Signore Lyon

Chapter 09

Cont'd: 

"It's was a blessing and a great pleasure to have you all here today." The Pastor's voice boomed through the sound system as he finished off his sermon. As soon as he was finished, the choir filed onto the podium. 

The church was a relatively small one, housing a few hundred people, however, it was one of the few places Yamina felt comfortable enough to attend. The ceilings were high, the seat spaced and the architecture preserved from the 19th century. The white walls and plentiful windows brightened the space and prevented the gloomy atmosphere common in other churches.

Yamina stood when the rest of the congregation did, Amaya stretched in the crook of her arm. Dressed in a floor-length maroon dress that was once crisp and wrinkle-free, she brushed a hand over the fresh deep creases that developed on the front of the dress. Amaya, the wrinkle creator, was dressed in a pale pink, floral dress, some white tights and a matching headband to tame what little hair she had. The shoes she had wrenched off as soon as they got to the church were in the baby bag beside them. The same bag that Amaya was trying to get her bottle from.

Yazari sat a couple of seats in front of them with two friends. Her blue sundress was stuck to the back of her thighs when she got up and Yamina watch in mortification as she grabbed a handful of the dress and threw it haphazardly behind her. 

Yamina just wished the girl would be more aware of her surroundings and exhibit some proper decorum every once in a while.  

As the choir sang the hymn, Maya's attention was drawn to the swaying individuals, her head following their subtle movements from side to side. Suddenly, she began pumping her legs in excitement. With the last chorale being the most upbeat one, the cymbals were in use and everyone, from old to young were shimmying. She manoeuvred Amaya to a football hold, allowing her to participate in the dancing that shrouded them.

It was the first time since the incident that Yamina could think clearly. The first time in a while that she was not overcome with immense guilt. There, nestled in the middle of strangers, knowing they were all there for relatively the same reason was what quelled her nerves. 

She could momentarily forget about all of the decisions she needed to make. 

After the choir finished, a comfortable quiet settled over the congregation once the priest returned to pray and after, everyone started to stream out of the building, conversing jovially with one another. 

Yamina waited for Zari to finish speaking with her friends and it gave her enough time to get their things together. 

"It's so good to see this sweetheart again," one of the members of the choir smiled at Yamina before giving her attention to Amaya. "Do you want a cookie?" The middle-aged woman gave Yamina a questioning look and once she got her nod of approval, handed Amaya a pre-packaged oatmeal cookie. 

After a few more minutes of chatting, she continued on her way, handing the rest of the cookies and candy out to the other children. 

Hitching the baby bag over her shoulder, Yamina waved Yazari to the door. 

"Simone and Erika invited me to a pool party," Yazari voiced as they got into the SUV. Yamina knew that they were the friends she had sat with during the service.

"Really? Where is it going to be?" Yamina asked while pulling out of the parking space and following the line of cars heading for the exit. When Yazari told her it would be at the girls' home, she followed up with, "And you wanna go?"