“Yes, I use condoms. Is that all you called me for because I do have better things I need to be doing,” Mya responded, attitude rising in her tone. “I sure don’t need a lecture from you. You’re starting to sound just like Talisa.”
“Well, she told me to make sure I kept an eye on you. And that’s why I’m calling. I just spoke to Talisa.”
Mya blew the newscaster a kiss, holding up her finger to indicate she needed one more minute. “How’s she doing? When is she coming home?”
“Our girl flew halfway around the world to get herself into some trouble. Some rebels kidnapped her man. She had to go into the jungle to rescue him, and then he got shot,” Leila said, the words spilling quickly out of her mouth.
Mya gasped loudly. “What!”
“But you’re busy so we’ll talk later. Tell whatever his name is that I apologize for interrupting his good time, and please, don’t forget to wrap that thing up good and tight. You don’t want anything creepy crawling up your holy temple.” Leila hung up the telephone, leaving Mya with her mouth open on the other end.
Barely a minute passed before the phone was ringing. Taking a quick glance at the caller ID, Leila chuckled to herself as she pulled the receiver back into her hand. “Do I have your attention now?” she asked.
“You can be really ugly when you want to be, Leila,” Mya answered. “You think you’re cute, but I’m telling you, you’re not.”
“Is your date still there?”
“He can wait. Now tell me about Talisa. Is she okay?”
Leila nodded into the receiver, reaching for a plush flannel blanket that lay across the bed. “Yes,” she finally answered as she pulled the throw over her bare legs. “Her nerves are wrecked but she’s fine. His parents are there with them and they’ll all be coming home next week. She was headed back to the orphanage to be with the Wesley group. Her man had to have surgery but it wasn’t as bad as they thought it might be. I think she said his dad did it. His dad’s a surgeon, too. Remember?”
“Yeah. You know, you hear about stuff like this on the news but you don’t ever think it could happen to someone you know.”
Leila nodded as if the other woman could see her.
Mya continued. “So, she and the doctor really hit it off, huh?”
“It would seem that way. She’s head over heels in love, Mya. The man sounds like a dream come true for her. I’ve never heard her sound so happy.”
Silence filtered through the telephone line between them as they reflected on their friend and the prospect of dreams coming true. Leila could hear Mya’s television playing in the background and then a man’s voice breaking through the quiet, calling Mya’s name. Mya cupped her palm over the receiver so that Leila couldn’t hear the exchange between them. When she returned to the conversation, her moment of reflection had clearly passed.
“Look, girl, let’s have dinner tomorrow night. You can give me all the gory details, then. I really do need to take care of some things here.”
Leila laughed. “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
“And, Mya?”
“I know. Don’t forget the condoms,” Mya said mockingly.
Leila smiled. “Be safe, Mya. We love you, girlfriend.”
A grin filled Mya’s face. “Always,” she said, and then the phone went dead on the other end.
Reverend Warren shook his balding head as he hung up the telephone. Stevie and Johanna eyed him curiously, anxious for details on the end of the conversation they were not able to hear. The man looked from one to the other, his head swinging back and forth as he took a seat on the other side of the conference table.
“Stevie, I thought your mission trip to South Africa just before Mandela was elected had been a challenge. I do believe Talisa has topped that experience.”
“Who was hurt, Reverend?” Johanna asked anxiously. “No one from our group was injured, were they?”
“Everyone from our group is safe and well. The doctor volunteering at the orphanage was injured. He was shot, but is recovering nicely. Apparently he and Talisa have become very close since she’s been there.”
Stevie smiled, an expanse of pearl-white teeth filling her face.
Reverend Warren shook his finger at the woman and grinned back. “Why is it every time I send one of you off on missions you come back married, engaged, or pregnant?” he asked.
Johanna laughed. “I only came back from South America pregnant because I took my husband with me. I told you there was something in that water over there.”
“But you met your husband in Costa Rica on the second trip you went on,” the man countered. “And you,” he said, gesturing with his eyes toward Stevie, “you and Sam met at the airport when you were going to build those houses on the reservation in New Mexico.”
Stevie shrugged, a smirk gracing her face. “We’ve got great memories, don’t we?”
Johanna was still giggling. “You really can’t say anything, Reverend. Did you forget that you and Cindy did half a dozen mission trips together before you started dating? And twice that many afterwards? I think if we do a little counting, at least one of your children was conceived while you were overseas doing ministry.”
The man rolled his eyes, tossing up his hands. He laughed heartily. “Okay. It’s like I’ve said before, great minds think alike and good hearts can’t help but share great love.”
Johanna leaned up on her elbows, her chin dropping into the palm of her hands. “So, what else did Talisa say? Did it sound like she and the doctor might be serious?”
Stevie piped in. “I do hope so. If anyone deserves to find a nice man, Talisa does. I wonder what he looks like,” she said excitedly.
The minister reached for the pile of manila folders on the tabletop as he came to his feet. “I’ll be in my office,” he said as he headed toward the door. “You two can finish this conversation on your own.”
Taking one last look over his shoulder, the man smiled, watching as the two women leaned in giggling, speculating about Talisa’s newfound love.
Mary London’s hands shook ever so slightly as she twisted the cap off the bottle of Lithium prescribed by her doctor. The past week had been illuminating as her body and mind had adjusted to the medication filtering through her bloodstream.
The doctor had declared her bipolar, announcing that she suffered from a brain disorder that caused the unusual, severe shifts in her mood, energy and her ability to function. The good news was that she could be treated. Things could get better for them all, and with time, she could repair the damage she had caused in her family. The bad news was that like diabetes or heart disease, the bipolar disorder was a long-term illness that she would have to carefully manage for the remainder of her life. Mary understood that if she took her two pills faithfully every day she would better be able to control the raging mood swings and depression that had often consumed her.
As she placed the pills against her tongue, washing them down with a mouthful of water, she could sense her husband watching her. From the corner of her eye she saw him nodding his approval. As she turned to face him, Herman lifted his body from his seat, crossing the room to her side. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, brushing his thick lips against her forehead. As the two stood holding each other, neither speaking, the telephone rang. Mary met her husband’s stare and smiled, pushing him gently away.
“You’re in the way, Herman,” she said, easing around him to reach for the telephone. “Hello?”
“Mom? Hi, it’s me.”
“Talisa, baby? Is that you?”
Talisa laughed. “Do you have another daughter named Talisa who calls you Mom that I don’t know about?”
Mary chuckled. “Are you okay? When are you coming home?”
“I’ll be back in a few days. We leave this Friday but with all the transfers and the flight time I won’t get home until Monday.”
Mary nodded into the receiver.
“How are you doing, M
om?”
“I’m doing better, baby. That doctor put me on some medicine that’s helping to keep me calm. It seems to be working so far. But that’s not important. How are you?”
“I’m fine. We had a few problems but things are really good now.”
“How’s that doctor? Is he still there with you?” Mary asked.
Talisa hesitated before answering and when she finally did speak, she asked for her father, clearly changing the subject. “Why don’t I say hello to Dad. Is he home?”
Mary took a deep breath. “It’s okay, Talisa. You can talk to me, baby. I won’t—”
The words caught in the older woman’s throat, emotion cutting off her thoughts. Talisa could hear her mother choking back tears and her own rose to her eyes, threatening to spill past her lashes.
Mary took another breath and spoke slowly. “Baby, I have an illness. I know that now. But for me to really get well I’m going to need your help. I know I’ve done some bad things but I want to do better. You’re my baby, and I love you, and I want to know what’s going on with you. Please, Talisa. Talk to me.”
Talisa could feel herself nodding. “All right,” she said softly, sensing a side of her mother she’d rarely experienced before. As she began to tell her mother about Jericho and all that had happened, Talisa could feel her anxiety being replaced with excitement. It was a new energy that flooded her spirit when she shared the last detail and there had been no angry outburst from the woman. She suddenly wished she were there to give her mother a hug and have her mother hug her back.
Mary shook her head. “Lord, have mercy,” she exclaimed. “And you’re sure you’re okay? You didn’t get hurt?”
“No, ma’am. I’m just fine.”
“Is Jericho coming back to the States with you?”
“He’ll be flying home next week.”
“Well, when he’s home we should plan a nice Sunday dinner so your daddy and I can meet him.”
Talisa smiled. “He’d like that, Mom. Thank you.”
Mary tightened her grip on the receiver. “Is he a churchgoing boy, Talisa?” she asked. “He believes in God, doesn’t he?”
“Yes. He believes in God.”
“Where does his family go to church?”
“I don’t know that they have a home church that they attend regularly,” Talisa answered, nervousness starting to billow in the pit of her stomach.
“Well, maybe we can get him to go to the Baptist church,” Mary said.
Talisa laughed, relaxing ever so slightly. “He might prefer the Methodist church if he wants to go.” Talisa could feel her mother rolling her eyes in exasperation.
“I declare, Talisa! Couldn’t you find a nice Baptist boy to fall in love with?”
Talisa chuckled softly. “I do love him, Mom. I love him very much,” she said, her tone affirming the emotion in her heart.
Mary sighed, a smile crossing her face. “Then I know your daddy and I are going to love him, too.”
Talisa swiped at the tear that had rolled down her cheek. Mary glanced up at Herman who had leaned to wrap his arms around her shoulders.
“Well, you need to stop running up this phone bill,” Mary said. “This is long distance.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Oh, Talisa,” Mary said quickly. “Do you get the stories over there in Africa?”
Talisa laughed. “No, ma’am.”
“Then you’re missing it, baby. JR and Babe are fighting over that boy of theirs again and Miss Erica done started some more mess with Bianca. It’s getting good!”
“You’ll have to catch me up when I get home,” Talisa said with a wide grin. “I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I said hello.”
“We love you, too, baby.”
As she hung up the receiver, Herman was grinning from ear to ear. “Don’t you have something you need to be doing, Herman London?” she asked her husband.
The man shrugged.
“Well, then you need to get out of my kitchen,” she said with a smile, her hands falling to rest against her full hips. “Look at the mess you’re making on my floor!”
Chapter 23
Jericho sat on the edge of the double bed in his room, testing the strength in his long legs. As he pressed the soles of his bandaged feet against the cold, concrete floor and moved as if to stand upright, a surge of pain shot across his lower back and down the length of his limbs. He winced, the hurt dancing into the lines of his face.
“What are you doing?” Talisa asked, watching him from the doorway, a cup of iced water and a straw in her hand. She rushed to his side, her tone scolding as she dropped the drink onto the nightstand. “Your father told you to rest, Jericho. Resting means you stay in bed.”
Jericho heaved a deep sigh as Talisa helped him back into the bed, pulling a thin cotton sheet up and over the length of his body.
“I’m tired of resting,” Jericho said, his trademark pout blessing his face. “I need to get back to work.”
“No. You need to rest. Your dad is taking care of your patients,” Talisa answered, leaning to kiss his lips.
Jericho kissed her back and then smiled. “Fine, I’ll rest, but only if you get in bed and lay with me for a while,” he said, a mischievous grin filling his face.
Talisa rolled her eyes toward the ceiling, then taking a quick glance at the closed door, she pulled herself up against the mattress, curling her body against his. She leaned her head into his shoulder, one hand resting lightly against his chest. Jericho pressed a moist kiss against her forehead, a sigh of contentment blowing over her flesh as he wrapped his arms around her.
“All I could think about the whole time was getting back to you, Talisa,” he said softly, a shiver of cold running up his body as he reached for the straw, tearing at the paper wrapper.
Talisa clasped his hand beneath hers as she moved to help him, easing the cup closer to his lips. “You were right there in my heart, too, Jericho. I couldn’t even begin to think about us not finding you.”
The man nodded. “So, what now, baby girl? Where do you and I go from here?”
She shrugged her shoulders lightly, lifting her eyes to meet his. “I love you. I can’t imagine not being with you, wherever you are.”
His gaze was pensive. “There’s so much to think about. I know you have to take your group back to the States. And, then you have your family, your job, and your friends to get home to. My parents are insisting I go home to finish recuperating, but I promised Peter and Angela that I would spend at least a year here working with them and the clinic. But I don’t even want to think about not being with you ever again.”
Talisa lifted her torso up to stare down at him. “I think your parents are right about you going home until you’re completely recovered. I know your father is concerned about you getting an infection. You can always come back here when you’re better, Jericho. I know Peter and Angela would understand. And, if you decide to come back…” Talisa paused briefly, biting against her bottom lip before continuing “…if you want me to, I will come back here to Uganda with you.”
The two sat studying each other with an intensity that seemed to fill the air around them. Silence filled the space between them, filtering easily as they sat in deep reflection. Jericho lifted himself up on his elbows, reaching for the torn straw wrapper. Talisa watched as he twisted it between his fingers, rolling it into a thin paper circle. Easing his body closer to hers, Jericho kissed her gently, brushing his lips easily against hers. “Only if you come back as my wife,” he whispered. “I love you, Talisa. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?” he asked, easing the makeshift ring onto her ring finger.
Joy spilled out of her eyes, flowing in the rise of tears that trickled down the round of her cheeks. She kissed him again, her response blowing in the breath that blessed his lips. “Oh, yes, Jericho! Yes, I’ll marry you!”
They cuddled closer, laughing and chatting excitedly at the possibilities their future plans held for the
m. As they settled comfortably against one another, Jericho took her face in his hands, snaking his fingers into her hair. He stared into her eyes, then leaned in and softly kissed each lid, the brush of her lashes flitting against his lips. Moving his mouth down to one cheek and then the other, he kissed her softly, allowing his mouth to linger for just a brief minute against the warmth of her flesh. When his lips finally met hers, he teased her first, his kisses light, easy pecks before pressing his mouth down firmly against hers. The kiss deepened with intensity, drawing her breath from her body, and then he parted his lips, lightly licking over her mouth with his tongue. Talisa moaned, a sweet murmur urging him on as her own tongue slid out to dance with his.
Jericho shifted his body up and over hers, ignoring a quick pang of hurt to press his bare chest against the fullness of her breasts. Talisa moaned again, ecstasy vibrating against his lips and tongue. He could feel her body softening against his, giving in to the desire that was sweeping through her. He pulled her bottom lip between his teeth, gently nibbling from one side to the other. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, the feel of her skin against his, her tongue lazily licking over his lips and his over hers. The sweet sensations surged from one end of his body to the other, deflecting any pain that may have existed.
His hand eased between them to pull at her shirt, easing the fabric open to give him access to her bare flesh. His fingers slid beneath the edge of her bra, tracing a light line from the cleavage between her breasts to the hook in the back. With apt precision, Jericho snapped the garment open. As his hand snaked back around to fondle one breast and then the other, he was rewarded with a soft shudder as well as another moan.
Talisa was consumed by the rage of emotions sweeping through her. No man had ever been able to reduce her to quivering jelly with just the touch of his mouth against hers like Jericho did. His touch had left her completely breathless, every ounce of decorum lost to the mush he’d made of her mind. Her hand skated across the length of his torso, her fingertips pressing into the firm flesh along his sides, up the length of his arms, over his shoulders, and back again. When her hand met his hand, she pressed her palm to his palm, interlocking his fingers between her own. Jericho pressed his mouth to her breast, easing the candy-hard nipple between his lips. He suckled her gently, his tongue swirling in pleasure. As he moved to ease his pelvis against hers, Talisa knew that if she didn’t regain some control, there would be no coming back from the realms of rapture he was pulling them into.
In the Light of Love Page 18
