The boys cautiously walked inside, fearing that whatever they had done to warrant a motley crew that included Mr. Curtis and Country Mike, the two most unlikely people to ever share a cup of coffee with George’s straitlaced, Stepford-wife Mom, would be easier to endure if they moved slowly. Their eyes went wide as saucers when they saw The Prince sitting at the table with Mrs. Jerrie; Buddha’s Mom, Mrs. Samantha; Mrs. Cara; and Jesi. Jesi’s tattooed arms wearing dozens of bracelets with beads and spikes to compliment her red and black hairstyle were carrying a huge Paul’s Pastry cake that said “Congratulations James”.

Mrs. Jerrie beamed at the boys. “Boys, I am so proud of you all! The Prince here just told us how ya’ll put in applications to work after school at his shop.”

Jesi smirked, “Yeah, just when you think they’re hoodlums, they go and get after-school jobs, or get on the cover of the newspaper.”

Mrs. Cara handed the Times-Picayune newspaper to the boys. The front page read: “Uptown Einstein Set To Graduate At IS”

There was a picture of James Worthy Alabama, also known as Tex, with the caption: “James Worthy Alabama says he is undecided about where he is going to attend college. The prodigy who has just scored perfect on the ACT has standing scholarships to any school he chooses.”

After cake and small talk, the boys, still confused by the jobs and feeling a little separation anxiety at the news of Tex’s graduation, robotically went outside.

Buddha asked George, “What just happened?”

“Looks like we just paid for a bicycle.” Spider gave a low whistle, then George continued,

“I’m willing to bet the tarantula was cheaper.”

Mr. Curtis stood up as The Prince came out. “I be expectin’ you boys at the shop at 4:30 on Friday. And King George, don’t bring dem monsters.” The cat, who was purring against Buddha’s leg, hissed at the old Rasta. Mr. Curtis nudged The Prince’s arm and the Prince said, “Buddha, him hat.”

Buddha handed the hat to Mr. Curtis who immediately began shaping it, apparently not pleased with it not fitting just right.

“Oh, and a Prince don’t call on asking lest he bear gifts.” He handed George a smooth black stone. “Put this in ya left pocket. It cannot touch money and you cannot sleep while you carry dat.” Then he handed Buddha an ice pack.

“Why do I need this?”

“If him don’t want it, give it back.”

Buddha, feeling that it was a trick, took the ice pack and stuffed it into his backpack.

 

The gang spent the next couple of hours hanging out at a homemade half-pipe Country Mike, Julian, and Rambo had built out of the wood from the old treehouse. As they walked into Spider’s apartment where Mrs. Cara was cooking and Jesi was relaxing at the table reading a newspaper, they continued their conversation about the job.

“Where is the shop?” George asked.

“Mom said it’s Marie Laveaux’s voodoo shop on Bourbon.” Spider said.

Tex asked, “Jesi, don’t you work there sometimes?”

Spider’s Mom didn’t even look up to correct him, “MRS. Jesi, you mean. Where are your manners?”

“Sorry, Mrs. Cara. Julian said you work there sometimes, Mrs. Jesi.”

“Sure do, and cheer up boys, it’s an awesome job! Your fearless hero used to work there when he was in high school.”

The boys chorused, “Boogie?”

Spider asked, “Did ya’ll work there together? Is that where ya’ll met?”

“Of course not! Bobby’s eight years older than me. I was in 4th grade when he was in high school.”

“What will we be doing? Like, making voodoo dolls or stirring cauldrons?” Spider joked.
“No, crazy. The shop gets busy around the holidays. He likes to have extra help to keep everything stocked. Plus, the reason he probably wants ya’ll is to catch shoplifters.” Jesi pounced on Spider, tickling his sides furiously as he laughed, fighting to get away. “Takes a crook to catch a crook!”

After Jesi went back to her paper, Mrs. Cara walked over to give Spider a suspicious hug. Spying a pack of Camel Wides on the table, she sniffed his clothes. She pounced on the pack and threw them in the sink with a growl. She flipped the garbage disposal on, grinding the smokes into a tobacco shake. “I told you boys, NO SMOKING!”

Instead of the boys being distraught, they guffawed with laughter, rolling on the floor. Mrs. Cara scowled, “What’s so funny?”

Jesi, whose view of the cigarette incident was obscured by the newspaper said without looking up, “Oh, yeah, they were sold out of the kind we smoke. I’m pretty sure you just shredded your own cigarettes.”

Mrs. Cara, red-faced, grabbed a flyswatter and advanced on the boys who laughed all the harder and retreated out the open window and down the fire escape.

The boys walked half a block to the corner store and asked old Mr. Shlembura for a pack of cowboy killers. As Buddha fished a five out of his backpack which contained the Ice Cream Gangsters communal treasury, the clerk asked, “Cara shred her own cigarettes again?” The boys laughed all over again, but they brought her back her cigarettes.