Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright Read Free Book Online Page B

smudged face appeared. He looked at my flaming hands and screamed.
    “No, wait,” I said, as the boy raced back into the apartment. “We won’t hurt you.”
    The boy dove under a bed at the edge of the studio apartment. MeShack edged to my side and laughed.
    “Maybe we should prepare.” MeShack imitated me in a high voice. “I think he just pissed on himself. Get a towel or something.”
    “Sir, yes, sir,” I muttered, letting the flames evaporate from my hands.
    “Little guy. We won’t hurt you. We thought you were a bad guy, but you’re a good guy, like us.” MeShack took out a honeycomb lollipop that he kept in his pocket, to stop him from smoking cigarettes. “Towel, La La?”
    “It’s coming.” I stepped over several plastic Lucky Burger toys.
    MeShack dragged the trembling boy out from under the bed. The studio apartment was empty besides us and the boy. No other family members were here, unless they were also under the bed.
    Seeing a door, I pushed it open.
    It squeaked. The scent of mold mixed with feces singed my nostril hairs. I shielded my nose from the foul odor and wandered in. A ripped shower curtain hung from a rod with dry dirt and pubic hair clinging to it. Soap plastered in gold makeup and dirt floated in murky water in the sink. Several towels were wrapped around a leaking toilet full of feces. Gagging, I leaped back, ready to get out of there.
    “A clean washcloth, too,” MeShack said from the other room.
    “Would you like fresh lobster with that?” I asked.
    “What?”
    “Nothing.” I left the bathroom and turned to the boy. “Where are your towels?”
    He held the honeycomb lollipop in his hand, but still looked with wide eyes at MeShack. A tiny shaking finger pointed to a pile of clothes near a TV coated in dust. I headed in that direction, stumbling over high heels, and then searched through the mountain of gold-sequined tops and multicolored G-strings until I found a towel, a pair of Captain Habitat underwear, and jeans. I brought the stuff to MeShack.
    “What’s your name?” I focused on the boy.
    “Ben,” he whispered, lips quivering, eyes going left to me then right to MeShack. “Do you know my mommy?”
    I cleared my throat as MeShack wiped Ben’s legs with the towel. I was shocked Ben had let MeShack touch him and wondered what I would have done at his age. I had no control of my fire back then. I probably would have spontaneously combusted.
    We hadn’t counted on Carmen’s kid being alone. I didn’t know what to say, so I remained quiet as Ben watched MeShack’s every move.
    Ben’s eyes reminded me of a visiting professor who’d come from the Shinto Habitat in Japan. The upper eyelids folded over the corner of his eyes and made them appear narrow, like slanted almonds. Black strands of hair fell around his X brand.
    I sat down next to him, trying to get a closer look without scaring him. Ben moved a few inches away. In that moment, I noticed his right hand held a butter knife, his tiny fingers gripping it as if he were holding a sharp sword. He must have grabbed it before opening the door.
    Smart. The type of wisdom you got from hanging out in the streets by yourself.
    “We won’t hurt you,” I said, while MeShack finished wiping away urine and tossed the Captain Habitat underwear to Ben.
    He brought the knife in front of him. “Can you turn around?”
    MeShack nodded, backed up, and faced the other way. I followed and heard material rustling behind me.
    “I love Captain Habitat, too.” I raised my hand to display my watch. “Did you see the episode when the Evil Professor Kensington made the Galk virus, and Captain Habitat used his mega motion powers to shatter all the vials holding the virus?”
    Silence hung in the air.
    “I’m done,” Ben mumbled.
    I glanced over my shoulder and spotted him wrestling with the plastic wrapper on the honeycomb lollipop.
    “Can I help?” I asked.
    He nodded, holding it out but maintaining a distance between us.