Exhale: Book 2

Fight That Rage

Sabrina

I wake up to my phone vibrating on my leg. I look the left to see Gabe still asleep. I quietly get out of bed and get dress for training. I walk back in my bedroom and give Gabe, who was still asleep, I give him a quick kiss on his lips, check in the kid's room, who were still asleep, walk downstairs the kitchen, write a note, grab something to quick eat for breakfast, get in my car and drive off. Since it was a three-day weekend, Gabe and the kids get to sleep in today. I've been getting up early training with Kenya almost every day for the past week and a half before and after work. I also work with her on Saturdays, Sundays the gym is closed.

I park my car and walk inside to see Kenya punching a punching bag. I drop my duffel bag down on the bleachers, slips on my MMA fighting gloves, and start with my 50 pushups. After I finish my pushups, Kenya walks toward me with a box and hand it me. "Kenya what's this?" I open the box to see chain brackets with mine, Gabe's and the kids name on them in different colors. "Kenya, you didn't have to do this." I smile

"It's no biggie." She shrugs, "Just put those on you, Gabe and kids when you get home. They're very special."

I nod and place the box in my bag, "What are we going to learn today Kenya?" I ask

"Get in the ring." She speaks. We both walk in the ring. She reaches in her pocket and pull out a black scarf. "You're going to fight blindfolded today."

"What? Why?"

"I'll tell you after this lesson. DARIUS!" She screams and Darius, her husband walks out. "You're going to fight Darius today."

My eyes widen, "What!? Darius is a man, he's 10 times stronger than me, and he's your husband. What if I hurt him or what if he hurts me?"

Darius is a retired MMA fighter and Kenya was in the Navy and she was an FBI agent. Don't be fool by Kenya's appearance. She may look so beautiful, loving and innocent, but she'll break you in half. They both still workout on a daily basis. They both opened this gym for fighters to train, to teach personal self-defense classes at an advance level, and to teach little kids around Daniel's age up to 18 boxing and martial arts. I knew Kenya from when she stayed in Queens with me. Her and Keisha went to school together and they were friend until Dre got into her life. Before Keisha died, her and Kenya rekindled their friendship up until the day she died.

"Sabrina you're strong enough to fight a man, Darius said it's fine if you hurt him, and you need to test your strengths mentally, physically and emotionally." She put the scarf over my eyes, "Now I need you to do two things while you're fighting: 1) Sense Darius body before he hits you and 2) Think about your family. Now when I yell seize, you stop." I hear Kenya walk off the ring and I hear Darius walk in the ring. "Are you ready?" I nod, "Okay... FIGHT!"

I think about my family: Gabe helping the kids with their homework. Bella and Mahogany teaching Daniel how to swim and ride a bike. The girls-

I was snapped out of thought when my body is slammed on the floor. "Sabrina you're not focusing. GET UP AND DO IT AGAIN!" Kenya yells. Stumble back up and get in my fighting position. "FIGHT!"

I think about my happy family again like Kenya said. I feel Darius fist punch me in the face and throws my body against the ropes. I lean on the ropes. Kenya rips off my scarf off my face. "You're not doing what I told you to do."

"I am! I'm thinking about my happy-"

"NO!" Kenya yells. She hops in the ring and grab my aching shoulders. "Don't think about how happy your family is. Think about the pain your family was and is going through, both living and dead." She places the scarf back on my face. She slaps the shoulders. "I know you can do it." Kenya gets out the ring. I think about the pain my family went through... "FIGHT!" Kenya yells