Chapter 9

Edna called the hotel kitchen for breakfast early in the morning while Brown Sugar dash for the shower hurrying to get ready before the breakfast tray arrived.

Soon after, Edna did the same thing, and shortly thereafter the food try arrived in front of their door, which a minutes later, they were done eating and both were catching a ride to take them to a district called Myrtle Wood, so they could go in search for one Mr. Brian Cook!

The journey to get there was much longer than the other two places they had been to already, but seemed to be on the more affluent side of town, since large lawns were spread out like it was a whole archer of land, and fenced shrubs were neatly cut with blooming flowers of all kind beautifying the atmosphere!

As the vehicle pulled up into the community, Brown Sugar searched her purse to find the address she had written down on a piece of paper, so she could past it on to the driver of the vehicle who had been very generous in making sure that they found the right lot number they were searching for!

Pulling the paper apart, she saw the name Byron Cook, but there were no specific lot number written on it, so the only concluded action was for her to exit the car, and start asking door to door for one Byron Cook!

Brown Sugar felt a sense of intimidation as she removed herself from the vehicle and began looking up at the huge houses as though they were gods while praying that she would find her father in one of them, as she started on her foot work!

The taxi driver lingered slowly along as Edna and Brown Sugar moved from house to house like they were some sales lady selling cosmetics for Mary Kaye!

Looking at the pouch premises with their elegant verandas and multiple car pouches, Brown Sugar and Edna conclude her father to be a very wealthy man who was in one of the most, if not the most influential community in the entire County of Cornwall!

One could certainly tell that no ordinary persons were living in this type of community... it had to be lawyers, doctors, barristers and chiefs along with some movie stars who were filthy rich!

"Probably, rich folks who don't want to take care for their illegitimate children!"

Edna exclaimed sarcastically!

Some of the houses seemed unoccupied as if their owners were away abroad because as Brown Sugar went knocking on some of the doors, she had gotten no response and saw large white canvases draped over furniture indicating no signs of functionality on the properties!

Some houses had housekeepers dressed in white uniforms and answering the doors but none of them were aware of any Mr. Byron Cook living in the neighborhood, but, she was told to ask further down the road, because there were a lot more houses located beyond where they were standing!

Banging on the ninth door, a tall dark stranger emerges from behind the house with a long dazzling sharp machete in his hands and ragged clothing on his body!

His eyes were bright and shiny like it had been created to glisten in the dark and his hair fluffy and curly; though very gray!

His hands looked very strong and his posture very upright like his statue was built not to bend!

Staring into his eyes, Brown Sugar believed she had seen herself in him, but refrained from shouting...

"Father, Father, I have found you at last!"

After all, he had a cutlass in hands that looked powerful, and probably wouldn't mist his target!

Looking at the paper in her hand, Brown Sugar asked...

"Are you Mr. Byron Cook?"

As though the name was somewhat familiar to him; the man asked...

"Could you please repeat that name again for me?"

"Are you Mr. Byron Cook?"

Brown Sugar repeated!

Very humbly the man replied...

"That is my name!"

"What is the trouble now?"

Mr. Cook asked, with an impression of gloom plastered all on his face!

"There is no trouble Sir, My name is Ann Cornelia Wilkins and this is my girlfriend Edna Williams, and I just have some questions that I would like to ask you! I am just seeking the truth from an age old situation that I have been seeking answers for!"

Brown Sugar explained cautiously while observing the machete in Mr. Cook's hand!

She wasn't sure of what he might be capable of, and did want to say anything that would trigger off any sporadic behavior!

Timidly and somewhat frightful,l Brown Sugar suggested;

"Mr. Cook, could you please put the machete down, and is there any place that we could sit down and talk; maybe!"

She said with a smile, trying to bring calmness to a presumable anguish situation!

"Our driver is waiting out on the street for us, so we will not take up much of your time!"

Brown Sugar try explaining, while covertly attempting to let Mr. Cook know that they weren't alone, just in case he became boisterous with them, and began chasing them after learning that she could be his daughter!

Sticking the machete into the moist soil and leaving the handle accessible to him, Mr. Cook ushered Brown Sugar and Edna to the back porch of the house, told them to have a seat, as he gesticulate with his hands where the chairs were!

Face still appearing serious, Mr. Cook plopped himself into one of the chairs, and then beckon to Brown Sugar to get on with it!

Trying to warm up to him, and take off the edge from the now intense atmosphere, Brown Sugar asked smilingly...

"Mr. Cook, this is a big and lovely house, do you live here alone?"

"Is this the reason why you are here, young lady, to ask me about this property?"

Mr. Cook fired back, in a tone that was as sharp as the machete he had just stuck in the ground!

"I'm sorry, I really apologized, and I really didn't mean to upset you!"

Brown Sugar said, trying to sound as sincerely as she possible could while holding her hand to her chest to indicate her sincerity!

"Is it possible that we could get some water; please!"

Brown Sugar asked while looking at her girlfriend Edna; signaling to her to also agree that they both needed some water!

"No I don't have any water here today, so I guess, you are going to die of thirst today!"

Mr. Cook barked, in to most unpleasant tone of voice while rolling his eyes at her, in the most absurdity and with great disgust!

He was growing more and more irate and impatient; and Brown Sugar wasn't making it easy on him, or on herself!

He was very eager to know what she had come there for, and she was stalling with her inquiries!

He was now getting in the mood to throw them off the property but, Brown Sugar finally came to the point and began asking her questions!

"My name is Ann Cornelia Wilkins and my mother's name is Carol Wilkins!"

Brown Sugar Began saying but before she could say another word; Mr. Cook lashed out at her!

"You told me that already... Your name is Ann Cornelia Wilkins and that is your girlfriend Edna Wilkins and what is the other name you just said?"

Mr. Cook asked, as he regained memory that she had not said anything about Carol Wilkins before now!

"Carol Wilkins, you remember her?"

Brown Sugar asked excitedly!

"She had died over by Cambridge Heights with her baby eating at her flesh; yes I remember her, alright"

"Ok, I am glad you remember her, well, that baby is me!"

Brown Sugar said confidently!

"However Mr. Cook, what I am here for, is to find out if you are my father because, I was told and given this address that you could be my father!"

Brown Sugar said, with questioning eyes, as she looked for more resemblance between the both of them!

It was a very long pause that would bring the years from the past to keep rolling into the present moment, as he pulled at his beard!

Mr. Cook began looking at Brown Sugar from head to toe; searching for the resemblance... all the identity marks that she had with him, and any of his other children!

After staring at her feet, her hands, her eyes, and her complexion, he finally uttered that he believed that she was actually his daughter, for real!

From they had arrived there, it was the first time since they had seen his mouth cracked open, to produce a smile!

As he looked upon and down on Brown Sugar's countenance with great keenness, his smile began to grow even larger!

Now everything that had been built up inside of him for years, were flowing through his eyes, in the form of tears!

Seconds later, the mouth that was once sealed shut and refrain from speaking much was now wide open; so opened that Brown Sugar could see all the way to the back of his throat, as he yell and holler!

Byron Cook was now off his feet, with hands stretch wide open to embrace his new found daughter as bubbles of tears continued to stream down his face and at times, redirecting its pathway into his mouth as he sobbed!

Cleaning up his face, he began speaking, apologizing for her coming there and seeing him unkempt and rugged looking!

Shortly afterwards... after some of the emotional up-stirred had been settled, Brown Sugar and Edna were invited inside of the house where aged old pictures lined the walls of the house, and suddenly, the refrigerator door was wide open for them to have water or anything else they needed to satisfy their throats, their stomachs and their guts, or anything else that needed satisfying!

At the passage way of the house, Brown Sugar could see that one of the bedroom doors was wide open, and immediately she recognized something that looked quite familiar to her!

It was a thick black garb thrown over one of the chairs in the room!

The embroideries were vivid in her mind like she had just seen them yesterday, and she just couldn't take her eyes from off the thick, share, black clothing resting on the back of the chair situated in the corner of the bedroom!

Brown Sugar wanted to go closer, at least, to the entrance of the room, but she was overcome with fear... a fear that would expose a revelation that she was not ready to quite handle... a fear that said, she was only there to snoop around the property and not to find her father!

"What would I tell my new found father, if he should ever catch me meddling around on my first visit to his house?"

Was the question that had crossed her mind!

A part of her wanted to start asking questions out-rightly, but she held her peace, not sure of what ants nest, she would be stirring up on her first day in the family... a family who she wasn't fully introduces to as yet!

Still standing in the kitchen area, Brown Sugar wanted to know if Mr. Cook was the rightful owner of this mansion and where he had acquired this great wealth from! It was too massive a house for any small farmer to be living in, unless, he had some big industrial agricultural production taking place somewhere else!

Planning on executing her question so as to remove suspicion of her inquisitiveness, Brown Sugar began looking around and around the ceilings of the kitchen and later on, began commenting on how high they were!

She then began to make mention of all the attractive details and designs the architecture had put into the building of this house, with its moldings of angels and lions fastening themselves in each corner of the rooms as if they were there to protect the evil forces that entered there in!

Trying her best to smooth her tone and appear nonchalant - casual about her questions, Brown Sugar asked smiling...

"Dad, you must pay a fortune for building this huge house?"

Mr. Cook was taken aback to hear her calling him "dad" so soon into their relationship, however, it was a title he gladly welcomed since his other children were grown and had stopped referring to him as dad, a long time ago!

His eyes became widen with the surprise of such sound, as he began to press himself, as he tried holding back the tears!

Fighting real hard to prevent the tears from trickling, he shook his head, lifted his face to ceiling, before he began explaining the facts about the house, and how he came to be living there!

Nevertheless, the tears would come streaming down his face like water from a bucket; before he began saying...

"It was built with the best that money could buy and with the strong hands and brilliant minds; even my hands took part in the building of this foundation! Anyhow, the rightful owners hardly stay here to enjoy it; they are always travelling from one place of the world to the next, looking for what only god knows! I am only the overseer of this property; I make sure that everything here is kept nicely - cutting away the overgrown bushes and keeping the lawns manicured! Or else, these nosy neighbors around here won't stop complaining about it to the environmental inspectors who will charge the owner for neglecting the property if the greenery ever gets out of hand!"

"So you don't have a house for yourself?"

Brown Sugar asked with great concern written all over her face!

"Yes, I have a house in the back of this property that the owner had built for me and my children, that's where I have been living for over twenty add years now!?

Mr. Cook responded.

"So what is the total amount of children that you have?"

Brown Sugar asked, still looking concerned!

"Now that you are in the picture, I have a total of four children!"

Mr. Cook replied!

"And where are all of them, if you know?"

Brown Sugar inquired.

"My daughter, looking just like you, she travels with the owner of the property, taking care of their children and so forth! One of my son works in the city, sometimes he too travels abroad on the agriculture work program and the other son, well he is not working anyplace, yet; but he sometimes comes and goes, spending most of his time with his buddies, but where; only god knows!

Mr. Cook patiently explained.

"Come with me let me show you where I am living!"

Mr. Cook suggested gentle taking the drinking glasses from Brown Sugar and Edna's hand and placing them into the kitchen sinks to be washed later on!

In a state of confusion, Brown Sugar needed to know a little more before exiting the kitchen door!

"So daddy, who uses this house... does your son, uses it whenever he comes around to see you, or whatever he comes around here for?"

"Well, for the most part, he comes by my house, as far as I know but, he never usually comes by the big house unless I'm there; I don't think he has any need to be in there, anyway!"

Mr. Cook replied dispassionately!

Brown Sugar stomach now dropped into her belly, removing the built-up suspicions she had lingering in her head about her new found brother or someone living in the house where her father was the caretaker and living!

She could have sworn that the thick black garb that she saw earlier on spreading over the chair in the bedroom was that of the young boy who Uncle Ben was banging in the living room couch couple weeks aback, and who had stab him almost to death!

Erasing the thoughts from her mind, she and Edna gladly accompany her father to his three bedroom cottage, located in the back of the property where he had lived for over twenty years!

It was a very excellent space to be in, well decorated and colorful; and also just as well built as that of the owner's house! He had the best of furniture and appliances situated in the house, stating to her that he was living comfortably!

Mr. Cook had everything inside of his house except his children and a partner, Brown Sugar thought!

The only remembrances of his children were their framed pictures on the walls of when they were very young children, but none of the pictures seemed to be very recent, showing that they were in no communication with him.

Causing Brown Sugar to bring forth a new question that had just popped into her head! She wanted to know if her father was ever married or wanted to get marry to anyone of his children's mother, but she felt she had asked too much question for one day!

However, what she was thinking was also in Edna's thoughts, and so she asked the question without hesitation!

"Mr. Cook what happened to your wife or I should ask; were you ever married?"

Visiting down memory lane once more, Mr. Cook began thinking about all the women he had courted and who he had had some good times with, but now that the question was post to him, he wanted to answer honestly or from a place of sincerity; and not just because he had this beautiful young woman standing in front of him as a product of one of those fling!

"No, I was never married but, I wanted to marry your mother someday because I loved her very much but, at the time, I had my daughter's mother living with... the both of you are less than a year apart!

Her mother went on to be with someone else the same month your mother had died! I then had my last son whit another lady but that relationship didn't work out well either!"

Mr. Cook said, while fighting back tears!

Around an hour had gone by now and Brown Sugar excused herself from her father's presences and raced to the front of the yard to talk with the driver who had now fallen asleep in his car! She wanted to apologize to him for keeping him waiting for such a long time without returning to him and informing him, if he should stay and wait for them or if he should leave them at the Myrtle Wood address and come back and get them later!

Seeing him asleep, she felt afraid to awaken him and decided to let him be and, returned to her father and Edna who were left conversing about the past!

It wasn't long after her return to her father's cottage that the driver began tooting his horn after awoken and recalling that he had brought two female passengers to that address who had not returned to pay him their fare for bringing them there!

Again, Brown Sugar anxiously ran to the front of the yard attending to the driver's call!

Thankfully, he was still in a pleasant mood and was still willing to continue waiting for them once he was getting pay to carry out the wait until they were ready to leave!

A next hour or so was spent with Mr. Cook and Brown Sugar and Edna felt it was time to get going, but promise him they would return to see him and learn more about her family tree, and all the other missing pieces that weren't explained to her as yet!

Exiting her father's house, Brown Sugar could see through one of the windows a shadow lurking in the big house and brought it to her father's attention!

Immediately he dash for the door and called out,

"Kenny, is that you in there!"

But no one answered!

Again he called out,

"Kenny, if you are in there please say something!"

Mr. Cook now reached for the machete which he had jammed in the earth and held it firmly in his hand, as if, he was ready to take drastic action!

"Whoever is inside that house better answer me right now or else, I'm coming in there to get you, and it is not going to be pretty!"

Mr. Cook warned furiously as he stepped towards the kitchen door cautiously!

Suddenly someone spoke!

"You're expecting someone else to come here away from me and the owner of this god damn house!"

The young man said rudely from behind the walls!

"So why you didn't respond to me from the very first time I called your name!"

Mr. Cook inquired with concern written all over his face!

"Kenny, could you please come out here and see your sister!"

Mr. Cook demanded!

"When did she come back from foreign?"

Norman asked unenthused, as if there had been bad-blood between them!

"I am not talking about Betty; this is another sister; she came to see me today!"

Mr. Cook responded enthusiastically.

Thick black grab in hand and big brown beads around his neck like he was about to give sacraments to the saints, Kenny moved closer and closer towards the back door of the house, with a look of curiosity plastered all over his face!

Now standing in the dead center of the door entrance, Kenny and Brown Sugar eyes collided like thunder against glass, causing the earth beneath their feet to shake, as though, there was an earth quake of great magnitude taking place!

She could feel her bladder let off a trickle of water causing her to tightly squeeze the lower section of body together so she wouldn't release herself completely!

Everything she had witness at Naseberry Lane that night was coming back into play right away, as she began recalling Uncle Ben groping and digging into the cesspool area of the young man's bottom; as his tiny feet hanged above his shoulders like a spider on a web!

She also recalled him saving her life, in the middle of the night when Uncle Ben was coming after her with a machete swearing to chop her to pieces because she had seen him in action with another man!

Brown Sugar was in complete shock, to find out that the boy Uncle Ben was banging and groping on the living room sofa was her biological brother!

She wanted to scream out loud!

She wanted God to take the case!

She wanted to run from there right away, but was overcome by shock!

She was hoping that her father couldn't see the terror on her face; something she had no control of now!

All her senses were now on lock down like a prison gate!

Her eyes were seeing and her ears were hearing, but none of them comprehend anything around her!

There was no way he could deny it... the costumes were in his hands, the big brown beads were placed around his neck, and the unmask features were ever so present; standing right there in front of her, like a statue from the holiest of holiest!

With straight face and braveness Kenny stared back into Brown Sugar's eyes; not flinching with defame or shame, dishonor or disgrace, as he made his way towards her!

Like a snake, he just glided down the steps towards her, stretching forth his hand like a true gentleman would, and said...

"It's a pleasure meeting you my lovely lady or I should say, my sister!"

While he squeezed her hands ever so tightly, as if, he intended on breaking it, as he gave her a smile befitting for the devil's thrown!

Now his long thin corny hands were around her shoulders enveloping her, as he intensely breathe upon her and whispered in her ear...

"You might be my flesh and blood but, I will make you crow's meal, if you ever open your mouth to this old fool about me and my affairs, you got it!"

Kenny then shook her firmly before releasing his grip from off her shoulders and returning to the big house!

Brown Sugar flinched in fear as she recalled what he had done to Uncle Ben leaving chop marks all over his body which were huge and very scary to look at!

"Could he possibly do the same thing to her, if provoked - if she mentioned any of his secrets?"

She asked herself

He was presently a criminal, wanted by the law, and he was also a young man living a homosexual lifestyle which was unmentionably and forbidden in these parts!

She knew that Kenny had caught Uncle Ben with Patricia, Ms. Pamela's sister, resulting in him carrying out his act of a deadly assault on him... attempting murder in judicial terms but, could the same man who tried saving her life, now turn around and try taking it, because of what she knew about him!

More strange questions were forming in Brown Sugar's mind, and she nervously wondered...

"Where was he going with that thickly black garb and beads at that time of the evening like he had another soother in town, or, was he and Uncle Ben still kicking it... had made their peace with each other, and were still sleeping together? Or, was he a serial killer pretending to be a priest?"

Were the frantic thoughts racing through Brown Sugar's head!

She needed to find out what is missions were!

Where was he going and who was he going to see!

With her bravery panties on, Brown Sugar offered to pay the drive to follow her brother Kenny, after bidding her father good-bye and promising him to return soon!

Brown Sugar and Edna were now in the vehicle waiting for Kenny to leave the house and as soon as he did, the mysterious chase was on!

They were on his tale like maggots on dead meat, dragging along ever so slowly until he had gotten into a public transportation which was heading south!

It was almost one hour and thirty minutes later that they found themselves on the backside of Naseberry Lane, where they secretly watched Kenny get off the bus and walked towards Uncle Ben's yard, dressed in his long black garb as if he was going to give penance to the sick and the shut in!

Again Brown Sugar's mind was racing with ideas and she began thinking about Kenny not going there for sexual pleasure but he going there to finish off Uncle Ben, for good this time!

Therefore, he wouldn't be around to stand any trial in a court of law or verify that he was the one who had almost hacked him to death!

Brown Sugar began feeling a surge of guilt flowing through her body!

She knew, she needed to go inside and stopped them from killing each other!

She didn't want her young brother to destroy his life by being a full fledge murderer!

Neither did she want her gray-tone uncle to continue riding her brother in the rear like he was riding a race horse!

"Driver, please pull up at the gate for me!"

She pleaded!

As soon as he did, Brown Sugar made her way out of the vehicle and ran inside the yard!

Peeping through the window she saw them arguing and it didn't look good!

She then went into the kitchen looking for the machete or one of the very heavy skillet frying pans made of heavy iron so she could defend herself with it!

None of the machetes were in the kitchen, but the skillets were, so she grabs the heaviest one she could find, and barged through the back door which was partially open!

In the middle of the living room Brown Sugar saw Uncle Ben, now on his knees with his face stuck into Kenny crotch, as he held the machete in one hand and jerk Uncle Ben's head with the other hand, forcing him to pleasure him before he slashed his head off!

"Stop this right now!"

Brown Sugar blurted out, while holding up the big black skillet in her hands like it was an m-sixteen automatic machine!

Swiftly looking around, Kenny was surprised to see her standing there, but didn't seem to care about her presences or how she had gotten there so quickly!

"Damn it Kenny, you are not going to hurt my uncle tonight!"

"Why are you so determined to destroy your life?"

Brown Sugar demanded in a loud voice!

Nevertheless, she was only rebutted with Kenny telling her to get down on her knees and join her fucking uncle in cleaning off his fleshly riffle, since her uncle here, was a man who loved playing in the asses of little boys, fondling with their dicks and pushing his small dick in the asses of cats, while he used the machete to direct her in front of him to kneel down!

"You didn't know that your uncle was sleeping with every little boy he can put his hands on, and fucking every animal on his farm... tell her, how long since you have been fucking me and my friends, and my friend's cats, Mayetta and Katrina in the ass... tell her!!!!"

Kenny shouted!

Now they began pointing fingers at each other!

"Kenny, I didn't sleep with the cats, you did!"

Uncle Ben mumbled, as he wiped away slime, semen and sweat from his mouth!

Kenny now irate and filled with steam, bellowed out...

"Shut up, your damn mouth, you slimy piece of shit... if I fucked the cat is because you forced me to!"

Kenny retorted, as he raised his hand with the cutlass and slapped Uncle Ben across his face with it!

Uncle Ben began bleeding and Brown Sugar began Screaming!

Suddenly, she began blurting out...

"Don't kill him! Please don't kill him... I beg of you!"

"You are my brother, why are you reducing me, to this?"

She said, with wild eyes and snorted nose!

The nights when she had fought and tussled with Uncle Ben now came flashing through her mind, and so she was regaining strength... it was an internal strength that came with her voice, like the nights when she had screamed so hard that Uncle Ben would jump from off the top of her, and wondered where that sound was coming from!

Now the strength was back and she asked confidently....

"Do you think I would ever suck your dick Kenny... you sick bastard!"

Brown Sugar blurted out tearfully!

Brown Sugar was standing in the living room facing two great evils, and knew that Uncle Ben needed to be punished for all the wicked deeds he had done to her in years gone by; and she also believed, that he had already obtained his fair share of punishment when Kenny had almost hacked him to death!

But swiping his head off was not what she ever wanted for him... her heart wasn't that cold, callous or cruel!

Neither was she going to partake in any incestuous activities with her own brother and uncle at the same time, especially, since Uncle Ben had been trying for years to make a whore out of her!

She had decided it wouldn't be the last memory that he took to his grave, about her!

Like a warrior ready for battle, Brown Sugar lean her head to the side, crack her neck, muscled up with all the strength she got, and slammed Kenny a drastic blow to the side of his head with the iron skillet, he didn't even had time to raise his hand with the machete in it!

Blowwww!!!! Bloww!!!!! Blow!!!!!

Echoed the thunderous sounds that had knocked him out!

He was now on the floor dead, with his flesh splattered all over the walls of the room while his red hot blood kept on spewing from his lifeless body like a garden hose!

Franticly Brown Sugar began screaming, running to the car to get her girlfriend Edna, who was already at the window watching and was now in a state of shock!

After the moaning, the grief and the belly aching, Brown Sugar, Uncle Ben and Edna were left with the frightening and criminal tasks of cleaning up all the splattered flesh from out of the room, and then putting this troubled soul to rest!

The tables were now completely turned, since it was Kenny's flesh being given to the crows and not Brown Sugar's flesh!

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