Keep You In Mind

Journey To The Past

Sammy's funeral was Thursday morning at 10:00am.

True to her word, Elisha covered the costs associated with burying the young boy.

Senior was furious when he learned Angela agreed to this. He couldn't understand a lot of what had happened over the past week. Angela and Elisha actually spoke for more than ten minutes without arguing. Chamony shared her artwork with his daughter who, despite always objecting to her child's choice of major, actually seemed interested.

It didn't make sense to him. Any of it.

It was ridiculous. The boys passing was sad, yes, but that didn't excuse his daughter from forgetting what the good book instructed.

She was mingling with trash and the product of sin like it was nothing.

It truly sickened him and resulted in him praying for her even more.

"Did you know when I was your age I already had one child and was pregnant with another?" Angela asks, walking in the room where her children were getting ready for the funeral.

Elisha chuckles quietly, "But you were still out here grinding."

"I had to," she replies, coming in and sitting on the bed. "I just hope I was good enough for Samuel."

"Hey," Chamony comes and sits next to her. "Sammy adored you."

"She's right. He thought the world of you mama."

Angela nods solemnly and places her hand over Chamomy's, "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Sensing the two would like some privacy, Elisha excuses herself, citing a need to go check on the status of the limo.

"I want to tell you a little story," Angela starts out, smoothing out kinks in her pencil black skirt. "About a young woman, her first love, and subsequent heartbreak." A beat. "He was tall, kind, handsome, and though he didn't have much money; he made the best of what he did have."

Chamony looks over at the clock, noticing the limo should be there any minute and therefore they don't necessarily have time for this anecdote.

"Then there was the girl. Smart, but driven. A little too driven to the point where she ended up missing out on so much in life."

"Uhh mama-"

"She was a freshman in college and he was a sophomore. They met via a class assignment and when I tell you they couldn't stand each other at first."

"I thought you said he was nice."

"He was, and that was the problem." Angela nods slowly. "You see, the girl had been raised to believe people like him couldn't be nice. That they were all bad. So, she was cruel to him and in return he was cruel to her. But somewhere along the line, a friendship was formed and that eventually turned into love." She smiles sadly. "They were so deeply in love that they became inseparable."

Chamony frowns, "What happened?"

"She became pregnant and he wanted her to marry him. Was willing to adopt the child she already had while in high school and everything."

The dots finally connect and the young woman's stomach drops.

"You're talking about my father." She concludes. "But I thought you said he wanted nothing to do with me."

A tear falls, "he didn't." She takes a deep breath, "Not after daddy found out about us."

"You were sneaking behind his back..."

Angela nods, "and you can only imagine how furious he was. He said that I either tell your father it was over, I cheated and the child wasn't his or I had to move out and take care of Elisha and you on my own." She shakes her head as the painful memories come flooding back. "I was so torn Chamony. I was forced to choose between the man I loved and the man who had always been there for me."