Ungodly Addiction

Chapter 3 - Lacey from Jamaica

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. - Ephesians 6:4 

I left the park with dad following closely behind. However, he bailed when he took the left turn to the gym, leaving me stuck in tight traffic with insolent license holders. I involuntarily had to shout a few words at those who thought they could target me because I'm a girl. Of course, my words were, "God guh wid yuh!" With a touch of the Jamaican accent. As serious as it may sound, I couldn't say it without a chuckle because I was so bad at it.

Flashback begins in third person POV

Kiera and her mom were sitting by the poolside at the Royalton Resort in Negril, Jamaica, when her mom realized she had left her sunscreen in the suitcase. The sun was scorching, and her mom's skin was already starting to change color, so Kiera offered to retrieve it for her. She quickly threw on a white mesh cover-up over her neon green bathing suit and headed towards their hotel room.

Upon arriving, Kiera realized her hands were empty—she had forgotten her key card! Her phone was also back at the poolside, so there was no way to contact her mom to meet her halfway. She let out a huge sigh because the journey had been long and now, she'd have to repeat it.

As she turned to leave, she noticed a young lady approaching. Thinking she might be able to help, Kiera decided to ask for assistance. Her smile was visible from a distance, and she seemed to sense Kiera's hopelessness.

"Is everything okay?" the young lady asked, still smiling.

Kiera smiled back, despite her nerves. "I left my key card at the pool, and I need to get my mom's sunscreen from inside the room. Is there any chance you might have a spare?"

The lady's smile slowly faded. "I'm sorry, but I'm just a room attendant. I can get someone who can help you, though. Just be prepared—he might ask you a question or two to confirm the room is actually yours."

Kiera sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, Lacey," she said, reading the name on the young lady's ID card. "I'm Kiera. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Kiera!"

Lacey took out her phone and dialed someone, who arrived less than a minute later. The man with the spare key helped Kiera get into the room. Grateful, she tipped both of them. As they walked away, the man said something funny to Lacey, who laughed and responded, "God guh wid yuh," before they went their separate ways. Kiera didn't know exactly what it meant as the accent was strong, but she started using the phrase ever since.

Flashback ends.

Lacey stood about 5'7, with a very petite frame. She had natural curly hair which was neatly slicked back into a low puff with edges neatly laid. But what truly captivated me was her radiant, sincere smile that conveyed warmth. I've stayed at other hotels in America, where I've experienced a range of treatment, some good, but the majority was mixed attitudes and poor customer service.

The day after she helped me, was actually her day off. I found out when we bumped into each other by the poolside. I introduced her to my mom and invited her to spend some time with us. Lacey graciously accepted and used her day off to show us around. We ended up having a beautiful day together.

When she spoke, you couldn't help but listen. She was soft-spoken yet assertive and in almost every sentence, she would mention either "God" or "Jesus." That day, I finally understood what she meant by "God guh wid yuh." It basically translates to "God be with you."

In the evening, we sat to have dinner and Lacey offered to bless the meal. Honestly, I wasn't an atheist, but I wasn't religious either. I had never stepped foot in a church, synagogue, or mosque. My parents raised me well, but without any mention of a higher power. Lacey introduced me to God just by repeatedly using His name and offering to pray. She was humble yet bubbly, and I think that's why our energies meshed so well.