2.24.2008Juni Lyn

A Gift From Above

She sat on the edge of her bed, staring at nowhere in particular. If someone were to be watching her now it would seem as if she was just sitting there waiting for something. But if you were to take a step inside her head you would see that her mind was whirling at 60 mph. From the outside she would seem cool and calm, but inside she was a ball of jumbled nerves. On the outside her face would seem impeccable and void of emotions as always, inside her brows were drawn in a tight knit above her hazel eyes. Her forehead wrinkled with stress lines, and her mouth thinned from uncertainty. The unknowing spectator would see her hands placed gently against her stomach, as if to hold back from being sick. But in fact she protects the unborn child she just discovered resided in there.

Alisa wasn’t all that surprised, what surprised her was that she had not known that something was different. She was four months pregnant and single. She knew exactly who the father was, Jamaal Davidson, her ex-best friend. Four months ago they had been at a common friend’s birthday party; both had recently ended their respective relationship and took solace in the free alcohol. They had been dropped off at her house, and one thing led to another, they had ended up in her bed together. The next morning they had both made half-heartedly promises that this wouldn’t change their friendship, but it had. The next time she had seen him, he had gotten back with his ex and it was strained and awkward. She hadn’t seen him since.

She looked at her phone, she knew she needed to call and tell him. He deserved that much. But she was dreading it; this wasn’t how she saw herself starting a family. How would she even start, it’s not like she could just go, “Hey Jamaal, how’s it going? Yeah that’s great, so yeah you know how we slept together four months ago? Yeah well I’m pregnant, surprise!” Should she tell him in person? Probably, but that would be worse. To have to look into his dark brown eyes again. She didn’t regret sleeping with him; she only regretted what happened afterwards. If only she had been the type of girl to go after what she wanted. And she had wanted him for so long, since their high school days. But like always she had chickened out and had let him go. She flopped back on her bed. What was she going to tell her parents?

A knock at her door brought her out of her zone. Who could that be? No one knew she had left the office early today. Shrugging off the jacket she had neglected to remove when she came in, she scurried to the door. Peering into the eye hole her heart stopped, no way she thought. Opening the door, Jamaal looked at her through the screen door. “What are you doing here?”

“I called you at the office to see if you wanted to do lunch and they said you had left early. I was worried, you never leave work early.”

“Oh, yeah I had an appointment to go to, so I did a half day.”

“Yeah, so you gonna let me in?”

“I guess.” She said stepping back so he could move into her small apartment. When he moved to hug her, she side stepped him and went into the kitchen. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No,” He followed her into the kitchen. “What’s wrong?”

“Why would you think something is wrong?”

Backing her up against the counter, he placed two large hands on her hips and picked her up, sitting her down on the counter, he pushed her thighs apart and stepped inside. “I’ve known you since you were 10, I know when something isn’t right in your world.”

“Why did you come here Jamaal?”

“I came to talk, Alisa. Nothing more.”

For some reason she didn’t believe him, it might be the look in his eyes or that fact that as he said that his hands were rubbing her back underneath her shirt. Pushing him back she told him, “Then talk.”

“Fine, I owe you an explanation.” He said leaving the kitchen. He took off his coat and laid it across one of her kitchen table’s chairs. He went to go sit down in the adjacent living room.

She followed him, slightly irked that it felt so good to see him again. She hadn’t realized just how much she missed him. “Okay I’ll bite an explanation for what?”

“For what happened four months ago.”

Sitting down in one of the chairs across from him Alisa only looked at him in silence.

“Despite what you might think I didn’t plan on sleeping with you.” He continued

“I know we were drunk, these things happened.”

“Is that all it was for you Alisa?” She didn’t respond to that, “I didn’t think so. It was more for me too.”

“Really? So much more that you got back with Angie? What’s this really? Did she dump your ass again?”

“Cursing? Really Alisa not very lady like. And for your information Angie didn’t dump me the first time and we never got back together. That day you ran into us was the first time and last time I had seen her since I ended it.”

“Right…” she responded sarcastically.

“Yes right,” He said getting up and coming to sit next to her. “Let’s be truthful Alisa, that night was good for both of us.”

“What does it matter, you said it wouldn’t affect our friendship and it did. We no longer have a friendship.”

“I was wrong, it did change our friendship, but it didn’t get rid of it. I love you Alisa, I always have and I always will. But for the longest I didn’t think I was good enough for you. But after that night I knew you felt the same way about me.”

“Then why the charade about staying friends?”

“Because you were so distant that morning that I thought you were having second thoughts. I thought you needed some time.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I got tired of waiting for you. And plus your mom called my mom and they had a conversation. AND I might have been threatened with bodily harm if I didn’t come over here and force the issue.”

“They threatened you?”

“Yeah, and they had that special mom’s voice, you know the one they get when you are in real trouble.” He said shaking his head in remembrance.

“So if they hadn’t threatened you would you have still come?”

“Maybe not today, but I would have come soon, I was getting anxious to start.”

“Start what?”

“Our new life together.” He whispered against her lips, before covering them with his own.

“Wait there’s something I need to tell you.”

“Can’t you tell me afterwards?” He asked, shifting his mouth to her jaw and then to her shoulder. “It’s been four months. Four lonely months.”

“Get real Jamaal, you can wait.” Pushing him away again.

Seeing that she wasn’t going to budge, “What is it?”

And just like that she froze, “Um, well…”

“Can I make a guess?” he said moving her onto his lap.

“Yeah, I doubt you can guess it.”

“You’re pregnant.”

She looked at him dumbfounded, “How’d you know?”

“We didn’t use anything and the way you’re acting I put two and two together, plus you’ve gotten kinda rounder.”

“I have not!” she yelled punching his arm.

“Really? Looks like it to me; I think I need to see you without clothes on to make sure. But don’t worry I don’t mind it.” He said picking her up and moving the short distance to the couch. Laying her down, he sat down next to her and started undressing her.

“Are you sure?”

“Sure about you looking rounder? No I was joking.”

“I wasn’t talking about that Jamaal.” She punched him again and then lifted her hips so he could remove her jeans and underwear.

“Ow! Would you stop hitting me. I don’t want my child growing up in an abusive house.”

“Jamaal.”

“Do you love me?”

“Yes.”

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Yes I’m sure.”

“Okay.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Just one more thing.”

“What is it?” He paused in the act of removing his clothes.

“Make love to me Jamaal.” She whispered smiling.

“Now we’re talking.” He said smiling back.

The End