Chapter 1: Flesh

She had been crying for hours before anyone noticed that something had gone terribly wrong!

Just a toddler, only two years old... sitting there on the cold hard floors, beside the lifeless body of her mother; weeping!

It was that uncontrollable sound of terror that had gotten the attention of the neighbors; and with only one push of the flimsy front door, the neighbor found the toddler on the floor screaming while pulling at the breast of her mother who was already long gone into eternity!

The cries were so deafening, so filled with desperation like a child with a great temperament, lamenting continuously because it hadn't eaten for days!

Ms. Bev, the closest neighbor to the child's mother, knew that the child's mother wasn't the type to sit by and let her precious muffin go for hours shedding such dreadful tears over a toy, or anything else, for that matter! "Something must be terrible wrong!"

She said to herself!

Nervously, stepping inside the house, Ms. Bev didn't knew what to expect and neither was she the type who knew anything about self-control, especially in these matters but, she knew that she had to intervene!

After shaking Ms. Coral's lifeless body quite a few times and realizing that she was no longer on this side of the planet; she too began whooping and hollering like there was no tomorrow! The screams were so loud that they called down the entire neighborhood to the door-steps of where the little child laid in tears, reaching and pulling at her dead mother's flesh!

Frantic at this time, no one in the yard knew exactly of what to do next, since nothing like this had never happened in their place of dwelling before! It was the passers-by and the on-lookers who decided to intervene and take action! Therefore, one man took it upon himself, went out in the street and began flagging down every vehicle passing by!

Many vehicles had passed him with great urgency but one would eventually stop... and when it did; it was a speeding police vehicle which already was answering to another predicament somewhere up yonder!

It was a stop that had hailed many words of gratitude and appreciation by the villagers; but although it was their job, it wasn't a situation which the officers seemed fitting to be attending to, right now.

After all, the woman was already dead, and all he could do for her now was to radio the station for the morgue to come and collect her expired body from the scene before her flesh began to stink; and so he did!

Nearly three hours later, before the hearse showed up to collect Ms. Coral's dead body from the scene as a swam of on-lookers stood there staring at the activities as her body was being wrapped up and being taken away! While many persons were making comments of what could have killed her... taking her away from her one and only child... a bouncy bundle of beauty she often called, Brown Sugar!

However, who would care for this cutie - this bundle of pure sweetness which had flush curly hair, dimples that sank deep on both sides of her cheeks and few front rows of pearly whites that would light up any room when she smiled, was the question to be answered now!

With all sincerity, Ms. Bev's heart desired to care for this child as her own but she knew she couldn't afford to feed one more mouth, especially, since she was struggling to feed those mouths she already had under her roof.

Many other on-lookers desired to do the same thing; but they knew their pockets wouldn't stretch for the years a baby like that needed to be taken care of!

Some considered themselves to be too old; expressing that they have already resigned from such a position of child rearing, even though, they knew they needed the company around them which would eventually keep them youthful and make them live a little longer!

Inquisitively, some were asking...

"Who and where is the father of the child?"

While presuming that the father of the child or some other female relatives of his will step in soon and care for the needs child.

Or, the government might place her into an orphanage and find a family member later on who would adopt her! Which many had assumed that a home would be ready for her anytime soon; because no one could reject a baby as gorgeous and beautiful as Brown Sugar!

Weeks of enquiring were done by the police and Social Services Department trying to find out who was the father of this beautiful little girl, her mother often called Brown Sugar; but for months, no one came forth to claim her!

The name Ann Cornelia Wilkins was written on her birth certificate found inside the house; and the police also came to realize that her birth mother's last name was also Wilkins and no one knew of her to be a married woman.

The authorities had now begun asking themselves; if Carol Wilkin was raped by someone who had been threatening her not to say a word to anyone, or else, they would probably hurt her badly!

Or, was she totally unaware of whom the father of her child is, or, did she know who he is but had decided to refrain from connecting with him, any at all?

From what the police officers knew from their years of experience, it was mainly in rape situations that a mother would have given her child the same last name as hers not wanting anything to do with the father. The detectives were now baffled, and scratching their heads for answers, about the secrets to their many questions!

Answers to questions which only could be remedied by the person lying in the morgue, and heading to the grave yard pretty soon!

It was four months of resting in the care of the State before anyone came forward to claim Brown Sugar.

His name was Bernard Wilkins who turns out to be a half-brother to Carol Wilkins, and a half-brother who she had not seen in years because of the bad-blood between them... arguments which they had had for years which lingered red-hot in their flesh throughout the years!

Arguments which did not end with any amicable agreements or peaceful settlings!

Hearing about his sister's passing on the news, he decided to make contact with the police station in the community where she had been living for years, since he had learned she had left a young sibling behind who needed a home, he decided to step in.

He thought the young child could be raised by him and his mistress since they both didn't have any children together of their own.

Ben Wilkins was never married and had two sons with a former mistress and a girl child with another woman who had been now married to another man and refuse to let her daughter be a part of Ben's life, even though, he was her rightful father.

As far as she was concern, her husband was her daughter's father since he had been her sole provider from she was at the tender age of two years old! Prior to that; Ben had rejected them both, often bringing shame and humiliation at her door-steps after the child was born, just to refrain from shouldering his responsibility as a father!

So after all the verifications were made, little Brown Sugar was placed in the hands of Ben Wilkins and Pamela Patterson who had brought her to their home in Naseberry Lane to live them on their large piece of farm land.

Many from the district had come to see the child, and they all had one thing in common to say about her, that she was absolutely a gorgeous child!

In the district some felt, she was indeed in the wrong home, and needed to be with an influential family who could treat her like a little princess, caring for her to grow up and be somebody special!

Instead, of just carrying baskets on her head daily, fetching buckets of water for the household, and feeding pigs and other farm animals when she was aware of her five senses a few years from now!

Needless-to-say, since Pamela didn't have any children of her own, she took Brown Sugar under her wings and took the best care of her that she possible could, as if, she had been expelled from her own womb!

Giving her chores of course, but gentle teaching her the ways of the house and the operation of the farm; though, sometimes covertly putting her foot down when Uncle Ben would complain that the child should be doing much more around the house! And at other times, shouldering the responsibility herself; so nosy neighbors and criticizing eyes wouldn't say she was burdening the poor child to death like she was her personal slave!

Ms. Pamela knew she wouldn't be around forever and wanted Brown Sugar to be equipped with all the skills required for caring for a household and operating a form. Although, it wasn't a large farm, she considered such skills useful whether or not Brown Sugar became married later on in life!

At the tender age of four, Brown Sugar new all the names of the animals and all the names of the fruit trees on the farm. She also knew some of the customers by name and some concept of money... she knew when a customer needed to receive change after making purchases, even though, she wasn't fully aware of the correct amount of change they should intern receive; but she was growing and she was learning.

Brown Sugar was learning everything about her environment that she needed to know and she was gravitating to understanding about them; very fast too!

Ms. Pamela was not the most academically gifted person in the community or even in her household, but whatever little she knew, she would try to pass it on to Brown Sugar, hoping that she would gather and remember more information when she started going school.

There was not much money set aside for her schooling or was being obtained from the farm, but whatever little money that was there for her to obtain some form of formal education would be spent to do so, once Ms. Pamela was alive and kicking!

She knew, there was no way her common-law husband would stand a firm ground and allow Brown Sugar to earn an education when he considered the liquor bottles to be more favorable and fulfilling than his own niece's education!

It was at the age of seven before Brown Sugar had stepped foot into a formal school system; and thankfully, she knew enough to keep up with the rest of the class since Ms. Pamela had been teaching her ABC, and one, two, three at home from she started talking! Along with that, a little advance reading, writing, and some math computation since she had turned three years old!

For six years Brown Sugar did exceptionally well in the Mt. Caramel All-Age School which kept their students until the age of fifteen. Any education after that would have to come from extra lessons and would have to be paid from out of pockets of the student parent or guardians.

Sadly though, at the young age of thirteen, Brown Sugar had to cut her education short because Ms. Pamela had fallen very ill and needed her at home to assist with her care. She had fought very hard to care for herself but she just couldn't manage anymore. Although it hurt her to say it, one Sunday evening when Brown Sugar was preparing her uniform for school, Ms. Pamela hit her with the heartrending news that she was unable to send her back to school, at least, for the rest of that month! Because she needed her at home to take care of the customers, help with the cleaning, washing and cooking, and any other house chores that needed to be done around the house!

Coming down with severe arthritis pain, bronchitis and pneumonia Ms. Pamela was unable to move about briskly on the farm like she used to.

The constant early morning on the farm to pick fruits and vegetables, feed the chickens and other farm animals was practically over! This was their main source of income to pay for whatever else Uncle Ben's little salary couldn't provide like Brown Sugar education and her bus fear back and forth to school!

She was constantly stricken with pain, coughing from the depths of her gut like she was going to bring up a lung on the dinner plate! Oftentimes, she was weak, profusely sweating; sometimes soaking an entire set of bed-linen with perspiration, and dosing off into deep sleep like her end was near!

Therefore, Brown Sugar had to step up to the plate and gather all the provision needed for sales, and sell them when each customer came along so as to keep things running smoothly around the house!

Thankfully, by now, she was able to make the right change and knew how the deal with each customer as they came along. And when to customers were gone, she then would have to play nurse... fixing tea for Ms. Pamela, changing her bed-linen, preparing soup and giving her medication as she needed them.

Brown Sugar oftentimes ached to see her mother in such dreadful and pain stricken condition; but there was very little she could do to help her mother's condition. Seeing her like this, she now wished to become a doctor so she could aid her much better, however, her education or financial bracket didn't allow for it.

Reflecting on her education, Brown Sugar ached even more because she was missing out on her school work. She wanted to complete all the grades and then do the final exams which would allow her to further her education in a professional school or, graduate from her school so she could be considered favorable when seeking for a job position.

She was caught between a rock and a hard place... she was desperately furious when she saw her school mates heading for school in the mornings and she was unable to! Triggered with ambition, Brown Sugar put pen to paper, wrote a letter to one of teachers and one morning when one of her school mate was passing by her place of dwelling, heading out to school, she handed her the note and asked her to submit it to her favorite teacher for her.

In the note Brown Sugar expressed that her mother was very ill, so she was unable to return to school anytime soon. Therefore, she was asking for her to send her school lessons with any of the children who were from the community where she was living so she could conduct the lessons from home.

Nonetheless, there was a different obstacle to climb since at the time, such considerations weren't a part of the school policy so Brown Sugar request had been rejected!

Persistent and defiant, Brown Sugar pleaded and begged for months, for her teacher to send her the school lessons so she could do the exercises and make the cut for the graduation.

It was three months later, after Ms. Edna Williams, one of the teachers, visited Brown Sugar's home and realized the circumstances in which she was living under!

It wasn't pretty!

Therefore, Ms. Edna took it upon herself and spoke with the principal of the school asking to get the permission for such actions to be granted to her!

However, Ms. Edna was scared for her student!

She wanted to know if Brown Sugar could manage all the work she was doing at home and still do the school work that would be presented to her on the worksheets.

So she asked...

"Are you sure you can manage all what you are doing at home, and still do the school curriculum given to you?"

Not sure of herself Brown Sugar replied...

"I would have to try Miss. I don't have a real mother - my mother here, have me since I was two years old, and she soon might go and leave me! Who am I going to have then?"

With tears almost trickling down one side of her cheek; saved by a roll of tissue paper, Ms. Edna expressed while rubbing into Brown Sugar's shoulders, as if, to massage her pain away...

"Well, if you are having any difficulty with any of the exercises, just send me a note and I will come by and assist you with whatever you do not understand; okay!"

"Alright Miss Edna, I'll do that... wait Miss, what I'll do is: I will complete the exercises and those that I don't understand I will leave so when you come by we can do all of those together!"

Brown Sugar suggested.

"I think that is even a better idea Ann, this will then save me much time, so I won't have to be coming back and forth to see you over one problem!"

Ms. Edna stated.

"Yes Ms. Edna, that's what I thought, too!"

Brown Sugar replied.

"Okay Ann, I'll talk to the principal about the matter and get back to you! Take care of yourself, alright, I'll send you word soon, okay, bye for now!" Ms. Edna expressed!

"Good-bye, Miss!"

Brown Sugar replied feeling hopeful.

With those final words, the two parted ways!

It wasn't an easy task for Ms. Edna Williams to convince the principal of the school; but after badgering her boss, he gave in, and okay for Ann Cornelia Wilkins to receive her academic lessons each week and that they must be returned to school and to her teacher Ms. Edna Williams for marking, first thing Monday mornings!

Grateful and overjoyed that the decision was made in her favor, Brown Sugar immediately wrote a thank you note to the principal of Mt. Carmel School and also to her favorite teacher, thanking them both for considering and following through on her request.

Now she was feeling hopeful again!

Her future seems promising, and she strategically planed out, how she was going the get her house chores done, operate the business of the farm, and have her school work accomplished.

There were no customers coming in the nights to buy anything, and Ms. Pamela rested better during the nights than in the days.

Therefore, Brown Sugar thought that she would go over her school exercises during the resting hours when everyone else was a sleep and the only disturbances were the croaking crickets and the two dogs that watched over the property; and would usually barked at anything they saw moving in the shadow of the darkness.

For Brown Sugar, it was the perfect decision and she planned on following it through to the end!

After the first set of English and math exercises were handed over to her, she ran through them as quickly as she could when business on the farm was slow. But once night had fallen, and she had cooked and fed Ms. Pamela her dinner, gave the chicken water for the night, saw to it that the goats were in their pen, and Uncle Ben's food was placed on the table, she then would turn some attention to caring for herself... showering and such! Right after that, Brown Sugar when straight for the books!

For hours, she would stay under the home sweet home lamp; figuring out one math problem after the other, and reading through various literatures and answering questions to see how well she comprehended what was written in the narratives as suggested.

She was on the ball, and she was confident of her answers!

In one night she had covered nearly fifty percent of what was given to her in both subjects and felt excited about completing the rest!

It was now Friday and indeed, a very busy day!

Customers were rolling in and Brown Sugar was multitasking!

She had the produce out in the front of the yard early in the morning while at the same time, in the kitchen fixing the morning meal, so Ms. Pamela could get something into her stomach before taking her medication!

As soon as one customer came along, she would run from the kitchen to attend to their needs, and as soon as they were gone, she would run back into the kitchen to finish from where she had left off!

When it wasn't Ms. Pamela, it was a customer and when it wasn't a customer then she had to be preparing something for the household to eat, and so it when on for most of that day for Brown Sugar!

She was completely tired and exhausted when night had fallen and she was ready to settle down and go through her studies, allowing some reduction of her concentration!

It was a warm night and she was in her house... the same house she had been living in for eleven years of her young life!

After the day's work had been done she took a shower, and attire into a little pink tank top, and a pair of knee high shorts for the night. She was now ready to go over her math exercises so she grabbed a chair from the dining table and began her studies.

This was her life and there was no time to skylark or fool around... she was that committed; but, in the midst of her studies, Uncle Ben came marching in the living room where Brown Sugar was covering over her school work and from the entrance of the door, he stared at her with a smirk of provocation on his face as he laughing uttered...

"Good-night, you pretty thing!"

"Good Night, Uncle!"

Brown Sugar replied.

Uncle Ben failed to remove from his position in the door-way and there he stood for what seems like eternity staring at Brown Sugar and peeping periodically at nature's best... her breast!

And with every elevation of Brown Sugar's head, her uncle Ben would turn his head away and began looking at anything that would shift his focus from Brown Sugar's eyes!

With her eyes down and steadfast on her books, Uncle Ben crawled his way up behind her and then slid his massive hands into her bosom gripping and pulling at Brown Sugar nipples as though, he was milking a cow!

Her body was capture with pain and pleasure at the same time!

Though extremely frightened and not quite sure how to react!

She however managed to say, "Stop!"

While shaking his weight from off her shoulders, as he continued to tickle the edge of her nipples with his crusty fingers, before releasing his hands from them and then walked to his room giggling!

Shortly after he returned, lifted up the food covering, hesitantly taking a piece of meat from the dish and headed back to the room with it, and there he spent the rest of the night, lying on the bed beside his common-law wife who seemed to have gotten worse from all her ailments!

There was only silence in the house now, and Brown Sugar was uncertain of what to do thereafter!

She had no hiding place in the house because her cot... the place that she slept on was out in the open but situated in the corner of the house.

She has been sleeping there ever since she had come to live with them so there was no place to run to or no place to hide!

However, dedicated to what was in front of her, Brown Sugar continued with the school exercises until she thought she had completed enough of the assignments and she was ready for bed.

Books and papers on her make-shift bedside table, Brown Sugar knelt down, said her prayers and when to bed! And there she lay for hours thinking about what had just transpired with her before falling asleep.

This attack of her dignity and her integrity was lying heavily upon her mind, and she wasn't sure of what to do or who to talk to about this matter that was now baffling her peace of mind!

However, since it was Friday night and Brown Sugar knew her uncle usually comes home drunk as a bar fly, oftentimes, disturbing the peace in the house she passed it off as that - a night of disturbing and disrupting the household!

While at the sometime, she was seriously hoping that he would never try such again with her or with anyone else, for that matter!

Thankfully, for the rest of the night, Brown Sugar rested peacefully on her cot stationed in the living room without being attack or molested by her unscrupulous and devious uncle, Uncle Ben who was now after her young flesh!