Josephine Against the Sea Read online

  Daddy no longer walks with the limp!

  I try to remember the last time I rubbed Benjie’s onto his knee; I had assumed it was just another duty Mariss had taken over, but he is spinning Mariss around on the dance floor and not once doing the inconspicuous foot shake to ease the pressure from his knee.

  How could it have healed? I look at the two tiny black lines on my elbows, remembering how quickly my own cuts healed … after Mariss touched them with her freaky static electricity!

  A few weeks ago I would’ve written it off as a coincidence, but after what happened the other night, it’s impossible for me to dismiss any strange phenomenon.

  Like the frozen cricket ball. The weight on my shoulders feels ten times greater.

  Ahkai is next to me, bopping his head to the dancehall beat. He’s still a bit annoyed that I stormed into his house the morning after the “after dark incident” to check Simba’s breath for a fishy smell, and also his paws for blood or fins. Though I am convinced that Mariss is behind Mr. Pimples’s disappearance, I had to eliminate all suspects.

  “Ahkai.” He doesn’t look around. “Have … have you ever wondered if, you know, those creatures your mom tells us about—soucouyants, douens, Heartman, you know. You think they could be real?”

  Ahkai stops dancing and takes a deep breath. He has about as much tolerance for folklore debates as I have for frilly dresses.

  “Not everything about them,” I say quickly. “Just one or two things.”

  Ahkai shakes his head and continues to bounce to the music. At first, I don’t think he’s going to respond, but then he blurts out: “Of course, some of those characters are derived from facts. I read that the Heartman was based on a real serial killer. Do you know Ossie Moore was a real person? A handyman from Paynes Bay—I really want to dance to this song so be quiet until it’s finished.”

  I want to ask more questions but I hold my tongue. The band ends the song at a crescendo, and the crowd hoots and cheers. All except for the table in front of ours, where a group of older women in pastel skirt suits and wide-brimmed hats are busy piling their rice and peas, macaroni pie, sweet potato pie, pudding and souse, peanuts and melon all together in Tupperware containers to take home, before going for second helpings.

  We’re seated at the kids’ table with Ahkai’s other cousins, and Daddy, Mariss, and Miss Mo are at the table behind us. I mull over Ahkai’s revelations and play with a ribbon-wrapped bar of chocolate, tossing it in the air with one hand. I miss my ball …

  “Vincent! Josephine? You is a big girl now! Looka you!”

  Ramona has reached our table. I give her a polite wave and focus on my chocolate. Ramona plants a kiss on Ahkai, ignoring the fact that he tried to duck. He rubs the red lipstick stain from his cheek.

  “Who looking sweet? Who looking sweet?” Miss Mo swings Ramona around, admiring her fitted lace wedding dress. “I tell yuh Shirley is the best needleworker ’bout the place.” Miss Mo steps back so Ramona can approve her pink polka-dot outfit.

  Ramona’s face is flushed—I’m not sure if it’s makeup or joy—either way she’s shining as bright as the diamantés on her dress. You’d never guess she’s my daddy’s age; she’s not much taller than me, and I’m pretty sure she could fit into my potpourri dress if she wanted to.

  “Congrats again, Mona.” Dad gives her a hug. Of course, his shadow, Mariss, has stood up too and is waiting to be acknowledged.

  “This is my, uh, partner, Mariss.” I press my hand down so hard on the candy bar that chocolate bursts out from the side and stains the tablecloth. Mariss has been promoted from “friend” to “partner” in six weeks. Even though Mariss is just meeting Ramona, she pulls her into an embrace like they’re long-lost sisters.

  “So how wunna meet?” Ramona asks. I perk up in my seat. How did they meet? If I knew where Mariss came from, maybe I could figure out her motives … and how to get rid of her. Even Miss Mo, who was refolding the napkins on the table, pauses to listen.

  “That’s a good question,” Daddy replies, scratching his chin.

  “Welllll,” Mariss drawls in her singsong voice reserved for teasing. “I was having an evening swim, and this one here charmed me into walking home with him.”

  Daddy slaps his forehead. “Oh, right, I got lucky twice that day! The other men ain’ get a bite, ’cause you know the fish scarce, but that day my net was full. Then Mariss just seem to rise up out the water like a goddess—”

  My eyes widen and chills run down my entire body.

  Didn’t Daddy tell me about mermaids who comb their hair by a river? River Mumma! That was the name. It was the same day he brought home the brass comb—that wonderful magic comb that cursed knots away! This can’t all be a coincidence.

  Mariss lets out a throaty laugh, which now sounds like someone blowing bubbles underwater. “You are too much! I felt so drawn to him. We had an amazing connection.”

  Daddy kisses her on the forehead. I’m shaking so much that the frills on my dress rustle like dry leaves.

  “Aww, he’s a sweetheart. You’re a lucky woman.” Ramona is already eyeing the table in front, where a woman in a red hat is beckoning with her Chinese fan.

  “I know. And your new husband is very handsome,” Mariss replies. “You will make beautiful children.”

  There is an awkward pause.

  “Cheese on bread, now.” Miss Mo sucks her teeth and starts fiddling with the napkins again. She mutters under her breath—something about people minding their own business.

  Ramona’s face sags, and her eyes become dull. She forces a smile and opens her mouth to reply, but she can’t seem to get a word out. She swallows and then clears her throat. “Sorry, I have to—” Ramona hurries off and goes over to the other table.

  Daddy pulls Mariss back into the chair and leans over to her. I have to strain hard to hear.

  “Ramona can’t ’ave children,” Daddy says in a solemn voice. “She been trying for years.”

  “Oh my goodness.” Mariss slams a hand against her chest so hard it echoes like a popping champagne cork. She looks horrified, as if she’d found out the world was ending tomorrow. She jumps from her seat, attempting to go over to Ramona, but Daddy grabs her hand.

  “Don’t worry about it now.” Daddy makes a “tsk” noise three times. “It’s too bad ’cause she did always want a big family.”

  I realize Ahkai is also listening when he makes two “tsk tsk” noises under his breath.

  Mariss raises her voice so I can hear. “We’re very lucky to have sweet Josie.” She settles down in her seat and reaches out to touch me.

  I gasp and duck to the ground, pretending I’ve dropped something. I have a peek and see that she’s still leaning forward but is now sneering at my feet; I was able to ditch the white sandals for my sneakers when no one was paying attention. Mariss runs a finger along her lips, deep in thought, and my eyes widen when I realize there’s not even a tiny scar on her hand from Simba’s attack.

  It’s like the incident never happened. Before then, the only thing I’d ever seen Simba attack was a can of tuna. But if Mariss really is some kind of half-fish creature then it makes complete sense. She’d be like a walking seafood tower in Simba’s eyes. I’m not sure if Mariss is a River Mumma, but now I’m convinced that she’s not human.

  Daddy offers his elbow to Mariss when it’s their turn to get their meal, and with arms interlocked, they head to the buffet table. I move my chair as far away from Mariss as possible, not taking my eyes off them. What does Mariss want with my daddy? I remember he mentioned something about River Mummas causing boats to crash, but nothing’s happened to Joanne.

  Wait … he said something about spells … they put spells on fishermen! That would explain why Mariss was able to wake Daddy with a whisper. But a spell for what purpose? I watch Daddy pile his plate full of lettuce, vegetables, and everything green, not leaving room for a speck of beef or ham. I don’t understand what master plan requires a purge of red meat, but I h
ave to find a way to get rid of Mariss before Daddy sinks further into her clutches.

  I dart my eyes away as Mariss and Daddy return to their table. My gaze lands on Ramona, who’s back at the head table, and for some reason, our eyes meet for a second before she looks away. She smiles and nods with her bridesmaids, but her entire demeanor is different. She still laughs at the right times during all the speeches by family and friends, but that light never reappears in her eyes.

  Pastor Williams, a highly energetic man with a permanent cheesy grin, comes to the mic. “Thank you all for joining us in this joyous-spirited occasion. Does anyone else in the audience care to impart words of wisdom on this beauteous couple as they embark on the next step of their journey?” He dabs the sweat from his nose before it runs down into his gaping mouth.

  To my surprise, Mariss waves at the pastor and strides to the front of the room with confidence. I sit up in my seat, wondering what she has planned for the clueless crowd. There are a few mumbles as she walks to the microphone, and as I thought, a few women look displeased that she’s wearing white.

  Mariss taps the microphone and jumps when it gives off high, screechy feedback. A few people chuckle in the audience, but Mariss composes herself and straightens her back.

  “Thank you, Father.” Mariss’s voice is soothing on the mic. “Lord be with you.”

  “And also with you,” the crowd responds.

  “One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life. That word is ‘love.’ ”

  The crowd claps. The red-hat woman beats the fan in front of her face and shouts, “Amen!” Another woman to her left shouts, “Yes, it’s true!”

  “They say there are plenty of fish in the sea, but only one fish can be your true love. Cherish that love, because it is fragile. Put each other first—always. True love comes before happiness. True love comes before friends. True love even comes before family.”

  Mariss pauses and stares right at me. The intensity in her eyes sends shivers up and down my spine.

  She breaks our gaze. “I’d like to dedicate this song, this song celebrating true love, to the happy couple.”

  A hush takes over the room when Mariss sings the first note. It is high but gentle, reminding me of “Ave Maria,” but there are no words I can understand.

  “What’s she singing?” I whisper to Ahkai. If anyone could translate mermaid language it would be him. But he ignores me, gawking at Mariss with a dazed expression. In fact, everyone is silent in the hall; even the waiters have stopped serving drinks to listen to her song. If a baby’s laugh mixed with a drop of holy water, it could not be as pure and enthralling as Mariss’s voice.

  Mariss walks over to the head table and touches the front of Ramona’s dress, just under the jeweled lining around her waist, and Ramona does not pull away. I look around but no one else seems to think it’s strange for Mariss and Ramona to be so engrossed in each other.

  Ramona’s eyes glisten, and then a tear runs down her cheek. Mariss does a seamless transition into a higher pitch without taking a breath.

  This part is familiar …

  It’s the same weird falsetto that Daddy hums! I glance at him. He’s staring at Mariss with that same blank expression.

  Wait a minute …

  I swerve my head around the room again. All the men have the same empty, fish-eyed look. The women are captivated by Mariss, yes, but on close inspection, their faces are still animated—blinking, smiling, twitching.

  Something weird is going on, but before I can process my thoughts, a strange warmth comes over me, and I find it hard not to stare at Mariss. Though the words are foreign, the melody takes me on a journey, a journey from a place of loneliness, through battles, disaster, and suffering, until finally, love and peace. It’s like I’m at the cinema, popcorn clenched in my fist, watching an epic movie.

  Then, something flutters near my throat and breaks me out of my trance. It’s a centipede! I am so terrified of the hundred-legged creatures that the slightest brush on my skin is enough to make me levitate and slap at the area. I’ve seen strong, able-bodied fishermen dive into the sea to avoid the painful sting from the beasts.

  I scratch at my throat and beat on the frills, furious that the centipede has so many hiding places, but nothing falls from the dress. Maybe it was a loose thread …

  Suddenly, my head is clear. The urgent, compelling notes in Mariss’s song return to a pleasant but bland tune, but now I have goose bumps as large as cricket balls.

  I think I just got a taste of Mariss’s spellbinding powers.

  Mariss finishes her last note and there is silence. Then, a thunder of applause. Miss Mo gets to her feet and shouts, “Thank yuh, Jesus!” Not to be outdone, the hat women at the table in front of us jump out of their chairs, raise their hands, and scream, “Hallelujah!” over and over again.

  “Whoop! Whoo—” Ahkai stops cheering when he sees the expression on my face. His “whoop” dies and he raises his eyebrow, concerned.

  Pastor Williams wipes a tear from his eye. “An angel sings!” he cries into the mic. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are so blessed to have witnessed a true gift from God.”

  No one cheers louder than Daddy. He meets Mariss on her way back to the table and embraces her. It takes all my strength not to leap to my feet and scream a warning. Pastor Williams signals to the band to start playing a song and invites everyone to dance.

  “That was beautiful,” says Miss Mo. “I never hear a song like that before. Where it from?”

  “It is very old,” replies Mariss, avoiding the question. “Pardon, I need to use the restroom.” I grimace as she gives Daddy a quick peck on the lips before leaving the table. “Save the next dance for me.”

  She seems to glide on the varnished floor. Daddy watches her walk away and then turns to me, his eyes bright. “She’s wonderful, Bean. I really want you two to get along, please, Bean, for me.”

  I don’t answer. Instead, I pretend to be fascinated with my feet. Ahkai pokes me with a fork and asks me a silent question, but what would I tell him? That I think Mariss is a River Mumma? He’d accuse me of being as kooky as Miss Mo.

  Miss Mo!

  I whirl around in the chair. She’s still at Daddy’s table, now scraping leftover food onto one plate. She would know everything about a River Mumma! Didn’t she try to warn Daddy when he showed her the comb?

  I move to get up from my seat but Miss Alleyne steps behind my chair.

  “Ah, the inseparable two.” She squeezes my shoulder and waves at Ahkai. It is always strange to see your teacher outside school. Sometimes I forget they don’t live there.

  Her dreadlocks are twisted on top of her head like an intricate crown. She wears a conservative black dress, but it looks extra fancy, and long beaded earrings that drop past her shoulders.

  I mumble a reply, trying to shift out of the seat to reach Miss Mo, but it’s too late. She’s already disappeared in the crowd with a stack of plates.

  I sigh and sit back in the chair, but then I notice Daddy’s eyes have bulged out, and he’s staring at Miss Alleyne. I understand why when she turns around. The so-called simple dress is backless!

  “Hi, you,” she says to him with a smile.

  “Aurora! ’Ow are you?” Daddy stands to hug her.

  A plan forms in my head—Operation Lesser Evil. Maybe Miss Alleyne can distract Daddy from Mariss. If I have to choose between sea creature or teacher, I’ll settle for the second option.

  “Daddy! You love this song!” I exclaim. I have no idea what the song is, but it sounds close to the ones on the mixed reggae CD Daddy plays on Sunday evenings … well, what he used to play on Sunday evenings.

  “Let’s show these kids how it’s done,” says Miss Alleyne, holding out her hand. Daddy glances toward the bathroom.

  “Go on, Daddy!” I urge. Now there’s no way my polite father would refuse.

  Daddy gives me a stern look, and I smile my most innocent smile as he holds Miss Alleyne’s hand, taking her on
to the dance floor. I watch him fumble, trying to find the safest place to rest his hand on her back.

  Miss Alleyne says something that makes him laugh. She looks quite pleased with herself and returns his smile with one so genuine it shifts her entire stance. Daddy relaxes and they sway to the song. The band changes the mood to up-tempo oldie goldies—the type of songs the old man selling bread in his white Suzuki van plays from the speakers. They stop swaying, and Daddy does his silly, corny dance that makes me want to disown him.

  He looks like a bear stepping on hot coals. Miss Alleyne gapes at him, body poised in her sophisticated-looking dress and silver heels.

  I groan. There goes my plan.

  Then, Miss Alleyne starts to have a seizure! Wait, no, she’s dancing too! Pinching her nose and wiggling up and down.

  Ahkai points at them, laughing. Soon, the entire crowd is cheering them on. The bridesmaids, with their high heels in their hands, take to the dance floor and form a conga line. The band starts to play the calypso song “In de Congaline,” and suddenly most of the crowd is on the dance floor.

  Among the flailing bodies, I notice a rigid one in the corner. The brass pendant gleams in the blue artificial lights.

  Mariss.

  She glares at Daddy and Miss Alleyne, her eyes so filled with hate I shudder in my seat. I wonder if she’s mad enough to make a scene, or worse, attack them on the dance floor. She was bold enough to enchant an entire congregation. Who knows what other special powers she has … maybe she can turn them into seaweed to blend in one of her awful smoothies?

  Mariss marches toward them, and I search the table for a weapon, but I have nothing but a dirty napkin at my disposal.

  She pushes between Daddy and Miss Alleyne, and Miss Alleyne steps back, startled. I expect Mariss to swallow her whole, but instead she turns and looks into Daddy’s eyes, moving her ample hips from side to side, out of sync with the upbeat tune. Mariss puts her hands around Daddy’s neck, and they start slow dancing, oblivious to everyone else in the room. I’m both relieved and repulsed.