Two Loves and One Decision

by LeLa Summers

listen…I, I need you to listen, I’m in trouble and “. Before Clarissa could finish her sentence Jeff snatched the phone. “Well, well, if it isn’t my long lost son, long time no hear from Joshua”. Jeff said laughing. Josh couldn’t believe his ears, the voice of his father in his ear was as if someone took a speared and jammed it all the way through to the other ear, Josh felt sick to his stomach to not only hear the voice of his father but to know that the man that he despised his whole life could possibly hurt Rissa the only woman he ever loved. “You piece of scum bag, you better not hurt Rissa or I swear I will kill you!” Josh said as he stood up slowly and both Dan and Crissy clutched each other in shock. “Now look at that, a chip off the old block uh! If I recall I am the one that tried to kill you; you little snot nose bothersome kid. You were a pain in my side then and you’re a pain in my side now, now don’t you give me any back talk boy you just listen, I want you to meet your brother at your bank, then I want you to take out an insurance policy and add your long lost brother to it, after that I want you to add your brother name on to any property that you have and if you don’t cooperate your little girlfriend is gonna disappear off the face of this earth and you, the police and anyone else won’t be able to find her”. “Just don’t hurt her”. Josh said solemnly. “As long as you do as I tell you, she won’t get hurt but I’m gonna hold on to her until you complete everything I say and remember no cops! The first cop car I see flashing its light, the girl gets it in the head”. Jeff said as Allen handed him a pen and paper. “I just want her back safe; tell me what you want first”. Josh said as he ran to the kitchen for scratch paper and pen. Jeff got the address of Josh’s bank and gave the address to Allen to meet him there early Monday and after that Josh was to go to his insurance company the next day and add Allen on his insurance policy as the sole beneficiary. It seem that all of the things he wanted Josh to do would take at least three or four days to complete, it is after all important paper work but knowing that he won’t let Rissa go until everything is complete, he just had to do it; if something was to happen to Rissa he would never forgive himself, if only he would have accepted God she wouldn’t have broken up with him and started dating another guy, she wouldn’t be involved in his mess of a life. “Dear God, what are we gonna do, we can’t just let him keep my sister”. Crissy said as she started crying. Dan consoled Crissy and walked her over to the couch. “Dan this is crazy, we got to go to the police, we can’t trust this guy, this is the same guy who tried to kill his own kids! This guy is nuts! Dan said as he got up from the couch and picked up the house phone. “Wait! I gotta an idea; look Rissa has a smartphone right”. Josh said holding Dan arm from calling the police. “Yeah so”. Dan said. “He never said we couldn’t go to the police, he said he don’t want to see a cop car, so why don’t we contact detective Ingram have them pick up the signal of Rissa smartphone to pinpoint her location and then the cops can take it from there”. Josh said frantically. “Josh my man that isn’t a plan, if that crazy dad of yours even thinks he sees a cop he’s gonna kill Clarissa, we gotta think of something else”. Dan said chewing his nails. “We need to pray”. Crissy said quietly. Josh and Dan turned to Crissy and said “What”, together. “This is the time you have to believe in God Josh, when need Clarissa back home”. Crissy said holding out her hands to Josh and Dan. “I am willing to believe God again, if it means bringing Rissa to me”. So Crissy, Josh and Dan held hands and prayed for a miracle.

  A Perfect Plan Gone Wrong

  Josh was sweating bullets on this warm day, he knew that everything had to go right, Rissa life was literally in his hands. Josh couldn’t believe that the woman that he loved was being held for ransom and there was nothing he could do about it but to go along with Jeff plans. He knew that if anything happened to rissa he could never forgive himself for the rest of his life; after all she would not have gone out with this guy if he would have only been open minded and tried to believe as she did but now it’s to late and Rissa life is hanging in the balance but if he follow the plan nobody would get hurt. Josh sat in the parking lot of the bank waiting on a cold hearted jerk, a guy who claims to be his long lost brother a guy who took Rissa and kept her against her will. Josh hope that he would have the strength not to beat this guy to a pulp before the plan got off the ground. He decided to pray for himself after so long, after the night his father tried to kill him and now his father has come back to finish the job, Josh could not understand how a man could hate his own child even until adulthood, the tears that Josh built up for years would not come out for extreme anger of seeing some man hovered over his true love. Josh could only cry for Rissa, his heart ached so terribly for her and the fear she must be feeling he just couldn’t imagine. “Dear God, I know I have been mad at you for all this time but please don’t let my stubborn and anger cost Rissa life, please God let this plan work and bring me back to her”. Just as Josh finish his pray in the car he heard a tap on the window and turned quickly to stare directly in the face of a man. “Hey big bro, time to handle business; come on and lets get started”. Allen said as he waited for Josh to open the door. Josh gave Allen the description of Dan car but Josh didn’t even see what car Allen showed up in but at this point it doesn’t matter. “Hey you’re that guy that works at the coffee shop”. Josh said stunned. “No big bro, I’m your little brother and your going to do as I tell you”. Allen said as he pointed a silver magnum gun at him. “I’m no brother to you, I’m nothing to you, you and your old man you’re just a couple of scum bags”. Josh said clenching his fist. “Aren’t we touchy, look here dude, you cost me time with my dad, every night when he left me and my mom just to go back to you, his other family made me sick. I had just as much right to have him in my life but you; you didn’t appreciate him, you rebelled, you fought but me I craved my dad, I never gave him any back talk, I did ever thing he told me, he didn’t have to beat me and my ma like he did your family, he knew how to treat a lady and a kid but you and your family cost me time with my pa and now your going to payback every dime that it cost me, now start walking and don’t make any sudden moves”. Josh wanted to knock his lights out. This whole situation is getting stranger by the moment. Not only is this man that served me coffee every weekend but his my half brother who is holding the woman that he started dating whom I love dearly, who has every intention on ruining my life and possibly killing me, could this get any stranger. “Come on lets go would you, I gotta a girl waiting on me back at my place”. Allen said laughing. Josh turned around and started to swing before he realized that Allen pressed his gun in the middle of his back. “You worthless piece of trash, your momma should be proud”. Josh said sarcastically. “I should shoot you right here, my momma’s dead but maybe I should play house with that pretty little number I got back at my place”. Allen said snickering. Josh knew he had to cool it, he couldn’t be stupid, he had to think of Rissa. “Just calm down, calm down; let just go and get your money”. Josh said relaxing his shoulder. “Now that sounds like a plan, let’s go big bro”. Allen said as he pressed the gun in his back and kept on Josh heels.

  Josh to the Rescue

  Clarissa knew that she had to remain calm; she knew that she wanted to stay alive but she also knew she needed to get out of there. She thought about her parents and her sister. She remembered how her dad told her to stay strong in all situations and her mom would say fight your way out of trouble and God would be with you. Clarissa had to think of something she didn’t want to end up a statistic, a number on a clipboard of missing people; she had to think of something quick. “Excuse me; I have to go to the bathroom”. Clarissa said as she held up her tied up hands. “Oh no, your not coming out of those, you just lay yourself right there this will all be over soon”. Jeff said as he eased up out of the chair which was by the door. Clarissa saw that he wasn’t to bright but he did hold the cards because of the weapon he had. “Look, I gotta go, really bad”. Clarissa said holding out her tied wrist. Jeff let out a tiresome sigh. “Fine but don’t
you try nothing stupid or you’ll be meeting your maker sooner than expected”. Jeff said removing the rope around her wrist. Clarissa needed to scope out the place to see if she can find a way to escape, she needed to see if there were any weapons, she had to think of something she wanted to see her sister again; she wanted to see Josh again. It’s all her fault that his going through this, if only she wasn’t stubborn, maybe she could have worked something out or maybe she could have tried to work with him about his non beliefs but that doesn’t matter now; the only thing that matters is getting out and staying safe, she remembered she kept a trial size bottle of pepper spray in her purse, she never used it in the course of a year she just hope that it works but how was she going to get her purse which she remembered was in the living room. “Look I have to get my purse”. Clarissa said mustering up courage. “For what!” Jeff said frowning up. “I have to use my tampons if you don’t mind”. “Great! Now your gonna