No Room for Mercy by Clever Black Read Free Book Online

animal friend!” Spoonie snapped. “Everybody
always says that the animals were going to a new home, but today we
learned something new! Mister Spots and the rest of his friends are
being made into food and we don’t like it! We’re some bad
people because we’re killing animals and eating them alive!”
she yelled aloud, getting everyone’s attention.
    “How you gone kill ‘em and eat ‘em alive, Tyke?”
Kimi asked as she sniggled.
    “You know what I mean!”
    “Lord, here we go with another jaunt,” Naomi sighed.
“Where’d you here that, Tyke?”
    When Tyke pointed over to Walee, the entire family eyed him, some
shaking their heads in disbelief.
    “What? What did I do now?” Walee asked, pretending to be
unaware of what a stir he’d caused.
    “Why did you tell them that, Walee,” Bay sighed before
she bit into her rib. “You could have explained it much better
and you know that,” she then said as she wiped her mouth with a
napkin.
    “ Mister Spots sure taste good, already,” T-top
said to herself, caring not to indulge in the conversation.
    “They was like, ‘let’s go see Mister Spots’,
yada, yada, ya. So I told them the truth about the animals.”
Walee finally admitted, careful not to reveal the real reason for his
upsetting his sisters.
    “You went down to them stockyards after I told you not to,
young man?” Naomi asked from her table.
    “Flacco walked us across. They really wanted to see their pet
so we just went for a few minutes and then Flacco walked us back to
the open field.
    “Walee said Mister Spots head gets cut off and he’s
skinned alive.” Spoonie cut in.
    Kimi looked over to Spoonie and shook her head as she chuckled. “If
his head is cut off he can’t be skinned alive because he’s
dead already,” she said through light laughter.
    “Momma,” Tyke chimed in. “Do Mister Spots and his
friends go to the meat department at a grocery store?”
    “Sometimes, Tyke. Yes they do. But they aren’t harmed.”
Naomi said as she crossed her legs and stared at her daughters.
    “How are they not harmed if they’re dead?” Tyke
inquired.
    “Because it’s done quick, babies.” Naomi remarked
softly.
    “How is it done quickly, momma?” Spoonie asked.
    “They put them to sleep first with sleeping pills. They don’t
feel a thing.”
    “Sleeping pills?” Tyke wondered aloud.
    “Yes. And Mister Spots and animals like him is happy to do
their part for us humans. The animals know what they’re doing,
my loves.”
    “Sleeping pills,” Walee said through laughter. “They
don’t use—” he immediately went silent when he saw
his mother eyeing him harshly.
    “However they do it—me and Spoonie is not eating meat
ever again! It’s Mister Spots and his friends and we’re
not touchin’ any meat ever again!” Tyke said loudly as
she folded her arms and tucked her chin in. “And I’m
hungry!”
    “Well, what you want,” Naomi asked as got up and walked
over towards her youngest daughters. “Would you two like a
salad?”
    “No, momma,” Spoonie answered on behalf of her and her
twin. “We want corn on the cob. Is there any corn?”
    “I’ll get it,” Doss said as he wiped his hands with
a wet towel. He returned with four corn on the cob and grilled them
while the family chatted and ate.
    Koko whispered something to Kimi and for several lingering minutes,
the two couldn’t stop laughing and sniggling.
    “I’m gone say it,” Kimi finally blurted out.
    “Girl, shut up!” Koko giggled.
    “No. Because I bet I’m not the only one thinking it,”
Kimi laughed.
    “Thinkin’ what?” Doss asked as he sat the grilled
corn on the table for Spoonie and Tyke.
    “That Mister Spots and his friends sure are delicious!”
Kimi blurted out before she and Koko laughed aloud.
    Some in the family laughed openly as Spoonie brushed up against Koko,
who lovingly grabbed her little sister.
    “I’m sorry, Shima, but I couldn’t let that one
slide. So you and Sinopa are