Yellas prayers, p.1
Yella's Prayers, page 1
Yella’s Prayers
Nadine C. Keels
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2010 by Nadine C. Keels
Second Edition, 2017
Cover Design:
Nadine C. Keels
Literary references to Scripture are taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales, is not intended.
Find Nadine online at:
www.prismaticprospects.wordpress.com
~~~
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Contents
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Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
There's More
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To the One Who always hears and answers me,
and for you, my readers,
to remind you that He hears and answers you, too
~~~
Prologue
September 1996
~~~
“Bless, what exactly do you think you’re doing?”
Bless Heggins stopped spinning around in her father’s high-backed, leather chair when she heard her older sister’s voice come in from outside of the open office door. She shut the notebook that was lying in her lap and tossed it, along with her pencil, on the floor beneath her father’s desk before swiveling the chair around to face her sister. “Just minding my business, Daena. What does it look like?”
“It pretty much looks like you’re fooling around in Pop’s office. Who said you could be in here?” Daena asked, just as her boyfriend was walking up to stand in the doorway beside her.
Bless ran a hand over her brown hair and smoothed it back over her shoulders, in case any of it had flown out of place while she was spinning. “I’m gonna start working here when I’m sixteen. Mom and Pop said I could.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re gonna work here at the center, but not here in Pop’s office. Besides, that won’t be for another three years. Doesn’t give you any excuse to be in here messing around now,” Daena said, turning her head to look at her boyfriend. “Um, Will, they’re only for reading. You don’t actually have to walk around wearing them, you know,” she told him, trying to tone her condescension down with a flirty smile as she slid William’s new glasses off of his face.
He looked down at the glasses as Daena placed them in his hand. “Aw, yeah. Forgot about ’em,” he mumbled.
Bless, watching the two in the doorway, huffed out a sigh. “All right, Dae, is there any particular reason why you’re here bugging me or what?”
Daena’s attention went back to her sister. “I’m not bugging you. I’m inviting you. I want you to come see my new friends. They’re here in one of the gyms.”
“Oh, what do I need to go look at them for?” Bless asked with a frown. “I was in the middle of something.”
“Bless, this is important. They’re the first friends I’ve officially made in high school. It’s like a milestone,” Daena answered, reaching up to tighten her high, black ponytail. “I actually met one of them while he was running down the hallway from a mob of sophomores on Freshman Day. I think he was about to use me as a shield against those guys, but they slammed him into the lockers before he could reach me. They always beat up the popular guys first, you know. I had to help him crawl out of a gigantic trashcan when the whole thing was over.”
“Did you? Well, congratulations for all the wonderful new homies you dug out the trash. Now, could you leave me alone? I’ve got work to do.”
Daena scurried over to the desk. “I don’t think twirling around like you’re two and making yourself dizzy in Pop’s chair really counts as work, Bless Bonita. Now come on.”
Bless heaved another exaggerated sigh as she grudgingly got out of the chair. “Okay, whatever, fine, let’s make it quick.”
“I don’t know why you’re having such an attitude with me. You’ll be happy too, when you make your first friends in high school next year,” Daena said, excitedly grabbing Bless’s arm as they left the office. They headed down the crowded community center hallway with William tagging along behind them and getting himself lost in the swarm of people.
The two sisters were soon standing at the open doors of one of the gymnasiums, the room noisy with the sounds of shouting voices, squeaking sneakers, and bouncing basketballs. Daena’s eyes searched over the people in the room, and she pointed across the basketball court, tugging at Bless’s arm. “They’re over there, shooting around. One of them is about the tallest guy on the court. You see him? He’s kinda dark, has curly hair, wearing big red basketball shorts, just made a three pointer.”
Bless lazily scanned the gymnasium and spotted the tall boy her sister was talking about. He was now moving swiftly toward the basketball hoop to retrieve his ball. “Oh. Yeah. I see.”
Daena’s smile was huge. “That’s T’meal. He’s in two of my classes, has to keep correcting our teachers during attendance because they keep calling his name wrong—they say ‘T-meal’ like a ‘T-shirt,’ instead of just ‘T’meal.’ He’s real good at basketball, should make junior varsity at least, if he tries out. He’s on the serious side, though. Sometimes it’s like he doesn’t wanna bother with talking to people. We call him ‘The Stoic’ at school.”
Bless gave her sister a quizzical look. “The what—who? The stowick?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” Sounds stupid for a nickname. “What does it mean?”
Daena’s head slowly went from side to side. “I don’t think anybody really knows. Lamall’s the one who named him that.” A second went by, and she yanked at Bless’s arm again. “There’s Lamall. His head’s shaved. The guy in his undershirt, looks sorta buff, has some gold chains around his neck. See?”
William finally joined the girls in the gymnasium doorway, but Daena didn’t seem to notice him as she went on to explain to her sister, “Lamall told me that he and T’meal are best friends, that they go way back. All the way back to seventh grade.” She shook her head, giggling. “Lamall’s the guy those sophomores threw in the garbage. He’s really funny, good at basketball too.” Her smile took on a daydreamy look. “And he’s just about the cutest guy I’ve ever seen in person. Half the girls at school are already losing their minds over him. Even some of the upperclassmen females say stuff like, ‘Mmm, too bad he’s only a freshman, ’cause…’ Whew! He’s got these big, puppy dog eyes and these big dimples that make you wanna poke his cheeks. He’s gorgeous, Bless, I’m for real.”
“Hm.” Bless feigned continued indifference as she observed the boy across the room, who was busy laughing and deliberately dribbling a basketball off the back of someone else’s foot. “Doesn’t he know that bald isn’t exactly ‘in’ right now?” she scoffed, masking her unexpected bit of interest.
Daena let go of Bless’s arm, still smiling. “Oh, he says his smooth head is his trademark. And he looks so good like that. Well, there you have them. Lamall and T’meal.” She took a couple steps forward into the room, giving Bless a teasing look. “I’ll bring them over here for you.”
“No you won’t. I’m getting my stuff out of Pop’s office and I’m taking the bus home. See you later.”
“Yes, you’ll see me later after you talk to my friends. Don’t be rude. Wait here,” Daena ordered, hurrying toward the action on the basketball court.
Bless spun away in annoyance, about to leave the gymnasium, but she noticed that William was still standing there, looking after his girlfriend with a scowl on his face. He folded his glasses and shoved them into a pocket of his roomy jeans, letting out an irritated grunt. “It ain’t like those guys are all that bomb or nothin’,” he muttered, dragging himself on to go sit in the bleachers, leaving Bless in the doorway by herself.
Bless’s eyes went to Daena out on the court. She had managed to get T’meal to take a quick break from his relentless shooting, but he’d paused only long enough to send an impassive glance in Bless’s direction, so Daena moved on, missing the way that T’meal sent several more glances toward the doorway, in between some of his shots. Daena was now jerking at the back of Lamall’s undershirt, causing him to let out a surprised whoop. He held his basketball under his arm, turning to Daena, and she enthusiastically pointed. Lamall followed her eyes toward the gymnasium doorway.
Bless felt he r body go completely still when Lamall’s gaze landed on her. Whoa, now. He does look, um, cute. Even from where she was standing, she could see the expression on Lamall’s face fall away, but as he gradually took on a fascinated look, Bless wondered if she was really the person he was staring at. Lamall grinned and waved to Bless, calling something that she couldn’t quite make out over the noise in the room. When it became apparent that she hadn’t understood him, Lamall tossed his basketball aside and began walking in Bless’s direction.
Oh, no, that’s okay, Jamal—Lameal—What-Daena-Said-Your-Name-Is. I’m going back to Pop’s office. However, Bless couldn’t seem to get her legs to function right away, so she remained there while Lamall came over, stopping right in front of her. She noticed that even though his dimpled smile was broad, something bashful crept into his look when he spoke. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Bless’s face was lifting with a shy smile of her own, a tinge of pink rising to her cheeks beneath the golden brown of her skin. But then she wasted no time in getting away from Lamall by backing herself out of the doorway, leaving the gymnasium.
~~~
Chapter One
September 2000
~~~
“Daena?” Treata Heggins called as she entered her kitchen from the deck at the back of her house one Friday afternoon, lugging in shopping bags and a large bakery box. She vainly attempted to close one of the French doors behind her with her foot as she set the bakery box down near the edge of the counter. “Daena, could you come here, please?”
Bless, who was sitting at the desk in her bedroom, stopped humming and looked up from her thick notebook when she heard her mother’s voice. She closed the book, finished off a glass of juice, and got up to look herself over in her dresser mirror, snapping on the small light attached to the top of it. She tapped a fingertip against one of the shiny hoop earrings hanging from her ears, and after smoothing on some cherry lip balm, she snapped the light off and took her empty glass with her as she left her room, walking to the kitchen. She saw Treata lowering her shopping bags into chairs at the table.
“Hi, Mom. I don’t think Dae’s going to hear you. She’s on the phone with Will.”
Treata looked up at Bless, an impatient smile on her face. “Oh, is she? How long have they been talking, do you know? I want Dae to come see the stuff I got her,” Treata said as she dropped her purse down in a chair and went to open the refrigerator. “Are the boys here?”
“Not yet,” Bless answered, setting her glass on the counter. She went over to slide the bakery box away from the counter’s edge, lifting the box’s lid. “Where’s Pop?”
“He stayed behind at the center. There’s some paperwork he wants to finish up for tomorrow, but I left work early to do the rest of my shopping for Dae—don’t touch that frosting, Bless. It took them forever. They spelled her name wrong the first time,” Treata said, tucking some of her black hair behind her ear and looking away to call again, “Daena?”
Bless scanned her eyes over the elaborate chocolate cake inside of the box. “Looks good. I got my money’s worth. You want me to order the pizzas before Dae’s clique gets here?” she asked, closing the bakery box. She grabbed the small binder full of numbers that sat by the kitchen telephone.
Treata was taking a practically empty carton of milk out of the refrigerator. “Who left this teeny-weeny bit of milk in here? Hardly enough to dip a doughnut hole in.” She twisted the cap off the carton, nodding her head. “Yeah, you can order the pizzas before the boys…”
There was no need for her to complete her thought, as she and Bless could hear two pairs of footsteps bounding up the stairs of the deck outside of the kitchen. An animated male voice entered the room through the French doors, which were still open. “Happy birthday, everybody!”
Treata looked over at the young man who strode into her kitchen first. She held up the milk carton. “Hey, Lamall, buddy. Are you the culprit who left this droplet of milk in my refrigerator?”
Lamall shook his head over the stack of wrapped gifts he was carrying in. “Naw, that wasn’t me, but you might wanna give me the rest of it. I’m pretty sure I drank straight out the carton yesterday.”
Bless laughed as she flipped open the binder of numbers, looking up to see the tall young man who was next to come into the kitchen. “Hey, T’meal,” she greeted him.
T’meal, who was also bringing in a little stack of gifts along with something in a plastic grocery bag, slightly lifted his chin up and down. “S’up…” he replied as both he and Lamall deposited the presents on the table. “Hi, Miz Treata.”
“Hi, T’meal. You guys are just in time.” Treata set the milk carton on the counter. “Bless was about to order the pizzas.”
“Oh, no, Miz Treata,” Lamall said as he settled himself into a chair at the table. “No need for anybody to order any pizza. I’ve decided to whip out some of your pots and pans and cook Daena a gourmet, multicourse birthday dinner from scratch today, all by myself.”
“Mm, yeah,” T’meal spoke up in a low voice. “Even though you can barely make toast or a bowl of cereal by yourself.”
Treata laughed. “You know, Lamall, you really will have to learn to cook sometime soon. The next four years will fly by. You guys will be finished with college and out on your own before you know it.”
“Oh, so, okay,” Lamall loudly admitted, “maybe I’m the only person around here who might let plain water come out burnt, but it’s all good. I’ve still got you and Dae and Bless and my mom to cook my meals. And Miz Rachel, too. Ain’t that right, T’meal?”
T’meal responded by reaching out and slapping the back of Lamall’s bald head.
“’Ey, boy,” Lamall snickered, belatedly ducking.
“All right, you guys, let’s behave,” Treata bid the two of them as she came over to get her purse. “I know you’ve memorized the numbers for most of the major restaurants around town, Lamall, so why don’t you call for the pizzas yourself? Then you won’t have to go through the trouble of whipping out any pots or pans,” she said with a smile as she headed for the hallway.
Bless shoved aside the binder of numbers and suppressed a giggle as her mother left the room. Yeah, and the rest of us won’t have to go through the trouble of trying to eat his burnt water.
Lamall fiddled with the bags sitting in the chair next to him. “’Ey, Miz Treata?” he called. “I’ll make you a deal, okay? If you show me how to make toast and stuff, I’ll show you how to take a gift out of a shopping bag and wrap it up properly before givin’ it to your kid. How’s that sound?”
“I took the price tags off,” Treata’s voice came from down the hallway. “That’s good enough,” she said, and her bedroom door shut.
Lamall dug into one of the bags. “Oh yeah, Miz Treata. No need for price tags. It’ll be much easier for Daena to look the prices up on this handy little receipt you left here,” he laughed, flapping the related slip of paper in the air before dropping it back in the bag. He got up from the table and moved over to one of the kitchen cupboards, giving Bless a wave. He called to her, as if she wasn’t standing only a few feet away from him, “Whaddup, Bless? How’s my favorite person in the world doin’ today?”
Bless smiled at him. “I guess I’ll be all right, if you don’t bust my eardrums.” She peered toward the top of Lamall’s shirt, saying, “Wait, hold still,” and Lamall watched her reach to pluck a piece of loose thread from his collar. She straightened the collar with a light tug, glancing downward at Lamall’s large, dark jeans, which had intricate red stitching running all the way down the seam. “Are those little letters on your pants?”
“Hm? Oh.” Lamall blinked a few times and dragged his eyes from Bless’s face, looking down at his jeans. “Yup, they’re my initials, ‘L.L.P.’ going down the side. My dad had ’em made for me.” Bless tried to recall Lamall’s middle name as he opened the cupboard and took out a box of individually wrapped cupcakes. He flipped the box upside-down, letting the three cupcakes inside tumble out onto the counter.
“Lamall? Won’t that spoil your dinner?” Bless asked as Lamall crushed the empty cupcake box with his fist.
“Nope, I don’t believe in that. My philosophy’s always been, if you’re hungry, you’re hungry, and dinner’s never spoiled unless it’s charred beyond recognition or somebody sneezed on it.”
