He looked at me with disgust, then ripped a machete out of a dead person’s handsand started to wave it in the air to fend off the shadows.
“What’s wrong Nico? Are you scared? This is what happens when life becomesunbalanced, when there is too much darkness,” I said.
He swung hard and fell off his feet.
“This is your creation Nico. Look around you and see what your brujeria has done.It’s created poverty, disease, and oppression. It has blocked us from our egguns, and hasstopped us from reconnecting with the Orishas, from the source, from our own power!” Iscreamed.
“No! No! I didn’t do this,” he said crawling on his knees. Make them stop please. I’lldo anything.”
He buried his head in his hands and wept like a baby.
“Please don’t let me die this way?” he said between sobs.
“You tried to break me down by taking everything from me. But I’m not going togive you that kind of power anymore,” I said. “Nothing can bring them back. They’re alldead,” he said. “And so are you,” I said.
“You have nothing, not a fucking soul,” he sneered. “You’re wrong, Nico. I haveeverything.”
He rushed toward me in a fit of rage. He swung the machete at me and missed. Isnatched it out of his hand and ripped his head clean off with it. His legs buckled and hisbody hit the floor with a loud thud, with blood rushing out of its neck like a fountain. Itwas over. I stood in the center of the room, holding the bloody machete in my hands withmy brigade of shadows standing behind me.
I released the machete from my hand; it hit the floor with a loud thud. I heard thesound of the African drums. It wasn’t fast and crazy like before. No, now it was a gentle,slow and steady rhythm. My feet inched off the floor. Some mysterious force was liftingme up. I looked to my right and caught sight of my mom smiling at me. Beyond her,Maria was floating and beaming with joy. Chobo’s large belly jiggled from laughter.Kingfoot and Isabella were holding hands. Pedro Juan and Elvisa were locked in a tightembrace. The Griot was staring at me, wide eyed. There were dark faces all around metoo. And that’s when it happened, when the shadows began to dance. I watched withamazement as their features begin to develop like pictures from a Polaroid camera. Ourhips swayed from side to side, our arms moved back and forth. We all rose up to the top,defeating the dark force of gravity. Some people laughed while others expressed tears ofjoy as we all ascended to the top, into the light.
“Nelly? Are you still with us?” A distant voice cried out. No. I was gone.
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