Voodoo Queens of New Orleans - Vol. I | ✓

Chapter 60: A Break in The Trees

I wanted to remember what it was like to be possessed by my djab, but it was an event that would not come back to me. But everyone else around me had seen what I became during my body's surrender to Marie Laveau, and they could not see me the same because of it.

All of the priests and priestesses that attended the Council's party the night before were hounding the Coterie with questions about what happened to me. Word had spread that I was possessed by Marie Laveau's spirit, while other rumors consisted of me being a demon, a witch, an incarnate of a voodoo god. Regardless of the validity of these rumors, there was no denying that what everyone witnessed was an anomaly of sorts; Marie Laveau had been quiet since her death, so to now harness my body as her vessel raised a lot of questions about me. I was no longer just Madam Dumont's only daughter. People knew my name. And they would continue to know who I was from that day forward.

But I didn't care about this notoriety. My priority was Mama, whom I still hadn't spoken to yet; Sajida had just left, and I was alone in the sitting area. I didn't know what to do, so I just stood there as I heard her in hysterics upstairs with Aza. I felt that no matter what move I made, it would lead to someone's ruin, so it was just wise to stand and wait until some epiphany came to me. But nothing ever did. I was just a hollow shell, waiting to be filled again.

The front door to the shop opened. I turned around and was met with the Coterie entering the shop. They stopped at the doorway when they saw me alone in the sitting area wearing a white night gown that belonged to my mother; not a very fitting image after what they saw me do last night. Or rather, what they saw Marie Laveau do with my body.

Mambo Nene treaded slowly inside of the shop, her eyes fixated on me not in a threating way, but in a curious way; in wonder. Yet at the same time, she could sense that something had happened. Something more domestic.

"Lisa," she said to me. "How you feeling, baby?"

I was surprised to hear this comforting tone out of Mambo Nene. Before, she saw me as a traitor. As someone who could not be trusted. Now, she was concerned with my well-being.

I only nodded slightly, for I couldn't get any words out of my mouth, or at least words that would make sense. I saw Kizzy, Imani, Esther, Rocio and Mikael come inside last. The door closed behind them; they stared at me in this same expectant way, like they waited for my djab to possess me again, or even wanted it to happen.

It was safe for me to assume that the Coterie did not know about what Abraham had done to my mother, since they were unaware that Abraham was my father to begin with. So, I spared them the details of the argument Mama and I had before and just told them that she was upstairs speaking to Aza. I didn't care if they went up to disturb them or not. In fact, I didn't feel much at all. Again, I was hollow.

Mama Hepzibah, whose eyes seemed to appear the most tired and worn down out of all the other sisters', took cautious steps towards me. "You don't remember what happened last night, don't you?"

"No," I replied, my tone slightly annoyed with the question I had been asked already and with the fact that I couldn't remember this event that had effected everyone else so deeply. "I don't remember anything. I swear."

"Do you feel different?" Ava Claudette asked me, her blue eyes large with interest.

"I don't know how to feel," I answered, but they didn't know the true reason for this numb feeling. They just assumed that a possession like the one I experienced leaves you in this numb state, but I was numb for so many reasons besides one.

"It was incredible," Qadira boasted, smiling as if the situation called for it. "She spoke right through you, Lisa. It was her voice, I just know it!"