A Dark Sun

Chapter 10

The choir continues singing the choruses, and persons are feeling the spirit and speaking in tongues. One would think this is regular church. Bobby would have loved this.

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I had Alaya Brenda Johnston on the 7th of May. She had my surname, as in my mind, Alaya did not have a daddy. Everyone was sourly disappointed in me. Some members of the church were even angry, as I had betrayed Bobby while he was away. But I no longer cared. I had stopped going to church anyway. No one had heard from Bobby, but we knew he was well. A few persons saw him working at a 7-11 store in East Atlanta. My mother, Aunt Peaches and Pastor Donald all adopted Alaya. They loved her. Of course, she was family to all of them, but they didn't know that, or did they?

The more Alaya grew, the more she looked like Bobby. The rumor mill swirled, but no one asked direct questions. Keisha would say, "Alaya has Bobby's eyes.!" Bobby's friend, Willie had asked, "Valerie, anyone ever tell you Alaya looks exactly like Bobby?" And I barked, "No! I don't see it." And that ended the conversation. But it was when Aunt Peaches had Leukemia and she wanted Alaya around her all the time, that I grew suspicious.

Alaya was barely one year old and Aunt Peaches said she loved having Alaya around. My child made her smile, she said. Just before she passed away, she looked at me and said she knew Alaya's father was Bobby. She was sorry for what Bobby had put me through. Aunt Peaches didn't know why he turned into such a prodigal son, but she knew he was a good boy, "He will come around Val. Don't lose faith and take care of my beautiful grandchild."By then, Bobby had disappeared for almost two years.

He arrived in town the day after Aunt Peaches died. Bobby was late by a day. It was a difficult pill for him to swallow. We all took Aunt Peaches death hard. She was a second mama to Roger, Keisha and me. My mother took it especially hard. But no one was prepared for Bobby.

Mama kept two-year-old Alaya with her in the days while I went to work. I got a job as a supervisor at a medical manufacturing plant in a neighboring town. I also took business administration courses at the community college.

It had been a few days after Aunt Peaches death, and I stopped by mama's house after work, to collect Alaya. I no longer lived with mama but had gotten a two-bedroom bungalow to rent ten minutes away. I strode into mama's home, like I always did, and a gasp escaped me when I saw Bobby. He was playing with Alaya on the living room floor. They were building a huge tower with toy blocks and both were laughing. Mama flew from the kitchen and Roger pounded down the stairs. All eyes were on me.