Chapter 11 Difficult

Gabriel enters his kitchen to find Alex sitting at his counter eating cereal. "Hey look who is here. What happened to you last night?"Alex asks. "I'm not sure," Gabriel answers as he takes a bottle of water from the cooler. "Well, whatever it was it looks like you just work it off," Alex said assuming that Gabriel had just gotten his morning sex fix from whoever was available. "I haven't been the same since Tuesday night Alex. Something has changed. I don't know what but I do know I don't feel the same." "Oh come on not the church thing again. Prince, please forget about that. Look, don't try to be someone you're not just to please your aunt... You are Gabriel, the player not Gabriel the Christian, so just drop this please." Alex said annoyed. "That's just it I can't. Something has changed and whether I like it or not God has chosen me for some unknown reason and it's up to me to find out what that reason is. I'm not the same Alex, something is different. I've tried to do the same things as before and I can't. I've tried telling myself that I haven't change but the truth is I have and I don't want to fight this change anymore." Gabriel said firmly.

"Are you listening to yourself right now, you are choosing to follow a God who has caused you nothing but grief all your life. He took your brother away from you, he took your parents away from you, and now he wants to take you away from me. Is that the God you want to follow, you must be joking." Alex sucked his teeth. "I can't explain why he did all those things and I can't explain why he chooses me but I just know that I have to do this." Alex got up and storm to the sink and dumping the bowl in it he turns back to his friend. "You don't have to do shit! He shouts. "Your aunt is the one putting all this nonsense in your head, you're no damn Christian prince and you never will be."

Gabriel could feel his anger rising inside of him; it wasn't his friend's fault that he didn't understand, hell he didn't understand either but why was he been so damn difficult. Gabriel took a deep breath and tried to sound as calm as he could. "How would you know Alex? I have changed a lot since Tuesday night but you are too wrapped up in yourself to notice and whether I choose to follow God or not is my decision not yours." "Don't you dare put this on me you're the one putting yourself through all this trying to be something you're not?"

Gabriel ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lips to suppress his anger. "Look I don't blame you for not understanding. But I don't think following God would be such a bad idea." "Oh so you're a Christian now, is that what you're trying to say, prince." "It sure feels that way." Alex smiled wickedly to himself. "Well let me give you a dose of reality prince. There's no way you can drink alcohol and take drugs and still call yourself a damn Christian. You have been on drugs since you were seventeen. What the hell makes you think you can stop now?" Alex asks angrily. "Well they say that God works miracles, so maybe with his help I can stop." But Alex just leans his head back and laughs out loud. "God! The help of God! You know what you can take your God and stick him where the sun doesn't shine." Alex stormed from the kitchen, grabs his car keys from the desk where he had left them the night before." Your keys are on the counter. Call me when you come to your senses."

Gabriel knew it would take a while for Alex to understand but he didn't expect Alex to turn his back on him. Alex was his best friend and Gabriel really didn't want to go through all this without him. Alex has always been there for him, he would just have to make him understand, he had to, Gabriel thought running from the house but Alex was almost through the gate. "Double A. Wait!" He shouts as he ran towards his friend. Alex stops his vehicle and turns to watch his friend running towards him. That was fast he thought. I knew he would come to his senses. He said to himself. As he steps from his car.

"Alex don't leave, just listen to me please." "I'm listening." "I really don't want to do this without you, Alex I can't. You have always been there for me why would you walk away now?" "I don't want to." "Then where are you going? Alex I don't expect you to understand. I just want your support; can you support me on this? That's all I ask." "I can't watch you serve a God who has hurt you all your life prince. I can't do that. Don't ask me to."

"Alex you do realize that if I walk away now I would be turning my back on God. I don't think I want to do that Alex." "But you can turn your back on me right?" "I'm not turning my back on you Alex I'm right here for God's sake." "Yeah, but you said that you're not the same. I want the prince I've known since high school, not the Christian wanna be." "I have always accepted you for who you are. Why can't you do the same?" "This is not who you are Prince! This is who your aunt wants you to be." Alex sneered getting into his car and closing the door. Gabriel looks at him and shakes his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're walking away from me right now." "Well technically I'm driving away from you but it seems to me like you've already made your choice, so now I'm making mine."

Alex starts the engine again and drives away. Marlon and Mike drive up right at that moment and Gabriel's chest tightens as he watched his friend drive away from him. Why was he been like this, he refuses to listen. He could be so damn difficult sometimes. I'll let him cool off for now and try talking to him another time Gabriel thought to himself. "Wat you two quarreling bout now. Di two a you come like an old married couple." Marlon said as Mike stop the car at Gabriel's feet. Gabriel took a deep breath and turn to his friends. "Hey, guys what's up?" "We could ask you di same question," Marlon said as he stepped from the car. Gabriel uses his gate control on his keys to close the gate. "Come on, let's go back to the house," Gabriel said as he walks up the drive way.

Mike park in the driveway way and they all went into the kitchen. Marlon wash his hands and went straight for the fridge. "Wow, fi someone who lives alone you sure have a lat a food," Marlon said as he starts removing things from the fridge. "Bring some of that my way will you," Mike said taking a seat beside Gabriel. "So what's up with brother grumpy?" He asks Gabriel. Gabriel ran his hands through his hair and groaned in frustration.

"He's upset because I got baptize and decides to follow God." "Hey, that's actually the reason why we are here," Mike said. "Congratulations man very good move," Marlon said with his mouth full. "Thanks guys Unfortunately Alex doesn't think so." "So what him so mad bout?" "Honestly Marlon I don't know. He said that I'm trying to be something I'm not. Whatever that means." "So he's angry because you decide to follow God, is he out of his mind?" Mike asks. "He's angry alright, I just don't know why." "He's a fool,dat's what he is. Tunning im back pon you is like tunning im back pon God and trusts me, dat's something him no wah do." Marlon said.

At that point, someone rang the gate bell. "Justin is here," Mike said. He got up and buzz the gate open. A few minutes later Justin walks into the kitchen and greets his friends. "Congrats on becoming a new man." He said as he walks over to Gabriel. "I bought you something." He said giving Gabriel a gift bag. "Thanks, what's the occasion?" "Open it and you will see." Gabriel took the gift from the bag and tears the wrapping paper off it. It was a big Bible in a silver case with a zip and His name was engraved on the case. "Wow, this is beautiful," Gabriel said in surprise. "My very first Bible. Thanks, man." "No problem man." Justin said in a Jamaican accent "Hold it, someone is missing. Where's Alex?" Justin asks. "He drove off down the road just as we got here." Mike answered. "Why, what happened?" "He's angry at me for getting baptized." Gabriel said admiring his Bible.

"Seriously, you're joking right?" Justin asks in disbelief. 'I wish I was." Gabriel said sadly. "So he's angry at you! You get angry at your friends and walk away from them when they become rapists, thieves, and murderers. Not when they give their lives to God. What kind of nonsense is this? Anyway enough about Alex. What are you guys up to today?" Justin asks drying his hands and stealing a piece of Marlon's sandwich.

"Well, we were going to hang with prince if he doesn't have any plans," Mike said. "What do you say, prince?" Justin asks. "Sure no problem I can hang for awhile but I have a 5.00 pm appointment." "Good so let us jus sit back, relax an watch some movies," Marlon suggests as he walks from the kitchen and they all followed him. "Movies sounds good but let me take a bath first," Gabriel said as he head in the opposite direction.

It was 4.00 pm and Gabriel was in his room getting dressed when Mike stuck his head around the door. "Hey Prince, can I holler at you for a sec." "Sure." "Alright I know that you and Alex are like brothers but please don't let him turn you away from God. I mean the two of you have been through a lot but in the end, he really can't save you, only God can and he's the one you need to serve not Alex." Marlon steps into the room at that moment and immediately joins in the conversation. "True dat, true dat. Alex is an idiot. My mada and sista are Christians and if dem neva did a pray fi mi, mi wouldn't be alive today. Mi respect da move dey wey you make. Trust me you deh pon the right track, don't come off it fi nobody." Marlon said crossing his arms. "It's okay guys, deep in my heart I know there's no turning back for me now. I'll give Alex a while to cool down but I'll be serving God no matter what. Now come on we have to go." His friends got in their vehicles and he got in his Pajero and they head down the driveway. "I'll holler at you guys later okay and Justin thanks again man I love my gift."