Forever Friends

by Murray, Tamela Hancock

  The woman he had resolved to set free from a worldly existence had turned out to be his rescuer. To his surprise, Teague thanked the Lord for her.

  ❧

  Kassia was whistling a cheery tune as she walked down the hall to her apartment. Her heels, which usually clicked on sidewalks and hard floors, were silent on the green carpet. Thoughts of the evening with Teague filled her head with pleasant new memories. Now she looked forward to a hot shower and a cup of herbal tea before she retired for the night.

  Rounding the corner, she noticed a man holding a bouquet of flowers. She could just make out his face under the dim light above her door.

  Brad! What is he doing here?

  Eleven

  Kassia slowed her footsteps almost to a halt.

  Why was Brad leaning against the wall outside her apartment? She wished she could escape, but he’d already seen her and waved. Even from that distance she could see his features were terse.

  Whatever he had to say, she had a feeling she didn’t want to hear it. She felt she had no choice, though, except to keep going. Not too fast and not too slow. She didn’t want to seem eager to get the encounter over with or give him the impression she lacked confidence.

  It seemed to take forever to get there. But enough time to paste a half smile on her face, not too friendly, not too cool. “Hi, Brad. I wasn’t expecting you.”

  “Obviously. I’ve been waiting here awhile now. I thought I’d drop by and see how you were doing.”

  Waiting? Her body tensed. “You weren’t waiting too long, I hope.”

  “Longer than I would have liked.”

  “Well, you can see I’m doing very well. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She jingled her keys in her pocket and hoped the sound would encourage him to go.

  His eyes narrowed. “Aren’t you going to invite me in? I came all this way.”

  “I’m sorry, but it’s late, and I need to get to bed. I have an early day tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow is Sunday. Where do you have to go?”

  “Church.”

  “Church? Don’t lie to me. I know you don’t go to church. If I remember correctly, you were at odds with your last roommate because you weren’t religious enough for her.” He spit out the words.

  “I–I’ve changed my mind. I grew up in the church but had turned away from God when you met me. Not that I’m any great Christian now.” She stared at the tips of her toes as though they needed fresh polish. Admitting a fault to Brad stung her, but if she was going to change, she had to make up her mind not to be a hypocrite.

  “So you found God?” He folded his arms. “Funny how so many people find God. Seems to me He stays lost an awful lot.”

  Kassia sensed Brad thought he was being cute, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of even a small grin. She tried to escape again. “As I said, it’s time for me to go.”

  “Where were you?”

  “Where was I?” How did Brad dare ask her such a personal question? Suddenly she realized any feelings she may have harbored for him had dissolved. Even his considerable physical attributes no longer appealed to her.

  “Have you lost your hearing? Were you at a noisy bar?” he prodded. “I’ve been to more than my share of those. They can be hard on the ears.”

  His tone lightened, indicating he was taking a stab at showing sympathy. Yet Kassia’s gut told her any compassionate feelings he displayed were far from sincere.

  She decided not to fall for his ploy. “Um, I’m sorry, but where I spend my time is none of your business.”

  He reached over and grabbed her arm. “You were with that guy.”

  Kassia could feel her heart throbbing, not with the fondness she felt when she was with Teague, but with an icy terror. Mentally she ran through her options if Brad turned violent. From her peripheral vision she noticed the apartment door across the way. Mr. Jones was always home early on Saturday nights. He would hear her scream. And scream she would, if Brad gripped her any tighter.

  “I was with a friend. That’s all you need to know. In fact that’s more than you need to know.” She lowered her voice. “Now let me go,” she said between her clenched teeth.

  He stared into her eyes. Knowing the situation could grow ugly if she let down her resistance, she didn’t blink.

  Please, Lord, send help!

  Brad let go of her arm and stepped back but stayed close enough so she could still smell his cologne. The musky scent, once appealing, turned her stomach.

  “Since I’ve been waiting here for over an hour, the least you can do is let me in.” His voice was more conciliatory, coaxing the words into a purr.

  “I already told you I need to get to bed.” She wished she had chosen another way to say it.

  He opened his mouth to speak, no doubt to offer a proposition.

  “Alone.” Her voice was frigid.

  Kassia was so busy warding off Brad that she didn’t hear her neighbor approach. She looked over Brad’s shoulder and saw the man, another tenant she knew by sight though not by name. Often he would jog around the complex, and judging by his bulky physique the man belonged to a gym somewhere.

  He must have seen panic in her eyes and stance because he paused. “Is everything all right here?”

  She hesitated. How should she answer?

  “Everything’s fine. I’m just having a conversation with my friend,” Brad said.

  The neighbor studied Kassia’s face. “Do you agree with that?”

  “Uh, I was telling Brad good night.” Kassia looked at Brad. “Good night, Brad.”

  She watched Brad’s eyes focus on her, then on her neighbor, and back on her.

  “Good night, Brad.” Her voice was stronger, with her neighbor there to give her courage.

  “Fine.” He threw the bouquet of flowers he was holding on the floor. Daisies, baby’s breath, and greenery splayed all over the hall carpet.

  She stood still and fought the impulse to pick up the poor flowers.

  “I’ll be back another time.”

  Kassia decided it might be a good idea to let her neighbor know Brad was no longer a friend. “Don’t bother,” she said loudly enough for Brad to hear. “If you do, I’ll have no choice but to call the police.”

  She watched him walk away without looking back.

  “Hey,” her neighbor said gently. “A man doesn’t throw a bouquet of flowers on the floor unless he’s very upset. Are you going to be okay?”

  She nodded. “I think so.”

  Since Brad was out of sight and unlikely to return, she bent down to pick up the flowers, and the man knelt to help her. “Thank you,” she told him.

  He handed her several daisies and a broken fern. “No problem.”

  She took the flowers from him and tried to arrange them in better order. “I’m sorry you had to see that,” she said, wrapping the lace-printed cellophane paper around them. “But I’m glad you came along when you did.”

  He looked down the hallway even though Brad had disappeared. “So am I. You let me know if he bothers you again.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t think he will. He could see we look out for each other here.” She had no way of knowing if he was a believer, but she couldn’t resist adding, “You know something? Your coming by when you did was an answer to prayer.”

  “Prayer?” His doubtful grin revealed a missing tooth. “Yeah, right.”

  “Yeah. Right.” She repeated his words firmly.

  “Think what you want to, but I’m no angel.”

  “Think what you want, but I’d like to give you these as a way of saying ‘thank you.’ ” She handed him the daisies.

  “Me with flowers?” He threw back his head and let out a laugh that filled the corridor.

  Despite his scoffing, Kassia had a feeling he would enjoy the blooms. One thing she knew for certain—almost anyone would benefit from them more than she would. Just seeing the innocent daisies would remind her of the argument with Brad.

  “Take them,” she im
plored. “Please? I won’t tell anyone.”

  He shrugged. “Okay. Why not? Maybe even I could use a little reminder of Mother Nature in the apartment.” He accepted the flowers. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He waved to her and walked away. “See you later.”

  “Yeah. See you later.”

  Despite her shaking hands, Kassia turned the key to her apartment and hurried in. She closed the door with a loud thump, as if she were shutting the door on her relationship with Brad. If only she didn’t have to see him at work. She hoped he would have the decency to avoid her there.

  Once she had entered the safety of her living room, she focused her thoughts on the enjoyable time she had just spent with Teague. No way was she willing to let Brad spoil her evening.

  She glanced at the telephone on her end table. Should she call Teague and tell him what happened? She put the idea quickly out of her mind. She would accomplish nothing by worrying him.

  Calling Lexie would be even worse. Piper had gone to bed by now, so she didn’t want to wake up the little girl. Lexie would lecture Kassia, but she would also worry. Then she would tell Theo, who would tell Teague, who would most likely be hurt Kassia hadn’t called him to start with. No, she couldn’t call anyone. What would she gain by burdening her friends? Besides, what could anyone do?

  Anyone except the neighbor she didn’t know at all, that is. She had pleaded to the Lord for help. People who trusted fate would say the neighbor’s appearance was a coincidence. Not so long ago she might have thought the same. But since she had been in Teague’s company, her viewpoint had changed. How many people who believed in luck would persevere despite a disabling physical injury that followed a job loss? She couldn’t imagine drawing strength on an impersonal random force with no thought or meaning. Teague’s calmness and strength in the midst of his troubles left her with a new respect for him—and a new awareness of God’s love for her.

  Kassia had to believe her neighbor didn’t just materialize at the moment she needed him because of coincidence or dumb luck. She believed his emergence was God’s answer to her silent, desperate prayer.

  But what would happen if Brad decided to make an encore appearance? Could she count on her neighbor to arrive on the scene a second time? Or a third, or even a fourth? And even if he did, Kassia didn’t want to become dependent on a neighbor who owed her nothing. She wanted to rely on her own resources. She had chosen to live alone in the city. She was bound to abide by the consequences of that decision, whether good or bad.

  She shuddered.

  Lord, I don’t deserve it, but I hope You will please protect me.

  After she said her silent prayer, Kassia realized she had made two petitions to God within a few minutes. Not so long ago, she had taken considerable pride in her ability to take care of herself. Now that she had gotten back into the habit of talking to God more often, even though she couldn’t see Him, she didn’t feel so alone. Suddenly eager for the day to end, she slipped out of her black boots, blue jeans, and red wool sweater and threw on her nightshirt and tucked herself into bed. She would shower in the morning. Closing her eyes, she muttered one of her favorite lines from Gone with the Wind, “As Scarlett O’Hara once said, ‘Tomorrow is another day.’ ”

  ❧

  The next day Kassia awoke with unpleasant thoughts of Brad. Once more she prayed the Lord would protect her.

  “I’m getting more and more like Teague,” she mumbled as she hopped out of bed. Not long ago a thought like that would have disturbed her. Now it seemed as natural as waking up to face the morning.

  Heading to the kitchen to brew her first cup of coffee for the day, Kassia thought about how she’d given the daisies to her neighbor, the protector God sent but whose name she didn’t know. Insisting he take the flowers also reminded her of Teague—and Lexie. Kassia hoped the man would remember he had been an answer to prayer when he saw the blooms this morning.

  She spooned the deeply roasted ground Kona coffee beans into a filter and inhaled the strong aroma. Already in a better mood, Kassia refocused on the earlier part of the previous day, when she was with Teague. She glanced at the DVD of the vintage movie they’d watched. She had left it on the table as a reminder to return it before the rental period expired.

  She poured a cup of the hot brew into one of her favorite black china cups. The enticing aroma and anticipation of smooth coffee was one of her favorite daily rituals. She wondered what it would be like to brew a small pot of coffee each morning. To set out two cups. To fill them both with coffee and present one to her waiting husband. Maybe one day. Maybe one day sooner than she once thought. Swallowing, she barely noticed the flavor as she contemplated how much meeting Teague had changed her life. She had never imagined herself as the motherly type, but in helping Teague through his recovery, she discovered she enjoyed having someone else to care about.

  Over the weeks, she’d started wishing she could have Teague to herself. Kassia knew she wasn’t the only person concerned about him. The kids in his youth group would stop by for chats during the week or linger after the Sunday meetings. Their parents and other adults from the church never let up in bringing food. Even people from his former workplace, including his boss, dropped in with ice cream and magazines. Whenever Teague received a duplicate of the latest computer periodical, he would never let on to his guest.

  Kassia wasn’t always present during the visits from other people, but when she happened to be there, she was touched by how everyone seemed to care about Teague in a genuine way. The people from his church didn’t appear to be merely showing up or meeting an obligation; rather they demonstrated what the minister at Kassia’s home church used to call agape love.

  Kassia thought back to that first Saturday when she showed up with food only to discover Teague’s refrigerator was full. She remembered thinking the help would evaporate as people lost interest in the novelty of Teague’s setback. Yet as the weeks went by, their care and concern—along with their offerings of food—remained consistent.

  She watched how Teague benefited from such a caring community and wondered if her assessment of Christians in general, largely based on her perceptions of her immediate relatives, had been too harsh. Maybe she shouldn’t have been judging everyone else by her family’s behavior.

  “Maybe it’s time for me to go back to church,” she said aloud, her voice echoing in the small kitchen.

  She had driven past a friendly looking church almost every day since she’d rented her apartment. Only recently had she started reading the sign in front for the sermon topics. This week’s had looked intriguing: Black Sheep.

  “Hmm. That’s me, all right. At least, according to everyone in my family.” Well, everyone except Grandma. She missed her grandparents now that they had moved to Florida. Far away—too far to be the effective allies they once were.

  She knew one thing. Grandma would want her to go to church. And so would Teague. Yet in her heart she felt called to attend that morning—not because of any person, but because of the One who had not forgotten her name.

  A verse from the tenth chapter of John’s Gospel entered her mind: “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

  She recalled the parable Jesus told about the lost sheep. She retrieved her Bible from under a stack of dusty books in her bedroom and, returning to the kitchen, hunted until she found the story in Matthew: “If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.”

  “I sure am one of those sheep, Lord.”

  She took another sip of coffee. Funny how long-forgotten Bible verses were returning to her now that her mind was focusing more on her spiritual life and her untended relationship with the Lord. Funny, since she once judged the church to be filled with people playing at being spiritual,
working for God’s approval and judging harshly those whom they deemed unworthy. She had turned her back on church and never planned to think about her Bible again.

  But now God was beckoning to her. First He sent Lexie, her devout best friend, to live with her for a time. Then in Teague He showed her a glimpse of what life could be like with a Christian man. She could only imagine how much richer her relationship would be with Teague once he admitted to her he loved her—and somehow she felt sure he did. At least, she hoped so. And his acknowledgment would free her to confess her love to him.

  A glimpse at the apple-shaped kitchen wall clock told her that if she didn’t tarry long, she still had enough time to reach the church for the eleven o’clock worship service. She drained her cup, set it on the white countertop, turned off the coffeepot, and rushed to take a shower.

  Moments later Kassia stood in the narrow bathtub and let streams of hot water hit her shoulders and run down her back. The steam mist relaxed and warmed her. Sometimes her most brilliant moments of insight came to her while she stood in the middle of her shower. Whether the water’s cleansing effects or the steam’s ability to clear her head were the reasons, she wasn’t sure.

  She poured gardenia-scented liquid soap into her palm. As she rubbed her hands together to bring it to a lather, the strong scent came to life. The soap had been a splurge, but by using it with her matching talcum powder and cologne, Kassia smelled like a living gardenia all day.

  After cleansing she shut off the water, stepped out of the tub, and dried herself. She grabbed the first decent dress she could find in her closet and wriggled into it. She hoped the long-sleeved black shift with vertical red, white, and gray stripes would look suitable for church. She hadn’t darkened the door of a church since Lexie’s wedding and hadn’t shown her face at a worship service since her obligatory appearance at the Christmas cantata service last December. She wished Teague were available to give her an opinion on her dress.