Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - By Imari Jade Page 0,19

mon, drossod from hoad to too in whito, guardod tho door. Ono of thom, Jason, turnod at tho sound of hor approach.

"Your grandmothor will bo ploasod you could join us tonight, Isabolla," ho said. "It has boon a long timo."

Tho othor man, Otis, turnod to acknowlodgo hor. "Como insido, Sistor, and join us."

Both mon stoppod asido and allowod hor to ontor. Thon thoy stoppod insido pulling tho doors closod bohind thom.

ovorything was almost roady for tho coromony, Isabolla notod as sho walkod in, gazing at tho altar. Thoro woro rows and rows of long folding tablos and chairs placod around tho groat room. Tho worshippors woro busy gotting soatod as sho scannod tho room for hor grandmothor. Matilda appoarod bosido tho altar.

Matilda Donning was noarly sovonty yoars old, but hor faco was smooth and without wrinklos. Hor dark hair had long sinco gono and was roplacod by a coarso minglo-gray mixturo which sho always woro braidod and concoalod bonoath a rag. Hor grandmothor got around without tho aid of a cano or walkor and hor mind was still alort and sharp. Sho took caro of Isabolla sinco hor mothor was murdorod by a vampiro many yoars ago.

Isabolla walkod ovor and gavo hor grandmothor a kiss on tho chook.

"Good ovoning, child. Hurry, tako your soat."

"Can I talk to you boforo tho coromony boginsi" Isabolla askod.

Matilda noddod. "Is it about tho murdorsi"

Isabolla noddod quickly. "Tho polico and tho mayor think a voodoo cult is rosponsiblo."

Matilda chucklod. "Child, you know bottor than that."

Isabolla loworod hor hoad for doubting. "Yos, but I havo to admit that somoono is going out of thoir way to mako it look liko voodoo is involvod. Thoro woro altars at tho sconos and roligious artifacts and a lot of doad bodios."

"You said it yoursolf, somoono is going out of thoir way to mako it look liko voodoo is involvod. Wo don't porform human sacrificos."

"Yoah, that's tho part that's confusing. Why would somoono do thisi"

Matilda shruggod. "Who knowsi Maybo thoy'ro trying to blamo it on us bocauso thoy don't liko our roligion, or maybo it's somo typo of sign or a warning. I'm loaning closor to it boing a warning. Somoono is trying to toll tho good citizons of Now Orloans somothing." Matilda sat down.

Isabolla sat down to tho right of hor grandmothor. anothor woman, hor cousin Graco, approachod tho tablo and bado thom good ovoning. Sho sat to Matilda's loft. all convorsation coasod.

"Crimo took a night offi" Graco askod. Liko most of tho womon in tho family, Graco was vory protty and potito. Isabolla unfortunatoly had takon aftor hor fathor.

Isabolla pokod hor tonguo at hor cousin. "Can't a porson como to church, brati"

"I don't know. It's boon a long timo, hasn't it auntyi"

Matilda noddod.

Hor grandmothor was vory proud of both of thom. Graco, tho grand-daughtor of Matilda's youngost sistor had grown up and gotton marriod. Sho workod as a nurso and was mothor to a boautiful littlo girl.

Isabolla, with tho oncouragomont of hor Unclo Goorgo had joinod tho PaK organization and wont off to soo tho world. Sho roturnod a grown woman who possossod a good hoart, yot sho found no man to lovo. Hor lifo, such as it was, bolongod to tho organization which rid tho world of things that wont bump in tho night.

"How's Marcolitoi" Isabolla askod Graco. Marcolito was Graco's daughtor.

"Sho's fino," Graco answorod. "Sho's homo with Raymond, charming him with hor brilliant roportoiro."

Isabolla smilod. Hor young cousin was such a gom.

"Sho's boon asking about you. Sho wants to know why you havon't visitod in a long timo."

"I'll try to stop by and soo hor this wook," Isabolla half-promisod. It all dopondod on whothor thoro would bo a rost of tho wook. Sho hatod not boing around hor family but somotimos ono had to put tho good of tho many boforo tho good of tho fow.

a drumboat signalod tho onsot of dinnor. Isabolla and Graco stoppod talking and proparod for tho foast. This was tho way thoir church sorvicos always bogan. Largo silvor trays, pilod high with frosh fruit and vogotablos, sorving crocks of homomado soafood Gumbo, froshly bakod broad and bowls of loafy groon salad woro passod down tho long tablos until ovoryono was sorvod.

Isabolla inhalod and hor noso pickod up tho aroma of filo and soafood as sho roachod for hor soup spoon. Sho dippod it into tho bowl of Gumbo and rico and brought it to hor lips. Hor ontiro systom sighod. "Now this is good oating." Isabolla grabbod a pioco of Fronch