Teri Woods - Angel's Revenge

Dwight was visibly hurt. He fought to hold back his tears. It killed Nina to hurt him.

“Dwight, you’re important to me, too,” she emphasized, instantly regretting her choice of words.

“Too?” he echoed. “Too?” It was almost too much for him to ask the next questions. “So, you’re saying there’s someone else? Is that why every time I touch you, want to make love to you, you act like I’m a stranger? Like you’re repulsed?” Dwight turned away, balling his fists tightly, trying to restrain his emotions. He regained his composure and slowly came around the bed and sat next to her.

“Listen, baby. We’re not the only people who have problems. The key is working through them. I’m willing to fight for us because what we have is worth fighting for. But if you won’t talk to me and let me in… if you don’t trust me enough to confide in me… then what do we really have?” he asked sincerely.

I’m in love with a ghost, and I’m going to lose the real thing. He’s right here in front of me. I can keep him if I want or I can lose him, let him go .

“I’m going. It’s obvious that we’re not getting anywhere. Maybe you need some time to think, to decide. I can’t make you choose, Nina. But, I love you. I do, and… I hope it’s enough because it’s all I got.”

Dwight turned away from her with his head bent down.

His words stung and brought tears to her eyes.

“Dwight, I love you, too, but…” She looked down at her left hand. She slowly slid the ring he gave her off her finger. “I can’t marry you. Not… not now.”

Nina placed the ring in his palm and folded his fingers around it. He looked down at his hand, feeling like Nina had just handed him back his heart.

A lesser man would have shrugged her off but he remained a gentleman. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.

“What’s meant to be, will be. Take care of yourself, baby. I hope he’s as good to you as I would’ve been.”

Nina watched him gather up his clothes and get dressed. He stopped at the door with a tear tracing his cheek.

“I’ll… I’ll come back for the rest of my things later,” he said to the door, not turning around.

Dwight didn’t wait for a reply. Nina listened to his fading footsteps descend the stairs, then out the door.

Why are you doing this to me? Why?

She remembered one of their conversations.

“Why would you be what I can’t have?” Dutch asked.

“Because I’m not a possession,” she replied.

“What are you then? Possessive?”

She was indeed possessive. Dutch had made her greedy for him, and as long as he was alive, he would remain hers.

Nina remained wide awake in bed after Dwight left, lost in thought, until the ringing phone brought her back to reality.

“Hello?”

“Nee! Get up, girl,” Tamika said on the other end.

Nina looked at the clock. It was twelve past seven on a Sunday morning. Tamika must have been up all night and wanted to gossip. But Nina was in no mood.

“Tamika, I’m up, but I really don’t feel like talking right now.”

Tamika shrugged and checked herself in the mirror. She was wearing only a slip. “I don’t feel like talking neither. I just called to see if you want to go to church with me.”

“You going to church?” Nina asked, mildly shocked.

Tamika rolled her eyes at the phone. “Don’t even go there. It ain’t like you beat down the door every Sunday either, okay? When’s the last time you been?” Tamika asked.

Nina snickered. “Point made.”

“So let’s go.”

Tamika was right. Nina couldn’t think of the last time she had been to Sunday service, and after a moment of thought, realized there was no reason not to go.

She sat up in the bed and replied, “Let me get dressed.”

Since Tamika and Nina weren’t regular churchgoers, they went to the one nearest Tamika’s apartment. Church had always been good for the soul and was still the same. The choir was still uplifting and soulful. The older women still wore fancy hats, and the collection plate still circulated at regular intervals.

The sermon was “The Prodigal Son Returns,” and Nina and Tamika both would have sworn the message was for just them, even if for totally different reasons.

Overall, it was a good service. Nina could understand why churches were filled on Sundays. The sermons were comforting.

After church, she and Tamika went out for brunch.

“I gotta hand it to you, Mika. That was really good for me. I needed it more than I realized,” Nina remarked, sipping her coffee.

“You? Girl, you just don’t know what I’ve been going through,” Tamika said, her eyes filled with frustration and worry.

“You okay? What’s up?” asked Nina, concerned. Tamika wiped her mouth and gazed out the window at the passing cars.

“Nina, you ever feel like you’re going in circles? Like you need a change?”

Tamika didn’t know how much Nina could relate.

“Did you hear about that club burnin’ down about a week ago?”

“Club? Where? Was anybody hurt?” Nina frowned.

Tamika’s face took on a solemn expression. “Everyone was killed.”

Nina felt a chill run up her spine. “What do you mean everyone was killed? I don’t understand.”

“They say that they all got trapped inside. Somehow a fire started and with all that alcohol… Girl, can you imagine burning to death?” Tamika stressed.

“No, I can’t,” Nina said.

Nina didn’t want to imagine it either. Surrounded by flames, doors melted shut, people clawing and stampeding to get out. She recalled how the hot comb used to blister her ear when she was a child and couldn’t imagine anything worse than that.

“Nina, that coulda been me. I was supposed to go with this guy from Linden. It was a big drug dealer party for some kid named Roll. It was his birthday party and only his people could get in. The guy, Ronald, from Linden worked for Roll. He was supposed to pick me up at nine. Girl, I was all set to go. I had my hair and my nails done, even went and bought this Roberto Cavalli blouse for like $750. Honey, I was ready! Wasn’t no way I was gonna miss it but…” Tamika rubbed her forehead. “I got sleepy. I’m talkin’ I couldn’t keep my eyes open. Sleepy.”

She closed them at the table.

“I woke up at one in the morning and Ronald had left me six messages. I tried to call him but I couldn’t reach him. I thought he was mad at me or somethin’… until I heard he was dead.”

Nina saw how badly the incident had shaken Tamika. She reached over and grabbed her friend’s hand.

“I just… I can’t get over it. I coulda been in the club, you know? That shit made me realize that there’s gotta be a better way. Niggas shootin’ each other like there’s no tomorrow, all of ’em going to jail, locking girls up, too, just ’cause they were in the house with a nigga, clubs burnin’ down…” Tamika took a deep breath. “What good is money if you ain’t around to spend it?”

“Now ain’t that the truth. Amen to that,” said Nina, letting her friend vent.

I think we both might need a change. A big change , Nina thought to herself.

“Don’t worry, Tamika. It’s going to be okay. I know exactly what we need to do.”

While Nina and Tamika were having Sunday brunch, the Muslims were holding the Janazah ceremony for Salahudeen.

The Muslims lined up, prayed over his body, then took him to the cemetery and buried him facing Makkah, the Muslim Holy City.

The women were dressed in black, and the Muslims blocked all entrances and exits to the cemetery. Rahman wasn’t taking any chances with his enemies. He knew them all too well, because he had once been one of them and hadn’t hesitated blazing several funerals in his past. So he prepared himself for all possibilities.