LaChina turned and lifted the ship’s entertainment guide. She scanned it briefly.
“Perfect!” LaChina tapped her hand across the open guide book. “It says that they are having a comedian tonight in the lounge. That’s what you need, some good jokes to make you laugh.”
“I’m laughing already,” Jamaica told her.
A knock at the cabin door startled them both.
LaChina smiled and nodded her head toward the door. “You answer it. It may be your next Prince Charming.”
Jamaica gave her friend a quick, but fake smile, and turned to answer the cabin door.
“Hello, or rather good evening, ma’am,” said the uniformed gentleman outside of the door. “I am your private concierge. If you should desire anything, I am at your service twenty-four hours a day. I’ll be conducting a tour of the ship tomorrow, and giving you all of your briefings on safety, expense accounts, the islands where we’ll be making ports of call, the activities we’ll be having on board the ship, as well as the activities available at the island ports. I’ll let you settle in now. If you should have any questions, please ring me.”
He handed Jamaica a plastic card. “This is your ship’s charge card. Pay for everything with this, as no cash is accepted on the ship. Your bill will be presented later. Your PIN number is on the card’s holder. Good evening, ma’am.”
The ship’s lounge was large, thoroughly modern. Massive black marble columns, with blue florescent lighting, along with highly polished chrome fixtures and railings, gave the lounge a futuristic appearance. The stage itself was black, surrounded again, by aqua-blue florescent lights. The mural that provided the stage’s backdrop, consisted of two futuristic clown faces, painted in a variety of colors. Along with the paint, the colors in the clown faces came from shards of colored glass, marble, crystal, and a variety of other materials, which together created the clown montage.
Jamaica and LaChina sat patiently in the back of the lounge, and waited for the appearance of the first comedian. The dimming of the lights allowed Jamaica the privacy to take her eyes away from the stage without LaChina’s interference. Her gaze shifted to her glass of club soda.
“You know how when things are going too well, you have to pinch yourself to kind of give yourself a reality check?” The voice from the stage asked the audience. It was a familiar voice. It caused Jamaica to glance toward the stage. She knew that it was him.
“My life was something like that, and I gave myself a reality check,” he told the audience. “But, in doing that, I lost the one person who made my life so good. I…I used a petty excuse to back away from this person, and I hurt her. My own insecurities made me push her away, and you know what? I found out that I couldn’t live without her. I don’t want to live without her.” He shook his head. “Yes, I love her that much.”
He switched the microphone from his right hand to his left, and slowly descended the stage’s black, marble stairs.
“I saw her walk into the room tonight, but the lights dimmed before I could find her.” He swallowed hard. “Jamaica, I understand if you don’t ever want to speak to me again. You have every right. But I hope you hear me. I hope you believe me when I say…I love you. Jai, I need you.”
His hand slid into his blue jeans pocket, and he produced a small, purple, felt box with gold trim. He held it toward the audience that he knew existed, but which the bright spotlights prevented him from seeing, and opened it. Inside of the box, set amongst a breathtaking five-prong, platinum-base ring, was a flawless, round, five-carat, canary-yellow diamond.
“Jai, will you please forgive me?” he asked. “And if you can forgive me, would you do me one more favor? Could you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
With that, Jamaica could no longer remain seated. She rose so quickly, that had it not been for LaChina’s quick reflexes, the small table at which she had been sitting, would have fallen to the floor. Jamaica shouted across the room.
“Tameer, I love you! I forgive you! And of course, I’ll marry you!”
Jamaica started toward Tameer. He searched desperately in the direction from which her voice had come, but the glaring, disabling brightness of the spotlights prevented him from seeing her.
“Over here!” she shouted to him. “Over here! I’m coming!”
Jamaica rushed to Tameer and they embraced. Her legs flew around his waist, and she wrapped her arm around his neck, gripping him tightly. He held her in his arms, kissing her, and turning her through the air slowly.
The crowd clapped and cheered, some even offered a few whistles, but Tameer and Jamaica could not hear it. To them, this was their world, and they were the only ones in it. They kissed passionately, all over each other’s faces. Their tears mixed, becoming one, but they quickly kissed those away as well.
“I love you, Jamaica”
“I love you so much, T,” she replied. “I’m so sorry that I hurt you.”
“I’m sorry.” Tameer grabbed Jamaica’s hand, and dropped to his knee. Slowly, he placed the ring on her finger. It was a perfect fit. “Will you…”
“Of course!” she shouted, interrupting him. “What took you so long!”
Tameer rose, and again they kissed.
“How did you find me? And how did you pay for this ring?” She held it up to the light.
“The car, I tracked you down through the car.” He kissed her again. “It took care of us, Jamaica. And Beverly…”
His answer made Jamaica recoil. “Who?”
Tameer smiled. “Beverly. The plane ticket, the cruise, the money, the ring, my clothes, everything! She even drove me to the airport!”
Jamaica placed her palm on Tameer’s forehead, to see if he were feverish. “Are you delirious?”
Tameer laughed and shook his head. “No, she did everything.”
“My mother?”
“A wonderful woman!” Tameer shouted. “She loves you very much.” He pulled Jamaica close and hugged her again.
“And P.J.!” Tameer shook his head. “Your father’s incredible!”
“Daddy?”
“I’ll tell you about it later. That’s another story entirely.”
“Kiss me,” she told him.
“Of course.”
And they kissed.
Epilogue
The wind swept across the ship’s balcony, blowing her hair into his face. He stood behind her, with his hands wrapped around her waist, holding tightly the blanket which provided them with the warmth on this cool, star-filled Caribbean night.
The ocean was pitch-black, and its waves crashed melodiously across the ship’s starboard, creating a soothing rhythm. The breeze caused her to shiver.
“Are you okay?” Tameer asked.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
Jamaica turned inside of the blanket and faced him. She gently placed her arms around his shoulders and smiled. “Remember the snow, that magical night? You said that it was God granting us a miracle?”
Tameer nodded.
“Remember the things you told me about your father, and how he treated you when you were young? Remember what you said after we saw your mother in Houston? Remember the promises you made? Remember all of the things you said about how you were going to do things differently, and how you would raise your children differently?”
Tameer nodded.
“Well, you’re going to get your chance,” Jamaica said softly. “We got our miracle. T, I’m pregnant.”
The breeze and the news hit simultaneously, though it wasn’t the breeze that caused him to shiver. “Jamaica, why…Why didn’t you tell me before?”
She rested her head upon his chest. “Because I didn’t want you to think that you were obligated to stay with me. I wanted you to be with me because you loved me, not because you felt you had to.”
“I do love you, Jamaica. I do.”
“I know, and I love you.”
And she did, she really loved him. She truly loved him, as did he truly love her. Together…toge
ther they loved each other. They loved each other for the rest of their days. And together, they lived, happily…ever…after…
The End
Thank You, and God Bless
Caleb Alexander
About the Author
Caleb Alexander resides in San Antonio, Texas with his family. He is an Essence No. 1 bestselling author and has written Eastside, When Lions Dance, One Size Fits All, Big Black Boots and Next Time I Fall. The author has also written several television dramas, and the hilarious and touching screenplay, Finding Gabriel. He has also penned the action/adventure screenplay The Team, a political thriller titled UNICOR and several articles for various magazines. The author can be reached via email at [email protected]. For more information you can visit the author’s website at www.calebalexanderonline.com
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