Inferno

Jacy was still living with Bernice and Melvin while she attended school.

"Oh, no, no, you can always come and see your daughter," Bernice hastened to assure Jennifer. "No, I wouldn't dream of keeping you apart. So, where are you staying?"

That question let Jennifer know that she had no room at the Kay household.

So, Jennifer turned to her mother for assistance.

"Oh, great, just fucking great," Melissa complained. "Barely got rid of your two brats and now YOU come here needing a place to crash?"

"Yes, Mother," Jennifer screeched. "So fucking sorry, Mother. I just got out of prison, Mother, remember? Soon as I find me a job, I'll be the fuck out of here, okay?"

"Uh huh, your two brats said the same shit; STILL waiting for either one of them actually get off their ass and get a real job," Melissa sneered.

----

Malcolm Jennings was sure that Frederick and the other guard had been lying; Kenneth was quiet, non-confrontational.

"Aw yeah!" Malcolm smirked, squinting at the photograph of Jacy in her waitress uniform. "Fuck that bitch right, you hear? Tell her I be looking her up five years I get out of here, feel me, dog?"

Kenneth just looked at the smirking boy and shook his head.

----

"Fucking told that boy, didn't I?" Frederick asked Kenneth, no broad smile on Frederick's face now as he trained the shotgun on Kenneth.

"Gee sir; I don't know what you're talking about? What happened?" Kenneth asked, feigning ignorance.

"Uh huh, found him in the shower, fucking cock and balls cut off," Frederick said.

"Oh, that's horrible!" Kenneth said. "Gosh, I do hope you catch the dreadful person that did this, sir."

"Cut the shit, Kay; I'm just looking for one reason, just one good fucking reason pull this fucking trigger," Frederick hissed at the expressionless Kenneth Kay.

----

"Oo wee, aw hey Snow Bunny, what's your name, huh?" Cecil smiled what he hoped was a seductive smile as Jacy skidded to a stop next to his car window.

"Sir, could you turn your music down, please?" Jacy asked, ignoring the man's question. "You are disturbing our other customers."

"Aw, hey now, uh uh, fuck that; I got a right listen to whatever the fuck I want," Cecil barked.

"Bye," Jacy said, turned and skated away.

"Mr. John, I asked him to turn that music down and he started cursing at me," Jacy said.

"Oh?" John said and slammed the door of the diner open and stomped toward the car.

John firmly told Cecil he had two choices, turn the music off or leave. Grumbling and muttering threats, Cecil chose to leave, glaring hatefully at the little white bitch as she skated past toward another late arrival.

"So, what's the biggest tip you ever got?" Terry, a slender blonde asked as she smoked a cigarette during a slow moment.

"Me? Guy gave me ten bucks if I could jump the bench out front and not drop his hot fudge sundae," Jacy smiled.

"Guy offered me fifty bucks I gave him my nasty ass panties after my shift," Vanessa, a petite African-American twenty year old admitted.

"Ew!" Jacy screeched. "What'd you do?"

"What you think? Gave him the panties," Vanessa shrugged.

"EW, oh Vanessa, really?" Jacy squealed.

"What?" Vanessa shrugged.

"Damn, most I ever got was five bucks," Terry admitted.

"Not for some panties, huh?" Jacy asked and Terry smiled and shook her head no.

Oh no, he's back," Vanessa said as Cecil's loud thumping could be heard.

"By the way, what's a 'snow bunny'?" Jacy asked.

"White girl works for a black pimp," Vanessa said. "Why?"

"He keeps calling me that," Jacy said and waved through the window of the diner to get John's attention.

Cecil cursed as he saw the powerfully built man approaching his car.

Man, look, all I want is something to eat, all right?" he barked angrily at John.

"And I told you, turn that shit off or go," John yelled back.

"Fine, fine, there, happy?" Cecil spat, turning the music off. "Now, send that little brown haired white girl out here take my order.

"Nope; I'm standing right here, you can give me your order," John smirked as Jacy and Vanessa skated by, trying to show off to one another.

Cecil watched as the two girls completed their round, collecting the empty trays and trash off of various cars.

"Sir?" John asked loudly, getting Cecil's attention.

"Uh yeah, give me a burger, everything on it, and a diet soda water," Cecil ordered.

"Fries with that?" John asked.

"It come with fries?" Cecil asked.

"If you pay for them it does," John said.

"Then no," Cecil said.

"Really? Your panties?" Jacy asked again. "What do you think he wanted them for?"

"So he could sniff them while he whacked his carrot," Terry interrupted and actually laughed out loud at Jacy's horrified expression.

----

"Really?" Melissa spat angrily. "Really? You've been looking but can't find a single God damned thing, huh?"

"Yes, Mother, I have," Jennifer lied. "But believe this shit? Put 'F' on the application and they all of a sudden don't want shit to do with you."

"Then quit putting 'F' on there; God damn, you were let go, right?" Melissa said.

"Yeah, but it's still on my record; my lawyer's working on getting it removed but until then, I got to put it on there," Jennifer said.

----

Jacy tiredly walked toward her car. It had been a slow night and for her slow nights were even more tiring than busy ones. At least during busy nights, she would stay moving. Stopping and starting and stopping again took a lot more out of her.

"Hey, Bitch, I need to talk to you," Cecil snarled and reached for her.

She reacted on adrenaline and whipped the can of pepper spray out of her purse.

Cecil screamed as the noxious spray blasted his eyes. Blindly, he reached out to slap Jacy, slap the horrible can out of her hand.

Jacy kept her thumb on the spray, until Cecil was grunting and thrashing on the ground in agony, unable to breathe.

"I called the cops," John called out, brandishing a pistol. "Go call your grandparents, let them know you'll be a little late getting home."

Melvin was out of bed and dressed before Bernice hung up the telephone.

"Be careful; don't speed," Bernice warned.

"My granddaughter's in trouble and all you worried about is me speeding?" Melvin asked breathlessly.

Melvin stood and listened as Sheriff Dick Davis took everyone's statements. Unfortunately, since nothing had really happened, other than Cecil moved to put his hand on Jacy, there was little that could be done.

"So, you're saying, she has to let him rape her before you can do anything?" Melvin angrily asked the police officer.

"No, I'm saying, if he had actually put his hand on her, then we could charge him with something. But, obviously, your granddaughter's a little too fast on the trigger so..." Dick patiently explained.

To Cecil, Dick did say, "You bother her any more, I'll be on your ass like stink on shit, you understand?"

Cecil did not answer, just groaned as the EMT finished flushing his eyes.

"Going to burn for a while, but you should be all right to drive," the EMT finally said.

----

"Yeah, sure, that sounds great," Jacy said then hung up.

"And how is your mother, dear?" Bernice asked, fighting to keep the disapproval out of her voice.

"Good, I guess," Jacy shrugged. "Says she wants to take me out to dinner, graduation celebration, you know?"

"Oh, that's nice," Bernice said, trying to sound cheerful.

"Manny's Mexican; pretty good stuff there," Jacy said and got ready to go.

"Be careful, have fun, love you," Bernice said.

Jacy peered into the living room and smiled. Melvin lay on the couch, snoring. Pebbles lay on his chest, also snoring.

"Grandma, get me the camera," Jacy whispered.

"Huh, what?" Melvin shook himself awake when the flash from the camera startled him.

"Sorry, Grandpa," Jacy smiled. "Forgot to turn the flash off."

"Damned mangy animal; Jacy, get your God awful cat off me," Melvin complained.

"Oh, I would. If I had a cat," Jacy laughed as the man lovingly stroked the cat's belly.

With a kiss for both Melvin and Pebbles, Jacy left the house.

"I hate cats," Melvin muttered as he sat up. "Ought to throw this thing outside, let the coyotes have her."

"Yeah, cat looks terrified," Bernice smiled. "Now, go wash your hands; dinner's almost ready."

"Where's Jacy going?" Melvin asked.

"Dinner. With her mother," Bernice said, saying 'mother' as if it were a vulgarity.

----

Cecil smiled easily; he'd run across Jennifer, vaguely remembering her.

"Yeah, just wait until you see my daughter; you're going to love her," Jennifer was enthusing as they pulled up to Manny's restaurant.

"Uh huh, she anything like her momma?" Cecil asked, casually grabbing one of Jennifer's breasts.

"No, not really, well, I guess so," Jennifer laughed. "I mean, put long brown hair on me and I guess you got her, you know" Jennifer said. "Probably seen her; works over at that, oh, what's the name of that place? That drive-in?"

"Clark's?" Cecil asked.

"That's it!" Jennifer said, jabbing him in his muscular chest.

"Real long curly hair?" Cecil asked, getting his nine millimeter out of the console compartment of the car.

"Yeah, hey, what you need that for?" Jennifer asked, noticing the gun.

"Just do, Bunny, know what I'm saying?" Cecil smiled reassuringly. "Shit, never know what ignorant mother fuckers come into places like this, know what I'm saying?"

Jacy entered the building, saw her mother sitting at a table and started walking toward her. She faltered as she saw Cecil sitting next to her mother, smiling fiendishly at her.

"Hi Mother, um, what's he doing here; thought it was just going to be the two of us?" Jacy asked.

"Well it was," Jennifer said, smiling happily. "But I kind of ran into him; this is Cecil; he's an old boyfriend of mine, and well, I just kind of thought, you know?"

Cecil smiled even wider, sitting back so that Jacy could see the butt of his gun.

"Oh, hey!" Jacy called out, spotting Bobbi Quarvaros, one of the waitresses at Manny's restaurant. "Mom, I'll be right back; me and that girl went to school together; she graduated last year."

"Hey Bobbi!" Jacy said, coming up and giving the surprised Bobbi a hug.

"Call the police, please," she urgently whispered into Bobbi's ear. "That man at my table has a gun."

"What?" Bobbi asked as Jacy smiled widely.

"I know!" she said loudly. "It's like, so great to see you!"

"Bobbi, we got no time, you playing around, chit-chatting with your little friends," Manny ordered his daughter.

"Oh, okay, I'm sorry, talk to you later," Jacy said loudly.

"Please," she whispered to Bobbi.

Bobbi nodded and dashed to the kitchen.

"You ever eat here?" Jacy asked as she picked up her menu and looked through it.

"Yeah, well, um, like years ago, before your father decided to fuck me over and get my ass sent off to prison," Jennifer spat out, still bitter.

"He's still there," Jacy calmly reminded her mother.

"And I fucking hope he dies there," Jennifer said angrily.

"So, the number twelve? You ever have that?" Jacy asked.

"Ma'am?" Officer Eric Greene asked. "There a problem?"

"Yes Officer, that man has a gun and I know for a fact that he is a convicted felon and is currently waiting trial on weapons violation," Jacy said, smiling at a stunned Cecil.

"Sir, put your hands where I can see them, stand up slowly," Eric said, hand on the butt of his service revolver.

"You little fucking bitch," Cecil spat.

""So, Mom," Jacy smiled to an ashen Jennifer. "Are you supposed to be hanging out with other felons?"

"What?" Jennifer finally sputtered out.

"I said 'are you supposed to be hanging out with other felons' since you just got out of prison?" Jacy asked loudly.

"Really? You hate me that much?" Jennifer growled at her daughter.

"Talking about my Daddy like that? Hoping he dies in prison? Yes Mother, I think I do," Jacy said, standing up.

"You do know he's not even your father," Jennifer sneered and stood up at Eric's request.

"You know what, Mother?" Jacy smiled. "It might not be his blood in my veins, but it is his heart that beating in my chest."

"I get out, I be looking for you," Cecil growled at Jacy.

"That's nice," Jacy smiled sweetly. "Officer, you did hear him make a threat, didn't you?"

"Yes ma'am, I did," Eric said somberly.

"Bye Mother; thanks for the lovely dinner," Jacy said and waved to Bobbi.

Chapter 5

Jacy stood, walked across the stage and accepted her diploma. She smiled at the three people that cheered when her name was called out, then returned to her seat.

After the ceremony, she hugged Jadia, Melissa, and Jelissa and thanked them for coming.

"Like I'd miss my granddaughter graduating for college?" Melissa hooted.

"Where's..." Jacy started to ask Jelissa, and then remembered that Rudy had been admitted to the hospice last week.

"...Robbie and Sammy?" she quickly asked Jadia.

"Eric's got them; it's his day off," Jadia smiled.

"Oh no, don't tell me, he's got them out fishing again?" Jacy smiled.

Jelissa started coughing and Jacy turned and watched, deeply concerned.

Rudy was in the last stages of AIDS and Jelissa didn't look very far behind. Finally, eyes watering, Jelissa ceased her wet hacking and smiled tightly.

"Now, who's ready for Red Lobster?" Melissa said with false cheerfulness.

"Might as well; I know it's going to be pizza tonight," Jadia laughed. "Eric's always saying 'going to be bringing home a mess of fish,' then they get home with all kind of stories about how they ALMOST caught one, but..."

"What you expect?" Jacy said. "He's a lover, not a fisher!"

"Ooh! I can't wait to use that one on him!" Jadia laughed.

"Jelissa, why don't you ride with me?" Jacy asked, putting a loving hand on her sister's arm.

"Great!" Jelissa smiled, revealing a gap where one of her teeth used to be.

Jacy guided them through the parking lot until they reached the old Buick.

"Can't believe you still have this thing," Jelissa laughed.

"Offered it to you," Jacy reminded her. "But Rudy said y'all rather have the two thousand, remember?"

"Uh huh," Jelissa said, losing her smile. "Don't even think we had that money a whole week before it was all gone.

Jacy slipped the robe off, and dropped it and her cap into the trunk of the car, then got in.

"Hey, um, Jacy?" Jelissa asked when they pulled out onto Johnson Street.

"Yeah?" Jacy asked.

"I um, I know I ain't never told you this, but um, I love you," Jelissa said.

Jacy waited for the pitch. The last time Jelissa had said she loved her; she'd followed it up with a plea for money. When Jacy refused, Jelissa didn't speak to her sister for nearly a year afterward.

The next time she saw her sister, it was at Grandma's funeral. Melvin had been the first to go, massive heart attack.

"Died watching the Saints," Bernice had smiled through her tears.

"On three," Jacy whispered to the man in the box. "One two three, go Saints."

Bernice followed three months later. Complications due to pneumonia, the doctor had said, but Jacy knew her grandmother had died of a broken heart, too lonely with her Melvin to go on.

And at the funeral, Jelissa and Rudy had the gall to ask about the will, if there was one.

"Um, so, if there ain't no will, then everything gets split up three ways?" Rudy had asked.

"Number one," Jacy had spat at the insufferable woman. "This is hardly the time or the place for such conversations. Number two, you are not family, you are an outsider so it is none of your business and number three, and there is a will. The probate will be decided three weeks from tomorrow."

Both Jelissa and Rudy stormed out, loudly proclaiming 'how dare Jacy say that Rudy wasn't family and that Rudy was an outsider.'

"Bitch, I'm more family than you'll ever fucking be, hear me?" Rudy had screamed at Jacy.

Jadia had refused to join Jelissa and Rudy, tightly clutching Jacy's hand. Jacy smiled, realizing that Jadia was actually terrified of Rudy but was bravely choosing to do the right thing.

At the reading of the will three weeks later, Rudy again staged a storming out when Sophia Coutre read that Jelissa was to receive only ten thousand dollars.

Jadia nodded thanks when she too was awarded a ten thousand dollar check.

And to our granddaughter, Jacy Alice Kay," Sophia continued.

Jacy's softball scholarship had paid her tuition and Jacy had never wanted for anything as long as she lived with Grandma and Grandpa. She proudly bought, with her own money earned by working at Clark's the frivolous things that teenaged girls buy, and Grandma and Grandpa proudly bought her the essentials.

Melvin and Bernice left the house, the two cars, and nearly eight hundred thousand dollars in CDs, stock certificates, and their savings accounts.

"Jadia, I don't need all of this," Jacy had said to her sister. "You got two kids; you take some of this."

"I'll take Grandma's car; mine's about to fall apart," Jadia said.

"No, I mean, take some of this money," Jacy pleaded.

"Tell you what, Jacy," Jadia said. "Grandma and Grandpa wanted you to have it. You hold onto it. I ever need any, I'll come see you, okay?"

Jacy made the same offer to Jelissa, with Rudy making all the decisions.

"So how much they leave you?" Rudy demanded.

"Rudy, please, this is between my sister and me," Jacy patiently said.

"Uh uh, bitch, this is between your sister, ME and you," Rudy yelled.

Finally, Jacy decided that Grandpa's car was worth two thousand dollars and neither Jelissa nor Rudy wanted Grandpa's car, she'd offer them the Blue Book value of the car.

"I'll bring the money tomorrow," Jacy said and got out of the filthy trailer Jelissa and Rudy were living in.

----

Kenneth smiled as he looked at the graduation photograph.

"God, I sure do have a beautiful little girl," he said aloud then put the picture down and read her letter.

It saddened him; Jennifer, whether out of spite, or genuine emotion, had told Jacy that he, Kenneth Alan Kay, was not her actual father.

"I don't care," Jacy wrote in her long flowing penmanship. "To me, you have always been my Daddy, you have always been the man that I love and I will continue to call you 'Daddy' until my dying day."

Jadia had likewise been told that Kenneth was not her father, but she just shrugged, a move that angered her mother.

"Don't you even want to know who your father is?" Jennifer had shrilled.

"I know who my father is," Jadia said and continued to mash up the bananas for the banana nut bread she was making. "My father is Kenneth Kay, a man that gave up on a few of his hopes and dreams so that he could provide for his family. Did you know he had a baseball scholarship and there were a couple of teams that were scouting him?"

"So?" Jennifer asked, uncaring.

"Uh huh, and he was also a real good bass player too; Grandpa hated rock and roll, but even he said Daddy was real good and probably could have been like a huge star or something, but he put his toys up and went and got a real job when he was going to be a Daddy," Jadia went on, mixing the sugar into the bowl. "Tell me, Mother, you give up anything for us? My father, whoever he is, HE gives anything up for us? So, unless my father died and left me like a million dollars, I really don't give a fuck who he is."

Kenneth put Jadia's short, poorly written note down and smiled at the photographs she included with her note. Her fiancé was a police officer in Bender, Louisiana, and was obviously proud of his uniform. Jadia posed with Eric Greene, wearing his policeman's cap. In the photograph, she was laughing as Eric tried to take his cap back from her.

The next photograph showed her and Robert and Samuel. Robert had on a child's policeman uniform and Samuel had on a child's fireman's uniform.