Bad Juju (10 page)

The boys
echoed the same words
.  Lucien began to play the drums.  Jake held the doll over his head while Lucien chanted along to his drum beats.  He looked
hypnotized, switching from English
to
French
. 
Mami
slithered
on
the floor.

“Here
are
some laces
.  Jake, take these and bind the doll’s hands so that Pete will never hurt you again.”  Lucien continued chanting and playing the drums.  Jake looked at Henry.  He, too, looked hypnotized.  Several minutes went by.  “The doll is prepared. 
Damballah
has heard your prayer.  Let’s see what he plans to do.”

Lucien took out a long candle and lit it.  He stared at it with fascination for several minutes.  “
Damballah
says we cast a very powerful spell.  He is filled with negative energy.  Look at the black smoke and the stained upper part of the cylinder.  He’s very angry.  Jake, you will get your justice.”

“Is this the part when we stick pins inside the doll?” Henry asked.

“We could, but Pete’s cigarette butts are a
taglock
, thus
more powerful.  Before we singe the doll, let me draw a face on it.  Jake, lift up your shirt.  I want to count how many lashings he gave you.  Remember, balance is the key to invoking spells.  They are healing beautifully.  One, two, …nine total.”

Lucien drew two
X
s
for the eyes and seven
X
s
for the mouth.  He then took part of a tissue and wrapped it around one of the cigarette butts.  He gently relit the smoke and handed it to Jake.  The cherry glowed.  “Burn the doll nine times.  If the cigarette burns out, I have plenty more that you gave me.”

The doll sat on the kitchen table while
Jake singed
it
five times with the cigarette Lucien gave him and then another four times with different butt
s
.  The last step was dipping the doll into a pot of
unused
herbs he boiled.

“Submerge the doll.”

Jake followed his directions and held the dripping doll over the pot.  It seemed like it was going to fall apart.

“Jake, I’d give you the poppet, but it’s unsafe in your home.  Leave it here.  We’ll put it on the couch.  Don’t worry, it will dry.  It’s a very powerful spell. 
Damballah
definitely heard us.  Wish I could give you a time frame.”

They talked about some possible mishaps Pete might have, but Lucien explained whatever happened, nine marks or scars or broken bones or something would be brought
upon him for his wrongdoing.  Just then Henry’s mother’s headlights were seen from the window.

“
Gotta
go.  See you tomorrow,
Lucien,
” Jake said.  They bolted into the Henry’s mother’s car.

“Hi boys.  Jake, this is Natalie.  She’s Henry’s sister.  The group usually goes to 9:30 p.m.  Is that okay with your folks?  Aunt and Uncle, right?”  He nodded.  Jessica suspected he never told them about the evening.

Henry had been hanging out with the boy all week.  Jessica could still not get a good reading on him.  She called the principal about Henry’s new friend only to be told Jake was a harmless loner
with a terrible
home
-
life.  She admired his kindness
towards
his elderly neighbors. 
Keeping an open mind, she accepted
he
had social problems
,
just like Henry,
but
was a
good kid
. 
After
all, he agreed to go to
the
Awana
group.  Was he a Christian?  Was God giving her an opportunity to evangelize?

“Jake, do you know what
Awanas
is?” Jessica asked on the ride to their church.

“I think it’s like boy scouts, but for Christians,” he answered.

“Basically.  Do you go to church?”  He shook his head.  From her conversation with
the p
rincipal
,
she was under the impression his aunt and uncle weren’t exactly walking with the Lord.

“We go every Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  You’re welcome to join us.  We’ll pick you up.  Then we go out to breakfast,” Jessica suggested.

“Maybe.  To be honest, my mom and I would sometimes go to church, bu
t since she died I haven’t gone
,” he answered.

“I’ll ask you again tomorrow.  Okay, we are here.  Have fun,” Jessica smiled.

Once home, Jessica began to discuss Henry’s new friend
with
Tom.

“They’ve been friends for what?  Three days?  Aren’t you being pushy? 
Awanas
?  Church?  Slow down before you scare off his only friend,” Tom responded. 

Jessica was hurt, but considered his reaction.  Maybe her sudden interest in Jake was a bit too overwhelming.

***

Jake enjoyed the delicious pizza and company of the
Awana
group.  The time went by quickly.  Not the most exciting night a sixteen year old could have, but he was grateful not to be alone.  Once home, the trailer was quiet.  Without checking to see if
anyone was up, he went straight to bed.  He was high with anticipation, counting down the minutes until the spell would take effect.

The next morning Jake woke up early and slipped out of the trailer.  The place was eerily silent.  He didn’t see T.J. on the couch
or his car out front.

He began his weekly chores with Esther
Muddraker
.  She was the only neighbor who had him shop for her groceries.  He let himself in
her double-wide trailer
,
started a load of
laundry, and joined her for breakfast.  The woman could not drive and
could barely walk because of her crippling arthritis
.  The grocery store was only a twenty minute hike
,
and she needed a few bags to last her
through
the
week.

“Well, you’re here earlier than usual.  It’s only seven.  You usually sleep in.  What’s wrong?
” Esther asked.  Jake turned away as his eyes filled with tears.  “
You know I’m about one step away from calling the police on that S.O.B.  You and that poor
little girl don’t deserve this.
”

“What do you do?  He’ll get what’s coming to him.  Trust me.”

“
Ain’t
that the truth.  God has His own kind of justice,” Esther added.

God,
Bondeye
, Papa
Legba
,
Damballah
…It didn’t matter anymore.  All Jake knew was a higher force would help him with retribution.

“Jake, here.  This is my list and here’s some money for the groceries.  You keep whatever is left.”

Jake looked at the hundred dollar bill.  “Mrs.
Muddraker
, this is twice of what you normally give me.  I can’t take this.  I know you’re not rich.”

“Shut up and take the money.  I have more things on my list this time.”

Jake gladly accepted, but thought the extra
cash
was given out of pity.

“Oh, and by the way, not being nosy, but you should be glad you didn’t see what went on last night.  That guy living with you…”

“T.J.  He’s Leah’s brother.  Didn’t see him on the couch when I left this morning.  Sometimes he spends the night with
Mona,
his ex-girlfriend
,
who he’s t
rying to get back together with,
”
Jake answered.

“Well, I’m not one to gossip.”  Jake smiled at Mrs.
Muddraker
.  She loved drama and was known for being in everyone’s business.  “Okay, maybe I’m a little too observant.  But I don’t think that woman
, Mona,
wants him back.  I think it was her that
pulled up to the trailer around seven last night and dumped out a few Hefty bags of his stuff in front of your uncle’s and then honk
ed
her horn.  I couldn’t hear, but I saw what looked like an argument right through that window.  Then she peeled out of here.  He stayed outside in the cold with
your uncle
and
his stuff, making calls, drinking, smoking…and then he loaded the bags into that clunker he drives and left. 
I think your uncle went with him.  Are they back?
”

“
Don’t know about Pete, but T.J.’s gone.  And y
ou never know, Mrs.
Muddraker
.  You could
have it all
wrong.  He might have
gone to his old house
and
his girlfriend welcomed him home with open arms.  They had a romantic evening, renewing their relationship.  She realized what a catch he was and how he almost got away.  Let’s see, no job, no potential, no brains, no money…”

“And don’t forget that he’s ugly!” added the elderly woman.

“Exactly!  I bet you
and I could fill up a notebook with
his issues,” Jake said.  They both laughed.  He knew she appreciated his sarcastic sense of humor more than anyone else in the trailer park.  He grabbed her grocery list and hiked up to the store.  Nothing new or expensive was added to the list
.  The
bill was thirty something dollars.  This gave him close to seventy dollars for a couple of hours of work.
  It took some of the sting away from Pete stealing his savings.

His next stop was at Mr.
Carillo’s
home, next door
to
Esther’s.  He was taking out the man’s garbage when he saw Henry’s mom pull into Chippewa Park.  She went to Lucien’s trail
e
r, unsure of where he lived.  Jake dropped the bags and ran over to the SUV.

“Hi.  Which one is yours?”

“Hi.  My home is technically that one.”  He pointed to the farthest one from the street, hoping she didn’t
see
the
crushed
beer cans and empty bottle of vodka. 
He
just noticed the litter and hadn’t had a chance to clean it up.  “I’m helping Mr.
Carillo
right now.  I have four other neighbors who I check on.”

“So when do you think you’ll both
be
done?” Mrs. Novak asked.

“Three, maybe four hours.  Two o’clock at the latest,” Jake replied.

“Can you introduce me to Lucien?”
Mrs. Novak questioned. 

Jake looked at Henry
who
seemed agitated.  “I guess, Mom.  But don’t try to get too chatty with him.  He’s our friend, not yours,” Henry rudely answered.

“Gotcha.  I’ll take you both out for hamburgers.  Your dad is working, and Natalie is hanging out with friends.  Just us.”  Both nodded and she sped off.

They finished up with Mr.
Carillo
and headed towards Mrs.
Bolinski’s
home.  “This woman
has so many health problems-cancer, heart, diabetes
.  It’s really sad. 
I think she’s dying. 
She’s a total sweetheart,” Jake explained before they went inside.  Once they were introduced, Jake showed Henry how
to do her
laundry.

“
I
s your uncle dead yet?  Maybe hurt?” Henry nonchalantly asked.

“
Shh
!  What is wrong with you?  Not cool, Henry.  She’s right out there.  Don’t ask me stuff like that in front of others, okay?” Jake whispered.

“Oh, I’m sorry.  You’re right.  Wasn’t thinking.”

“
To answer your question,
no.  Or at least I don’t think so.  Haven’t seen my uncle, aunt, her brother,
Rhianna
, none of them. 
They weren’t home when your mom dropped me off last night. 
My uncle’s car is parked outside, but not T.J.’s
or Leah’s
.  We’ll talk to Lucien about it.  He’s my last stop. 
I do
light cleaning for him
.  Then
we can visit.”

Henry enthusiastically helped Jake with his weekly chores, enjoying both the work and meeting the neighbors.  Once at Lucien’s, they checked out their poppet.

“Can’t wait until
your
charms start to kick in,” Jake said to the doll as
he
held it.  He filled Lucien in on the Chippewa Park scuttlebutt, including the drama seen by Mrs.
Muddraker
.