“I know, and you’re right; Chanelle was wrong. I don’t blame you for being upset with her. As parents, sometimes we have to apply tough love. Just don’t be mad at me because I want to help her. Lisa, I let both you and Chanelle down before. It’s too late for me to make things up to you, but it’s not too late for me to be there for my baby girl. Promise me that if you hear from her, you’ll let me know.”
“I promise,” she swore.
Lisa took the next few days off of work to clear her mind. By Thursday, she hadn’t heard from either her sister or Chanelle. Callie had called RJ and their mother to say she’d made it home safely, but she had yet to return any of Lisa’s pleading messages. Lisa honestly didn’t know which person worried her more: Callie or Chanelle. Being her daughter, Chanelle definitely pulled on her heartstrings, but Callie had a tight grip as well.
Lisa hadn’t shared Callie’s secret with anyone, not even Eric or Olivia. She did ask them to pray for her, though. At least she knew where Callie was; Chanelle’s whereabouts were yet to be determined. She hadn’t even showed up for her shifts at the center. Lisa wasn’t sure how long she’d be able to hold on to this “tough love.” It seemed to be harder on her than it was on Chanelle.
Her parents had come by earlier in the day to check on her. Seeing the two of them together was still a sore sight but in light of the events that unfolded after their reconciliation was uncovered, Lisa tried not to focus too much on them. Though it was clear that her father was bending over backward to show her that he had changed, Lisa wasn’t convinced and continued praying for her mother’s safety. Her parents’ marital trouble was the last thing she needed to deal with right now.
Not expecting company, Lisa ran to the door the minute the bell rang. Flashbacks of the night Chanelle came home drunk haunted her as she recalled the gut-wrenching feeling she had when she saw the police lights twirling through the window. That night all the anger she’d built up about Chanelle missing curfew had been temporarily pushed aside as concern for her daughter’s safety took its place. Likewise, the more time passed with Chanelle missing in action, the less concerned she was about being right and the more she wanted to find her baby.
“I’m sorry. . .I know I should’ve called first.” RJ stood at the door.
“That’s okay; come in.”
“I won’t stay long. I came by to let you know that I heard from Chanelle.”
Hope poured into Lisa’s spirit. “Is she okay?”
“As far as I can tell. I didn’t talk to her on the phone. She sent me a text message.”
“What did she say?”
“Nothing much; just that she was fine and didn’t want to talk to anyone.”
“How can you be sure it’s her? What if something happened and someone took her phone? Anyone could have sent that message.”
“I think it was her.”
“The only way to be sure is to send her a message asking a question that only she would know. Give me your phone,” she ordered. RJ obliged and Lisa typed: What’s the last name of your mother’s sister?
A few minutes later a correct response came back.
Lisa immediately tried calling Chanelle from RJ’s cell phone. No answer.
“Where are you?” she texted.
“I’m fine.”
“It’s Mom. Dad’s here; please come home.”
“Tell Dad I’ll talk to him later. Don’t want to talk to you.”
Those words pierced Lisa’s heart. She tried sending other messages and no longer received replies.
“Well, I’m glad to know she’s okay,” she said defeatedly.
When RJ pulled her close to his chest, she didn’t resist. “When she contacts me again, I’ll try and convince her to call you.” He bent down and kissed her forehead and Lisa surprised herself when she didn’t withdraw. She took in every whiff of his cologne as she listened to his heartbeat. There was a familiarity about being in RJ’s arms that felt good, scarily good. Wondering what Eric would think if he walked in and saw this, Lisa quickly put space between them. “Um. . .thanks for stopping by.”
“I love you,” RJ blurted.
Lisa stood speechless. She could tell by the sincerity of his eyes that he meant every word. She cared for RJ as her child’s father and her ex-husband, but she loved Eric.
“It’s okay; I don’t expect you to say anything. I just want you to know that I love you. Pardon me if I’m overstepping my bounds due to your situation and all, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. Anyhow, I’ll let you know when I hear from Chanelle again.”
He left Lisa paralyzed in speech and walked out.
CHAPTER 22
A Bit On Edge
Lisa sat at her desk, trying to work, despite her mind being millions of miles away. Over six weeks had passed and Chanelle still had not contacted her. The joy Lisa felt the night of her engagement party had been replaced by the memories of having a fistfight with her daughter. Liv had emailed her tons of pictures from the day of the party and Lisa would often stare at them, wondering why Chanelle seemed to have such a dramatic shift in her mood.
Lisa’s emotions swung back and forth from angry to hurt. She was hurt because her daughter had made contact with RJ and her mother, but not her. She was angry because, technically, Chanelle had been in the wrong, so as far as Lisa was concerned, her daughter really had no right to be mad. Chanelle was legally an adult now so maybe this whole disappearing act was a stunt to prove her independence. Lisa refused to leave any more messages for her. Chanelle was obviously on some type of power play. Having all that money in her account probably increased her feelings of autonomy. Lisa was sure her unruly daughter would be back once her finances were depleted. It was only a matter of time.
Lisa was less reluctant to call her sister. “Callie, please call me back,” she pleaded with her sister’s answering machine one afternoon while sitting at work. “I haven’t said anything to Mama about what you told me, or anyone else. I want to talk to you, please. I’m worried about you, Cal. I love you!” She hung up in despair. She’d left messages for her sister on nearly a daily basis, sometimes multiple times, yet Callie never called back.
“This is Lisa,” she answered when her work phone rang.
“How’s my lovely lady doing?”
“I’m all right, Eric. I was just thinking about Callie.”
“I know; that’s why I want to take you out tonight. We haven’t gone anywhere since the engagement party.”
“Baby, I haven’t been in the mood. I don’t feel like going anywhere tonight.”
“Come on, sweetheart. You’ve been down in the dumps too long. Let’s get out and have some fun. I can’t believe that you’ve allowed your sister’s departure to affect you like this. What’s the deal with her anyway? You never really said.”
Up to this point, Lisa had shared pretty much everything about her life with Eric, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him, or Olivia, about Callie’s illness. It seemed so personal and she didn’t want to betray her sister’s trust, though technically it had been revealed out of anger rather than confidence. “It’s too complicated to explain. The bottom line is that we were right in assuming that she was still having trouble dealing with her husband’s suicide. I can’t help but to worry about her.”
“If you’re worrying then you’re not praying. Remember Paul’s instructions in 1 Peter 5:7? ‘Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.’”
Lisa rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wished she could talk to him about her feelings without always being rebuked. “Yes, I’m very familiar with that scripture. Excuse me for not being instantly deep and having real feelings. It’s hard not to worry about the people you care most about. Obviously you’re worried about me to some extent or else you wouldn’t be pressing me to go out tonight.”
“I’m concerned about your well-being, but I’m not sitting around moping like you are about your sister.”
“Eric, I’m already stressed out enough; talki
ng to you isn’t making it any better.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I love and care about you so much, I just. . .never mind. We haven’t hung out for over a month. The devil is trying to mess with me. I’m dealing with a selfish spirit right now. I really miss spending time with you, like we used to before all this drama unfolded. I’m sorry for getting on your back. I love you and want the best for you. I thought maybe going out would get your mind off of things; at least temporarily.”
“I love you, too.” Her irritation with him softened. It made her feel good that, even when he was on her nerves, Eric always had her best interest at heart. “You’re probably right. It may do me some good to get out.”
“So, then, we’re on for this evening?”
“Yes, we’re on.”
Lisa hung up the phone appreciating the wonderful man whom God had blessed her with. They had yet to officially set a wedding date. With all the other stuff on Lisa’s mind, she hadn’t been able to devote as much attention to planning her wedding as she’d liked. Hopefully they could still tie the knot before this year came to an end, which wasn’t far away.
“Knock knock,” Olivia announced her arrival.
“Hey, what brings you by?”
Olivia seemed a bit on edge. “I came by to see if you have heard from Chanelle at all today.”
“No, I haven’t, why? Is there something you know that I don’t?”
Olivia took a seat. “She called Justin this morning.”
“She did! What did she say? Did you talk to her?”
“No. She didn’t call the house. She called his cell phone. He’s back on campus now.”
“What did she say?” pressed Lisa.
“From what I understand, nothing much. She didn’t want Justin worrying about her so she called to let him know she’s okay.”
Lisa’s anger resurfaced. “See how screwed up her priorities are. I mean, I’m glad she called Justin. He’s been such a good influence on her; maybe he can talk some sense into her head. I’m angry that she hasn’t called me. She hasn’t even called Mama or RJ. She’s sent them a few text messages, but that’s it. Did she say where she was staying?”
“No. Do you think she’s over at that one girl’s house?”
“Who, Gericka? I doubt it. It’s possible that she may have spent a night or two over there, but Chanelle has been gone for a while. I’m sure Gericka’s parents would have called me by now.”
“And you’re sure Chanelle hasn’t tried to contact you this morning?”
“Yes, I’m sure. She hasn’t contacted me at all. You know, I’m worried about her, but on the other hand, it ticks me off that she’s being this stubborn because I wouldn’t let her use my car to pick up her friend. Do you think that there may be something else going on with her?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know; that’s what I’m trying to figure out. Maybe she’s going through some late adolescent crisis. She’s supposed to start school soon. Maybe that’s got her a little nervous. You think?”
Olivia shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? Chanelle has given you trouble before. It’s hard to tap into the mind of a teenager. You probably need to do something to get your mind off of her.”
“You sound like Eric. He was just getting on my case about worrying too much. He’s taking me out tonight.”
“Good. . .Well, listen, I’ll let you get back to work. I wanted to touch base with you about Chanelle. Call me later, okay?” She left just as unexpectedly as she had arrived.
CHAPTER 23
Bottom Dollar
As expected, Eric showed up promptly, holding a batch of long-stemmed roses. “Thank you,” she beamed.
“I was hoping these would get me out of the dog house.”
“You were never in there.” Lisa smiled lovingly as he leaned down for a kiss. “Let me grab my purse and I’ll be ready.”
“You’re wearing that. . .?”
“Yeah. Why?” Lisa eyed his attire. Eric had on a pair of khaki shorts with a white polo shirt. She thought the yellow sundress she was wearing was a nice fit with his apparel.
“Nothing. You look nice. . .”
Nice? She didn’t spend an hour primping merely to look nice. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just. . .you look a little too worldly. Maybe it’s the earrings. They’re awfully long, don’t you think?”
Lisa laughed. “You’re probably right. Truth is, I raided Chanelle’s jewelry box.” She quickly pulled the three-inch shimmering stems from her ears.
She started to go back upstairs to get some other ones, but Eric said, “Honey, you don’t need any at all. You look gorgeous,” so she laid them on the coffee table and they left.
Eric took her to dinner at a restaurant up North, which happened to have a local jazz band playing that night. Eric didn’t seem too crazy about the music and Lisa assumed it was because this band had a more contemporary style than the band Olivia had booked for their engagement party. Eric was more on the conservative side. Lisa didn’t mind the music. It provided the mental getaway she had been in need of. “Thanks, Eric. I’m so glad you convinced me to come out. This has been good for me. You always seem to know exactly what I need.”
“That’s my job. As your future husband, I have to look after you. I take my role as your spiritual covering very seriously.”
“You amaze me. I’m looking forward to becoming your wife.”
“And me as well. The other day Mother asked me if we had set a date.”
Lisa wished he hadn’t interrupted their evening by bringing up that nut! “Really? That surprises me.”
He chuckled. “I realize she gave you a hard time when you all first met, but she’s just as excited as I am.”
If she didn’t have the willpower to keep her lips glued shut, Lisa could have really said something sarcastic in response.
“What do you think about getting married New Year’s Eve? It’ll be a great way to end one year and bring in the next,” he gleamed.
“That’ll be a great idea.”
Eric and Lisa continued talking about their wedding while holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes. They each ordered a slice of double-layer chocolate fudge cake for dessert. Eric’s came topped with crushed nuts, but of course, due to Lisa’s peanut allergies, she had to order hers without.
The night had been very peaceful and Lisa was happy to have the mental diversion. She got through the entire evening without bringing up any of her family drama.
“Baby, will you excuse me for a moment?” Eric grimaced in pain.
“Sure. Are you okay?”
“I will be. Let’s just say that the chocolate cake is already starting to run through me, if you know what I mean.”
Lisa laughed. It was more information than she wanted to know, but she found it amusing that they were able to disclose such intimate details to one another; and was glad that she wasn’t in a similar position.
She began to drink the rest of her half and half, a drink extremely popular in Baltimore comprised of half lemonade and half iced tea. When she moved to Columbus, Lisa was shocked that not many people had heard of the drink. It was a common thing where she was from and had only recently been popularized here. Previously, whenever she went out, she had to custom order it and give her server specific instructions on how to make it. The half and half she was drinking didn’t quite have that Baltimorean taste, but it would do. Once she had polished off her drink, instead of sitting at the table waiting for Eric to finish his business, she decided to join the rest of the crowd on the dance floor as the smooth jazz selection played.
As she swayed to the music she found herself getting a little envious of the other couples and wished Eric would hurry and join her. He didn’t seem like much of a dancer, but she’d planned on getting him out that night. She closed her eyes and her body flowed slowly with the rhythm. It was relaxing and song after song she danced away every burden on her mind. Lisa imagined herself free as a b
ird. No limitations. . .no bondage. . .no—
“What do you think you’re doing?” Her tranquility came to an abrupt end by the sound of Eric’s fuming voice yelling loudly in her ear.
She looked up and saw fire in his eyes. “What?”
“Let’s go. We have to get out of here. This was a bad idea.” He grabbed her arm, dragging her away.
She jerked free from his grip. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m having a good time. What’s wrong with you?”
“We’ll discuss this in the car.” He threw some money on the table and walked out. Lisa had no choice but to follow him if she wanted a ride back home.
“What was that all about?”
Eric remained silent as he peeled out of the parking lot, likely leaving skid marks. “I cannot believe you would disgrace me like that!” He stared straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel so tight Lisa swore he would get calluses.
“What did I do?”
“I go to the restroom for twenty minutes and come back to find you sashaying on the dance floor.”
“You can’t be serious?”
“Oh, you bet your bottom dollar, I’m serious. God has anointed me as His chosen vessel. My last name is Freeman, for goodness’ sake. I’m a free man and you must walk in a way that represents my deliverance from the bondage of this world. No wife of mine has any business out there pop, lock and dropping it like it’s hot!”
“I have not yet become your wife! Besides that, I wasn’t doing anything. You act like I was all up on somebody dancing provocatively or something.”
“You were dancing with the devil!”
She laughed in disbelief. “What?”
“Yeah, Satan had his arms wrapped all around you while you were out there shaking your behind. That was the devil’s music and you were his dance partner.”
Lisa had never witnessed such fury from Eric in the entire five months they’d been together. He’d always been so kind, loving and patient. “Where are you taking me?” She wondered when he exited at Miller-Kelton instead of continuing east on I-70.
In Times of Trouble Page 14
