Yvonna on the other hand, did not respect Tata because she felt she was a coward, just like Ebony. After all, who would have a chance at life, and refuse to take it?
Seeing how distraught Tata was, Elika gently took his child away from her, rubbed the tears off her face and kissed her softly on the lips. Bricks walked over to the corner and vomited. “I’m going upstairs, Squeeze. This shit too sick for me.”
Before they left he said, “If he is really dead, can I see the body?” He nodded at Tata. “For her sake?”
“We’ll do better than that,” Yvonna added. “We’ll show you both of them.”
One Hour Later
For the first time in their lives, both Elika, Tata and their baby Martin was allowed upstairs to eat in the kitchen. The first thing they did was bathe and take some of Ron Max and Ebony’s clothing to cover their naked bodies. When they got out of the tub, the ring around it was so dark it looked as if it were spray painted black. And at last count they vacuumed down five bowls of cereal and eight sandwiches between them. It was obvious that they hadn’t eaten good in days.
With a mouthful of food Elika said, “The thing about AFCOG is…the entire operation is extremely organized. More organized than you may already know.” He swallowed the food in his mouth and put down the spoon. “Not only do they sell girls, but think of five superstars right now who had children recently, and I guarantee at least two of them were purchased from AFCOG.”
“How? Most superstars who have children are pregnant first.” Bricks inquired.
“Fuck is you talkin’ ‘bout, slim?” Swoopes interrupted. “You don’t make no sense.” He was trying to appear hard again, since he suckered up with his basement phobia.
“I’m talking about the fact that they have bellies and all.” He gritted on Swoopes. “So how could they fake a pregnancy when they seen in the media with bellies?” Nobody but Elika understood where Bricks was coming from.
“It’s all an act…and AFCOG facilitates the entire thing.” Elika continued. “You have to remember, they make pregnancy props all the time for actors and actresses in movies. With the right make up and props, you can easily make a woman look pregnant who’s not.”
“Question, if you stay in the basement, how do you know so much?” Bricks inquired.
He beamed and said, “They didn’t know, but sometimes I come upstairs. I’ll sit in the living room and turn the TV on for an hour. Tata would be too afraid to join me.” He softly touched her hair. “I’d watch everything I could and come back downstairs before they get home. Mostly all I got to see was entertainment shows.”
“Well why didn’t you run instead of watching TV?” Yvonna asked. “
“Because they’d catch me and I didn’t know where to go.” He shrugged. “I mean, we heard of a man, who was a former drug dealer turned reverend. His name is Reverend Dynamite. Apparently after his daughter ran away from home and was forced to sell her body by a pimp, a john in an alley murdered her. So he vowed to turn his life around. Now he owns a large home in Virginia, that’s a safe haven for people forced into the business, but I don’t know where it is.”
“He’s right.” Tata added. “Elika has tried many times to run, but he can’t leave me. So he stays.” She looked at him lovingly. “AFCOG is notorious, a very dangerous group. And selling kids was second nature and they were able to get away with it, until recently.”
“What happened recently?” Bricks inquired.
“The Great One started causing havoc and bringing attention to AFCOG.” Elika continued. “And if they hate anything, attention is it. They’re able to do more under the veil of darkness than they can in the spotlight. Anything else spells trouble.”
“The great one?” Swoopes asked. “Where can we meet this nigga?” Tata giggled at him and wiped the milk off her mouth with the back of her hand. “What the fuck is so funny?
“The nigga you speak of is a girl.”
“Well what’s her name?” Bricks asked. “If we can link up with her, maybe she’ll help us out. We’ll take any info we can get at this time. Especially since everybody claims AFCOG is so thorough.”
“I think her name is Yvonna.” Tata advised. “If I remember correctly.”
Yvonna thought she was hearing things at first, until Elika said, “Yeah…Her name is Yvonna Harris.”
Yvonna felt as if the room was spinning. And Ming thinking the entire ordeal was hilarious said, “Wait, you’re talking about this bitch?” She pointed at her angry friend. “She is great one?”
The spoon dropped out of Tata’s hands and the sandwich from Elika’s lips. Both of them stood up and looked at her as if she were a profit. Forcing the baby into Ming’s hands, they fell to their knees and kissed Yvonna’s black Prada boots.
“We’ve prayed for the longest that God would lead you to us!” Elika sobbed heavily. “But we never thought we were worthy of such a visit. Never thought he heard our prayers. But as sure as we’re black, you are here! You’re really here!”
Seeing their worship in action, Yvonna backed up and looked at everyone in the kitchen. This sort of attention made her uncomfortable and she wasn’t sure how to handle it. She was trying to calm down but it wasn’t working. “I don’t understand what you mean. Why am I called the great one? What is this shit about?”
They both stood up and moved slowly toward her. They could tell she was spooked, so they decided to adjust their actions to soothe her. “Ebony, our female master, wasn’t always so mean. We didn’t realize that until late, but when it came it was like a breath of fresh air. She seemed to be able to identify with us.”
“That’s because she was sold into slavery too.” Swoopes informed.
Both Elika and Tata seemed surprised. “We didn’t know that,” Elika continued. “I do know out of nowhere she started giving us fresh food and new clothes to wear. Ron never came downstairs unless there was new product in camp, so she was able to get away with it. We got a new teenager once every two months. They’d find them on popular social networks, at bus stops and things like that. Most of their parents had written them off because they were considered troublemakers. Anyway, when a girl hung herself after not being allowed to go home, Ebony told us a story we’d never forget.”
“At first we thought it was a fairy tale, something to give us hope that things would eventually be better.” Tata interrupted.
“But we soon found out she was serious.” Elika continued. “She said Yvonna Harris was the only person who got under AFCOG’s skin. The only one AFCOG was afraid of.” They gazed at her again, with grins on their faces. “Anyway when Ron found out Ebony was getting closer to us, he banned her from downstairs. So we would tell each other the story, to keep it fresh in our minds.” Elika looked at Yvonna. “And we never forgot your name.”
Tata added. “You’re a blessing from God. And now you can help the other young girls! There are so many. We think thousands.”
“I didn’t sign up for that shit!” She frowned, looking at them seriously. “If you knew me, you’d know how ridiculous you sound. I can’t be responsible for no shit like that even if I wanted to. That’s not what I signed up to do.”
“But why? They’ll believe in you. We believe in you.”
“Well you shouldn’t!” Yvonna screamed. She didn’t feel worthy. “I don’t give a fuck about nobody but myself and my baby!” She looked at Bricks and he walked out of the room in disappointment. Holding her head down she said, “This is all too much for me right now. I don’t need this kind of stress.” Tata pleaded with her eyes, for her to reconsider. “Look, all I’m signing up to do is kill these niggas who are after me and my child. So we can have a life without worry. I know you know how important that is. I saw how you looked at us when you thought we meant to do you and your family harm. I’m no superhero nor do I want to be.”
“But you are a hero! Whether you want to be or not.” Tata retaliated and Yvonna grew frustrated at her persistence. Downstairs she was as silent as a
mouse and now she couldn’t shut her up if she cut her tongue out and fried it.
“You have a duty.” Elika added.
“She doesn’t have a duty to help anybody! You mothafuckas should have been strong enough to fight for yourself instead of electing to play victim.” Although Yvonna’s mouth was moving, it was Gabriella who was speaking. Turning to walk away, she stopped short before leaving. With her back faced them she said, “Stay away from her. Stay away from both of us. Or you’ll be sorry.”
RUFUS DAY
Rufus sat in his office, in his leather chair, that was dressed with two tilted silver crosses. The crosses were unique to the church of AFCOG. Years earlier, they received flack from the Christian community because the crosses were not straight. But after explaining that the tilted cross represented the way Jesus carried it on the day he was crucified, the symbol was widely accepted. Although the Christian community backed down, they were on to something. Because the crosses were actually Rufus’ attempt of knocking religion in replacement of his own.
“You love that phone don’t you?”
“I guess.” She shrugged. “But I probably won’t have it long. My mother pays the bills for a few days and she can’t afford it no more after that. So I don’t give my number out most times.”
“I bet you hate that. A pretty girl like you, not being able to speak to your friends when you want. So sad.” He grabbed a few pieces of yellow tissue from the silver holder. Dabbing the corners of his drippy eyes he asked, “You like candy, Tyisha?”
She swallowed and said, “Yeah. Some of ‘em.”
He grabbed the top of the silver candy dish on his desk and said, “What about Peppermints? They’re my favorite.” The grin on his face reminded her of Mr. Grinch.
She nodded and he extended the dish. She took one, plopped it in her mouth. He placed it back on his desk and leaned back in the chair as he watched her suck the candy. “I think you’re being different around me.”
“Different?”
“Yes.” He threw the tissues he used earlier for his leaky eyes in the trash. “Now I’ve heard you speak more than what you’re doing now, when you’re playing with your friend in Sunday school.” He rocked harder in his chair and she wondered if it would fall backwards. “So why is that?”
“I do talk.” She played with her phone again. “Sometimes.”
“Good. Because I would like very much to hear that pretty voice of yours. So if you’re going to speak to me, I’ll need you to do it now. Okay?”
She was preparing to nod her head again, until she remembered his request. If there was one thing the master didn’t like, insubordination was it. So parting her lips with the candy dancing around on her tongue she mouthed, “Okay.”
He clapped his hands together. “Good. And as a matter of fact, come over here and sit on my lap.” He slapped his thigh once. “Because if it’s not too much to ask, I’d love to hear you sing. I heard your voice in Sunday school a few weeks back. I said then that you sounded like a star.”
There was something about the man that felt off kilter to young Tyisha, but she was too naive to decipher. And her mother hadn’t given her the tools necessary to know a creep when she saw one. She was too concerned with money and what everybody else thought about her. So instead of going with her feelings, Tyisha stood and traipsed toward him. When she reached him she smelled two things, the scent of the scary leather chair and the stench of his sweaty penis. Although it was not hanging out, he wasn’t wearing boxers, which allowed the unsavory fragrance to roam.
Rufus hoisted her onto the top of his lap and she could feel what resembled a roll of dough under her bottom. “Before you sing, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Okay.” She was beyond skittish as she wondered what was about to happen. “What is it, master?”
“I wanted to know if you’re as excited as I am, about spending time with me in my program.” He moved her slightly back and forth over his penis, without her knowing what he was doing. “Because I am. I know when you see the room I have for you, you’ll love it. You like dolls?”
“Yes.”
“Good, because I have plenty of them for you. So tell me, are you excited?”
“I am.” She presented him with a half smile and his watery eyes scanned over her body as if she was naked. She turned away. “But I’m also scared.” She placed her cell phone on his desk and looked at him. “Like real scared.”
“About what?” He looked at her suspiciously. Normally the kids he molested wouldn’t know what he was doing at this point of his game. “There’s never a reason to be scared around your master.”
“I’m scared I won’t be able to do what you need me to do. And I want to do a good job.” She admitted, looking at the floor. “As long as it doesn’t hurt.”
Her response intrigued him. “Why wouldn’t you do a good job? And why would anything I ask you to do hurt?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I was just thinking it.”
“You have to know, Tyisha. You said it.” He grabbed another tissue to dab his wet eyes again before throwing it in the trash. “After all, you know how important it is to please your master. And if you stay in tune with everything I ask you to do, and follow through, you’ll make me happy and that’s ultimately what you want right?”
“Kinda.”
He smiled although her insolence was troubling. “Why do you say kinda? I’m getting tired of these short answers. Now tell me what’s going on, before you see a side of me you won’t like.”
“Well, I don’t want to do other stuff that I hear you make little girls do. I think my mommy would be mad at me if I did. I’m not old enough yet.”
Rufus’ body felt as if it was splashed with hot water. Normally the children would be too afraid to talk about anything he didn’t initiate. And at first, it seemed like Tyisha was that scary too, which was his reason for selecting her. He steered clear of mouthy little girls in his congregation and took care to pick the right ones. The ones he could manipulate. The ones he could teach and the ones he would ultimately put on the stroll. Yet it appeared as if this time, he made a mistake.
He wasn’t sure if he should ask the next question, but decided to anyway. “What have you heard about me, Tyisha? Tell me everything and leave nothing out. It’s very important that I’m aware what’s being said in my congregation.” She didn’t answer. “Don’t be afraid. As long as you’re honest, you can do no wrong.”
She played with the zipper on her jacket. “There are some girls who don’t go to church here. They play with one girl who does. She’s like my best friend.” She looked at him until he frowned. “The girls told my friend, that you play under little girls dresses and stuff like that. And that sometimes you make them touch your privates and put stuff in they mouth. And they say you make them do stuff with other men for money.”
Silence.
Although a smile lay upon his face, it wasn’t in order like he thought. Instead, he resembled a clash between the Joker and Freddy Kruger. This did nothing but make her more nervous. “Well what did you say, when she told you that about me?”
“I told her to stop lying. And that our master would never do anything like that. But she told me I’m stupid and that you were going to get me too.” She looked at him hoping he would put her at ease, but he didn’t. “That’s the only thing they said.” She raised her right hand, something she saw on TV. “Honest.”
He could tell by the look in her eyes, and her stiff body mechanics, that he was in control of her mind. But, there was still the matter of the children. “Tyisha, I want you to give me the name of the little girl who told you that about me.”
She didn’t want to be a tattle tell but she reluctantly agreed. Knowing that it would be the end of her friendship. “Okay.”
“Did you tell your mother?”
“No, because she won’t believe me. One time I told her that her boyfriend came into my room to kiss me in the mouth, nothing else and she got m
ad.”
Those words were music to Rufus’ ears. If there was one way to get to a little girl, her irresponsible mother was it. He knew that the majority of girls he was able to put to work, came from the homes of mothers who didn’t care. From the homes of mothers who were selfish, or too busy to pay attention.
“Well I’m happy that you told me what your friend said, but I’m also saddened.” He tried to appear saddened. Although it worked on the child, an adult in her right mind would’ve seen right through his shit. “And I would never think you’d make me feel this way.”
“What did I do?”
“You should have never participated in the conversation. And the moment she told you that, you should have come to me. But you didn’t. You came late and had I not asked you to sing for me, I would have never known. Do you know how sad your betrayal makes me, Tyisha? Do you have any idea of how you make me feel?”
“What’s betrayal?” She was trying to hold back her tears.
“Betrayal means to be hurt by someone you love and trust.” He paused and softly touched her chin. His fingers smelled dirty, like he’d been digging in his ass all day. “Before now, I loved and trusted you and now I’m thinking it was a mistake.”
“But Jesus said you should love all people. And forgive them.”
The words she spit were like venom to his ears. She was too smart for her own good. He started to back hand her but held back. “I’m not talking about the man you call Jesus! I’m talking about me! And the fact that you should never repeat a lie. I don’t care who tells it to you. Repeating a lie is the same as telling it yourself. Do you want to be a liar, Tyisha? Because if you do, I’m not going to allow you and your mother to be a part of this church anymore.”
The look on Tyisha’s face was priceless. Just like so many of his other members, the church was their world. “I don’t want to be a liar! And I don’t want you to be sad because of me.”
Shyt List 5: Smokin' Crazies The Finale' (The Cartel Publications Presents) Page 6
