SEVEN - FORGIVENESS

"Grrrrrrrr" My phone vibrated, playing a wake up song, there by waking me up from my uneasy slumber. How I got into bed last night, I don't know - or not - and oddly, I had never felt this soft before - which explained the uneasiness.

I picked up the phone from the bedside counter and saw it was 10:50 am.

K-[ Another long day huh?]

T-[ Are you coming to church???]

She replied immediately I texted.

K-[ No. Besides it's already late.]

T-[ Whatever you say]

Funny she was online, in church. I could literally hear the vicar, Bishop Redington, speak about the distraction of the flesh and say how Satan uses the phone to destroy our relationship with God, causing everyone's eyes to stray till the culprit is found, or no one is found.

I dropped the phone back on the counter top, and sighed deeply. Staring at the old ceiling, that had always belonged to me since I was five. It had been more like a sanctuary than a just a room.

But in the fourteen years I had lived here, what bold strokes have I made? Painting bold strokes on a wall do not count - based on, it's legal here ( only on the abandoned Walmart building wall) so... Having an after school job also doesn't.

So fourteen years passed by, without me leaving a mark on Kentwood.

*************

"You didn't come to church." She said sitting beside me on the park bench, as we watched everyone mill about in the park.

"I woke up about an hour and a half ago. So what did vicar Redington preach about." I asked staring at the sky as crows zipped through the clouds.

"Forgiveness." She said, and I heard Trudy- a six-year-old girl- cry in her mother's embrace, loudly, as they made their way towards the end of the park.

"Who'd you think that'd apply to?" I asked, expecting a rather sarcastic response.

"You know what came to my mind the moment he started? You. I needed to forgive you." She said squinting under the glare of the of the afternoon sun.

"That's... new" I said and brought out a packaged chocolate bar. "Here, happy birthday Naomi."

She stared at me in mild surprise, "You remembered. Thanks Reggie." She said softly." You know what, I forgive you for all you've done."

Human psychology is really complicated. How they treasure the small things, and bawl over the big.

I chose to give her the gift, but even if I didn't, she'd still have been happy I wished her a happy birthday - which is weird.

"I have a job for you." She said suddenly. I had expected this, but not this soon.

" Let me guess. You screwed up, didn't you?" I rolled my eyes, as she stuffed the chocolate in her bag.

"Almost. I can't continue without blurting out my feelings." She said with a sigh, and drooped her shoulders.

"For his balls?" I quipped, slyly.

"Hey, watch it!" She said, becoming defensive all of a sudden.

"Whatever. The price still stands. 500 bucks." I said rolling my eyes.

"Whatever you say Reggie. Whatever you say." She said handing me the money, cash.

" Okay, so what have you gathered so far?" I asked assuming a more professional position.

"He's moving classes tomorrow. So can we work with that?" She asked timidly.

"What classes is he changing to?" I asked staring at her.

"Arts classes. That's the issue." She said.

So he was the # DonArld? Not so smart after all Austin......