Bringing It All Back

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Jeraina Faye's words aroused Hadrien, in spite of himself. The "work" she spoke of could mean his drumming, but it could have meant something else, knowing her. Her eyes laughed as he tried to figure her meaning. He stayed quiet, eating his food. Victorine touched her stomach and felt movement. "Oh my God! I think the baby just moved!", she squealed. Hadrien felt ashamed, because he hadn't even been thinking of the baby. Jeraina Faye had him fucked up to the point where he craved her. He looked at Victorine's belly, and she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. The movement startled him, and he felt a wave of love wash over him. His child was what mattered, and not his lust for Jeraina Faye. Hadrien smiled at Victorine, laughing at the feeling. Victorine felt relieved to see Hadrien having a soft moment with her. " That's our child in there.", she said. He smiled at the thought.
Jeraina Faye eyed the both of them, understanding what was conspiring. Victorine, with her knowledge of Hadrien's devotion, would play this card down to the science. She smiled and took a bite of the catfish. Looks like her daughter would be capable of keeping Hadrien around, finally. But this tension between him and Dex would have to cease. Jeraina Faye spoke up. "I'ma need the both of y'all mens to stand up to the plate. Help each other help me to make this meeting the best there ever was! So all this tension, I'ma need for it to stop!", she ordered, raising an eyebrow, pointing a finger at both Dex and Hadrien. Dex looked at Hadrien, then at his woman and said, " Yes ma'am! ", his smile working on her. Hadrien agreed as well, shaking his head. The men shook hands. Now that it was settled, they finished their meal and got ready for what was to come.
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When Fiyah returned home to Teta after work, he could sense a vibrational change in the atmosphere. Teta stood in the kitchen, cooking up a storm. She had a glow about her that was so evident, Fiyah couldn't take his eyes off of her. He walked into the kitchen and told her, " You look beautiful! " Teta turned around and went to him, hugging him and feeling his body. Her smile was genuine, and her eyes sparkled. A tingle of power stabbed him as they touched.
Good, hearty smells took over his air. His keen sense of smell picked up on something new, but the delicious smells of pot roast, potatoes au gratin, sweet peas, and fresh baked bread enchanted him. He hugged Teta from behind, his body against hers, the point of his erection snuggled into that point where her round buttocks separated. She turned off her pots. Teta turned around and kissed him, her tongue in his mouth. He grabbed her waist and drank her mouth, her sweet, nectarous tongue quenching him. They moved to the sofa. Fiyah removed her clothing and burrowed his face between her legs, lapping up her juices. Teta moaned as her husband's tongue gave her life. When he entered her, her wetness provided an easy glide into her depths. Fiyah made passionate love to her, enjoying every bit. As they lay spent, they remembered the food.
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Ever since she was a little girl, Lisa Godivrus thought she was black. She saw her mamma Lacey get beat by white men all her life, then, was treated like a Queen by a black man named Forrest. So as she grew up, Lisa began mimicking the black women of Forrest's family, because they were good, kind people who knew how to cook, drink, have fun, fight, and take care of they own. Forrest married Lacey when Lisa was thirteen. He cared for Lisa like she was his own, and later had two more kids with Lacey.
When Forrest died of lung cancer, Lisa took it hard. This man was like a father to her, the only she ever had, because her real daddy was a racist, good for nothing lowlife who'd rather piss his life away than do something of structure. Lisa, her mother, and her siblings stayed in the ninth ward, in a shotgun house Forrest's grandparents had left him. It was a long time before Lacey took another man, and this time, the brother wasn't caring. Travis was a drug dealing, pill popping thug who shacked up with Lacey because his baby mamma had kicked him out. He would always have bags of weed and bottles of pills around the house. One day, he turned a very curious Lisa onto a joint and a pill of ecstasy, and she was hooked. He always had his eyes on Lisa, who would walk around the house wearing tube tops and daisy duke shorts. Travis was a dog; many times he would make passes at Lisa when Lacey wasn't around. He liked seeing her fucked up and horny acting; as much as he wanted to bang her, he just couldn't lose his place with Lacey. So he fantasized about her.
Lisa met Ronald, Dreeky's twin brother around that time. He was cute and he had shy ways, and she liked that about him. He would tell her about his gay brother and how he was ashamed of him. It was her who introduced him to weed and ecstasy. Together, they would get high and all their problems would leave. They became a couple, and Lisa's thug knowledge impressed Ronald. For a white girl, she could hang out with the fellas and was cool with the black chicks. Ronald felt that he had found gold.
They got themselves a little place off of Paris Street, a rough part of town. Lisa was game for anything, and stripped nights at The Drop. Her tips took care of the weed, drink, and pills they loved. Ronald had a job working on the garbage truck. They had a good time with each other, but sometimes Ronald would get angry when dudes would talk shit about Lisa's job. They would argue, then one evening, it turned into a fight. Ronald's face was scratched up, and Lisa had to work with a black eye. She earned more tips than ever that night, as fucked up as she was. When she got home that morning, Ronald apologized for hitting her, and they celebrated with some blow a customer gave her.
Lisa had been faithful to Ronald that whole time, but one day, when she was off and decided to do their laundry, she found his phone. He had been talking to someone named ReRe, according to the call log. She nosed through and found a picture of a girl at a club wearing booty shorts and a big smile. Ronald himself was in the next picture with her, his arms around her waist, cupping her ass. Lisa wanted to throw that fucking phone across the courtyard into a brick wall, but didn't. She'd confront his ass and take it from there.
When Ronald woke up, she tossed the phone into his face, hitting him. It was a rude awakening for him, and it hurt like hell! Why that crazy girl starting on him early like this?, he wondered. "What the fuck wrong with you?", he yelled, checking his eye to see if it was bleeding. " Them muthafucking pictures is what's wrong with me!", she yelled, walking up to him, invading his personal space. Ronald hated when she did that shit. "Man, move!", he barked, pushing her out of his face. Lisa reared back and slapped the hell out of Ronald, dead in his eye. This pissed him off so much that he just went agro on her, swinging and punching. When she realized she was getting her ass beat, Lisa began to fight back, kicking and scratching him. When they took the fight outside, a few neighbors intervened. Lisa wound up with a bust lip, blackened eye, and a huge knot on her head. She left Ronald and went back to her mamma's house, where Travis still walked around like a king. She promised her mamma she wouldn't go back to Ronald, but deep down inside, she missed him. She could be herself with him. But then she remembered the pictures and would get mad again. Ronald obviously had a side piece she hadn't known about. So she called up a guy she had met at her job named Desmond. She had given him a lap dance before and he had tipped her well and gave her his number. He took her on a date to the movies and to eat, that first time. But on the second date, he rented a motel room and brought out a stash of blow. Lisa spent the weekend snorting coke and fucking Desmond, who really didn't do it for her. She got arrested after that, for possession. Lacey bond her out of jail, then threatened to kick her out if she didn't get her shit together.
After a week, Lisa called Ronald. He promised her the world if she would come back home. Lisa fell for his declaration of love and left her mamma for good. Ronald loved her, she knew that. What she didn't know was that while she was gone, Ronald had ReRe all up through their spot. But still, she rose out of a drug induced stupor every night and went to work stripping. It was a hard job, and let's face it, she was making money. Money, to them, meant being able to support their vices. That was their
happiness.
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People all over the bayou were spreading the word about Jeraina Faye's Friday night meeting. The news even made it to the city, where faithful followers of Victorine told their families and friends. They were all afraid of Jeraina Faye, but would attend the meeting, because they did not want to be on that woman's bad side. Older women knew the drill; meetings called for food and drink. Many began planning the potluck dishes they would be bringing.
It was a lot that needed to be done in so little time, but Jeraina Faye's plans were set in stone. Hadrien helped the menfolk build a grand platform in the backyard. TonTon MaCootre even helped with things. Mrs. Cecile would be cooking as well. She sent word to Teta, informing her about the meeting and came short of begging her to contribute some of her cooking and to show up. Teta agreed, and Mrs. Cecile was happy for that. Even Dreeky and Cesaire would be attending, by Victorine's eager invitation. Neither of them had ever attended a meeting before, and Cesaire was anxiously awaiting a new experience. Dreeky seemed uneasy, but he would definitely be there, to support his girl, and to share an otherworldly experience with Cesaire.
There was an excitement in the air. Jeraina Faye had Dex drive her deep into the bayou, where they came across a hidden old hut. A man with long, knotted dreads came out, looking at them warily. Jeraina Faye called out, "Celestine! Celestine, come!" The man, who was about fifty and was long and lean, took one look at her curvy body and knew dreadfully who she was. "Ah, Jeraina Faye Jean-Batiste! You come to see me, finally.", he said. Celestine was a procurer, providing many of the hoodoos with certain amenities. Many years back, Jeraina Faye had asked him to catch her a huge boa constrictor and to care for it until she came for it. The female snake's name was Mamere', and she was highly intelligent. Long ago, it bonded with Jeraina Faye, but spent many years with Celestine and knew him fully. Celestine led Jeraina Faye inside his hut, looking over her round assets. A long time ago, he had had Jeraina Faye, on a steamy, drunken, powerful night. He remembered what power she possessed, and how immense her love was, if you could call it that. She bewitched him mercilessly, her ample feminine wiles assaulting his will. Celestine fell victim to Jeraina Faye, and knew that her beck and call he would gladly attend to.
There in the corner, in a special hand crafted cage laid Mamere', all coiled up. She seemed to sniff Jeraina Faye's scent, then began to rise, a sign showing it remembered her. Jeraina Faye smiled, then told Celestine, "I need you. Bring Mamere' by the house early Friday. You will be paid a portion of the collection if you stay and aid me." Celestine licked his lips, then nodded his head. He would assist Jeraina Faye. He would give her his own soul if she asked.
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The big meeting would be in two days time. Women across the bayou and the city began preparing their dishes to bring. Teta thought long about the invitation. She would cook and offer her finest, but she would not participate in the dancing. She knew what powers her womb held, and she wouldn't offer herself as a lamb for the slaughter. Her babies grew stronger, and she herself felt changed as of late. Fiyah seen this change too. Teta was more beautiful than ever, and the love they made was even greater, even sweeter, if that could even be possible. Fiyah began to change as well. He felt this renewed confidence in himself, and the beast within grew stronger, wiser. He would protect his grandparents as always, but now, he had the added responsibilities of protecting his wife and children. He was no longer a boy, but made the transition to man.
  Delicious smells permeated the air. Teta was cooking supper for themselves as well as Fiyah's grandparents. The aroma of spiced meat loaf filled the kitchen. Teta hummed a tune as she prepared a bowl of salad greens. Fiyah had gone to get his grandparents, and Teta was busy finishing the meal, taking the crescent rolls out of the oven. She thought of what she wanted to prepare for the meeting. She decided on a new recipe she was trying out : shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake. She would do some crab cakes, too. And maybe even some yakamein with crawfish. Teta happily finished up her seasoning, then put the meal on the table. An icy pitcher of lemonade awaited.
   As she went into the bathroom to wash up, Teta felt her babies moving. It was empowering and touched her. She couldn't wait to meet them.
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   Tameka Ross was in the supermarket when she saw Derek's mamma, Yvonne. She walked up to Tameka and hugged her and her grandbaby. "Where Derek at?", she asked. Tameka shrugged her shoulders and said she hadn't seen him in a while. Yvonne looked puzzled, then said, " Well, that's strange, because the last time I seen him, he said he was going by y'all apartment." Tameka took a deep breath, then said, "Derek had left me for Victorine. He thought she was having his baby. But Ms. Yvonne, you need to know, I took another man now, and he wants to raise Precious as his own. He's good to us, and Derek hasn't tried to see Precious at all. I'm happy. We're happy, Ms. Yvonne.", she said. Derek's mamma looked at her then said, " Whaaat? I thought y'all had got back together! Mais, where he at then?", she asked holding Precious. Tameka told her she hadn't a clue. She hugged her again after putting Precious back in the shopping cart and continued her shopping. She didn't have time to think about Derek's ass, not when she had a sexy king at home, waiting on her.
   Tameka wanted to cook a special meal for Tim. She bought everything she needed to make smothered pork chops. Tim didn't eat much pork, but when he did, he loved pork chops, so Tameka wanted to whip up her mamma's and grandmamma's secret recipe. She smiled as she continued her shopping, but seen Ms. Yvonne again in another aisle. She looked so worried, and Tameka felt sorry for her. She offered to help her find out more about Derek. Ms. Yvonne left somewhat happier, hoping to hear some news of her son, because it wasn't like Derek not to contact her. He was a mamma's boy.
    Meanwhile, deep in the bayou, after being eaten and regurgitated by gators, Derek's deformed body sparked to life, courtesy of the spell Victorine had once did to make him come to her. His rotting body began to fill up again once he ate an alligator he killed with his bare hands. His brain began to focus on the last thing he had wanted: Victorine.
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   Jeraina Faye smiled. Her plans were all coming into place. When she went into town, she heard people speaking of the big meeting. It pleased her to know so many had heard about it. They all knew what would be required of them; they had to bring a dish of food, and they had to put something in the collection plate. They could dance and participate, but Jeraina Faye herself would be doing a dance. Everything must go well, and there must be a big showing. Jeraina Faye was back, in full effect. She would make her mark, and cut it deep.

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