Rain Storm Page 24

  He stopped believing in God when they sat him in the backseat of that police car. Two years later, when his brother was in an alley shooting dice and a bullet exploded in his head, Isaac wished for the existence of God. He wanted to track God down, and curse Him to His ain’t-never-looked-out-for-nobody face, but it was useless. Nobody was going to come out of the sky to see about him, to hear his cries. Only the rain came.

  He was in his thirties before he stepped foot in church again. But it took prison, a trip to hell, and the events of 9-11 before Isaac bowed his knee to God. Now Isaac was finally ready to release the man that had caused him so much pain, and in the process, free them both. He got out of the car and knock on the door.

  His podgy father opened the door and stood there with widening eyes. Isaac lifted a bucket of KFC and said, “I just left Keith’s house. Thought I’d come by and check on you before I went home.”

  His father’s eyes brightened. “Well don’t just stand on the porch letting the chicken get cold, get on in here.”

  Isaac hadn’t stepped a foot in this house since he was thirteen. He’d never wanted to see the spot where his mother took her last breath. But as he walked through the living room and noted that the bloody orange carpet had been replaced with tan carpet and a wood table had replaced the glass one his mother fell threw, he gently reminded himself to see it differently. His mother was already in heaven. It was high time he worked on getting his father there. If he could get his father to heaven, maybe God would allow the man to meet up with his first wife and apologize to her just as God had allowed Isaac to apologize for the wrong he’d done to Cynda.

  As if reading his thoughts, his father said, “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve been trying to read this Bible your wife gave me for Christmas, but I can’t make sense of some of the passages.”

  “Let’s eat this chicken, then we can go over some of those Bible verses you’re not understanding. Okay?”

  “That’ll be just fine, son. Just fine.”

  35

  Determined not to wait another day, Keith went to Janet with hat in hand, and offered to double her salary if she would take on Cynda’s responsibilities with Ms. Dobbs for the duration of her two-week notice.

  To his surprise she told him, “I think getting away would do me some good right now. I’ll do it.”

  Cynda was standing in the living room looking out the window when Keith and Janet pulled into Ms. Dobbs driveway. She felt her heart begin to race and the palm of her hands became warm and sweaty. “Stop this, you’re acting like a teenager,” Cynda chided herself as she watched Keith and Janet walk up the walkway. But in some ways she was like a teenager; she felt brand new. She loved a man and he loved her back; that was a first for her, something that should have happened to her years ago. But Keith had been worth the wait.

  He waved at her. She smiled and returned the wave. Her feet however, were still planted in front of that window, watching him come back into her life as he had so many times before. Please God, don’t let me disappoint my husband again. Help me to love Keith the way he deserves to be loved, Cynda silently prayed, then she backed away from the window as she realized that she had actually uttered a prayer to God. She had declared that she would never do that. But her prayer was for Keith, and she could find no wrong in praying for her husband.

  Keith rang the door bell. Cynda opened the door and fell into his arms. He’d heard Cynda utter the words that night she’d left him for the third time, but now he could feel the love she had for him in the way she held him. Tears of joy sprang to his eyes as he realized; this is it. This is the love that God had in mind for Keith when He’d asked him to love Cynda, but Keith couldn’t see it then. God had given him a gift, one that belonged to him alone.

  Keith’s gift from God was hugged him so tight that he worried that the baby might get crushed so he moved her back a bit. That’s when he saw that she was crying too.

  “I prayed Keith, Cynda told him excitedly. “I prayed that God would help me love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

  Keith smiled. “You already are, baby. I can feel your love.”

  Janet tapped Keith on the shoulder and asked, “Can I come in, or are you paying me to stand on the porch?”

  Keith stepped to the side and allowed Janet to walk into the house. “Sorry about that,” Keith said to Janet.

  Cynda smiled and Janet as she said, “Hello Janet.” Cynda extended her hand

  “Hello, Cynda,” Janet said as she briefly shook Cynda’s hand.

  “Thank you so much for taking my place here. You will love Ms. Dobbs she is a very spiritual woman,” Cynda told Janet.

  Janet didn’t respond. She just looked at every area in the living room so she could avoid eye contact with Cynda.

  He gently rubbed his wife’s stomach. “Is he moving yet?”

  Smacking his hand Cynda told him, “It might be a girl you know.”

  Still rubbing her belly he stood smiling at her. He liked the way she was looking at him, like she’d missed him more than simple words could say; a far cry from the way she looked at him when he’d married her. She moved his hand and put her arms around his neck while planting a kiss on his lips. A far cry from the way she treated him when he’d visited her in the rehab.

  “You ready to go home, aren’t you?” he asked her.

  “Sure am. I already talked with Ms. Dobbs’ son, and he’s okay with Janet working here while he finds a permanent replacement.” Cynda turned back to Janet and said, “Let me introduce you to Ms. Dobbs.

  They went into Ms. Dobbs bedroom and Cynda introduced Janet to Ms Dobbs. She let the two have a quick conversation and then Cynda put her hand on Keith’s arm and told her employer, “Ms. Dobbs, this is Keith.”

  “I could tell that by the smile on your face. Come here, young man,” Ms. Dobb’s said. When Keith moved closer to her bed she told him, “Don’t let this one get away again, you hear me? Even if you have to put bars on the windows and chains on the doors.” She winked at Keith. “It’ll be for her own good. She’s miserable without you.”

  Cynda smiled. “I’ll thank you to not tell my business. Maybe I wanted him to think I was having the time of my life cleaning after you.”

  She waved off Cynda’s comment. “You aren’t fooling anybody, girl. I knew from the time you walked through my front door that your heart was aching. Now look at you – I think this is the first smile I’ve ever seen on your face.”

  Cynda linked arms with Keith and said, “That’s because I got my man back.”

  “You go on home, Beautiful One. I’ll be all right,” Ms. Dobbs told her.

  “Beautiful One, huh?” Keith asked with a smile.

  “Don’t you think she’s the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen?” Ms. Dobbs asked Keith.

  “I sure do. And if you don’t mind, I think I’ll use that name for her myself.”

  Backing away, hands raised, Cynda said, “Careful you two. I may be pretty on the outside, but my insides are still ugly.”

  “That’s for God to work out,” Ms. Dobbs said as she kissed Cynda on the cheek. “Let Him do His work.”

  Before they left, Cynda gave Janet a tour of the house. Showing her where the linens, Ms. Dobbs medication and where the cleaning supplies were kept. When she was finished Cynda asked Janet if she had any questions.

  They were standing in the kitchen and Janet turned away from Cynda as she responded, “I’m sure I’ll be fine. If I need anything I’ll ask Ms. Dobbs or her son.”

  Cynda got the message. Janet didn’t want to be around here one second longer than was necessary. Cynda couldn’t blame her. Truth be told, if she had found Janet cheating on Keith, Cynda wouldn’t want to be in the same room with her either.

  Cynda put her hand on Janet’s shoulder and gently turned her around as she said, “I’m sorry, Janet. I know I wasn’t very nice to you that day you came to Keith’s house.”

  Janet huffed, “Do you think I care if you’re nice to
me.” Janet lifted her arm and pointed in the direction of Ms. Dobbs room where Keith was, still holding court with the old woman. “It’s Keith I’m worried about. You’re going to go home with him today, and then run off and break his heart all over again.”

  Cynda had no defense, all she could say to Janet was, “You were right when you told me that I didn’t deserve Keith’s love.”

  “And you told me that you didn’t want his love, and that you were getting out of his house the moment the getting was good. So why are you going back pretending to love him now?” Janet snapped.

  Cynda pulled out a chair and sat down as she explained to Janet, “Keith made me love him. Don’t see, Janet, I didn’t have a choice. He kept loving and forgive and taking me back no matter what I’d done to him.” Cynda looked up, her eyes implored Janet to understand. “How could I not love him?”

  Janet had this dumbfounded look on her face. “So you’re not just using him so you’ll have a father for your baby?” Cynda shook her head no. Janet continued, “And you really do love Keith?”

  Smiling, Cynda stood back up and said, “Yeah, I really love that big teddy bear.”

  Janet walked over to Cynda she put her arms around her and as they hugged Janet said, “Don’t ever let him go again, Cynda. Not ever.”

  After Cynda’s talk with Janet, Cynda had a smile on her face the whole drive home. Keith held his wife’s hand as he maneuvered through the traffic. When they walked through the front door Cynda announced to the walls, “I’m home.”

  He pulled her into his arms. “For good this time. Okay?” Lifting her face with his index finger so he could look into her eyes Keith said, “I need you in my life, Beautiful One.”

  “Where would I go? Nobody has ever loved me like you.”

  Keith wanted to tell her about the One who wanted to love her even more than he could, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. So he’d love her the way God wanted and pray that would be enough to guide her.

  ***

  Days turned to weeks and the weeks flowed into months as Cynda and Keith adjusted to life together. He was still going to church alone. But she’d asked him to read the Bible out loud to her at least a couple times a week. She decorated the house and was careful with the budget they set, and always careful to ask if he liked the changes she wanted to make.

  One evening as they stood holding one another while discussing plans for the baby’s room, Keith said. “I don’t care what you do to junior’s room just as long as you sit a bunch of teddy bears in there and paint the room blue or some other boyish color.”

  She moved away from him, walked over to the crib, and tossed the baby’s pillow around.

  He went to her, put his arms around her, and spread his hands around her belly. “What just happened, baby?”

  “What are you talking about?” Cynda asked, puzzled.

  “I was holding you over there. I thought we were having a moment, and you left me to come play with this pillow.” He took the pillow out of her hand and turned her around to face him. “What’s wrong?

  “You keep calling the baby junior.” She ran her hands through her hair and took a step back, putting distance between them. “I don’t want to name this baby after you. It wouldn’t be fair. After I have this baby, I promise I’ll keep having kids until we have your junior. Okay?”

  “And what will we tell our first son when he asks why his little brother is a junior and he’s not.” Keith shook his head. “No, Cynda, I won’t have my son wondering if I love him less because he doesn’t have my blood. This child will be named after me.”

  “I might be having a girl, Keith. And then this whole conversation is pointless.”

  “It’s a boy. I can feel it,” Keith said, smiling like a proud papa.

  “He won’t look anything like you, Keith.”

  Keith smiled again. “You know what they say, if you feed ‘em long enough they start to look like you. So, I’ll just have to over feed this one.”

  She hugged him. “Keith Hosea Williams, you make it hard for a woman not to love you.”

  “You better love me, girl. I’m your baby’s daddy.”

  36

  Isaac and Cynda agreed that Iona would spend the summer with her, so as soon as school was out Keith and Cynda went to pick her up. They had gone to Dayton to visit on the weekend twice since the incident in the park, but this was different. Iona would be with her for a month and a half. Cynda was excited.

  The month was July and Cynda was now in her seventh month so it was kind of hard for her to get out of the car. Keith helped her out as Nina opened the door to welcome them. “Dinner’s almost ready, so just have a seat and I’ll call you when I’m finished.” Nina then yelled upstairs. “Iona, your mom is here.”

  Iona opened her door and came running down the stairs. “Mom, you’re here, you’re here!”

  Cynda bent as best she could and wrapped her arms around her child. “I have missed you something awful.”

  Iona kissed her mother. “Look how big you’ve gotten,” she said, pointing at her mother’s stomach.

  Nina walked to the kitchen and Keith followed her. He washed his hands in the sink and started helping with the dinner preparations.

  “How’ve you been doing?” Keith asked Nina while chopping cucumbers for the salad.

  “I’ve been good,” Nina said.

  Cautiously he said, “How are things with Iona?”

  “It has been hard at times. But she’s come around more in this last month than the entire time she’s been with us.”

  “Do you think you’ll miss her much this summer?”

  She took the roast out of the oven then faced Keith with the truth. “It’s funny the way things work, but I think I will. I’ll probably cry myself to sleep the first few nights she’s away. Isaac will probably harass you about bringing Iona home early, and then I’ll adjust.” She hunched her shoulders. “It’s just the way life is.”

  “I just wish we didn’t have to hurt you to be able to see Iona.”

  Nina gave him an adoring hug. “You’re such a sweet man. I love you for thinking of me.”

  “Hey, get your hands off my woman,” Isaac told him as he strolled into the kitchen.

  “You just better be glad you saw her first,” Keith said.

  “Or what would have happened, Mr. Williams?” All eyes turned toward Cynda as she wobbled into the kitchen.

  “I-I would have had to introduce her to Isaac, because I am a one-woman man.” Keith said as he went to Cynda and put his arms around her. “Ain’t that right, baby?”

  “It better be. You know I’m extra hormonal right now. So don’t give me a reason to go off.” She looked at Nina teasingly. “Like some too-cute-to-be-left-alone-with-my-man woman hugging on him.”

  “Girl, you don’t have anything to worry about. The man I’ve got is a handful. So I sure don’t won’t some other woman’s untrained troubles.”

  Nina and Cynda both laughed.

  Isaac looked to Keith. “I think we’re being disrespected.”

  Keith grabbed Isaac’s arm. “Let’s go in the living room so they can do this behind our backs.”

  Nina and Cynda worked in the kitchen getting the meal ready for consumption in silence until Cynda turned to Nina and said, “Look, I’m not too good at admitting when I’m wrong, or letting people know how sorry I am for stuff that should have never been done.” Her lip quivered. “Iona has told me how much you’ve done for her since she’s been here. I wish I could say I would have done the same for you had the shoe been on the other foot. But I know I wouldn’t have.” Tears filled her eyes. “I’m just not good like you and Keith.” She rubbed the small swell of her belly. “I still can’t believe Keith wants to raise this child.” She shuffled her feet. “Look, I’m going to get out of your way. I just wanted to thank you, that’s all.” Cynda turned to walk out the kitchen.

  “Wait a minute, Cynda.”

  She turned, and Nina pulled her into her arms. Th
ey held onto each other as they let go of the past and allowed themselves to move forward.

  “See what I mean?” Cynda said as she pulled away from Nina and wiped away her tears. “I never would have hugged you like that. Not after all I’ve done to you.”

  Nina and Cynda then set the food on the dinning room table and yelled for their family to come eat. Donavan said Grace, and the green beans, potato salad, corn on the cob, and roasted chicken disappeared within minutes of being placed on the table. Not much table conversation was going on while the food was being devoured, but once the dinner was in everyone’s belly, questions about the baby came pouring out of Donavan and Iona.

  “So is this going to be my god brother or sister since you’re my godfather?” Donavan asked Keith.

  “You’re right, Donavan. My child will be your god brother or sister,” Keith answered.

  “And even though we won’t have the same father, he’ll still be my brother, right Mom?”

  Cynda put her hand on Iona’s hair. “That’s right, baby.”

  Looking around the table it amazed Cynda how far they had come in the past few months. She and Isaac were behaving like adults, communicating with Iona’s best interest at heart, laying aside their own selfish motives. She’d even granted Isaac an extra week with Iona. Isaac did baptisms at the church every second Sunday of the month, and Iona told her that she wanted to stay an extra week so she could be baptized by her father.

  Still seated at the dinning room table, Nina turned to Iona asked, “Are you excited about tomorrow, honey?”

  Jumping in her seat she responded, “You bet. I can’t wait.”

  Donavan said, “What if Daddy drops you and you drown in that water. I bet that won’t be so fun, huh?”

  “Shut up, boy.” Isaac muffed Donavan on the back of his head, then turned back to Iona. “Don’t listen to your knucklehead brother. I haven’t dropped not one person in all the years I’ve been baptizing people. So, do you think I’m going to slip up now when I’ve got my precious daughter in my arms?”