Welcome to Corescentstead

Chapter 1: Bow Ties

Today Monim died. He was a friend of mine or at least I considered him a friend.

Yesterday, Percy and his sister Dana died. So that makes 3 deaths within a week.

I'm a vampire living on Corescentstead Plantation. Like most of the plants, it is owned by Growden. At least it's not Smiley.

I have a pink ribbon around my neck. That means I'm allowed inside and still do work around the plant. I can sleep inside but I choose to sleep in the backyard.

I'm making tea in the kitchen. Just plain earl gray with seven cubes of sugar. Francis is sick, so I'm just waiting for his vampiric ass to pass. That'll be number four if that happens.

I drop the seven cubes in the ten teacups. I don't stir it and just set the stirring needle in each. I transfer all the cups on a gray tray and get ready to take it to the background.

Curro stands outside the kitchen door and watches take the tray out. "Is that for the old man?" he asks. Curro is Filipino and I hate to say it but before he came in, I've never seen a Filipino. I didn't think that had the heritage. I just assume he's mixed with something, because he has fangs.

Filipino is Asian, that's what Darwin told me. Darwin is Chinese and at Corescentstead, the Asians stay inside the house. We have white folk but a lot of them are biracial. Franis call them Threes which makes no sense to me.

"Yes, it's for the old man." I say.

"Jelena let me help you." he grabs the tray from my hands and heads to the door. "Thanks. I didn't need the help though."

"If you keep saying that, the obayifo gon come and split you." Curro furrows at me. "You're too independent."

"Well, I was raised here..."

He opens the door with his shoulder. "That's sad."

Behind the house that is three stories high is a white path with shrubs that leads to the backyard homes. To the right of the shrubs, we have our cabbages and peanut plants. To the left, we have the long shack house made for the knitters. I know Lalique and Marlize work in there. Next to the cabbages and peanuts; separated by a row of shrubs with roses, you have the other picking section, you have your opium and cannabis.

The weed is a blessing but only the Threes get to pick from them.

Going down the white path. It stops being white when you hit the edge of the dirt and see those lovely little brick houses. It was my father, Bast Rooyen who made the brick houses because again, if you don't have a ribbon, you live outside.

This little pseudo-village is my home. My mama gave birth to me in the furnace. She worshipped fire. We call it the Speak. It's a square thing with a bowl in it with sticks, twigs, and stones. Marlize gave us the oil seeds to make it and ever since we've been using it for heat and prayer.

It's not all bad over here. At least we get to play dice.

"You rolled a fucking seven, nigga."

"The dot on the dice doesn't count. Let me roll again." Curro places the tray of tea on a lone small table and I get the bell from the basket next to it. I shake the bell and heads look up to me. "Come get the tea! It's still hot!"

Eon hurries to the tray and grabs a cup. "What's it like in the house?"

"It's a house. Take that to Francis and get one for little Libby."

Eon grimaces, "The little white girl?"

I stare at him with my hand on my hip. "Fine..." he rolls his eyes and grabs another cup. "Libby!"

I don't get Eon. I think he's a tad bit gay on top of that. Little Libby is mixed and of course, you always have that one nigga. I hope he bites himself. "Make sure you get one too, Jelena." Curro taps my arm. "I had one in the house. Onion! Come get some tea for your mama!"

"Wouldn't hurt to get another one." he says. "I'm headed back."

"Make it there safe. If the dog don't mistake you."

"Hush..." he glares and walks off.

Onion treads my way and gets a cup. His father, who plays dice a lot, walks behind him. "Don't you start drinking on your way over there. It probably got weed in it." says Juandre. "It ain't got no weed in it. Wish it did." I say.

"How come you ain't smart enough to sneak weed but you can pick the opium?"

"Juan, I don't wanna die. I like my fangs."

"Here I am done up like a toddler and you worried about the dentist. You been hanging around them Asians too long, got yo ass out here spitting wisdom."

"I least I know it."

"Bitch, you can't read." He grabs a cup and swallows it down. "Spell work."

W-O-R-K, I say in my head. "Look at there, you probably spelled Wok." He puts the cup down on the table.

Truth be told, I can't read. I try, whenever I'm in the house. I go to Shutar's library. I read about the presidents from the east side of the realm. A man with wooden teeth was interesting to read, Juandre would probably tell me I should already know by ear.

I can listen and look with my eyes. That old nigga just made cause his tooths is gone.