by H.H. Fowler
She wrapped an arm around Asia, pulling her closer. “Let’s just pray about it, lil’ sis. Who knows what the future holds…Jorge just might be the one.”
Asia sensed the ambiguity in Dallis’ voice, but she decided to let the conversation rest. She could not blame Dallis for being prudent, though excessive at times, it was who she was. Asia eased away from Dallis’ grasp and with forlorn steps, dragged herself back to her room. Her tears hit the floor before her face touched the pillow. She wished her family could see that Jorge was all that she wanted, because if they continued to get in her way, she would make it very difficult for her family to live with her.
****
Izaiah walked into the guesthouse and then quietly closed the door behind him. He was becoming a little weary of Gregory’s impromptu meetings. He must have sat through five of them since coming to the estate. There was always someone new for him to meet to discuss things that Izaiah felt could have been put in an email. Izaiah did not have any interest in hearing about the agenda of the Bliss Haven government. He could barely stand the political campaigns at home in the United States. So his input into these meetings was minimal at best.
Then there was the issue of Gregory always asking Izaiah if he trusted him, his piercing gaze seeming to search for an opening into Izaiah’s mind. It appeared as if Gregory wanted to share some dark secret with Izaiah, but at the last moment, would change his mind with that pragmatic smile. It made Izaiah uncomfortable, but he didn’t know how to tell Gregory about it. For the moment, Izaiah allowed his thoughts to focus on Asia, which he found he was doing more often than he wanted to.
For some reason, he always made her laugh, but he was beginning to look forward to sharing those humorous moments with her. Her personality was certainly addictive; however, he could not let his heart get caught up in the excitement. Gregory’s words constantly reminded him that Asia was deeply smitten with someone else. He had seen with his own eyes the passion that Asia had for that boy. And even now, he still couldn’t get out of his mind the image of Asia tossing her arms around his neck. It showed they had a connection and Izaiah was jealous of that.
His job was to neutralize this ‘phase’ of Asia’s life, so that Gregory’s anger could be appeased. Izaiah sighed, as he eased down on the mattress of his king size bed. He had made up his mind to do it his way, but that didn’t mean he had the first clue on how to go about this situation. Izaiah genuinely wanted to spend time with Asia, but he feared that somehow Asia would find out about her father’s little ploy, which she obviously would construe in a negative light. He could imagine how ugly things could get after that. He knew trying to explain would only make the matter worse.
A few moments later, Izaiah picked up his Bible from the nightstand and immersed himself in the life-giving power of God’s Word – a discipline he’d kept since the first day he became a Christian. His world was slowly changing before him and it felt as if he could do nothing to stop it.
They sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils
– 1 Corinthians 10:20 &21
Chapter Fifteen
“Tell me your name?”
“Chazz Brunswick.”
“No!”
“I’m sorry…Dedicated One.”
“Say it with some guts!”
“My name is Dedicated One!”
“Do you have the password?”
“Yes.”
“Give it to me.”
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy…The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.”
“Will you drink the cup of the Lord to prove your devotion to the House of gods…that you swear with your life to remain faithful and true?”
“I will.”
“Whom will you choose this day?”
“The Lord; He is God.”
“And who is your God?”
“We all are gods, co-existing as one as the immaculate Holy Trinity.”
Funeral music began playing in the background. Chazz felt something lift him to his feet and shove him toward an open casket. He was suddenly alone in the dark with eerie noises now seeming to erupt from the casket. He was handed a gold goblet in the form of a human skull, but he couldn’t see who’d given it to him. It was overflowing with a thick, red substance that began to spill over his hand as this force continued to shove him toward the casket.
“DRINK IT!” A loud voice commanded.
Chazz tried to refuse it, but his will was so weakened by his worldly desires that he simply put the goblet to his mouth and drank. The next thing he knew, he was laying in the casket with his arms crossed over his chest like a dead person. He soon felt things crawling all over him. When he looked down, snakes and worms of various lengths were beginning to eat his flesh. He wanted to scream, but it felt as if someone had slapped their hand over his mouth. A tiny light appeared over his head and when he stared into it, he saw Ms. V’s face. Her grin was evil personified, which matched the evil in her eyes. She moved her hand from his mouth and placed it around his neck. She began to squeeze with all of her might.
“Die, you unfaithful soul,” she began screaming. “Die! Die! Die!”
Chazz jumped up and slammed his head against the headboard. After gathering his composure, he held his neck and rubbed it. He was grateful to still be alive, but he didn’t like the feeling of terror lingering in the pit of his stomach. He’d had nightmares in the past, but this one was the most disturbing. Why? Because he’d been trying to distance himself from Ms. V and her imps for almost three years, but it seemed as if everywhere he turned they were there to remind him that he belonged to them. They were now coming into his dreams – even though he’d had no direct contact with them.
He was never the same ever since he’d placed that gold goblet to his mouth and swallowed its contents. It felt as if his soul and spirit had been disengaged from his body. He would see things moving in the night while he tried to sleep and the more he tried to ignore it, the more he was tormented. Chazz even tried to pray, but whatever it was in his room wouldn’t allow him to pray. A voice would speak to his mind in a derogatory manner, and mock his words as he cried out for help. Who are you talking to? God? Don’t be stupid, Chazz, because no one is listening to your weak prayers. Pray to me and I will give you the world. I can make you to be your own god…
On and on the voice mocked him in derision. So, Chazz gave up praying and started plotting his revenge. Because of one little slip up he’d made, the organization got all bent out of shape about it. Well, in his eyes his mistake didn’t warrant the way they had ex-communicated him. Truly, everything that glittered was not gold. Why did he ever allow his lust for financial freedom consume his opportunity to think things through? Now he was in survival mode. His next order of business was to find another way to meet with Dana, because Chazz believed she was the only one who could help him bring down this powerhouse of secrets.
His wristwatch showed that it was ten minutes to four in the morning – too early to begin his morning rituals. He stood to his feet anyway and made his way to the bathroom. After he took a warm shower, he slid to the floor with his back against the wall. He purposely kept his thoughts focused on Dana and the intimacy that had been shared between them. Those experiences were some of the few good memories he had left and he wanted to hold onto them for as long as he could. It kept him sane and somewhat hopeful that when he told Dana the truth about Gregory, she would leave him to spend the rest of her life with a more faithful man who actually cared about her. Chazz was confident that man would be him.
For now, he would continue to fine tune his revenge, because whenever he launched his attack, he expected it to be fatal. The House of gods would never be able to recover.
****
8:44 a.m.
Gregory and Izaiah were the first to be seated, as they were the first to arrive before everyone else. Soon after, Asia joined them, looking as if she needed to go back to bed. Gregory opened his mouth to comment on his daughter’s appearance, but Dallis swooped in, complaining that she was late for her final swim practice. The big race was in two hours and she needed to be in top shape to perform. She planted a kiss on Gregory’s cheek and apologized for leaving so abruptly. Izaiah noticed that Dallis had barely maintained eye contact with him. It confirmed that his presence was really causing a stir. But why? Didn’t everyone now know the reason why Gregory had brought him to Bliss Haven?
“Rose, where is my wife?”
“Sir?”
Gregory cut his eyes at the maid and said sardonically, “I know you heard my question quite clearly.”
Miss Rose rolled her eyes nervously around the room, sensing that Gregory was in a foul mood. Whenever her boss used that tone with her, she knew he and Dana had just come out of a nasty argument. “I don’t know what to tell yuh,” Miss Rose said. “She did not answer the door when I knocked. So, I will fix her a plate –”
“You will do no such thing,” Gregory spat. “Tell her to come and join us.”
Nonplused, Miss Rose stared at Gregory. In a situation where she knew she didn’t have any clout, Miss Rose wondered what Gregory expected her to do. Did he expect her to drag his wife into the dining room by her feet? Miss Rose feared Gregory, but she was not that stupid to overstep her boundaries with Dana. If Gregory wanted Dana to join them for breakfast, he would have to leave the table and fetch her for himself. She turned her plump bottom around and walked outside to take a smoke – even though she’d promised the Lord at least a hundred times that she would quit the disgusting habit. It helped her blow off some steam when Gregory got on her nerves.
“Well,” Izaiah said, wishing to break the awkward silence. “I don’t mind if it’s just going to be the three of us.”
“Well, I do!” Gregory stood up and slapped his napkin on the table. “Excuse me. I will be right back.”
The wind that Gregory left in his wake almost knocked Izaiah out of his seat. He looked at Asia through the corner of his eye and wondered what was going through her head. She had to feel embarrassed by such an exaggerated display of emotions. For a man of God, Gregory’s attitude was deplorable. Izaiah’s first reaction was to reach over and cup his hand over Asia’s, but he feared his touch would be received beyond a simple gesture of affection. He did what he did best when he was caught in an uncomfortable situation, which was to try to relax the tension with a joke.
“Do you want to know why I am so terrified of dogs?” Izaiah began, hating that he was about to humiliate himself. “When I was a kid, I was bitten on the rear end and had to be taken to the hospital for fourteen stitches.”
Asia did not respond right away. But soon, images of what that scenario must have looked like began to pour into her mind. Her lips twitched humorously, as she also recalled the scene when she’d saved Izaiah from the Alsatians the other day. The look of terror on his face was a Kodak moment.
“I haven’t even completed my story and you are already laughing.” Izaiah chuckled.
“I am not laughing,” Asia protested.
“Of course, you are. You see me as one big joke, don’t you?”
Asia turned to face Izaiah. Although her onyx eyes were droopy from lack of sleep, she appeared interested in what Izaiah had to say. Apart from Jorge, Izaiah had been the only one who had been able to put a smile on her face these days.
“What choice do I have?” Asia said. “Something funny always seems to be going on with you. Tell me what happened and I promise that I will try to be sympathetic.”
Izaiah grinned. “Well, I’ll tell you the whole story if you agree to work along with me on a program that I want to implement in the youth department.”
“Is this an attempt at manipulation?”
“I did not say that as a means to manipulate you,” Izaiah explained. “I genuinely want your help. You seem to be passionate about the youth.”
“Did my father put you up to this?” Asia asked suddenly.
Izaiah’s heart skipped a beat. He would have thought that Asia was very discerning of her father’s antics, but he knew she was grasping at straws. It showed that she was still suspicious of his intentions. Izaiah had an uncanny feeling that Gregory’s little plan would soon come back to bite him in the butt, like that dog did when he was a kid.
“I asked because you said that you would consider becoming part of my team,” he told Asia. “Has something changed from Sunday to now?”
A lot, Asia want to say, but instead, she let out a miserable sigh.
“You know,” Izaiah said warmly. “You can talk to me about anything. I’ve been told that I am an excellent listener, as well as an excellent observer. And right now, I can tell that something is twisting you up on the inside.”
“Wow,” Asia shot sarcastically. “You figured that out all by yourself? Are you sure my father hasn’t been whispering stuff about me into your ears?”
Izaiah ignored the sarcasm and simply said rhetorically, “So, there is something going on? Well I won’t pry; however, what I do want from you is your decision to work along with me in the youth department.”
“I thought you said it was a program, now it’s the entire youth department? Which is it, because my time is very valuable to me?”
“Boy, you are really snappy this morning,” Izaiah said. “I wouldn’t like to see if I really got on your bad side.”
Asia shifted her eyes from Izaiah, as Miss Rose came in from the kitchen exit. She seemed to be a little more composed. Grabbing a cooking spoon from the counter, she began to stir the contents of the pot, singing a Negro Spiritual that Asia had never heard in her life. Yet, on some level, it massaged the pain that she was carrying on the inside.
“O a little talk with Jesus make it right, all right…Troubles of ev’ry kind, God I’ll always find…that little talk with Jesus make it right…Of trials and temptations, make it hard for me and you, but Jesus is a friend, He’ll keep us to the end…”
“If you do change your mind,” Izaiah said, drawing Asia’s attention back to him. “A few of us are going to St. Elmo’s Valley on Friday. We want to start canvassing that area and try to minister the word of God to the people. I heard that it’s one of the poorest districts in Bliss Haven…”
Asia hadn’t really heard anything else except, ‘St. Elmo’s Valley’ – which conveniently was the hometown of her lover. A one-time opportunity she would not dare to ignore. She arrested Izaiah with a very intense stare. “Count me in,” she said, as she struggled to contain her excitement. “I have always wanted to witness to those folks about the Lord.”
“Whoa,” Izaiah remarked. “This is quite a change from the sulky mood I experienced a moment ago. Where did that Asia go?”
“She didn’t go anywhere,” Asia said. “You have explained what the program is about. Now, I am excited to work along with it. Is that so hard to believe?”
Izaiah chuckled, pleased that he’d been able to pull Asia out of her slump, if only for a few minutes. If St. Elmo’s Valley had done the trick, then he would ensure that they would spend a lot of time there, witnessing to those lost and forgotten souls.
Izaiah extended his hand to Asia and said with a glint in his eyes, “I’m excited to have you on board. Welcome.”
Asia took Izaiah’s hand, simply offering a tiny smile in response.
Chapter Sixteen
Gregory pushed Dana i
nto the room and slammed the door behind him. “What the hell is your problem, locking yourself in this room like a bloody hermit? We have a guest in our home and this is how you act?”
“It didn’t bother you before,” Dana said calmly. “For three years you ignored me and pretended as if I didn’t exist. Now, you wish to show me off to your little choir boy, who could barely keep his eyes away from Asia’s breasts…are you sure you made the right decision in selecting him as the new youth minister of St. Donovan’s Chapel?”
“Enough!” Gregory roared. “Because you’re not getting any sympathy from me!”
“Oh, I don’t want your sympathy, Gregory. You have become quite a bore to me, anyway.”
“Is that so?” Gregory sniggered at his wife’s pathetic attempt to fight back. She knew she could not win against him, but yet she paraded on his turf as if she had finally gotten the upper hand. He snatched her hand and pressed it against his moist lips. “I know you still want me, Dana,” he told her menacingly. “I can see the longing in those tired eyes of yours. Is it sex you want, like the way we used to do it on the balcony outside of our bedroom? Maybe that’s why you’re acting like a spoiled little brat. All you need is some good…sweet…sex…”
Dana pulled her hand out of Gregory’s grasp and slapped him across the mouth. “I know you’re sleeping with someone else!” she spat. “Why do you have to come here and rub it in my face?”
“Because you are a slut!” Gregory growled. “You’re only getting what you deserve.”