“Hi,” he said, admiring Faith’s pretty, yellow dress.
She patted her manicured hands on the cushioned pew for him to take a seat beside her. “Hey, come on, I saved you a seat.” Prodigal sat down next to her. “Ooh, you look handsome,” she said with a grin spreading across her dimpled face.
He tried not to blush, but she made stuff come out of him that, at one time, only Teary could make him feel.
Prodigal smiled and whispered in her ear. “You know you look beautiful Faith.” This time Faith was the one who blushed. Her round cheeks turned beet red, and a big grin moved across her moon shaped face.
The keyboard player interrupted the constant chatter of the congregation. Church was about to start. The same opening praise hymn they sung at the close of Sunday school started up again.
Prodigal sung along and thought to himself, Yes, victory today is mine.
Minutes passed. Prodigal felt someone tapping him on his shoulder. He turned around and met Teary’s face as she eased in the pew behind him, along with Debra and Chelsia. He almost gasped when he saw how pretty she looked.
“Hi,” she whispered, to Prodigal. “I can’t believe you’re here. All the times I’ve tried to persuade you to come with me and you refused. Must be something hot and heavy going on,” she teased. “You didn’t even tell me you were coming.”
“I know, I forgot. I went over to your house this morning, but you all had already left,” he mumbled. “I had to walk.”
Teary gasped. “That’s what you get for leaving your best friend in the dark,” she said.
Faith turned around and said, “Hi, y’all.”
“Hi Faith,” each of the girls responded softly.
Teary pinched him on the back of the neck before she leaned back against the cushioned pew.
“Will you cut it out? We’re in the house of the Lord, or have you forgotten?” he turned around and mumbled again.
“Whatever,” Teary said and giggled.
Pastor Grace preached about, of all things, fornication. “Turn your Bibles to the fifth chapter of Ephesians,” he instructed the congregation. “This is what the word of God has placed on my spirit to share with his people.” Pastor Grace didn’t need to read from his Bible. The words of the passage rolled freely from his lips. Prodigal was mesmerized as he listened to Pastor Grace. “Be imitators of God. Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or greed, because these are improper for God's people.”
Prodigal became somewhat uneasy. He thought about Teary. He hoped that she wasn’t feeling uncomfortable. He didn’t dare take a chance and look back to see her reaction. He continued to listen to Pastor Grace. Just because he was still a virgin physically, Prodigal knew that he was no better than Teary. He’d fallen to sleep night after night, dreaming and fantasizing about making love to her. He often longed to know her in an intimate way, but it was a dream that he believed would never come true, so he turned his thoughts to the pretty girl sitting next to him.
Quite a few of the kids from church attended Believers Academy, the church’s privately run Christian school. Hope often wished her momma could afford to send her there.
David Peters, president of the youth group was one of the reasons Hope liked attending youth night. The middle child in a family of five, David was a sophomore at the Academy. He was smart, bright and quite the popular young man. His naturally magnetic charm drew people to him, especially Hope. He carried his lanky body well. Much like Hope, his face displayed the invasion of acne, and the braces that filled his mouth only served to make his blotched skin stand out even more, but David seemed not to be bothered by it at all. He was a cheery, fun-loving kind of young man; a true comedian in his own way. And he liked himself some Hope. He thought she was stunning. Hope’s oval framed shaped glasses matched her mahogany skin. She often wore her thin black braided hair in a pony tail revealing the cluster of acne taking full residence on her otherwise pleasingly symmetrical face. Her plump nose and wide lips stood out when she flashed a smile. She was pencil thin and there were times Ruth worried that she might be anorexic. But David Peters thought she looked perfect in every way. He looked forward to seeing her at Sunday services and on Wednesday nights. He could put a smile on Hope’s face when everything else around her felt like it was about to cave in. Unknowingly, Hope and David were sitting a few pews behind her brother. She saw Prodigal as he turned around to say something to Teary. Hope smiled in surprise, bowed her head and mouthed a prayer of thanks to God for bringing her brother to church.
After church service, Faith’s parents invited Prodigal to dinner at their house. He eagerly accepted the invitation and climbed in the back seat of their silver Buick. For the first time in a long time, he felt a part of something good and positive. He felt like he belonged, that he mattered to someone other than his family. No more being on the outside looking in. No more wishing and hoping that he would have love in his life. A faint smile filled his face.
He phoned home to let his mother know about his invitation from the Meadows. Mrs. Meadows must have prepared Sunday dinner the night before or early that morning before church, , Prodigal guessed. But whenever she had cooked it, it sure was good. It had been ages since he’d tasted a delicious meal like turnip greens, fried corn, fresh tomatoes, hot water cornbread and home made macaroni ‘n cheese. To top it all off, Mrs. Meadows had prepared buttery peach cobbler a la mode for dessert. When he finally pushed away from the table, Prodigal was as full as a tick.
“Mrs. Meadows, everything was delicious,” Prodigal complimented. I haven't had a meal like that in a long, long time. I sure appreciate the invitation.”
“You’re so polite, Prodigal,” Mrs. Meadows said. “I like that.”
“Thank you, ma’am, but the truth is the truth. I’ll help you with the dishes if you’d like me to.”
“Boy, you know you’re all right with me,” Mr. Meadows replied while patting Prodigal hard on the back. “Just don’t you mistreat my girl, and you and I will be just fine.”
“Of course not, Mr. Meadows. I wouldn’t dare dream of hurting her. You’ll never have to worry about that. That’s a promise, sir.”
“Come on, Prodigal. It’s time to bust some suds,” Hope interrupted, standing up and grabbing Prodigal by the hand. They gathered the dishes together and headed for the kitchen.
While Faith washed the dishes, Prodigal rinsed them. The couple laughed and talked about their future together
“Do you think we’ll always be together and that we’ll stay happy like this?” Faith asked.
“Girl, I don’t have to think; I know we will. We care about each other, don’t we? And we've been together for some months already, right?”
“Right,” she replied.
“Then nothing should separate us.” As he spoke, he looked deep into her soft hazel eyes. He leaned in close to her. Without warning, she scooped a handful of soapy water in her hands and threw it at Prodigal and rushed to the other side of the kitchen.
“Oh, it’s on now. Yea, I’m going to get you now.” He laughed, filled a glass with cold water and raced after her. They laughed and played until they both were practically soaked.
Prodigal removed the last dish from Faith’s hand and laid it in the dish rack. Then he turned her toward him, pulled her close and bent his head down to kiss her firmly on the lips. When she tasted the sweetness of his tongue, she allowed it to caress hers before she pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” Prodigal apologized.
“No, don’t be sorry. It’s just that you know we can’t let things get out of hand Prodigal. Remember Pastor Grace’s message today?
“Yes, and you’re right Faith.”
“We’ve done good not to go all the way.” Faith added. “I don’t want anything to spoil what we have. Do you really understand, Prodigal?”
“Of course I understand. I feel the same way.” But his young manhood didn’t agree. It had a mind of its own because he felt
it keeping up a fuss inside his Sunday trousers.
Chapter 11
Sheep’s Clothing
Twenty-one year old womanizer Skyler Jenkins had been casing the mall for several hours before he spotted the three girls coming out of The Gap. Immediately his bluish-gray eyes zeroed in on Teary like a radar screen.
“Man, check out that female,” Skyler told his friends. “If she ain’t a dime piece then I don’t know who is; with all that hair going down her back. Oooh, wee, I bet she’s a wild one. And if she isn't, then I bet you under my expert tutelage she will be before you can say abracadabra.”
Skyler and his boys released a loud round of laughter.
“Y'all talk to her friends if you want to, but leave her to me,” he continued, pointing at Teary as she and her friends headed unknowingly in his direction.
He stepped confidently to her and said, “Excuse me.” Teary liked what she saw. His naturally wavy hair was neat. The small gold hoop earring in his left ear further added to his appeal. His thick eyebrows arched upwards in a devilish manner, almost connecting across the center of his face. "Can I have a word with you for a minute?"
She took a moment to look him up and down. He was strikingly handsome indeed. Skyler carried his slender, creamy colored skinned body on a six-foot frame. His designer jeans and matching jersey fit his body loosely and a cluster of chest hairs pushed out from underneath his gold link necklace
“You don’t know me, so why do you want to have a word with me?” Teary asked.
“Because, you look like someone I’d like to get to know.”
“Well, looks can be quite deceiving, don’t you agree?” she teased.
“Yes, I agree. That’s why I’d like to get to know you. I want to find out if my eyes are fooling me.” His eyes shifted slightly in the direction of his friends. When he saw them busy delivering their own pick up lines to the other girls, he figured he had a little more time to talk to her. He extended his hand to her. “Look, my name is Skyler. What’s yours?”
“Teary,” she responded, shaking his hand.
“Hey, I’m going to make a long story short. You’re attractive to me, and I was just wondering if we could get to know each other a little bit better.”
Teary started walking slowly along the mall, passing each store, peering inside like she was really interested in the items she saw instead of the game he was throwing her way.
“Skyler, I may not want to get to know you,” Teary answered as she stole a quick peek into his dazzling eyes.
“That may be true. But I hope that’s not the case. Are you still in school?” Skyler asked.
“Yep. I attend Fairley High. I’m a senior this year, and you?”
“I graduated a couple of years ago.”
“What do you do now then?” she asked, curious and fascinated at the same time at being pulled by an older boy.
”I work at Club Ecstasy and I’m a full-time college student. “
Her mind hadn’t moved past the Club Ecstasy part yet. “Isn’t Ecstasy a male strip club?” She raised one eyebrow and looked up at him with a glint of curiosity mixed with displeasure.
“Hey, it’s a job, and it pays well. I do it for the money until I can graduate from college. I don’t take all of my clothes off. You’re welcome to come and see for yourself.
“Boy, you know I can’t get into Club Ecstasy. I still have a few more months before I turn eighteen. Anyway, I don’t care to go into that den of ill repute.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t exactly call it that. But I do know how you feel. Like I said, it’s good money and right now I need the money to take care of myself and to pay for my education. It’s not like I plan to make stripping a lifelong career or anything like that. I have my own apartment, well, me and a roommate, so that means bills.” Skyler thought for a minute. “I tell you what. Why don’t you give me a ring sometime so we can really talk?” He thumbed through his wallet and his jean pockets until he found a crumpled piece of paper. He borrowed a pen from Teary long enough to scribble his number down and then pushed it toward her. “Here’s my number. Call me sometime.”
“I’ll think about it.” Teary hesitated before taking hold of the piece of paper. She was not going to let this fine looking boy believe for one minute that she was falling for his pick up line. The last thing she needed was another guy taking advantage of her. Langston Silverman had taught her a lot about trust. She had learned the hard way that all that glitters certainly isn’t gold. When Chelsia called her a few months after she and Langston broke-up and told her that Langston was moving, Teary was ecstatic. It had been an answered prayer for her. Langston’s family moved to the other side of town which meant he had to transfer to another school. Teary no longer had to face the humiliation of seeing him at school every day. Since Langston, she shied away from any boy that tried to talk to her. She didn’t know if Langston had bad-mouthed her to the other boys at school or not. She didn’t want to find out either. Focusing her thoughts back on the boy standing next to her she thought, He seems like he might be a pretty nice guy.
“I definitely want to talk to you again, Teary. Don’t make me wait too long.” Skyler pleaded. When he flashed his perfect set of pearly whites, Teary thought she would lose it.
“Well, look, Skyler, I have to go. I’ve been here most of the afternoon, and I still have some other things to do, so I’ll talk to you later.”
“Hey, sounds good to me, I can’t wait,” Skyler said flirtatiously.
She turned and walked toward Debra and Chelsia. “You guys ready?” They giggled and shared their stories.
What a day, Teary thought. What a day.
Since her traumatic experience with Langston, she was determined not to be suckered by a boy again. So far she had remained true to her word, but Skyler was turning out to be different. Since their meeting at the mall, they had spent quite a bit of time talking on the phone. When he wasn’t working, or in class, they would sometimes talk on the phone for hours. She liked talking to Skyler and listening to him. She was quite impressed. He made her laugh, Unlike Langston, he respected her opinion. He seemed to care about what she wanted to do in life. “What’s your major?” Teary asked him during one of their phone conversations.
“Physical therapy. I’ll be starting my clinicals after a couple of more semesters.”
Skyler enjoyed talking to Teary too. She was the first girl that he hadn’t tried to jump in the bed with right away. He had been a playa so long that he was even surprised at this turn of events. Women propositioned him all the time at the club, and before he met Teary, he often accepted their invitations. But since Teary had come into his life, he found himself losing his desire to jump from one female to the next. He didn’t want to take a chance of ruining what obviously was turning out to be a pretty cool relationship, so he decided he would take things slow.
“Skyler, can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, go ahead,” he answered one night when they were on the phone.
“Why haven’t you asked me out? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like talking to you on the phone and all. And you’ve come over here a couple of times. But I still don’t understand why we haven’t gone on a real date. You know what I mean?” She didn’t wait for a response. “We don’t have to do a lot. We could just go out to eat or to a movie.”
“I hear you, and you’re right. But you know I work six days a week plus go to school. But I want to hang out with you too. What if I try to take off Saturday night and we can go out? You think that will be all right with your folks?”
“Sure,” she said. “I don’t see why not.”
“It won’t be all right if they find out I’m twenty-one years old, which, I guess, is another reason I’ve been playing it safe. I mean, you aren’t eighteen yet. I could get in a lot of trouble.”
“I know that, but it won’t be much longer, plus you’re only a few years older than me.”
“But we still have to be cautious, Teary.”
&
nbsp; “I can’t wait until my birthday in May. I’m glad it’s only a few months away. I’ll be eighteen and we won’t have to worry about anything like that. Until then, it’s our secret. Agreed?”
“Agreed,” he said with a sigh of relief.
Teary shared her excitement about her upcoming date with Debra, Chelsia and Faith. She had purposely held back from telling Prodigal anything about Skyler and had sworn Faith to secrecy. When it came to Prodigal, she had to tread lightly. He sometimes acted like her father instead of her best friend.
Teary took a trip to the mall to find the perfect outfit for her date with Skyler. Teary’s babysitting jobs were paying off. They kept her with enough money in her pocket to buy herself some of the things she wanted. She picked out a baby blue, above the knee, knit dress with a short sleeved matching waist length jacket that flattered her size eight figure. She went to Kara’s Shoes and found a pair of red flats. She didn’t want to overdress, but she did want to look extra nice for her first date with Skyler.
♦
“Hey, Johnny, are you hanging around the crib tonight or what?” Skyler asked his roommate.
“Don’t think so,” his roommate replied. “I’m thinking about stepping out to my girl’s crib. Why, what’s up?”
“I’m off work tonight, man, and I’m going to pick up Teary. We might hit the crib a little later, that’s all.”
“That’s on you, man. I won’t be in the way, if that’s what you mean. It’ll probably be late when I get back, if I make it back at all,” he laughed.
“I heard that. Maybe I’ll be so lucky myself.”
♦
“Ahh,” Teary screamed, shutting her eyes tightly. The gory horror scene on the giant drive-in screen was too yucky for her. She buried her head in Skyler’s chest. In between the bloody scenes, the two of them nibbled on popcorn and gulped cherry Cola. They laughed and talked, and then watched the movie some more.
Into Each Life Page 8