True Beauty
Shelia E. Lipsey
Copyright 2011 Shelia E. Lipsey
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
Ebinique Nevels
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30 (ESV)
Acknowledgments
Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God my Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Jude 1:24–25 (KJV)
Father, I thank you for all that you have done, are doing, and will do in and through my life.
—God’s Amazing Girl, Shelia
1
That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.
Layla positioned both hands on her curvy hips, and tilted her body from side to side. She smiled as she stood proudly in front of her floor-to-ceiling mahogany mirror. Her cranberry sheath sweater dress rested just above her knees, and definitely showed off all of her new, shapely curves. She smiled before she leaned slightly forward and puckered her thick lips in front of the mirror. “Lord, have mercy, if I must say so myself,” she mouthed, and then swished around and reached for her purse lying on the bed. “Time to play,” she said.
“My, my, my, heaven must be missing an angel, girl,” the suave-looking Puerto Rican brother said at the same time he got up from Layla’s chair. Layla smiled. He walked toward her, reached for her hand, and then sought her lips. Layla, however, reciprocated by presenting him with her dimpled cheek. “So, it’s like that, huh, foxy lady?”
“Yeah, it’s like that.” Layla went to the hall closet and pulled out her military-style hip-length jacket.
Omar was cute and had it going on. He had a decent job, nice ride, a place of his own, and, as far as Layla knew, no steady girl. Not that she worried about whether he had someone or not, because she was still involved with Dennis, close to three years strong, with no intention of getting on a serious tip with any of the men she dated on the side. Meeting men came a dime a dozen now that she had a new body, not only from her massive weight loss but a full-body lift, compliments of the victim’s compensation settlement she received after Mike’s crazy night of terror.
Sometimes Layla still got goose bumps when she thought about how her ex-boyfriend, Mike, sneaked up on her after she was supposed to be going to church with her parents. The day he appeared at her apartment three years before, she was ready to kick him to the curb−again. She had grown weary of him using her like she was an ATM machine or some cheap hooker on the street. She was a big girl, weighing 300-plus pounds back then. Yes, it took him shooting her before she could come to terms with the fact that he was a vicious user and abuser.
Mike was sentenced to fifteen years in prison for attempted murder. The major surgery she had to undergo because of his assault had been life altering. She almost died, but after the terrible ordeal, she now carried a svelte, healthy one-hundred and twenty pounds on her petite frame.
Now that the past was just that−the past−Layla loved dressing up, spending money on clothes, and going out. She no longer depended on hanging out with her girls, Envy and Kacie; although it was all good, but Layla had a life that was hers, and she was deadset on doing whatever she wanted. Her life was better than it had ever been, and she was going to soak up every moment by living it to the fullest.
“Let me help you with your coat,” offered Omar as they prepared to leave for a Grizzlies basketball game at the FedEx Forum.
She reached behind and lifted her thick, neck-length black tresses of twists while Omar helped her ease each arm inside her jacket. “Thank you.”
“You ready?” Omar asked.
Yes,” she answered.
Omar stepped in front of Layla and opened the door to her apartment.
“Are you sure you want to get out in this weather?” asked Layla. “The sleet is coming down pretty heavy.”
Omar waited for her to lock the door before he eased his hands around her waist as if he was trying to shield her from the frigid weather. “I got you, sweetheart. You don’t have to worry about a thing when you’re with me.”
“Who are you supposed to be?” Last time I checked,” Layla said, flashing a smile, “God was still in control of the weather.”
Omar chuckled and replied, “He still is, but I don’t think He’ll mind if I offer Him a little assistance.” Omar grabbed hold of her gloved hand, popped open his golf umbrella and they walked to his car.
Each step she took toward his matador red sports vehicle was marked with assured boldness and an exuberant confidence. This was definitely not the Layla of yesterday. Her life had changed tremendously. God had certainly taken a bad situation and caused it to work out for her good.
~
Kacie peeped through the double windows in the living room of her new four-bedroom Section 8 home. She witnessed the sleet as it fell from the otherwise dark star-filled sky. She continued to gaze upward, oblivious to the sounds of her kids gathered in the den. They were supposed to be watching one of the assortments of DVDs she had collected over the years. Tonight, the girls had out yelled the boys, which meant for probably the eighth or ninth time they chose to watch The Princess and the Frog.
Two-year-old Kyland, three-year-old Keshena, four-and-a-half-year-old Kendra, six-year-old Kali, seven-year-old Keith, and nine-year-old Kassandra were doing God knows what else, in addition to watching the movie, while Kacie tried to escape into a world void of her kids. She didn’t hear twelve-year-old Kenny’s voice; he was probably in his room on one of the popular Internet social sites.
Kacie’s phone rang; it was Envy.
“Hey, girl. What’s up? I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days,” Kacie said as soon as she answered the phone.
“I know, but I’ve been swamped. It’s peak season. You know the New Year ushers in with it a fresh, heavy workload of regulatory projects to tackle. But I’m not complaining; at least I still have a good-paying, steady job.”
“You’re right, you’re blessed.”
“Look, when was the last time you talked to that crazy, flipped-out friend of ours? I’ve been trying to see if she’s come down to earth since it’s a new year and all.”
“Shut up, y’all,” Kacie hollered at her children before she responded. “Girl, these kids are about to get on my last nerves. I’m in the living room, trying to get a little peace and quiet, but it seems impossible.” Kacie walked with a cerebral-palsied limp and sat down on the oversized sofa. “I talked to Layla earlier. She said she had a date tonight. I don’t know if she went or not, since it’s starting to sleet.”
“You don’t have to tell me that it’s not with Dennis either,” Envy remarked.
“You know it’s not.”
“I can’t believe how she’s been carrying on, Kacie. The girl has a good thing with Dennis, and just because she’s not a size twenty-six anymore, she acts like one of those uppity superstar diva
s. I feel so sorry for him. A good man is hard to find.”
“Who are you telling? I know that all too well. I mean, it was a tragedy when Mike shot her, but God turned tragedy into triumph, despite the fact that a large portion of her intestine and stomach had to be removed. I hate to put it like this, but girlfriend got a free gastric bypass out of the deal, and on top of that, lost about two hundred pounds. I mean, as if that wasn’t enough, she met Dennis. A great, hardworking man who loves the ground she walks on, and what does she do?”
“Step out with every guy that comes her way,” finished Envy. “I know one thing, she better watch herself. She doesn’t come to church as much as she used to, and she most definitely threw me for a loop when she stopped singing in the choir. She’s like one of those girls gone wild.”
Kacie twisted on the sofa like she had ants in her pants and switched the cell phone to her other ear. “All we can do is keep trying to talk some sense into her thick, hardheaded skull. I thought my children were hardheaded, but Layla’s got them beat by a long shot.”
Envy laughed and changed the subject. “How are things going with you?”
“All right. I’m glad we’re settled into the house and the holidays are over. My supervisor told me that I might be able to get a few extra hours during the week.”
“That’ll be great, Kacie. Will it work around your school schedule and child care?”
“Yeah, and since I only have to be at school from three days a week, the rest of the day I can work, at least until four or five. My child care voucher comes in handy because the kids can stay at after-school care until as late as six o’clock.”
“How much longer do you have before you graduate?”
“A little over a year. Remember, I’m only going half- time. And in community college, there are times when a class you need is cancelled if the class minimum isn’t reached. That can add up to going there longer than what is supposed to be a two-year program.”
“I have all the confidence in the world for you, Kacie. Working, going to Southwest, and raising seven kids cannot be easy. However, think of all the doors that will open when you get your associate of science degree. Plus, Southwest College’s courses transfer to most four-year colleges and universities.”
“Hold up. Let me finish this round of school first. I can’t begin to think of anything but trying to get my Associate's Degree. My mind can’t entertain going further than that right now.”
“I’m just saying that opportunities await you. You prove that every day. I know it isn’t easy with the kids and after finding out that Deacon wasn’t Kyland’s father, well . . .”
“Don’t go there, Envy. That’s in the past, and I cannot stand the name of that man. I really thought he was Kyland’s daddy. When I stood before that judge, I felt so foolish when he read the results of the paternity test; ‘He is not the father.’ Girl, I felt like I was on Maury.”
“Oh, it wasn’t that bad, Kacie. Anyway, we all make mistakes.”
“But I just knew that he was the father. Then to make matters worse, his wife sat next to him gloating, which only made the situation that much worse. I tell you, it was one of the worst days of my life.”
“Kacie, don’t keep beating yourself up over it. Kyland is a beautiful, healthy little boy. That’s enough to be thankful about right there.”
“But I don’t understand. I was so sure.”
“Girl, this is me you’re talking to. The thing is you wanted it to be Deacon’s baby. But deep down inside, you knew that it wasn’t.”
Kacie paused. The truth could definitely hurt. “Okay, so I had sex with someone else. But usually I can tell when I get pregnant. The two times I was with Reggie from work, he used protection. And neither time did I feel like I had gotten pregnant. Ohh, I’m so glad he doesn’t work there anymore.”
“Well, what’s done is done. At least you get child support from Kenny’s daddy. I don’t know why you stopped trying to get help from the other daddies. Just like you got a paternity test for Kyland, you need to go to court on the others. Don’t let’ them off the hook.”
“I’m tired of fighting their daddies. Anyway, none of them have any more than I do. It’ll be a waste of my time.”
“Whateva, Kacie. But I’m still saying that every little bit helps.”
“Anyway, I thought we were talking about Layla. How did you switch the subject to me?”
“Because I worry about you too.”
“I can say the same about you. All the years we’ve been best friends and you still keep your life on lockdown like a prisoner on death row. At least you know what’s going on in mine and Layla’s lives. Why don’t you start telling me what’s going on with you and your admirer, oh-so-smooth-debonair Leonard what’s his name?”
“Girl…puhleeze? Oh no, you didn’t go there.”
“Oh I went there allright.” Kacie laughed over the phone. “Stop flogging. The man I saw was a masterpiece. And you won’t give the brother the time of day. But you and Layla got some of the same ways.”
“Are you on some of that illegal stuff or what? Because Leonard Stein is not my man. He’s only a friend and you know it.”
“I don’t know a thing,” replied Kacie. “Hold on a sec. Let me get these kids in check right quick.”
“No, no, no, you go on and check on them. I’m not about to get into a conversation with you about Leonard. Anyway, we’ll talk this weekend.”
”You sure know how to avoid what you want to avoid. I’ll let you slide this time, but there’s going to come a day when you won’t be able to run or hide. I’ll holler at you later.”
“Bye, girl,” said Envy, and they each hung up the phone.
Kacie was right about one thing. Envy, and no one else, could run forever. There was no way around it; whatever’s done in the dark always comes to the light, no matter how long it might take for the light switch to be turned on.
2
Beauty? To me it is a word without sense because I do not know
where its meaning comes from or where it leads to.
Layla unlocked the door to her apartment, after she and Omar agreed to cut their date short and leave the basketball game early. The Grizzlies were ahead by nineteen points, with a minute and a half to the final buzzer, so Layla suggested that the two of them leave and get home out of the worsening weather.
“You sure you don’t want me to come in and help warm you up?” Omar suggested.
Layla smiled. “No, I don’t think so. Not tonight at least.” Her tone seemed to have an edge of hope for Omar.
He didn’t put up resistance. “Okay.” He leaned in and kissed her lightly on her painted lips. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Omar. And thanks for a great evening.”
“No problem. I can’t wait until we do it again.”
“Me too,” she replied. He turned and walked away while Layla walked inside her apartment. Immediately she removed her lambskin gloves and coat, and started rubbing her hands together to ward off some of the lingering chill she felt. A burst of warmth filled the room from the automatic central heating unit, like it just read her mind. She soon forgot about the mounting wintry blast of below-freezing temperatures and sleet outside.
Layla first encountered Omar at the upscale hair salon where she rented her booth space; another great move she’d made during the past year. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been fascinated with hair. The first time she enrolled in cosmetology school, she was younger and a little lazy. She would make up one excuse after another and barely went to class, until she dropped out far short from earning the required 1500 workroom floor hours she needed to graduate. Yet, the thought of going back to school, and getting her license, was never far from her thoughts. Sometimes she still found it hard to believe that she’d done it. She was working in a hair salon, with a legitimate license, instead of fixing hair for a few dollars here and there in her apartment. This boosted her wallop of self-confidence.
Omar, a di
vorced father of two, brought his fourteen-year-old daughter to the salon every Friday afternoon to be pampered like the angel he called her. She would get her natural, thick, brown hair done in a different style each time she came, followed by a manicure and pedicure. From the first time he walked into the salon close to two months ago, Layla could barely take her eyes off him.
When her eyes met Omar’s, she smiled with a confidence that the old Layla never possessed. He reciprocated by walking to her station and introducing himself, while his daughter was being serviced by one of the other cosmetologists. Their initial meet and greet was short because Layla had a client, so they didn’t waste time much time exchanging cell phone numbers.
Omar kept his promise by calling Layla. She was glad the girls in the salon told her that he was divorced because no messing with married men for her. It was weird for Layla because though she often felt guilty about fornicating, she downright feared the wrath of God when it came to anybody who fooled around with a married man. Kacie and Envy didn’t realize it, but Layla believed that Kacie’s life had taken a beat-down from God when she continued messing around with Deacon after finding out he was married.
That would never be her. She had her faults and shortcomings, but Layla believed she had a few more morals than Kacie, and Envy too for that matter.
The first night Omar called, he kept Layla laughing with stories about his kids. He told her that he was in pharmaceutical sales and had recently relocated from Columbia, South Carolina to Memphis because his ex-wife and children had relocated to the city. He didn’t want the distance to affect his children any more than the divorce already had. He and his wife maintained an amicable relationship, he told Layla.
Omar seemed to be a cool person. When she started dating him on a regular basis, she felt like she was betraying Dennis, the man who had stepped in and breathed life into her solemn spirit after Mike’s assault.
True Beauty Page 1