James Marlon - John Crow's Devil

The next morning, the Apostle gave the church spiritual armor. It came from the Book of Mark:

And when ye hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.

For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in diverse places, and there shall be famines and troubles: These are the beginnings of sorrows.

The sun shall be darkened and the moon not give her light, and the stars of Heaven shall fall and the powers that are in Heaven shall be shaken.

And then they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then He shall send His angels and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the Earth to the uttermost part of Heaven.

He told them he had come from the clouds in this, the end of days. God was rocking the very ground and shaking strongholds loose. Now was time to enter the ark. Gibbeah was the ark, already perfectly built by God to be surrounded by a river with only the bridge connecting it to weakness and evil. Every heart in Gibbeah was pure, save two. Those two. Satan’s emissary and the whore of Babylon. If action wasn’t taken soon, the enemy’s foothold would turn into a stronghold. Nine days ago, the Rum Preacher, that foot soldier of Hell, had tried to kill him, but evil could never triumph over good. In the twinkling of an eye, the Sodom cinema fell to judgment. God had judged with consuming fire.

Go down Emmanuel Road

Gal an boy

Fi go broke rock-stone

Broke them one by one

Gal an boy

Finger mash don’t cry

Gal an boy

Remember a play we deh play

Monday morning come and we waiting for the truck. Is the Lord goin take over now. We waiting with purpose for the Lord give we power. The Apostle give we the sword of the spirit. Him say only evil coming over that bridge, so we stand.

So we wait.

Then it come.

The truck humming and bumming and shaking up the road like earthquake. Yellow and red like the Devil. But we ready. We goin in the enemy camp and take back what he stole. Is not a truck, is a ship from Hell.

Hell.

Hell.

Hell.

The demon come out of the truck and a smile with we like we give him joke. We give him something else. Brother Jakes grab a stone first. We didn’t talk. As the driver open the door and jump out we start pick up stone. The first stone lick him and nearly knock him out and him left eye explode with blood. Him bawl out and manage to climb back in the truck, but not before we buss him head-back and clap him in him shoulder, back, batty, and seed bag.

Damn demon. Him scream. We break him windshield and the two side window. Even the little pickney know how to deal with demon. Him back up the truck and him lick down somebody then drive over him. Nobody never scream or nothing, cause we know say that boy did do God work so is Heaven him gone straight to. The truck screech and speed off, with stone raining pon the roof with a Bup! Bup! Bang!

Those who had rebelled against the church by pitching tent with Pastor Bligh repented of their sin. They also repented of witchcraft, Devilry, horoscope, bearing false witness, chocolate, perversion, fornication, bestiality, incest, dancing, music listening, wearing short dresses, and washing one’s pokie or cocky too long in the bathtub — anything to make the whipping shorter. The Apostle was firm: Evil had to be driven out. When they cut the youngest and weakest of the sinners loose from the whipping tree, she fell to the ground and did not rise. Anybody who felt to question the Apostle feared The Five after that.

Clarence pulled off the left shoe first, then the right. He cradled the Apostle’s right foot in his palm and tugged the black sock slowly. The robes were tossed to one side of the bathroom with the other dirty laundry for Lucinda to wash the next day. Clarence heard music in his head, a slow song, a foreign one crooned by a white man. He looked up and saw the Apostle’s face. The bathroom was in brilliant light. Clarence pulled the Apostle’s belt buckle and the pants fell. He shut his eyes.

York’s hands were on his shoulders, squeezing. Clarence expected a man’s squeeze, not soft, and the Apostle held him firm. But then he squeezed tighter. He grabbed tighter still, digging his fingers into Clarence’s shoulders as if to pull the bones out. Clarence looked up in shock. The Apostle grunted, his eyes rolled back, and his head jerked.

“Apostle?” Clarence whimpered, trying to pry the hands off his shoulders. The Apostle was yelling now and he shuddered and swayed as if having a drunken fit. Clarence pulled his grip loose and the Apostle staggered, falling into the bath.

“Apostle!”

The shower curtain popped away from its hinges one by one. Water burst from the tap. The Apostle bellowed. Clarence froze.

“Apostle?”

“It’s him! Abba babbaha ricocasrabotok!”

“Apos—”

“It’s him, ricocasrabotok! He’s attacking me! From that goddamn house, the son of a bitch is attacking me! Aahhh!”

“Who? Who attacking?”

“ Him, you fucking imbecile! Bligh! Bligh!” The shower erupted but York raised two fingers and the water stopped. He was out of breath yet climbed out. Clarence reached to help him and was pushed away. Clarence tried again.

“Get the fuck away from me!”

Clarence felt a punch to his chest that sent him slamming against the door. But the Apostle had not touched him; York was rubbing his scalp.

“Get my Five. Get them now. It ends tonight, goddamn. Tonight! Get me my Five! I want that fucking bastard dead right now, so help me! Right now!”

The Widow’s yard was ridden with carrion; stinking vulture flesh and scattered feathers. Somehow, whenever a John Crow landed on her grass it fell immediately to its death. Or perhaps crow had begun to eat crow. From her window she had seen them fall. She looked behind her to Bligh’s closed door and wondered if he was writing on the wall still. There was a rumble and the window shook suddenly. All the John Crows that waited on Mr. Garvey’s roof took off at once. She turned her gaze to the gate and there they were.

Men and women, some of whom she had known all her life. Some who were neither friend nor enemy. They were all in front of her gate, side by side in a perfect line. At first they were silent and seemed not to blink. Then the throng parted and Brother Vixton came to the front, stroking his whip like an extension of himself. Much younger than the Widow, he waved his youth like his whip. He was the tallest of The Five and he lumbered like a field slave having won freedom and purpose. He saw her.

“Unu remember what Proverbs Seven say?

“Unu remember what Proverbs Seven say?

“Me say if unu remember what Proverbs Seven say?”

Brother Vixton turned his back to the Widow and scolded the crowd. He raised his whip high and they staggered back, some tripping over people who fell behind them.

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children,

and attend to the words of my mouth

let not thine heart decline to her ways

go not astray in her paths

for she has cast down man wounded