CHAPTER NINE

Raymond was nearing the house when he noticed a car parked outside, its presence unexpected.

As he stepped out of his vehicle and studied the unfamiliar car, realization dawned—it belonged to Swanta's father.

He scowled, wondering why Paula hadn't warned him about Jerry's visit, as she usually did.

Irritated, he drove into the compound and entered the house, only to hear the familiar sound of raised voices coming from the back.

Paula and Jeremiah were arguing again.

Of course, they were.

And Swanta could hear it all.

Raymond's heart sank—this was the memory his niece would carry of her father: endless, needless arguments.

He rushed toward the sound, his voice cutting through the tension. "Why do you two keep doing this?" he demanded.

Jeremiah turned to him, eyes flashing with anger. "How long will you keep trying to control your sister's life?" he shot back.

Raymond scoffed. "She was too young when she married you, Jeremiah. Too young to make the right choice."

Jeremiah's face darkened. "Too young to choose right?" he echoed, his voice trembling with fury. "You think she chose wrong because I was poor? You think that makes me a golddigger?"

"What else should I call you?" Raymond snapped. "You started changing the moment my father handed Bower Bound to me. Quite the coincidence, isn't it?".

Jeremiah's eyes filled with tears, but his voice was defiant. "I worked hard for Bower Bound. Harder than you ever did."

"Yet, you never had a single idea to contribute during our board meetings," Raymond retorted. "Or am I wrong?"

"My issues with Paula have nothing to do with Bower Bound," Jeremiah insisted, his voice breaking. "And you know it."

Raymond's anger flared. "You betrayed our friendship, Jeremiah. You slept with my sister behind my back. Do you know how hard it was for her to focus on her studies while raising Swanta? That's not the life I wanted for her!"

Jeremiah's voice was raw with emotion. "Is that why you've held onto this grudge for seven years? We call ourselves Christians, yet we harbor such hatred. What kind of Christianity is that?"

"Get out of my house."

Jeremiah straightened, his voice hardening. "I don't care if you never forgive me, but stop trying to claim my child. Get married and have your own."

"Get out, Jeremiah!" Raymond repeated, his voice shaking with rage.

"I'll leave, but know this—I'll be seeing Swanta every Sunday. I've been transferred to your church."

Raymond's eyes narrowed. "Who transferred you?"

"The General Overseer," Jeremiah replied with a grin. "It seems you're afraid your plans will fail."

"I have no plans," Raymond muttered, but his voice lacked conviction.

Jeremiah chuckled, turning away.

As he left, Raymond glanced at Paula. She looked confused, torn. He could see it—she still loved Jeremiah.

He hated to admit it, but it was clear.

                                   ***

Raymond Smith sat alone in his cold, dark room, the silence only broken by the presence he knew was there.

He leaned back on his bed and sighed deeply. "I know you're going to condemn me again about Jerry," he murmured.

"Ray, you know you're still holding on to something I never meant for you to carry," his best friend's voice whispered softly.

Raymond tried to explain, his voice tinged with frustration. "I don't want him around Paula anymore. They're always fighting in front of Swanta, and it's not good for her mental health."

"But you're still clinging to the unforgiveness that took root when Jerry got your sister pregnant," came the gentle yet firm reply.

Raymond's heart ached as tears welled up in his eyes. "Of all people, I never expected my closest friend to betray me. Our family has followed Jesus all our lives, and I met Jerry in the school fellowship. Trusting him was a grave mistake."

"It's been thirteen years, Ray. I can't fully use you the way I want if you keep holding on to what isn't of me," his friend reminded him.

The words cut deep.

Raymond despised immorality, and the pain of what happened still clung to him. "My sister wanted to be a doctor. She talked about it her whole life, but she had to drop out and study computer science because of Swanta."

His best friend remained silent, and Raymond knew that silence spoke volumes.

It was a sad realization—his friend was disappointed in him.

***

After ensuring that Swanta was sound asleep, Paula quietly returned to her room and powered up her laptop.

It had become a daily ritual for her to track her ex-husband's progress—or lack thereof—in his floundering organization.

The sudden halt in Sparkles' sales was going to be a huge loss and Paula quickly realized that the company was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

The thought of Jerry facing this crisis alone weighed heavily on her heart.

She knew how much he had invested, not just financially but emotionally, in the business.

Competing with her brother had driven him to pour his entire life savings into Sparkles.

Though she wasn't supposed to feel anything for the man who had caused her so much pain, an inexplicable wave of compassion washed over her.

Acting on impulse, Paula sent an anonymous email to Jerry, commissioning a painting—a garden filled with sorrowful figures and a little boy who appeared lost.

She offered to pay a substantial sum, enough to help him cover his employees' wages.

Deep down, she hoped this would rekindle his passion for drawing, something he had once loved as a teenager.

This decision wasn't easy. It was her last savings, a significant sacrifice.

But for reasons she couldn't fully understand, it felt necessary.

                               ***

Catarina had just fastened the last button on her red-striped shirt when her phone rang.

She reached for it, recognizing the caller—her mother.

They hadn't spoken since she moved into Juliet's house three weeks ago."Mother, how are you?" Catarina greeted, trying to keep her tone light.

"What did we do to you?" Her mother's voice held a mix of hurt and accusation, a tone that Catarina had always found oddly amusing.

She couldn't help but laugh, the sound escaping her before she could rein it in."You didn't do anything to me, Mother," Catarina replied, her laughter softening into a smile.

"You changed your mind about coming home. You chose a stranger over the family that loves you."

"Mother, it wasn't intentional. And why are you calling Juliet a stranger?"

"She wasn't there for you when you were suffering in Richard's hands, Catarina. Yes, I know you told her to stay away, but a true friend wouldn't have just disappeared. If she had been there, maybe—just maybe—you wouldn't have lost that baby."

"Mother, everything that's happened in my life was the will of God."

Her mother's voice sharpened. "The will of God? Since when have you started talking about the will of God?"

"I met the Holy Spirit two weeks ago, Mother. And my life hasn't been the same since. He speaks to me, and I share with Him all the things I haven't even been able to tell you".

Her mother's tone softened, the harshness giving way to a gentle warmth. "I'm so happy you've finally found comfort in the Holy Spirit, my beloved."

"Yes, Mother. Do you remember how you used to tell us about the Holy Spirit, and I would dismiss you so casually? Is this what you were experiencing all that time?"

Her mother chuckled, a sound filled with both love and amusement. "You didn't know?"

They laughed together, a moment of shared understanding and reconciliation.

Just then, Catarina heard the familiar sound of Raymond's car horn.

For the past week, he had been picking up both her and Juliet, he had saved he was doing it so that she could save her car fuel.

"Mum, someone's here to pick me up," Catarina said, glancing out the window.

"Pick you up? What happened to your car?"

"He's a friend of one of my students. He's been giving Juliet and me a ride to help us save on fuel. It's been a real help, especially for Juliet. Before, I would drop her near the school, and she'd have to take a bus to work. Now, he drops her off directly."

"I sent you some money. Have you seen it?"

"Money? You didn't have to, Mother. The same man who's been picking us up gave me plenty before I got this job. I've been using it for food these past three weeks, and it's lasted well."

Her mother's curiosity was piqued. "This man, is he married?"

She rolled her eyes. "Mother, that's none of my business. He's just a kind soul, nothing more."

"If he's unmarried, he might have other intentions."

"Mother! Not every man has ulterior motives. He's just a nice person. Besides—"Before she could finish, Juliet appeared at the door, signaling it was time to go.

"Mother, I have to go. Juliet's here to drag me downstairs," Catarina said with a smile, ending the call.

As they hurried out, she slipped into the front seat beside Raymond, while Juliet joined Swanta in the back.

Everyone exchanged cheerful "Good mornings," and Swanta excitedly told Catarina how she had fallen asleep while reading and that she had a surprise to share in class.

Catarina couldn't help but wonder what the surprise was.