Johnson, we’re here,” Steve reiterated.
Still, no answer.
“Hello? Violet?” Kayla said, puzzled as she moved through the living room while Steve headed toward the bedrooms.
“Joe?” Steve called with a bit of panic in his voice. Steve had worked as a private detective during one incarnation and was always acutely aware of any danger. Hoedspruit was generally safe for the white population, but in the last few years robberies at gunpoint had gotten more common.
“Hey!” Kayla heard in a loud enough whisper that she jumped. It was Joe, sitting on a child’s chair in the corner near the sliding door that opened to the deck.
He was in the naughty chair.
“Uh-oh,” she said as she gave Joe a quizzical look. “Steve, he’s out here.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Joe insisted, defending himself although he hadn’t been accused of anything.
Kayla knew her rambunctious son and wasn’t so sure. “So Violet put you in the naughty chair because you were a good boy?”
“Yes,” he smiled, his bright eyes crinkling.
Steve came from the hallway and saw Joe fidgeting and grinning. “And what did we do now, Sport?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Joe said, wagging his head slowly from side to side.
“Where is Violet?” Kayla asked.
Joe pointed outside, and they could see her sweeping the deck as though she wanted to sweep it away, deck chairs and all.
Kayla opened the sliding door, and Violet looked up for the first time. Her face was solemn, and she was angry.
“Violet?” Kayla said as she joined her. “What happened?”
“He said he saw ‘them,’” Violet said, her eyes blazing.
“Them?” Steve asked.
“Them.” It was all Violet would say.
“The toggle-ishy!” Joe giggled as he jumped up from his seat.
“Stay!” Steve ordered as he pointed to Joe to sit down.
“Your papers were all over the floor, and he said ‘they’ threw them there,” Violet said as she pointed inside the house. “He knows not to speak their name.”
Striding past Kayla and Steve, Violet entered the house.
They had encountered things like this in the past, not with Violet but with their last housekeeper.
“The tokoloshi,” Steve said quietly enough that Violet wouldn’t hear.
“Their fables and mysteries are as real to them as the religions of some Anglos,” Kayla said.
“Sure your leprechauns aren’t as real as theirs?” Steve joked.
“Their gnarled little men are whirling devils to them, Steve,” she said admonishingly. “And if anyone mentions they’ve seen one, that brings horrible luck. It’s a curse.”
That was true in some African cultures. They still held fast to their myths and mysticism and believed evil spirits existed. One of the most dangerous types of spirits, the tokoloshi, was released by even the mention of its name, and now Joe had done that in front of Violet.
Kayla and Steve could see the usually calm woman gathering her woven satchel and keys. Her hands were shaking badly.
“He needs to understand it’s nothing to play with,” Kayla said. “Where did he learn about that anyway?”
“I have no friggin’ idea,” Steve answered.
The tension was thick as the two entered the living room. Joe couldn’t resist squealing, “Toggle-ishy!”
“Joe!” Kayla snapped. “Apologize to Violet right now, and never, ever, ever mention that name again, do you hear me?”
The two-and-a-half-year-old sat stock still and his lip started to quiver.
“I’m sorry…”
“Violet?” Kayla said imploringly.
“It’s something bad, Miss Kayla, very bad,” Violet said.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” Kayla asked. She knew this kind of thing could cripple those who believed in the spirits.
Violet looked around the room as if trying to sense its energy.
“No, Miss Kayla. No.”
Steve and Kayla both knew it was hopeless to try and convince her.
“Let us pay you for this week at least,” Steve offered. He knew the hardships those in her village endured.
“I’m
Still, no answer.
“Hello? Violet?” Kayla said, puzzled as she moved through the living room while Steve headed toward the bedrooms.
“Joe?” Steve called with a bit of panic in his voice. Steve had worked as a private detective during one incarnation and was always acutely aware of any danger. Hoedspruit was generally safe for the white population, but in the last few years robberies at gunpoint had gotten more common.
“Hey!” Kayla heard in a loud enough whisper that she jumped. It was Joe, sitting on a child’s chair in the corner near the sliding door that opened to the deck.
He was in the naughty chair.
“Uh-oh,” she said as she gave Joe a quizzical look. “Steve, he’s out here.”
“I didn’t do anything,” Joe insisted, defending himself although he hadn’t been accused of anything.
Kayla knew her rambunctious son and wasn’t so sure. “So Violet put you in the naughty chair because you were a good boy?”
“Yes,” he smiled, his bright eyes crinkling.
Steve came from the hallway and saw Joe fidgeting and grinning. “And what did we do now, Sport?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Joe said, wagging his head slowly from side to side.
“Where is Violet?” Kayla asked.
Joe pointed outside, and they could see her sweeping the deck as though she wanted to sweep it away, deck chairs and all.
Kayla opened the sliding door, and Violet looked up for the first time. Her face was solemn, and she was angry.
“Violet?” Kayla said as she joined her. “What happened?”
“He said he saw ‘them,’” Violet said, her eyes blazing.
“Them?” Steve asked.
“Them.” It was all Violet would say.
“The toggle-ishy!” Joe giggled as he jumped up from his seat.
“Stay!” Steve ordered as he pointed to Joe to sit down.
“Your papers were all over the floor, and he said ‘they’ threw them there,” Violet said as she pointed inside the house. “He knows not to speak their name.”
Striding past Kayla and Steve, Violet entered the house.
They had encountered things like this in the past, not with Violet but with their last housekeeper.
“The tokoloshi,” Steve said quietly enough that Violet wouldn’t hear.
“Their fables and mysteries are as real to them as the religions of some Anglos,” Kayla said.
“Sure your leprechauns aren’t as real as theirs?” Steve joked.
“Their gnarled little men are whirling devils to them, Steve,” she said admonishingly. “And if anyone mentions they’ve seen one, that brings horrible luck. It’s a curse.”
That was true in some African cultures. They still held fast to their myths and mysticism and believed evil spirits existed. One of the most dangerous types of spirits, the tokoloshi, was released by even the mention of its name, and now Joe had done that in front of Violet.
Kayla and Steve could see the usually calm woman gathering her woven satchel and keys. Her hands were shaking badly.
“He needs to understand it’s nothing to play with,” Kayla said. “Where did he learn about that anyway?”
“I have no friggin’ idea,” Steve answered.
The tension was thick as the two entered the living room. Joe couldn’t resist squealing, “Toggle-ishy!”
“Joe!” Kayla snapped. “Apologize to Violet right now, and never, ever, ever mention that name again, do you hear me?”
The two-and-a-half-year-old sat stock still and his lip started to quiver.
“I’m sorry…”
“Violet?” Kayla said imploringly.
“It’s something bad, Miss Kayla, very bad,” Violet said.
“Will you be back tomorrow?” Kayla asked. She knew this kind of thing could cripple those who believed in the spirits.
Violet looked around the room as if trying to sense its energy.
“No, Miss Kayla. No.”
Steve and Kayla both knew it was hopeless to try and convince her.
“Let us pay you for this week at least,” Steve offered. He knew the hardships those in her village endured.
“I’m
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