The Country of Ice Cream Star (7 page)

I dodge, but he come quick and grab me. Lift me off my feet, so all his chest be hard against. Can feel his lips’ heat in my hair.

I say, my talk squish up and nervy, ‘Got business to you, companiero. Leave your goating rest.’

He loose me slow, stand back with mischief grin. ‘You rule my goating, Ice Cream Star. Ain’t rest until you leave.’

‘Goat on me another day, Girl Egg.’

He laugh to hear his Sengle name, and say in wistful flirt, ‘Sure a spoon of you be better than three bowls of any another girl.’

He flop back on his sofa and unfold his easy body. Point to the end where I must sit. I perch on sofa’s arm.

‘How it is,’ I say. ‘We catch a roo.’

El Mayor go stare. ‘You ain’t, you lying package.’

‘Tame and kept at Sengle camp. Smoke cigarettes like any person. Speaking words, is truth.’

Then I tell how the roo come to our hands. Give every detail of his looks, and I repeat his rooish words. Ya, El Mayor fix on this story like a hound will track a smell. Smell drag the hound behind it, into bushes, through the thorns. El Mayor almost sitting upright, how the thing enthuse his mind. Only thing I keep behind be Keepers’ tale of thirty years. Be complication talks. Good sense decide, I get my bullets first.

When I end, he say with fever, ‘Damn, why you ain’t brought this roo?’

‘Rich be lazy,’ I say, laughing. ‘Come and see him with your feet.’

‘Who given you a pony?’ he say, grinning. ‘Fickle sort you be.’

‘Shoo, I bring him soon enough. Unless …’ Now I make fretting mouth. ‘It be one worry, ya. Crow try to kill him, first he come.’

El Mayor’s eyes narrow. ‘Tell me better news. The roo tore Crow into his parts?’

‘Nay, the roo been tied. Crow aim to shoot him, what it been. Sure Crow never wonder what this roo may have to tell.’

This be the way to catch the Lowells, children curiose as flies. Yo El Mayor grit his annoyance.

I say on, ‘Crow gone worse, can swear. Child been my animose, I cannot hate him every way. But be wrongness there, ain’t trust him now.’

El Mayor still frustrate in his head. He nod but listen poory.

‘What worry me, be this. What happen …’ I take frighten breath. ‘What be in time to come, when Driver sicken?’

‘What you saying, bell?’

‘My Crow be sergeant, how it be.’

Now disgust change in El Mayor’s face. I scent my trick’s success. The Lowells never liking Crow. Ain’t know the bottom of this circumstance, but truth be fact. Once, Crow give his shotgun to the Lowells for repair. When Lowells fix a gun, you know that gun be shooting forward. They fix every gun and pistol, even Nat Mass Armies can get service for their guns.

But they telling Crow his shotgun broke beyond their skill. Say it need a finking pin, and they ain’t got no finking pin. ‘You find a finking pin, come back,’ they tell unhappy Crow.

I ain’t expect no ‘finking pin’ exist in all of time. Believe these Lowells laugh about this joke all night and every day.

Now I say, ‘Crow must be sergeant. He the oldest male.’

‘Sergeant never need to be a male. Sure Jennifer been last.’

‘But this be common for a leader. Children tell me even you is male.’

‘Can prove you this.’ He smile again. ‘Wait only for permissions.’

I shrug. ‘Ain’t your problems, sure. Is only scary to myself. Crow want me for his sex. Fear it be violence, once my Driver gone.’

‘Damn he do,’ say El Mayor. He rummage up himself to sit.

‘Damn is truth,’ I say more fortey. ‘Crow a mally wasp, ain’t fear to hurt.’

‘He try this with you? Seriose?’

‘Nay, with myself. Got fear of Driver. But this be the secret truth of him and Mari’s Ghost. Been force. And sure his pants be hungry for myself.’

Now El Mayor go balk. He look at me with weaken faith. Yo, I remind unhappy, El Mayor know Mari’s Ghost. No male forcing Mari’s Ghost. Her only word be yes.

Then a grin start on El Mayor’s mouth. He shake his head and laugh.

Here my show of anger weaken. Cannot help, I start to smile. El Mayor leap on me, shouting, ‘Lying fox! I teach your mouth to lie!’ Downstairs he tickle at my ribs. Upstairs he try to kiss my mouth. I kick him every which way. At last I bite my teeth into his chin, and he give room. Flop back to the sofa, gasping breath.

‘Bad I took that bait!’ he say. ‘Goddamn. The roo been truth?’

‘Foo, it all been truthful mostly. Got an aim, but … nay, the part with Mari’s Ghost ain’t true.’

‘Crow bother you for sex?’

‘Nay, but–’

‘Honest as a Sengle! You an honor to your people.’

‘Shee. You be a pinching pain to all my Sengle people, Girl Egg.’

‘Sure, they rid my painful self. So what you want? Can guess you foxing me for something.’

I sit up, arrange my face into some dignity. ‘How I said, I take the gun.’

‘For your defense from Crow.’ El Mayor laugh. ‘See this.’

‘Shoo, need bullets with–without no Crow.’

‘This be some bullets of mine, I foresee.’

‘Parabellum nines. I like to pay, but it be hungry seasons. Winter coming soon.’

‘Ice Cream, you be a Lowell in your crafty head. Be a loss to joy that you ain’t trade to us.’

‘Foo, say yes. Need no suspenses.’

‘Yes and yes. Sure I give you any foolish riches, every child know this.’

My heart clear in relief. I put my hand upon his ankle, for it be closest to. ‘Be gratty well.’

A moment, we only grinning to each other, happy from our jokes. Then he look to my touching hand. Can see he think to reach for me. But I say, sudden out of nothing, ‘Keepers said the roo be thirty.’

A moment, El Mayor still yearn his eyes. Then he flinch sharp. ‘Thirty? Thirty years?’

‘What he telling Keepers,’ I say breathless. ‘She talk to him all morning. Was rooish that they spoken, so she ain’t learn much. But this been certain.’

‘Keepers?’ El Mayor’s face ease. ‘Been tales from only Keepers?’

‘Foo, I know when Keepers lie.’

‘So you believing this?’

‘Ain’t know. But roos be other people. Can be sleepers, any strangeness.’

Now El Mayor sit back in puzzle. ‘So if they sleepers, sleepers ain’t get posies?’

‘How they ain’t?’ I scoff my breath. ‘They getting WAKS. I thought your Lowells say that WAKS and posies been the same?’

‘No person knowing certain.’ El Mayor pooch lips in thought. ‘But white people dying quick from WAKS, ain’t living extra years. It been our children mostly live. Had some resistance to this pox.’

‘Then roos must have some cure. They white themself. Should all be dead.’

El Mayor nod like this be usual notions. ‘Or they from a place that ain’t infect. Can be this.’

‘Nay, thought it been the world entire.’

‘What we think. Ain’t seen the world ourself.’

‘But every evidence say, it been the world.’ My voice come thin. ‘Most likely be, roos got a cure. Ain’t see?’

‘But why they kept this to themself? Roos coming here before.’

‘Goddamn, they got no reason they will help! Yo think! You only contradicting!’

El Mayor look surprise to me. Ponder on my face a moment, then his eyes change sorry. ‘Ice. Keepers be eight.’

‘So she eight,’ I say in weaker voice. ‘And so?’

‘Ain’t get excitements, from some eightish tales. You think. She learn his rooish speech in hours?’

‘Was only numbers. Can learn numbers. And if it being right?’

El Mayor look down, discomfort. ‘Ice … you thinking of your Driver?’

I startle queery. ‘How you meaning?’

‘I know he got his posies.’

‘Nay, how? Who saying this?’

‘Ain’t no one saying. Driver come to me for papa tea, to ease his hurt. Sure, he ain’t want everyone to know.’ Then El Mayor’s face painful, like his memory see someone suffer hard.

I watch his sadden face, and cannot get a breath inside. ‘Ain’t posies certain. Nay.’

El Mayor look startling to me. ‘You ain’t known? Damn, Ice, I speak this to you first?’

‘Nay, ain’t certain. Cannot be.’ When the tears come up, they rush like breath. My head be stars and hurt.

Then come a blind and sobben time. El Mayor come clutch me to him, and I weep against his shoulder. Try thinking of my pride, but misery wash my mind in circles. Can only think of Driver. How he keep this silent, and the months he going to sicken. How he going painful, going to die, and every grief be rain.

Posies take each person in their sort. Popsicle cough his spirit out. Jay-dee’s belly swell and hurt until she claw it to the blood. Mailman strangle in his throat. He strangle once, then find his breath. Strangle
again, and beg for help. Then he cannot bear to wait, he shoot himself in desperate fear. Jennifer been sergeant last. She scream but she forgotten words. Ain’t recognize our faces. Scream a week, then she ain’t speak no more. She stare and dribble her mouth.

And all their face and skin eat up by red and blackish posies. Posies scabbing and they open into sores and horrors. Posies grown inside and outside, blackish death put roots into your body and its flowers bloom.

My death must come before his death. I start a murder war, and all my Sengles die in blood. I blind my eyes and never see the posies come. I shoot my heart.

El Mayor be muttering, ‘Damn, I hate to see you cry, goddamn.’ His voice come through my panic, and the sobbing soften in my chest. I open eyes, and there be his cat Radio, perch on sofa’s back. Be a whitely kitty with one crinkle ear. Sniff at me, curiose. I laugh a teary laugh, and El Mayor touch to my cheek. He say, ‘You going to kill me, you keep crying.’

We sat up on the sofa now, press close. All the room seem big and light. The bricky wall look warm; the yellow painten wall look clean and kind. Yo Radio hop over to the windowsill. There she arch and say her yorry miaow. Behind her in the window go the river through the tumbledown bridge. River slip around the beams, the metal splay and twisten. I watch the blackish bluish brownish water till my spirit settle. Radio sit in my view and lick her rosy pawpad.

Cat’s name be Radio because this be El Mayor’s present work. He get a dozen radio machines, and swear to make one talk. Before this, been a cat name Gypsum, and a cat that change its name from Plumbing Joint to Insulator. So El Mayor intend to puzzle back the world of sleepers, cat by cat. And all the Lowells copy after him, got cats name Coffee Plant and Airplane, things these children sworn they will create.

It come to me that cats ain’t live no twenty years. Be luck that Keepers ain’t remember cats, will be one gloating little. I think now
to tell El Mayor about the roo his wrinkle brow. But he lean to me then and kiss my lips.

Be something like a gift how I forget to tell him nay. A minute we been kissing, then five minutes it prolong. What happen in my mind and blood be dizziness and sparks. His fingertips stroke featherish on my nape.

He gather me to him. Pull me down, and we lie out along the sofa, front to front. I feel his hardness at my thigh, a fever wake into my skin. The kiss slow and feroce, this kiss contain all feary luxury.

But my panic wake. Cold prickle all my hairs, and without thought, I push him rough from me. His hands pull me back, refuse to notice. I say, ‘Nay. Leave me free, goddamn!’ Be shaking, sweat go bright along my nape.

He freeze. Pull sharp away and scramble awkward to his sofa side. There he sit with wretchen face.

He say, ‘Some strange dislike you got to me. Can say this.’

‘Quit, quit.’ My trembling ease. ‘Beg you gratty, quit this.’

‘Ain’t never quit to hunt you, bell. I go find you a room in Lowell mill tonight. Can stay with me, and damn this Crow, whoever being sergeant. Here you be anything you like. Be a Sengle, all I care. Lowell First Thief Sengle, be your name with us.’

‘Lowell Seventh Girlfriend, be more like.’

He smile but his eyes darken. ‘Ain’t need they other girls, if you been here. Can swear you this.’

‘I cannot help your want.’

‘Why? You got someone? No sho, you ain’t.’

There be no why. Ain’t know what tale to tell. I think of NewKing Mamadou, the enemy I yearn upon. How he capture me in guilty dreams. But my spirit seize resentment, how I care for this when Driver sick.

I shake my head. ‘Sadness, all it is. I got no feeling to this now.’

‘Sure, comprehend,’ he say with poor belief.

Then no more parley can be spoken. He call a runner down to Lowell First Contractor for my bullets. We wait, and El Mayor tell
nonsense of his loves with other girls. Sure he boast to rid his shame, but that ain’t make it joy to hear. I mood myself to leave.

Soon I say my parting words, and El Mayor polite me wisty. The noise of Lowell mill slip back from Money’s trotting hooves. The dusking sleep of Lowell City take my loneliness. I ride home to my full-grown trouble, to my people few and feary small, my Sengle town.

8

BY DRIVER’S HIDING MEADOW: TOBER 3–15

These be the Sengles in the time I speak of, when my trouble grown. Of baby children, be Bother Zero Tool, the Answer Zero Ka, Fine One Ndiaye, Bell Eyes One Ndiaye, and Lolina-tina One Diouf, Crow’s child with Mari’s Ghost. Be healthy screaming babies, they got grandy rolls of fat. These all got mothers living but the twins Bell Eyes and Fine.

Of littles, there be Dinty Moore Two Fall who cannot hear, Naomi Two Forgotten, Maple Two Diop who be a son of John of Christ, Mohammed Three Insulting, Story Four Duval that has got reddish hair, Problem Four Tool, Luvanna-Lana Five of Lowell, Best Creature Five Wang who is misname and be annoying, Mustapha Five Insulting, Dollar Saver Six Fall, a fine enchanting little who can sing, Baboucar Seven Grandpa, Jeep Cherokee Seven Skips and Foxen Seven Fall. The mother of all three Falls be alive but gone to Lowell, now name Lowell Second Plumber and got posies bad.

Of the eights and nines, there be my vally Keepers Eight Fofana, worth all other children, and her favorite hatred Mouse Eight Wang. Progresso Nine Wilson and My Sorrow Nine Wang been solo-animoses for some years, ain’t speak with never another child.

Then come Marlboro Ten Tete-Brisee and Kool Ten Tete-Brisee,
twins, birdcatcher-age and lean. Shiny Eleven Angels be a prettieuse and flirtish girl that give bad sign of wisdom, for she dabbit after Crow. Shiny chosen her own name, this be the measure of her wits. Redbook Twelve Ba, Bowl Thirteen Tete-Brisee and Cat Fancy Thirteen Ba all go ridiculous in love with Driver. They tend the littles and tell reveries one to the other, all day long. Jonah Fourteen Feet the only weakly jones, and scary since his brother took to Lowell two years gone. Then come Jermaine Fourteen Uptown, Christing born and Christing seriose in gentleness. Jermaine be wisty for my love, and many Lowells also and some Christings sleeping hungry for my love.