Saint And Sinners (94 page)

Lawrence nodded and raised his hand, motioning for him to hold on.

“Um, Xenia.” Lawrence concentrated back on the phone, elevating his chin so that his
voice would ring out with more clarity. “You know how the spell basically made you
disgusted with the idea of intimacy with your husband?”

“…Yes.”

“Well, these types of curses have a tendency to get worse and worse over time. By
worse, I mean they can spread to others.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well.” He shrugged. “There is no exact science to it, but it can become like a virus,
airborne, if you will. From my recollection, and I plan to verify this as soon as
I get home, but after about a three month period, it becomes kind of like the HIV
virus, very evident and detectable by most psychic tests. It can cause other women
around you to also endure the same experience with their mates. It is also transferred
to the same sex, by the way, versus the opposite sex, but it could make, say, Donna,
Traci and any other woman you hang with have the same reaction to us…” Lawrence paused
for effect. “As you currently feel towards Saint, so others will feel the same towards
their husbands. You’d have to basically alienate yourself from everyone for the remainder
of your life and to top it off, once Isis got to an age in which she would have fallen
in love with someone, you could give it to her, as well. So you see, it is imperative
that this be stopped as soon as possible.”

“Xenia, no disrespect, I love ya, you know that, but
please
don’t come to my house right now. I can’t have Traci gettin’ this!” Jagger blurted,
causing everyone to look at him in awe as a clear wave of terror moved through his
big body like a lightning bolt. “I’m sorry, but this shit scares me now!”

Saint’s eyes narrowed on the man, but he had bigger issues to deal with other than
Jagger’s insensitivity.

“…And let’s use Jagger’s fear that he just broadcast at the most inappropriate time
as an example.” Lawrence grimaced at the man. “Let’s say Traci
did
get it, Xenia. She would never be able to get rid of it until you, the source of
it all, snuffed out your assailant. In the meantime, Traci could be spreading it to
others, and it would go and on, wrecking havoc.”

Xenia exhaled loudly. “Okay. Saint, can you track this motherfucker down so I can
get this over with?” she declared rather calmly.

Everyone in Saint’s office stared at the phone, their mouths dropped—including his
own.

“Baby.” Smirking—and dare he admit it, full of pride for his strong, resilient woman—he
leaned back in his seat. “You know Jagger and I can find almost anyone. Just give
us the most information you can about him. Let’s start with his physical description
and the time frame he was there.”

“I can do you one better.” He could picture her clicking her tongue on the side of
her mouth as she customarily did when she was vexed and prepared to pull the rug out
from under some bastard’s feet. “I will call Mama to come over here to watch the kids,
go to the office tonight, and get the surveillance tapes for that day from the security
guy, Rodger. He and I are pretty chummy, I’m sure he will let me have it, and then
I will let you see them. That way, you, Lawrence and Jagger can take a look for yourselves.
This son of a bitch was on the elevator. There is a camera in there, Saint.”

“Perfect, baby, and while you are doing that, the three of us will be devising a plan
on how to get this guy lured and cornered, okay? Yeah… we don’t need much, just to
catch his scent if you will, and we will be able to track him.”

“Very well,” she said dryly. “I want this done
tonight
. If I have too much time to think about it, I, well… never mind. We need to do this
now
. Do you understand me?!”

“Loud ’nd clear, baby…loud ’nd clear.”

Xenia abruptly disconnected the call and Saint could not wash away the smug smile
glued to his face.

“Well boys, looks like Xenia
truly
is ride or die,” he said with satisfaction, crossing his arms. “I have several guns.
I already trained her how to shoot, but she’s never killed anyone before. Regardless,
she is prepared. Oh, and call your wives. It’s going to be a long fucking evening.
Bank on it.”

*

“M
mmm hmmmm!
That’s what I said, girl!” Pam cackled as she moved the big, heavy frying pan from
one eye to the other. “You otta see this damn house they got here in Man-hatin’, girl!
Look like something out of a magazine, yes ma’am!”

“Manhattan,” Gloria corrected.

“Naw, I meant what I said… I see more transvestites and gays here than all of California
combined! All these men out here wanna have a damn va-jay-jay! They hate they damn
selves! I wanna pull they asses aside and tell ’em it ain’t all of what it’s cracked
up to be!” She caught her reflection in the stove; her cheeks had become rosy from
repeated bursts of laughter. Just then, Dakarai bounced in the kitchen, his arm full
of colorful puzzle pieces.

“Grandma!” he blurted, as he always did. Dakarai had a way of calling for her as if
he himself were on fire. He had a loud, raspy voice that was rather mature for his
age, and it carried, just like her’s.

“What is it, baby?” she asked as she turned over a pork chop, her mouth watering while
the brown rice and onions cooked up nicely in the other pan.

“Can you do this puzzle wit’ me? ‘Sani said he busy. He ain’t busy, Grandma! He sittin’
there on tha phone talking to that boy with the tattoos and Isis don’t know how. All
she do is throw the pieces in the air and laugh and then she try to make me play with
her dollhouse. I don’t like doing that but if I don’t, Mommy try to make me so I rather
not ask ’er at all.”

“Dakarai, let me finish cookin’ and I will do the puzzle with you, baby. You want
something to drink? Where is Isis and Hassani at, anyway? Ask ’em if they want chicken
or fish for dinner.” She paused and put her hand on her hip as she looked down at
the handsome little stud.

“But we already ate, Grandma. Mama fed us before she left.” He got comfy at the table,
sorting out his Spiderman puzzle pieces just so.

“Oh, she did, did she? Well she ain’t tell me nothin’!” Pam huffed as she turned back
towards the stove. “Sorry ’bout that, Gloria. I’m watching my grandbabies.”

“How nice!”

“Yeah, Xenia had some sort of emergency and had to run back to work.”

“Is she okay?”

“Chile, I don’t know! With Xenia you never know what the deal is. She act so damn
secretive lately, like she runnin’ numbers for the mafia or some shit. She tell me
when she try to talk to me, I never believe her, which ain’t true! Dakarai, get yo’
grandmamma the butter, please.” She opened up the oven to check on her cornbread.

“’Kay.” He slid off the chair and marched towards the refrigerator. “And get yourself
some Kool-Aid I made for y’all. Especially
you
, Dakarai. You skin ’nd bones! Look like something that should be chained and shackled
to a wall in a damn dungeon!”

“Mommy said we shouldn’t drink Kool-Aid, Grandma.”

“What fuh?! Giiiirl! Dakarai is trippin’, hold on. If Kool-Aid was good enough for
ya mama butt when she was growin’ up, it’s good enough for you, too! Besides, it’s
purple! Who don’t like purple Kool-Aid?!”

“Mommy said it has a bunch of peas-serve-tease in it and that you gotta add too much
sugar to make it taste right. So she don’t buy us none, no matter how much we beg
in the store, Grandma. I like the Kool-Aid Man! He bust through brick walls ’nd say,
‘Ohhhhh Yeeeaaaah!!!”

“Preservatives? What
don’t
have preservatives, now, huh?! Xenia and Saint are two crunchy, Jesus sandal wearin’,
granola chewin’ mothafu…” She stopped herself short. “They are hippies now, is what
they are. Ain’t
nothin’
wrong with a little Kool-Aid. I’m sure she mean well, Dakarai, but if you wanna try
it, you gone right on ahead!” She turned back towards the stove and huffed in frustration.
“Girl! Xenia got the kids grazin’ in the grass like goats ’nd shit!”

Gloria burst out laughing.

“… Eatin’ nuts and berries like Tarzan and Jane. Dakarai over here lookin’ like flies
should be buzzin’ around his damn head, like he supposed to be on some damn commercial
in a third world country with a 1-800 number under his emaciated ass for fund raising
’nd shit, skinny ass boy! And Isis eat so much, I’m surprised her gut ain’t bust open.
She act like they ain’t fed her a damn thang since the day she was born and it’s probably
’cause all I see over here is a bunch of fruit and strange vegetables that ain’t got
no flavor. Hassani is sometimes so damn picky about food, I’m surprised he even still
alive, still breathin’! He should be on a ventilator any day now.”

Her friend kept on laughing and trying to catch her breath. “You ain’t right, Pam.”

“This is crazy! You should see Xenia now too, girl.”

“What’s wrong?”

“She done lost ’bout fifteen pounds since living here! She says it is only five or
six lbs. and I say the devil is a liar! Her ass done turned into a vertical skatin’
rink! Look like a damn wall. I was tempted to nail a picture to it…flat like Arizona.
Somebody need to staple a photograph of what it once was to a telephone pole and say,
‘Missing – Xenia Aknaten’s ass…if you’ve seen it, call this damn number!’ That woman
needs a sandwich with extra cheese.”

Dakarai burst out laughing and handed her the stick of butter. He walked back across
the way and stood there, trying to look innocent.

“You mind yo’ business, little boy!” Pam smiled at him as she pointed in his direction.
He kept grinning as he poured the purple concoction into a large glass with an unsteady
hand.

“So yeah, girl, I’m liking it here.” She couldn’t get the big smile off her face as
she peered down into her hot pans, pleased with the progress. “Saint keep askin’ me
when I’m leaving. He been tryna get me outta here ever since he found out I was in
town. I know he love me though. He ain’t foolin’ nobody. Wait ’til he find out I am
staying. I got it all mapped out.” She moved the spatula through the rice and turned
the heat down. “I will spend my winters in L.A., ’cept this one ’cause they need me,
girl. Porsche ain’t got all these kids, only tha one; her needs aren’t like Xenia’s.
In the spring, summer and fall, I will live here. I even been lookin’ at apartments.
They high as hell, but I can swing it. I got a little savings stashed away…”

“Have you told your daughter you are staying close to her?”

“Naw! I ain’t told Xenia yet. I’mma surprise her. I can tell she happy that I’m here.
I’ll just hand her a copy of my lease and be like, ‘Pow!’ You’ll have to fly out here
and see me, chile!” She cackled.

“Yes I will! I’m going to miss you, Pam! Who else is going to do my hair?”

A miracle worker, that’s who! A damn genie in a bottle, Brittany Spears style ‘cause
ain’t nobody else brave enough to take on that mess!

…But she kept the thoughts to herself.

Just then, she jumped almost ten feet in the air when Dakarai burst out in song.

“Owwwwwww weeeee! Dis good, Grandma!!!” He smacked his lips appreciatively then took
another big gulp. This time, it left a purple ring around his glossy mouth. His eyes
became real strange, the pupils dilated as if he were falling into a sugar coma. “Mmmmm!
Ohhhh, boy!” He polished off the glass and served himself a refill in record speed.
“’Saaaani!” he screamed out, racing from the kitchen with his big, plastic blue cup
gripped tightly in his palm, filled to the rim. “You gotta try this Kool-Aid Grandma
made! I call it, purple pitbull! Isis! I know you want some, too! You want somma everything!”
He disappeared with the beverage, ready to share his newfound treasure with the whole
wide world.

“Girl, my grandson done had purple Kool-aid for the first damn time and is actin’
like a crackhead now!” Pam turned to the side, holding her gut as laughter poured
from between her lips. “You ought to have seen him, he just raced out of the kitchen
like he drank some damn rocket fuel.”