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The window came open, and the man roared, then fell silent.
The man was jerked back. A woman stuck her head out the
window, shouting over Benny’s roars, “My man is coming. It is Sue Hanna
that’s hurt?”
“Yes.”
“Ay, the poor
thing.”
The head disappeared, and the window was slammed shut.
The door opened a few inches. Dressed in pajama bottoms and
carrying a sawed-off shotgun, a man peered out. Seeing only Benny, he gave a low
grunt, then opened the door.
“In.”
“But, Sue –“
“In, now, boy, or
I shut the door and bar it.”
Benny jumped in, and the door slammed shut, a thin steel axle
dropping into slots on either side of it.
“You crazy, man?” Antone said. “In this ‘hood you get
shot for disturbing the peace."
A plump and pretty woman drifted down the stairs pulling on a
cape. “And feed the hogs,” she said. From one arm hung a cloth sack trimmed
with lace. She repeated her comment about hogs, then motioned for Antone to open
the door.
“You go in the back with my man, and he’ll buy you a drink
and a sandwich –“
“I’m going back with Sue,” Benny said. He ducked under
Antone’s brawn arm and darted away, cursing the leg and splinter of bone in his
spine that Stern missed.
“Get dressed, baby,” Dolores said, giving Antone a small
brush of her lips on his cheek.
“Yes, maestra,” he said, smiling. “My beloved woman, my
sweet dominatrix.” His hand smacked on her bottom where the heavy dress met
chubby buttocks, and closed the door behind her.
Benny slid on the floor to crash to his knees by Sue. He took
her hand, and she gave him a dreamy, sweet look. He glanced at Ama. The old woman
shrugged.
"A little opium don’t hurt so as it ain’t used too
much.”
“Opium? That stuff is –“
“More common than poverty, son. She needed something to
kill the pain before it killed her." A cold look on her face, she stared at
the outer wall. “JJ knocks the baby out o’ her, the bastid.”
“Baby?” Mouth sagging, he stared at Sue, then Ama.
A woman that had more wrinkles than Ama and ugly as sin
shoved her slight body into the room. Eyes widening, Benny shrank back from her,
then bared his teeth.
Seeing the promise of death in the scarred face and remaining
eye, Maggie cackled a laugh bordering in insane.
“Beat it, kid, or I’ll beat you.”
“Freekin’ shon:gili. Get out, witch.”
Lowering herself by degrees to the floor, Maggie said,
“Ain’t. De:dan:wi:da:ki. I’m a Healer.”
She was quiet, gentle with Sue as she pulled aside the
blanket to check the girl. Benny looked away.
Maggie called for warm, damp cloths. Benny jumped to his
feet, but Dolores had them ready. Together, they cleaned the blood from Sue, and
then Maggie wrapped a tiny corpse in one white cloth and sighed.
She handed Dolores a pack of herbs.
“Boil one, then take it off the stove and add the rest.
It’ll cleanse her and help her sleep.”
“Hospital?”
Maggie shook her head. “They closed it last week. I got
four diabetics I’m treating with calcium and herbs, but they won’t make
it.”
Dolores shivered. “Ma Emma?”
Maggie patted her on the arm. “No, she’s borderline.
Calcium to sooth the sugar jags is all she needs. Lettuce and chicory at every
meal.”
“Thank the good God.” Smiling her relief, Dolores sighed.
“Well, I got to rest. Benny?”
Benny’s head jerked up and he scowled, making the women
smile.
“Kid, how about walking me back to the bar?”
“Why?”
Maggie and Ama smacked him.
“Mind your manners,” Maggie snapped. “Take Dolores
home, boy. It’s past dawn, and the civilized rats come a-hunting now.”
“From Safe-Side,” Ama added. “From the sky and dressed
in body armor.”
Benny dragged up from Sue’s side to trail after the portly
Dolores. His neck craned around, staring at the hallway till he stumbled down
the stoop.
Grinning, Dolores latched onto his arm.
“I hope my man sees this and gets jealous.”
Benny scowled at her. “What?”
With a gentle smile, Dolores said, “Sue will be fine, kid.
Most women go through this one time or another.”
With a grimace, Benny gave a reluctant nod. His
mother had, and the woman almost died . . . died . . . died.
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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