Dutch Chocolate7, Are We Cousins?

By B.L Wilson

Celine Abernathy is young, pretty and in love. Herman Perez loves her right back...until Celine shows up pregnant.
Too young to be a father, Herman runs, while Celine’s mother forces her to give up the baby.
Flash forward more than thirty years, and another baby is on the way, this time to Sanchez Devora Pettibone-MacKay and her wife, Nicole. Sanchez, given up for adoption as an infant, starts to have thoughts about where she comes from, and wants to find her birth parents.
Yolanda “Dutch” Riggins and her cousin Bonita bear more than a passing resemblance to Sanchez. They are convinced there is a family connection, and bring Sanchez on a journey back in time to find out about her past.
In the 7th action novel of the Dutch Chocolate series, it’s been nine and half years since VP Judith Kerson’s death and life in Wickwire has settled Dutch and her friends and family...until revelations and old secrets rear their shadowy heads. In a mystery like no other, Dutch must uncover the truth for Sanchez. Will Sanchez be able to accept her past, or will it break apart the only family she has ever known? Find out in Dutch Chocolate7: Are we cousins?

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.L Wilson
• Release date: Dec 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215206942

B.L Wilson

B.L. has always been in love with books and the words in them. She never thought she could create something with the words she knew. When she read ‘To Kill A Mocking Bird,’ she realized everyday experiences could be written about in a powerful, memorable way. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with that knowledge so she kept on reading.Walter Mosley’s short stories about Easy Rawlins and his friends encouraged BL to start writing in earnest. She felt she had a story to tell...maybe several of them. She’d always kept a diary of some sort, scraps of paper, pocketsize, notepads, blank backs of agency forms, or in the margins of books. It was her habit to make these little notes to herself. She thought someday she’d make them into a book.She wrote a workplace memoir based on the people she met during her 20 years as a property manager of city-owned buildings. Writing the memoir, led her to consider writing books that were not job-related. Once again, she did...producing romance novels with African American lesbians as main characters. She wrote the novels because she couldn’t find stories that matched who she wanted to read about ...over forty, African American and female.

Book preview

One: What ever happened to Cousin Celine & her boyfriend Herman?

Today, Herman and Celine were in the trailer they discovered on one of their many walks through the woods. They cleaned it up, repairing the holes in the walls and fixing the broken windows with used screens and plexiglass. Then they painted the trailer in shades of green, gray and brown to blend in with the woods. They’d been kissing and rubbing on each other for the last hour.

He couldn’t take all the frustration much longer. He kept staring at her sweaty breast impressions against her dress. He closed his eyes, imagining how she’d look naked … like a brown goddess. That was when she helped him climb off the clean couch somebody threw out and they carted here.

I wanna see you, Hermie, Celine requested then pulled down his zipper and unsnapped the one at his waistband.

Herman whispered words of encouragement. I wanna see you too. He watched her continue to look at him as she stripped off her school sweater, her blouse and her skirt.

He couldn’t help but whistle between his teeth as Celine disrobed. You are so pretty, Lenie, he remarked, reaching out to touch her. He released inside Celine and Celine squeezed him.

Soon it would be time for them to leave their magical kingdom in the woods also known as a reconditioned trailer and go home.

Herman watched Celine get dressed. He’d already pulled on his school’s white shirt, black watch, plaid tie, navy uniform slacks with a matching navy sweater with St. Domenic’s Catholic Boys and Girls School logo and black shoes. How come you take so long, Lenie? I’m dressed already. We both got the same amount of clothes. You still ain’t dressed yet.

Humph! That’s because you just slam your clothes on. I like to be neat and clean. Celine handed him a large piece of mirrored glass they’d found leaning against a dumpster. Hold this up, please.

That was how she and Herman got all the furniture. They learned where the best furniture dumps were and when they were filled with the best stuff. They got Herman’s older cousins and one of his brothers to help them bring the furniture into the trailer. They had to agree the cousins and the brother could use it on weekends for their party crowd. The trailer was far enough back in the woods that party noises weren’t easily heard, so the cops didn’t bother them. They left a string of lights hidden among the trees and bushes to guide the way. They brought a couple of generators for the music and the lights. Since there were no bathrooms, folks brought their own toilet paper and just pissed in the woods.

She straightened her bra then pulled on her blouse and buttoned it. The logo on her cranberry sweater read St. Mary’s School for Girls. She tucked her white blouse into her cranberry plaid skirt then grabbed her panties and pulled them on. She pulled up her cranberry stockings. She finger-combed her brown hair and twisted a rubber band around it to make a neat ponytail. She patted her hair in place. Then she reached around the mirror to finger-comb Herman’s bristly ink-black hair in place. She tilted his chin to stare into dark brown nearly black eyes. She could feel the beard that began to appear on his face recently.

You need to shave.

Herman issued a proud, crooked grin. I know. I’m letting it grow a little more.

I like smooth skin like your chest is.

Humph. Well, I like rough and bearded.

Celine studied Herman’s face. Did you like what we did today?

Herman shook his head vigorously. Nope. I loved it.

Which part?

Herman pretended to think about her question, even rubbing his newly bristly chin. Then he grinned at her. All of it! I loved all of it and I wanna do it again. Exactly like today for my birthday.

They boarded the windows up so the trailer would look abandoned and it kept the wild animals out too. Celine sighed as they stepped down from the trailer. She let Herman lock the door while she stood on the dirt path. If we do it again, you have to bring condoms. I’ll bring some too if I can steal some of my dad’s stash.

Herman shoved his hands in his pockets. I think I can get some from my brothers. I just won’t tell ‘em it’s for us. My blabbermouth brothers might tell the wrong folks and we’ll get into trouble.

Then don’t say anything to any of them, Hermie. If or when the opportunity presents itself, take a couple and hide them in your pockets. Just remember to bring them with you next time.

I will, Herman remarked, leaning down to kiss Celine.

The couple held hands as they walked through the dense undergrowth, fallen trees and leafy trees. Herman helped Celine climb up the slippery rocks and jump over the new mud puddles from the recent rain. There we go, Herman muttered as they reached one of many entrances to the woods that was about ten blocks behind one of the nearby school’s stadiums with its running track, soccer, field hockey and football field. He escorted her to the bus stop and then they both used their school passes to take different buses home. Celine’s bus always appeared first. This afternoon was no exception. He squeezed her hand then let go to watch her climb aboard the city bus. He followed her journey on the sidewalk, watching as she took a window seat so she could wave to him and blow kisses at him. He blushed and then waved back.

Two: Welcome to Herman Sanchez Perez’s neighborhood?

Herman stepped off the bus and walked the three blocks to his house. He looked around his rundown neighborhood as he walked through it and sighed. He held his breath as he hustled past the weed-filled vacant lots that had become regular dumping grounds for mounds of raw garbage and other household trash. Stray cats and dogs, and rats lived in some of the lots. Their regular screaming, howling night fights kept the neighborhood on edge and awake at nights.

City Sanitation refused to clean the lots of debris and trash until Animal Control removed the feral cats and dogs. Animal Control refused to remove the cats and dogs until the garbage and debris was cleaned out. The end result was a standoff between agencies. Animal Control did nothing to remove the feral cats and dogs. City Sanitation did nothing to remove the garbage and debris. The one thing the city managed to do was to fence off each lot and post warning signs about rodents and other wild animals and fines for dumping debris. The city did maintain the wire fencing, repairing it when the fencing was damaged, but did nothing more to resolve the animals or debris that resided there.

Herman wanted to get out of this nasty place soon as he could. He was hoping for a football scholarship to help. Unfortunately, his sports skill set wasn’t as good as his fellow team members’. As second-string receiver, a scholarship wasn’t going to be in his future. He sat on the bench more than the coach’s favorite mug of coffee.

He filled in twice for the main receiver. Each time, he fumbled the ball and the other team caught it and scored the winning touchdown. Everybody at school teased him. His teammates suggested he move and join the rival team or that he put glue on his hands to make it easier to catch the ball. Meanwhile, he felt like shit for months until the season was over. He thanked the lord Celine wasn’t into sports that much. He could actually seek comfort with her. She listened to his sadness and embarrassment without making fun of him like his teammates did. She soothed him then tried to make him laugh too. He loved Celine for that reason alone. Celine letting him go all the way with her was an added bonus.

Good afternoon, Herman Perez, Old Lady Rubin called out soon as she saw him on the block.

Herman waved at one of his favorite neighbors. Old Lady Rubin was outside cutting her shrubs and bushes. He decided to come over and help her. While she never gave him money for his help, she made great overstuffed deli sandwiches. Her dead husband and her live sons owned a deli. They brought the works over to her house on a regular basis. She kept telling them to stop because she was only one person. She could never eat all the food her sons left. She was known around the neighborhood for giving away fresh expensive deli meats, breads, pickles, mayo, ketchup, mustard, relish, hot sauce with radish, potato salads, coleslaw, knishes, and blintzes. She also made a special drink that he loved. She called it an egg cream, except it didn’t have no eggs and no cream either.

Mrs. Rubin, you shouldn’t be out here in the hot sun cutting stuff. Go sit over there on your porch in your rocker. You can watch me cutting and shaping stuff.

Old Lady Rubin shook a teasing finger at him. Herman Perez, my bushes and shrubs aren’t stuff! They are living, breathing parts of God’s plan for this earth. It rained last night. You know how I like to keep my yards neat and trimmed.

Herman nodded. Yes, Ma’am, I know. He took the heavy pruning shears from her and held out an arm to help her climb the three cement steps to her wide porch. He helped her get settled into one of her brown wicker rocking chairs with the flowery cushion seats. You just take it easy. Watch me cut and shape stuff. If I’m not doing it right, you tell me. Okay?

Herman Perez, you always say that. But I never see you making a wrong cut or pruning anything badly. Old Lady Rubin smiled at him. I’ll just rest a minute, then I’ll fix us something to eat and drink. She looked up at the clear sky as she always did after it rained. This might be a day for some fresh lemonade.

Herman laughed. You can drink that lemonade. I’ll drink one or two of those egg creams you make.

Old Lady Rubin produced a delighted chuckle. You always say that, Herman Perez. And I always make those egg creams and not my lemonade.

Yes, Ma’am. That’s ‘cause you know what’s good to drink.

After school, Herman often found her gardening in the front or back yards. In the front yard, she grew flowers that brighten up the otherwise dull, disheveled-looking block. Her sunflowers were tall with huge sunshine-bright yellow blooms. Her roses were either white, yellow or various shades of red. She grew lilac bushes that were huge, purple and filled with scents. Her geraniums were fiery red. She also grew highly scented jasmine bushes, brightly colored tulips, Golden Vikings, holly plants, and burgundy bramble bushes. He kept her grass neatly mowed in the front and back yards.

He’d do just about anything for those deli sandwiches and egg creams she made. That was until she finally unlocked the old garage door and let him inside to see its contents. While he thought he loved Celine Abernathy, he knew for sure he loved the disassembled pieces of car Old Lady Rubin let him see.

Today, as he watched her go inside to make the sandwiches and drinks, he remembered the first time he saw it. He just finished eating a huge kosher roast beef and cheese sandwich on rye bread with sides of coleslaw and potato salad. And of course, two large egg creams.

Herman Perez, you come with me. You keep asking what’s in my garage. I want to prove to you what it’s not. Old Lady Rubin paused to catch her breath. It’s not a room full of gold bars or silver bullion or trunks full of hundred-dollar bills like everybody in the neighborhood thinks. She paused to study his raised eyebrows. Yes, I heard the talk about how I have big money stashed in my garage. Whenever I go fresh fruit shopping or buy fertilizer and soil or to take my clothes to the cleaners, somebody’s bound ask me about it.

Oh, Herman said.

Old Lady Rubin brought a key to unlock the first set of doors wooden doors. Once those doors were open, she had the combination to the lock written down on a card. It was a thin but solid steel door with a combination lock attached. She spun and twirled dial to the correct numbers and removed it. You open the door for me, Herman Perez. If you want to see better, you’ll have to use these keys to remove the floor locks to open the big door.

She turned on the garage ceiling light, then she left him alone with all the garage keys and her dead husband’s wreck of a car. The car, or what was left of it, was a pine-green Karmann Ghia with a beige ragtop. He sighed. It must have been in one hell of a wreck that damaged the front panel, the hood, the roof, a right side panel and the trunk where the engine and motor were located. He walked over to look inside and stumbled over boxes. New parts fell out of some of the boxes. He wondered if there were new engine or motor parts amongst the boxes stacked all over the garage floor. He’d need a parts book to see ‘what was what.’ That was months ago.

Today, after he finished pruning and shaping bushes, he wanted to go into the garage to do more work on the car. Old Lady Rubin had promised to give him the title if he ever got it rebuilt. The pruning, trimming and shaping then mowing the lawn took longer than he thought. It looked like he wouldn’t have time to work on the car.

Herman Perez, come sit down and eat before you go home, Old Lady Rubin called out as she brought out a rolling cart with the sandwiches, drinks and fruits to the front porch.

Coming, Mrs. Rubin, Herman responded. He wiped his sweaty face and neck with a hanky from his back pocket. Then he brought the pruning shears with him and marched from the back yard to the front yard. He ate and ate until his belly poked out over his school uniform’s slacks and belt. He watched as Old Lady Rubin placed another thick roast beef sandwich on his plate. He waved it away and then belched loudly. Excuse me.

Old Lady Rubin giggled then covered her nose, waving away the smell. Whew. I guess you like my sandwiches today. Isn’t that right, Herman Perez?

Yes, Ma’am. Can I take this one to go?

You know you can. I have more in the kitchen that I packed for you and your brothers. I’ll bring them and pack this one too.

Herman watched her push the food cart inside while he held the door open. Minutes later, the old woman carried a shopping bag full of sandwiches and sodas out and gave it to him. She squeezed his shoulder. You enjoy the food, Herman Perez. I’ll see you when my bushes and plants need trimming and my lawn needs mowing again.

Yes, Ma’am, Herman remarked. He gathered his backpack full of books and the sandwiches, and climbed down the steps. At her wrought-iron gate in the front, he waved and walked down the street.

Before he reached the end of the block, Herman took a shortcut through several vacant lots with holes in the fences that he squeezed through. He sighed.

Only a half block to go, Herman muttered, making a wide circle around the two houses with raggedy-looking shingle roofs and cardboard and plywood over some of the broken windows. Both of their lawns were overgrown with weeds tall as their front gates, high uncut grass with dandelions and milkweed turning to seed. Eighteen months ago, when he first noticed folks moving into both houses a month apart, he stopped by to ask about cutting their lawns. He didn’t make it past the freshly painted white picket fences before huge, snarling dogs strained their chains to get at him. Two male voices yelled at him to get the eff away from their houses. He never forgot those snarling, big-headed dogs.

He turned down his block. He opened the front gate to the large corner house with the double-wide front and back yards. He frowned at the fresh black paint on his hand from the gate. His older brother started laughing at him as he continued to paint the rest of the wrought-iron fence and gate.

Are you blind, Dude? his year-older brother Jack asked.

Can’t you speak? Just tell me you just finished painting the fence, Amigo?

A blind man could see I’m the painting damned fence, Dude! Jack drew closer with the paint brush in his hand.

I got sandwiches and sodas in the shopping bag. If you want one, you better not splash me with that brush! Herman warned.

They were the same height, which always pissed off Jack. They were the tallest males in the Perez family. It looked like he was going to grow a couple more inches. Then he’d be taller than Jack. They fought about it for a minute. Then they’d be friends again like always.

Are they from Old Lady Rubin?

Yep.

Jack grinned broadly. Better thank her the next time you see her. She just saved your ass today.

Hearing the loud noises, they both looked in the direction of the porch. Their three youngest brothers were throwing toys at each other. Then they shouted and screamed at each other. Finally, fists started flying as they rolled around on the porch and down the cement porch steps.

Herman strode over to the porch with the shopping bag in hand. Hey, you little idiots. Look what I got. He raised the shopping bag over his head and then shook it at his younger brothers.

What’s in the bag, Hermie? Mateo, Herman’s eleven-year-old brother, asked.

Yeah, what’s in the bag, Dude? Felipe, who recently turned nine, asked.

Yeah, show us, Dude Hermie, Leo, who was eight, demanded.

You stupid, Leo! He either Hermie or he Dude. Can’t call him both, Dummy, Mateo shouted at his baby brother.

Can so! Leo argued.

Can not! Mateo retorted.

Can, Leo argued again.

Can’t! Mateo retorted again.

Can.

Can’t!

You idiots better shut the hell up if you wanna eat tonight, Herman threatened.

Mommy say you gotta feed us, Mateo whined.

Yeah, she an’ Daddy going to school, Leo added.

How come you late? Mateo want to know.

I’m not late, you little idiot. I pruned and trimmed Old Lady Rubin’s bushes and mowed her lawn. She gave me sandwiches for everybody. Herman frowned at his kid brothers. Why aren’t they at school? He eyed each of his younger brothers. Did you guys do some whack shit again?

They exchanged looks and eyerolls then giggled.

Nah. It’s parent-teacher night, Mateo explained.

Herman groaned. He just remembered his father told them how he and Moms would be late tonight. Okay, Wiseasses. Go get some paper plates, plastic forks and cups. He watched them take off for the kitchen like little noisy jets. He wasn’t cleaning up no messes neither. Bring a trash bag too, you little pigs, he called out. He heard some snorts and oink, oinks.

Jack heard the pig noises too and started laughing. They so effing goofy! He studied his brother. You finally got some, didn’t you?

Herman could feel his face turning red hot. He dropped his eyes then shrugged.

Jack came over and slapped Herman’s back hard. You old fart. I knew you could do it. He looked at his brother’s face. It was good, wasn’t it?

Herman shrugged again then grinned at his brother. Whew, oh yeah. It was. Would have done it sooner if I’d known it’d be so-o-o goddamned good!

Only if she’d let you do her. She’s a good Catholic girl. You must done some fancy jive-talking to get her legs open.

I did, Herman remarked proudly. Hey, Herm? Jack shook his brother out of his thoughts. I said did you put a lid on it.

No, I forgot, Herman finally admitted to his brother.

You a fertile man, Dude. Anytime you do it, you got a chance of making little fuckers, Jack remarked loudly.

O-o-o-o-oh! I’m telling Mommy how you say fuck, and shit too. One of the younger boys covered his mouth when he threatened to tell.

Then you gonna starve tonight, Mateo, while your brothers eat your sandwich, you little wiseass, Herman threatened.

Okay. Okay. I ain’t gonna say nothing. Can we eat now?

Herman nodded. He walked up the porch steps and opened the shopping bag. He handed out the sandwiches and sodas around the two folding tables they used to eat at or play games on. Minutes later, every boy was eating an overstuffed sandwich or scooping up some sweet coleslaw or chewing potato salad or gulping down a soda.

Herman wondered how his parents did it. With six kids to raise and monitor, his parents had two rules. Rule Number One, be home by dark or risk getting locked out. Rule Number Two, no fighting with your brothers. His mother worked hard at Sunshine Clothing Company, a sweatshop, making cheap cotton T-shirts, tank tops, undershirts and long sleeve, collar-less shirts. The shop owner allowed her to take home scraps of fabric that she used to make colorful patchwork seat cushions she and the older children sold at street fairs and block festivals on the weekends. It seemed to him his mother was always working and looking for ways to earn money.

His father, on the other hand, wasn’t an entrepreneur like that. He was always exhausted. When he arrived home, all he wanted was to drink beer and sleep. He worked for ABC Moving, a local moving and storage company. He and his crew of movers provided the manual labor. They hauled all kinds of furniture and other things up and down several flights of stairs, all day and every day, six or seven days a week. Sometimes, his father and his crew worked late into the night to finish their assigned moving jobs. That was when he’d drag his butt home. He’d sit outside on the porch and drink the beers his wife left him in the coolers. He’d drink them all, then he’d take a long piss in the flower bed. He’d enter the house and fall asleep on the couch.

Tonight, he wondered what kind of mood his parents would be in when they returned home from school. If his kid brothers didn’t do anything stupid, they’d be in a good mood. His younger brothers were bright. They helped each other with homework. They did very well in school. It was as if they learned all of his and Jack’s mistakes and rose above them.

Three: Welcome to Celine Devora Abernathy’s neighborhood and her life.

Celine smiled and waved as she watched Herman Perez get smaller and smaller, finally disappearing from the bus window. When she thought about what happened this afternoon, she decided she liked the sex she had with Hermie. She tried to remember what she learned in Health classes about eggs and sperm. She sighed. All she remembered was when the sperm fertilized the egg, it became a fetus, which became a growing thing soon afterwards.

She knew it took nine months to produce a baby. She’d heard childbirth and labor hurt a great deal. At her mother’s favorite beauty shop, she overheard clients talking about childbirth. The women all agreed not to make babies with big-headed men. They claimed men with big heads made babies with big heads. Babies with big heads tore up a woman’s vaginal canal. They said a woman couldn’t have sex right ever again.

She wondered if Herman had a big head. She couldn’t tell. The women at the beauty shop didn’t give any measurements to say what was a big head and what was a little head. She couldn’t ask either because she wasn’t supposed to be listening. Her questions would raise questions from her mother or her older sisters. They’d find out what she been doing with Herman instead going to her afternoon classes. Her parents would forbid her to see him again. She couldn’t live without Herman. She rather die than live without him. She sighed. None of that was going to happen because she wasn’t going to ask questions about male head sizes.

She settled back in her seat on the