“I can’t spell at all,” Pitti said.
I had just taken my first swig of the Gods’
awful concoction when Becki suddenly jumped to her feet.
“Oh shit.” She covered her mouth with her
hand, muffling the string of curses that followed.
“What?” Everyone asked.
“Oh… damn... oh, why is he doing this?” She
continued, not answering. Pitti stood up, followed her line of
sight then, eyes wide, he plopped right back down.
What the hell was going on? I tugged on
Pitti’s pants and shot him a questioning glance. I followed his
finger, pointing to the opposite end of the fire pit where Hockey
was striding determinedly toward our small group. His Chicago
Blackhawks hat was pulled down so low you couldn’t see his eyes and
he was holding something in his hands.
Maisera stopped the spelling bee when she
caught sight of him. The whole camp became instantly, eerily
quiet.
“Don’t do it frate!” I easily distinguished
Gunnar’s voice. “It’s not worth it!”
“What does he have in his hand?” I
whispered.
“Rope,” Becki seethed. “The idiot has
rope.”
“Why?” I asked, confused. “What’s going
on?”
“That’s it,” Becki yelled. “I’m out of here!”
She turned to leave just as Stevo jumped in her way. Grinning like
the Cheshire cat, he grabbed her arms and swung her around to face
Hockey.
I set the flask down, about to stand when
Pitti grabbed my arm. “You can’t interfere Trinity, just sit
tight.”
Hockey had stopped a few feet from us and
raised the brim of his hat, his gaze fixed on Becki.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” She screamed. Then
in typical Becki fashion, she spit in his face.
Unconcerned, he wiped the spit from his cheek
and reached for her hands. Her legs, still free, shot outwards and
she managed to knock him in the shins a few times. With Stevo’s
help, the brothers’s wrestled her into a kneeling position, making
it easier for Hockey to bind her wrists. Her ankles were a whole
another story. She screamed, kicked, twisted and spit, reminding me
very much of a frightened cat.
“What is wrong with you?” I demanded of
Pitti. “Why isn’t anyone doing anything?”
“Shhh. It will all be explained.”
I didn’t see how any of this could be
explained. No one, not even Indiana, Becki’s twin brother was doing
a damn thing. And Maisera had a smile on her face for Gods
sake!
As Hockey hoisted Becki up and over his
shoulder, his face contorted in pain. Becki had sunk her teeth into
him.
Stevo grinned at his big brother. “You sure
about this frate? I’m just guessing here, but I’m not sure she’s
willing.”
Hockey couldn’t answer as his teeth were
clenched tightly together. Blood was seeping through the shoulder
of his white t-shirt where Becki’s jaws of steel had clamped onto
him.
Then with an exasperated sigh and a nod at
his brother, Hockey left with his unwilling prize and headed for
the living lot. I could still hear Becki yelling even after his
trailer door slammed.
It was Stefan who broke the silence that
followed. He grabbed both Jaelle and Indiana in a giant bear hug.
Aishe too joined the embrace with tears streaking down the sides of
her face.
Jericho clapped his hands together, his grin
wide. “Time for celebration, family of mine! To Becki Bălan and
Stefan Sava Jr., may their union flourish in love, their families
unite in happiness and this clan prosper with their many, many
children!”
Hearty laughter and whoops of joy
followed.
“Music, music gentlemen!” Jericho motioned to
anyone holding an instrument. The instant the crisp sweet sounds
struck the evening air he grabbed hold of Maisera and swung her
around.
I pulled away from Pitti and stood up,
glaring down at him. “Tell me what in all the Gods names just
happened?”
He grinned, “All the Gods Trinity? That’s a
tall order.”
“Pitti!” I yelled, stomping my foot.
“Okay, okay. Calm down. It’s an old Romani
tradition. Back in the day, either to avoid paying the bride price
or when the girl’s family wouldn’t let her marry who she wanted, if
you kidnapped her and held her for a few days, that was enough. You
were married.”
Pitti laughed at my startled reaction. “Close
your mouth Trinity you look like a dead fish.”
“I… I… That is so barbaric!”
An indifferent shrug was his only
response.
“But what about love?” I cried. “She doesn’t
sound very happy about this!” I gestured toward Hockey’s trailer
where Becki’s shouting could still be heard, much to the amusement
of the entire clan. Gods, what was wrong with everyone.
“Yeah, what about love?” Xan slurred as he
ambled up to us, Fifi in tow. A cigarette dangled precariously from
his lips.
“Oh please,” Shandor scoffed as he joined our
group. “Who cares about love?”
Simionce laughed, sounding every inch
Shandor’s little brother. “Who knows, maybe the frate does love
her," He said, then waggled his eyebrows conspiratorially. “But we
all know why he’s really marrying her.”
I recognized Onyx’s cackle behind me. I
refused to turn around and look at either her or Gerik.
“Boy needs to get laid is all,” Onyx giggled.
“Jaelle is strict with her kids, no nooky till marriage, right
Stevo?”
She strode forward leering at the blushing
teenager.
Wait…what? Becki and Hockey had never…
“But…” I said, then trailed off, not entirely
sure I wanted to join in the gossip fest centered around my
friend.
Shandor winked at me. “Nope,” He said.
“Never.”
I had no room to judge but Becki’s recent
behavior and Hockey’s response to it didn’t exactly equal a sudden
and forced marriage.
“All of you can go to hell!” Stevo yelled.
“Sex isn’t everything! And Hockey and Becki do love each other. She
just was surprised is all!”
“You’re right,” I told him, realizing that we
were the two lone virgins in this group. “Sex isn’t
everything.”
“Even if they don’t love each other yet, it
can come second, yeah?” Gerik said quietly. Walking forward, he
placed his arm around Stevo who looked grateful for the
support.
“Need almost always come first,” He
continued. “Way of the world.” Gerik glanced at me and I froze as
those pools of blue sucked me in.
He looked amazing in a loose fitting, white
linen shirt, paired with baggy jeans so worn you could practically
see right through them in places. He was barefoot as usual and his
hair hung loose around his face and shoulders, freshly washed. I
couldn’t pry my eyes away from the sight of him no matter how badly
I wanted to.
“How would you know?” Xan spat out. “When you
just magically force people to think they are in love with
you?”
Gerik accessed Xan coldly, “My life and the
people in it are none of your business or your concern.”
With his eyes narrowed and his jaw set, Xan
looked ready to attack.
“But you’re in love aren’t you Xan?” Gerik
smirked at him. “Good luck with that one, yeah?”
Everyone grew quiet, all eyes on Xan, waiting
for his response to the taunt. Instead of responding he just glared
at Gerik. Then, as turned his hate filled gaze on me, his face
changed. The pure rage he’d shown Gerik was now a mixture of anger,
helplessness and anguish.
As we stared at each other, him hating me and
me wishing for nothing except to be able to be with him, a slow
ache began building in my chest, it grew deeper and more painful
until I swear I felt my heart broke.
“Fuck you both,” He said, his eyes still on
me. Then stamping out his cigarette, he stumbled back to the fire
pit. As Fifi took off after him, it took every ounce of my will
power not to cry.
“Trinity?” Gerik took a step toward me and I
instantly put my hands up.
“Don’t I have a magical restraining order
against you?” I mimed the air in front of me as if there was an
invisible wall between us.
He didn’t bother to hide his anger. Eyes
white, veins bulging in his neck, he stood tall, looking every inch
a mad man. Onyx began tugging on his arm, pleading with him to
leave.
I walked away, uncaring. What was there to
care about anymore anyway?
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
I was completely alone. I had people to talk
with; mindless chatter to pass the time while I did my chores and
ate my meals, but with both Xan and Becki gone, it wasn’t the
same.
Over the next few days my routine became
monotonous. I walked the same way through the living lot to the
food tent, and then from there I did my chores. Then I would
practice some fight moves alone by the creek, then back to the food
tent and finally home where I would stay alone and sleep until
Frank would wake me in the morning with his earsplitting
crowing.
It went on like this until I was walking home
from an afternoon bath at the swimming hole and I heard screams
coming from the living lot. I raced toward the noise to find the
clan in chaos.
A wide circle of people had formed around
Onyx and Becki, who were only inches apart, foaming at the
mouth.
“Don’t you think everyone should hear your
good news Becki? Onyx was speaking unnecessarily loud. “Doesn’t the
clan deserve to celebrate with you?”
Becki lunged at her but Onyx sidestepped her
and laughed. She clucked her tongue a few times. “Becki, Becki…”
She taunted. “You shouldn’t be fighting in your delicate
condition.”
“I’m going to kill you, you horrible bitch!”
Becki lunged again and this time her fist made contact. Onyx went
down screaming, clutching her face as blood poured from her nose.
Indiana grabbed his sister just as she was about kick Onyx in the
stomach.
Pushing herself upright with one hand,
holding her bleeding nose with the other, Onyx glared at Becki.
“Tell them Becki! Tell them all what a slut you are! Do you even
know who the father-
“SHUT UP!” Becki screamed shrilly causing
everyone within hearing distance to wince.
Maisera pushed her way through the crowd and
yanked Onyx by her elbow.
“What is the meaning of this?” She asked.
“She’s pregnant!” Onyx screamed, “Becki is
pregnant!”
She shrugged out of Maisera’s grasp and
grabbed Becki shirt, pulling it up. An audible gasp rippled through
the gathered crowd as Becki’s secret was revealed.
I covered my mouth with my hand. Sure enough,
her stomach had outwardly rounded in such a way that you could tell
it wasn’t from weight gain. Becki was pregnant. More than a few
months it seemed.
Poor Hockey. He looked like a deer caught in
headlights as he stared at his new wife’s stomach. My guess was
they still had yet to consummate their marriage.
“I saw her bathing!” Onyx screeched. “And
I’ve seen her puking several times-
Her words cut off abruptly when Maisera
slapped her across the face. Blood from her broken nose arced
through the air as her head spun sideways, spraying everyone
nearby.
“Child, it is times like this when I am happy
Merikano and Christine have gone back to Nature,” Maisera told her
sadly, “and don’t have to see what you have become in their
absence.”
Eyes wide with shock, Onyx’s bottom lip began
to quiver. Becki, still held firmly in her twin’s grip was openly
sobbing.
“Whore!” Aishe screamed breaking the silence.
“Blight on my family!”
“You’ve soiled this family by marrying her!”
Aishe turned on Hockey and started swatting him with her hand. “You
are no longer my son! I disown you Stefan Sava, I disown you!”
Hockey didn’t even bat an eyelash, he didn’t
try to thwart his mother’s smacks, he just stood there, stoic as
ever and continued to stare at Becki, his expression
unreadable.
“What is going on here?” All eyes turned
toward Jaelle as she warily walked into the volatile scene. At the
sight of her mother, Becki’s sobs grew louder.
Aishe pointed at Becki, “You’re daughter
is-
“The copil is mine mamă!” Hockey interrupted.
“Why do you think we got married?”
Hearing that, Becki collapsed in her
brother’s arms. Aishe was stunned into a few precious moments of
silence that unfortunately didn’t last very long.
“Whore!” She screamed at her son. “Sinner!
Your child is a bastard because you couldn’t keep your ciocănitoare
in your pants!”
The sound of Shandor’s incessant snickering
had me turning around. Sitting with Xan and Tobar around the Vãdura
family bonfire, he was as usual, highly amused by the scene in
front of us.
Xan seemed oblivious to everything except his
cigarette.
And Tobar… Tobar looked like he was going to
throw up.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
As I neared the end of my chores, a booted
foot came out of nowhere and kicked an entire barrel of clean
dishes over. The barrel rolled about 15 feet, dishes went flying,
some landing outside the wards.
“What is your problem?” I asked Onyx,
unsurprised to find her attached to the booted foot.
“You.” She poked me in the chest.
“I have never done anything to you,” I said
defensively. But I had, hadn’t I? Inadvertently anyway. I’d come
out of nowhere and taken from her someone she loved.
“Do you know what I loathe about the Gaje?”
She asked.
“I know I really don’t care,” I told her and
began collecting the scattered dishes.
“You’re greedy, nasty little whores who think
just because they live in big houses and drive nice cars that they
can have anything they want just because they want it. And when
you’re done wanting it you throw it away like it never meant a
thing to you and you move on to something bigger or prettier.”
Still ignoring her, I reached down to pick up
another dish.
“Why did it have to be you?” She asked.
“Why?” She continued in a scathing tone. “You
have no magic, you have no Romani in you and you’re not even that
pretty!”