien was grateful to the
loas
for
ending the investigation.  He was also grateful for
Henry and Jake
.  He cherished their visits and beamed with pride as they exceeded
his expectations.  By the beginning of April, they were independently casting simple spells of
love,
protection
,
and money.  They were ready for a challenge.  Jake
spoke of cursing Pete.  Lucien agreed he was now ready.

Lucien hoped the warmer weather would ease his arthritis, but his health plummeted to a new low.  One day in April he woke up, unable to walk.  Breathing was
almost too strenuous
. 
Is today the day I am supposed to die?
He was down to his last
ti
-bon-age, the part of the soul that belonged to T.J. McGrath. 
With every ounce of strength he could muster, he rolled out of bed and crawled up to his armoire.  He took out the last
govi
that contained T.J.’s
ti
-bon-
ange
and inhaled it through his leather straw. 
The soul
made him convulse.  He began to doubt if his body could take any more black magic.  And then he collapsed.  Hours later, he awoke feeling like someone else.

Lucien sprang up from the floor.  His hands looked different.  Finding a mirror, he gazed at his reflection for several moments, not sure if he was dreaming. 
S
taring back at him was a man in his fifties he had once known. 
Is it me?
  The deep creases in his face were softened.  His sagging jowls were tightened.  His long white hair was black with gray streaks.  Dropping the mirror on the carpet, he plunged to his knees and prayed.  The
loas
had been
generous
.

Chapter 2
1

Leah touched up the dark roots of her otherwise bleached hair, bought a conservative gray suit, and attended her brother’s funeral.  The cost of the funeral had tapped her and her mother out.  However, she was back at work and soon would replace what she had spent.  No regrets.  The service was worth every penny.  She and her mother honored T.J.
one last time. 

Although she grieved for her brother, his death created a diversion from her otherwise shitty life.  Leah despised her job, but stripping was a very lucrative business, more lucrative than Pete had figured.  Once again, she began salting away much of her proceeds in various hiding places inside of her mother’s house.

Her marriage had gone from bad to worse.  Sex had once been a compatible part of their relationship.  But now, with his escalating abuse, Leah’s skin crawled and stomach soured at his very touch.  She would lie in bed and pretend to be far away with someone else while he enjoyed himself.  Other times she would fantasize about different ways to permanently rid herself of him.

By April all of the police charges against Pete were dropped, leaving Leah without a bargaining chip to keep him in line.  He immediately returned to the selfish brute he had been before jail time loomed over his head.

Despite all of her misery, she found a sliver of happiness from her daughter.  Had it not been for
Rhianna
, she would have killed herself a long time ago.  Jake had also softened her heart.  His helpfulness was refreshing.  As promised, she began teaching him how to drive.

Leah’s 2000 Chevy Impala was the perfect learning vehicle for a new driver.  The odometer rolled over at least once, and the car’s body was cloaked with dings, scratches, and dents.  Every time a major breakdown would occur, she would suggest trading it in.  Pete cringed at the thought of spending the money.  He always fixed the problem.  Auto repair and thriftiness were the only things he was good at.

It was his thriftiness that had made her question their finances.  “Pete, I tallied up all of our bills the other day.  I just don’t understand it.  Our rent is dirt cheap, no car payments, no credit card debt…We’ve got quite a big check for Jake coming from the
state, your workman’s comp claim, and then my tips from The Dollhouse.  The math just doesn’t add up.  What are you doing with our money?”

“Since when did you become a God-damned accountant?” he answered.  She could see his fury behind the calm voice and tried to run. 

He grabbed her neck with both of his hands and squeezed, pushing her against the wall of the living room.  As Leah gasped for air, he said, “I could kill you right now, you dumb bitch.  I’m only
gonna
tell you this once.  I’m the king, and this is my castle.  I do not explain myself to you!  So go shake your greasy cunt at the boys down at that shithole you work at and bring home
all
of the money.  I’m sick of you playing me.  Understand?”

Leah’s face turned red
as she gasped for air
.  The look in his face was odd, unfamiliar.  He suddenly let go of her neck.  She coughed and inhaled, partly wishing he would have strangled her.  “I promised Jake I would take him driving this afternoon.”  Pete nodded, but seemed distant as if he had something else on his mind.  She left the trailer and picked Jake up from Lucien’s home. 

After weeks of practice, Jake was somewhat reliable behind the wheel.  She was no longer on edge as he drove.  They both could now relax and talk.

“Glad we planned this.  Had to leave.  Drive as long as you want.  I don’t want to go home,” Leah said.

Jake drove to Henry’s, the movie theatre, Freemont High School, and then had an idea.  “
Wanna
go visit T.J.?”

Leah was touched.  “I’d love to.  Let’s go buy some flowers to plant beside his headstone.”

Jake pulled into Home Depot and she purchased a flat of geraniums and a trowel.  As Jake pulled into the cemetery, Leah could see the trailer park.  Anger swept over her.  She turned to Jake for comfort.  He turned out to be the perfect sounding board, hanging on every word.

As they planted some flowers, Leah continued to vent.  The way he listened made her feel like the most important person in the world.  She couldn’t help but notice how much taller he had grown.  He also filled out, making him look older.

“That bastard almost killed me!  He’s fucking crazy, Jake.  One second he’s slapping me around, and the other second he’s somewhere in outer space.  I’m wondering
if he’s doing coke again.  That would explain where the money is going.  All I am to him is a piece of meat with a paycheck…”  Leah noticed his thoughtful blue eyes
had swirls of green.  His voice was
soothing.

“Leah, why don’t you divorce him?” he asked.  Not the first time he had asked her this, but he seemed hopeful she would follow through.  The boy’s undivided attention gave her yearnings she wasn’t prepared to deal with.  She tried to shake them off.

“Divorce?  I certainly don’t love him.  Not sure if I ever did.  Truth be told, I’m terrified of him.  He’d kill me before signing the papers.”  She finished planting a few more flowers.  “This is good, Jake.  We can take the rest home and plant them there.”

They both remained silent for the next several minutes.  As they sat back in the car, she impulsively took his hand before buckling her seatbelt.  He leaned in and surprised her with a kiss.  It was the kind of soft kiss one reads about in fairy tales.  The kind that shows the princess how much the prince loves her, the kind of kiss Leah never had.  The voice inside of her head was screaming with caution, but a warm and mysterious sensation seized her body.  She grazed her hand over the fly of his jeans and felt his instant arousal.  He kissed her neck while caressing her ample breasts.  In seconds he had her tank top off, exposing her erect nipples.  He gently nibbled on them while she quivered with delight.  Reaching for his zipper, she paused.  The voice of reason stopped their momentum.  “Jake, this is so wrong.  I’m like your moth…”

He interrupted her second thoughts.  “My mother is dead.  And you know that.  She is buried on the other side of this cemetery.  And you are only four years older than me.  I could never think of you as my parent.”  He dived into her enormous breasts with his tongue. 

She didn’t care about the age gap.  It was the potential statutory rape charge that mattered.  Sexual abuse of a minor was another consequence that came to mind.  As he sucked her nipples, her lustful urges returned. 
Just this once.

Jake had yanked her pants down and began sticking his fingers inside of her.  She was soaked by his swirls.  He lifted her like a feather and set her in the backseat of the car.

Waves of desire tickled every nerve ending in her body.  Jake’s manhood was impressive.  She arched her back and wrapped her little legs around him.  He mounted
her, and then she moaned in delight.  He felt electric inside of her.  “Jake, you’re so big!  Don’t stop!”

Five heaves later he ejaculated.  She tried to hide her disappointment, but he
had seen it in her eyes.  “That
was my first time.”

“Your first time?  With me?  This is wrong on so many levels.  Listen, I was feeling unloved, vulnerable…I didn’t think about you.  We can’t ever do this again.”  Leah cringed as she saw the despondent look on his face.  Taking a scarf on the floor of the backseat, she wiped herself off and got dressed.  He did the same.

“I understand.  Wish I could have given you more pleasure.  I’ve dreamt of this happening for so long.  If only you saw yourself like I do.  If you can’t be with me, don’t be with Pete.  You deserve someone so much better.”

Leah crawled back in the passenger’s seat as tears in her eyes welled.  She didn’t want him to see her eyes.  “Hey, since we’re here and we got extra flowers, let’s go see your mom.  She’ll like some flowers around her grave.”

They silently rode to the other side of the cemetery and parked.  Leah walked up to the grave and read, “Rhonda
LaRue
, 1978-2005.  So young.  I’ve seen her picture in your room.  She was beautiful.”  She and Jake began to plant the remaining geraniums.

“Yes, she was.  Before the cancer took over.  I miss her every day.  Does Pete ever come here?” Jake cried.

“Are you kidding?  I wish I knew her.  She has a terrific son.  We both have had a lot of sadness in our lives for two young people.”  He nodded.  She had told him a long time ago about her own father’s battle with Lou Gehrig’s disease, leaving her fatherless after turning twelve.  “Let’s get some more driving practice in.”

The empty, curvy roads of the cemetery were perfect place for Jake to practice reverse, three point turns, and parallel parking.  Their melancholy conversation turned to
Rhianna
.  They both shared funny stories of the adorable toddler’s calamities.  Leah turned to him and smiled.  “Jake, someday you’re going to make some girl very happy.”

“Why can’t that girl be you?” he asked as he almost reversed the car into a ditch.  “Oops!”  They both chuckled at his driving.

The familiar urges she had earlier returned.  “Turn off the car.”  He obeyed.  Leah unzipped his pants and slurped on his inflating penis.  Her
jeggings
were peeled off once
more.  She straddled him while he sat in the driver’s seat; her pelvis grinded in every direction.  As she rode him, all of her inhibitions disappeared.  She gushed and gushed before he finished.  It was a chilly spring day, but both of them were slick with sweat.  Half an hour later, they both squealed like hyenas as Jake exploded.  Pausing for a few seconds, Leah caught her breath and rolled off of him.
  She had no idea sex could so amazing.

“Smoke?”  He shook his head.  “For a virgin…that was the most amazing sex I’ve ever had.  You’ve got a magic wand, Jake.”  She smiled like a contented baby after drinking a bottle.