Voodoo spider and the Haitian Princess

LA and the Voodoo Priestess

Once upon a House of blues.

There l was a VIP member of the private club above the H.O.B doing my usual peruse of the early evening scene when l noticed that they had put on the large sit in fireplace . I drifted over to sit a while on the bench seat basking in the glow when my bottom rested on a person's lap!!??!??! Oh my goodness I've not seen the Black lady sitting just around the corner of the bench. Please don't be shocked as she was very black from head to foot ,if anyone should have looked shocked it should have been her, but no...not her. She smiled a smile so big and white that toothpaste ads paled in her shadow. Before l could apologise she said "nice to meet you" l replied red faced, nice to meet you. From that moment on she introduced me to her companion and proceeded to talk the hind legs of a honky,  telling me she was a Haitian Priestess who was dating the Mayor of San Diego. She asked me for my phone number and l obliged, well have you ever met a Priestess?!?!? NO.  

She called and said she was coming to LA from San Diego in a week and would l like to have tea at the club , I obliged. We met at four pm,  as is customary in my home land. We talked for ages about this and that when she grew quiet , a serious look appeared upon her pitch black face.  Paul she said with straight  face , I told you I was a Priestess but not about the power l yield in Haiti. I come from the highest family to ever rule the island and am a practising Voodoo Priestess. At home I'm Either beloved or hated ,nothing in between. I must also tell you that l left Haiti when a curse was placed upon me by a member of another ruling family . I was told to hide away somewhere far away and not come back until that person had died from a curse placed upon them by my clan. I came to America five years ago and ended up in California where l settled avoiding the public as much as possible. Having met the incumbent Mayor of San Diego at a store in town we proceeded to date there by breaking my promise to avoid a high profile lifestyle. 

As time passed l felt an eerie feeling that things back in Haiti had changed and a message was passed to me by a trusted clan member that evil forces had tracked me down and that l must find a Guardian Prince on a shining white stallion to protect me or l would surely be killed by a half spider half human warrior sent to dispose of me and anyone trying to protect me.  Paul ... this l know sounds to crazy but believe me it's very real .... Paul please ( as she squeezed my hand tight ). I've been told by the  highest Priest that you are in fact my chosen guardian Prince. Oh ( the thought spun around my head ) like a top, is she crazy or what ???? Her eyes glowed brighter than normal with fear, her body trembling like a scared child on Halloween. Was this really happening or was l drunk on TEA??

We parted company and as we  both left  said simultaneously we will keep in touch. I wasn't at all sure it was wise of me to continue this early friendship,  after all she was dating a powerful man so why couldn't he protect her,  l thought  ??? The week went by without a call from my Jet Black Priestess and secretly l was happy it was so. Talked to soon , Phone rung ,her voice quivering , Paul my Guardian Prince I've news from home . Please listen carefully . The Spider assassin was here in California and stalking me. We must meet quickly she pleaded , time is short for me and l must pass on my powers to you so you might protect yourself and in doing so have all the powers invested in my clan and be able to fend off the half Spider half Man from me. I hesitated but what the hell was l to do but help in some crazy half brained way and act like a white knight really would have done in bygone times.  

We met at a prearranged hide away. She sat and stared at we for what seemed like an eternity before she spoke. Once started she proceeded to pour out the inner secrets of her clan and all she had learned since the start of her Priestly life. The killer would appear from nowhere when least expected and have the spindley  black  body of a Spider but a human"s face, sitting on hind legs , body extended upright with huge oval human face smiling  with arms extended beckoning come hither , come hither. Pure evil , she repeated slowly over and over again.  My Haitian Priestess suddenly stood and glanced my way, as she bid me farewell. Paul she said before talking a deep breath , please be vigilant, please look after yourself, won't you ??? Be prepared for evil will follow soon. 

As days turned into weeks that turned into months with no contact from her my mind drifted into the norms of daily life . Then out of the blue my phone rang with her number . Paul can you hear me?? she whispered . I haven't long so please listen carefully. I must leave you now and it's unlikely we will see each other again . My work is done here, but you remain,  and I'm told they intend to find your whereabouts and complete their mission to eradicate all those that helped protect me. Paul my Knight,  l shall never forget you . Take great care . With that the line went silent. 

A few years passed and having settled down with my new Lady l soon forgot the Spider and the Haitian,  until one sunny autumn afternoon while sitting resting my back against my back door , letting the warm Sun brush my face l felt the presents of something other than myself . I glanced around expecting a family member or friend,  but saw no one . Feeling uneasy l started in earnest looking for something , anything , for   l knew l was not alone . Suddenly my eyes were drawn to a black speck at the bottom of the other door pillar. What was that ??? I thought taking a second glance . My God it's the creature my Black Haitian Priestess spoke about,yes that's right....... . Spindly black legs , black body and somehow while lurching upwards beckoning to me with quivering withered legs and oversized head ,oh no ,can't be can it ???? no please ,that pink oval human face she mentioned,  with beak like mouth pouting,  seemingly saying, it's OK  come here ,yes here ,come please,  I am your friend. My heart thumped so hard l felt it trying to escape  from within my chest, with what seemed to be my last full breath l lunged forward and ran to the opposite wall , as far as l could get away from this horrible humanoid spider . As l held on the the fencing for dear life l could not stop myself from looking over to the door l had just left moments ago to assure myself this was really happening . There sitting up on hind legs with out stretched arms,  gesturing to me was this tiny black spider that l shouldn't  be able to see with such clarity,   let alone make out the pink human face and bulbous head as if planted on that spindly body smiling at me.   A few minutes passed answer l got brave enough to glance again the way of the door pillar but this time no spider . I slowly moved towards the door from which the whole episode  had started looking everywhere for that spider warrior  but no sign of the menace.  Still in fear l walked around to my front door to make entry and approached from inside all the time scouring every crevice for that spider warrior but it had left as quickly as it arrived.  

For weeks after l walked tentatively wherever l went but time heals the minds eye . To this day l reflect upon the Black Priestess and the Spider and wonder how the end played out . Maybe the warrior got its prey or just maybe I deflected the creatures mind long enough  from its task of killing her for her to make her escape back to the safety of her family. I will never know,  but for sure l sleep more easily these days .......or maybe l will be revisited , l surely hope not.     

Sir Paul.  circa 2016.