Winston awoke but kept his eyes closed to the soft knocking on a bedroom door. He knew he wasn't in his own bed at his apartment, but this was his home. He felt guilty for leaving Isaac unconscious and alone, but his injuries were grievous and needed immediate tending.
"Come in, I'm alive" he croaked out he throat parched and dry. Trying to move he felt bandages tightly bound around his limbs, hampering him.
In came in Dolores, the closest thing he had to a mom, in her signature cat sweater and spandex. Her hair still in the curlers she wore to bed. Her short and round stature gave her a very matronly vibe.
Her arms laden with a wet rag, gauze, and jars full of weird-smelling poultices, whiles still managing to carry a glass of water for him. Smiling at him she handed him the water then started setting down everything else on to the bedside table.
"Morning Chere, glad to see you awake. You have been sleeping for 3 days, and I was getting mighty tired of sponging you off" she said grabbing his left arm and slowly peeling the brown stained gauze off of his left arm.
Wiping the brown crust off of his arm, fresh pink skin appeared as if he just scoured his arm in a hot shower. Only a white Lichtenburg patterned scar starting from between his thumb and pointer finger and ended at his elbow marred the flesh. The burn could be easily confused as being a tree tattooed with white ink rather than a scar.
Dolores clicked her tongue while looking at his scar and held her hand out "Gimme" she demanded.
Winston acquiesced, handing her his other arm. She unbound it also wiping off a pale-yellow crust, turning his arm and examining it every inch of it.
"You gonna be in pain for a couple days, but nothing worse than sore muscles" she said dropping his arm.
Then smacked him in the forehead before he could say anything.
"What did I tell you about drawing that much power," she said pointing at his newest scar.
"I had to" Winston replied sounding whiny even to his own ears.
"Chere you need to be careful, and I don't need or want to know what happened. But please for me and Mort you need to be careful" she said with so much love it made Winston feel pain.
"I'm sorry ma'am" he whispered.
"Good boy now get up and shower. When you finish, I will have lunch ready and then you need to help Mort in the garage" she said patting his chest.
"Yes ma'am" he said as she walked out of the room.
Walking down the stairs, his hair still wet from the shower. He grabbed his bag from the coat rack in the front room. He reached his hand in to make sure Jace's head was still in there, but he only felt ash. Pulling some of the ash out, he sliced a finger on something razor-sharp. Gingerly reaching in he pulled a gold tooth in the shape of a shark tooth.
Sucking on his bloodied finger he couldn't help but grinning as he thought of all those gold teeth sitting at the bottom of his bag. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he couldn't hide his excitement, even if his homecooked lunch was just a bologna sandwich and chips.
"Sorry Chere, since you moved out, I don't ever get groceries except for Sunday supper" she said giving him a motherly smile.
"Doesn't bother me, and I'm taking you out to dinner tonight" he said holding the gold tooth up.
"Let me see that" she demanded to hold it up to her eye and squinting at it. Then putting her reading glasses on, magnifying her eyes.
Winston just sat there eating, not paying attention to Dolores as she turned the gold in her hand. She examined every little piece of it, staring at the base of it the longest.
"Papa nou ki nan Syèl la" she whispered while making a warding sign with her hands.
"You're done now, go help Morty now" she said in a commanding tone.
"Huh" Winston grunted in complete confusion.
She walked away from Winston, pulling a key out from her cleavage. She unlocked an armoire that Winston had never seen opened. The door blocking his view, he couldn't see in it, but Dolores did pull out a bottle of amber liquid.
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She looked right at Winston, "Boy go, go. I will make us a big dinner when your done helping my Morty."
"Yes ma'am" he said politely. Not even worried about the gold tooth he just left with her. He could never thank the two of them enough for everything they did for him since he was 16. They were his saviors and the closest people to him.
Standing in the garage, he always admired Mort's pride and joy. His 1977 Eldorado, his baby. He bought the car the day he met Dolores in Louisiana, and never left either one's side since. Even after he passed away 2 years ago.
"Hey Mort" Winston said holding a hand up like he was waving hi.
A soft rumble came from the engine as the car turned on, the passenger window rolled down and a shrunken head hung from the rearview mirror turned to him.
"Hey kid, you look like your feeling better. I thought you were going to have to join me in here as a pair of fuzzy dice" the shrunken head Mort said. He even laughed at his own joke causing the engine to rev.
"Real funny Mort" Winston replied never really getting why Mort thought he was hilarious.
"What do you need me to do," he asked?
"Nothing my boy lets just go on a cruise. Dole never wants to just drive, or fill me up with the premium gas. Unleaded makes me gassy" Morty said before breaking out into hysterical laughter. This time even his lights turned on and the horn started going off. He even backfired, said excuse me, and started laughing again. Even Winston had to join in with him.
He opened the garage door, letting Mort pull out. He locked the garage up and climbed into the passenger side.
"You should let me install a garage door opener one day" he said buckling himself in.
"Why I got you" Mort said laughing and revving at another stupid joke before taking off.
They drove around town and into the countryside, Mort only speaking whenever a bug hit the window. They sat in amicable silence, the soft rumble of the engine the only music they needed.
As soon as they pulled back into the driveway, Winston jumped out and grabbed a hose to rinse the bug off the grill before Mort pulled in. Grabbing Mort before going inside, Winston stopped sniffing the air.
"Do you smell that?" Winston asked Mort.
Mort's shrunken head started sniffing the air.
"Damn dried sinuses, wait. Sniff sniff. Oh no, boy, we gotta go, this is bad. Get back in the car now!" Mort demanded. His head ripping itself from Winston's grip flying back into the car.
"We need to get Dolores first!" Winston cried. He was panicking from Mort's actions, but he refused to leave if something is wrong.
"THAT'S WHO I'M AFRAID OF" Mort screamed, the car backfiring.
Winston froze in place, his hand on the doorknob leading into the kitchen. The handle turned in his grip, the door pushed open causing him to take two steps back to avoid the door.
Dolores stood in the doorway, her eyes white and cloudy. A lit cigar in her mouth, a constant stream of sweet peppery smoke came from her nostrils. She held a tumbler with ice clinking around the amber liquid.
Winston just stood there staring at her, he knew her eyes meant she was channeling a spirit. She never let the spirit take over her body.
"Ah crud" Mort whimpered as Dolores pulled the cigar from her mouth and took a long slow drink from her glass.
Winston could see her teeth; they were gold and silver now. Not the stained yellow of years of coffee drinking.
Before Winston could speak, Mort coughed loudly as if he were clearing his nonexistent throat.
"Hello Mr. Samedi, it's been what 2 years since you last visited" Mort politely asked. The politeness in Mort's voice stopped Winston from asking any questions.
"Mortimer, how many times have I told you to call me Papa. We're family" Dolores said in a deep smoky bass voice with barely a discernible accent.
"Every time since you showed me my grave, sir" Mortimer curtly replied.
Dolores erupted in a deep gravely bass laughter, that shook every small item in the garage.
"You should have asked me before you married Dolores" he replied.
"I'm sorry sir, I never knew any of this was real until after I married her. Just before you take me just let me say goodbye please" Mort replied.
Winston just stood there between the two transfixed about what was going on.
Samedi laughed even harder at that. "I'm not here for you, I'm here for him" he stated looking directly at Winston.
"Give me the teeth child, and I will be gone" he said holding out his hand.
"But their mine" Winston replied. Too confused to realize he was arguing with a being far stronger than him.
"That is why I'm asking and not taking. My precious daughter asked for my help, and deigned her with MY presence not a simple spirit" Samedi said venom in his voice at the end.
"Just do it boy" Mort implored to Winston.
Looking at Mort, "they are in my bag, you can take them. But can I ask why Dolores asked for your help" he asked Samedi?
"She is protecting you, child. She has always known she could not become a mother, but she thinks of you as her child and in extension my grandson. So I gave her this favor and taking that cursed gold from you" Samedi said his eyes softening as he looked at Winston.
Samedi reached a single hand out as if he was grabbing something, then he opened his hand and showed a handful of sharp golden teeth. He put them in Dolores's mouth and downed his drink.
"Ahhhhhh" he gasped in satisfaction.
"One last tip child always looked at the teeth. They signify age and may give you clues to who or what you are talking to" then he reached into his mouth and pulled a single silver tooth from his mouth. A coffin engraved into it.
"Never get rid of that, it may save your life" Samedi said.
"Mort take care of Dolores; I give you tonight with her" he said. The door slammed shut on her.
Winston turned to ask what just happened only to see Mort sitting in his car, knuckles white gripping the steering wheel. He sat there, tears in his eyes looking back at Winston.
"We will talk about this later Winny. Please let me enjoy this gift from my father in law" Mort said choking up a bit. He opened the door and climbed out of his car.