“I’m not interested in going to college. Nope. It’s just not something I care about. So we can drop that,” Alana said. “But your husband really is a great guy. He really is.”
Brianna smiled. “He is. He’s just gone so much. I only wish we got to spend more time together. And then when he is home, he’s tired. And all he really wants is to chill out around the house and watch sports. Of course, there’s always a game on. From August until the first week in February, it’s generally football with sprinkles of basketball when basketball season begins. After football, he’s usually full-blown into basketball. Unzell is really not all that crazy about baseball, not until it’s playoff time, anyway. But he does love himself some sports—that’s for sure.”
“Well, that’s what happens when you marry a jock. And not one merely in heart alone, but one who dreamed about being out there on a professional basis,” Alana said.
“I know. But he’s such a good man. He works, and pretty much puts every single dime that he makes into our joint account. He comes home every break he gets . . .”
“And still, I detect a twinge of unhappiness lurking there,” Alana said.
“Not unhappiness. I just thought being married would be different. You know, you have these dreams of what married life will be like. At least, I did. The love you had when you were dating, you’re looking for it to become even more intense, to move to an even higher . . . greater level. You know what I mean?” Brianna said.
“I know. Those fairy tales really kick our reality tails, don’t they? The handsome prince riding in on a white horse to take us away to ‘happily ever after’ land,” Alana said.
“I don’t think we look for a prince on a white horse. At least, I never did.”
“Oh, we do. We don’t want to admit that we do, but we do. We want this man to come into our lives and treat us like a princess . . . a queen. We want to be the center of his world. We want to feel like we’re loved, and that no one or nothing else trumps that love for us.” Alana chuckled. “Then reality sets in. And it’s back to the real world with real problems and real issues with real consequences.” Alana reached over and hugged Brianna. “And on that note, I think I’ll make my way out of your door. I have to figure out how I’m going to pay my rent for two months, or get an extension. Otherwise, I’ll be looking for my prince to come riding in on his white horse or black horse . . . his donkey; I don’t care what it is. It can be a mule . . . a bicycle . . . a tricycle . . . electric scooter. I’ll be looking for someone.”
Brianna shook her head. “I do hope you’re joking.”
Alana hugged Brianna again as she opened the door to leave. “I wish.” She waved good-bye, then smiled. “I wish.”
Chapter 8
He bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them.
—Job 26:8
Brianna stepped into the house and out of the pouring rain, putting her wet umbrella inside the umbrella holder near the door. She quickly looked around the room as Alana stood there wearing shades. It had been more than a month since they’d seen each other. Brianna immediately let out a short laugh. “What’s up with the shades in the house?” Brianna asked her.
Alana touched the arm of the shades. “I had misplaced them and found them when you called and said you were on your way over. I just put them on,” Alana said.
“Well, they’re real cute on you, but you need to take them off in the house.” Brianna looked around the dark room. “It sure is dark in here. You don’t seem to get a lot of daylight, that’s for certain. Maybe you should open up the blinds or something.”
“I was cooking when you called. I need to finish before Dre arrives.” Alana led Brianna to the kitchen, her shades still intact. “He likes for his food to be ready when he gets home from work.”
Brianna touched Alana on the arm. Alana immediately jerked back as though Brianna’s touch had burned her. “What’s going on with you?” Brianna asked.
“Nothing.”
“You moved in with this guy last month and I don’t ever see or hear from you,” Brianna said. “Something’s up?”
Alana opened the refrigerator and took out two thick, grade-A cut steaks. She rinsed the cuts in the sink. Putting them on a board, she began to beat them with a steel mallet. “I told you: nothing’s up. I’ve just been really busy, that’s all. You’re in college doing religious studies. You should appreciate busy.” Alana didn’t look up as she spoke.
“Can you put that down for a minute and look at me?”
Alana glanced up. “I need to finish. Dre will be home pretty soon. I’m glad you stopped by. You’re right. It’s been too long since we’ve had a good chat. I need to do better, and I promise that I will.” She returned to beating the steaks.
Brianna walked closer to Alana so she could hear through all of the pounding. “You need to tell me what’s going on. And I’m not going anywhere until you do.”
Alana began to pound the steaks harder. “How is school?” she asked.
“School is fine. I’m taking this course on Jewish culture and religion. You know, I told you I wanted to learn more about their traditions since, in truth: Jesus was Jewish before Christianity took hold. I want a deeper understanding of the story behind the story. I want to know the basis of some of the things we as Christians practice.”
Alana stopped beating the steaks and seasoned them. “Yeah, I remember. You were talking about things like sacrifices from the Old Testament and how they apply to things we see in the New Testament. What was it you called it?” She flipped each steak.
“Types and shadows,” Brianna said, sitting on a barstool. “It’s when things in the Old Testament point toward the fulfillment of things in the New Testament. You know, like the sacrifices for sin being certain animals in accordance to the sin. The sacrifice of a lamb without a spot or wrinkle and the blood of the lamb found in the Old Testament as atonement for sin, being a type and shadow of Jesus—the ultimate Lamb without a spot or wrinkle given by God, the ultimate sacrifice with the ultimate atonement for our sins.”
“Yeah, that’s real interesting. I’m glad you’re enjoying the class. You seem to be learning a lot.” Alana put the meat on a pan and in the bottom oven. She digitally keyed in four hundred fifty degrees. “I need to keep a good watch on this. Dre doesn’t like for his steaks to be overcooked. He hates for his meat to be dry.”
“Alana, I understand why you decided to move in with this guy. I do. But then, I don’t. I mean, I offered one of our spare rooms to you until you got back on your feet.”
Alana put the towel down, having rinsed and dried her hands. She hugged herself as she spoke. “I told you back then, when you suggested it, that I wasn’t going to impose on you and Unzell. This is fine. It works.”
“I don’t think so,” Brianna said. “Something is off with you. The last time you and I really talked was around the end of January.”
“Yeah. That’s about when I got kicked out of my apartment. I can’t believe that man wouldn’t give me just a little more time to come up with my rent. That was just wrong.” Alana sat down on a barstool at the counter next to Brianna.
“How was he wrong? He’d already given you extra time,” Brianna said. “Twice.”
“Yeah, I know. But I thought things were going to go differently with Vincent. Then I wouldn’t have needed to pay at all. That went south quicker than I saw it coming.”
“Well, I kind of told you—”
“I know, Brianna. You told me he was a playa. You told me he wasn’t really that into me. I know.”
“I never said he was a playa. And I never said he wasn’t into you. I’ve never even met the guy. When I mentioned playas, I was speaking in general.”
“Well, you were right. He didn’t do anything to help me get a video dancing job. And after that last time I stayed the night over at his house, he conveniently became unavailable. Lame excuses about him being out of the state or out of the country for a week, whi
ch is the reason he gave for not getting back to me, as though cell phones don’t work in other states or countries. He was probably lying anyway about being some big shot. He was most likely house-sitting that house he claimed was his. You know, if I really cared, I’d go over there and watch the house, just to see who comes and goes in and out of it.” Alana began to play tiddlywinks with her fingers.
“Please don’t do that, Alana. Please don’t stalk this guy the way you did that other one.”
“Oh, I’m not. I’ve moved on. And I’m not a stalker. But Dre came along at the right time. He said I was welcome to stay here. We’re doing all right. But I definitely wasn’t going to stay at your house, imposing on you and Unzell during this time of your marriage. Now, if the two of you were old married coots or at least had a few years of wedding bliss under your belts, I might have taken you up on your offer,” Alana said. “But nope, not this early in the game. And on top of that, you say the two of you don’t get to spend that much time together as it is.” Alana shook her head. “No way am I going to add to the problem. This is fine. Things seems to be working out okay for everybody.”
“I keep telling you that because of his job, Unzell is hardly ever home. And when he comes home, he mostly sits in front of the television. If you had come and stayed with us for a while, at least I would have had some company, somebody to talk to.”
Alana got up and turned the meat over. “You’re just saying that to try and make me feel like it would have been okay if I had come and stayed with you.”
“I mean it. I’m worried about you.” Brianna stood up.
Alana closed the oven door and stood back straight. “Well, don’t be. I’m here with Dre. He likes me being here and being like the little wifey.”
“But you’re not his wife.” Brianna snapped a little.
“I know that,” Alana said with just as quick of a snap back, but harder.
“Well, you don’t have to bite my head off about it.”
Alana released a smile, albeit forced. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little touchy about the subject. I never thought I would actually stoop to living with a man I wasn’t married to. Remember when we were young and we used to say, ‘No ring, no thing.’ ” Alana began to snicker. “Well, I needed a place to lay my head, and Dre stepped in and gave me a bed.” Alana grinned. “Get it? My own little rhyme . . . lay my head, gave me a bed. Look. I can’t be mad at a man for caring enough to do that.”
“Alana, why don’t you take off those shades? Here it is raining outside, and you’re parading around the house sporting shades.”
“Excuse me, but these happen to be Dolce & Gabbana, thank you very much. And why does it bother you what I do in my own house?” Alana stepped back from Brianna, effectively putting more than an arm’s length between the two of them.
Brianna walked back toward her. “Why won’t you take them off? You’re in the house no less, in March, cooking with shades on, albeit Dolce & Gabbana. I’d like to know why.”
“I don’t mean to be rude, but Dre will be home any minute now, and I’d rather you not be here when he arrives. So if you don’t mind . . .” Alana walked toward the door, handed Brianna her now-dry umbrella, then put her hand on the knob to turn it.
Brianna quickly put her hand on top of Alana’s and stopped her. “Take off the shades and I’ll go.”
“Brianna, leave it alone, okay?”
“No. I want you to take off those shades, look me in my eyes, and tell me you’re really okay.”
Alana tried to smile. “I’m okay. I’m okay.”
“Then take off your shades and say it as you gaze into my eyes.”
Alana slowly took off the shades. She began to chuckle a little. “I know you’re not going to believe this. But I was getting something out of the cabinet yesterday, and this bottle fell down out of nowhere and pow . . . right dead in my eye.”
Brianna touched Alana gently on her chin as she turned her face to get a better look. “That’s really black and blue.”
“Yeah, I know. And it hurt like all get out, too, when it happened.”
“And you claim it was a bottle that fell out of the cabinet is what hit you?”
Alana moved her face out of Brianna’s hand. “I don’t claim anything. I told you what happened. That’s why I put on these shades. I knew if you saw me, you would immediately jump to the wrong conclusion. That’s what people like you do.”
“Well, you have to admit, it’s mighty suspicious. You have a black eye that was conveniently put there from a fallen bottle,” Brianna said. “What kind of bottle was it again?”
“Look, Brianna. I don’t have to lie. You of all people know that if a man had done this to me, I would have beat the crap out of him. I then would have called and told you that I did it, and why.”
“Yeah, the Alana I used to know would have done that. But you’re not the Alana I used to know. You’re changing.”
Alana sighed. “We’re both changing. It’s called life, Brianna. Life. We evolve. We change. Things change. Situations change. But I can promise you, if Dre, or anybody else, had been responsible for this”—she pointed at her black eye—“you would know it.”
Brianna nodded. “Okay. I just hope you know that I’m here for you. And I hope you also know that you don’t ever have to put up with a man, any man, hitting or mistreating you. Not when you have folks like me in your corner. And, Alana . . . with me newly married or not, if you need to come and stay with me and Unzell while you get it together, our door is open.” She touched Alana’s hand.
Alana hugged Brianna like she didn’t want to ever let go. “Thank you for that.”
Just then the door opened, almost hitting Brianna and Alana. Alana immediately stiffened up, eyes widened. “Oh, my goodness! The meat!” Alana sprinted to the kitchen.
The man who had opened the door closed it, then reared back as he began to scan Brianna from her head to her toe with a deep slow sweeping of his eyes. “Hi there. I’m Draper Simpson.” He presented his hand to her. “But everybody calls me Dre.”
“I’m Brianna Waters, Alana’s best friend.” Brianna halfheartedly shook his hand.
“Yeah, she’s mentioned your name several times,” Dre said. “I’m glad after all of this time, I finally get to meet Alana’s friend Brianna.” He looked around the room. “So, where did Alana go?”
Brianna looked toward the kitchen. “Into the kitchen. She was cooking. I sort of interrupted her when I stopped by unannounced. In fact, she was seeing me out, and—”
“Hi, baby,” Alana said, walking toward Dre. “How was your day?”
He looked at her as though he didn’t know how to respond. “It was good.” He swiftly looked back to Brianna. “Did Alana tell you what happened to her eye?”
“Yeah, baby,” Alana said. “I told her what a huge klutz I am.”
“Yep,” Dre said. “She’s always falling or running into a door. I’m starting to think I need to child-proof this place or something.”
“Except this time, it really wasn’t my fault. That bottle just seemed to come out of nowhere and bam!” Alana chuckled. “Right in my eye.”
“Oh, yeah . . . the bottle,” Dre said.
“Listen,” Brianna said to Alana, “I’m going to go. I hope I didn’t cause you to overcook your steaks.” Brianna turned toward Dre. “If the steaks are overdone, it was all my fault. Alana was walking me to the door, kicking me to the curb, and you know how it is with best friends.”
“Oh, yeah. No problem. If it’s overcooked, I’ll just tough it out, or she can cook another one.” He put his arm around Alana. Brianna saw Alana cringe when he grabbed her, although she tried her best to play it off, flicking her hair off her forehead.
“Well, it was nice meeting you,” Brianna said to Dre. “I’ll call and talk to you later,” she said to Alana.
Alana smiled. “It was good seeing you. Thanks for stopping by.” She opened the door. “Oh, look. The sun is shining while it’s ra
ining.”
Brianna nodded without comment, then left. She stood outside the door for a minute. “The devil is beating his wife,” she whispered as she opened her umbrella.
Just as she was about to walk away, she heard Dre say, “What was she doing here?”
“She’s my friend. That’s what friends do.”
“Well, from now on if the two of you want to visit, you need to go somewhere else. She was just over here being nosy. That’s all that was about. And why were you walking around with that shiner showing like that?”
“What am I supposed to do? Walk around the house with shades on?” Alana said.
“Oh, I know you’re not getting smart with me,” Dre said. “I know you’re not. I have told you about your big mouth. Because you know that you’re more than welcome to get your stuff and get to stepping. You got me?”
“Dre, stop being such a drama queen.” There were a few seconds, then Alana said, “Let go! You’re hurting me.”
Brianna started to knock on the door to interrupt, but she stopped her fist in midair. She knew Alana wouldn’t appreciate her doing something like this. She and Alana would talk later.
Oh, they would definitely talk later.
Chapter 9
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
—2 Samuel 11:1
It was the end of April. Brianna was still disturbed about Alana, but Alana insisted, first of all, that she was not being abused—physically or otherwise; and second, that Brianna needed to stay out of her business. So Brianna tried to oblige.
Brianna called Alana on her cell phone. “Alana, in class, we’ve been learning about a mikvah. I’d like to visit a real one in person. Why don’t you come go with me?”
Redeeming Waters Page 7
