Whispers in the Dark

5

That night, when Misty and Ptolemy were asleep in their beds, Kai and Chill had their talk.

“I want you to marry me,” Chill said with his empty eye sockets staring at the ceiling.

“What?”

“I cain’t see. I cain’t walk. I got the money to p’otect Popo but I cain’t move to block a thing if they wanna come in here and take him away from us. But if you marry me, and move wit’ us to Jackson, we could get a big house and a Prime Com Link for Popo’s education. You could have boyfriends and free time, just look after Mama and Popo like you been doin’. Just do that an’ we can share the money in style.”

Chill could have told no more about what she was thinking even if he still had eyes. Kai’s face was impassive, even hard.

She blinked once and fifteen seconds passed.

She blinked again.

“Okay,” she whispered. “I accept.”

“You do?”

“Of course. It’s a trust. It’s holy.”

“There’s one thing I gotta tell ya,” Chill said.

“What’s that?”

“I sold my manhood too. With no legs I knew I wouldn’t be able to function no way. So you wouldn’t be marryin’ a man at all.”

“Oh yes I will be,” she said. She took his hand in hers and hummed a song she’d once heard on the radio and thought that she’d forgotten.