The Curse of 1977 (Book 2)

Chapter 31

Lynnette opened the door and ever so sluggishly heaved her carcass out of the stall in which she had confined herself for the past hour or so. She hadn't been using the bathroom that long; it took her only a minute and a half for her to do her business. Rather, she kept to herself for as much and as long as she could.

With as little energy as she could assemble the young woman pulled herself towards the sink and washed her hands. She lathered her hands in the soapy, warm water seemingly forever until the water began going cold on her. She then rested her wet hands on top of the sink and watched with lazy eyes as the sudsy water gradually dissolved into the drain.

Lynnette did everything she could not to lift her head, but the restraint was evaporating with every passing second. Fighting against her own neck muscles, the woman gradually raised her head. Her eyes soon then connected with the mirror, a gesture that caused her stomach to tumble.There before her stood a foreigner, someone she didn't recognize. Glassy, red eyes, matted down, uncombed hair, black dirt marks layered on both cheeks. Every feature disgusted her to the point where all she could do was wobble back and forth as if she had no control over her own body.

Lynnette then began scanning her surroundings, from the all-white tile, to the seven stalls, all the way to the five sinks where one was layered in dried up, pink soap solution. The putrid stench of period blood hung lightly in the bathroom like a soft whiff of air that lingered about in a warm breeze.The song, 'Leaving on a Jet Plane' by John Denver started to play on the intercom outside the bathroom.

Lynnette couldn't help but to stand still at that moment while the tune that she had heard some times in the past but paid no attention to caused her mind to drift off into a daze.All she did was stand at the mirror and stare at her reflection while allowing images of her child to flood her brain. No matter where in Cypress she ran, there Isaiah was. Lynnette could hardly stand to be around the boy for more than thirty minutes at best, and yet she couldn't get him out of her throbbing head.

Abruptly, through the door rushed a young, black woman who was wearing a pair of shades, two afro puffs that were wrapped up in a green scarf, a silk turquoise blouse and a pair of tight, green polyester pants.

Immediately, Lynnette composed herself before pretending to wash her hands in the sink before her.Huffing and puffing as if she had been running from something or someone, the woman went for the very first sink.

"You won't believe de night I've been having." She said in a Jamaican accent.

Lynnette only smirked before shutting off the water and reaching over and snatching several sheets to dry her hands with.

"Dese men today, dey are animals." The woman continued on. "I swear, all a woman has to do is dress a certain way and dey act like dey just escaped from de zoo or someting."

Tossing the wet rags into the dumpster, Lynnette turned and began for the door. "Yeah, I know what you mean." She nonchalantly replied.

"Would ya happen to have a smoke?" The woman jumped right into Lynnette's face.

Feeling inconvenienced, Lynnette reached into her back pocket and took out a cigarette before reluctantly handing it to her.

"I'm sorry for asking, but I need to calm my nerves before I hit de block again."

Lynnette then took her lighter and lit the tip of the cigarette before saying, "I know what you mean."

Taking a long drag, the woman asked, "You work, too?"

Appearing stunned, Lynnette said, "No, no, I'm just saying, I know how it feels to do what you gotta do."

Tapping one of her open-toed shoes on the floor, the woman sighed, "Yeah, I've been doing dis now for fourteen years, and it still doesn't get any easier."

"For fourteen years?" Lynnette's eyes blew up. "But you look so young."

Smiling, the woman said, "Don't let my looks fool you, sweetheart, dese streets will age a girl real quick." The woman then extended her free right hand. "My name is Karyn."

Lynnette shook Karyn's hand right back. "Lynn." She replied in a dry pitch.

Taking another soothing drag, Karyn said, "I tink I'll stay in here for a while. It takes a moment or two before my...man, comes looking for me."

"Girl, you'd better get you a gun for his ass."

Karyn inhaled another puff of smoke. "I have other ways of keeping him in line." She then stared hard at Lynnette. "You have very lovely hair. Did anyone ever tell you dat you could be a model?"

Blushing, Lynnette responded, "Those days are far behind me."

Karyn took her hand and lightly brushed it across Lynnette's unkempt hair. It not only unsettled the young lady to have a total stranger touching her, but not being able to see Karyn's eyes through the large lenses of her shades only caused her to step back an inch or two.

before turning around and looking at herself in one of the mirrors.

Lynnette found herself asking for no

Soon after dat, I could see everyting come

"Believe me, I know something about wrong men, but that doesn't mean I knew what was going to come my way." Lynnette turned

her butt to the floor and

"Just how

a woeful manner. "Children being slaughtered inside of schools of all places. "I've even seen

just stood and listened to the odd woman as if her life depended upon it. All that Karyn was saying sounded like the ramblings of a person that had been walking the streets all night, non-stop. She was possibly doped up on all sorts of drugs just to stay awake or bear her profession, she pondered. But within the woman's sayings Lynnette could hear something that she had never heard before from another human being. There was an uncanny desperation in her voice that sounded so familiar, almost as

the mirror and peered straight at her own

her eyes at that second. Just hearing the question float off of Karyn's tongue sent such a violent shiver down her already quivering

I was in love

"Aren't they all...at first?" Lynnette balled up

one of a kind. He showed me so many tings and wonders I had never experienced before. He

men make those silly promises, just to get into

around, Karyn remarked, "No, no, dis man really could do such tings." She then approached Lynnette face to face. "He was

was just listen. Inside, she wanted to tear out of the bathroom as fast as possible. Just hearing the words come out of Karyn's mouth was like feeling a thousand bees bite at her all at once. But for the strangest reason the woman couldn't budge. The last thing she wanted was to

"Everyting was lovely, dat is until I met his family." Karyn's voice, without warning, dropped. "I had known his family for years, but I never had de chance to meet dem, especially

identify with Karyn any longer; she

"You probably tink I am high on drugs right now, don't

"I...I don't know." Lynnette stammered

then grabbed Lynnette's hands and held them as tight as she could. Lynnette tried to pull

"I am in my right mind, my love. Maybe tomorrow you

hands before taking off her sunglasses

wicked sight, but also from the terrifying fact that she still could not move a single muscle in her body.

almost here." Karyn's

Lynnette abruptly opened her eyes to find herself lying on the same bench that she had been occupying for the past

Lynnette then sat up and coughed before glancing behind her at the women's bathroom. She stared on at the door for nearly an entire minute before wiping the

only a few people either walking around or standing at the ticket line. John Denver was still playing over the speakers

bus 213 will be leaving for Philadelphia! At 10:25, bus 304 will be departing for Atlanta, and at 12:40, bus

her. She then immediately jumped up from off her warm bench and

inside her pants pockets was the only solace she had to grasp to.It was an illusion, and yet Lynnette realized that it was much more. She didn't want to think of Isaac, or even the rest of her family, which

said out loud from

to her senses and approached the window where the

own pockets, Lynnette said, "I'd like a

that'll be one hundred and

She continued to root about in her pockets as if she were trying to give off the impression that she had

Then, like she had just stumbled upon gold, Lynnette yanked out a wad of

done counting she gave Lynnette a blasé expression, as to say the young

bills, the

responded, "Is

"We need the whole amount or

while keeping an eye on the women's bathroom behind

"Listen, can't you just give me the ticket and I'll mail you the rest of the money?" She desperately entreated. "I'll give you my

a ticket without the proper funds. That's the

pulled her hands out of her pockets and drew closer to the

With eyes beginning to water, Lynnette implored, "You don't understand, I have to get out of this state.

"If that's the case then you need to contact the

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