A Novel by Kawika A. Stafford

Chapter 49

Sonny Ray was headed home tomorrow.
It would of course be a short drive from Antelope Springs to Las Vegas, especially the way
Sonny Ray was known for driving.
Their house in Las Vegas began to reflect a small family in full on moving mode. Nikko had been a busy lady. Sonny Ray was excited to get home.

Dwayne had left earlier to deliver some firewood to his grandmother. Dwayne returned a couple of hours later and headed for the shower. Sonny Ray had been watching the local news when he began to hear Dwayne singing loudly in the shower. He was happy for Dwayne. You could see it in the way he carried himself when Nadia was around.

The following morning the two men sat drinking coffee at the kitchen table when they heard a knock at the door. It was rare for anyone to come to Dwayne’s home this early in the morning.

“Hello in there,” a familiar voice called out through the screen door. Dwayne walked toward the back door. “Oh hey, what are, uh, oh come in, come in,” Dwayne said, completely surprised. He held open the screen door, as Nadia and Natalia walked in, each with a bag of groceries in tow.

“Good morning boys,” Natalia said with a smile. After putting the bags on the kitchen counter Nadia made an announcement. “We wanted to express our appreciation for you two in helping us to remove these individuals from our community, besides neither one of you cook very well so.” The four friends looked at each other smiling, and with the help of Sonny Ray, and a couple of well timed chee hoos, the crowd turned raucous and the celebration was on. The ladies cooked up some omelets, turkey bacon, toast, orange juice, hashbrowns, and freshly cut fruit. Soon they all sat stuffed, and satisfied. Dwayne and Nadia poured another cup of coffee, and decided to go out on the back deck to talk.

Natalia looked at Sonny Ray.

First on one side of his head, and then on the other.

“What? what’s wrong, what you got to say smarty pants?” Sonny Ray fired off the first volley of the banter war.

Natalia smiled slowly.

“You know you’re going to be on tv today right?” Natalia asked, preparing to cap on Sonny Ray. “Yeah I know, and?” He was playfully goading her now.
“Bro you need to do something with them hawaiian curls of yours cause right now you look a hot mess, for real,” Natalia concluded.

“Oh is that right?” Sonny Ray asked, defiant now.

Natalia nodded in the affirmative, smiling sweetly.

“What you like do?” he asked with some thick hawaiian pidgin.

“Siéntate,” she commanded. Natalia walked to the bathroom to get a brush and some light hair oil. Natalia brushed his hair into a thick ponytail. They had a few hours before the press conference would begin.
After they cleaned up the kitchen, they would go hang out at Nadia’s office before going to City Hall. Wes had called Nadia earlier from nearby Williams to tell her that someone had fire bombed his barn last night.

He lost a horse, and several other farm animals, Wes was concerned for them. Nadia assured him that they were prepared for whatever and that passivity was no longer an option. The tide had finally begun to turn in favor of the home team.

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