Chapter 19 Repent

Justin enters Alex's living room and drops a large bag next to him. "Hey, Prince asks me to drop off these Christmas decorations." He said flopping down on the sofa next to his chair. "Thanks man so what's up?" Alex asks handing him a soda. "A lot, planning a triple engagement party can take a lot out of a man." Justin laughs. "I hear you; so um….I know Prince swore you to secrecy but how is he?" "What do you mean? He's good his business doing exceptionally well, babies are fine, wife keeps him well satisfied; he's a happy man." Justin chuckles.

"Yeah, no thanks to me," Alex said in a sad tone. "So, is he still seeing the grief counselor?" "Yeah at least once a week. He's doing a lot better now though. He can talk about his family and look at their photos without having a panic attack; hey he even hangs a few of his photos around his house; pretty cool huh?" "Yeah, I'm so proud of him, he has come a far way," Alex said running his fingers through his shoulder-length curly brown hair.

"Hey did you know that he drove one of his coasters the other day?" Justin asks. "Really?" Alex asks in surprise. "Oh yeah, the driver had to take his daughter to the doctor, he called Prince and told him and Prince decides to drive for him as a little adventure you know, and man did he made a killing with the number of female passengers he got, damn." Justin laughs.

"Prince has always been a chick magnet, no matter how badly he treated them they just kept coming like ants to sugar." Alex laughs. "A part of me knows I deserve his anger but another part of me craves his friendship, I miss him so damn much; how the hell could I have hurt him like that, I was so damn stupid." Alex snorts with regret.

"Listen, man, you didn't just hurt him when you did what you did, you literally turned his life upside down. The police are still watching him because of what you did and his lawyers are working overtime to keep them off his back, even dirty cops are trying to pin something on him so they can cash in, you really messed up man, in a big way." Justin said finishing his soda and taking up the video game remote. "Ready for a beat down?" Justin asks switching on Mortal Combat. "Ha it won't be so easy this time dude, I have been practicing," Alex said taking up the other remote. "And trust me, I know how badly I messed up, I just wish I knew how to fix it." Alex sighs heavily.

Gabriel shut off the engine and jumping from the vehicle he races across the parking lot towards the doctor in white. "Hey! Are you Mr. Maxwell?" He called. "Yes, I am," Gabriel replied still running. "Follow me, this way!" The man shouts running in the opposite direction. Gabriel went running after him, within a few minutes he realized where the man was leading him. Something wasn't right; this wasn't the maternity ward; the man was leading him towards the emergency room.

He remembered running down this exact same passage to see Alex after his crash, why would Diane be in the emergency room? Did she fall and hurt herself? Was it even Diane in there or did one of his friends have an accident after leaving the restaurant? Questions after questions race through his mind as he ran behind the doctor.

The man ran into a room and Gabriel followed close behind but the scene before him stop him cold in his tracks; it wasn't Diane or his friends; it was sister Mitchell, her family was crowded around her small frame which was lying limp on the bed. She was covered in blood, her legs were crushed beyond repair; there were gashes everywhere on her body, she was also bleeding from her head. She stretches her hand towards him and he rushes over to her.

The coldness of her hand sent shivers down his spine. "Hi, gorgeous." She whispers. "Why are you lying here? Why aren't they doing something to help you? Why is everyone just standing there! Do something now please! Help her." He shouts in panic. "Shhh, they can't help me anymore. I've severe internal bleeding; they said I only have…. about thirty minutes to live. I call you….. here…. because I want…. to tell you that ….I'm sorry for everything I said and did to you." Her voice was barely a whisper and she was gasping as she speaks.

"I've repented of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness." "I forgave you a long time ago but you can't die; I won't just stand here and watch you die, there must be something they can do, there has to be." He said in horror. "They already did everything they can for me, Gabriel….. it's time for me to go. The pain is not so ...bad now; it isn't….. hurting as bad as when they first brought me in." She squeezed his hand gently and look at her family. "I love…..You all very…..Much and Gabriel it...Was a won…..Wonderful pleasure to have met...a guy like …..Like you."

A guy like you was her last words, her hand went limp and he could feel the tears running down his cheeks as he watches the last breath leave her body. She was bleeding through her mouth and her nose and he uses his handkerchief to wipe the blood away. Everyone in the room was crying and some of them were hugging her. He releases her hand and sank into the nearest chair.

His body was numb; It was his brother, his mother, and his father all over again. "Why? Why? How did this happen?" He didn't realize he had asked the question out loud until her brother touch him on his shoulder, Gabriel looked up at him his body shaking. "How did this happen." He asks in a shaky voice. Her brother sat in the chair next to him. "A Mack truck ran a red light and slams into her car; he was taken into custody but it took a while for them to cut her out of her vehicle.

The doctors really tried everything they could to save her, they have been working on her since she arrived here but her internal injuries were fatal; her organs were literally crushed beyond repair. They were thinking of cutting off her legs but that was before they realized how severe her internal injuries were. So I guess you are her boyfriend?" "No, but she was my church sister and I did care about her. I've lost both my parents and my brother so I know what you're feeling right now."

"We take comfort in knowing that she is in heaven, we'll see her again; she's in the arms of God now." His hand trembled as he touches Gabriel's shirt. "You have her blood on your shirt." He said with tears running down his face. "I've to go but please accept condolences from me and my family, there're no words to describe what you're going through right now but please if there's anything I can do to help please give me a call." He said sadly as he hands her brother his card and after saying goodbye to the family he left.

Gabriel sat in his car for a few minutes trying to compose himself but it wasn't working; his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even hold the steering wheel; his head was pounding, the place was spinning and he felt sick as cold sweat bead on his forehead.

He was still trying to calm his nerves when his phone rings and he lift it with shaking hands. "Yeah." He said and it came out as a sob. "Hey Prince, me have some papers fi you sign; wait wat happen? Where you deh?" Marlon asks with concern. "At the University hospital in the parking lot." He said and from the tone of his voice, Marlon knew something was very wrong.

"No sey nothing me on the way, seen." "No I'm fine….I…." "Ten minutes tops my youth, don't move, seen." "Yeah sure." He was still trying to fight off the panic attack that was threatening to overwhelm him when Marlon rode his bike right next to his vehicle jump off and open the driver's door and seeing what was happening gave Gabriel a paper bag from his pocket.

"Bend down and breathe in a dis. Deep breathes man deep breathes." He said as he helps Gabriel to the passenger side of the vehicle. "Is it Diane?" Marlon asks and he shakes his head no. "Anyone a we friend dem?" He shakes his head again. "It's sister Mitchell, she's dead." He said and chokes on a sob. "Me a go drive him home so follow me seen." He said to the guy that came with him. The man nods and jumps on the bike as Marlon drives away from the hospital.

He is always going to have a huge problem with death because of his family; he knew that there were a lot of people out there in the world that were grieving but his grief was so intense it feels like it has been multiplied by a thousand. He breathes a sigh of relief that it wasn't his wife laying there in that bed. He took another deep breath as his heart rate return to normal.

On the way up his driveway, he saw Diane sitting in the swing and Jasmine was chasing lily all over the lawn; Marlon came to a stop in front of the house and he steps out and after taking his shirt off he opens the back door of the car and took out the clean shirt he always carries with him in case the one he was wearing got soiled and after putting it on he thank Marlon and walk towards her.

She stands up when she saw him coming and he hugs her tightly and she realized he was trembling. "Are you okay baby?" She asks against his chest. He buried his face in her neck as tears ran down his cheeks. "I love you baby girl and I'll never take the time we have together for granted, I'll cherish every moment I have with you and our kids." He whispers in her ears. "Baby you're scaring me; what happened to you? You're shaking." He helps her to sit in the swing then sat down beside her and lock his fingers with hers.

Jasmine was still chasing lily across the lawn and now Diana's daughter was chasing Jasmine. Gabriel smiled as he watches them; he then began talking in a very soft tone. "I was on my way home today when I got a call from a man saying that I should come to the university hospital right away. The first thing that came to my mind was that something had happened to you and our babies." He said wiping his eyes.

"So I drove as fast as I could but when I got there it wasn't you; thank God; it was Sister Mitchell. They said that a truck ran a red light and slammed into her vehicle, they had to cut her out of it, and by the time she got to the hospital they realized that her internal injuries were so bad and there was nothing they could do to save her."

Diane's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, Sister Mitchell is dead?" She asks in wide-eyed shock. "Yeah, her family called me because she wanted to use her last breathes to tell me that she had repented of her sins and that she was sorry for everything she said and did to me." "I can't believe Sister Mitchell is dead," Diane said shaking her head in disbelief.

"You know; if it's one thing I've learned is that we always get so caught up in living our lives that we don't really expect these tragedies to happen to us; I mean that day when my brother was leaving the house he asks me if I wanted to go to the library with him, my reply to him was that I would rather stick myself with needles than be cooped up in a library all day and I went back to playing video games with my friends, he pulled my hair and said that those games are going to rot my brain. That was the last time I ever saw my brother alive." He said choked with emotion.

Diane put her hand around his waist and leaned her head against the muscles on his biceps as he continues speaking in a soft tone. "When my parents were leaving the hotel room that night they said; honey we're going for a drive together, you can order anything you want from room service, they both kissed my forehead then left, that was the last time…."

He took another deep shaky breath before finishing his sentence. "That was the last time I ever saw my parents alive and I'm sure like we have all done day after day; she said goodbye to her mom or dad or whoever she saw when she was leaving her house then a few hours later they are in a hospital room watching that same person who was so full of life a few hours ago die right in front of them. I stood there and watched as her last breath leaves her body and there was nothing I could do; nothing, all the money in the world couldn't save my brother, my parents, or her." Diane squeezed his hand.

"The Bible says that in the midst of life we're in death, that's why we should all seek God while we still can because we don't know when we're going to die and after we die it's too late to repent." She said softly. "You know something baby girl there's one thing I know for sure and it's that I'm going to spend the rest of my life worshiping God and loving you, my children, and every one of your family members for as long as God gives me breath because I'm not looking forward to the day that God is going to take you away from me."

"I hope and pray he grants us long life because I want to grow old with you," Diane whispers as she looks into his beautiful blue eyes and he ran his fingers along her cheek. "I would love nothing more than to grow old with you baby girl. I love you so much." He whispers kissing her passionately.

Food for thought

The Bible: Read it through

Work it out: pass it on.

Thank you all for reading.