Isabella

"Have you ever been in a position to walk out of trouble before it's too late? Did you walk out of it?, perhaps you took the advice of your mind, atleast, maybe only your brain was involved in the decision. In my case, I had a heart and brain, fighting for their voices to be heard."

***

Isabella was sitting at her door when we pulled over, she was doing what women do best, staring at a small mirror and applying make-up, she was beautiful.

"Slut! get out of here!" she sprang up when she saw us.

"Have you come to kill me too?"

This was the reception I was expecting, but it took me by surprise, the neighbors were peeping out of their windows.

"Shshshs, we come in peace, Isabella!" I tried to calm her down

Calming down a woman is one thing, and calming down a woman you had fucked once and you're still fucking the cause of her husband's death is another thing, it isn't a walk in the park.

"You come in piece ehe?"

"Isabella..."

"Don't Isabella me!"

"Please calm down, we need to talk Bella." Pleaded Peninah.

"I have a bottle of wine, your favorite one." That worked the magic.

She calmed down, came to us and snatched the bottle

"Follow me!"

We followed her silently, Peninah pinching me, she didn't see that coming.

Isabella's house was welcoming from the open door to the wide hallway. Upon the walls were the photographs of her children, so obviously so loved. The floor was an old-fashioned tiles with a blend of deep homely browns and the walls were the greens of summer gardens meeting a bold white baseboard. The banister was a twirl of a branch, tamed by the carpenter's hand, it's grain flowing as water might, in waves of comforting woodland hues. Under the lamp-shine it was nature's art, something that soothed right to the soul.

She led us to a coach where we sank in comfortably. There were no children on sight.

"Isabella..." Peninah and I spoke at the same time

"Go on," I urged her

"We... I came to ask for forgiveness" She started. "I know it has been rough for you and I don't know how to apologize correctly."

She looked at me, her eyes dimmed with sorrow and for the first time, I saw her soul through her eyes, she wanted to come out clean, she wanted to be free, again.

On the other side, Isabella's eyes were full of rage, hatred and anger, I could see the pain being awakened through her eyes, the memories reviving, her breasts were moving up and down, as her heart increased in beatings, she was trying to be calm, I could see her struggle, till she couldn't anymore, and her heart opened up, the broken pieces fell, with them a river of words, it was flooding here.

"Penny..." I saw tears of pain, "I trusted you, you were like a sister to me, a mother and god, I watched you grow from a little girl to who you are today, I still remember when we played at our garden."

She was heaving with pain, I stood up, went to her huge fridge for a bottle of water, I made her drink, then sat to listen, Peninah was in tears too.

"Mum took you when your dad left you and your mama committed suicide, and I made you my only sister, do you even remember Penny?"

Oops, another mystery, this girl had lost his father and mother at the same time, no wonder the demons settled in her, she was a broken vase, a poisonous rose. Yet through the thick thorns, she squeezed her way out, like weed, or a crawling grass. She brought with her light, but dragged the shadows of her darkness within, it's a package.

"Wait, you didn't tell me about your parents." I was shocked

"Like we have known each other for like what, ten years?" Peninah sniffed.

Silence! women at work!

"We went to school together, shared secrets," Isabella continued. "I watched you graduated, and you were the best maid at my wedding. I welcomed you at my house, way before you got a job and many other nights when you had no rent, no food or clothes. How could you do this? Why Penny Why?" she let tears flow freely

"I am now a widow, Thanks to you, and my children left with no father."

"Look Bella, I am so sorry, I know my words won't change the past, but it took me a two night stay with Megan to realize who I really was, and I come to atone for my sins."

Peninah's cleavage was wet.

"How can I forgive you and all I think about is you, and how different things could be without you."

"It takes time to heal." I said

"Does it?" They shouted

"Hey, calm down girls, I'm trying to help"

"How?" came Isabella

"How long have you known each other?"

"Half our lives," said Peninah

"Good, you shouldn't throw away your past years of being together and happy, the past has brought you happiness, and in the shadows, brought pain, you are all more alike than you think."

And so, the first step of forgiveness began, It took us hours of talks and cups of coffee to reduce the tension.

Isabella's heart opened, she smiled, her dimples were visible

Peninah's heart opened, and for the first time since I met them, they were laughing at my jokes.

"So, what did Megan promise to give you?" Asked Isabella

"Why" Came Peninah

"I've never seen you with emotions"

"I love him Bella"

My heart skipped a beat.

She loves me, this psycho girl of mine loves me, I had seen it in her eyes, but had believed it to be a lie, she has confessed. She loves me, does she?

Here I was, sitting with two women I had fucked, one who will later be at my side for years to come, and the other who will be at my side till marriage do us part.