Broken (Endurance)

by Thomas, April

  Mei slowly fumbled into the bathroom and smiled at her husband. Max looked at her and shook his head, amused by her drunken sleep state. "Am I in your way?"

  "Yes, your son is sleeping on the bed. Can you watch him?"

  Max finished brushing his teeth and stepped out of the bathroom. Uriel was stretched out on his back, sleeping with his arm covering his eyes. Max lay beside him and caressed his son's soft, curly hair. "I love you," he whispered. Max looked at his son with admiration, proud of what he and Mei had created.

  "He is getting so big," Mei mumbled as, she came out of the bathroom brushing her teeth.

  "Come here. I need to speak with you." Max turned to his wife.

  "One sec." Mei returned to the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth and quickly came back to Max "What's up?" Mei sat on the bed next to Max.

  "I am going to fast...for three days." Max told his wife as he sat up and faced her.

  "Okay, what do I need to do for you?" Mei wanted to support her husband anyway she could.

  "Just take care of our son. I’ll go and stay at our hut for the three days. I have to seclude myself."

  "Okay."

  "Today is Monday, so I’ll be back Thursday morning," Max informed his wife, pulling close. "I love you."

  Mei closed her eyes, her lips awaiting his.

  Max smiled as he kissed her cheek. "This is why I must go away from you while I fast."

  Mei opened her exquisite green eyes and Max wanted to drown in them.

  "I can't resist you when you’re so close," Max teased.

  "I love you."

  "If anything happens, let me know."

  "I will."

  "I’ll let Winston know of my plans on my way out. He’ll be able to reach me should any emergency arise here. Now, go back to bed. You need as much rest as possible."

  "No argument there." Mei crawled over her son and curled in beside him. "See you on Thursday."

  Max nodded as he stood and turned to leave. With his hand on the doorknob, he glanced back to see Mei already falling back to sleep.

  ***

  Cressida quietly crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb Makayla. She made her way to the bathroom to shower and change then left the room, closing the door behind her.

  It had been a rough first night for Cressida and Makayla, but they had made it through. Cressida smiled at Marla as she entered the kitchen. Breakfast had already been prepared and Lin was enjoying her meal.

  "Have a seat Mrs. Martinez. I will bring you a plate?" Marla said, smiling at Cressida.

  "Thank you," Cressida pulled out a chair next to Lin.

  Lin placed her fork down and looked at Cressida. "Okay?" she asked, placing her hand on Cressida's wrist.

  "Okay." Cressida nodded and smiled.

  "Makayla?" Lin questioned.

  "She is sleeping," Cressida answered, assuming she wanted to know about her niece.

  Marla brought a plate for Cressida.

  Mei stumbled out of the room. “Come on, Uriel.”

  Cressida smiled, remembering that Maxwell told her that Mei was pregnant.

  "Mei, do you need help?" Cressida asked.

  "No, I'm okay, just tired and hungry." Mei stopped to give her son time to catch up to her. "How are you doing?"

  "Better. Makayla helped. She really made me think about my life," Cressida replied.

  "Well, we are all in the same boat now. Max is going to stay at the hut until Thursday."

  "Why?"

  "He is fasting. I never fasted a day in my life, well not intentionally. I wouldn't know the first thing about it."

  "Neither have I," Cressida said.

  "I admire his strength." Mei walked to the table and helped Uriel onto the chair next to her.

  "So it's just us girls." Cressida smiled.

  "Yeah, I just wish it was for a better reason," Mei replied.

  "I wish there were something we could do."

  "Beach... We can go and relax on the private beach. Uriel loves it and I think you and Makayla can use the relaxation."

  "You know that does sound nice. Makayla did mention the beach last night."

  "Where is Makayla?" Mei asked as Marla brought a plate for her and Uriel.

  "Sleeping, I think," Cressida answered. "She might be up by now."

  ***

  Makayla walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower and brushing her teeth. As she dressed her thoughts remained focused on Tamarius. She glanced at the clock as she slipped on her top. She felt her stomach growl. "I need to eat," she mumbled.

  She walked out and smiled at everyone as she approached the breakfast table. "Smells good." Makayla pulled a chair up next to Uriel.

  "Hey, baby, how are you doing?" Makayla said, talking to her little cousin.

  "How did you sleep?" Mei asked.

  "I slept."

  Lin spoke to Makayla in Chinese, asking if she felt better.

  Makayla smiled and answered back in Chinese to her aunt. Mei in turn began speaking to her grandmother in Chinese.

  Makayla turned to Cressida. "How are you feeling?"

  "Better. Mei mentioned spending the day on the beach."

  "That would be great," Makayla agreed as her plate was placed in front of her.

  "After you’ve finished eating we'll step out and relax."

  "Good. Where's Max?"

  "He’s staying at the hut," Mei answered.

  "Is he in the dog house? What happened?"

  "No, he's fasting for Dad and Unk."

  "Ah, what a sweet boy," Makayla replied before digging into her food.

  After they finished eating, the women, including Marla and Anna, headed out the door. The women spent the morning at the beach. They laughed and talked for hours as Uriel ran around keeping himself entertained with his toys. Mei announced her pregnancy to everyone and they were all happy to know another baby would be in the family.

  Cressida patiently waited for the right moment to ask Makayla and Mei a question about their husbands. "Mei and Makayla, I have a question for you ladies. Do you think it will always be like this?" Cressida asked.

  "Like how?" Makayla asked.

  "Well, all of us together. I love it, but I know that, eventually, you guys are going to want your own space, right?" Cressida asked.

  "I understand." Makayla smiled.

  "Me and Max are away at college, so I guess we’re learning about our independence, but I really like coming home to a full house. I didn't get that growing up. My house was full of tension. I'm fine staying here until Max wants to move out," Mei answered.

  "Yeah, we travel so much that I don't think we could get tired of bumping into the rest of the family. I don't know if Tamarius and I will ever have kids, but being around Uriel is great," Makayla replied.

  "I love this. I get a real sense of family living at the mansion. I would want my kids to grow up in that environment."

  "So are you and Maxwell planning to have kids?" Makayla asked, smiling.

  "We never discussed it really." Cressida blushed.

  "I think you should," Mei said.

  "I don't know... he had Max young. Now he has his own grandkids. Maybe he doesn't want anymore kids," Cressida complained. "And what are people going to think? He’d have kids younger than his grandchildren."

  "Ah, Cressida, who cares what people think? We will only live this life once. Don't miss out on something you want because of what someone thinks," Makayla said.

  Marla nodded and cleared her throat to speak. "You know I wanted to move to France and become a great chef. I felt that with my unique culinary background I could make it. When I told my father what I wanted to do, he laughed at me, mocking me for having such a foolish dream."

  "That’s not foolish," Mei said.

  "Well, when you’re young and you don't believe in yourself, it's easy for someone like your parent to kill your dreams. My father wanted me to become a doctor. To him cooking was just something anyone could do. It wasn't special and
there was no honor in it," Marla replied.

  "My mother wanted me to become someone famous, and she didn't care how... infamous, famous it was all the same to her,” Anna said, speaking as if in a trance. “We would spend hours standing in line at auditions only to be turned down. It wasn't my dream, it was hers, but I paid for it. One day my mother was pulled aside by a man she thought was a big photographer. He told her I was beautiful and wanted to take pictures for a portfolio, no charge. My mother, who had spent all her money trying to make me famous, agreed. He wouldn’t let her join me on the photo shoot. There was no one there to protect me and when he proposed posing in the nude, there was no one to argue for me. Though I knew it was wrong, he convinced me that this was what people wanted to see. In the end he raped me and kidnapped me. I never saw my mother again. If it wasn't for the kindness of Mrs. Martinez, Maxwell and Tamarius' mother, I would not be here today. I owe my life to them and this is why I choose to stay with them."

  "I never knew," Mei whispered, moving closer to Anna and giving her a hug.

  "Makayla is right. I didn’t want to be famous. I just want to be Anna."

  "Are you happy now? Are you happy here?" Makayla asked.

  "Yes, I am, especially now. It was sad watching the boys walk around a big empty mansion," Anna said.

  This is like a therapy session," Cressida said, causing everyone to laugh.

  "I should go cook dinner," Marla blurted, glancing at her watch. "I will let you all know when dinner is ready."

  "Okay," everyone replied in unison.

  You're Back!

  Max sat in his hut looking around at the stuff he and his wife had. He spent most of the day praying. He also worked on his hut, cleaning it up and making improvements so that his family would be more comfortable. He planned to finish building the second bedroom for Uriel. He also planned to build a bed for his growing boy. He knew they would have to start teaching him to be more independent. Max smiled as a warm wave of love came to his heart at the thought of the second child they would soon have.

  "Raphael," a voice said from behind Max.

  Max turned and was awestruck. A brilliantly glowing angel appeared before him.

  "Hello," Max mumbled.

  The angel smiled at him as he approached. Max squinted a moment before his eyes adjusted to his light.

  "Your son, name him Raphael."

  "Raphael," Max whispered.

  "Your wife has already been given the name."

  "She hasn't told you yet," Max said, concerned.

  "With everything that has happen it slipped her mind."

  "Thank you. What's your name?"

  "I am Raphael. Your son will be a great healer. I have been sent to guide him and teach him the divine art of healing."

  "I pray my wife and I can be the parents these children need."

  "God would not have chosen you if he didn't believe you could," Raphael said.

  "What's going on with my dad?" Max asked.

  "You have only seen your father and uncle in action once." Raphael smiled at Max.

  "I don't remember."

  "You were just three. It was the beginning of the end for your parents’ marriage. Your father fought to protect you from the demon your mother had sent after you. Your uncle and father fought and succeeded."

  "Why did my father marry her?" Max asked, more to himself than to Raphael.

  "Things happen for a reason and God uses everyone and everything. If your father had never met your mother, you would not be standing here. Your uncle would not have learned from his brother's mistakes, nor would he have taught you all of those valuable lessons."

  "Yeah, that's true."

  "I was just sent to let you know that your father and uncle are doing well. I must go. I am being summoned." Raphael smiled and his light intensified causing Max to turn away.

  Max walked to his bed, sat down and laid back. It was going to be a long night. He hated sleeping apart from his wife and child.

  Three days, later Max had successfully completed his fast. Though he longed to see Mei and Uriel, his body was too weak to make the journey back to the family’s vacation home. He decided to stay one more night to eat all he could to regain his strength. After a large meal, he felt stronger and immediately began working on his hut. He headed out where the extra wood was stored. Facing the woodpile, he stretched to prepare his muscles for the heavy lifting.

  Max picked up two ten-foot planks with ease and brought them into the hut. On his second trip he decided to bring in three planks, and by his last trip Max was surprised to pick up a stack of ten planks with ease. He worked quickly, building a room for his son with a chest of drawers and a toddler bed. The only thing missing was a small mattress for the diminutive bed.

  ***

  Maxwell fought tirelessly. His mind was clear and focused as he fought alongside Archangel Gabriel. They fought into the morning and through the day without stopping.

  Five days of pandemonium passed before Satan finally stopped sending in more of his demons. He finally realized he was losing the battle. He needed a better strategy. Calling upon his elite warriors he reserved only for the end time wars, he decided to send them in hoping one of them would succeed in destroying the Martinez men.

  Maxwell and Tamarius sat on the floor trying to catch their breath. Their clothes were soaked with blood. Tamarius groaned in pain as he held his ribs. Raphael and a large group of angels moved around the room, standing guard as the dead demonic bodies were removed by Satan's slaves. Michael and his army continued to keep watch, making sure no surprise attacks came their way. Archangel Raphael walked over to Maxwell and Tamarius, and gave them each a bowl of what looked like white glowing porridge.

  "You must eat this for your strength," he said.

  They obeyed and ate all the food which had an indescribable taste. The men ate it quickly and felt the strength return to their body as they finished.

  Maxwell put down the bowl and sighed. He looked around the room in amazement. The mansion was badly damaged and it would have to be remodeled. His thoughts eventually led back to his wife. He smiled at the thought of being married again. This time it felt right. He thought back to his marriage to Jenna, Max’s mother. They had been too young to get married, but Maxwell had not given up and had tirelessly begged his father to approve their marriage.

  He now wished he had listened to his father, but then realized if it hadn’t been for that bad experience, he wouldn’t have had Max. Maxwell’s heart swelled with pride when he thought of his son. He would go through it all over again just to have him in his life.

  "Maxwell, let me see your shoulder," Raphael requested.

  Maxwell pulled back his shirt to reveal a dagger wound that went directly through his shoulder, just missing major arteries. Cuts and gashes covered both Tamarius and Maxwell and, as their bodies finally relaxed and their adrenalin levels dropped, they felt all the aches and pains. Their muscles ached, but they were happy to have succeeded.

  Tamarius took a deep breath and thought about Makayla. He was relieved she was safe, but worried about her pregnancy. He knew the time was near for her to give birth to their son. He worried about what would happen to her because she was not aware of her pregnancy. Over the past month she had taken numerous pregnancy tests and had even gone to see a doctor, but all the tests had come back negative. Her stomach was barely noticeable and it killed Tamarius to keep such an important secret from her.

  "Makayla is fine." Raphael smiled at Tamarius as he healed Maxwell who was beginning to drift off to sleep. Raphael allowed Maxwell to slump over. "He needs his rest." He gently guided his body to the floor. Another angel came with a pillow and set it under Maxwell's head, lovingly brushing his hair back to show Raphael another bruise on his forehead. Raphael nodded and healed Maxwell’s forehead.

  Another angel knelt beside Maxwell and passed his hands over Maxwell’s body, checking for internal injuries and healing him as he went along.

  They worked
silently over Maxwell, making sure his body was completely healed and ready for battle. They knew Satan wasn't about to give up that easily. When they finished, Raphael looked to Tamarius. He was distant and quiet. Raphael knew where his spirit was.

  "Tamarius," he called. "It is your turn." Raphael moved closer to him. "Lay back. One of your ribs is fractured, do you not feel that?"