The Devil Goes To Church Too, page 28
part #1 of Written Between the Pages Series
Shawn was Sonya’s son’s father. The man she was still in love with. Noah looked at me, then his eyes brightened. “No, but I can get it. He’s an artist, so his number isn’t private.”
I watched him look him up, then place a call on speaker phone.
“Hello?”
“What’s up Shawn? This is Noah. I was calling to check on Sonya. I haven’t heard from her in almost a month, and she’s not answering her phone. Is everything okay?”
“Hold on just a second,” he said.
We could hear him shuffling things around, then walking and closing a door.
“Sorry, I had to get somewhere in the house where the kids couldn’t hear me. Sonya was drugged and raped while she was in the DR. The drugs have had a horrible effect on her because of her illness. She’s been in a depressive state since she got back. I literally have to make her talk.”
I could see the hurt on Noah’s face. He looked like he wanted to cry. Then I saw even more anger than before. He said, “Damn. I really hate to hear that. I know you know a lot about me, so it won’t surprise you for me to say this. Tell Sonya I love her and to please call me.”
I heard Shawn take a deep breath, then say, “Yeah I know. I’ll tell her, and I’ll try to talk her into calling you. Keep calling her though. She sees every time you call. Maybe she’ll eventually get the urge to answer.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Noah ended the call, then threw the phone against the wall. I wanted to say something, but I knew he needed time to calm down. I left the room and gave him some time. I went to his kitchen to prepare lunch. I couldn’t believe that had happened to Sonya. She was such a nice person. I did notice that men liked her as well. She had a LOT of sex appeal. I put some chicken in the oven, then heard my phone ringing. It was Ryan. He’d been calling twice a week to check on Noah. I answered, “Hello?”
“Hey Raquel. How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?”
“I’m good as well. I was calling to check on Noah. How is he?”
“He’s a bit angry today. He snapped on me a little bit ago during rehab, and he just found out that Sonya was taken advantage of. So, he’s not in the best mood.”
“Do you think it would be okay if I came to see him, then?”
“Sure. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
“Okay. I’ll be there in about an hour.”
“Okay.”
I could feel myself getting nervous. The last time he came over, was when Noah came home, and Collin was here as well. I called Collin. This would be the first time I’d do what he asked me to do. He answered on the first ring, “Hello?”
“Hey Collin.”
“Hello my love. Is everything okay?”
“Are you busy?”
“A little, but never too busy for you. What’s up?”
“I need you. Ryan wants to come over to see Noah. I told him yes, but I don’t want to be alone with him, and get too sensitive. Please, can you come be with me?”
“I’m on my way, love.”
I ended the call, then took a deep breath. They’d been around one another when Noah came home, and Collin greeted him like he didn’t know a thing. He was so strong, secure, and confident. I was so glad he was mine. I prepared some baked sweet potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls to go along with the chicken I was baking. We would have a good lunch today, with enough left over for dinner. I’d been staying here with Noah. His therapist had been coming every day, but he’d suggested that I work with Noah in the mornings as well. His nurse also came once a week to make sure everything was going okay. He had a little internal damage that was causing pain, and he’d also had a concussion. Thank God he didn’t have to have any kind of surgery on his head. He loved them darn dreads, so if they would have had to cut them, his lil feelings would have really been hurt. I laughed at how he created this hard persona in the rap world. It seemed like nothing bothered him. He’d created this semi-thug, conscious, and extremely smart personality. When he was on stage that thug and smooth lover came out. In the interviews, the conscious and extremely smart person was on display. That was amusing to me. I got to see the humorous, spoiled, protective, spiritual, loving Noah. The side not many people knew. As I sat at the table reading, the doorbell rang. I nervously walked to the door hoping Collin had made it to me first. When I got to the door, I wasn’t disappointed. He walked inside and kissed me softly and passionately on the lips. I literally wanted to take him to one of the bedrooms. He wore some ripped, black, skinny jeans, white tennis shoes, and a crisp white shirt. I gently rubbed the side of his face and said, “Thank you so much for coming to my rescue.”
He pulled me close, and said in my ear, “It really turned me on to hear you say you needed me.”
I giggled, then said, “It turned me on how quickly you came to me.”
He licked his lips, then said, “So, when this Ryan leaves….”
He left the rest to my imagination, and I moaned slightly as he bit his bottom lip. My God, I couldn’t believe he was all mine. Collin took a deep breath, then said, “Something, besides you, smells delicious.”
I blushed, then said, “I cooked baked chicken, sweet potatoes, and green beans.”
“Sounds great. Let me go speak to Noah,” he said as the doorbell rang.
Collin stopped on the dime, then smiled at me. He went to answer the door. He opened it and said, “Rev. Charles, so good to see you. Come on in.”
“It’s good to see you also, Collin. Hello Raquel,” he said, shaking his hand, then hugging me.
He went upstairs, and Collin followed him. Collin winked at me, then I could hear him making small talk with Ryan. The crazy thing was that I didn’t feel a thing when Ryan hugged me. After about ten minutes, Collin came back down, and said, “Ryan said he needed to talk to you before he left.”
I supposed Collin could see the nervousness in my eyes, because he said, “I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
I nodded my head. We went to sit on the sofa and I laid in his arms. Collin turned on television and watched golf until Ryan finally came back downstairs. He sat in a chair across from us and smiled nervously, then said, “There’s something I’ve been wrestling with whether to tell you or not. I’ve been praying about it for years actually. The strange thing was that I never heard back from God concerning it until now.”
I looked at Collin, and Collin looked at me and smiled. Ryan continued, “I can see the love that you two have for one another, and I know that Collin will help you process what I’m about to tell you. Before I do, does Collin know?”
I knew what he was asking me, so I said, “Yes.”
“I knew it would be fine. You’ve never given me the impression that you knew. Thanks for being good to and for her.”
Collin nodded, then Ryan said, “Remember when you were attacked when you were supposed to meet me and RJ at the park?”
I sat up and said, “Yes.”
“Maybe a few weeks afterwards, I overheard your mom talking to someone when I’d gone to pick up Noah. She’d left the door open, but I could hear her through the screen door. She was telling someone thank you for scaring you to death. Noah was where he should be. That could only have meant one thing. She hired the person that attacked you at the park. It explains why he didn’t steal anything or take Noah.”
I think I’d stopped breathing, and my mouth was hanging open. I’d suspected it all along, but I never had evidence to prove what I thought. I sat quietly while they both stared at me. Finally, I said, “I’ve always suspected it was her. Thank you for telling me, Ryan. I probably won’t do anything with that information, but again, thank you for telling me. How did she know I would be at the park?”
“I’d called there before I called you to see if Noah was back. She told me you still had him, and to let her know if I got in touch with you. After we decided on a time and place, I called back to let her know I’d spoken with you and when and where we were going to meet. So, I guess I’m partially to blame.”
“Don’t do that to yourself, Ryan. You had no idea how evil Hazel could be. Thanks again for telling me,” I said, feeling extremely emotional that my mother would go to such lengths.
He stood from his seat to leave, and Collin and I stood as well. Collin shook his hand, and I hugged him. I could feel him tremble when I did. It took a lot out of him to reveal that to me. I whispered in his ear, “Thank you for everything.”
He smiled and nodded his head, then left for the door. As he was leaving, we heard Noah holler. We all ran up the stairs to only find him playing that stupid video game. He looked at us, confused, and asked, “What?”
I rolled my eyes and left the room, while Ryan and Collin laughed. As they came down the stairs, I asked Ryan, “Would you like to stay for lunch?”
“If it’s okay with Collin, I would love to.”
Collin smiled at him and said, “We would be honored to have you.”
This was why I loved this man. I could feel the emotion making its way to my eyes, so I turned around and got plates out of the cabinet. They went back to sit down and watch TV while I plated food. Noah was going to have a fit, because he was coming to the table today. However, since Ryan and Collin were here, I was sure they would carry him down.
2 weeks later…
It had been two weeks, and Collin and I had spent almost every day together. Although I’d gone back to work, he made sure to bring me lunch when he could. I’d been falling for him more and more every day. Noah had progressed tremendously. He was even walking now. He was moving slowly, but he was walking. He’d finally talked to Sonya, so he could calm his nerves. They’d been talking almost every day, and I was grateful for that. I’d just gotten off the phone with him and he asked me about going to Texas for her son’s birthday party. I told him that I would love to go with him. As I finished a load of laundry, my cell phone was ringing. It was from an unknown number, but I answered anyway. “Hello?”
“Raquel?”
“Yes. Who am I speaking with?”
“Hi, this is Sonya.”
“Sonya, hi! What a pleasant surprise,” I said excitedly. I continued, “I’m so sorry about what happened at the hospital. I didn’t know my mom had told the nurse that. She’s never trusted my judgement, because I had Noah at nearly sixteen.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it isn’t Sonya, and I want to make it up to you.”
“Raquel, you don’t have to do that. I wanted to thank you for letting me see Noah in the first place. Had you not been there, I wouldn’t have seen him at all.”
“Yeah, and he would’ve died. We owe you, and I’m not taking no for an answer. I talked to Noah a little while ago, and he said something about a birthday party. Is it okay if I come with him?”
“Of course! I feel like we’ve been long-time friends already,” she said, then laughed.
“Awesome! Yes, we can go on girl trips together,” I said.
“That would be fun, Raquel. Well, I must go. I’ll see y’all for the party, and you can call me anytime.”
“Okay Sonya. Talk to you soon.”
I ended the call and smiled. In all my forty-five years, she would be my first female friend. I chuckled, then left for my massage.
When I got there, I was surprised to see that no one else was there. For a minute, I thought I was at the wrong location. Collin had booked this spa day for me, and I was extremely excited to see what all he had planned. He wouldn’t tell me what the package included. I hesitantly got out of my BMW and headed to the entrance. The door was unlocked, so I peeped my head in. There was a lady at the desk, and when she saw me, she said, “Hello Ms. Brooks, come on in!”
When I walked inside, my breath was nearly taken away from me. The lighting was dim and there were flowers and candles everywhere. I looked around with my mouth slightly opened as she led me to another room. She said, “Go ahead and disrobe, and your masseuse will be with you shortly.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
I took off all my clothes, then put the robe on that was hanging on the wall. Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, and I said, “Come in.”
A lady walked in and said, “Before your massage, you have a facial and hair appointment scheduled. Please follow me.”
I was so shocked, I didn’t know what to say. They expertly took care of me for the first hour. While my hair was still wet, they led me back to the room for my massage, with a towel wrapped around my head. The attendant helped me on the table, then covered my lower half with a sheet. I laid with my face in the hole with my eyes closed. This was amazing. Collin had rented out the whole spa for me. When the masseuse came in, she immediately went to work. I know I had to have moaned several times as she kneaded my muscles. Two hours later, I was putting on my clothes and preparing to get my hair finished. I went back to the hair stylist, so she could finish up. Once she did, and I was about to leave, the music changed. They’d been playing soft, instrumental jazz the entire time I was there. My favorite song was playing, Cherish the Day by Sade. I walked slowly while everyone smiled. When I got to the hallway, Collin was standing at the end of it. His shirt was open, and he held a bouquet of flowers. My mouth opened as I took in my surroundings. There were flower petals all over the floor, and a photographer taking pictures. I walked forward some, then stopped to look at the beautiful candles flickering on the floor along the walls. It was so beautiful. I looked straight ahead at the even more beautiful sight walking towards me. My God. His eyes were full of emotion and so were mine. He grabbed my hand and led me to the other end of the hallway. He gave me the flowers, then said, “I found perfection, when I found you. No other woman completes me the way you do. Raquel, my love for you is so deep, I can feel you when you aren’t around. I can hear your voice in my dreams. I want to feel this way forever.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I watched him slowly go to one knee. Oh my God! It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest and everything around me had stopped. It was like we were the only two people there. He pulled a box out of his pocket, then opened it to reveal a beautiful, princess-cut, solitaire. He looked up at me, and asked, “Raquel Brooks, will you be my forever?”
I couldn’t stop the tears that escaped as I somewhat hyperventilated. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and said, “There’s nothing I want more. Yes Collin.”
He stood and pulled me in his arms, then kissed me slowly, giving me his tongue. I could hear the applause, and when he pulled away, I saw his parents, my parents, and Noah standing near the entrance. The tears fell even more. I didn’t know what he’d said to them to get them to come, but the fact that they were there to see one of the happiest moments in my life, took me over the edge. My dad walked over to me and hugged me, then said, “Congratulations Baby.”
“Thank you, Daddy,” I said, while crying.
It felt good to feel his embrace. When I pulled away from him, my mama was standing there. She walked over to me and said, “Congratulations Raquel.”
Even with what I knew she’d done to me, my heart softened, and I said, “Thanks Mama.”
She pulled me to her for an embrace, and the tears flowed like a river. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d hugged her. When she released me, I hugged Noah, and he said, “He really pulled out all the stops, huh? I’m gon’ have to take a page from his book.”
I blushed as Collin watched every move I made. I hugged his parents then made my way back to him. He pulled me in his arms, then said, “Let’s get out of here.”
When I walked out, there was a limo waiting on us. I was so excited. I turned to look at Collin and asked, “Where are we going?”
“Hawaii.”
“No way! I have to work tomorrow!”
“Don’t worry my love. You are on vacation for the next week and a half.”
My eyes widened, and I held Collin tightly. I couldn’t believe he’d gone such lengths to make me happy. I waved to our family, then got in the car. This felt so right. Collin was the man God had just for me. He kissed my lips and said, “I can’t wait until you’re Mrs. Peters.”
“I can’t wait either. How did you get my mother to come?”
“I told her how much you loved her and how it would do you some good to know that she still loved you.”
“Wow. Thank you, Collin. Today was perfect. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“Thank you, my love, for being so amazing and completely taking me by surprise. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Epilogue
Two years later….
“Girl please! You know you’re sprung on Collin!”
“That’s my husband, Sonya! I’m supposed to be sprung on his loving!”
“I guess,” she said, waving her hand.
Sonya and I had become great friends. We’d been on a couple of trips together. I was in Garland, enjoying time with her and Noah. They’d actually started talking. Noah said she was his girlfriend, but she said they were taking it one day at a time. It was somewhat awkward for me, being that we’d become so close. I was only staying a couple of days, then I had to get back to my honey. Collin and I had been married for almost a year. Our wedding was amazing. When he’d found out that I didn’t have a wedding when I married David, he made sure I had everything I wanted for our wedding. He’d even invited Ryan. He seemed to genuinely be happy for us. We had a private ceremony in Lakshadweed Islands off the coast of India. We had to get special permission to even go there. It was amazing. The way Collin made love to me simply took my breath away. The way our bodies connected had to be ordained by God. It was perfect every time. I’d never had a life more perfect than now. Noah had given me away, and it had me in tears. He was so happy for me.
