Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper

By Zangba Thomson

The location is South-side Jamaica, a rough and tough neighborhood in Queens, New York, and home to Babita Harris, an uninsured single parent who falls ill after returning home from vacation. She is taken to a hospital, where Salome McBryant diagnoses her with having black fever disease, which has done a significant amount of damage to her liver

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bong Mines Entertainment LLC
• Release date: Oct 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9780615949833

Zangba Thomson

Zangba Thomson is an award-winning Liberian-American author, journalist, and founder/Editor-in-Chief of Bong Mines Entertainment. His creative works have been seen on or talked about in major media outlets such as FOX 5, NBC, Today, Fox & Friends, Kathy Lee & Hoda, ABC, Vibe Magazine, Centric TV, HOT 97, Essence Magazine, and much more. Not too long ago, Thomson received a "Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition" from Congressman Charles B. Rangel for his literary achievements, commitment to strengthening our Nation, and making a difference through volunteering service in urban communities.

Book preview

Chapter 1

In a small house located in the countryside of Varanasi City, India, a middle-aged woman named Babita Harris sits her luggage upright against a brick wall. Saying goodbye is always the hardest part, she tells her parents, Ojal and Vijay Singh. I will miss you guys. 

We will miss you too, says Ojal, Babita’s mother. Here, take this with you. She hands a peculiar object to Babita. It’s been in our family for a very long time.

What is this? asks Babita. 

A sacred bluebird chime. When the wind blows, its melodic sound can neutralize the ego from overpowering the conscience. 

Babita shakes the chime. The soothing sound brings peace to her soul. Thanks, she says. I will keep it close.

Please do, says Ojal.

Babita, looking concerned, asks, Ma, how’s your liver?

It’s getting better. My doctor got me on a low-sodium diet. But your father’s cirrhosis has gotten worse.

Babita turns to her father. Pa, you still drinking?

I’m an old man, ‘Bita, replies Vijay. I don’t have much time left. So please let me drink in peace. My liver is already scarred and damaged. There’s nothing I can do about that now.

I tried talking some sense into him, says Ojal, but you know your father, he doesn’t listen to anyone.

That’s not true, says Vijay.

Now, I don’t feel comfortable leaving.

Don’t mind us, ‘Bita, says Ojal. We already lived our lives. It’s time for you to live yours.

When is Barnes coming to visit us? asks Vijay.

Maybe next year, replies Babita. 

How’s he coming along?

To tell you the truth, it hasn’t been easy, replies Babita. But, from what I see, Barnes is trying his best to cope with his father’s untimely death.

And that’s a good thing, says Vijay. I miss Eddie, even though me and him didn’t get along too well.

Let the dead rest in peace, Vijay, says Ojal, referring to Babita’s deceased husband, Eddie Harris, who was gunned down by a robber, moments after entering a bank to deposit money. 

You and Barnes should move out of harm’s way, says Vijay. Why not move here? India is a great place to live.

We can’t, says Babita. Barnes’s friends live in New York. It’s a little too late for him to start making new friends now. Maybe, if he was in elementary school, I would consider it. 

If you change your mind, our front door is always open, says Ojal. 

I know, Ma, replies Babita, before placing the chime on the table. I think I need to visit the backyard one last time before I leave. 

Hurry up before the rain comes, says Vijay. 

***

In the backyard, Babita walks over to a beautiful flower garden. A sunflower catches her attention. As she is reaching to grab it, a sandfly bites her. Ouch! she says before grimacing. The very next moment, she sees a small swelling forming on her arm, with blood oozing out of it. Light rain falls, and she is forced to run back inside the house.

‘Bita, what’s with the awkward look? asks Ojal. 

I think a mosquito bit me. 

Looks like your taxi is here, says Vijay, looking through an opened doorway. 

Babita grabs her chime and squeezes it inside her luggage.  

Call us as soon as your plane lands, says Vijay.     

I will, says Babita, before hugging her parents.  

The Singhs watch their daughter wheel her luggage into the drizzling rain. Moments later, they are waving goodbye, while she is being driven away into a lush rain forest. 

Chapter 2

Three hours later, a 28-year-old Irish-American doctor named Salome McBryant is strolling through the main terminal at Varanasi Babatpur Airport. Her backpack is strapped over her shoulders. She greets a few passersby with her bubbly smile. Her cellphone rings and she answers it. Hey, Daddy. I just got off the plane.

Wonderful, says Mr. McBryant, his voice echoing through the phone’s speaker. Call me when you get there. 

I will do that, says Salome. And thanks again, I needed a vacation.

Anything for my baby girl.

Salome ends the call. Outside, she notices a well-groomed Indian chauffeur. The man is holding a sign that reads: McBryant, Salome. She walks over and greets the chauffeur with a handshake. A few moments later, she is seated in the back of his vehicle. He drives her into the countryside, where groups of children are playing cricket. Several miles down the road, he parks his vehicle in front of a rainforest. I can’t take you any further, he tells Salome. Your native guide will take you from here. 

Salome looks around but sees no one. Where exactly is he?

Right over there, replies the chauffeur, pointing to a bare-chested man, standing in-between two trees. He blends in very well, doesn’t he? 

Yes, he does, says Salome, before exiting the vehicle with her backpack.

Joideep walks over to Salome. Madam, your father hired me to escort you to the Treehouse Resort.

Well, lead the way, says Salome, eager to get to her destination. 

***

In the rainforest, Joideep and Salome are walking on a rope bridge. Because of the wind, the bridge is swinging-from-side-to-side, and Salome is afraid. Several feet below, she sees a river, filled with giant rocks and crocodiles.

Don’t look down! says Joideep, sensing that Salome is frightened.

Salome nods her head in agreement. She grabs Joideep’s hand. A short while later, they are walking on solid ground. In the treetops, they see monkeys playing. Further ahead, at a natural reservoir, they see a baby elephant, its mother, and a young black buck drinking water. Dust rises in the air, and soon, they see an approaching truck carrying two caged tigers. The driver honks his horn as he drives past. 

We’re almost there, says Joideep, before leading Salome into a water-powered passenger lift, where several native workers are pouring water into a large container. The more water they pour, the higher Joideep and Salome elevate. In a matter of minutes, Joideep and Salome are on higher ground. It’s beautiful, is all Salome can say, after seeing a resort full of luxurious treehouses. A few moments later, she and Joideep are climbing up a ladder, attached to a pink treehouse with several flowerpots in its windowsill. Joideep opens the front door. Take this moment to get accustomed to your new living quarters, he says, before exiting down the ladder. 

Salome enters her rented treehouse. A sweet minty aroma slithers its way into her nostrils, and she has no choice but to inhale the therapeutic smell. On the wall, she sees a painting of a Neem tree. The extravagance is to her taste. She enters the bedroom and sees a life-sized, tiger-skin rug, positioned in the middle of the room. The decorated scene causes her to shed a tear. She calls her father and voices her appreciation.

***

In the food court, Salome is seated at a table. She notices something unusual. Everybody is eating with their bare hands. A native waiter, dressed in a traditional Indian outfit, brings her food on an oversized leaf. He places the dish on the table. Chunks of grilled chicken, surrounded by wild rice, beans, and vegetables. Salome’s mouth waters with excitement. She can’t wait to devour her first Indian meal.  Sir, you forgot my knife and fork, she says in a friendly tone of voice. I need them to eat with. 

I’m sorry, madam, the waiter replies. It’s our custom to eat with our bare hands. 

Salome is shocked. A second waiter brings over a bowl of clean water, accompanied by a white towel. Salome is clueless about what to do. 

Madam, you must wash your hands before eating.

Salome agrees. She washes her hands, and the waiters depart. She looks around to see if anyone is staring at her, but nobody is. Everyone is in his or her own world. Awkwardly, she picks up a piece of chicken and eats it. Umm, she says before eating another piece of chicken. She eats and eats until there is no more food left. 

Joideep walks over to the table, while Salome is licking her lips with joy.  

The food was delicious, she says. But I have to get used to eating with my bare hands. 

I’m happy to hear that, madam, says Joideep. Come. I want to show you something.

***

In the rainforest, Joideep leads Salome down a narrow trail. He’s holding a cutlass in one hand, and a short spear in the other. It’s no secret, at any given moment, death can leap out of the bushes. Therefore, Joideep scans the area thoroughly before continuing.

Salome is enjoying her first wildlife, sightseeing tour. From a safe distance, she sees a herd of elephants, many different species of deer, and wandering tigers. 

Human encroachment has desperately posed a severe danger to our natural wildlife, says Joideep. Because of a few brave souls, we now have the Wildlife Protection Act to safeguard our endangered species.

An exotic butterfly flutters its wings by Salome’s ears. 

It feels comfortable around you, says Joideep. It’s drawn to your personality. 

The butterfly lands on Salome’s shoulder. The next moment, it flies towards a bunch of Neem trees, and Salome wishes for it to fly back.

These trees are very vital to my tribes’ survival, says Joideep, before plucking a leaf. Without its nutrients, my people would cease to exist. We use this leaf to prevent malaria. The bark, when boiled properly, is used to treat eczema. The oil from the leaves keeps our skin and hair healthy. Also, we chew the tips of the twigs until they are softened into toothbrushes, which helps us fight gum disease and bad breath. The sap, when rubbed on infections, is used to fight leprosy. But, somehow, it is ineffective against the black fever disease that’s plaguing my village.

Black fever disease? I’ve never heard of that. 

It affects the third-world poor population, says Joideep. That’s why it’s neglected in the worst way. The locals call it Kala Azar, a parasitic disease transmitted by sandflies. The parasite invades its bitten victim’s bone marrow, weakens their immune system, and suffers them with fevers, severe anemia, infections, and hemorrhage. Because of the expensiveness of treatments and medicines, thousands of my people die every year from black fever. More than a million people are infected worldwide. 

Wow, is all Salome can say.

The treatment cost a little over two-hundred dollars. An amount my people can’t afford to pay. Hopefully, the pharmaceutical industry can reduce the cost.

I hope so, says Salome. For someone who lives in a village, you are well informed. 

I have no choice, madam. My mother is infected with black fever. She is so malnourished that she cannot stand. When the doctors draw blood from her arms, she shows no reaction whatsoever. Because of her, and others suffering from black fever, I try to keep my ears to the latest news regarding the disease. Looking deep into Salome’s beautiful