Show Me the Sun

by Miriam Shumba

  “They are nice people and I’ll always be your son. Love you, Mom. Gotta go.”

  “Fine. I’ll only feel better after I’ve met them all.”

  Amari wasn’t so sure about that.

  Chapter 14

  Raven called Candice a day after the debacle at the hotel and left a message. She worried about Candice and Charles and wondered if they would be able fix the huge problem caused by his cheating and getting caught in such a humiliating way. When she explained the situation to Amari on their way to her place after renting some movies, she wasn’t sure if she liked his attitude as they discussed it.

  “They’ll fix it, babe. Some men make mistakes,” Amari said, putting in the DVD. The first movie was his choice and the second one was her choice. He liked guns and buildings being blown up and she liked sappy, heartfelt movies. But the good thing was that they both watched each other’s choices and still had fun.

  “I know. I think Candice is a good wife to him. Why would he do that?”

  Amari walked back to her saying, “How do you know how good she is?”

  “Even if she’s not that ‘good’ that’s no excuse!”

  “Hey, Ray, why are you getting so hot and bothered about it? It’s not your fault.”

  Raven shook her head, trying to calm her breathing. “You seem to be defending him. Would you cheat on me if you thought I wasn’t a good wife?”

  Amari sat next to her and pulled her into his arms planting kisses all over her face. Raven didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help giggling. “I don’t believe in cheating. I am a one-woman man, and when I stand in front of God and say, ‘Till death,’ baby, I’ll mean it. Okay?”

  Raven nodded. When he held her so close she couldn’t really do that much thinking, and she quickly forgot their discussion.

  * * *

  What mattered most to Raven was that Amari would become her husband and the nagging insecurities would hopefully disappear. She was still recovering from The Basketball Players Association Gala she had attended a few months earlier with Amari during the All-Star games in Las Vegas. She had felt out of place at one point in particular where all these women were throwing themselves at the pro athletes. She had been talking to Ashley and Juanita, who was married to one of the Piston players, when two ladies with hair down to there and skirts up to there approached Amari and two other men he had been chatting with. They all hugged, and Amari seemed to know these barely dressed women.

  “Better go get your man,” Juanita whispered to Raven, one big eye trained on Amari. Raven looked in that direction and gave a smile which they all could see was as fake as those women’s hair.

  “No. What for?”

  “Can’t you see the way that one in yellow is touching your man with her multi-colored talons? Are you just going to stand here and watch it?”

  Raven felt stupid, out of her depth, and not even sure she belonged at the event with all the glamorous people not just from the sporting world but musicians and actors as well.

  “Oh, just come on.” Juanita practically dragged her to where Amari stood and thrust her in next to Amari.

  “Oh, baby, hi,” Amari said and put his arms around her. The woman in yellow stared at her like she was some scum off the street.

  “And who the hell is this?” the yellow lady had asked.

  “That’s his fiancée,” Juanita practically growled at the woman.

  “Can’t a man have some friends?” Yellow purred. Raven couldn’t stand it. She writhed out of Amari’s arms after quickly saying “excuse me.”

  She fought her way through crowds until she stood outside where more crowds of people stood around. She was about to walk in the direction of the hotel, where she hoped to find a taxi, when Amari caught up with her.

  He grabbed her arm and pulled her close.

  “Honey, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” she said.

  “That woman was rude, but you do know who she is, right?” Raven shook her head. She did seem familiar. “Sasha. She’s just released a new album. I only know coz she told me.” Amari paused, looking into her eyes. “I hate to bring you to these things, but it’s part of my job. My agent and sponsors want me out at these things, and the whole team is there, too.”

  “I know,” Raven agreed, looking down. “It just seems so cut-throat. Everybody seems to be competing for attention, for VIP status.”

  “It’s not just the women, you know. The guys are all showing off their cars, their bling,” he said. She looked at his casual pants, white shirt and long jacket. He looked so amazing but he didn’t wear jewelry. She liked that about him. It seemed that the women revealed as much skin as possible and the men as much ice as possible. It was too much for her.

  “Do you want to go, or stay? We can stay together every minute. I would like that. Let everybody know you are my woman.”

  She had agreed. She wondered if he was really that proud to have her by his side. There were so many, so many beautiful and famous women.

  Back in the present Raven shook off those feelings like she would dust off her shoes before entering her mother’s house. Amari loved her, and he had proved it time and time again. She had to remind herself every time she woke up and looked at the ring on her finger.

  * * *

  Amari stayed with her until almost midnight and drove home. She didn’t get to check her messages until the next morning, and there was one from Candice. Raven called her as she made her way home from the Farmer’s Market.

  “Hi there,” Raven said, watching the traffic on the highway.

  “Where are you?”

  “On my way home,” Raven replied, surprised by Candice’s tone. Had something else happened with her and Charles?

  “I’ll meet you there,” Candice said.

  Raven drove home, still worried about what could have happened with Charles. Was she leaving him? Had he done something to hurt her?

  Raven had just put the kettle on for some green tea when she heard the buzzer at the gate. She let Candice in and then poured them tea. She took a sip as she looked around her place. There was a picture of her and Amari sitting on one of the side tables, and she had finally put up some of her African art. Amari liked to bring stuff when he was on the road, and she had framed one picture he had found in New Orleans. It was a painting of a young girl and boy kneeling and praying in a field of purple flowers. Amari had said that it reminded her of the two of them, when they were young and praying that they would find each other. It always made her smile.

  When he said things like that she felt so sure of his love, and when he was close she could see it in his eyes and she wanted to ask, “God. What have I done to deserve the love of this man. This man that you created for me? He’s beyond my wildest dreams!”

  The knock on the door signaled Candice’s arrival and Raven put her mug down and walked to the door after looking through the peephole just to make sure.

  “Hi, Candice,” Raven said, then closed the door after Candice strode in arms folded over her chest. The anger in her eyes was unmistakable.

  “I just made you some tea.” Raven walked towards the kitchen and picked up the mug.

  “I’m not interested in your tea,” Candice said, waving it away. “I came here to talk to you.”

  “Is everything okay?” Raven asked.

  “No! Thanks to you!”

  “What?”

  “Oh, Raven, you just had to go and blab my business to your mother, didn’t you?”

  “What are you talking about? What business?”

  “About Charles’s cheating? The hotel. That bimbo!”

  “I-I…”

  “You make me so mad!” Candice walked around then stopped, raising both her hands. “I could hit you, you know that? Your mother, with her big mouth, was asking my mother about Charles and I? Now everybody is talking about it.”

  Raven felt her anger growing. As much as she knew her mother had her weaknesses, especially about getting into other people’
s businesses, she still didn’t want Candice disrespecting her. She kept quiet because at this point there was no reasoning with Candice at all.

  “I didn’t tell her anything,” Raven said instead.

  “Oh, so how did she know? You must’ve told someone.”

  “I had to explain to Tahlia where I was, remember. I should have lied, and I’m sorry.”

  “It’s too late now, Raven. Charles and I had worked it out, but now the whole mess is out with my father and mother involved. All because you couldn’t be trusted. You are a terrible friend, and I hope Amari does the same to you and everybody talks about it. You think your life is all perfect, marrying some big basketball star, well, they are worse than doctors. You’ll see!”

  Candice took a deep breath, her anger seeming to grow with each minute. “You think you are all that planning your stupid big wedding and trying to mess up my life in the process. Well, I’m not going to just watch you do that.”

  “I said I’m sorry. I wish I could take it back. No need for you to be so cruel,” Raven said, tears in her eyes.

  “Well, I don’t even know what Amari sees in you. If I want to, I can even take him away from you, but I don’t need him. I have Charles.” Candice walked to the door, then looked Raven up and down like she was dressed in rags.

  “Amari must be blind,” she spat. She gave a laugh then walked out. Raven collapsed on her couch in tears.

  Chapter 15

  Raven peered out of the limousine on her wedding day. It was just the two of them at last, but still she felt like she was in a dream or watching somebody else’s life. If anybody asked her to describe her wedding she would say “magical.”

  In the end the day had been more than she could imagine. The moment she donned her dress she’d been on the verge of tears. Her mother gave her a classic pearl bracelet as her something borrowed. Before she left her old bedroom a gift in a silk pouch was brought in. When she opened it there was a beautiful white gold necklace with diamonds and the words written on the tiny card brought tears to her eyes.

  Hurry and marry me, Amari.

  When she walked towards him down the long Calvary Worship aisle tears were already streaming down her face. Amari’s eyes shone with tears but he wasn’t going to cry in front of all his teammates, his coach and managers. She never noticed anything else as she focused on Amari, her hand on her father’s arm. After that her wedding day was a blur of joy, love and ecstasy all rolled into one.

  They arrived at Amari’s house after midnight. They had decided that their first night would be at his house and then they would be leaving for Mombasa in Kenya for a two-week-long honeymoon. One week was going to be at the exotic island and another week in a game park and then two days visiting different local neighborhoods with friends Raven had made when she visited years before.

  The limousine stopped in the driveway and Amari helped Raven out of the car with his right hand. Her gorgeous white dress touched the ground and she lifted as much of it as she could. Amari tipped the driver then they walked hand in hand towards the house, their new home, without saying a word.

  “Wait,” Amari said, and then opened the door with his key. Before she knew what he was doing he had lifted her up in his arms. Raven squealed with delight as he carried her across the threshold and into the house. Her eyes opened wide when she looked at the beautiful flowers leading up the stairs and the petals strewn on the marble staircase.

  “This is amazing,” Raven said, looking around from the vantage of Amari’s strong arms. Her heart was already racing as he took the steps one at a time with her still in his arms. He kicked his bedroom door, which was slightly open. The whole place was covered with lit candles and there were two vases of flowers. She had seen his bedroom before when he gave her the tour of the house, but that night it looked so different she could have been in another world.

  “This is lovely,” she said, choked up. “When…did you do it?”

  “I hired someone,” he said, putting her down. “I knew I had very little to do with the wedding, but I’d have a lot to do with this night.”

  She glanced at him as he walked and closed the door but remained standing in the middle of the room, hands primly in front of her. The nerves and excitement and tiredness all mixed in with Raven’s emotions. The bag she had packed for the honeymoon stood in the corner of the bedroom with all the scandalous nightwear that she could buy. Amari stood by the door and looked at her. His gaze seemed to whisper to her, so she moved her gaze from her luggage and looked at him.

  “I want to remember you like this for the rest of my life,” Amari said as he regarded his bride in her wedding dress standing in the middle of his bedroom, pure, sweet and nervous. If he were an artist he would want to paint her picture. Her beautiful chocolate skin was a sharp contrast with the white dress. In fact, there were many countless moments today that he wanted to paint and preserve forever. But right now he wanted to take off that dress one layer at a time until she stood naked before him and give her a night she would never forget. Tonight he was going to see a new side to her, and he couldn’t wait.

  Raven saw his expression change and her heart began pounding. This was it. The look he gave her was enough to make the clothes on her body melt of their own accord. He walked towards her and took her hands. Sitting on the bed he brought her next to him.

  “You nervous, Mrs. Thomas?” he asked. She shook her head, unable to speak.

  “You want me to wait till Kenya?” She shook her head again and he kissed her slowly, gently, until she was the one demanding more, her breaths shorter and sweeter against his mouth. Raven knew from the moment he kissed her that anybody could ask her name and she wouldn’t know it, but she somehow gathered the strength to move out of his arms.

  “I-I would like to change first,” she whispered, smiling shyly.

  “That’s fine.”

  “I need your help with the buttons, but after that I’ll be fine,” she said again and he nodded as he took off the intricate buttons on the back of the dress with shaking fingers. He swallowed hard. Amari wanted to laugh at himself. He felt nervous, too, like it was his first time. It had been a long time and he knew that God had restored his purity with Raven and tonight would be both of their first time.

  When the last button was undone she stood up holding the front and walked to her bag that she wheeled into the bathroom without looking back. Her heard water running in from where he stood. Amari got up fast and also made his way into his own bathroom right next to hers.

  If she was going to dress up and freshen up, then so would he.

  He decided to jump into the shower when he heard her water running and then tried to figure out what to wear. He didn’t want to frighten her by being too naked, but he didn’t want to be dressed up like he was about to go out to the store, either. Oh, man. He should have done more research on this.

  Eventually he settled on wearing a pair of lounge pants and simple T-shirt. He sat on the bed and watched the door to the bathroom, but Raven didn’t come out yet. What was she doing, he wondered.

  Finally, he heard the door open and out she came. Her hair was now down, in dark swirls, and she wore the most dazzling white nightgown he had ever seen. It was lace from the breast to the knee then some clear-as-day fabric all the way down to her feet. When she took a step towards him her toned leg appeared then disappeared through the slit on the side. Amari felt his throat dry and his mind went blank. He had momentarily lost his ability to speak.

  He stood up then walked the rest of the way to meet her. He touched her hair gently looking down the rest of her. She was breathtaking.

  “Sorry I took so long,” she apologized, her voice breathless.

  Amari gave a laugh. “It was so worth it.”

  She smiled at him, nervousness growing in her like a volcano about to erupt. Esther had told her some details about the first night. She had read some books, but none of them had mentioned the overwhelming feelings rising in her chest. The look he
gave her was gentle and reassuring but underneath was that dangerous desire, so evident in his eyes that it took her breath away.

  “Mrs. Thomas,” he said, then brought her close. Her skin felt just as silken as the gown she wore. He rubbed his hands down her arms and then, as she relaxed, he stepped closer, breathing in her fragrance. When he kissed her he went for her neck and heard her sigh. That prompted him to take her lips in a quickly deepening kiss. He could feel her desire and her heartbeat fast.

  He moved back from her. He wanted to take his time enjoying his wife for the first time. The look in her eyes seemed to question why he had stopped. Eager little Mrs. Thomas, Amari thought as he leaned and kissed her shoulder. She seemed to melt under his touch.

  Raven felt like she was losing her breath and gaining it at the same time as Amari picked her up and laid her gently on the bed. The way he looked at her made her feel beautiful and shy at the same time. Could he love her that much? With his hands on her body she forgot to think but just feel, as he slowly woke up her body to pleasures she never knew existed, surprising herself as she desperately urged him to come on top of her and into her. It had hurt, that first feeling of him coming into her, but afterwards it was all stars and brilliant lights as she cried from pure, outrageous joy.

  Chapter 16

  Two Years Later

  “Tell me more about the movie again,” Raven asked coming out of the bathroom dressed in a revealing pink silk nightie. She stood by the light from the bathroom, knowing full well that with the light behind her and the darkness in the bedroom, her body was shown to perfection. She could see that Amari didn’t even hear her question. He was staring at her. After two years their desire for each other was still strong.

  “Come here,” he growled. Raven walked innocently towards him but remained out of reach.

  “Don’t make me come there,” he said. She stood where she was, though every cell in her body desired to be in his arms. She enjoyed once in a while making him chase her. Since their two-week-long honeymoon she had been a quick learner in the secrets of lovemaking and passion. Her desires grew the more she had him. She felt like she could never have enough of him. Maybe it was because he was always on the road, but she wanted him the moment he walked through the door and he seemed to desire her just as much.