Status: ongoing
Duffle Bag Blues
VII.
"It is eight. Of the clocks. On a Saturday." Ruby looked at her sister with half-lidded eyes. "What in the vastness of creation do you want?"
"Time means nothing in a house where a baby lives," Opal said, pushing past the shorter version of herself. Her attention went directly to the spot in front of the couch in the family room. The most precious cherub was bouncing up and down in her playpen, one of her fat hands gripping the edge for support and the other outstretched towards her auntie. The smile on Diamond's chubby, innocent face was almost enough for Opal to forget what she wanted to talk to her sister about. Almost.
"Since you're here, feel free to take her on a walk or something. I'd love just one more hour of sleep," Ruby said, stifling a yawn.
"Speaking of serial killers..."
Ruby sat on the couch facing the play pen with a confused look on her face. "Who said anything about serial killers?"
"Well thanks so much for bringing it up." Opal scooped Diamond up into her arms. She was less likely to come out of a bag on her sister if she was holding a baby. Diamond cooed and stared at her with wide, bright eyes. "I agreed to go on a date with that Parker guy but you didn't actually tell me much about him."
"I told you where he works and how old he is. Anything else was for you to find out." Ruby paused. "Did you not have fun?"
"Oh, it was just fine. We went to the amusement park and then had Moroccan for dinner. Then we took a sunset stroll through the park downtown and he pointed out the spot where he buried victims from back when he was serial killer!"
Ruby broke out into laughter, clutching her stomach. Opal stared at her, gently bouncing Diamond on her hip while she waited for her sister to get a hold of herself. A few moments later, Ruby was wiping a tear from her eye with a content sigh.
"Ok, so what happened after that?" she asked.
"I took my ass home! I just need to know why you thought it'd be cute to set me up with such a self-professed psycho."
"He was just playing, O. What real serial killer do you know just going around telling people his business? Besides, everyone knows most serial killers are white. Black folks don't have the time."
Opal huffed. "Ruby, you're not listening to me. You didn't see his face when he told me. He was dead serious."
Ruby giggled as she got up to grab her phone from the table. She was clicking away. "Me and Parker shop at the same Whole Foods. You think serial killers are shopping at Whole Foods? I'm gonna prove to you that Parker Wilson is just a normal guy... and there's nothing to be worried about..."
Opal sat on the floor and put Diamond on her stomach. The baby giggled and swatted at her auntie's cheeks as she playfully blew in her face. A shiny bead of drool hung from her lip as she laughed, her two new teeth peeking out from her baby gums.
"Oh my God," Ruby gasped.
Opal snapped her head to the side and saw her sister's eyes wider than she'd ever seen. Her hand was covering her mouth, her eyes unblinking as she stared at her phone screen. Opal stood up and placed Diamond back in the play pen before going to stand in front of her sister.
"Is it bad?" Opal whispered.
"Time means nothing in a house where a baby lives," Opal said, pushing past the shorter version of herself. Her attention went directly to the spot in front of the couch in the family room. The most precious cherub was bouncing up and down in her playpen, one of her fat hands gripping the edge for support and the other outstretched towards her auntie. The smile on Diamond's chubby, innocent face was almost enough for Opal to forget what she wanted to talk to her sister about. Almost.
"Since you're here, feel free to take her on a walk or something. I'd love just one more hour of sleep," Ruby said, stifling a yawn.
"Speaking of serial killers..."
Ruby sat on the couch facing the play pen with a confused look on her face. "Who said anything about serial killers?"
"Well thanks so much for bringing it up." Opal scooped Diamond up into her arms. She was less likely to come out of a bag on her sister if she was holding a baby. Diamond cooed and stared at her with wide, bright eyes. "I agreed to go on a date with that Parker guy but you didn't actually tell me much about him."
"I told you where he works and how old he is. Anything else was for you to find out." Ruby paused. "Did you not have fun?"
"Oh, it was just fine. We went to the amusement park and then had Moroccan for dinner. Then we took a sunset stroll through the park downtown and he pointed out the spot where he buried victims from back when he was serial killer!"
Ruby broke out into laughter, clutching her stomach. Opal stared at her, gently bouncing Diamond on her hip while she waited for her sister to get a hold of herself. A few moments later, Ruby was wiping a tear from her eye with a content sigh.
"Ok, so what happened after that?" she asked.
"I took my ass home! I just need to know why you thought it'd be cute to set me up with such a self-professed psycho."
"He was just playing, O. What real serial killer do you know just going around telling people his business? Besides, everyone knows most serial killers are white. Black folks don't have the time."
Opal huffed. "Ruby, you're not listening to me. You didn't see his face when he told me. He was dead serious."
Ruby giggled as she got up to grab her phone from the table. She was clicking away. "Me and Parker shop at the same Whole Foods. You think serial killers are shopping at Whole Foods? I'm gonna prove to you that Parker Wilson is just a normal guy... and there's nothing to be worried about..."
Opal sat on the floor and put Diamond on her stomach. The baby giggled and swatted at her auntie's cheeks as she playfully blew in her face. A shiny bead of drool hung from her lip as she laughed, her two new teeth peeking out from her baby gums.
"Oh my God," Ruby gasped.
Opal snapped her head to the side and saw her sister's eyes wider than she'd ever seen. Her hand was covering her mouth, her eyes unblinking as she stared at her phone screen. Opal stood up and placed Diamond back in the play pen before going to stand in front of her sister.
"Is it bad?" Opal whispered.