Saturday, July 14, 2007

Chapter 2: Good Riddance
“Aww, that's no way to greet your big sisters,” Malika scolded her youngest sister. “We got extra early flights and paid lots of money because we were worried about you.”

“Oh, whatever! No, you weren't!” Sarah scoffed.

“You, shut your mouth!” Leah ordered. “If we didn't care, we wouldn't have come at all!”

“Yeah, she's right, Sarah. They care. About the inheritance money!” Rani explained.

“Girls. Girls. Girls!” Talulla finally chose to shout when her fighting sisters refused hear her. “You're scaring Lucius.”

All the sisters looked from Talulla to Lucius. “Who the hell's he?”

“Is he single?”

“I'm Lucius Carey,” he first addressed Malka. Then he turned to Malika. “Yes, I am single, but I'm not interested, so sorry. You see, my fiancée just died in a car accident going over the same cliff as your parents. That's why I was assigned to take care of you ladies.”

“That's awful!” all the girls gasped.

“I am so sorry. If you need any comfort-” Malika stopped when Regina smacked the back of her head.

“I doubt he'd what it from the carrier of all STDs,” Regina sneered.

“I do not have any STDs! How dare you say that just because I've actually been laid! Plus I wasn't meaning that kind!” Malika shot back.

“Welcome to the Wyman's,” Rani smiled at him before taking a swig from her Sprite can.

Lucius let out a loud laugh. He looked back at her, smiling widely. “You're family isn't that bad, I promise. I grew up with seven younger brothers, another reason they have me watching you all. Eight siblings can be a handful to deal with.”

“Yeah,” she let out a light chuckle and smiled at him.

“When I was given your names, my youngest brother, Ziya, looked 'em up. They're themed, too. Your's all mean 'Princess' or 'Queen' or something like that,” Lucius told her while they watch the other girls fighting, with the exclusion of Talulla, who was cooking more breakfast.

“Yeah, Talulla found that out once. She asked why our names were so weird and Mom said she had a book of name meanings, and found our names there. So, you said 'too'. What are your guys' meanings?”

“Uh, well, most of our names mean 'light' while Horus's name is just the Egyptian god of light,” he explained taking another sip of coffee before setting it down to intervene as Regina slapped Malika. “Come on, ladies, no more fighting. I doubt your father would like your fighting.”

That statement stopped them all. The house went quiet except for the sound of the sizzle of the frying pan in the kitchen. The tension was so thick, it would have to be cut with a machete.





“My parents... I don't know what to say about them... They... They were... them. That's the only way to describe Erwin and Rosangela Wyman. They could be nice when they wanted to be, or they could be totally wretched, especially her. But, no matter how cruel or mean she could be, I am very grateful that she would do what not many do anymore. She pushed out and then raised eight daughters. I can't speak for my sisters, but I know now that I'm older, she did what she did out of love. I will miss her very much, as will I my father,” Malka spoke each word with more tears.

The other sisters had refused to say anything. Instead they sat on the front row crying into each other. It took everything in Malka to keep standing. Her body shook and she began to sink to her knees before Lucius caught her in his arms.

“Hey, now, it's alright. Come on, let's go see your sisters,” he whispered to her softly. He pulled her to her feet and helped her over to the crying girls.

The funeral ended and everyone went home. Lucius had to stop by to see his brothers, then he went to see how the girls were.

When he got there, “Good Riddance” was blasting from the stereo in the living room. All the girls sat in their black dresses staring at the stereo system their father had been so proud of.

When he walked in, Rani looked up with her red and puffy eyes. “It was the only song they both actually liked. Mom told us it was playing the night they met...”
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