Lost And Found

Chapter Thirteen

Deni found herself in front of the Graham's garage. Sam walked in and came out with a bicycle.
"This has saved my ass a couple of times"
"How so, shouldn't it be you've scraped your ass on this a couple of times" Deni giggled.
"Oh and that" They both laughed.
"He wheeled the bicycle out of the garage"
"This was once my best friend till I had the car but I use it once in a while though"
"Okay"
"Hold on I'll get a napkin, its kinda dusty" He ran back in and came up a couple of minutes later with a napkin and with his mother.
"Oh hello, Denise"
"Hi Mrs Graham" She waved.
"You didn't tell me she was coming over" She whispered to her son.
"Well I didn't think I'll meet you home"

He'd picked her up that afternoon and they'd gone shopping together, he got her a bible of her own but she admitted his helped her more since she had gotten used to it.
"I would say keep it but this here is my journey, you would need to start one on your own...." He had said and she very painfully said goodbye to his. She got a few highlighters and a note pad too. She loved every bit of their shopping spree. Then they found themselves talking about bicycles and before she knew it he had driven straight to his house and that was how she found herself standing before the Graham's garage.
"I don't think she should be on that thing" Mrs. Graham said to her son.
"Why?"
"She's pregnant for goodness sakes"
"Mom the baby is barely the size of a tomato, she'll be okay"
"A tomato...really?"
"Goodbye mom" He kissed her on the cheek and continued towards Deni.
Mrs. Graham watched them laugh and giggle as he wiped the bike, she smiled and stepped down towards her car.
"See you later guys"
"Bye Mrs, Graham" Deni waved.
"Bye mom"
She got into her car and drove off.
"So where were we?"
"I was about to get on it"
"Yeah right" Deni held unto Sam and got unto the bike.
"Maybe this is a bad idea"
"Nope its not"
Deni got unto it and he began to help her telling her what to do as he pushed her along the street holding unto the steer.
"Keep the steer stable and paddle, don't be scared I'm holding unto you"
"Don't let go" She giggled.
"I won't"
Slowly as they went along they chatted and she soon began to get a hang of it, they went almost a mile and he let go without her knowing it and soon she was paddling on her own.
"Wait, I'm doing it..."
"Yes you are" He said, excited.
"Oh my God, I'm really doing this"
She was so happy paddling and riding on her own as he watched. He applauded her success, she rode for quite some time, and soon she became exhausted. But they were too far from home then and she seemed too tired to walk although she insisted she was fine.
"Come on, get on it, I'll ride"
She sat behind him and soon they were screaming as he rode swiftly towards home. He chose a route that was slopy and when they went down the slope, she would scream happily and he would laugh. Soon they got to the Grahams and the fun was over.
she hopped off the bike and he did too then pushed it back into the garage.
"Whoo, I loved every bit of the 'ride along'"
"I'm glad you did"
He extended his hand and she took it.
"You're exhausted"
"I actually needed that" She said, wiping the sweat off her forehead.
Sam led her into the house and into his room.
"So you've never seen the strings you bought right?"
"You fixed them?"
"Actually I had an acoustic with broken strings so I fixed them on that one, its my favorite" He picked the guitar and drew the curtains till the room became quite dark. He strummed and there were the lights....
"Oh my goodness, its beautiful"
"Exactly my reaction when I saw it the first time"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm saving it to launch it at the Youth Festival"
He winked and she giggled.
He continued to strum and he didn't stop......she watched his hands and when he noticed he said;
'want me to play something?'
"Uh huh" She nodded.
"Ayd" He said and began to play then he closed his eyes as he sang an old time favorite......'just the way you are' by Bruno Mars.
She applauded when he ended.
"Wow, I love that song, thanks"
"Anytime"
"Is he your favorite?"
"Not really, I just love that song, it suits you"
"Should I say thanks?"
"Yes of course, that was a compliment"
She giggled.
"I recommend this song 'limp' by Jonathan McReynolds, if you havent heard it, try getting it, suits you too"
"Would I love it?"
"Yeah, you would"
"Okay, so who is or are your favorite musicians?"
"Ummm, no one you know" She said.
"Try me" He smiled.
"Sia Furler and Emeli Sande"
She said.
And immediately he started to play Emeli Sande's 'Tenderly'
"Oh em geee" She screamed, touching her cheeks with her palms.
"Come on sing along"
She began to sing and he joined in. She seemed so happy and that made him happy.
"I can't believe you know that song..."
"Why, coz I'm a church boy...?I love that song" He said.
"Yeah, I guess"
"Be just the way you are and love yourself tenderly" He winked.
Mrs. Graham returned hours later just as Denise was leaving.
"No you cant leave when I'm about to make dinner, have you both had anything to eat?"
"Yes, Sam made us something"
"Great but you gotta wait okay, your dad would be back soon" She said to Sam.
"I really don't want to be any trouble"
"Nonsense, you are staying my dear, and you are never trouble" She smiled.
Denise decided to wait, she and Sam continued their chat on the porch.
"Your parents are so modest, you picked that up"
"Thank you"
"Kids, dinner is served"
"Wait she set the table herself?"
"Gosh I feel bad"
"Come on" He took her hand and pulled her along.
"Where's Pops?"
"Your father had an emergency meeting"
Aside heading a church, Mr. Graham was a member of the Board of Directors for a firm and was a lawyer by profession. He did a bit of everything and when he wasn't being a lawyer or a business man, he was standing behind a podium.
"Looks like we're all alone now"
But dinner was fun anyway. Denise sat at the side of Anie Graham. Anie was funny, she had a lot of jokes and stories that made them laugh so much, she would tell them about times in her youth, in school, stuff that happened and people she encountered, she was fun.
"You should her the 'wild story'
"Mmmm,.....she sipped from her wine glass and placed the glass down......
"... that one, I don't call it wild for nothing" they giggled.
"Please tell me" Deni said.
"So, this was when I was in the university, somewhere twenty one, I was in my second year and there was this group of friends I used to hang around with, but they were wild and I was sorta the adventurer, I usually suggested we go here and they would gather up the money and find the car, you know, they always bought my ideas, then one day I heard of this night club that had just been opened, unfortunately for us there was a brothel upstairs. Gosh we got so drunk we wanted to pee, I and a friend of mine Cassie....she's married now with grown up kids, her husband is one of Jim's closest friends, you would meet him one day God willing, so we wanted to pee and we unfortunately went upstairs looking for the washroom, oh my goodness, we both almost lost our selves to the fires of lust, these men came up to us thinking we were call girls, one grabbed Cassie, took her into a room, locked the door and I was trying so hard to explain to the Italian man who spoke little to no English at all, I tried to explain that we weren't call girls, my heart racing, my mind thinking what could possibly be happening to my dear friend, finally we got a few people working there to get the door opened and there was poor Cassie trying to protect her purity, she looked like a stray cat out of water but I was too scared to laugh back then I mean I thought the worse was going to happen, after than day Cassie gave her life to Christ and never entered a club again......"
Sam was laughing so hard and so was Deni.
"Mom you can't be serious, she didn't give her life to Christ coz of that incident"
"Well she did after anyway....." She giggled and sipped from her glass again. Soon dinner was over and Deni and Sam helped with the dishes, Deni hugged Mrs. Graham and said bye. Sam as usual took her home and for the first time said goodbye with a hug. She closed the door and caught herself smiling......was it true...was she really falling for him? She touched her tummy and gave it a gentle rub.
"We'll be okay little one, I promise" She said.