Into Each Life

by Shelia E. Bell

  ♦

  Prodigal pulled back the Velcro holding strap on his prosthesis and carefully placed it next to his scooter then eased himself into the king sized bed. Though he hadn’t had the tests done yet, the anti-inflammatory medications the doctor prescribed had helped to alleviate some of the discomfort he had experienced over the past few weeks. Knowing Teary would be arriving in a few days lifted his spirits too

  Repositioning his head on the pillow and placing his hands underneath the back of his head, Prodigal laughed out loud suddenly. His thoughts were on the blind date he was about to go on tomorrow night. How could he have allowed Glen to convince him to go on a blind date, of all things? Man, what was I thinking when I agreed to meet his wife’s cousin? Prodigal thought while laughing at himself.

  He called and told Teary about the blind date set up, hoping she would tell him that it wasn’t such a good idea. But much to his surprise, she’d done just the opposite by encouraging him to go. She said that she wished she was in Bonsai Bay to see him go on his first date, as she put it. But Prodigal was nervous enough already. This time tomorrow night, he would be sitting across a dinner table from God knows who just because Glen couldn’t find a way to entertain his wife’s cousin who’d recently moved to Bonsai Bay. Teary gave him some ideas on how to dress fashionably so he wouldn’t come off as a geek.

  ♦

  Tomorrow arrived way too soon for Prodigal. He took his shower then began to get ready for his date. He was never the kind who loved to dress up, but if the occasion called for it, he had no problems doing it. Tonight was one such time. Of course, Teary had insisted that he buy something new.

  After putting on his ensemble he surveyed himself in the mirror and was quite pleased at what stared back at him. Fresh haircut. Black and cream, Sean John, dress shirt. Black, tailor-made, slacks. Black, Cole Haan, square toed shoes. Spot of jewelry on the left hand. Movado on the right wrist. Definitely not bad, Prodigal said to the man staring back at him in the mirror. Not bad at all. By the time he finished getting dressed it was time to take the boys to the sitter’s.

  Prodigal grabbed the boys’ jackets and they headed outside.

  “Come on, hurry up. I’m going to be late,”

  He led them across the street. Mrs. Richards stood in the doorway patiently waiting on them.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Richards.”

  “Hello, Prodigal. Hi boys, come on in,” Mrs. Richards told them. “I just made a batch of chocolate chip cookies.” Kaleb and Kevin ran inside without saying goodbye to their father.

  “Have a good time, Prodigal,” Mrs. Richards said in her always pleasant voice.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Richards. I’m going to try.”

  He went back across the street, climbed into his SUV and within ten minutes he was pulling up in front of his blind date’s house. I must be the biggest fool.

  Twenty minutes after leaving home, he pulled up in front of his mystery date’s house. Before he could get out of the SUV, he saw a woman standing in the doorway.

  “Don’t bother getting out because I’m ready,” she said as she approached the vehicle. “I was looking out for you.”

  He leaned over and opened the door for her just in time to get a peek at the camisole she wore underneath her fringed boucle’ blazer. He liked what he saw. Her fuchsia wide leg pants were accented with a satin sash that highlighted her svelte figure. She eased into the car and he smelled the freshness of her skin. Leather beaded slides revealed perfectly pedicured feet. He allowed his eyes to visit the contours of her curvaceous body.

  “Hi, I’m Prodigal,” he said. “And you must be my lovely blind date.”

  “Yes, I’m Sheerah Samuels,” she smiled, extending her hand to him

  “You are a gorgeous blind date,” he responded, shaking her hand gently.

  “Thanks. What a nice thing to say.”

  “I call it like I see it.”

  Sheerah blushed and closed the door.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yep, I’m ready. Let’s get this party started,” she laughed.

  The two of them laughed and talked with relative ease on their way to the restaurant. The conversation continued when they arrived and were seated at their table.

  “Tell me about yourself, Sheerah.”

  “I’m a recent divorcee with a daughter who’ll be fifteen in a couple of weeks,” she started. “She can’t wait to get her first cell phone.”

  “I guess that’s the latest fad for teenagers. At least I don’t have that to worry about that for a few years.”

  “How many children do you have?”

  “Two. Six-year old twin boys who love action figures and video games.”

  Prodigal felt relaxed the more he talked to his date. It felt good to be out with a woman. He hadn’t realized how much he missed the companionship of the opposite sex. In addition to being easy to talk to, Sheerah was definitely good on the eyes.

  “Your turn,” she said to him.

  “Let’s see,” Prodigal said as he appeared to be in thought. “I’m a widow. My wife died a little over two years ago,” he informed her.

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What happened to your leg?”

  “Wow, you’re not shy are you?”

  Sheerah looked directly at him. “I believe the only way to find out what you want to know is to ask. And if you don’t want to answer then that’s fine too.”

  “No, it’s just that I’m not used to people being so upfront. Usually they just stare at me when I walk. Now that’s when I get pissed. But to answer your question, I’m a firefighter. I had some complications after getting injured in a pretty big blaze.”

  “I see,” she nodded.

  “Since we’re asking all of these deep questions, now it’s your turn.”

  Sheerah smiled. “Let her rip.”

  “What caused the breakup of your marriage?”

  “Well me and my husband had a great marriage for almost twenty years.” Sheerah twitched in her chair. “We were high school sweethearts and best friends. He worked hard, made a good home for me and our daughter, but somewhere along the way he got lost.”

  “Lost? What do you mean?”

  “He’s a trial lawyer. A good one at that. But with his career came long hours. As for me, I dabble in real estate a little bit, but mostly I was at home playing the part of the good wife and mother. I don’t know when things changed. It’s like I woke up one morning and we had grown apart. I didn’t know who he was anymore.”

  Prodigal saw the pain envelop her face as she spoke. “If you can’t go on, then don’t. I didn’t mean to drudge up unpleasant memories.”

  “No, its okay,” she responded, continuing her story. “We were invited to the Mayor’s Ball. We would attend every year. I was busy socializing at the ball, not really noticing that I hadn’t seen him for at least an hour. When I finally did miss him, my initial thought was that maybe he was somewhere conducting business, which wasn’t unusual for him. About thirty more minutes passed and I still didn’t see a sign of him anywhere. I walked to the outer lobby. He wasn’t out there so I walked down the corridor toward the balcony. As I approached the balcony, I heard muffled sounds. The voice became clearer as I got nearer. ‘I love you.’ The voice was not that of a stranger. I felt a sickening sensation in the pit of my stomach. I tiptoed closer until the two of them were in my eye view. He held her up against him, the way he used to hold me. They were sharing a deep, passionate kiss. I stood frozen, watching as his hands took free reign over her body. I listened to her sounds of obvious pleasure.”

  Prodigal stopped her. “Don’t go any further, Sheerah.”

  Sheerah met his gaze. “It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt so much now.”

  “I didn’t mean to pry. Really, I didn’t. And I’m sorry you had to go through something like that. To see your husband in the arms of another woman had to be devastating.”

  “It was.
And I knew her too. It was one of the partners in his law firm. I never suspected a thing.”

  “The two of you couldn’t work things out?”

  “We tried, but eventually I had to admit that he just didn’t love me any more. So we got a divorce. I needed to make a new start. And here I am.” Sheerah smiled, raising her hands.

  “I’m sorry about the divorce, but I’m glad you came to Bonsai Bay. Come on, let’s have a toast.”

  They raised their glasses of red wine up in the air. Prodigal proposed the toast. “To the future and all good things in life.” They clinked their glasses together and laughed as they each took a sip.

  “The halibut was good wasn’t it?” remarked Sheerah.

  “It sure was. And the cheese biscuits. I could eat a dozen of them. ”

  “I think you did.” she joked.

  “Wait a minute now. Are you trying to call me greedy?”

  “If the shoe fits.” They laughed.

  Deciding not to have dessert, Prodigal paid the check. The two of them left the restaurant.

  Once inside the car, Prodigal began talking to Sheerah about Teary. “We’ve been friends since we were kids,” he explained. “The woman has always been there for me. And I’ve tried to be there for her as well.”

  “It’s good to have friends like that. My best friend is in Denver, though we haven’t been friends as long as you and yours. But really, my best friend was my husband. Which is one of the reasons I could never hate him or dislike him. I was hurt by his act of betrayal, but once my heart began to heal, I realized that he and I would always share something special. Out of our love our daughter, Alexis, was born.”

  “Yeah, that’s a blessing in and of itself,” remarked Prodigal as he stopped at the traffic light. “Anger and hate saps our strength and sucks away at our lives. When Faith died, it took a while before I was able to let go of the anger and bitterness. Once I let go, then I felt my heart begin to heal.”

  “I’m sure Teary was there for you, huh?”

  “Yeah, she was. And she still is. The woman is remarkable. She’s going to be here in a few days; maybe you two will get a chance to meet.”

  “Yeah, maybe we will.”

  Arriving at Sheerah’s house, he pulled up into her driveway and turned off the engine.

  “Would you like to come in and have a cup of coffee before we say goodnight?”

  “On one condition.” Prodigal said.

  “What’s that?”

  “If you let me make it.”

  “You won’t get a fight from me. Follow me,” she ordered.

  Prodigal followed Sheerah inside. He complimented her taste in decorating her house. Sheerah led him into the kitchen, showed him where everything was for the coffee, then she sat down at the breakfast nook. When Prodigal finished making the coffee, Sheerah retrieved two mugs from the cabinet and brought them over to the table.

  Prodigal took pleasure in Sheerah’s company. Sitting down in the chair across from Sheerah, Prodigal sipped on his coffee before setting it on the table in front of him. Slowly, Sheerah removed her manicured hands from around her cup and sat it down next to his. Encircling her slender fingers between his, he brought them to his lips and kissed them lightly. Their eyes locked simultaneously. Without resistance, she welcomed the warmth of his moist kiss before pulling back.

  “I think you’d better go,” she spoke.

  “I think you’re right,” he agreed. Prodigal stood up and Sheerah walked him to the door. For the first time since he picked her up, they remained quiet until reaching the front door.

  “Goodnight, Sheerah.”

  “Goodnight, Prodigal. And thanks for a wonderful evening,” Sheerah replied before closing the door.

  Chapter 38

  Got Your Back

  “Listen, Prodigal,” Teary told him. “I don’t want you to worry about a thing. The boys will be fine. All I want you to do is lay back, relax and let the doctor run whatever tests he sees fit.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Prodigal answered sarcastically. Kevin and Kaleb laughed at his reply.

  Just like before, Teary became the perfect surrogate mother while Prodigal did what he needed to do. His tests turned out fine. He didn’t have a suspected bacterial infection in his tissues after all. His prosthesis had caused the swelling and abrasions. His doctor informed him that he would have to be fitted with a new prosthesis. Until then, he was to alternate between using his scooter and his prosthesis until the skin healed and the swelling went down.

  ♦

  Once his tests were done and he received his doctor’s positive verdict, Prodigal arranged for Teary and Sheerah to meet. He believed it was one of the best things to happen for Sheerah and Teary to like each other. If there was anything about Sheerah that wasn’t right, Teary would be the one to detect it and immediately let him know. But when she met Sheerah, she gave him her stamp of approval.

  For some reason, Teary thought Sheerah would be a stuck up little twit who had her mind set on snatching Prodigal from the world; and who would be jealous of Prodigal’s relationship with her. But she soon found out that Sheerah was nothing like she pegged her to be. Instead, she was an attractive, friendly woman with a sparkling personality. Teary understood fully why Prodigal was taken by her. She enjoyed seeing Prodigal smile again. He and Sheerah were spending quite a bit of time together. Prodigal liked her well enough to take the next step and introduce her to his sons. Kevin and Kaleb liked her so much that they started asking their father when Sheerah would be coming back to their house.

  Teary witnessed the positive change in Prodigal and the boys too since he started dating Sheerah. So why did Teary start to feel bent out of shape, like she was intruding in their lives?

  “Teary,” Kevin said one night while she tucked him and his brother in.

  “Yes, sweetheart,” she answered.

  “Are you going to stay here with us forever?” he asked innocently.

  “Yeah, are you?” Kaleb asked.

  Teary looked at the both of them. She had come to love them like they were her own flesh and blood. She watched them night after night when they closed their eyes in sleep and thought to herself how she longed for children of her own. Since she would never have any, she poured out all of her love on them. She didn’t want to leave them either. But she couldn’t just invade their lives like a permanent fixture. That wouldn’t be fair to the boys or to Prodigal. Why, suppose he meets someone? Someone who wants to love him like he deserves and who wants the boys too? Suppose that someone is Sheerah? Teary thought.

  Kevin tugged on her shirt. “Aren’t you going to answer us?”

  “Let’s not talk about that tonight. Let’s just enjoy each other for the time I am here, okay? Now, the two of you go to sleep. Maybe we’ll catch a movie tomorrow or something since its Saturday. I love you.”

  “Love you too. Goodnight.” Kevin said.

  “Goodnight, Teary,” Kaleb whispered in a sleepy voice.

  “Goodnight my babies.

  “Teary,” Kevin called her as she was turning to leave.

  “What is it, Kevin?”

  “When is Daddy coming home?”

  “He’ll be here soon. Don’t worry. Now, it’s time for sleeping, not talking.”

  “Goodnight,”

  “Sweet dreams.” Teary turned out the light and walked slowly toward the guestroom. Prodigal was out again tonight with Sheerah and she was left home alone. Not that she had a problem with taking care of the boys, because she adored them. But hearing the happiness in Prodigal’s voice, seeing the sparkle in his eyes when he talked about Sheerah was invoking a little jealousy in Teary. Once again, she felt like she was being left out, high and dry, while everyone else’s life was perfect. She closed her bedroom door, sat on the edge of the bed and began slowly undressing.

  Prodigal pulled the SUV up in the garage after another wonderful night of being with Sheerah. A fresh smile still covered his face as he thought about the good time they had
together. Walking into the foyer, he saw that the rest of the house was dark. It was rather late, so Prodigal wasn’t surprised that Teary and the boys had turned in for the night. As Prodigal passed by Teary’s door, heading to bed himself, he heard her whimpering. He knocked lightly on her door.

  “Yes?” Teary answered.

  “Hey, you all right in there?” he asked from the other side of the door.

  “Yes, I’m fine. Just getting a cold I think.”

  “You want me to bring you a Tylenol or something?” he asked with concern in his voice.

  “No, I’m fine. Really I am. Did you have a good time tonight?” she asked him, pretending as if everything was okay.

  “Yeah, we had a great time. Teary, are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes, I told you, I’m fine. Just go to bed. That’s what I’m going to do myself. “Goodnight.”

  “Nite, Teary. Call me if you need me.”

  If only he had an idea just how much I need him, she thought. God I want him so bad but it’s Sheerah he wants. And I don’t blame him. I mean we’ve been best friends since we were little. I don’t want to do anything to fracture our relationship. I guess it took him being interested in someone else for me to realize that I care about him more than what I’ve admitted to myself.

  Teary often thought about Faith and how she would feel if she knew her feelings toward Prodigal. Certainly Faith would be happy to know that the boys would be loved and well taken care of. And also that she would love Prodigal with all of her heart. But it didn’t matter any longer what Faith might have wanted because someone, other than Teary, was about to fill the void that had been left by Faith.

  After saying her prayers, Teary slowly, but tearfully, drifted off into a troubled sleep.

  Chapter 39

  Left Out

  “Prodigal, would you like to come over for coffee and cake?” asked Sheerah at the close of Sunday worship. Sheerah along with her daughter had been attending Unity Church every since Prodigal invited her soon after they first met.