1 Cipher **** Intro

As courageous I had been in 2018, the new year had only humbled me and made me cherish the air I breathed. I was almost due and the winter season chilled me to the bone, I was always so cold. I'd come to terms with the past events and had known I definitely had to conquer my foe to be able to raise my children, I had also learned we were all controlled by an entity, whether it be righteous or ungodly. Since the divulsion, I'd been predisposed to further seek revenge but prioritized motherhood instead. I'd been angered that the courts deemed Trenton Jr. as possession.

Troy's call from prison startled my thoughts, I was mused in the wallpaper color scheme I'd chosen. One thing I'd learned from Martin Poindexter was to never underemphasize my value, and had chosen the finest decor for the home. TJ2's settlement had been enough to support us even though I'd gotten every penny I had been entitled to from Trenton, without giving him a divorce, the muthafucka was worth more dead than alive.

I was closer to the orchard yet being in New Orleans, which made it suitable to commute back and forth and I anticipated the season. I could tell The Tree would produce virtuously, I now knew why Trenton had told me to learn the difference between the apples.

I watched daily for coverage on Martin's death and he'd insisted I would be a better lawyer than Denard had been, Judge Pyle, pardon me.

I wondered, I mean, I hadn't asked for the enlightening but fuck it, I had been through trying times.

I looked at my swollen ankles, but cherished them. I had managed to carry my son for 8 months, but also could relate to how Christy had been pregnant on pins and needles. I needed to get it together before Troy's court appearance, he may have been guilty but there was no legislation---

He would soon be free.

I'd killed Terrell but hey---I would never build a case against myself, most who had been convicted had done so unknowingly due to self detriment via the lips.

Since a child, my I.Q. had been extremely high, and I had loved my daddy, who had been the most innocent of them all. I remembered Martin's words, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers of darkness---"

If there was no evil, good would be irrelevant. I'd postponed what I thought I knew and had to be taught about darkness to recognize the light.

Kerri and I hadn't seen eye to eye, literally, since the arrest and Sharon was still enjoying the tithes.

Nathaniel and I had planned to visit Twan's grave, and since Martin Poindexter was away, he'd decided to pick up where he had left off, it was understood---Martin now needed him. Keyon was adamant about his father's estate belonging to him since he was the oldest, he'd supposedlyhanged himself in prison and had been cremated upon request, immediately as stated in the letter. It was granted, the ritual and all---I'd learned the same about Grandma Hazel Mae's cremation. Freedom of religion had taken on a whole new meaning now.

Her cremation hadn't worked at all. Also I'd learned u can't let everyone pray for u.

Enthusiastically I'd answered Shonda's call, but fuck her.

Posterity had suffered, the generations slain and self destructed because of lack of knowledge, but their children's children had not been forgotten as Martin had quoted.

I just wanted the simple life, my daughters had chosen to live with Pam, their grandmother, and I hadn't wanted to break their bond even though I'd sensed tragedy beforehand.

Keyon, he preferred to be called, had recovered my belongings from the home in Metairie and I would visit that bastard Trenton's grave regularly to ensure the dirt hadn't been unturned. They had searched for Trena for 23 years, and had laid them to rest beside one another, however the ground remained fertile and I'd burned the shed, the floor door was still in tact. I decided to build over it, and construction was underway. I'd gone into labor while inside and yet cherished the memory.

The Orchard was worth hundreds of thousands yearly. I'd began to receive orders in advance and vowed to be more organized than Trenton had been, besides it had only been a cover up and he'd had the wrong concept about the tree---or did he?

After I delivered I would began production, but momentarily I had wanted to know if LaDonna Ellis' body was buried underneath the tree---it had all started before the feud between Trenton's grandfather and my own, and I was in fact entitled to the property. Kerri caught wind, but was illegitimate.

I'd collected the money from the accounts, Martin had frozen them and even so---it belonged to Antwan Carter Jr. Ha!

The police inquired about why Trenton had reason to kill Nikki, I was clueless---so was Keyon. He had only baited Trenton in after the fact and set him up. So much evidence against him, even Terrell's murder, yea, sure they had seen my car entering through the gate, but had seen his more.

The picture of the Haitian housekeeper flashed across the screen, and then her son's. The sword's unjustified existence had taken them all down, it had been used in the murder of an undercover agent.

The grapes yet lacked flavor.

I had been subjected to irreparable mental trauma and had resumed the sessions Trenton and I had halted, I'd told Dr. Manuel about the Code, curiosity covered his brow as he wiped it and unbuttoned his collar, "The demonic alphabet, and u figured it out? As in u deciphered them?"

Well they damn sure wasn't PlayStation symbols contrary to popular belief---yep.

He agreed to resume the session in two days and dismissed himself.

I had only read what had been written, but hadn't known what they symbolized until the passage across Dario's chest had been revealed.

Maybe I was entitled, I thought back to how Terrell had said I deserved better and had known he knew the alphabet as well, he'd written Redd in code long ago---and had instructed him to send them to me. When I had translated the letters In Seg 6, I'd found out Redd hadn't received them back at all---Martin had.

I looked at TJ2 and scoffed, if what was blessed could not be cursed, what was cursed certainly could not be blessed.