“What’s going on?” Suave yawned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked at Cobra and saw the sick look on his face. “Cobra, what’s wrong?” But Suave knew. It looked as if Pastor Ralph’s body was discovered. “What’s going on?” he asked again.
“It’s Pastor Ralph,” Cobra said a little above a whisper. “He’s dead.”
“Dead? Dead? What do you mean he’s dead?” Suave jumped to his feet, shaking his head. “No, my uncle can’t be dead.”
Cobra’s mother walked into the room, her eyes filled with sympathy. “I’m so sorry, baby,” she said to Suave. “One of his church members just found him.”
Suave fell to his knees, wailing as he pounded his fists on the hardwood floor. “No no no! Not again.” With his face almost touching the ground, Suave wept, forcing himself to shed tears.
“Shush, my dear.” Cobra’s mother bent over and rubbed his back. “To lose another loved one again must be so hard for you.”
It took a few minutes for Suave’s crying to taper off. Using his T-shirt to wipe the tears from his face, he staggered to his feet. “How... How... How did he die?” he stammered.
Cobra looked away, and his mother looked down at her feet.
“Can someone please tell me how my uncle died?” Suave’s voice cracked as if he were going to burst out in tears again.
“He was murdered,” Cobra’s mother replied in a low voice. “Someone cut his throat like a pig.”
Because that’s what he was, Suave thought but said, “My poor uncle. Oh, Pastor Ralph.” He wrapped his arms around himself, shivering as if he had the chills. “I want to see my uncle.”
“No, Suave. I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Cobra’s eyes pleaded with his friend. “I heard it’s not a pretty sight, man.”
But Suave grabbed his sneakers off the floor, slipped them on his feet, then stormed out the door. Cobra ran after him, begging him to stop, but Suave ignored his friend.
Suave allowed the tears to run down his face again as he passed people along the street. Everyone stared sympathetically at the unlucky boy. First, he lost his mother and father, and now his uncle, the only living relative he had left.
When Suave got to Pastor Ralph’s house, a large crowd was gathered outside. Two of Pastor Ralph’s church members were crying loudly at the demise of their beloved pastor. Suave wished he could give each one a hard slap in the face that would make them see the monster that Pastor Ralph was. But instead, Suave joined in the crying.
“You can’t come in here, young man.” A police officer stopped Suave on the veranda. “A terrible crime was committed inside, and the police are investigating it.”
“But it’s my uncle. Who killed my uncle?” Suave bent over with his hands resting on his knees, gasping for breath.
“You okay, son?” The police officer touched his shoulder.
Suave managed to squeeze out a few more drops from his eyes. He had to wrap this up soon. He was running out of tears. “I... I... I don’t feel too well.”
“Suave, come here, son.” Mason reached down and pulled up the boy he now considered a son. “Let’s get you down to the house. You shouldn’t be here.” Mason put his arm around Suave’s shoulder and led him out to the street.
“Here, take him down to the house and see about him,” Mason instructed Miss Pam. “I’ll stay here until everything is settled.”
Miss Pam nodded and took Suave’s hand into hers, pity splashed across her face. As they walked down the street, everyone offered Suave their condolences. Once they arrived at the house, Miss Pam led Suave to a bedroom in the back. Junior was nowhere in sight, and Suave was happy about that. He was probably at the crime scene trying to get a glimpse of the dead pig.
Suave’s blood ran cold when he entered the room. It was a nice room but reminded him of the little back room where he had killed Pastor Ralph.
“Go lie down, sweetie,” Miss Pam said to Suave. “You want some breakfast?”
Suave shook his head and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. “I just want to fall asleep and wake up to find out this is all a bad dream. I can’t believe someone killed my uncle. Who would do something like that?”
Miss Pam said, “I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but I never really liked that man. He walked around here, condemning everyone to hell, but I couldn’t help feeling like he was the devil.”
Suave lowered his head toward the floor so Miss Pam wouldn’t see the smirk on his face.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Miss Pam said quickly, misinterpreting Suave’s action. “I shouldn’t have said that. He was still your uncle. He took you into his home and helped you when you needed him.”
You mean he helped himself. Suave looked up at her through sad eyes and said, “Yes, my uncle was really something.” I hope you rot in hell, Pastor Ralph. Bye-bye.
“Okay. I’ll come back and check on you later.” Miss Pam exited the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
Alone in the room, Suave kicked off his sneakers. He lay down on the bed, his legs crossed, and his hands under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Soon a smile spread across his face. Suave chuckled softly. “I think I want to be an actor when I grow up.”
Chapter Nineteen
Five years later, Suave, now eighteen years old, was one of Mason’s right-hand men. After Pastor Ralph was killed, Mason insisted that Suave live with him, Miss Pam, and Junior, against Junior’s protests. Mason sold Pastor Ralph’s house that was now Suave’s as his only surviving relative and put the money in an account for Suave.
Suave wanted to drop out of high school to hustle full-time, but Mason wouldn’t hear of it. “Education
