“So, did you tell her that she wasn’t getting out anytime soon and that her baby is about to go to a foster home or somewhere?” Larry stared at Stacey, anticipating a response that was sure to get her smacked.
“Larry, thank you for everything. You’ve taught me a lot and I’ll always be grateful for that. You’ve taught me how to believe in myself when no one else will, how to forgive people who hurt me, and most importantly, how to pray. Tia will not be going to a foster home. God put her in my care for a reason. She’s my niece, not some puppy that you return. If you choose to leave me, that’s fine. I’ve already seen the divorce papers on the counter,” Sasha stated firmly and confidently.
“You’re stupid, Stacey. You’re going to let Sasha ruin your life. She killed those people. Why should we have to suffer too?”
“Suffer? Sasha may have committed a horrible crime, but she didn’t ruin my life. We’re guilty of murder too. Oh, but it’s justified because it was called an abortion, right?” Larry walked towards Stacey with his eyes full of rage. Stacey did not flinch.
“What? You want to hit me, right?” Stacey asked boldly, her arms folded.
“Nope. I’m not going to touch you. So you think that I’m a murderer just like your trashy sister, huh?” Larry sat down on the bed and awaited a reply. Instead, Stacey began to cry.
“I wish that you would stop judging my sister. We’re no better than she is.”
“I’m not a killer. You are, sweetie. You killed our baby,” Larry said sarcastically.
“You bastard. You made me get that abortion because you didn’t want to have kids.” Stacey’s lower lip trembled.
“You’re mistaken, dear. I just never wanted to have children with you. I already have two kids.” Stacey’s stomach dropped. “You never wondered why I travel so much or why I have college funds set aside? The accounts statements come here every month.” Stacey gently placed her hand over her womb. “You’re lying. Larry, tell me that you’re lying.” Instead of replying, Larry stood in his truth and watched with pleasure as Stacey’s heart shattered into a million pieces. Hitting Stacey could not inflict the pain that her heart had just suffered.
Chapter Twenty
“You look good, Randi. Oh my goodness, look at you.” Stacey put her hands on her hips to exam Randi’s new physique thoroughly. “I’m jealous. Look at your butt. What does Russell think about all of this?” Stacey asked as she hand motioned a coke bottle shape for Randi’s figure.
“Thanks so much, Stacey. That means a lot coming from you. Russell is so insecure now. I honestly think that he’d rather me be overweight. I just don’t understand him.” Stacey listened with little compassion.
“Oh my goodness. He needs to stop tripping,” Stacey replied as she sipped on her coffee.
“He gave me a hard time today because I was coming to meet you.”
“Are you serious? Did you tell him that we were meeting about Sasha’s case?”
“Girl, he doesn’t care. He thinks that every man is looking at me,” Randi laughed.
“Hon, I just don’t know what you’re going to do about that. Your sexy new look has Russell all paranoid. You’re going to have to leave the house in rollers or a head scarf to make him feel comfortable.” They both laughed.
“I could be wearing that and a jogging suit. If men have a desire to look, they will. It doesn’t matter if I wear a skirt down to my ankles or I cover up like a Muslim. He just needs to know that I’m woman enough to be fly and still honor my husband.” Stacey high-fived Randi.
“Exactly. Ok, Randi let’s get started, because I have to hurry up and get you back home. Russell’s not about to come looking for me,” Stacey said jokingly. “No, but really, I’m not going to keep you long because I have to pick Tia up from daycare.
“How is Sasha?” Randi asked. “She hasn’t called me in a few weeks.”
“She’s up and down. She misses Tia incredibly and of course her scars are bothering her. It takes a while for her to warm up, but she’s still the feisty Sasha that we all know and love.”
“Have you told her about Seth yet?”
“No. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her. I asked the attorney to let me talk to her first. He didn’t want me to, but I’m concerned what she may do. Her self-esteem is so low…” Stacey could not complete her sentence.
“I just pray that God gives her strength,” Randi added.
“Yes, we all need that. I’m going to tell her the next time she calls.”
Randi could tell that something else was bothering Stacey and decided to fish for more details.
“Now Stacey, you know that I’m not the type of person that tries to get all up in your business, but how are things going with you at home?”
“Home is home,” Stacey said as she tried to avoid the real issue.
“So what does that mean? Does that mean that Larry is still crazy Larry?”
Stacey smirked. “That’s exactly what that means. He wants a divorce and I just want peace. I can no longer live like that. It’s not just me anymore; I have to think about Tia.”
“Oh my goodness, Stacey. I’m so sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry that I allowed him to change me. But through this tragedy with Sasha, I’ve somehow found myself again.
Chapter Twenty-one
The phone rang just as Stacey was laying Tia in her twin canopy toddler bed. Her heart dropped, knowing that it was probably Sasha calling. She always tried to call around Tia’s bedtime. Any other time, Stacey would be glad to hear from her, but not tonight. She looked at her caller ID. It was Sasha and butterflies filled her stomach as she answered the phone.
“Hello.”
“You have a collect call from an inmate in the Western Valley Correctional Institute. Do you wish to accept this call?” the automated system asked. “Press ‘1’ to accept.”
“Beep...” Stacey held down the number ‘1’ key as she hesitated to be connected.
“Hello?” Stacey answered, pretending to be calm.
“Hey, Stacey. Were you asleep?” Sasha asked, hearing the peculiar tone of Stacey’s voice.
“Huh uh. But Tia is.”
“Oh no, she is? I called as soon as I could,” Sasha replied, instantly disappointed.
“Sasha, I met with your attorney the other day like you asked me to…”
“Oh! What did he say about my trial?” Sasha asked anxiously.
Stacey took a few seconds to reply. “What? Stacey. Why are you so quiet?
“I’m afraid that I have some bad news.”
“Bad news? What kind of bad news?”
“The attorney was given some vital information. As I have power of attorney for you, he contacted me first. He’ll give you all the details tomorrow morning.”
“Stacey, what details? You’re scaring me,” Sasha gasped.
“They have CPS complaints against you.”
“CPS complaints? Huh? What? CPS, what’s that?” Sasha asked, irritated and confused.
“Child Protective Services,” Stacey explained.
“WHAT? WHY? I wasn’t always the best mother, but Stacey, you know that I would never hurt Tia.”
“Yes. Yes, I know. Sasha, there’s more.”
“More?”
“Yes, more.” Stacey rubbed her eyes as tears began to fall. “Miss Susie filed the complaints. Several times, actually.”
“I can’t believe this. Why would she do something like that? None of this makes any sense to me.”
“She reported that Tia could possibly have been being molested by your boyfriend, Seth.”
“Ah HUH, ah HUH, ah HUH! UHHHHHHHHHHH!” Sasha wept bitterly. “So I kil….” the words would not come out of her mouth as she continued to mourn.
“Yes. Miss Susie was trying to help Tia. The reports show that she was extremely concerned. The last time that she filed a complaint was on that day.”
“Why didn’t she say something to me?”
“Apparently she tried.�
��
Sasha opened her eyes. Tears ran down her melted face and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. The female prisoners all looked at Sasha, giving her their respect.
Chapter Twenty-two
Seventeen Years Later
“I’m in here for life, but y’all have another chance to make different decisions,” she told them. ‘Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord’. I was a fool. I tried to get my own revenge, but instead I killed two innocent people who were trying to help me. Satan made me feel like I could take matters into my own hands. He lied. That’s what he does best. He’s a liar. Some people thought that my life was over. However, God showed me that it was just the beginning.” Sasha smiled with pride and accomplishment. She looked sorrowfully at the inmates, “Are there any questions?”
“What happened to that guy, Seth?” an inmate asked.
“Good question. Once I got burned up and locked up, he vanished. He was nowhere to be found. Next question.”
“Is your daughter Tia still with your sister Stacey?” another inmate asked.
“No. She’s a freshman in college now, studying criminal justice. Are there any more questions?”
“Are you mad at God?” asked yet another inmate. The woman’s face was beet red and tears streamed down her face. She tried to contain herself but she was overcome with emotion.
“No. I’m not angry with God. Being in here saved my life. Although I’m here in prison, I’m the freest that I’ve ever been. Outside these walls, I was a selfish burden on so many people. Now God has chosen me to help women like you.”
“One more question,” the correctional guard advised.
“What happened to your sisters?” an inmate asked from across the room.
“Stacey is doing extremely well with her company and has done an amazing job raising Tia. Tia taught her how to love and how to forgive. Her ex-husband Larry remarried and had three more kids. Stacey was bitter for years, but I believe that Tia was sent to her by God. My job was to give birth to her, but Stacey was supposed to raise her. As for Randi, well, she has become a physical trainer. Her husband was her first client. They now work together, training and educating people about their health. She claims that I motivated her to lose weight, so she named the company ‘Sasha Fit’.”
“What was the greatest lesson that you have learned?” asked the prison guard as she tried to maintain her composure.
“I learned to live. I learned to love myself, and I learned that everything that Satan had intended to kill me with, God turned it around and made it beautiful. I have a testimony. My testimony is someone else’s hope.
Conclusion
How many of us can identify with Sasha, Stacey, or Randi? It is amazing how God can take the tragedy of one person’s life and use it to change the lives of others: Sasha was not only guilty of murder, she was guilty of chasing the idea of being with a man. She wanted him so badly that she missed the red flags along the way. There are some women today who still struggle with loneliness and become desperate to fill that void. That was the case with Sasha. Being controlled by her loneliness led her to destructive habits and actions. We all want to be loved, but look for it in the wrong places. God wants to fill that void. God wants to show you the agape love that he has for you. Anything other than God is temporary. Why do you think that so many women hop from man to man? It is simple; it is temporary; happiness is not money; happiness is not a marriage; happiness is not your appearance or social status. Happiness is loving the person God made you to be and loving her unconditionally. Sasha did not find happiness until she was sent to prison and for the first time in her life became truly free.
The End
About the Author
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www.MaritaKinney.com
Who is Marita Kinney?
Marita L Kinney is an Amazon Best-Selling Author and a woman of many talents. A published Author, Life Coach and Motivational Speaker, Marita has inspired thousands of people to overcome adversity with triumph through faith and perseverance. While facing several life changing challenges herself, Marita had enough faith to conquer tribulations, coming out victorious. She is best known for her Christian Fiction novellas and heart felt inspirational books. Capturing the true essence of what it means to turn “lemons into lemonade”, she has taken the harsh lessons of life and developed a plan for successfully living. Marita is also wife of Comedian, Actor, and Saxophonist, Demoine Kinney. They are the proud parents of six children.
www.MaritaKinney.com
Follow me on twitter
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Books by Marita:
The Unspoken Walk
The Snow’s Meltdown
Don’t Rescue Me, God’s Molding…
Seed Of Discord
Sasha
Who Will Hold My Bags
Not Tonight, I’m Tired
Sex and a Cup of Coffee
The Other Side Of Sex
Simply search for these titles at your favorite ebook retailers to find them.
Snow Series:
Sasha: African American Romance Page 8
