Bad Juju (21 page)

“What did you do?  You look so much younger.  All of Chippewa Park is going to want your secret,” Jake said with a smile.

“Did you use Botox?  Work out
at the gym
?” Henry asked.

Lucien laughed.  “You boys ever hear the expression, ‘You’re only as good as your last joke’?”  They both nodded.  “Well a
bokor
is only as good as his last trick.  And this is one of my best.  You’ll have to wait until the end of your apprenticeship to learn
it
.  But as much as I’d like to cheat death, this is only temporary.  Just because I turned back time
forty or
fifty
some
odd years, doesn’t mean I’ll live longer.  But I would have died had I not…manipulated things.”

“
So, w
hat are you going to teach us today?” Henry asked
,
unphased
.

“First tell me how your love spells are working,” Lucien said with a twinkle in his eye.

Jake couldn’t help but laugh at the silly look on Henry’s face.  Things must have progressed with Brittany
Bonaducci
, the love of his life also known as the town slut.

“Brittany came over to my house last Saturday.  I didn’t realize how much she liked whipped cream.  You know what?  I think I like sex.  She is going to show me some of her favorite places in the school this week,” Henry said.
  They all chuckled.

“And Jake,
did your love spell take hold
?” Lucien asked.

“
Yes. 
It was the best moment of my life.  But I love her.  Do you think she could actually love me back?” Jake questioned.

“Of course she could.  But you boys might get sick of these girls.  And that’s when things turn ugly.  The love spell still
lasts
once your feelings have changed
.  The women turn
desperate.
  There’s an old movie,
Fatal Attraction
.  Watch it.  The actress gets dumped and tries to make her lover miserable.  So
be careful with the love spells,” Lucien warned.

“What about you?  Did you ever use a love spell?” asked Jake.

“Once. 
There was this woman back in Haiti…Oh, I shouldn’t be telling you boys this story,” Lucien said.

“Please, Lucien, tell us about her.  Did you curse her into loving you?” Jake inquired.  He was extremely curious about Lucien’s past.

“She was
so
beautiful. 
And out of my reach.  She was
the wife of a
Bizango
brother.  He treated his dog better than
her
, and he didn’t like dogs. 
At the time I already had two wives and two babies. 
Anyway, I justified my love spell by telling myself how much better I was for her, and how my
Bizango
brother didn’t even love her.  Oh, all kinds of things I said in order to
feel good about
stealing a
nother
man
’s
wife.  So I used the same spell as I gave you boys. 
T
hings couldn’t have been more magical.  Her attention, her smile, and the sex…”  Lucien paused to laugh.

“Well what happened?  Did she become one of your wives?” Jake inquired.

“Oh no.  At the time, I didn’t know of a way to counter the spell.  You see, I just wanted some fun, and she was ready to leave
her husband
for me.  She was becoming very public in our affair. 
My other
wives were jealous.  And then my
Bizango
brother found out about us.  Everything turned for the wors
t.  She tried to kill me and my family…I never used the spell for myself again.
”

“What happened to her?” Henry asked.

At first Lucien wouldn’t answer, but then he
held up his shirt and revealed several faded slash marks on his back.  “These are the faded markings of a flogging.  They didn’t know I put a spell on her.  They just thought she had been an unfaithful wife.  I had to watch them stone her to death and then be sacrificed to the
loas
.  I searched for years of a way to counter
the love spell and found one. 
Since that moment, I’ve
sold people
love spells
that come with
love counter spell
s.
”

“So
Bizango
brothers are not supposed to sleep with each other’s women?” Henry asked.  Lucien nodded.  “Then Brittany is all mine.”

“And Leah is all mine,” Jake added.

“Yes boys.  But believe me, these women will turn into nightmares once you tire of them,” Lucien promised.

“Speaking of nightmares, last night I dreamt T.J. was outside of my window.  He wore the same suit he was buried in.  It was so real.  And then Pete woke me up because he thought we were getting robbed or something.”  Jake noticed the change in Lucien’s demeanor.  His eyes clouded and he looked like his mind was now onto something else.  “He’s dead, right?  I undid a wrong with the gris-gris?”

“Oh yes.  Now let me show you the way you counter
a
spell.  This process happens to work on most spells, but you’ll use different ingredients and prayers as you perform them,” Lucien stated.

“But what about my uncle?  When am I going to learn how to hex him?” Jake impatiently asked.

“The protection spell is worki
ng, right? 
He still hasn’t hurt you? 
I will teach you how to curse and hex by
the end of your
bokor
studies
, but
revenge never comes out the way it’s planned.  Your anger must subside beforehand.  Please Jake, be patient.  There is so much to learn.”

Jake could tell Lucien was hiding something from him, but it was too incredulous to think T.J. was walking around as a zombie.  He cleared his mind and watched Lucien explain the counter spell.  Somehow, he doubted he would ever use it.  Leah’s love was too intoxicating to undo.

Chapter 2
5

Jake’s and Leah’s affair had grown into something much more meaningful,
or so Jake told himself throughout every waking hour.  Their passion had yet to quell as they continued to explore each other all over Hayward. 
After two months of insatiable lust, Leah
knew Pete was on to her infidelity
.

“
He
knows
, just not who with
,” she said as she puffed on a Marlboro Light.  They had just
finished making love in a near
by forest preserve.
  She hiked up her
g-string
panties and glittery mini-skirt.

“If he knew I was the other man…Well, he’s beaten me up for much less,” Jake reasoned.  He
put secret
protection g
u
ards
upon himself,
Leah, and
Rhianna
. 
They seemed to be effective.  Pete had been behaving himself.

“He’s only smacked me around once since you and me started hooking up,” Leah said.

“Once?  When was that?  And for what?” Jake
questioned
, worried that the g
u
ard was beginning to wear off.

“The other day
when
I left for work early.  I picked you up from school. 
We went
in
back of the cemetery, remember?  He slapped me before I got into my car, accusing me of going off to screw one of my sugar daddies down at the club,” Leah relayed.

If the protection g
u
ard was wearing off, then the love spell must be also running its course. 
Could she be with me because she loves me?

“Forget about him.  Happy birthday.  I know it’s tomorrow, but I have a present for you.  Drive over to Freddie’s Used Cars on West Avenue,” Leah ordered as Jake started her
Impala’
s engine.

Jack euphori
c
a
lly
drove to the dealership.  “A car?”

“Pull in.  It should be ready for you.  That’s it
,
right there.  The white Dodge Intrepid.  It’s old, but low miles,” Leah said as she pointed to the car parked by the front door.

Jake didn’t think it was possible, but at this moment
,
he loved Leah even more.  The week prior she had taken him to the DMV to get his driver’s license.  The next day he would be seventeen years old, almost a legal adult.

“Leah, I love you!  You shouldn’t have done this!  This is the best day of my life.  It’s beautiful!” Jake exclaimed as he sat inside the car and examined the interior.  Leather seats, CD player, cup holders…He was the luckiest man alive.

“Jake, shut up and take the damn car for a ride.  And if Pete asks, you bought this with your own money
that you earned by
helping out our neighbors, you hear?”  Jake nodded.

He pulled out of the car dealership and drove towards Henry’s house.  Only a block away, Leah had his
jeans
unzipped
, slurping on his penis as
he drove.  Within minutes, he exploded all over his front seat.

“There goes the new car smell.  Like the ride?” she demurely questioned as she
wiped her mouth with her
sleeve, and then quickly reapplied h
er bright
fuscia
lipstick.

“I love it.  I love you.  I don’t want to sneak around anymore. 
Just d
ivorce Pete and marry me,” Jake urged.

“
We’ve had this discussion before.  Y
ou’re still a minor
, and I’ll
be twenty-one next month.
”

“Cougar!  One sexy cougar!” Jake yelled.

“Yeah, one sexy foster
mother.  This arrangement could get us all in a lot of trouble.  And Pete would kill both of us if he knew.  Let’s have some fun.  When you’re eighteen, then we can have a more serious conversation,” Leah said with finality as she took his hand.

“I wish Pete was dead.  He
‘
s nothing but a loser.  He could have a car accident.  Or disappear,” Jake pleaded.

“Listen
.
Jake, I don’t love him, but he’s
R
hianna’s
father.  She loves him.
”

“
Rhianna
loves everyone.  Soon he’ll start knocking her around once she starts to sass him.  I could make him go away
forever
.  You’d get justice for T.J.  We could openly be together,” Jake propositioned.

Leah’s exterior suddenly became cold.  She dropped his hand and scooted away from him towards the passenger door.  “You’re talking murder.  Hey, I’m no saint.  But that’s wrong,” Leah firmly stated.

“Murder?  More like self-defense. 
Y
ou
wanna
wait until he kills you?  Or me? 
Rhianna
?  He’s evil, Leah.  We should strike him before he strikes us,” Jake warned.

“I
gotta
go to work.  Take me back to the dealership so I can get my car,” Leah directed.

Jake sulked as they rode back to Freddie’s Used Cars in silence. 
Once he’s gone,
we can be together.  She’ll see how wonderful everything will be.

***

The next day at school, Jake joined Henry for lunch as he sometimes did in Mrs. Fontana’s classroom.  He was curious about Henry’s
love spell
casted
on
Brittany.

“So how are you two doing?  Does she hang all over you in class?” Jake whispered as they ate their sandwiches.

“No.  I told her I don’t want any trouble with
Rio
.  But Jake, I need to undo that spell.  Sex was fun at first, but now…it’s all she ever wants to do.  She called me this morning, asking if I could come in early so that I could help her with her math.  I met her by my locker.  She lied to me.  She didn’t have any problem
s
with the homework.  She made me go to the tower with her.  It’s locked, but she had the key.  Once she got me up there, she attacked me until I gave her what she wanted.  While we were…It
happened
on the steps.  She was
on top of
me.  I heard footsteps above us.  I think someone saw us.  What if I get in trouble?” Henry cried.

“Probably other kids doing the same thing as you and Brittany.  The tower is known for that,” Jake consoled.

“My mom hates her.  Last weekend,
she c
ame downstairs and caught Brittany with her shirt off in the basement.  She’s no longer allowed at my house.  I
’ve got to undo that spell
,” Henry whined.