D.S. the Messenger

by Raymond McClary

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  Sage arrived at Momma Strong’s home close to 9:00 pm. The lights were still on and there were a few cars parked outside the home, so Sage did not feel too bad for coming to her home this late in the evening. As Sage was about to knock on the door, it slowly opened with voices behind it.

  “Hello?”, says Sage.

  “OOOh! You scared me!”

  “I’m sorry madam. I certainly did not mean to startle you.”

  The lady responds, “That’s all right.” Just then, Momma Strong walks down the hallway, “Sage darling come on in here. Daisy, you remember Sage?”

  “Remember who?”

  “I said Sage! When they were growing up, you never saw Perry without Sage. He owns the tailor shop in the center of town.”

  Daisy put on her glasses, looks at Sage from head to toe while walking around him, glances at his eyes and says in a very low tone, “You are that Mecan child aren’t cha?”

  “Yes ma’am…I am.”

  “It was so sad and tragic to hear about your parents. You could see how happy they were to just be in each other’s company, and having you made them happier. I remember times I would see them sitting out on their lawn with a blanket and lunch basket as if they were in a park, just enjoying life as they watched you taking your wobbling footsteps in the grass. At times you would fall and your father would stop your mother from running to your aid because he wanted you to get up on your own. Looking at you today, you surely have done that. God watched over you with six angels. You are certainly handsome.” As Daisy begins twirling the beads on her neck and says, “I have a daughter who’s single and has a nice job and even though my daughter lives with me, you would never know that I was always there.”

  While smiling Sage responds, “I am highly flattered Ms. Daisy, but the truth of the matter is that there is a woman in my life and I am very happy. Here name is Deva.”

  “Who? Diva?”

  “No, it is pronounced Day-va, but spelled D-e-v-a.”

  Daisy frowns while grunting under her breath, “Well, to be so happy, I don’t see a ring on your finger.”

  Sage kisses her on the cheek while thanking her for the conversation and for her to enjoy the remainder of her evening. Daisy stood there in a trance as Sage walked into the living room where the other guests that were paying their respects were gathered. Daisy yells to her companion, “Jay come on and stop dilly dallying! We have to go!”

  Momma Strong told Sage, I will be back as soon as I see all the guests out. He responds, “Take your time Momma S. I don’t have any plans.” As the room is clearing of all the visitors, he is quickly reminded of his childhood moments as he stares at the pictures of Perry when he was little.

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  Sage says, “Remember that Indian man’s house that burnt down the other day.”

  Perry responds, “Yeah.”

  “They threw a lot of his stuff out. Let’s go see what they threw out.” The kids ran to the house with all the trash outside and began looking in it.

  Sage says, “Here are some nasty books.”

  Perry says, “Let me see! Let me see! There’s a whole bunch here! Take some.”

  “I am and we can take them to the secret clubhouse.”

  Their location was at a corner house that was surrounded by trees and short bushes that were tall enough for anyone to hide there. The house was owned by a very old, pale looking man who walked very slowly to and from the neighborhood store. No one bothered him and he did not bother the kids who would have meetings in his hidden yard area.

  The kids sat and looked through the magazines for hours, laughing and giggling at the women’s nude poses while making comments as to which ones were their girlfriends. Perry picked up a magazine and photos fell out, and when he picked them up he was speechless. Sage was smiling from ear to ear while flipping the pages in his magazine when he took a glance at Perry to see what he was doing. When Sage noticed that Perry was holding photos while his mouth agape, he jumped up immediately to see what had his attention. Once Sage saw the photos, his eyes became as wide as golf balls. It was the Indian man in the photo naked with a naked woman having oral sex. The other photos contained the Indian man with two or three woman.

  Perry says, “Wow! Look at these girls! You think they are in these books?”

  “They look better than the girls in the books!!” Sage says, pointing at the breasts in the photo, “Look at those! They look like giant footballs!” They laugh.

  “I didn’t know the Indian man had all those girlfriends. I never see him outside.”

  Perry says, “I saw him one time and got my mouth washed out with soap.”

  Sage starts laughing while asking, “What did you do?”

  “I don’t know! One day Mean Steam was outside with me when the Indian man drove by the house and Mean Steam said, ‘There’s Mr. Gigolo.’ So a few days later, we were in the supermarket and the Indian man walked by and dropped his wallet. I said, ‘Mr. Gigolo, you dropped your wallet!’ I know that I said it loud enough for him to hear me because everybody stopped and looked at me. Then I said, ‘it’s right there Mr. Gigolo.’ He looked at me like he wanted to beat me up. When he picked up his wallet, he said, ‘That is not my name.’ I turned around at Mean Steam and said, ‘I thought you said his name was Mr. Gigolo?’ Mean Steam said, ‘Boy I never said such a thing.’ I said, ‘Unhunh, when we were outside in the yard and he drove by and you said…’ That’s when Mean Steam smacked me in my mouth and took me home and washed my mouth out with soap.”

  Sage was laughing so hard he fell down and began rolling around on the grass and hugging his stomach. Perry says, “I still don’t know why Mean Steam did that.”

  “My mom tells my dad to make sure that he puts his wedding ring on when he gets out of the shower so the women out here don’t make passes at him because his gigolo days are over…. So I think a gigolo has a lot of women.” They stood there and thought for a moment while looking at the pictures of the Indian man with the women, looked at each other and said, “He is a gigolo!”

  “So Mean Steam was calling him a name and not his name?”

  “Yup!” Answers Sage. They laugh.

  “We need to hide our magazines for later.” Just as they picked up the books, a smaller book fell out onto the grass. “What’s that?” Perry asked.

  “It don’t look like a nasty book. Sage picked it up and read the word “Sutra”.

  Perry said, “I like the color of that book. It even looks like we shouldn’t have it. I’ll put it in my pocket and when I finish it, I’ll give it to you.”

  “Perry, don’t lose that book because I want to read it.”

  Sage’s child past memories are interrupted by Momma Strong, “These pictures make you revisit the past doesn’t it?”

  “Yes ma’am it does. Back then it was so…free. Not a care in the world. I thank God for a childhood that made me happy.”

  “And I thank God for blessing me with the health long enough to see what fine men both of you have grown up to be. I’m so proud of you.” Momma Strong hands Sage a silver box with a lock attached.

  “This is for you Sage. Perry said to give it to you when he passed. It’s locked but he said that you have the key.”

  Sage smiled with his eyes filled with tears and asked, “When did he give you this?”

  “He gave me this box the day before he died.” Sage thought to himself, Perry knew when he was going to die.

  “Momma S, Perry and I would send each other all kinds of stuff by way of this box. I thought this box was lost. It’s been a lot of years since I’ve last seen it…. Thank you Momma S.”

  “Oh dear you are very welcome.”

  “I know it’s getting late but do you need me for anything to do for you ma’am?”

  “No Sage, I’m just so tired and I wanted to give you this tonight since I’m going out of town for a while.”

  “Well Momma, if you need me, I’m here for you.”

  “I know
Sage, and I will be just fine. Now go on, I’ll send you postcards.” They hug.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too Sage, and kiss Deva for me.”

  “I will….Oh, I might as well tell you or better yet, show you.” Sage pulls a ring box out of his pocket and shows Momma Strong the engagement ring that he bought for Deva.

  “I’m going to ask her this weekend.”

  “Congratulations Sage!” Momma Strong laughs while hugging him. “I knew you were going to ask her. It was just a matter of time. Deva is going to faint when seeing this beautiful ring.”

  “As long as Deva says yes before the fainting occurs.” He replied.

  “Oh you don’t have to worry about that. Deva would leave you only if you didn’t propose to her.

  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Sage thought to himself as he remembers Perry’s close to exact words. Sage looked into Momma Strong’s eyes with a peaceful smile and says softly, “Good night.” “Good night Sage.”

  D.S. THE TRUST

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  Sage drove home, walked into the living room, placed his keys and the box on the table and checked the messages for the day. Deva had left a message. “Sage, I’m on my way to my mother’s house. I’m not that tired but my mother, Red and I are talking up a storm so if you want or need me, that’s where I’ll be. Love Ya!”

  Sage was physically drained. He took off his clothes, and drew water for a bath. Once he was inside the tub, he thought about the funeral. Seeing his brother lying there in that casket, he thought, No more will I hear his voice, or see him smiling or laughing at my jokes. No wedding. No children…Nothing. Sage thinks about the gravediggers filling the plot with the casket inside. With that in mind, he could not stop the tears from falling. Chills pulsed through his body so uncontrollably that he turned the hot water on, and submerged his body up to his nose…. But still the chills would not stop. Sage turned off the water and jumped out of the tub. He dried himself off and threw on an old pair of sweatpants. He snatched a blanket off of the bed, went into the living room, lit the logs in the fireplace and sat on the couch. Television was completely out of the question, and so he wrapped himself in the blanket and laid down facing the fireplace. Watching the flames, he occasionally glanced at the box that Momma S gave him. The warmth of the fireplace lifted some chills from his mournful soul. After an hour of glancing back and forth between the box and fireplace, Sage got up and grabbed the box, wondering, What would make Perry think that I have the key after all these years? Sage walked down the steps into the basement, picked up the chisel and hammer and said, “Ahh! Here’s my key.” Sage sat the box down onto the workbench and with one forceful swing broke the lock. He walked back to the living room with the box.

  Sage started to become overly anxious as to what was in the box as he began to open it. Inside was a DVD, a phonebook, a cigar lighter and a key. Sage picked up the DVD and placed it into the DVD player and turned on the TV. Within seconds, Perry’s face popped up on the television screen and that startled Sage so badly that he yelled, “Oh Shit!” Perry was wearing the suit he was buried in. Sage shook his head in disbelief to what he was watching and sat on the sofa.

  Perry says, “I know seeing me after just burying me is taking its toll. There is a cigar there. I want you to pick it up and light it with the lighter that’s there. I know you don’t smoke, but trust me it will calm you down. That cigar was made especially for you, by a very good Indian friend of mine at one of the reservations. He is aware of my condition as well as my intentions. Take small puffs now…You’re a rookie.” Sage picked up the cigar, lit it and began taking puffs. After a few moments, Sage felt good and calm.

  Perry continues to talk; “Sage, I know I am about to die any moment now since I am seeing what appears to be ghosts or demons and so I want to share my lasts moments with you, my brother’s keeper. The key is to a safe deposit box at the downtown bank with your name and information to access it. There’s money there for you. Consider it a wedding gift for you and Deva. So what if your business is doing well! You could never have enough, so enjoy it. My life insurance policies and stocks that have been sold have set Momma for her remaining years.

  I know you are in front of your fireplace but if it’s not lit, light it up.”

  Sage glanced over at the fireplace and could hardly hold his head up. Sage felt so high and had a smile plastered on his face. “Sage, I want you to take my phone book and toss it into the fireplace to put a cap on my life. There are so many memories in that book. It was entirely too hard for me to destroy it, so bro, please finish what I couldn’t.”

  Sage said, “No problem P!” He was so high that he could not get up to stand near the fireplace to toss the book. The flames appeared to be teasing him, moving side to side. He hurled the book into the fire, lazily threw an arm up and said, “It’s good!”

  Perry says, “You may have to relight your cigar from time to time.” Sage had no problem doing that and after taking so many puffs he dropped the cigar onto the hardwood floor and he fell into a deep nod. He felt paralyzed and confused but could still hear and see Perry as he nodded.

  The DVD continued to play. “Sage, you have always been smooth when it came to the ladies. You are so confident in everything that you do. I have always looked up to you, and I used to be jealous of you and never knew why. So I started talking to women pretending that your personality…was my personality. And it worked. Your character helped you to find your soul mate and my use of your character helped me to get all the women that I wanted.” Perry laughed and said, “It became apparent that my tongue was the stimulant to their lust…But what I’ve also learned is that when you knowingly abuse a talent, the consequences can cost you everything…including your life.

  Sage, not only do I have cancer, I have AIDS, and it’s full blown. No one really knows the extent of my condition. I can count on three fingers who knows, not including the bitch that gave it to me. The fact that I contracted this virus while in Canada is what has bothered me the most. Canada! The woman is married! If I had known the chick was married at the time I met her, I would not have pursued her. The woman lied and poisoned my life.” Perry lit a cigar and yelled, “I despise her and all women like her who thinks that they can pick and choose when to play the role of the faithful wife by day and the single, sinful, bachelorette by night. Someone should make them all pay!”

  He takes a puff of the cigar and says, “So the ones that chose this lifestyle and crossed my path, I made sure that they did. That book you burned contained all of the wives I successfully attempted to infect with H.I.V. I guess that is why I see all these demons around me just waiting for me to leave this world for the next. I know you would be disappointed in me and that is why I had you destroy the book before I told you everything. There’s nothing more that can be done about it!

  Listen bro. Don’t let my sinister acts and incomprehensible transgressions cloud your heart and mind. You did not know because I never gave you a reason to mistrust me and our words were always bond. I broke that which was sacred to both of us, and for that I am sorry.” Tears began to roll down Perry’s face.

  “Once I contracted this virus, I gave up the right path of conscientiousness and vengefully strolled on the road of vindictiveness. I tore the condoms all the time before I put it in them. And that sutra book that we found from the Indian man’s stash is dangerous! You and I used that book to develop our sexual skills for the women. You used it for good and I used it for bad. But, all in all, it should have been destroyed before we laid our eyes and hands on it.”

  While laughing he says, “Sage, I once had six wives in one night just by prolonging and actually rationing my ejaculations. Man, if there were two of me we’d rule the world by morning!” Perry stopped laughing and puts out the lit cigar. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done. I’m not proud of what I’ve become. I…just…stop…caring. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”

  The DVD ended but Sag
e was sound asleep for the remainder of that night.

  When he opened his eyes the following morning, they were pained by the sunlight that was coming through the windows. The combination of sunlight with the special cigar he smoked triggered a headache. He didn’t know how Perry smoked for the majority of his life.

  He staggered into the kitchen for a hot pot of herbal tea. After pouring a cup, he walked back to the sofa, sat down, and looked at the fireplace. He noticed that the wood that was once there is just a pile of ashes.

  He picked up the remote control to the DVD player and pressed play. Perry’s face popped onto the screen and startled Sage again. Sage pressed the fast forward button until he reached the spot on the DVD that he last remembered.

  As Sage listened to Perry, his feelings of contentment morphed to displeasure and overwhelming disappointment. He rewound the DVD over and over again hoping that maybe, just maybe, what he was hearing from Perry was somehow a misinterpretation. But it wasn’t. He recalled throwing the phonebook into the fireplace, which now appeared to be mixed in with the ashes of the burnt out logs.

  Sage asked himself, “Why has my brother deceived me? Abused our trust for one another? How could he do this to me?”

  Sage grabbed the DVD and the box along with the cigar, key, and lighter. He began to rush towards the front door just as Deva, her mother, and Red were walking through it.

  Deva said, “Hi baby!” And approached him to give him an embrace and a kiss. Noticing the appalled look on his face, Deva asked, “Sage? What’s wrong?”

  “I have to go and I’ll talk to you later about it.”

  “Honey you can talk to….”

  Sage yelled, “I SAID I’LL TALK TO YOU LATER!” The women jumped at the sound of his raised voice. Sage gathered himself and leaned towards her, his arm rising slowly, extended to her to apologize for yelling and disrespecting her and the other women. However, his anger with Perry overwhelmed his intentions and instead he walked out of the house, got into his car, and drove off.