When him come back from the war, them make him keep the rifle.
Him step through the gate and gone up the road.
Is Satan take over now.
Mr. Johnson don’t say no word next. Him just bawl out like him is the wildest wild animal ever born. The rest of the people follow back o him, but way back cause nuff people was in the grocery when him was telling people bout friendly fire. But nobody did really have to follow, cause everybody know where him was going.
When the people see him coming them step out of the way. But the Apostle was coming. Apostle York come with Lucinda peeping from behind him frock like monkey. Mr. Johnson start huff and puff, but the Apostle block him way. Mr. Johnson shift left and the Apostle shift left. Mr. Johnson shift right and the Apostle shift right. Mr. Johnson shift left and grab him gun tighter. Him eye redder than red. Him was going kick down the Apostle to get to the man house.
“Vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord, Hugh. Give me the gun.”
Mr. Johnson grab him gun tighter. Him finger lock pon the trigger and Mrs. Fracas scream and people start run. Him wasn’t just goin kill Clarence, him was goin kill everybody who did know.
“Hugh, give me the gun.”
We no understand why the Apostle so calm. Him talking to Mr. Johnson like him is some baby who pick up the wrong toy. Everybody who set to run now stop to watch. People fraid like puss, but them watch anyway. Except Mrs. Fracas. She run back to her house, with a trail of piss following her all the way to her door.
“Hugh, vengeance is Mine,” the Apostle say again. Everybody stare pon Mr. Johnson, who stare back pon the Apostle real hard.
“Hugh, does God have to show you who’s God? Well, does He? Does He, Hugh?”
Mr. Johnson huffing and puffing for a long while. So long we feel like we living and dying between each huff and puff. Him turn round to look behind him and everybody jump. Him huff and puff two more time and stand still. Mr. Johnson stare down the Apostle and the Apostle stare down back. We waiting. Then him give the Apostle the gun. We hear a door slam from behind Clarence house. The Apostle wave him two finger and The Five come out of nowhere and run off behind the house. Clarence bawl out three time and the whole o we looking, except Mr. Johnson. Little time after that, them carry Clarence out to the front. Four of them grab one limb each and the last one hold him head up by grabbing him hair. Clarence did always red, but this morning him head did look like blood was goin burst out o him face. Them catch him wearing the same kind of white brief that start all o this. Them bring him to the Apostle. Mr. Johnson sit down at the side of the road like him studying the gravel. Clarence eye swirling round like him can’t wake up.
“Clarence, I’m so disappointed in you,” the Apostle say. “The Lord sees all, knows all. You’re a fool and a sinner. The Lord have mercy on you.
“Beloved! Our brother, our, oh my Lord, what a shame it is to call this bastard our brother. A member of our church and still he chooses to reject the Lord and live a life of sin! Worse, he has corrupted another and made a mockery of holy matrimony. But listen to me, brethren. The man committed nothing illegal. He broke no laws. No, saints, he did something worse than that. He broke God’s heart! If we punish a man who breaks man’s law, what more should we do to a man who breaks God’s heart? Can anybody tell me? What shall we do?”
Is supposed be 6:00. Some of we couldn’t believe it, but even those who didn’t believe come out to see. Some people frighten and some people think is joke. The rest of we saying that is God judgment and nobody else responsible but them two nasty naygas who defile the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Plus, an example must be made in Gibbeah that we are people of the Lord and disobedience will not be tolerated — is so the Apostle say. We did think that if anything would bring out Mr. Garvey and him nephews, this must be it. But him didn’t come. The house stay shut up tight, with black curtain blocking all the window. Clarence laugh like this is the stupidest joke anybody ever tell him. Mrs. Johnson nah laugh though. The two of them under the cotton tree in the church cemetery. Brother Vixton use the cow rope to tie them up real good. Them look like them hanging from the branch even though them foot on the ground. Rope wrap round them wrist like how some rope use to wrap round people neck. Leave it to Vixton to have a whip save up from long time. Whip that him great-grandfather thief from white massa himself.
Clarence still a laugh?
Clarence take this thing make joke. Him still in him guilty brief and Mrs. Johnson still in her guilty brassiere. Nobody no put no clothes on them. Some man never see pokie like Mrs. Johnson own, which never bush up.
She trim her bush for Clarence.
Some of the woman them a size up Clarence and one of them remember she always sell him size-thirteen boot. Mrs. Smithfield hear that and start look down pon him brief harder. Is 6:00 but the sun was never hotter. The little girl them laugh them little girl laugh. The boy them point. Everybody come out to see it, even those who didn’t believe it.
What bout Pastor Bligh and the Widow woman?
Them never come.
Them goin get floggin next.
Mrs. Johnson start beg her husband so much that nuff people start to feel sorry for her. But then the Apostle remind we bout Bible Chapter Mark where the demons beg the Son of God, and if the Son of God did listen to all this begging, plenty people would be in Hell right now. That change we mind back.
She is the reason why the Devil take up residence in Gibbeah and we must cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! The Apostle also say that this is not just punishment but is also love, cause God punish who him love. That make we want the whipping worser. Then him point two finger at Brother Vixton.
Tell we what happen next although we know.
Vixton swing the whip and Mrs. Johnson scream like we never think she could scream. None of we ever get whipping yet, so none of we ever hear scream like that. Is not what we did think we was goin hear. Is not scream like when you dusting under the dresser and a rat jump out on you. Is not a scream like when you slam the door on you finger. Is not a scream like when you see thief in the backyard robbing you cabbage. Is something else. Like when Mrs. Fracas hear say the white people cows trample her little son and kill him.
By the third lash we see that this really a happen. Is ten lick she fi get and by lick number six the leather cut through her back and her black skin turn red. By number eight lash she stop scream, but she start drip. By number ten her knee them buckle and she out. She start to swing as if breeze pushing her. The rope around her wrist as white as where the skin start to strip off. Her eye them shut.
Clarence was to get twenty lash. All the time the Apostle giving God thanks, Clarence a cuss and cuss and bringing down Hellfire and damnation pon everybody in the village. The Apostle wave him two finger and Brother Vixton swing the whip like a hatchet chopping down a tree. Clarence chomp him teeth hard and shut him eye tight. Then him ask the Brother if that is the best that him can do.
That must did make Brother Vixton whip him worser.
True-true. Clarence start fight, but him couldn’t do nothing but bruise him wrist under the rope. The white rope turning red. Mrs. Johnson eye still shut. Clarence not saying nothing, but him grind him teeth every time the leather lash him. By lash eight, him skin all cut up and him back look like when you slice up a pig. Vixton give him a extra hard lash and the front of Clarence brief explode with piss that run down him leg.