The Soucouyant - Chapter 2
Curtis was sitting in Timo’s living room watching TV, when he heard the front gate’s hinges squeaking open, announcing a visitor. “Lawd, don’t tell me Nancy come back already. If that’s she come home, I sorry for Timo, but I ain’t sticking around. That woman got dealings with Satan for sure, and she ain’t going make me sin my soul to hell.” But the shuffling footsteps and gasping breaths that could be heard from the front yard gave Curtis ease, for he knew then that it wasn’t Nancy returning from her errands. “Praise and thank the Lord for small favors” he muttered.
There was a soft but urgent rap on the front door, and Curtis heard Timo yell from the bathroom; “Curtis, get off yuh lazy carcass and see who that be pounding on the gallery!” Curtis gave a disgruntled sigh, quite perturbed at the interruption. It wasn’t everyday that Timo let anyone into Nancy’s sanctified parlor to watch Tv. His eyes remained glued to the baseball game on the television set as he sauntered to the front door. The rapping was growing increasingly louder the longer he took to answer.
He pulled the door open, and Tantie, in her frenzied knocking was unable to prevent her knuckles from cracking Curtis on his temple. “Ow!” he bellowed. “But what, you dumb, deaf and blind old woman? You ain’t see me standing up here in front of you?” Tantie did not reply to his outburst, and pushing him aside crossed the threshold in search of Timo. “Timo! Timo! You home? Where you be?” Curtis shook his head in annoyance. Offended by the old lady’s rude dismissal, he returned to his seat in front of the TV.
“Well good morning to you too, you ole bat.” yelled Curtis from the bathroom. Tantie ignored his cheeky greeting and shuffled to the rear of the house to seek him out. Just then a toilet could be heard flushing, and then: “Tantie? That you? But what you…Hold on, hold on, I’m coming.” In her haste she’d made it to the bathroom door, where she stood impatiently waiting for Timo to emerge. When the door finally swung open, she practically threw herself into his arms.
He stumbled backward as the full force of her weight caught him by surprise. “But Ta – what happen?” he managed to utter. “Tell that boy goway!” she grunted. “Tell him goway right now!” She leaned forward putting her lips to his ear. “Sello out. He get away! You hear me? Sello get out of the bottle!” Her sentence was barely completed before Timo yelled out:: “Curtis, boy…go home right this minute. If you know what good for you, you going go straight home and lock up your door and don’t come out for nothing or nobody.”
Curtis was all too familiar with that tone of voice and knew he needed to be gone with a swiftness. He didn’t want any dealings with anything that could scare Tantie and Timo so. He bolted from the house with a speed that would have put an Olympic gold medalist to shame, not even pausing to latch the gate behind him.
Check for chapter 3 tomorrow...
