The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

"I can't stand that disco bullshit!" Clavell irately snarled as he put on his red velvet jacket and checked his wavy hair in a mirror that was attached to the wall.

"Do you want me to go up and tell Jimmy to play something else?" Lucius put on his black Fedora.

Pressing out his mustache, Clavell muttered, "No, we got more important matters to attend to."

Above their collective heads The Trammps', 'Disco Inferno' thumped loud enough to where even the various malt liquor bottles that were scattered on the tables downstairs in the work area were clinking against one another.

It was Clavell who was dressed to the nines in a red velvet blazer, red velvet pants and matching platform shoes. Nita, who was performing her customary duty of staying seated and separating the cocaine, gave only subtle glances at her boss as to say she was somewhat jealous, while Marvin, who along with Clavell and Lucius, was cleaning himself up from head to toe for a night out on the town.

Clear in a corner all to themselves were two fairly young white men who were both adorned in blue plaid, polyester suits. One of the men had a blonde mustache, while the other, who appeared as if he were straight out of high school, wore a pair of eyeglasses and long, dark hair. Both men were holding their own brown briefcase and shivering as if the room they were sequestered in was freezing cold.

Clavell pulled himself away from the mirror and reached into his coat pocket to take out and count a cluster of hundred dollar bills.

"Hey, Marv, hand me one of those Cuban's."

At once, Marvin rushed over and handed Clavell a Cuban cigar before igniting the tip. Clavell puffed away on the cigar while rifling through his bills in a curious fashion. Suddenly, right in the middle of smokes, Clavell happened to glance over at the two white men who were huddled together side by side like frightened mice.

With a grin, Clavell pointed at the men, "Boy, you two look like you're about to fall to pieces. What's the problem?"

"Look, Clavell." One of the men stuttered before catching himself midway. "Excuse me, Mr. Diggs. But we really just need to hurry and get this over with. We have another drop after this one."

Looking subtly surprised, Clavell asked, "What, you two peckerwoods don't like being around us darkies for too long?"

"No, sir, it's not that, we just—

"Blood, just cool out," Clavell motioned with his cigar. "This place is the safest joint in the city. Besides, I got another transaction I have to clear up before we leave."

"It's just that with your friend getting killed last night, we just don't need any other mishaps."

Right then, the entire room grew eerily quiet. Clavell just turned his head in the other direction before pacing the floor.

"Yeah...when we find the motherfucker who did that to Wendell he'll wish to God he was never born. In the meantime, you two just hang loose."

"But we— "The man said shut the fuck up!" Marvin yelled clear from the other side of the room.

At once, both men became permanent fixtures of the wall that they were already attached to, quiet and unassuming.

Giggling at the two, Clavell commented, "Damn, I bet if we were way out there in Beverly Hills they would be as cool as clams."

At that very second, three knocks blasted at the door. Marvin went over and opened it to find a tall, well-built, bald, black man and the afro-puffed lady right behind him.

"Come on in!" Clavell warmly greeted.

With a cavalier smile on his face, the bald man with a perfectly manicured goatee entered into the room. Immediately, Clavell embraced the man who was wearing only a multi-colored dashiki, a pair of white slacks and a pair of sandals. While his friend, whose face was swollen and her height slightly lengthened, wore only a red dress with sandals.

"Man, I was wondering when you two was goin' to get here!" Clavell exclaimed.

"We had certain matters to attend to, mon." The bald man smiled in a deep Jamaican accent.

Clavell then took a gander of the woman before turning up his nose and saying, "Damn, girl, what happened to you? You look like you've had one rough day."

The young lady just cracked a simple, blushing grin before glancing over at her companion and dropping her head.

"Akoni not speak too much, mon. She speak only when necessary."

"It's cool, blood, it's cool." Clavell patted the man on the back. "I want you all to meet my friends, Akoni and Arthur!" Clavell announced to his comrades.

Everyone in the room greeted the duo with the kind of respect that was expected of them, everyone that is except Nita, who remained at her trusty table with an eye targeted only at Akoni.

"Uh...listen, we didn't know that you were gonna bring over some foreigners." One of the white men stammered. "We weren't told of any foreigners!"

Clavell glared at the two men with the most confounded look on his face. "What, are you peckerwoods racist or something?"

"No, sir, we're not, we just weren't informed about any others joining in on this."

"Calm down, my friends are real deal." Clavell led both Arthur and Akoni over to where two chairs were placed before having them take a seat. "You see, you honkeys don't quite understand how business is conducted these days. This ain't the old Al Capone days where some cannoli eatin' motherfucker calls all the shots. This is 1977, the future. Times have changed. And you two corn-fed, college boy, faggots had better learn that and quick. I ain't some nickel and dime porch nigga, I network worldwide!"

The two white men just remained against the wall they were perched to in total submission. Meanwhile, there was Akoni, a woman of few words. She sat in her chair with her legs crossed in a demure fashion while her eyes seemingly examined the room in which she was gathered in.

just wouldn't remove her hard glaze away from the mysteriously silent woman. It was as if they

next to her cocaine, had her other hand underneath the table, where her index finger was tickling the trigger of

their pants." Clavell said to Arthur. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, you had some real serious shit for me and

afraid I cannot do dat, mon." Arthur sat back and relaxed in

Clavell looked back at the man in a stunned glare before sniggering, "I beg your pardon? Man, c'mon, me and my partners have another engagement to

"Akoni and I did not come

asked, "What the hell did

sat and looked up at Clavell in a clever style,

come for dat, mon,

was on Clavell's face quickly dissipated as he approached Arthur and said, "Hold on, we had a deal for some pure diamonds. Now, it's

"I bet these niggas didn't even bring the

Drawing closer to Arthur, Clavell demanded, "Wipe that stupid

rub the look off of his face.

a bitch?" Clavell angrily yelled as he spun around. "I deal with these Jamaican motherfuckers for a

these island niggas!"

out his silver-plated pistol before pointing it directly at Arthur's face. "You

scent on you." Arthur

It was a pause of complete confusion; one that caused each person, excluding Arthur and Akoni, to glance at each other

the hell are you talking about?" Clavell

"You have her scent on you."

"Who's

Lynnette," Arthur

Giggling all over again, Clavell glanced back at everyone

see her last night with your friend. We not here for your money, we want you to know that we

where

before turning back to Arthur. "Are you trying to say

"I say just

bitch?" Clavell furiously backed up. "Something told me not to trust that skeezer

"That bitch just jumped out of the car and took off down the alley,

you, mon. No, no."

"Who the fuck is

was supposed to finish de job, but he did not.

it," one of the white men stepped forward, "we didn't come here for all of this voodoo, shaman talk. We

fuck up and get back to that wall!" Clavell pointed his

their favorite wall where they remained tight-lipped for the time

hell is going on here, or I'm gonna put four slugs in that bald head of yours!" Clavell returned the gun back

But Arthur continued to sit cool and relaxed in the midst of an escalating storm. He had the demeanor of a person that actually delighted in conflict. His look wasn't so much cocky, but rather serene, as if he had the

money, Clavell. I come for

"These

last year." Nita,

head and asked, "What are you

stuck up underneath the table, Nita slowly explained, "Last year, at Thanksgiving, something broke into this house and ate up all these Jamaicans.

yeah, I heard about that." Marvin added.

"Ahh, Isaac...I knew him well."

knew that nigga Isaac?" Clavell looked

in Cali taking care of business." Lucius replied.

head back up, Arthur replied,

with it, too!" Clavell screamed. "And we had that bitch up

"But we checked her out!" Marvin

the feds now have tiny ear pieces!" Clavell said. "She probably set Wendell up last night! That's why no one can find

"Oh, but we

First, you send some wild animal to kill some of your own. Then you hire Isaac and Lynn as undercovers, but Isaac goes crazy on some of his own supply and the cops take him out. Then,

remained completely stalwart in his sitting and listening. Not once did he budge or even twitch while Clavell

both come up in here

"They're probably inbreeds!" Lucius laughed

I made my first five G's at thirteen! My name is

Arthur's sociable grin soon vanished. The man momentarily turned to Akoni, who was still studying Nita, before he refocused his attention back to

slow tone, Arthur uttered, "You say you Godzilla. I come in many forms. Some see me as

Right at that very second, the lights in the room began to blink off and on

ever seen an anaconda feast?"

room focused their stuttering attention to the woman. With the flickering lights and the chatter of agitated dancers above on the top floor,

when it tinks that its victim is at its weakest. At its most vulnerable. When de victim doesn't suspect a thing. Dat is when the anaconda moves in and wraps itself around its victim before it swallows de

these niggas and quick!" Marvin whipped