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Journey steps forward, ready to defend me. She’s got the aura of a woman willing to throw a punch.
Resting my hand on Journey’s forearm to stop her, I refuse to allow the homestead people to do all the heavy lifting. A real wild child stands up for herself.
“You shouldn’t throw around the word ‘whore’ when we both know what my DNA test would show.”
My father stares slack-jawed like usual, but my mother understands how I was conceived. She storms toward me, her long skirt flapping in the warm day. Her hand seems to move in slow motion toward my face. I’ve seen it coming so many times. Never before did I think to do anything except take the slap.
However, two nights ago, Ike taught me naked self-defense. My brain latches onto him running through various moves. Suddenly, my arm lifts and blocks her strike.
We stare shocked at each other. Her disbelief turns to anger while I smile triumphantly. My racing heart hits a new speed.
“If you won’t return,” my mother snarls, “Jarin will marry Anouk.”
My confidence falters when I imagine my sister facing a life with that gross man.
Seeing my worry, my mother smiles and steps back. “Selfishness comes with a cost.”
I stare in my mother’s eyes and wish she weren’t so miserable with her life. If she were happy, she’d protect her children and help them be their best. Like Journey does with Ike, Edith, and Otto.
And me, too, apparently.
Journey steps between my mother and me before beginning to sing WAP to the other woman. The Trinity Church members tense immediately. There’s a moment when I think the men might escalate the situation to violence in their rush to end Journey’s singing.
The deputies probably sense the same thing because the head one clears his throat while glaring at the Trinity Church senior pastor.
Violence doesn’t break out. My mother backs up. Journey keeps singing while taking my hand and guiding me to the SUV. Edith brings up the rear and eventually gets into the front passenger seat.
Once the SUV starts, Journey says, “The Mooney family seems pissed about the fundies going after one of their own.”
I look out the window to where my parents rush to their vehicles, flanked by the Trinity Church men. I assume they’re fleeing. Instead, they use their cars to block us from leaving.
A deputy hollers for them to move once Journey gets pinned near the parking lot exit.
I scoot away from the window when my scariest cousin’s face appears. He bangs on the glass and calls my name.
“Ma?” Edith asks while digging around in her purse. “Should I use the pepper spray or my gun?”
“Hold off using either for now. I think I’ll back up and roll over the guy.”
“Should I go with them?” I ask, panicked about the safety of my new family.
“No,” say the women in unison.
Journey puts the SUV in reverse, jerking backward and nearly hitting the car driven by my parents. She plants her left palm on the horn while dialing the car phone.
The day went from bad to better to chaos. People seem to be coming from everywhere. I’m overwhelmed with how close the SUV is to the exit, yet there’s no way to escape.
We’re completely blocked in as my cousin chants, “Oana, repent!”
I feel like I’m coming out of my skin. No way do I want to bow to the church or my parents. Edith and Journey have already made clear how I shouldn’t give in, yet the homestead feels a million miles away.
Up in the passenger seat, Edith sighs with relief so loudly that I can hear her over the blaring horn.
Turning toward the parking lot exit, I spot an unfamiliar man riding his motorcycle around the blocking cars. He rolls right up to my cousin and revs his engine.
My cousin is scary with his big, bald head and overly wide shoulders, but he looks so vanilla compared to the biker sporting cropped hair, a very long beard, and dark glasses.
In a battle between a bully and a real tough guy, my cousin doesn’t stand a chance. He backs away from the SUV and returns to our family’s car.
