Sobs shook me as I felt my body weaken and then over heat. Sweat covered my forehead and then I felt faint and nauseous. When I tried to stand my legs gave out on me. I hit the floor and tried to scream, but no sound came out. I couldn’t breathe and I just knew that it was over for me. As I struggled to breath, all I could think was, ‘That bitch really killed me. I hope she rots in hell.’
* * *
When I woke up I realized that I had to be alive and well. There were no bright lights or golden gates that led to heaven. I assumed my last thought may have condemned me to hell at first, but then I saw my grandmother and her friends hovering over me. Everything in me was hoping that they had finally found some solution to my “black magic” problem. I was ready for my life to return back to normal.
“Honey, you’re awake,” my grandmother said with a look of deep concern on her beautiful face.
I cleared my throat and opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out.
“She still can’t talk,” grandmother said to the tall lady. I couldn’t recall her name.
What did she mean? Why couldn’t I talk? I opened my mouth again and there was still nothing. No matter how hard I tried, my brain and my mouth was not corresponding. What the hell? I wanted to scream, but again…nothing happened. I sat up in the bed and tried to kick the cover away, but I was restrained by my arms and legs.
Panic was beginning to set in and then I felt something cool and wet being applied to my forehead. The cooling sensation spread all over my body causing me to relax.
“It’s Eucalyptus. Relax darling. Your voice will come back.” The shorter lady whose name I couldn’t remember said. She helped me sit up and put a straw to my lips. “Drink this.” The thick, warm, sweet liquid tasted like minty syrup, but I was sure that it was something else. She took the straw away from my mouth and I laid back.
Grandmother just looked at me with that same concerned look as she spoke. “We finally have a way to reverse this sweetheart. Don’t worry. You will have your life back in no time. I promise.” I felt her hand on my forehead and then they all had their hands on me.
The chant that they kept repeating was not made up of any words that I understood. I wanted to ask them why they had me tied up to the bed like I was possessed or something, but I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t even moan or groan. It was as if my voice box didn’t exist.
“La uh ta vu. La uh ta vu. La uh ta vu.” They just kept repeating that over and over and it was getting louder and louder.
Suddenly my stomach started to cramp up and it felt like I was going to pass out again. When I opened my mouth that time I heard my voice. It was a relief.
“Oh…my…” I gasped. “What’s going on? My stomach is killing me. Why am I tied up?”
They stopped chanting and then my grandmother hugged me. “Seandra. Thank God! I was worried that you…Thank God you’re okay.” She rubbed my arm until I felt warm all over. “You’re tied up because we didn’t want you to hurt yourself when you came to.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“We don’t know exactly, but you were barely breathing when we found you. Your pulse was faint, but thank God we all have faith. Louise, Marcia and I have finally figured everything out, but…” I noticed the skeptical look that had suddenly replaced the one of concern that she’d been wearing earlier.
“What is it?” I asked grabbing her arm.
She gave me a look that made me loosen my grip.
“It’s a chance that whatever this is will be reversed in a way that is sort of like karma,” she said giving her friends a nod.
“What does that mean?” I asked in confusion. My voice still wasn’t strong, but I managed to raise it as best I could to pose my question.
“Well, the woman who put this on you may take on the effects of the curse if we reverse it,” she said putting her hand to my forehead again. I assumed that she was checking my temperature.
“I almost died because of her! My sister is in the hospital now fighting to save her pregnancy because of her! Who knows what else will happen because of her! Do you think I give a fuck if she suffers? Hell no!” I yelled frantically.
I noticed the look of shock on the ladies’ faces, but I didn’t back down. “I’m sorry, but I’m sick of this. I am so tired of suffering. Now it’s her turn.”
Grandmother Gwen shook her head at me in sympathy. “I don’t want you to wish any harm on the young lady who did this to you. True, she is so wrong for this, but vengeance isn’t ours. It’s only God’s. With that said, this is the only way that we know how to fix this. I love you sweetheart and I pray that this evil thing is not transferred to her. If so, that’s something we will all have to live with, but I’m more concerned with saving you.”
“She asked for this,” I added for good measure. Shit, I had no sympathy for her. None at all.
I looked around the room and noticed that there were two bowls on top of the dresser with a pile of towels beside them. My grandmother and her friends were wearing aprons and each had a Bible in her hand. Just like I said at first it was like I was going to have an exorcism. At that point I was nervous as hell. Something in some glass bottles that resembled marijuana caught my attention. A couple of the glass vials contained colorful herbs whose purpose I had no clue about. All I could do was trust the women before me and pray that they knew what they were doing. When it was all said and done I really had no choice.
“Okay sweetheart. I want you to try to clear your mind,” Louise said with her hand on my shoulder.
That wasn’t going to be easy when I had no clue if what they planned to do would work. I didn’t believe in that stuff at first, but after what I’d experienced inside my own skin, I had no doubt in my mind that the unexplainable could happen. If someone put their mind and soul into something with all of their heart, anything was possible.
I nodded. “I’ll try,” I confirmed.
Marcia walked over to the dresser, grabbed a vial and twisted the top off. She shook some of the contents into one of the bowls and then covered the top with one of the towels. She closed her eyes and then waved her hand across the top three times. Her mouth moved, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying. When she was done she opened her eyes and dipped the towel into the bowl. After squeezing the liquid from the towel she walked toward me. I flinched when I felt the cold towel touch my skin. As she washed my arms and legs with it they all closed their eyes and appeared to be praying for me.
After a few minutes I suddenly felt more at ease. I closed my eyes and imagined that they were praying against the evil that Kristie had unleashed. I wondered if she even knew how serious what she had done really was. Did she realize that she could’ve possibly ended my life? Was Ahmad really worth me dying?
I opened my eyes and noticed that my grandmother was standing over the second bowl. She had added something from two other vials to that one before walking over to me. She didn’t have a towel, but untied my hands and feet.
“Dip your hands into the bowl and then wash them. After that wash your face with it,” she explained to me.
I followed her instructions and my hands and face tingled. My eyes suddenly filled with tears because I suddenly felt better. As they washed my feet, it felt like I was getting back to myself. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the thought of possibly getting through what Kristie thought would end me. I could feel hands on me again and the comforting sound of scriptures being read from the New Testament. It lulled me into a deep sound sleep like I hadn’t experienced in days. There were no nightmares, only peace.
Chapter 9
Renell
When they released me from the hospital the next day I was so relieved. I was given a clean bill of health and the baby was fine. Ricky held on to my hand and led me to the car after I refused to be pushed out in a wheelchair. It was almost two pm and I had talked to Tay and Seandra. I was glad to know that Seandra was feeling like herself again. Grandmother insisted that we stay one more day just for her to b
e sure. She had even had her personal physician Dr. Vincent make a visit to the house to check her vitals. Everything was normal and her temperature was finally stable.
“No more hot and cold, and no more snakes,” she had laughed. “I’m confident that it’s finally over Nell.”
“Have you talked to Ahmad?” I asked.
She sighed. “No and for some reason I don’t want to.”
“Wow. I think you’re associating what you just went through with him. He didn’t do it. Kristie did,” I reminded her.
“I know, but every time I think about him I feel sick to my stomach. I get all queasy and…I can’t explain it. I just feel disgusted.”
“That’s how she wants you to feel about him. Ahmad loves you and you love him. Don’t let what happened ruin that for you. What you two have is what you’ve always wanted.”
“I know Nell, but I guess it’s going to take me seeing him to change how I feel. I still love him. It’s just crazy that what I experienced revolves around him. Maybe I was wrong to be with him before his divorce was final. This may just be my own karma and maybe he isn’t really for me,” she said sadly.
I didn’t know what to say. “I’ll see you in a little bit sis. Okay.”
“Okay,” she said.
Ricky held on to my hand as he pulled out of the parking lot of the hospital. He was driving grandfather’s blue Cadillac Deville. It was a 1979 model, but he’d had it restored to its original pimp luster. After he kissed my hand he gave me one of his looks of love and admiration.
“You okay baby?” He asked.
“I’m fine. I’m just worried about Seandra.”
“It’s just like you to be worried about someone else when you just got out of the hospital. I don’t need you stressing honey. You have to relax, or we will be taking you right back to the hospital.”
“I know, but I can’t help it.” I hadn’t told him why I was worried about Seandra, or the real reason we were in New Orleans. He would think I had lost my mind. I was for sure he would take his ring back and take me to court for custody as soon as I gave birth.
* * *
When we made it to my grandparents’ house I was beat, but I wanted to see for myself that Seandra was fine. As much as my own situation seemed crucial, it was important to me that her nightmare was over for good. When we were finally inside I found Seandra sitting at the dining room table wolfing down some of the left-overs from the huge holiday feat. Yeah, she was back.
“How’re you feeling baby girl?” She asked me with her mouth full of stuffing and turkey.
“I’m good and you must be too. You sure you’re not the one with child?” I asked with a huge, satisfied smile on my face.
“I haven’t had an appetite in days and this food is the business,” she laughed before gulping down some red Kool-Aid.
“Where’s Tay?” I asked.
“She’s somewhere around here with Raheem. She was waiting for you to get here. You know she wants to sneak off with her little freaky self.” She snickered and then stuffed her mouth with mashed potatoes and collard greens.
“Damn, your greedy ass is making me hungry. Where’s the food?” I asked as I walked over to the fridge.
“You hungry babe?” I asked Ricky over my shoulder.
“I am a little,” he said with a smile on his face. “I haven’t had anything to eat in hours. I mean, there was food on the jet, but I was full then. Now I am ready for some of that down home soul food.”
Our grandparents came into the room to greet Ricky and then went back to the sitting room to watch the news while we ate. Seandra was careful not to say anything around Rick. It was an unspoken thing that all three of us seemed to understand. Some things were better off left between family.
Tay and Rah walked into the dining room hand in hand. They were so cute together and I was happy to know that they had worked out their little issue. Something told me that the situation with Dean was nowhere near over. As a matter of fact I had a gut feeling that things with that fool were going to get worse. I just hoped my sister and her man were able to handle it. I also had the feeling that although the hex on Seandra had been reversed, the bullshit was just getting started for all three of us.
As those negative feelings coursed through me, I managed to keep a big smile on my face. I watched everyone around me laughing and eating with jovial looks on their faces. All I could think about was the dark cloud that loomed over all of our futures. Suddenly a wave of nausea washed over me and I jumped up from the table.
“Baby, are you okay?” Ricky asked almost knocking his chair over to get to me.
I ran as fast as I could to get to one of the first floor restrooms before I threw up. As I opened the door I noticed that Ricky was on my heels. He held my hair back as I positioned myself over the toilet. Everything that I had managed to get down was coming back up in large clumps. After my stomach was empty Ricky helped me up.
“Are you alright Nell? Any pain or anything?” He asked as he helped me rinse my mouth out with mouthwash.
“I’m not in any pain baby. I guess he or she doesn’t like turkey and stuffing. Just normal pregnancy stuff. Don’t worry,” I said not mentioning the fact that I felt like the destruction in our lives was not over by a long shot.
He leaned over and kissed my cheek while I washed my hands. “I love you baby and I can’t wait until we officially become a family.”
I dried my hands and forced another fake smile on my face. I was looking forward to being his wife and the mother of his child too. What I was not looking forward to was the unknown darkness that I had suddenly foreseen. It wasn’t like a premonition or anything. It was just a bad feeling that I couldn’t shake. Then I thought about the message that I had received about someone in my life not being who they said they were. I had no clue what that was about.
“I can’t wait either Rick. I love you too,” I said as I softly caressed his face.
He stared at me lovingly and then grabbed my hand. “Are you tired?” He asked as we left the restroom.
“Not really.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I guess I am a little bit.”
“C’mon. I’ll give you a back rub before you take a nap.”
Despite everything, that one simple gesture sounded wonderfully inviting.
“Okay,” I said as I led him up the stairs.
Chapter 10
Seandra
After Nell and Rick disappeared Rah and Tay escaped a few minutes later. I was stuck with the old folks who had “cured” me of my “curse”. They were going on and on like hens clucking in a barn. I tried to tune it all out and enjoy the “normal” feeling that I had almost forgotten, but it was in vain.
“How are you feeling dear?” Miss Louise asked as she put her hand on top of mine.
“I’m feeling fine. I am actually ready to go back to Miami. It’s too cold here.”
Grandmother Gwendolyn waved me off. “Child please. It’s supposed to be cold this time of year.”
“Yeah, well I can personally do without a white Christmas.”
They laughed and continued talking about the time they had to “wash” this young girl named Rebecca. Someone had put some kind of “curse” on her that was supposed to drive her insane. What they had done to me was described as “washing”. Certain herbs had to be used to reverse a specific hex or curse. I assumed that the herbs they had washed me with, combined with the chants and prayers, had saved me. I wanted to know exactly what they had done, but part of me just wanted to forget that it had ever happened. Although I’d experienced it for myself, I still didn’t want to believe that any of it was real.
“Becky’s doing just fine now. She’s married to a lawyer and lives in Atlanta. Last I heard she was pregnant with her first baby. That was a year or so ago,” Marcia stated with pride.
Louise smiled all big. “See Seandra. We have plenty of success stories. Your temperature is normal and the nightmares have ended. It may be safe to say that you’re among those.
”
I cleared my throat. “Do you have any stories that were not so successful?”
The three of them looked at one another and then at me. Grandmother spoke up. She seemed hesitant at first, but then she finally said something.
“Well, there was this one young man named Spencer. It was years ago though and the three of us weren’t as knowledgeable as we are now. He had cheated on his wife and she decided to get even. Unfortunately she didn’t know what she was dealing with. After seeking the help of a so called “witch doctor” she started messing with witchcraft and she got in way too deep. After she was finished with him, Spencer was barely alive. All of his organs were shutting down and there was nothing any doctor could do to save him. Out of desperation his mother came to us. She told us about his wife and what she thought was going on. Eventually we attempted to bring him back, but it didn’t work. He died, but there was no diagnosis. All they could tell us was that his organs had all failed. There was no disease or condition that they could find to have caused it. Eventually his wife started telling people that she did a spell on him. She’s in a mental institution now because everyone thought she was nuts. We know that she was telling the truth and so does his family.”
A chill traveled up and down my spine. “Why weren’t you able to help him?”
“Like I said before, we didn’t have as much experience back then as we do now. It’s a delicate thing and it’s all about balance. If there’s good, there has to be evil. Those who deal with the devil are often very sneaky with their wicked ways. Some things are just hard to understand when you’re seeing it for the first time. Now we know more and we are able to do more with what we know. It’s a different time and it’s very important that your faith in God stays strong. When you believe in something stronger than the devil he will never succeed. I don’t think Spencer’s relationship with the Lord was strong enough to fight what he was up against and we didn’t know enough. We failed, but we vowed to never fail again. That was when we decided to go to Haiti to seek out the descendants of the Shamans that we spoke about. After we sought the knowledge everything else came naturally. I believe with everything in me that what fell upon you is now gone. Don’t dwell on it. Continue to wear your Black Onyx, believe in God and nothing will ever touch you again,” my grandmother said with conviction.
Black Magic: Book 3 of The Black Butterfly Series Page 6
