Bayou Pétain (Currently Re-Editing)

Payment Due

Victorine trembled with fear, her gut feeling telling her she wasn't wrong in her assumption. She had a part to play in what happened to Tameka. When Hadrien walked in, he went directly to the television and turned it on. There was a story on how a young woman was found brutally beaten by her live-in boyfriend, apparently. Hadrien's eyes were angry. " See, there go your boy Derek", he spat. " You lucky this cat didn't put his hands on you, the wrong way. Fucking woman beater!", he said , angrily. Victorine looked scared at his outburst, and it made him feel bad. She was in a delicate state, and didn't need him yelling.
Hadrien walked over to Victorine and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry. Forget what I said." But she couldn't. She couldn't stand him right now, throwing Derek in her face. Victorine stood up then walked into the kitchen. "Make sure you eat something, bae", he said. "No, you remember to eat something! Damn, Hadrien, all you do is bark orders at me! You need to just back up! Damn, I am grown, you know, and I'm sure in the hell not stupid!! So back off!!, yelled Victorine, storming out of the house, purse in hand. Hadrien ran out behind her, grabbing her arm. " Get off of me!", she yelled. She got in her car and sped off, spraying Hadrien with gravel.
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Tameka Ross laid in a hospital bed, bruised up and feeling groggy. She couldn't understand why the police kept asking her if it was Derek who harmed her. She honestly couldn't remember a thing. She got a fearful feeling about her, and she began to cry. Merlynne walked in with the baby. Tameka tried to reach out to hold her baby, put pain overwhelmed her. "What happened Tameka? Did Derek do this to you?", asked Merlynne. Tameka looked at her, confused. " I can't remember. I don't know what happened. ", she said. " Come on, Tee. Just stop and think. You have to know something. Did he find out about Dex?", Merlynne asked. Dex. Tameka remembered her night with Dex, but things went foggy after that. " I don't know, Merlynne! I can't remember what happened! I feel like I'm going crazy!! " Merlynne looked at her friend, her statement chilling her.
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Victorine drove by the Trail Ride Kingz headquarters, where a few of Derek's homeboys had gathered. Victorine found out that they were holding Derek downtown and he could be bailed out. She called his boy Troy to the side, then slipped him $300 to help with Derek's bail. She asked him not to tell anyone, save for Derek. She asked Troy to call her the moment he got out. She needed to talk to Derek herself, to find out exactly what happened. She then drove to the hospital, where she went to the gift shop and purchased a bouquet of flowers. She asked an attendant where Tameka's room was. Victorine tried to find the nerve to go in, but faltered. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the door. Merlynne opened the door to see Victorine standing there, peace offering in hand. "Can I come in?", she asked a stunned Merlynne. She moved to the side and let Victorine pass. She dared not breathe as Victorine crossed her path. She had heard of how the hoodoos work. Tameka was finally able to hold her baby in the bed, and looked at Victorine with a confused, blank stare. " Tameka, how are you feeling?", she asked. When Tameka didn't answer, Victorine added, " I'm sorry about what happened, and the whole thing with Derek. I just wanted to let you know that." Tameka stared at Victorine, and some things began to come back. The video of Derek and Victorine played in her mind. Tameka got angry, then said, "You have nerve to come here. How I don't know that you had something to do with this!" She spoke louder and angrily, Merlynne trying to calm her. Victorine looked hurt by Tameka's accusations, then quickly got herself together. That's when Tameka noticed Victorine's puffy midsection. " You pregnant? Is it Derek's baby?", she yelled, causing Victorine to back away a bit. Merlynne took word and said, " Leave. Please leave. Tameka needs to rest and be calm. Thank you for her flowers, but go. You both need to talk things through at another time!" Victorine looked at Merlynne then Tameka, then cast a glance at the baby. She straightened herself, then walked to the door, head held high. She took one last look back at Tameka , then walked out into the hall. Merlynne looked as if she were relieved, but Tameka felt hate. Maybe Victorine did fix Derek to beat her. She had to find out what exactly happened to her.
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Hadrien needed to talk to someone. He went to TonTon's to speak to Mrs. Cecile. She engulfed him in her arms and hugged him. They sat at the table, coffee and sock- it-to-me cake awaiting. Hadrien told her about the way Victorine lashed out at him earlier, storming away. She told him, "Son, a woman has many feelings, especially a pregnant woman. Victorine is going through a lot right now, and she's probably going to say even worse things. Give her a little space, and a lot of patience and understanding. Be there when she needs you, but don't overly protect her. She will come around. A woman's hormones goes through it when we pregnant. Don't worry, Hadrien. This phase will pass." Hadrien listened to Mrs. Cecile, but he hadn't told her about Victorine's cheating. He held her hand and kissed it, then they had their coffee and cake together.
TonTon was in his barn, tending to something. Hadrien went help him. He needed to stay busy right now. Later, he'd go into town and get Victorine a gift; buy her something really nice, and maybe take her out to eat. TonTon watched Hadrien closely. He could sense his son was being worked on. It seeped off of him. TonTon's mind flew to Jeraina Faye. Of course she would have a say in her daughter's affairs. He had heard how as of late they had reunited. This was strange, because he knew Jeraina Faye before today, and "mother of the year" wasn't a title he could associate with her. She could be wretched when she wanted to, which was most of the time. He had heard tell of how she once had fixed a married man down in Algiers, causing calamity and destruction. She had killed his older brother while still a child herself. TonTon hadn't wanted anything to do with her or her business, but now that Hadrien was involved, he resolved to keep a wary eye on the situation, and would call upon the ancestors for protection and guidance if need be.
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Teta was busy cooking some crawfish etoufee'. She kneaded some dough to make bread bowls, and prepared a decadent cheesecake with caramel topping and pecans. She was planning on dropping the meal off to Fiyah and his grandparents, plus she had made TonTon and Mrs. Cecile a huge pot of okra and crab gumbo. She heard a car drive up. A car door slammed, then moments later, knocking on the door. Teta answered to find Victorine standing at her door. She looked at Teta, then asked , " May I come in?" Teta allowed her in, immediately sensing the baby. "You're pregnant?", she asked. " Hadrien must be over the moon." At the sound of Hadrien's name, Victorine flinched. "I need your help, Teta. I never thought I'd need to seek your help, but here I am.", said Victorine. Teta offered her a seat in her living room, the same place where Hadrien would entice her, once upon a time. Victorine sat down, then began her tale. " I've heard the stories, I know the legends. You have helped so many because of your power. You healed my best friend's old man. You healed TonTon. So, I'm convinced. Your power is great and you can help me.", she said. Teta looked on, then Victorine blurted out, " I can't have this baby!" Teta looked at her like she had two heads. "Don't look at me like that!", snapped Victorine. " You don't know what I'm going through right now! You can't even get pregnant!" , she spat. Teta restrained herself from knocking Victorine's ass out. " You are one ignorant bitch, Victorine. Yes, I must tell you!" Teta exclaimed. Victorine glared at her. " You suddenly don't want this baby because you fear its not for Hadrien! How selfish of you! And you come to me, the reason you are fixing Hadrien in the first place, and want me to placate to your whim and kill an innocent baby? You crazy bitch! And what you think you know about me, huh? Bitch, all of my babies have been absorbed by the ancestors, because of the pure power they possessed even at birth! You talk to me like I'm the dummy. Want me to tell you about Hadrien and the things we would do? Or shall we talk about all the harm you put on that man. The man you fixed to stay away from me, the man that I convinced to go home to YOU and forgive you when he found out about all your little affairs, the man whose baby you might be carrying! Find out whose baby it is first, before deciding to kill it! Or better yet, grow the fuck up and take some responsibility!!! It's your time now!! You are a mother now, Victorine! ", Teta testified. Her rage was coming out. Victorine looked stunned and couldn't say a thing. " Now leave my house before I do something we'll both regret!", Teta warned. Victorine wanted to slap her face, she wanted to rake Teta's eyes out, but the stance Teta stood in told her not to try it. Victorine rolled her eyes, then walked out, but not before cursing Teta out. "Fuck you then, bitch! I should've never came here!", she spat. " You damned right!", Teta replied, then slammed her door.
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Hadrien drove into town. His mind was so preoccupied on finding something meaningful to gift Victorine with, he almost didn't recognize his cousin, Brendon Colomb and his wife, Stacia. They were expecting, as well. Hadrien hugged his cousin, then kissed Stacia on the side of her face. They were baby shopping, and Hadrien decided to go with them. Yes, he would surprise Victorine with some new things for the baby. He bought a baby bed, a stroller and car seat, and a beautiful white bassinet. After promising his cousin they'd get together for dinner one day, he left them and loaded his truck with his purchases. He then bought some take out food for later, and left to go home to Victorine.
He put up the baby bed in the spare room, and the beautiful bassinet in their bedroom. He couldn't wait for Victorine to see it. Coming out of the room, he almost ran into Jeraina Faye. Dex was off on some errand of hers, and they were alone in the house. Something about the way she looked at him made him uneasy. "I brought some food home", he said, then walked into the kitchen. After spying the bassinet in their room, she followed Hadrien into the kitchen. " So, that's your way of telling me hello? Do I make you uncomfortable? ", she asked, leaning into him. Hadrien did not want to play this kind of game with his future mother in law. He excused himself and went outside. Jeraina Faye killed herself laughing.
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After Teta delivered the gumbo to TonTon's, she drove over to Fiyah's. His grandparents were as gracious as ever. After their meal together, Teta and Fiyah got cozy in his loft. They sipped on some wine and smoked a fat joint. After a session of mind- blowing passion, Teta had to leave him for the night, for he had to get up extra early to go out on the boat with his grandfather and a few men. Teta gave him an amulet to wear for protection. He kissed her passionately, touched at how much she cared for him. Teta wanted nothing more than for Fiyah to move in with her when the time would be right, but he was his grandparents sole protector, and couldn't just leave them. Although they loved each other, every time they parted was bittersweet. Teta wanted to give herself wholly to Fiyah, and he wanted to make a life with her. But there still was the issue of Papa Legba. So with a heavy heart, she departed from her love and went home to a lonely house.
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Victorine got the call from Troy saying that he had just bailed Derek out, and that he had wanted to see her. He told Victorine that Derek wanted her to meet them at Fat's, a local hangout in the hood. Victorine drove to the little diner/ store and saw Derek and Troy waiting. Derek looked at her, unclear as to what was about to happen. Victorine threw herself into him, hugging him. "Tell me what happened, no matter how unbelievable it may sound.", she said. Derek told her the whole terrifying tale, from the hair and teeth falling out, to the invisible force that threw them. Victorine listened carefully, a sick feeling creeping over her. When he was done telling her his tale, Derek thanked her for putting up cash to get him out. He hugged Victorine tightly, then noticed her swollen stomach. He backed up, then said, " Huh? You pregnant? Who the daddy?" This surprised Victorine, then she said, " Could be you or Hadrien...but I'm not sure I'm keeping it.." Derek looked at her crazy, then said, "If its mines, you keeping my baby! I'll help you any way I can, but first, I gotta see Tameka. I gotta see my lil girl, too. I gotta figure all this shit out. But I ain't gonna forget about you, or what you did for me." He gave Victorine a hug, warming her. She felt a little better now, knowing that if she indeed kept this baby, it would be accepted by either man.
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Teta sat alone in her living room, reminiscing about her lost loved ones; her mother, her father, her uncles, her aunts, and her babies. Teta had no need for the fathers since she knew they hadn't the courage to stay with her and face tragedy, because Teta was cursed, which could be a blessing also. One can only go through so much, and it seemed she had. Teta lit a joint, as usual, because the herb seemed her only relief. She longed for the day to come where she could have her own family, and Fiyah seemed to be genuine in his love for her. As she thought, her heart grew heavy and swollen with sorrow. Tears poured from her eyes, she missed Fiyah so much. She wanted to be with him always. How wonderful it could be, to have her own man at home with her. As she smoked on, fantasizing, Papa Legba appeared. He saw her crying and something in his soul stirred. He wanted Teta's power, yes, and he wanted Teta also. No mere human, this woman held him in sway. Her power was overwhelming, her body enticing, her loving immaculate. He wanted Teta to love him, to belong to him. Teta finally noticed him, hovering before her. " Papa, I can't belong to you", she said, reading his thoughts. " I need to have my own life, my own family. You must understand this.", she said. Papa looked into her soul, wanting to own it. He frowned a bit, pointing his long finger at her. "Payment due", he said, taking her into his arms and licking the side of her face.