Chapter Three: The Usual Suspects
Leo waited outside the flower shop for his aunt Leyla to arrive. She usually picked him up here to go over to the farm over the weekend. This weekend he’d had to evade Charlotte who wanted him to come over to her place and ‘hang’. Leo had no time for that; for one thing Charlotte was suffocating even if she did make life easier with all her financial contributions to his life. However, he wasn’t ready to be tied permanently to her apron strings; the world was full of girls who were throwing themselves at his fifteen year old ass...he wasn’t about to settle down with just one ball and chain. One extremely cloying if generous prison guard at that.
Leyla Evans drew up in a pick up truck and smiled at him, “Hi there”, she said.
“Hey Aunt Ley”, he replied as he got into the truck.
She drove off as they indulged in easy conversation, avoiding awkward subjects like Leo’s mother and school. They stopped at Mrs. Jean’s bakery to get some baked goods to snack on, then made their way to the farm. If Leyla Evans had her way, Leo would have been a permanent resident at the ranch. He was a growing boy who was severely neglected by his alcoholic mother and Leyla sometimes wanted to take a baseball bat to Jade’s head… maybe wake her up and make her see sense. All she could do though was kidnap Leo every weekend and feed him up. This latest growth spurt must be hell on him what with the survivalist diet that he was on by default. Leyla made a mental note to pack him enough food for the week at least.
They drove up to the ranch and Phil opened the gate for them, smiling at Leyla and Leo as they passed. He was the ranch accountant but enjoyed getting his hands dirty. Especially since they’d employed the British chick with the long legs and the strawberry blonde hair. Jade had a feeling there was a break up not very far in Phil’s future. She wondered if Sally was aware that her days as Phil’s girlfriend were numbered. Especially as Leyla had noticed Lillian looking back at Phil...but only when he wasn’t watching her. It was fun to watch in a nostalgic ‘I remember when I was at that stage’ sort of way.
Leo alighted from the vehicle and went to speak to his uncle. It was usually his first port of call when he got to the farm just to get that out of the way. Leo and his uncle had a very uneasy relationship; Gregory was the only father figure that Leo had in his life and he was also his employer. To top it off he was responsible for the roof over his and his mother’s head...it tended to create a bit of tension between them though Greg tried his best to diffuse it.
Leyla could hear the phone ringing in the house. Nobody seemed about to answer it so she ran in to see who was calling. Most likely it was a client or vendor; it was her job to man the phones and deal with marketing anyway… She was wrong though, it was not a client or a vendor on the phone; it was Sally. She’d seen Leyla draw up to her flower shop and wanted to know why she didn’t come in. Didn’t she like flower arrangements anymore? Hadn’t Phil sent her a message or was he avoiding her? Leyla sighed inwardly; she didn’t know how Phil coped with Sally’s high maintenance personality...but to each his own, she guessed. She soothed Sally, talked her down from the ledge she was trying to get on, and then promised that she’d get Phil to call her as soon as he was free while all the while wondering why she was bothering. This was none of her business.
“He’s cheating on me”, Sally said hanging up the phone.
“You got that from what exactly? Ms. Leyla not coming into your shop? You know that woman feels kind of high and mighty cause of her husband owning that ranch. She figures she’s better than us” Charles le Carre said.
“Huh, you mean because she refused to fuck you in high school?” Sally asked with a twist of her lips.
“Always thought she was too good for me. Bet she wishes she’d known better now”, he said smugly. Charles was the richest man in town and he knew it; he also made sure everyone else did too. He had the requisite trophy wife and the most beautiful daughter ever, whose whims he pandered to; when he had time.
“Yep. She probably going to die through an alligator bite the way things are going on that ranch o’ theirs”, Sally said, “And if Phil ain’t careful, an alligator gon’ bite him too. And he is not gon’ like it.”
“I don’t see what you see in Cochise anyway. He’s not good enough for you.”
“Easy for you to say. You already got a spouse.”
Charlie came close and wrapped his arms around her, “Trust me Sal darlin’ marriage ain’t really all it's cracked up to be in those wedding magazines you like to read. You’re better off single and ready to mingle”, he said hands drifting up and down her sides, caressing the swell of her hips and the slight dip in her waist; mapping her.
Sally leaned into his touch bending her neck backwards to rub against his shoulder, “Yeah, well whatever”, she murmured, hip gyrating lazily against her brother.
“And if you got an itch you gotta scratch, you know all you gotta do is ask”, he spoke into her neck, taking a bite out of her skin. He left a brilliant red mark to document that his teeth had been on her skin. It was something for that Phil fella to be jealous over if he really did like his sister and wasn’t just fucking around with her. Sally’s hands rose and closed on his neck, pulling him closer and rotating her pelvis into him with a little more energy.
“Mmm, I love when you get all frisky on me; wanna close up shop and go scratch my itch upstairs?”
“Do I ever say no to you sis?” Charlie asked.
“Only when I tell you to divorce that bitch”, she said.
Charlie laughed, “Yeah well…”, he said leading her up the stairs to her apartment. She had a bungalow located a few miles out of town but she didn’t use it much; this apartment was much more convenient for her in terms of getting to work and keeping an eye on Phil. Charlie picked her up and threw her on the bed. She fell on it, skirt flying up to expose her red-silk-underwear-clad butt cheeks to his gaze.
“Sally”, he intoned reverently covering her with his big hands. He rubbed his palm against her soft flesh, revelling in the feel of her satiny skin against him. He had always loved her skin; it was the softest he’d ever touched - she was the first female who's behind he’d ever touched; and she would probably be the last. He clutched them hard at the thought and pulled her toward him, rubbing his pelvis against hers. She arched backwards, encouraging him wordlessly to get on with it. He unzipped his flies without shifting away from her and positioned himself.
“What do you plan to do if he is cheating?” Charlie asked as he thrust into her to the hilt. She squeaked in surprise and then took a deep breath, pushing back at him as he rutted into her.
“I’ll kill him”, she gasped out every word, “I’ll kill them both.”
“That’s my girl”, Charlie moaned head thrown back and mouth open in ecstasy as they fucked each other.
Phil knocked softly on her door, “Hi”, he said shyly.
“‘ello, wot do you want?”. Lillian asked as she pulled on her boots; she was getting ready to go on the water, locate a ‘gator which had gone AWOL.
“I just wanted to find out if you got the flowers I sent you yesterday”, she said.
“Yeah I got them”, Lillian said.
“Oh”, Phil replied and stood uncertainly not knowing how to take this conversation forward.
“I don’t really like yellow”, she said walking toward him and prompting him to step back out the doorway, “I prefer white or red. Yeller’s for cowards”, her aquamarine eyes bored into his as she paused in the doorway one leg jutting in front of the other. She was a vision; an Amazon vision drowning him in pheromones of love. Phil had it really bad and he didn’t know what to do about it. This had come out of left field. Lillian brushed past him and he turned to watch her leave. She was a challenge he admitted, but one he aimed to overcome. Whatever it took.
“Phil!” Leyla called to him from the main house across the quad. The compound was arranged in such a way that the main house was the epicentre, surrounded on one side by employee quarters and separated from them by a grassy knoll. On the other side of the house was the bayou where a pen had been built to house the domesticated alligators and where others wandered in at feeding time. Harvesting was done monthly; and the hides and skins were sold on to shoemakers and other leather goods makers to be converted into wearable items. The meat went to speciality restaurants or was rotted for use as feed. Nothing was wasted.
Phil walked to the house to meet with Leyla. Her face was pinched, and she looked worried.
“Sally just called”, she told him, “She did not sound happy with you.”
“Why would she call you?” Phil asked shoulders hunching and his hands bunching into impotent fists.
Leyla lifted her hands, “I just answered the phone man. You need to sort things out with your girl; it's spilling over into your workplace.”
Phil's shoulders bunched even harder as he dropped his head, “I know I need to break up with her-” he began to say.
“Whoa, that’s not what I said Phil”, Leyla protested.
Phil smiled, “I know its not. Its what I’m saying.”
Leyla’s shrugged, “Well...I’m sorry to hear it. It’ll make buying flowers really awkward”, she said making Phil laugh, “But I’m sure you and Lillian will be very happy in spite of the height difference.
Phil blushed and grimaced, “Is it that obvious?” he asked.
“What? Your soulful pining? My nephew’s noticed and he’s hardly ever here.”
“Ouch”, Phil said, “Has Lillian said anything?”
“I’m not sure she knows. She might be the only one still in the dark. I think the alligators have noticed”, Leyla said thoughtfully.
Phil blushed and laughed at the same time, brushing the ground with his leg in a shy gesture.
“She won’t even give me the time of day anyway”, he said in a low voice.
Leyla snorted, “Don’t be too sure about that”, she said making Phil glance sharply at her questioningly. Leyla ignored the look, slapping him on the arm and walking off.
“I have to see a man about a dog so...back to work Phil”, she said.
“Yes. right. of course”, Phil said hurrying off in the other direction. It was of course completely by accident that it led to the alligator pens where Lillian was busy wrestling with them.
Leyla disappeared into the woods, walking along the water on a little used path. As far as she knew, she was the only one who used it from the Evans farm. She preferred this route because it was peaceful; apart from the rustle of fauna in the underbrush and the occasional call of birds in the air. It calmed her mind and the walking was stress relieving. At the end of the path was a grotto where she went to sit sometimes; she’d encountered her northern neighbour here many a time, picking up herbs or singing to herself as she burned stuff and did rituals. Leyla wasn’t sure about what she was up to, but it didn’t seem that she was up to no good. She’d thought herself unobserved as she watched her neighbour but then one time when she was finished chanting she’d lifted her head and looked straight at Leyla.
“Missiz Evans, fancy meeting you here”, she’d said.
Leyla had frowned, “Do we know each other?” she’d asked uncertainly. I mean she knew that Matia Andrewes was some kind of witch who lived down the road but she hadn’t met her formerly. She certainly didn’t know that the witch knew her. That was disconcerting.
Matia smiled, “Apparently not”, she said. Her voice was really low, kind of gravelly. It washed pleasantly over Leyla and she’d felt herself relax almost in spite of herself.
“I was just enjoying the ambience”, Leyla felt compelled to explain that she wasn’t lurking or spying.
“I actually called you here”, Matia had said. Leyla opened her mouth in shock.
“I beg pardon?” she said.
“I called you here, because I have something to tell you”, Matia said.
“What?” Leyla said her heart inexplicably speeding up.
“There are people who are close to you, who are in danger.”
“Who?”, Leyla asked anxiously.
“I can’t say”, Matia replied.
“What? So why tell me that people around me are in danger if you can’t tell me who?” Leyla’s voice was rising as she thought about her husband and her nephew and the possibility that it was one of them who Matia was talking about.
“I can’t say because I can’t see their faces. All I see is you in the centre of a swirling mass of blurry people courting danger. The colour yellow is prominent among them.”
“Is there a way to tell if they are family or friends or…?” Leyla asked hands fisting and loosening as she shifted from foot to foot.
“They are close to you; they are connected to you in some way that is related to the danger. I’m sorry, that is all I can tell you. You just have to keep your eyes open.”
“You’re not very helpful for a witch”, Leyla had said with a pout.
Matia smiled, “I know. I’m sorry”, she said and then turned and left.
Since then, Leyla had made the trek to the grotto at least once a week. Sometime she came upon Matia and they exchanged words. Leyla always asked if she had acquired more information but Matia always said no. Sometimes she saw Matia’s granddaughter on the water, steering her boat or fishing. She looked to be a very serene girl; unbothered by outside influences including the fact that her clothes were not fashionable or her hair wasn’t straight...Leyla knew how high school kids could be; how mean and judgmental - she’d been one herself once. So she really admired Mya’s lack of visible depression. Perhaps her grandmother was more effective in finding a remedy to ward against bullying than she was in telling Leyla who the fuck was in danger in her life. Or maybe Mya was just that evolved. Perhaps, she thought, she should introduce Leo to her. He was the opposite of serene; ‘angry, bitchy and discontented with his lot’ was a more accurate description of him. She worried sometimes that he would end up destroying himself if he didn’t find something worth living for soon. Still, Mya never saw her and Leyla didn’t try to call attention to herself. She felt like enough of a lurking snoop as it was.
Dear Dean of Admissions,
My name is Mya Andrewes, and I’m an only child of an only child. I lost my parents young and was brought up by my grandparents. We lost my grandfather early as well so it is just me and my grandmother surviving, of my direct family members. My extended family on my grandfather’s side still live in New Orleans, and we occasionally visit them especially around the anniversary of my grandpa’s death where we go to see him at Lafayette Cemetery and remember what a man he was among men. My family are farmers and I’m extremely interested in how nature interacts with itself in many ways various intriguing ways. That is why Chemistry and Science in general fascinates interest me a lot . It gives up Science holds to its breast gives access to the secrets behind nature; why the grass grows, why certain particular plants help with certain medical conditions, why the sunlight on the water looks like it does reflects on the water like it does...Nature is really the greatest mystery in life, and I want look forward to unravelling it as much as I can. That is why I feel confident that awarding me a spot in your Science programme would be a beneficial move for both of us. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Sincerely,
Mya Andrewes.
Mya read over the letter and nodded her head resolutely. She felt it was just the right balance between honesty and prevarication. Of course it was just the first draft…