Copyright ©2020 by Creole Gaudet. All rights reserved.
No part of this chronicle may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system – except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper – without permission in writing from the publisher, Creole Gaudet.
The door was propped by the swing latch. Sway and Tyler were sitting at the foot of both beds, staring at the TV when I entered. Sway looked to me. “Baby, they’re talking about it again.”
“What?” I was laser-focused, reading the chyron as it scrolled across the bottom of the screen. “The coronavirus?”
“Yeah. You just missed it. They were showing how many people have died already in Italy. Thousands, Andre.”
I walked closer. “This shit is real.”
“But our government isn’t going to let that happen here, right? Don’t they have things in place to protect us? Agencies?”
Tyler turned to us. “We did.”
“Wait, what?”
“We did. After the Ebola outbreak…”
I cut in. “I remember that. Didn’t a man arrive here on a plane with it? He went to the hospital, and he was trying to tell them he was sick, but they weren’t taking him seriously. I think he was from Africa.”
“Yes. Once they found out it was Ebola, they quarantined everyone he’d come in contact with. Then, President Obama sent people to Africa to help with the quarantine there. It was contained…”
Sway snapped, throwing up her arms. “That’s what I’m saying. We can just send them in and let them do what they do.”
“But we can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because in 2018, Trump disbanded the Pandemic Response Team that Obama had set up. We don’t have anyone to monitor or react to an outbreak.”
“So you’re saying we’re fucked? People are going to die?”
“Unless they put something together in a hurry, hundreds, maybe even thousands.”
“I can’t fucking believe this shit.” Sway looked to me. “You were right, Andre. You were right all along.”
“Well… We can’t do anything about it coming, but we can prepare.”
Sway smiled warmly. “We have all the food we can eat. Supplies too. You made sure of that.”
“And we’re moving in the morning! It’s time to pack everything, isn’t it?”
“Yes!”
There were four gentle knocks at the door before it began to open. “Hello! Anybody home?”
I stood, walking towards it. “Cami!”
Tyler and Sway rushed past me. They circled, hugging joyously, beaming with excitement. “I know I wasn’t supposed to be here until tomorrow, but my trick had some business to take care of tonight. Besides, I wanted to surprise you bitches.”
I took her suitcase and placed it between the beds. Cami followed. She removed a thick, white sealed envelope from her handbag.
She handed it to me, smiling hesitantly. Her arms were partially outstretched. “Welcome home, Cami.” I hugged her, pulling her tight. I placed a kiss to her face. She gave me a nod before returning her attention to the girls.
I slipped from the celebration, stealing away to the bathroom. I carefully tore off the edge, fanning out the bills with my thumb for a quick count. All hundreds. Cami had come through as promised.
I folded the wad in half, placing it into my pant pocket.
My mind began to drift. Yes, I had a fresh ten grand, but with the little savings left from our bank accounts, it wasn’t going to be enough. Not for what was coming.
I was going to have to figure something out. Create a budget and stick to it.
Sway entered. “Are you okay, baby? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re just standing here… I know that look. You’re worried, aren’t you?”
“Yeah.”
“Money?”
“I did some thinking, Sway. I’m not sure we’re going to make it.”
“Why? Nothing’s changed. Not yet.”
“I know, but it will. And when it does… We’re not ready.”
“We’re still working. We have plenty of money coming in.”
“I understand that, but if we can’t cover our expenses, we’ll slowly but surely be going backwards each month. We’re going to have to cut back and tighten up.”
“And that’s no problem. Whatever you say is what we’ll do. I believe in you. We believe in you. You know that.”
“I know.”
“So don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
“Let’s play it down though… As long as we can, okay?”
“Be mommy and daddy?”
I grinned. “Right.”
Sway paused, listening. “Why are the kids so quiet?”
“I don’t know.” I leaned, peeking in. I hurriedly jerked back. “Sway.”
“What?!”
“Hush, be quiet…”
“What?”
“Tyler has Cami on the bed with her pants down, eating her pussy.”
“No…”
“I swear. Her legs are spread wide open. Tyler is tearing her shit up.”
“Let me see… The fuck?”
“Did you know about them?”
“Fuck no.” Sway grinned, full of mirth. “That bitch didn’t tell me shit.”
Creole Gaudet
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