Reminded that Nate was asleep in the next room, Deneo quietens her cries, wipes her tears and goes back to bed - Dolly still fast asleep.
Throughout the early hours of this morning, Deneo thinks and rethinks everything she said in her protracted conversation with Lucky.
Why was she so candid?
Why did she invalidate every argument he made?
When Lucky was crying, why didn't she say appeasing words to console him?
But no, she couldn't have done it any other way. If she did, God wouldn't have approved. Lucky and Nara's marriage, as many others in the world, are illegitimate. Most people are ignorant of this. Is it fair to shut up and many be led to hell because she didn't speak up? Because she was too scared to never hear from Lucky again? Was having Lucky around more important to her than other people's salvation? God forbid!
Deneo stays up writing a new diary entry for her and Lucky's journal. Maya and Austin chipping in every now and then to mostly irritate her on how inappropriate her writing tends to be. Deneo listens to them ultimately because she is warming up to the idea of being Christ's bride more and more each day. Things never work out with any other man, so this might indeed be her fate.
Deneo hears the bedroom door close and realises she has just woken from a deep sleep. First thing she does as she gets up is to grab her phone from beside her and check if Lucky has tried to get a hold of her. It made no sense to anybody but her. Because why would he call so soon after this morning? And he mentioned he'd be MIA for a while since he'll be back home, so she shouldn't expect to hear from him anytime in the near future. And then of course, she made him mad. He needs adequate time to cool off.
This depresses Deneo, but life must go on she thinks getting up to take a shower, wash the dishes, and sweep - checking her phone screen every now and then.
As she is about to prepare breakfast, Dolly pulls her away for a chat. Deneo is reluctant, thinking Dolly might bring up Lucky and she, Deneo, will then be forced to cover up the truth. She knows for a fact her sister would chastise her for telling Lucky the things that she had.
But it turns out, after Deneo complies, she and Dolly converse over: the circumstances around their mother's passing; and Dolly's chat with her boyfriend yesterday - which got Dolly to see things from a different perspective. It appears he was sympathetic of Deneo's then plight.
Deneo voices her gratitude to absent Sfiso, asking if Dolly would invite him over for dinner sometime soon.
"Of course I'll be cooking," Deneo reassures.
"Goes without saying," rejoinders her sister, and the two's paths diverge: Deneo to complete chores and her sister to go to work. As Deneo is sitting down to eat she hears her phone vibrate on the kitchen counter. Deneo's heart leaps hoping it's Lucky.
It's Dolly. She has written a text. In it, Dolly expresses that she found Deneo a bit jumpy and anxious this morning, wondering if anything was the matter with her.
Deneo doesn't want to, but she twists the truth stating that she was just sleep-deprived, that she was up most of the night plotting her newest story.
Dolly doesn't reply again. Even by the time that she gets back home. Seeing her walk through the door, Deneo, who was watching 'The Bachelor' on Dolly's home laptop, asks her sister how work was. She hopes in her heart Dolly will not bring up the last text Deneo sent, that she, Dolly, never replied to. Or worse, that she out and out brings up Lucky.
"It was whatevz," Dolly answers tersely. "How are you?" She then asks jumping straight to it.
"I'm okay thanks," Deneo replies evasively. "Was it not hectic today?" She poses trying to get more out of her.
"I'm worried about you Dene," Dolly responds eluding her sister again. "You're keeping something from me. What is it?"
"Me? I don't get you," Deneo retorts looking right into Dolly's eyes to fake transparency.
"Stop. I can tell there's something wrong. Now if you aren't ready to talk yet that's alright. But don't lie to me."
"Fine. It's Lucky," Deneo blurts frightened of the confrontation. "Him and I parted on bad-"
Deneo's phone vibrates again, putting her words to a stop. It's a long number. Deneo excuses herself from Dolly, trying very hard to hide her excitement.
When she rushes into the bedroom, closing the door behind her, Deneo says "Lucky?" into the phone. For a while there's no answer. Deneo expresses her remorse over the fight yesterday, how she handled the discussion, not being sensitive to his feelings and when she goes silent a voice says: "This is Nara, Deneo. You know, Lucky's wife?"
"Wha- Oh... What's up Nara? Good to hear from you, it's been a while..."
"Do not patronise me. I know what you've been up to. I wanted to tell you your schemes won't work on my husband...
... Are you there? I hope you're scared. I don't take kindly to people trying to cause trouble between me and my husband. There are so many men in the world Deneo, why go after a happily married man? It's not gonna happen babe. He doesn't want you."
"I don't want to steal Lucky from you," Deneo voices timidly.
"Oh, because you would rather we share him? How disgusting!" Nara screams and Deneo keeps quiet, frightful.
"This is the 21st century for God's sake! Who on Earth still believes in polygamy? You're so delusional and I don't think any kind of medicine can cure you from it."
Deneo, angered by Nara's flippant attitude, forgets her fear and says: "Nara, I'm sorry you're upset. But as primitive as polygamy might seem God approves of it more than he does a marriage based on fornications."
"You b*tch."
"I'm sorry you feel that I am, but I only told Lucky God's thoughts on your 'marriage'."
"Shut up. Do not insult my intelligence. I should have known from the start you were bad news. Trying to get him to read your romance novel... But I thought it was an innocent crush. You seemed adamant that you were the bride of Christ, Nara then says before scoffing. Your book has you ending up with Maya, the HIV positive Christ," Nara ridicules.
"It does. But the first few versions didn't," Deneo expresses matter-of-factly.
"What first few versions? What are you talking about?"
"I've rewritten the book several times. I only showed Lucky two versions, and by your confusion I can tell he didn't show you the first of those two, where I ended up being the second wife?"
"Why are you telling me this? Are you trying to stir up my anger?"
"Since most things are now out in the open, I thought there's no point in hiding this from you. I write based on my intuitions, which are grounded in my biblical studies. Nothing more, nothing less."
"I don't give a f*ck how you interpret what you've done. You think your imaginative fornications with my husband will get you to heaven? Do you think they haven't gotten you into trouble with your Christ? If you're his virgin, be chaste in body and in spirit! If anyone is profane here it's you. Christ says even looking at someone to lust after them is considered adultery. You think the same standard doesn't apply to fornications? You crossed the line with him yesterday. Him and I agree that you two shouldn't speak to each other again. Delete the book from all your archives or I'll be taking legal action against you," she then adds before the phone beeps in Deneo's ear.
Deneo gasps in shock.
Why would Nara think she is trying to steal Lucky away from her? Didn't Lucky tell her about the discussion they had over the virginity of men being important to God too?
YOU ARE READING
Lucky Blue Smith: How About Two?
FanfictionA fanfic that seems too realistic to be untrue. Join Lucky Blue Smith as he is forced to evaluate tenets of the church and possibly take a second wife.
