No Late-for-school
By Shari Paul, first published in FIYAH
A Trinidadian blogger gets turned into a bird through an elaborate obeah sorcery racket—orchestrated by her very own boyfriend.
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Plot Summary
A blogger named Delilah begins a relationship with a tall, dark, handsome, and wealthy man named Samson. The relationship seems perfect at first. Samson introduces Delilah to an old ex, "Homegirl," and her friend, "Becky." The two are starting their own band for Carnival and enlist Delilah's skills as a seamstress. They make magnificent feathered costumes together based on a local legends that worship hummingbirds. Delilah gets her hair done by the ex, Homegirl. Over the next several days, Delilah finds that feathers are growing out of her head. Delilah suspects the Homegirl and Becky did something to her. When Delilah confronts Samson about this, he reveals that the ex, Homegirl, has done this before to his girlfriends. Homegirl uses the feathers of girls turned into birds for her marvelous costumes. Furious at Samson's carelessness, Delilah goes straight to the Homegirl's shop. Samson calls Delilah and threatens her to not call the police on Homegirl. Delilah, sick of Samson's misogyny, hangs up. Becky reveals that Samson has been in on the plot all along, tricking girls into going to the shop to be turned into birds. Delilah talks Homegirl and Becky into undoing the obeah spell on her if she finishes making the dresses. When they undo the obeah on Delilah they decide to try to snatch some of Delilah's hair, in case they need to cast the spell again. Delilah fights them off. In the chaos, Delilah undos the spell cast on several other women, who are caged as birds in the shop. Delilah runs away from the shop back home to safety.
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