Broken (Endurance)

by Thomas, April

  "I thought you would have dressed by now." He placed the plates on the table.

  "Max, I think he's sick." Mei walked over to him.

  "What?" Max felt his son’s forehead and neck. He did feel hot. "Let me take him while you dress. After breakfast we'll take him to the clinic."

  Uriel fussed and whined while he tried to rub his ear.

  "Max, I think he has an ear infection."

  Property

  It was nine in the morning and Makayla still lay in bed with her left hand outstretched as she admired her engagement ring. It was beautiful. She turned onto her side, happy to learn that her father had approved. It was mainly because Tamarius was the first man to ask him for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Fa was so old fashion and appreciated the respect he was shown by Tamarius.

  Makayla stretched and pulled the sheets off. Today Tamarius and she planned to walk over to the children's home and begin renovating it. She started feeling sick and figured she had eaten something bad the night before, but couldn't think of anything. She sat up in bed holding her stomach. Her skin became clammy as she fought the urge to vomit.

  Tamarius knocked on her door. When she didn't answer he opened the door. He became concerned as he took in the sickly green tinge of her complexion. "Kay, what's wrong?" He set a gentle hand on her shoulder.

  "I'm fine," Makayla said, finally taking a breath. "I think I just need to eat." She took a hold of Tamarius’ hand and let him help her to her feet.

  "You don't look so good," he said, brushing her hair back with his hand. "Do you want me to carry you to the breakfast table?" He smiled.

  "No, I can walk. Just give me a minute, or can you bring me some tea?"

  "Sure." He left the room and returned a few minutes later with her mother and a hot cup of tea.

  "Kay, how you feeling, love?" Coretta asked.

  "I don't know, Mom."

  "Tamarius, I need to speak to Kay alone."

  "Oh, no problem." Tamarius put down the tea and left the room.

  "Kay, did you ever take a pregnancy test?"

  "I can't be," Makayla replied.

  "I’ll be right back." Coretta left the room to find Tia.

  Tia always stored boxes of pregnancy tests for the teenagers that came through the children's home. Coretta remembered that Tia kept a few boxes in her room after many tests went missing a few months ago. Finding Tia she told her what was going on with Makayla. Tia found the tests and brought one to Makayla. The three of them stood around the test stick waiting for the results. It was the longest three minutes of their lives. The test finally showed the results. She was not pregnant.

  "Thank God!" Makayla yelled, trying to appear relieved. It depressed her deep down. She would love to have a child of her own, especially with the man that she loved.

  "Well, at least you won't have to worry about getting into your wedding dress," Tia stated.

  Makayla picked up the test and threw it away. "Yeah, it would just be bad timing." She returned to her room to get dressed.

  "Mom, she don't look happy about it," Tia said to her aunt.

  "I can see that," Coretta agreed.

  In her room, Makayla locked the door and crawled into her bed to cry. Half an hour later she heard a tap on the door.

  "Do you feel better?" Tamarius asked through the door.

  "I’m… yeah, yeah I'll be ready in a second." She jumped out of bed.

  "It's okay. Take your time," he said.

  "Thanks," Makayla said, sitting back down.

  "Sure, you’re all right?" Tamarius sensed she was upset about something. Using his abilities he tried to figure out what was upsetting her.

  Makayla knew what he was doing and smiled. She blocked his physic energy, not wanting him to know what she was truly feeling. "Stop, I'm fine"

  "If you were fine, your walls wouldn't be up," he said, walking away.

  Less than an hour later Makayla came out dressed and ready to go. She grabbed a quick bite to eat before Tamarius and she headed to the children's home. They walked silently. Tamarius was annoyed that she wasn't telling him what was going on, and that she had put her walls up again.

  "Sorry," Makayla said, as if reading his thoughts. "I'm not trying to block you out. It's just that I...." Makayla searched her mind for the right words to say. "What if we can't have kids? Can you live with that?" Makayla asked, no longer trying to hide her feelings.

  Tamarius stopped and pulled her to him. "You thought you were pregnant and found out... you’re not."

  Makayla looked down. "Didn't think twice about it at first, but sitting there waiting for the test results felt like a lifetime. I could see what our son would look like and I want that. I want to have your son."

  "It will happen."

  "I'm thirty-three and I have no child."

  "Makayla, it will happen," he repeated, trying to reassure her.

  "Promise?"

  "You need to be patient. We don't always know why these things happen, but God knows best."

  "I know you’re right, but right now it just hurts."

  Tamarius hugged her. He could understand her frustration, but wanted her to just have faith in God’s plan for her. "We will have a bunch of kids," he whispered.

  Makayla felt better now that she’d gotten that off her chest. They continued walking to the home and when they arrived they were shocked by the sight that awaited them. The children's home had been robbed. The front door was unlocked and everything, right down to the toilets, had been stolen. Makayla felt guilty when she realized she’d forgotten to lock the door.

  "This is my fault. I forgot to lock the door," Makayla confessed.

  "Well, it looks bad, but I think it was a good thing because all we need to do now is replace everything."

  Makayla looked around and nodded in agreement. "We could even make it nicer this time."

  "Yeah, how many kids live here?"

  "Twenty-five... thirty."

  "How many rooms?"

  "Five"

  "How did they fit?" Tamarius looked around, shaking his head.

  "They didn't."

  "Well, let’s make sure they do this time. I know an architect..."

  "Why don't we do it right and buy some land, build a large children's home with all the

  amenities?" Makayla looked around the desolate home.

  Tamarius turned and looked at Makayla as she headed for the stairs. "That’s a good idea."

  Makayla froze on the first step and looked at the top. "We will still have to close whatever portal was opened." She watched the dark shadows move across the upstairs hallway. "It’s daylight and these things are so bold," she grumbled.

  "Okay, come back here. We will deal with that later." Tamarius reached out for her.

  Makayla glanced at Tamarius then back up the stairs. She wanted to confront them, but knew she was not prepared. Reluctantly, she turned and stepped down taking Tamarius’ hand.

  "Let's go buy some land and get this project started." He hugged her.

  "Yeah, let’s tell Tia. She’ll go crazy."

  Tamarius' cell phone rang. He answered and smiled at the sound of his brother’s voice "Hey, Maxi Pad," he joked. He knew how his brother hated the nickname.

  "Nothing much, Tampon," Maxwell shot back.

  Tamarius abruptly stopped laughing. "What do you want?"

  "I need you to do a reading on Cressida."

  "Why?"

  "She had this dream and it doesn't sound good."

  "Tell me about it." Tamarius followed Makayla out the front door. He stood on the sidewalk waiting for Makayla to lock the front door while Maxwell told him Cressida's dream. He instantly began receiving messages from his spirit guide, Mathius, and seeing images.

  Makayla waited patiently for him to complete his phone call.

  "Maxwell, why would her father do something like this?" Tamarius asked.

  "I don't understand it either."

  "Where is she now?"

  "She
went to visit her mother."

  "Okay, what's going on between you two?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "You guys hooked up?" Tamarius laughed.

  "Yeah, I guess."

  "I'm not guessing. Wow, you know what, bro, I'm happy for the two of you. You guys make a good couple," Tamarius said.

  "Really?" He sounded surprised.

  "Yeah, Cressida is a good match for you. I'm glad you finally see that."

  "I didn't expect to hear you say that."

  "Why, because you tried to hook us up?"

  "Maybe."

  "Yeah, well you suck at matchmaking."

  "Yeah, I've heard that before," Maxwell mumbled.

  "Well, there is no better matchmaker than God." Tamarius laughed. "Speaking of which, I have some good news."

  "What?"

  "You know what, I'll save it for Thanksgiving. Max and Mei will be home for turkey break, right?"

  "Yeah, can't wait. I miss my grandson. It's so quiet around here."

  "Ah, whatever... you got Cressida to keep you distracted and I can see she is doing a good job."

  "All right, get out of my bedroom." Maxwell laughed.

  "Okay, I gotta go anyway. Makayla is waiting for me."

  "Sure. Tell her I said hello, Tampon," Maxwell said before hanging up.

  "Oh, I’m gonna get him back," Tamarius said with a grin.

  "Ready?"

  "Can you believe Cressida and Maxwell?" Tamarius said, smiling at Makayla as they began to walk.

  "She's a nice girl," Makayla said.

  "Really? I never heard you say that."

  "What's that supposed to mean?"

  "Makayla, remember who you’re talking to."

  "Remember who you’re talking to," she retorted.

  "Touché," Tamarius replied.

  "So reading each other is not a challenge... fine I admit I was a little jealous."

  "I know... and you are a challenge to read."

  "Really?" Makayla grinned innocently.

  "I get it. You like blocking me out?" Tamarius noticed the grin on her face.

  "Not exactly."

  "Not exactly?"

  Makayla laughed as they reached the front steps of her parents’ home.

  Tamarius was smiling at her. "You are just too much," he said, opening the front door.

  They quickly found Tia and pulled her aside. "We need to talk to you," Makayla said excitedly.

  "You guys are in a good mood." Tia smiled as she followed them.

  "Yeah... you got robbed," Makayla blurted out. "Everything is gone." Despite the awful words, she looked at her cousin with excitement.

  Tia's mouth dropped open. "Oh, my gosh. You’re serious, or is this a prank?" Tia said as she glanced at Tamarius.

  He was smiling at her disbelief and nodded in agreement.

  "You’re serious," she muttered.

  "Yeah, I forgot to lock the door." Makayla laughed.

  "Y-you… you what?" Tia said, looking at her cousin, her eyes wide with confusion.

  "Yeah.”

  "I don't think I can take anymore good news. I've had a lot already." Tia put her hand to her chest.

  "We are going to buy some land and build you a new children's home with all the amenities you need for the kids right there on the property," Makayla said to her cousin, grinning from ear to ear.

  Tia jumped up screaming as if she’d won the lotto. "Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much, both of you." She hugged them. "I can't believe it. This is awesome."

  "I know," Makayla said, still excited. "You want to come with us to go find some land?"

  "Don't you need to call a realtor?" Tia replied.

  "Yeah, that would be smart." Makayla laughed.

  "We're just excited," Tamarius said, smiling. "I'll go make some calls."

  Harmony

  Cressida was seated across from her mother who stared blankly into thin air. For the past twenty minutes she stared silently into the distance. Cressida moved closer to her mother's side and held her hand. Harmony Davis Dash showed no sign that she was aware of her daughter's presence. Cressida brought her mother's soft, tender hand to her lips and kissed it. She held her hand up to her cheek and, closing her eyes, she remembered how her mother had been before her nervous breakdown. A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered their last Christmas together.

  "Angel?" her mother whispered.

  "Momma." Cressida moved in front of her mother.

  "My angel." Harmony gently touched Cressida's cheek.

  Cressida wept in her mother’s lap.

  "Why do you cry, my angel?" Harmony gently smoothed her daughter’s hair.

  "Mom, I have to get you out of here." Cressida got to her feet.

  "Cressida, I'm not the one in danger... angel you are."

  "Mom, what happened to you?" Cressida pulled a chair closer and sat in front of her mother.

  "I can't talk here," she whispered, cautiously looking over at one of the nurses who was walking towards them.

  "Is everything all right?" the nurse asked.

  "Yes, I’ll just take my mother for a stroll. I think she should get some fresh air." Cressida unlocked the wheels of her mother's wheelchair.

  "Well, she gets plenty of air." The nurse placed her hand on the back of Harmony's chair. She didn't want to let Harmony and Cressida out of her sight.

  "I’m sorry? Are you telling me what my mother needs?" Cressida replied, instantly exasperated.

  "No, ma'am, I just wouldn't want you to think that she is in any way neglected."

  "Well, only time will tell," Cressida replied. "Excuse me." She ended the conversation on a tense note, maneuvered around the dumbfounded nurse and rolled her mother out of the room

  "Well, done," Harmony whispered as she reached out to gently touch her hand.

  Once out in the fresh air Cressida found a secluded park bench underneath a large banyan tree. She locked her mother’s chair into place and sat close to her. Cressida took her mother's hand and gently rubbed the top, happy to have her mother alert and responsive.

  "Momma, what happen? What changed? It's like you came out of a coma."

  "I did," Harmony said, staring off into the distance. She was quiet for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the smell of fresh cut grass and blossoming flowers. Her thoughts drifted back to her daughter and the impending danger she was in. "Your father," Harmony began, fixing her gaze on a bird’s nest in a nearby tree. "Did I ever tell you about how we met?"

  "At the fair."

  "That was the romantic story I told you children. Now, you are much older. Time for the truth."

  "Truth?"

  "I didn't meet your father until our wedding day."

  "What?" Cressida gasped.

  "My father made some sort of business deal. I was to marry Charleston Dash and bear him three children. There was no romance, no love and no honor. Your father is a monster in a suit. I let my eyes lead me to believe that one day he would love me... a handsome guy and a beautiful girl. I fantasized what it would be like for him to one day mean it when he told me he loved me. My heart always told me the truth. Demons can't love. His heart was cold and his veins were corroded with black blood."

  "Mom, what are you saying?" Cressida asked, perplexed by what her mother was revealing.

  "My child, listen with your heart and not with your mind. Time is so precious and we cannot lose another moment."

  "Yes, Momma," Cressida whispered.

  "I loved your father, despite the way he treated me. I was proud when I gave him a son our first born, but when I looked at my son, his father’s heart glared back at me. When I was pregnant with you, I became enlighten... awakened if you will; my firstborn angel, my only daughter, and Charleston's regret. Your father wanted all boys. Girls were a waste to him and only good to be sold.

  “I knew what your father planned for you. It took me years to build up the courage, but I did. I began to hatch a plan to escape him, taking my two ch
ildren with me. I knew I couldn't run to my father because he was not on my side and my mother was under my father's foot. She couldn't even go to the bathroom without my father knowing.