My Son's Ex-Wife: The Aftermath

by Shelia E. Lipsey

  The more she worked, the less time she had to focus on Stiles. When lunchtime rolled around, she was so consumed in going through a brand new shipment of books that she failed to go to the Food Court. She heard the distinct ring of her phone indicating it was Robert. She dashed for it and reached it just before it went to voice mail.

  “Hi, are you breaking up with me?” he teased.

  “Breaking up with you? Is it that time already?” She looked at the clock on the wall of the library. “Oh my goodness. I didn’t know it was past noon. I’ve been swamped. I had a temp that came in today, and I’ve been busy showing him some of the things I need to have done. I guess I’ll eat at my desk. Are you in the Food Court?”

  “Yep. You go on and do what you have to do. I’m sitting with some of the other staff, so I won’t feel so lonely now that my best friend dumped me for a pile of books,” he teased again.

  “Oh, Robert, I’m sorry. I really am. The morning has zoomed by. I have been working my buns off. But hey, I have an idea.”

  “What’s that pretty little head of yours thinking about?” flirted Robert.

  “Why don’t you and the kids come by after you pick them up this afternoon, and I’ll treat you to my specialty,” she said.

  “I don’t have to ask what that is spaghetti with half dollar size juicy turkey balls.” He sounded excited.

  “You got it. So whaddaya say, five thirty?”

  “Five thirty will be plenty of time. I’ll bring the garlic bread and dessert.”

  Rena said, “Good. I’ll see you this evening. Bye, Robert.”

  “Bye, Rena.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  “Assumptions are the termites of relationships.”

  ~Henry Winkler~

  Stiles was on pins and needles, hoping and praying that Mrs. Jackson passed his number to Rena and that Rena would call him. It didn’t register to him that it’d been barely twenty hours since he contacted Rena’s parents. She had to give her the number, she just had to. Stiles taught his morning class and went back home to do some much needed paperwork. He was glad he was off work from the church today. It gave him time to do some real soul searching and praying about God’s will.

  He was surprised when he received a call from Detria. She wanted to know if he had talked to his father yet.

  “Yes, I talked to him. And of course, he’s fine with it. It’s my mother who’s going to give you the downright blues. She’s a force to be reckoned with.”

  “I believe I understand. It’s difficult for someone who was once so energetic and outgoing to suddenly become paralyzed and unable to basically do anything for themselves. Imagine your whole way of living being stopped, turned upside down and around. It’s no wonder she’s anxious and depressed.”

  “My, my, you do understand, don’t you? So many of my mother’s friends have stopped coming to see her, or even calling. I think they don’t know what to say or do since Mother has practically turned her back on them. Mother seems to believe that if she can’t share the same kind of friendship with them that she used to, she completely pushes them out of her life. It’s hard to see my mother become more isolated and cut off from the world.”

  “I’ve worked around all kinds of people in my profession. You’d be surprised as to how important it is to continue to feed the body with nutritious foods that in turn can help boost the brain, the metabolism, the whole works.”

  “You really know your stuff, don’t you?” Stiles sounded impressed.

  “I’m just saying, if we paid more attention to what we ingest, we would be in much better shape, mentally, physically, and emotionally.”

  “You’re in charge then. When do you want to start working with my parents?” asked Stiles.

  “This afternoon, when I get off work, unless it’s too soon,” answered Detria.

  “Okay, let me give you my parents’ phone number. My father is expecting your call, but I’ll call him now so he’ll know that you’ll be there this afternoon.”

  “Okay. Have a great rest of the day,” said Detria.

  “You too, talk to you later,” replied Stiles and ended the call. He called his father and told him what Detria had said and that she would be coming to their home later this afternoon.

  By the afternoon, Stiles had completed a full day’s work. He was more on edge than ever after he didn’t receive a call from Rena. He focused his attention on Detria and decided to drive to Emerald Estates to see how things were going with her and his parents.

  Upon his arrival, Pastor greeted him with a pat on the back. “She’s in the room talking to your mother,” said Pastor before Stiles had a chance to say a word. Pastor smiled and stepped to the side.

  Stiles hugged him, and then went to the bedroom. Before he went inside, he stood in the hallway and listened to his mother’s laughter. It was something he hadn’t heard in quite some time. “Whatever you can do to help me get out of this bed, then I’ll be grateful. And if you can make my Stiles smile again too, girl you would have worked more than a miracle,” Stiles heard Audrey telling Detria. That’s when he decided it was time to interrupt the conversation. The last thing he wanted was for Detria to feel unduly pressured by his mother. He understood far too well how demanding Audrey could be when she wanted something her way. Seems like she was ready to play matchmaker, something Stiles didn’t want to be in the middle of.

  “Knock, knock,” he said and opened the door wider while he peeked inside.

  “There’s my baby,” Audrey said and reached her arms out toward him. He walked up to her and hugged and kissed her. Then he spoke to Detria.

  “Hi, Sister Detria. Do you think you can convince this beautiful woman here to take better care of herself, as much as she can?” asked Stiles with a smile on his face.

  “I think I can. Actually, your mother knows quite a bit already. All she needs from me is to teach her how to prepare some meals even though she’s physically limited. Plus, like I explained to you and her,” Detria smiled and looked at Audrey. Audrey appeared to glow with happiness. “I’ll prepare some quick, easy meals that can easily be warmed in the oven by Pastor Graham or Mrs. Graham.”

  “Stiles, I tell you, Detria is going to work out fine. I’m praising God for her already. And do you know she’s doing this from the goodness of her heart?” raved Audrey.

  “Yes, mother. I know. Sister Detria is quite a woman. Well, don’t let me stop the two of you from getting more acquainted with each other. Mother, I just came by to see my favorite girl,” Stiles said lovingly. “I think I’m going back home and relax a little since I finished things early tonight. That way, I can get home in time, watch CNN and study the Word before I retire for the night.”

  “All right, baby. I’m glad you came by. I love you.”

  Stiles kissed his mother on the hand this time and repeated her words. He swirled in the direction of Detria and said, “Thanks for everything, Sister Detria. God bless your heart.”

  Detria’s head nodded up and down, and she clasped her hands together.

  Stiles did exactly as he said when he got home; he stretched out on his fabric sectional and watched CNN. After listening to what was going on around the world, he decided to put in the DVD of the taping he’d done for the Loretta McNary Show®. Watching it, he laughed at himself several times, and at other times gave himself a stamp of approval with a little slang, “Yeah, that’s what I’m talking about.” He nodded his head several times, and at the end of the DVD, Stiles presentation, his representation of Holy Rock, his members and the community was something he would be proud that he’d done for a long, long time. He made a note in his BlackBerry to send Ms. McNary an edible arrangement or flowers, when he got to the church office tomorrow. He removed the DVD and carefully placed it back in its holder.

  Slowly, he walked back to his bedroom. The ring of his BlackBerry caused him to stop, turn around, and go get it from of the living room table where he’d left it. The number was restricted, and Stiles decided he wo
uld not answer it. It was probably some telemarketer trying to pitch a product. He held on to the BlackBerry so he could put it on charge in his bedroom. Then the phone rang again. The ID said PRIVATE CALLER this time. Stiles waited and then pushed the green button to answer the call. “Hello,” he said. Not necessarily in an agitated tone, but one that showed that he wasn’t in the mood to hear a sales pitch.

  At first he stumbled, almost falling on the oak hardwood floor when he heard Rena’s one of a kind voice on the other end.

  “Stiles, it’s Rena.”

  “Yes, I know,” he said slowly. He made his way to his bedroom where he plopped down in his recliner.

  “My mother told me you called looking for me. What is it that you want,” she said in a bitter tone that was easy for Stiles to detect.

  “It’s good to hear your voice first of all, Rena. It’s been awhile, you know,” he said nervously.

  “Yes, it has. Now tell me what’s so important that you had to call my parents’ looking for me?” she demanded.

  “To be honest, I wanted to hear your voice, Rena. I know our relationship, well our marriage I should say, ended on a very sour note. And lately that’s been bothering me,” he told her.

  “Is that right? What, you must want to badger me some more, or remind me of how much it was my fault that our marriage didn’t last. Well, Stiles, I’ve accepted that. I’ve accepted a lot of things that I did. And I’ve gone before God. I don’t feel the weight of my mistakes anymore, so if you’re calling to drudge up something else that I did wrong, I suggest you go to God and not me.” She spoke boldly and with force that surprised even Stiles.

  Rena had always been a mild mannered, kind-hearted person, which is more than likely how Francesca was able to manipulate her so easily. But in his own way, as he listened to Rena, he recognized that he’d done the same thing. No wonder she didn’t want to talk to him.

  “Rena, stop, please. Please, listen to me for a moment,” he said in a modest manner. “I know I treated you badly. And I know that I didn’t give you a fair chance or an opportunity to explain anything to me. But look at it from my angle too. I couldn’t face it. I couldn’t understand the reason you would not tell me about your affair with Francesca, or about the fact that you had an STD. Yes, I was angry; I was in a rage. I hated everything and everybody. I questioned God, something you and I both know I don’t take lightly. But I’m telling you I did. But God, through prayer and studying His Word showed me that though I may not have done the things you did, that I am still just as much to blame as you.” He stopped talking and swallowed.

  Rena was silent on the other end of the phone. Stiles hoped she hadn’t hung up on him. But then he heard her sweet voice. It softened as she spoke, maybe like she could have been crying. He really couldn’t be sure.

  “Stiles, I know I betrayed you to the fullest extent. But you hurt me too. You weren’t exactly the kind of husband or person that I felt like I could come to. I loved you so much. You were the first and only man I’ve ever loved. When I got involved with Francesca, we were both young and naïve. Neither of us understood the repercussions of what we were doing. Then day after day passed; then month after month; and then before we knew it, we had been in a relationship for years. It wasn’t until Francesca went overboard by losing jobs, doing drugs, and hanging with people that weren’t really her friends, that my eyes were opened. It was like I discovered that both of us had been wrong all of these years. But she was still my best friend, and I couldn’t turn my back on her. I had no idea she had been molested and raped. I would have reached out to her in a different way. I feel so much at blame for the way Francesca’s life turned out.”

  It was like once Rena started talking, that she couldn’t stop. “I didn’t know how to help her by then, so I indulged her; I took care of her as best I could. I hid her drug addiction and her jail time from your parents. When you came home from college, the intimate part of me and Francesca’s relationship had been over. But she was still my friend,” Rena cried over the phone. Her voice raised a pitch. “Everyone seems to overlook that. She was my best friend. I couldn’t leave her out in the world to fend for herself. I couldn’t, and I won’t apologize for that. But I didn’t think about my own future, or my own needs. I wanted to have a man in my life. I wanted a family, kids, and the white picket fence type of life. I knew I couldn’t have that with Francesca. I’m no dummy, Stiles.”

  “Rena, you don’t have to go into all of this. I know it has to hurt you to talk about the past. All I want to tell you is that I acted hastily, too hastily,” he said.

  “What do you mean? Are you saying that you’re sorry about our divorce?”

  “I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m sorry about a lot of things. I’m sorry about the way I reacted. I’m sorry about the way I treated you and my sister. When I went to see her, she welcomed me into her home, but she let me know that she didn’t want to have anything more to do with our family. Can you imagine how much it hurt to hear her say that?”

  “You, you’ve seen and talked to Francesca? How is she?” asked Rena.

  “She’s doing fine. A little on the thin side, and she’s still having problems with that bum leg. She lives a couple hours outside of Memphis, has her own place. But you’ll be elated to hear that she’s surrendered her life to God; she’s involved in several ministries to help others who have sexual identity crises and who’re homeless; the whole nine yards. She has quite a testimony of the power of God to change lives.”

  “Oh, praise God,” Rena screamed into the phone. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in ages. I’m so happy, so happy for her,” Rena continued to talk and cry.

  Stiles remained silent for the next few seconds to allow Rena to rejoice. When she settled down he picked up the conversation.

  “Rena, I was wondering if we could . . . talk again. I’m not asking you to feel sorry for me, and to be honest, I don’t have a reason why you should want to talk to me. All I know is that I’ve been praying and asking God what to do. And it always comes back to making amends with you, Rena.”

  “Stiles, I’m trying hard to move on with my life. I want to leave the past behind me. I want to forget all the mistakes and the craziness of my life back then. Now you expect me to just jump on the bandwagon with you? I don’t know. I really have to think about this.”

  Without thinking, Stiles blurted out, “Is there someone else? If so, I understand and I’m not calling to bring friction into your life. I’m glad you’ve moved on. Are you working?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’m the librarian for a prominent school.” She didn’t say the name or where the school was located. “As for there being someone in my life, I don’t think that it’s fair for you to ask me that.”

  “I see. And I’m sorry.”

  “How are your parents?” she switched the subject.

  “They’re okay. I don’t know if you heard, but my mother was in a serious car accident a few months ago. She’s a paraplegic now, basically bedridden and depressed. As for Pastor, he’s still Pastor. Still praising God and still encouraging others. He’s doing well, praise God.”

  “Oh, Stiles. I had no idea. Do my parents know?”

  “I doubt it, unless some of the long time members have kept in touch with your parents and maybe told them,” answered Stiles.

  “I guess they don’t know because Mother didn’t say anything when she gave me your message. And Pops, well, he would have told my mom if he had heard anything. But I’m sorry about your mother. I know that it must be hard on Audrey and the family. I’ll be praying for her,” she said. “Look, Stiles. I have a zillion and one things to do.”

  “Oh yeah, I’m sure you do. I do want to thank you for calling, Rena. And please, please think about what I said. I’d like to hear from you again soon,” he urged her again.

  “I’ll see. Goodnight, Stiles,” she said patronizingly, but with a mixture of softness.

  “Goodnight, Rena.” Stiles sat on the edge of the
bed thinking about the last fifteen minutes. Rena had called and to him, that was a good sign. When he prayed, he thanked God for answering his prayer so quickly.

  To hear Rena’s voice caused an urgent rush, a melancholy smile that reminded him how much he truly missed her in his life. He was playing according to her rules now. There was no way for him to decipher from their conversation whether she would call him again or not. Stiles lay back on his bed and rested his hands on the down pillow and his head in his hands. Suddenly his face turned grim and his thoughts grew even dimmer. He needed love, the love of a woman; not just any woman but a woman sent by God. Stiles Graham needed a wife.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Don’t smother each other. No one can grow in the shade”

  ~Leo Buscaglia~

  Rena’s hands shook nervously as she placed her phone down on the kitchen table. She sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, rested her chin in her hands, and her mouth curved in an unconscious smile. Stiles’s voice was the same. It caused Rena to yearn for what once was. She daydreamed about some of the happier times they had together.

  A short lived relationship and marriage that held a lifetime of precious memories that lingered forever in a space in her heart.

  Rena pulled her thoughts back to reality. She got up, exchanged her T-shirt and panties for a set of pale avocado pajamas, and prepared for a night of reading. She wanted to finish reading a novel that made her smile each time she picked it up. The title alone, Girl, Naw, was enough to give her a boost and the story the author weaved was one that made her feel a variety of emotions. She was three quarters of the way through the novel when the phone rang. Rena looked at her caller ID. It was one of her longtime friends who had always lived in Andover.

  “Hey, girl,” said Rena to Carolyn.

  “Hey, what’s going on? I haven’t heard from you in a couple of weeks, so I thought I’d check in on you,” was Carolyn’s reply.