Lost And Found

Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

It was a warm Saturday and she had overslept to somewhere around noon but she woke up feeling different. She had a terrible headache, more like a migraine. She took off her clothes and stepped into the shower, washed down, and made herself lunch, then she went to work on her laptop. Deni heard the doorbell ring. She went to get it, wondering who it could be, to her surprise it was Kobe. She tried slamming the door but he blocked it with his hand.
"We need to talk"
"I don't want to talk to you Kobe, besides how did you know I was back....you know what never mind just leave" She turned and began to walk away but he didn't leave, in fact he stepped in.
She decided to just ignore him. She walked to her fridge got out a pack of cheese crackers and returned to her laptop.
"I'm', here to apologize for what you saw" He said and she chuckled but said nothing.
"I know I should have told you about Maxie, I didn't want you to find out like that"
'Like you telling me is going to change anything, I'm curious Kobe, how long have you two been at it, how long have you known her?"
He sighed, wetted his lips and stared at her.
"Are we really doing this?"
"What the hell then are you here for if you aren't going to give me answers" She raised her voice.
"A year, I think"
"A year, you've known her for a year?..that means you.....oh my God you were with both of us at the same time?"
"I love you, not her"
"Bullshit!"
"It's the truth"
"So why the hell does she have a diamond on her finger?"
"It's complicated"
"Complicated how?"
"She's pregnant and my parents and hers think we should get married, they are sorta spiritual and all"
"You think I care?, Kobe you are one hell of a selfish bastard you know that?"
"Deni I know I hurt you, I never really meant to, I always thought it would be you"
"Now you're mocking me?"
"I'm not, I'm just saying I love you and I don't want us to be done, not yet"
"Kobe leave"
"Baby don't......"
"I said leave.....now!!"
"Can we at least just talk about this" She picked up her phone and began to dial.
"I'm calling the police"
"Okay okay I'm leaving"
"And don't ever come back, never again, get going and congrats in advance on becoming a daddy" She said.
"Take care of yourself yeah" He said and walked out.

She locked the door after him and stood there for a while trying to keep it together, then her knees began to feel weak. She leaned her back against the door as the tears welled up in her eyes.
"I hate you Kobe, I wish I never met you........how could I have been so stupid" She began to sob allowing herself to slowly sink onto the floor crying.
"God I need you to just take away this pain I feel, it's too much, it's just too much" Kobe had been her first everything, Her first boyfriend, her first kiss, and the first man to have her entirely. He was the first man she truly loved, she figured that was why it hurt so bad. She cried till she was literally exhausted. Her cell phone began to vibrate and she stood to get it. It was Selasi.
"Hey" She said.
"Hey, are you okay?"
Selasi asked upon hearing the sound of her voice
"No" Deni confessed and tears escaped her eyes.
"Baby you need to be strong, remember your health depends on how well you hold it together, I hope you're taking your meds"
"Yh I am"
"Just calm down okay, try not to think of him"
"How can I when he keeps calling, and knocking at my door"
She could hear Selasi sigh.
"Its in moments like these I wish I could fly you know, like seriously fly, witchraft style" She said in so much earnest over the phone it made Deni laugh.
"What would you do?"
"Bae what else, I'd stab the dude twenty eight time to make up for the twenty eight years of his annoying existence, seriously"
"You're too violent"
Deni giggled.
"I'm so sorry honey but truly forget about him, I know its gonna be hard but you need to get yourself together okay, your life just began, we've all had pretty terrible relationships but we're still standing because we learnt to smile through it all, why do else do you think I'm not in a psychiatric ward, coz I told myself I needed to stay strong and that's what you need to do else you're gonna lose it, what you are experiencing is tough I mean sometimes I wonder how you are even able to survive but you are strong Deni, just do this okay"
"Okay, thanks love, I really needed this"
"Anytime honey, so what's up, seen our stranger yet?"
"Thought you forgot about that, tried finding him but I haven't been able to yet"
"That's bad, would love to meet him"
"Why?"
"I gotta warn him"
"What for?" Deni laughed.
"To keep his distance if he knows he's married or getting married anytime soon, else I swear baby I'll make him sterile" She said and Deni laughed so hard her sides hurt.
"See just get off my line, you are so crazy"
"You just got saved, Neil just walked in, let me call you back okay"
"Ayd dear, safe"
"You too honey" Selasi said and went off the line leaving Deni to her thoughts.
She sat still for a while and caught sight of the string set she had bought the previous day. Then she began to recall what had happened at church everything that had been said and then there was his song....she needed to hear that song again. She began to hum it unknowingly then she walked up to her closet and picked a pink floral dress and smiled, she couldn't wait to go back to that church. She looked forward to the following day but it was in bed that night she knew she would not be able to make it to church the following day, she had a fever, she kept turning in bed, her temperature was at its peak, she pushed away the covers and turned on the lights, her clothes were soaked in sweat but she was shivering. She took off her clothes and walked into the shower to take a hot bath to feel better then she made herself a cup of tea and decided to write. She began to feel better but sleep was a long time coming so instead she kept working on her new script. She had plans to publish her novel before the year ends. The movie was to be made the following year and she had agreed to work with the producers to make it a success and that meant sometime in the near future she would have to go to California, she was looking forward to it.
Deni worked till day break, before she knew it, it was four in the morning and that was when sleep decided to catch up. She crept into bed for an hour nap and woke up two hours later. She took a shower and dressed up for church when she was done fixing her make up and hair it was past eight. She got a cab and was soon on her way. When she arrived, service had already started. She took a seat in the back and listened as the sermon was being preached. The message was about the Prodigal son and it caught her attention, the preacher made reference to the fact that money was not the only thing that took people away from their 'fathers' house but pain and anger too, she soon realized that she was one of those prodigal children who had allowed pain and anger take them away from God. She listened keenly and then the pastor asked if there was anyone who felt the desire to return to God, he asked that they step forward. She was reluctant and then he said..
"Don't be shy come on, he's waiting" She found herself standing and she was the second person to walk up to the front and that was where she saw him behind the keyboard, he was playing he didn't seem to have noticed her but she smiled. The preacher prayed with them and for them as more people came up and then they returned to their seats. Soon the service came to an end. She stayed in her seat watching him chat with his instrumentalist friends then stepped down and began to walk towards the exit, she stood to approach him but then the preacher stopped him, she stopped in her tracks, right there in the middle aisle. Then he turned to her and turned away then turned back to her immediately then frowned, then he smiled at her, she smiled back.
"Oh my God it is you" He said with so much glee. She walked towards him and he opened his arms to her, she walked into them and he hugged her warmly.
"Daddy this is......" He realized he didn't know her name.
"Denise" She said quickly.
"The girl I told you about, remember"
"Oh yes I do, you came up today, how does it feel to give your life to Christ?" The preacher asked.
'Had he called him daddy?" She wondered.
"Well it does bring along this new feeling, I kinda feel relieved, like I finally found a place I can come to and not have to worry about being alone" She said.
"Wonderful, I hope I see you more often" The preacher said.
"You will" She smiled.
"Ok you two I have a meeting with my ministers, I'll catch up later and Sammy don't forget to put in that proposal"
"I wont dad" He said as the elderly man walked away.
"So Denise, I finally know your name"
"I'm so sorry about the other time I got carried away and I was kinda scared I'd have an attack again......but you never told me you sing too"
"Well you never asked"
"Oh my goodness I love your voice and you play both the acoustic and the keyboard, what else do I have to know?"
He laughed.
"Well yeah, I do all that, I am so happy to see you" he said genuinely.
"Me too Sam" She replied with a smile.
"You came alone?"
"Yes I did"
'Sam!" A voice called out and he turned, it was the girl with the glasses.
"Hey" He said to her.
"Can you hold this for me I need to meet with Pastor Danny ASAP and handling it is kinda you know"
"Sure but don't take too long okay"
"Hey you're the girl who came to see Sam a few day back during rehearsals right?" She said to Deni.
"Yeah
"It was you?" He turned to Deni.
"Yeah I did, I wanted to thank you"
"Aww that's sweet but you didn't have to come all the way here, I'm sorry I wasn't around"
"Where else would I have found you?"
"That's a strong point"
"Okay gotta go, in case you have to leave soon just find Nadia okay" She said and disappeared.
"Is that how you all are?"
"How do you mean?"
"You all seem so happy doing stuff around"
"It actually is fun doing stuff around....come" He took her hand and pulled her to a pew, he sat down and she sat beside him.
"So tell me what you've been up to lately"
"Umm, nothing much, just trying to stay alive"
He frowned.
"How do you mean?"
"Never mind that, I have something for you but you seem to have your hand full already"
"Really?, oh then let me find Nadia, she could come for this" He said looking around and she giggled. He laughed too ad turned back to her.
"So what do you have for me?" He asked.
"I would give it to you on one condition"
"Whats that?"
"You sing that song, Don't give in"
"You remember the song?"
"Yes" She began to hum it.
"Oh wow, you caught the tune" He looked amazed.
"Yes I did" She laughed and he just stared at her.
"Much better, trust me you have no idea how happy I am seeing you laugh, that look you had the first day we met, I never want to see it ever again" He said and she shied away.
"Yeah, me too, don't want to feel that way ever again"
She looked down..
"I'll sing it on one condition"
"What's that?"
"You tell me why you were like that, what made you cry so much, I'm curious and my apologies for prying but I have honestly not been able to stop asking myself what could possibly make a girl cry so much, honestly, I told you I was freaked out right?"
"Yeah you did"
"I really was" He said.
"I'm sorry"
"So would you tell me?"
She sighed and looked down.
"I.....I can't, not now" She said.
"Ok, I'm sorry for prying" He smiled.
"Wait here" He placed Crystal"s purse and ipad next to him and stood. He went for an acoustic.
"Should I use the mic" He screamed from where he was and she laughed.
"No" She shook her head.
"You sure?" He raised his voice again.
"Yes" She called back giggling. He trotted towards her with the guitar and returned to his seat.
"Okay, you ready?" He asked.
"Yeah I am"
"Ayd, arrrghhh, I'm nervous" He confessed.
"You can't be serious, you stand before a hundreds of people you can't be nervous when its only me"
"Well I am" He confessed and then he strummed.
Then he began to play and then he began to sing, Then he stopped.
"that wasn't good, I'll take it again" He said and began to play all over again and then he began to sing and this time he didn't stop till he was done.
"Wow, the words are amazing, they speak to me"
"Yeah me too, its only people who have had really painful experiences that would appreciate the words, for every other person it's just a song to be sang" He said.
"What made you write this song, what inspired it, you mentioned you lost a friend"
"Yeah, my sister, I wrote it after she died, as my consolation, it was my way of telling the world that pain is inevitable but to some point, we need to let it go through us and out of us, you know pain is like a sword, it can either stay in you or you pull it out, it's entirely up to you, either ways you would still feel the hurt even after its out, you just need to learn to nurse it till the wound is completely healed"
" I'll tell you about her sometime when you're ready to open up" He said and smiled.
"Okay" She smiled and reached into her bag then took out the gift.
"Got this for you to say thanks for caring and for...for being the good Samaritan and not walking by when you saw me in pain, I have never really felt the kind of love you showed me that day and I won't ever forget it"
"Aww that's sweet, this is beautiful, LED strings I've been saving up to get this you know, thanks so much" He hugged her.
"You're welcome Sam"
"I think we have not been properly introduced, I'm Samuel Keith Kofi Graham.
"Denise-Marie Seymour"
"Denise Marie, Wow, lovely name"
"Thanks, Kofi, that's Ghanaian right?"
"How did you know?"
"I had a Ghanaian friend back in the university"
"Oh, yeah, my dad is 50% Ghanaian, my mom on the other hand is 50% Nigerian and 50% Ghanaian.
"Cool, so you're kinda 100% Ghanaian"
He laughed.
"Yeah if you add the two 50's you can say that"
"So the other 50% on your dad's side?"
"Black American"
"Cool, so why London?"
"Apparently we were in the States before we decided to move here to start the church and since I was already schooling here I just decided to stay, besides my dad needed me"
"I get it"
"Yeah"
"And you?"
"My dad was Black, my mom on the other hand is kinda half Dutch, half Irish"
"That explains the features, I mean its kinda quite obvious, although the black genes are pretty strong" He said.
She laughed.
"Why 'was' with your dad?"
"I witnessed my dad being shot by racists who thought he was someone else when I was only eight, I stayed with my dad holding unto him, I watched him die and I had no idea what to do, I was traumatized for years and anytime I panic it triggers that fear that experience kinda replays in my head and I go into shock sometimes, it's a whole messed up condition, so I take meds to stay calm, keep my emotions in check"
"That's awful"
"Yeah, it was"
"I'm so sorry' He said.
She smiled.
"Tell me about yourself....."
"Well there really isn't much to tell, I'm not multi talented like you are but simply put, I'm a writer"
"Wow something in common right there"
"Yeah I guess"
"So what do you write?"
"Poems, Novels, but mostly drama, you kow I'm more of a playwright, if you know writers like Ntozake Shange then you should know me"
"Interesting, would love to read your works though"
"Sure, I'll mail you a few if you want"
"Great"
Crystal appeared again and walked towards them.
"Thanks so much Sam"
"Anytime, I'll see you on Friday then"
"Sure, have you seen Nadia?" She asked reaching into her purse for her car keys.
"Nope"
"Ayd, see you then and it was nice to see you again" She said to Denise.
"Oh yeah, sorry, Denise this is Crystal Simmons, an amazing soloist, Crystal, Denise, my newest friend"
"I can see that, its so nice meeting you Denise seriously, do come by more often"
"I will" Denise said with a smile. Crystal waved and walked away.
"Should we?"
"Sure" Denise said. He stood and so did she.
"Hold up, I need to return this" He grabbed the guitar and trotted towards where he picked it. He placed it down and trotted back towards her.
"Thanks again for the strings Denise, I promise to love and cherish them forever"
She laughed.
"I'd be glad if you did"
Soon they were out.
"I'll drop you off home if you don't mind"
"Umm, don't worry about it. I'll just get a cab"
"Like I'd take no for an answer" He smiled and so did she then led her to his car.
He opened the door for her, she got in and then he did too.