Chapter 47 The Aftermath & the Work War
Later that night , Lotus curled into bed beside Jason.
Soon she hit the bed instantly she felt right asleep from exhaustion.
Flash.
Metal grinding.
Glass scattering.
The accident.
The shadowed figure she never fully remembered.
But now… the details sharpened.
A watch.
Brown leather.
Busted strap.
Eel engraving.
Her eyes snapped open.
Man silhouette.
Face blurred.
Familiar in a way that made her stomach churn.
BCHC Community Meeting
The next morning. Lotus and Joy walked into the Better Community Housing Center, they were met with pure morning chaos.
The place was packed, board members, half the neighborhood, random cousins who didn’t even live on the block, and the entire senior walking group still dressed in matching gray sweat suits with reflective stripes.
Mrs. Plimpton, leader of the walking squad, still had her Fitbit on proudly blinking 26 steps.
Joy whispered, 26 steps? Girl, that’s the walk from her porch to her car.”
Lotus elbowed her before she laughed too loud.
The room buzzed with overlapping stories, frantic energy, and the kind of comedy that only panicked neighbors could produce.
One woman waved her hand dramatically. “I heard it’s a group of men doing the robbing. Five of ’em. Maybe six. Big ones too. I seen a shadow look like a linebacker.”
Another man chimed in, “No, no, no my cousin said they tall, skinny, dress like they work for FedEx.”
“FedEx?” someone shouted.
“Yeah, but with the wrong purple.”
The entire senior walking group nodded like that made perfect sense.
Then Mr. William who always sat two chairs too far from his wife stood up and yelled across the room:
“Hopefully they get that old hag Charlene next so she can finally get a man in her house! Maybe then she’ll stay outta everybody business!”
Charlene gasped so loud it was spiritual.
“I KNOW you ain’t talking, William! How about they come steal from YOU and clean up that hoarder yard you got? Messing up the whole neighborhood! Your backyard look like a yard sale caught on fire!”
A woman in the back snorted. “And he got that refrigerator sittin’ out there like a porch decoration!”
Now the whole room was laughing, yelling, debating.
Someone else added, “Ain’t no wonder we got rodents. They probably living in William’s old recliner out back!”
“IT’S A VINTAGE CHAIR!” William barked.
Lotus and Joy exchanged looks like, Lord, why do we live here?
The noise rose until it felt like the walls were vibrating.
Mr. Emerson, the director, slammed his folder shut.
“Ahem! AHEM! Alright, alright, everybody settle down. Please.”
No one settled.
He clapped his hands three times like he was calling in schoolchildren.
“ENOUGH! Let’s get back on track. We have Officer Robinson here from the precinct, and he needs to brief us.”
The crowd finally (and reluctantly) quieted.
Officer Robinson stepped forward, clearing his throat. “Good morning, everyone. We understand the robberies have been increasing. We’re putting extra patrols on the night shift for the next few weeks.”
Someone shouted, “Bless God, because I was sleeping with a broom next to my bed!”
Another added, “I slept in my shoes!”
Officer Robinson pushed through. “We’re also organizing an official Neighborhood Watch. There’s a sign-in sheet at the front table if you want to join. Please write clearly—we’re still trying to decipher last month’s sign-up.”
Everyone chuckled.
Then the officer said, “And yes, we’re aware there’s gang activity influencing teens around the park. And yes, we know about the drug addicts sleeping near the playground. We’re addressing that, too.”
A woman raised her hand. “What about the man who keeps juggling knives by the swing set?”
Officer Robinson blinked.
“We… we will get back to you on that.”
The room erupted again.
PRIVATE MEETING
After the crowd finally shuffled out, Mr. Emerson gathered the board members—Lotus, Joy, Mrs. Anderson, Ms. Ramirez, Mr. Chen.
He shut the conference room door.
“We need to speak privately,” he said. “About something more serious.”
Officer Robinson folded his arms. “Every victim so far? Every house hit? Every address broken into? All belong to or are directly tied to… board members.”
The room went still.
“It’s not random,” he continued. “And until we know who’s behind this, every one of you needs to be cautious. Extra locks, no walking alone at night, no predictable routines. Someone might be targeting you.”
Joy’s eyebrows rose. “Targeting us? Why? We broke, tired, and overworked. What they want—our stress?”
Lotus didn’t laugh. A knot formed in her stomach instead.
Something wasn’t right.
Something felt connected.
Something bigger was moving behind the scenes.
BACK TO THEIR OTHER BATTLE
After the meeting, Lotus and Joy stepped into the cool morning air. Miracle the dog trotted between them like a tiny guard. Cornbread the cat glared from his carrier like he was personally offended by the entire community.
They were exhausted, uneasy, stretched thin.
Joy sighed. “So we survive robberies at sunrise and face corporate nonsense at noon?”
Lotus rolled her shoulders. “House of Charuzu waits for no one.”
Miracle barked once, determined.
Cornbread yawned, unimpressed.
Lotus and Joy exchanged that silent, sister-bond look of resignation.
Time to head into their next battlefield.
The House of Charuzu.
Another war.
Another day.
And neither of them felt ready.