Scammers – Freestyle Friday – 11/15/2019
“Breaking news: Mother of two in custody following the death of her husband. More details as they come in.”
Jamya couldn’t believe she was seeing the photo they’d just telecast. She dialed her cell and waited for her sister to answer.
“Did you see the news?” She asked before her sister could even say hello.
“Packing my shit as we speak. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”
Jamya jumped up from where she sat and scrambled around her small apartment gathering her things. She had a bag already packed and set for situations like this. It contained passports, identification, cash; all the things she needed to start over as someone else. When the day started she didn’t think it would end up like this. Jamya had grown attached to the solace of her place. But when she thought about it, she should’ve known this was coming. They’d been in one place too long.
Carina, her sister, had warned her just a couple weeks ago not to get too comfortable. Jamya blew it off. She didn’t see how they could go wrong this time. Jamya had grown tired of the instability of their lives and vowed to do things differently than before. But here they were having to pull up stakes, AGAIN!
They’d met Justine a little over 4 months prior. She wandered into their shop on a cold rainy Monday. She was desperate and broken. Jamya remembered seeing the sadness in her eyes.
“What’s ya troubles pretty laty?” She’d asked in a thick Jamaican accent.
“My husband.”
“You need ‘im to not desire otha women.”
“How did you know?”
“Me sees it all around you. I can whip up something for ya.”
In actuality, that’s what 95% of the women entered their shop for and it was obvious. Jamya mixed oils and herbs in a bottle as Justine chatted away, giving her way more information than she should have.
Jamya sent Justine home with the concoction she’d invented with instructions on how to use it. After that, Justine returned weekly for one thing or another. Carina thought it was more for the companionship. Even though Justine had two beautiful children there was loneliness all over her. They exploited that loneliness and need every chance they got. Every time she came into the store they sold her on some ritual or reading that would cost her $500 or better.
While they saw Justine as needy and lonely, Justine was just trying to be calm and un-alarming. They had no idea who she really was. Yes, Justine wanted love and affection and thought she’d found it in a handsome man whom swept her off her feet. A little over six months of meeting, he asked to marry her. He had all the right qualities, everything she’d ever wanted in a husband and though she didn’t quite love him she knew that she could grow to. Justine agreed to be his.
Another six months passed before he began having longer and longer days at work. Soon, that turned to overnight trips, sometimes week long. Justine may not have been alarmed if this was normal practice from the beginning. But something didn’t sit right with her. Though she’s done a bit of snooping, she found no evidence of his infidelity. Desperate for answers and to have the man she’d now, a year later, grown to adore return that adoration is what caused her to seek out the sisters. Justine wasn’t sure she believed in psychics and spells but it wouldn’t hurt. The last thing she wanted was for her marriage to end as her first one did.
Jamya recalled the day before, the last day they’d seen Justine. She came into the store as usual but there was something different in her eyes. Jamya wanted to abort the plan they’d hatched but Carina urged her to stay on course. Though, they weren’t actual psychics they were resourceful. So, they set out, done research on Nevel, Justine’s husband. They’d even gone as far as to follow him a few days. Just like clockwork Justine waltzed in complaining about her husband’s lack of affection.
“Let me see ya palm,” Jamya insisted turning on her accent.
She looked over the inside of Justine’s hand, tracing her lines with her index finger. Jam furrowed her brow, let out a few sighs then finally spoke.
“Ya ‘on’t have a female prob’lem Justine.”
“What is it? Why won’t he love me?”
“Him loves ya, he just love a man a lil’ mo. We can handle dat fo’ ya thou.”
“Are saying he’s gay?”
“Ah, mo’ like him loves ya both.”
“Thanks, I’ll handle this myself,” Justine said as she turned on her heels and left.
“I should’ve known something was wrong by that look in her eyes,” Jamya proclaimed.
“We had no way of knowing she would do something like this,” she reassured herself.
Hide quoted text
When in fact, they could’ve known or at least suspected. In all the research they did on Nevel, they never really looked beyond Justine’s surface. Had they gone further they would’ve learned her first husband disappeared under suspicious circumstances. And maybe if they bothered to ask Justine anything about him they would’ve gotten a story of how she found him in bed with another man. She would’ve probably told him, he ran off with said man or she kicked him out and never heard from him again. No, Justine wouldn’t have explained that she killed them both, dismembered them and disposed of their bodies it the deep swamps of the Florida Keys. But perhaps it would’ve given them pause before dredging up this story about Nevel.
There was a knock at Jamya’s door, she assumed it was her sister arriving to retrieve her. Jamya went to the door and opened it without looking, hurrying to grab the rest of her things.
“The door was open, I’m almost ready. I just need to get my cat,” she said as she turned her back to hurry through the apartment.
“I STILL can’t believe sweet Justine did that. There has to be something else going on,” she yelled from the other room.
Jamya continued to talk, “Where do you want to go this time? I’m thinking Houston.”
Carina offered no response. Jamya thought it odd.
“Carina, did you hear……”
Jamya’s voice trailed off when she reentered the living room. Carina wasn’t standing there; Justine was with a glassed over look in her eyes.
“What are you doing here? How’d you get out?”
Justine didn’t say a word. She stood staring at Jamya with her hands in her pocket.
“Listen Justine, I’m so sorry about what happened to you. If I could take it back I would,” Jamya stated nervously.
Justine still offered no reprieve.
“Hey, it’s good they let you go. How are your kids holding up? This will all blow over. I’m sure they got things all wrong.”
Jamya stood glaring at Justine, not sure what to do. She couldn’t hide her fear. Justine hadn’t moved, hadn’t spoken, Jamya struggled to remember if she’d even seen her blink. Just as I appeared as if Justine was going to speak, Carina came busting through the door.
“Let’s go Jam! You better have that damn cat corralled.”
Carina had come through the door hurriedly. It took a minute for Justine’s presence to register. She jumped when she noticed her standing near the picture window.
“Oh my God! Justine you scared me. I’m so glad you’re free,” Carina stated.
She motioned towards Justine as if to hug her. Justine made her first motion. She took a step back then pulled her hand from her pocket. Carina stopped abruptly, while Jamya gasped with her hand on her chest. They both held air in their lungs a few seconds as they observed the 9mm in Justine’s hand.
“You know what’s funny?” Justine finally spoke.
Neither of them responded, so she continued.
“Both of your accents are gone. I guess panic made you forget huh?”
Carina and Jamya looked at each other. Jamya’s thoughts were bouncing around in her head as to how they were going to get out of this.
“I put my trust in you. But that’s all my fault. I should’ve known better. And you’re wondering why and how I’m here, I have friends in high places. I bet you didn’t know that. Anyway, I realize, YOU are the ones I should’ve killed not my adoring husband.”
“Justine, please understand,” Carina began.
“Understand what, Carina? That you’re liars. You prey on vulnerable people. That you seek out the insecurity of others for a profit. I figured it out.”
“We didn’t mean….” Jamya tried to explain.
“You didn’t mean to hurt me. You didn’t mean for things to get out of hand. I understand. But you did. You have done this to others. You won’t do it again.”
“No we won’t do it again. We’re done.”
“Oh, I know you are. I’m making sure of that.”
“Hi, mom.”
“Hey baby how was school today?”
“Great, I got 100% on my math test,” Justine’s 8 year old said prideful.
“I knew you would. That’s why I got you something.”
“What?” He asked full of excitement.
“You see when we get home.”
They took the short ride to their home, Jasper ran in the house ready for his surprise.
“Mommy! I love it.”
“I knew you would.”
“Where’d you get the cat?”
“Oh, I friend of mine couldn’t take care of her anymore. I assured her you would take good care of her baby.”
“I will mommy, I will,” Jasper said as he hugged his new pet.
