Soul's Survivor

by Navi' Robins

“Fellows. His name was William Fellows,” Ayana replied, sinking deeper into Daniel’s arms, hoping his embrace could squeeze away the shame and guilt she felt running through her. “He killed all those people to prove a point to me about whose god was more powerful. I was raised Catholic, and Kronte was brought up in the teachings of Islam, and he hated that I held on to my—”

  “Wait, Kronte is a Muslim?” Daniel asked, his voice becoming loud and aggressive.

  “Don’t ever call Kronte that!” Ayana protested, sitting up and looking Daniel directly in his eyes. “If there was ever a poster child for the term ‘infidel,’ Kronte is it. I’ve known many Muslim men and women in my life, and none of them are as sadistic and evil as Kronte. He may call on the name of Allah, he may pray toward Mecca and wear the attire of a practitioner of Islam, but he is not a Muslim. He is a demon, plain and simple. And just in case you are wondering, I am not a Muslim either.”

  Surprised by her reaction, Daniel apologized, kissing her softly on the lips. The tension and anger immediately subsided and dissipated like mist in the wind when she felt his lips on hers. She smiled with her eyes closed and returned to her original position, wrapped in his arms.

  “He tortured and mutilated those people, forcing them to pray to Jesus while he and his men chopped them to pieces with their machetes. He mocked God and my religion that day. After that, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would turn his madness on me and murder me in my sleep. So, one night, during one of the many drunken sex orgies they would have after a successful massacre, I drugged him and his guards and escaped. I ran all night long, never taking a moment to rest. He searched for me for weeks as I jumped from village to village until I was able to convince the British Embassy to take me in. I worked in the embassy as a maid for a few months before getting the opportunity to leave Sudan and live in England.

  “During my time in England, I underwent extensive psychological treatment to repair the damage that Kronte had done to my mental stability. Only the hand of God and my faith could’ve brought me through it. There were many times I wanted to take my own life and end it, but something always gave me hope. But it’s been years since I’ve had any hope, until now. I have hope again, and my hope is tied to my love for you, and I don’t want to lose it.”

  Feeling his heart breaking inside his chest as he listened to Ayana, Daniel began to understand just how strong and special the woman that lay in his arms was. There was no doubt in his mind that he would never find another woman like her, and he made a promise to himself to cherish her always. The two lovers continued to talk until the sun rose over the Manhattan skyline, revealing the most devastating details of their ordeals in Sudan and the years afterward.

  Chapter 17

  Unhappy Holidays

  A couple of weeks later, Ayana and Daniel were standing at the door of his parents’ Beverly, Illinois, home. Ayana was immediately impressed by the large, majestic, grey-stoned home that Daniel’s parents lived in. It was elevated above the street on a small hill surrounded by a well-maintained stone stairway leading up to the large, dark mahogany front door. They were both nervous as Daniel rang the doorbell and waited to see which one of his family members would open the door. He silently hoped it wasn’t his loud, foul-mouthed sister, Lisa. She made it a lifelong purpose to stay “turned up” at all times. Within seconds of him ringing the doorbell, the sound of the locks being unlatched echoed outside, and then the seemingly celestial smile of Daniel’s mother greeted them. Ayana’s mouth almost dropped to the ground as she realized where the doctor inherited his incredible looks.

  Mrs. Diana Bennett was a dark, mocha-colored woman who was short in stature, yet a beautiful titan. Although she was an older woman, her skin was smooth and vibrant. She wore her hair in a natural, large, curly Afro with a headband. Although she was in full holiday cooking attire, she still was an intimidating sight, and Ayana immediately understood why the doctor adored her skin tone.

  “There’s my baby! Get in here,” Mrs. Bennett screamed while reaching up around her much taller son’s neck. Daniel lifted her in the air as she yelled, playfully hitting him on his chest.

  “Put me down before your father comes out here and jacks you up.”

  Then from inside the house, a deep and commanding voice could be heard saying, “I know that boy ain’t lifting my woman in the air again!”

  Daniel smirked and waved playfully in the direction of his father’s voice.

  “Mom, this is—”

  “Ayana? We know who she is. You can’t stop talking about her. Welcome, Princess, and Happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Bennett, for having me and Happy Thanksgiving to you as well.”

  Hearing Ayana’s voice and accent sent an uncomfortable chill through Diana. She seemed to momentarily lose her place in time, before coming back to herself and ushering them into the family room where everyone else was playing board and card games. Ayana looked around the house and smiled at how elegantly it was furnished and decorated. It was the definition of what the American dream was all about. The family room was large and well lit, with a massive flat-screen television on the far side of the room that surprisingly wasn’t on. Usually, Ayana’s experience on Thanksgiving was food, family, and football, but she soon learned that in the Bennett household, the television stayed off, and the family enjoyed other forms of entertainment to pass the time while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner to be served.

  The room was teeming with excitement with children and adults laughing and having a good time. When Diana walked into the room with Daniel and Ayana, the excitement quickly subsided as everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the attractive couple. Ayana forced a smile. She felt very uneasy as the entire family seemed to be looking her over, examining her appearance and maybe even deciding if she were the right woman for their Daniel. The silent standoff seemed to drag on until Lisa jumped up from the card table, almost knocking it over with her arms outstretched, yelling her brother’s name.

  “Danny! Come here, big bro!” she yelled loudly before throwing her arms around him and embracing him tightly. Then without missing a beat, she reached over, yelling Ayana’s name and repeated the same embrace and greeting.

  “Y’all need to stop acting like y’all ain’t seen one of Danny’s girlfriends before,” she scolded her family.

  “Not at Thanksgiving dinner we haven’t,” Daniel’s little brother, Byron replied, while covering his mouth playfully. The entire room erupted in roaring laughter at Byron’s comment, and suddenly, the fun-filled atmosphere returned to the room.

  Hmmm, I’m the first woman he’s brought home for the holidays? Nice.

  As if she were looking at an older clone of Daniel, a man that was clearly his father got up from his large leather recliner and walked over to them. He wobbled a bit before gaining his balance and continued strolling toward them. Daniel’s father was just as tall as his son but had a much lighter skin complexion. Even though their skin complexions didn’t match, Ayana could still notice all of Daniel’s facial features reflecting on his father’s face. He was an attractive, older man that appeared to be in his early to midsixties, but despite his age, appeared to be in great shape, devoid of a belt buckle hiding mounds of flesh most men his age carried around like a badge of honor.

  “Welcome, Ayana, to our home. God bless you, my sister. I’m Donald, the father of the heathen standing next to you,” his father said, before embracing her like his own daughter. When he was done, he turned to his son and looked him up and down while leaning away with his arms down at his sides. Daniel, in return, took a step back and gave him the same look. Both men appeared serious and unhappy with the other, and Ayana looked on, worried that something was seriously wrong, but then his father laughed and wrapped his arms around Daniel.

  “Get over here, boy. Don’t get too grown. You know I’ll still take a rod to that behind.”

  “Yeah, right, ‘Pastor Pacification.’ Good luck with that. I’m not littl
e anymore,” he responded, still hugging his father.

  “Whatever, Danny. The only thing you’ll do is run like you did when you were younger. That boy could never take an ass—oops, I mean butt whooping,” Lisa said, while playfully covering her mouth. “He would always take off running. Oh, and, Daddy, don’t start acting like you were the warden of Englewood back then. How many times did you whoop any of us? Once . . . maybe . . . but that little firecracker in the kitchen, Mrs. Bennett, aka NYPD Blue, aka One Time? Now, that woman would beat us like she had a badge and warrant. You would never believe a person so small had that much butt-whooping talent deep inside them. She was the real deal Holyfield back then,” Lisa teased, while she returned to her seat.

  Mrs. Bennett, hearing her name and Lisa’s recollection of their childhood, ran into the family room with a cook’s spoon and potholder in her right hand. She gave Lisa a nasty look, and with eyes wide with surprise, began to defend herself.

  “Lisa, stop lying to that woman! I didn’t beat y’all like that! Actually, I didn’t beat you enough with your wayward behind.”

  All of her children looked at each other and smiled before responding, “Yeah, you did, Momma.”

  “But I agree you should’ve got Lisa more,” added Byron.

  “Whatever, Byron. You were a runner, just like Danny.”

  “Heck, yeah! What you think? I’ma just lie there and take it like you did?” Byron responded.

  Throwing her hands in the air, Diana grunted and stormed out of the family room, mumbling something under her breath no one could understand.

  Daniel watched his mother leave the room before taking Ayana’s hand and walking her around to meet everyone there. He started with his siblings. Terry, who was the oldest brother, followed in order by Paulette, Byron, and Lisa. All the boys in the family were very attractive men, with their mother’s skin complexion and a mixture of both of their parents’ features. Byron looked the most like his mother, and Terry, of course, looked more like their father. The girls, on the other hand, possessed their father’s lighter skin complexion, their mother’s facial features, and “brick house” body structure. Lisa was the odd ball of the girls, because she was just as tall as her brothers, with curves that would cause any man to crash and burn. Her voice didn’t match her model-like appearance as it bellowed and traveled far and loud every time she opened her mouth.

  Despite the glaring physical differences between the siblings, they were still a very close-knit family with roots in the Baptist church before their father decided to break away from the traditional religious practices and established his own nondenominational ministry. On the surface, it would appear that the family prospered from his ministry, but unlike other church leaders, their father didn’t take one cent from the donations from his “prayer warriors.” Long before he began his ministry, he was a successful businessman, with several construction companies and major roadway contracts for the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. The fruits of his labors paid off big dividends in the form of a beautiful home in a prominent south suburban neighborhood, five college graduates, all with great-paying careers, seven grandchildren, a beautiful forty-year marriage, and a huge, ultramodern prayer facility that was paid for in full.

  They were a proud family, and Ayana could feel their love and pride flow in the room like an electrical charge. After meeting the remaining family members, Ayana and Daniel walked into the kitchen to speak with Diana, who was stirring a large bowl of mashed potatoes vigorously.

  “Mom, how many times do I have to tell you to use the electric mixer we got you years ago for Christmas?”

  “A lot more! I like to stir it myself. It’s how my mother taught me, and I’m gonna keep the tradition going. Besides, it keeps my arms nice and toned,” Mrs. Bennett responded, smiling.

  “Now, get out of my kitchen and show her around the house, silly. Dinner will be ready soon.”

  Daniel gave Ayana a very detailed tour of the house, and he would periodically take her to a secluded corner and kiss her passionately, and then move on to the next room. Ayana noticed that the house was much larger than the exterior revealed. Eventually, they came to a large wooden door that seemed to suck the joy out of Daniel. He stood there staring at the door without moving, and when Ayana looked at him, he seemed to be holding his breath.

  “Baby, what’s in there?”

  Daniel seemed oblivious to Ayana’s question, and suddenly, a large hand landed hard on his shoulder, startling him out of his daydream.

  “Still jumpy, huh, son?” Mr. Bennett joked while squeezing his son’s shoulder playfully.

  Then both of them stood at the door, appearing afraid to open it. Ayana feared some kind of monster or ghost was trapped behind that door from their reaction. Mr. Bennett snapped out of his own thoughts and moved to open the door.

  “What’s in there?” Ayana asked, still worried about how they behaved.

  “It’s a study and the family’s history. Every picture we could find of our ancestors and all the generations since. We try to keep a visual account of our family tree so that we don’t forget what was done to get us here, and what needs to be done to get us further.”

  Ayana smiled with pride at his response. She was really impressed with Daniel’s family and secretly imagined being a permanent part of it. The door opened with an uncharacteristic squeal that seemed out of place from the rest of the well maintained home. Walking into the room felt like walking into a time warp. All the furniture in the room seemed to be at least a hundred years old, with every wall covered in many framed pictures. A large wooden desk stood in front of a window with a small couch to the left of it. The room smelled like old wood and an earthy-smelling fragrance similar to frankincense and myrrh.

  Ayana’s eyes were wide with wonder as she looked around the room like an excited little girl in a toy store filled with her favorite dolls. Smiling at her response, Mr. Bennett reached for her hand and led her toward the largest wall in the room.

  “Start from here and then go to your right to see our family history, from hundreds of years ago up to today.”

  Nodding and smiling brightly, Ayana began to look over each framed picture and photo. Daniel watched her, smiling as she jumped from one picture to another. There were pictures of family members dressed in yesteryear’s fashion. The color combinations and facial expressions on their faces made her giggle. Then she would move on to the next picture, and her eyes would widen when she looked at another picture and then turn, looking at both men, comparing them to a family twin from long ago. Soon, the smile on Daniel’s face disappeared as Ayana moved through time until she came to a wall of photos he spent years trying to forget.

  After Victoria’s death, the family dedicated a large portion of one of the walls to her and all the memories. Instead of starting from the time she was a baby until her untimely death, they decided to go backward in time in an attempt to better deal with her passing.

  Ayana paused when she realized who she was looking at, and her heart rate quickened immediately. Daniel’s description of Victoria, although detailed, did her no justice whatsoever. She was a gorgeous and vibrant young girl, and looking over all the pictures, Ayana noticed she was smiling in every one, including a picture of her on the ground next to her bike after falling and scraping her knee. Her dark African skin glowing in the sunlight on the picture caused her beautiful smile to jump off the image in almost 3D resolution. Ayana tried not to let her emotions get the best of her. She moved through each picture as Victoria got younger and younger, and then, before her eyes, was the earliest picture of her. It was the largest picture of them all. It was a black-and-white photo of just her head. She was facing the camera, exposing a toothless smile so bright, it seemed to bring the sun into the room, although it was dark outside.

  Her smile was so beautiful, intoxicating, and inviting that Ayana just stared at it for over a minute, before moving her gaze toward the girl’s eyes. Daniel was now seated on the couch next to his fa
ther, looking toward the floor, too afraid to look at the pictures that would cause him to relive the love and loss of Victoria. Then his father tapped him on his arm and pointed toward Ayana, who was now on her knees shaking uncontrollably. She seemed to be under a spell brought on by pain so deep that she didn’t appear in control of her own body. Daniel took a closer look and noticed the largest picture of Victoria was no longer on the wall. She was holding it in her arms close to her chest. He jumped up and ran over to her side, trying to pry the picture from her grasp, but she wouldn’t let it go. Mr. Bennett slowly stood up and placed his hand over his mouth as he watched Ayana fall deeper into her clutch of pain.

  “Son . . . son . . . Danny! Stop! Let her be.”

  Daniel turned toward his father with rage in his eyes. No one was allowed to take Victoria’s pictures off the wall, not even the woman he loves, and he wanted her picture back on the wall.

  “Son, relax . . . Talk to her. Softly . . . Get her attention.”

  Daniel didn’t want to be gentle. He wanted Victoria back on the wall and out of Ayana’s arms. However, he knew his father was right, so he began to whisper Ayana’s name while gently rubbing her arm. Soon, her sporadic breathing and shaking stopped. She turned and looked Daniel, and tears immediately poured out of her eyes like rivers of sorrow.

  “My baby.”

  “Huh? Ayana, what are you talking about?”

  “Victoria, she’s my baby.”

  “Wait . . . are you saying . . . that? Oh no! No, it can’t be!”

  “I’ll never forget her eyes. Never,” she screamed.

  Daniel collapsed, falling on his back, weeping uncontrollably next to Ayana. Soon, their weeping grew louder, until they were both wailing, causing everyone in the house to come rushing into the study, looking on in amazement. Seeing his son in so much pain got the best of Mr. Bennett, and he flopped down on the couch, placed his head in his hands, and let his emotions flow. Diana stood frozen, unable to decide if she should console her husband or her baby and his girlfriend. It was too much to handle, and she started to cry herself, overcome by the sorrow invading the room.