Tampa, Florida
“Come on, man, it’s been almost six months. You have to go back home to Devin’s Cay, if only for a short visit. And besides, you can’t legally stay here beyond six months anyway.”
Drake looked at his brother like he’d swallowed lime juice. Kevin Beckford, who was two years older than Drake had tried all he could to get Drake to listen to reason. What sense did it make for Drake to avoid facing Sasha? That was the real reason why Drake didn’t want to go back home to Devin’s Cay, because that would mean he had to explain why he’d left her hanging the way he did. And since Kevin had always enjoyed being a loner, he was now feeling the pitch of Drake invading his personal space.
“I am not ready to go back to Devin’s Cay,” Drake said in between flipping the channels with the remote. “Too many unhappy memories.”
“And you’re partly the cause of it,” Kevin said. “You should have stayed in Devin’s Cay and handled your problem like a man.”
“What do you know about being married?” Drake spat beneath his breath.
“I heard that.” Kevin reached over and snatched the remote from Drake. “Apparently, you don’t know anything about being married either. You might as well as have left Sasha standing at the altar rather than what you did to her. Come on, man. This is Sasha we’re talking about. You two have been dating each other since junior high. The least you could have done was give her the opportunity to express herself.”
Six months ago, Drake would have responded with a sharp retort, but he’d gotten over most of his anger and in its place was a deep void that was growing deeper by the day. His brother was right. He should have stayed in Devin’s Cay and talked things over with Sasha. They may or may not have remained married, but at least he would have had the peace of knowing that he’d honestly given his marriage a fair shot. But so much time had passed, Drake’s pride would not allow him to submit to what he knew was the right thing to do.
“It’s too late for me and Sasha,” Drake finally said. “I haven’t heard from her in six months, which means she’s probably moved on with Levi.”
Kevin shook his head. “Stop making excuses. You know as well as I do Sasha hasn’t moved on with anyone. She agreed to marry you, didn’t she? That should count for something.”
Drake’s comeback was stifled by the sound of Kevin’s cell phone. After talking for a minute or so, he handed the cell phone to Drake.
“It’s for you,” he said. “It’s our dear mother.”
“Is everything okay with her?” Drake inquired.
“Oh, she’s fine, but she says there’s something important she needs to say to you.”
Drake tried not to let his imagination run wild, but ever since he’d left Devin’s Cay, he always felt an ominous presence surrounding him. It seemed to remind him that there was much he needed to settle in his life before it was too late. That phone call from his mother confirmed it. By the time Drake handed Kevin back his phone, he was in tears.
“Please don’t tell me that something has happened to Sasha,” Kevin said.
“It’s not Sasha…” Drake stood to his feet, unable to control the waves of emotions rushing through his body. “It’s Rev. Henderson…he died last night of a heart attack.”
“The old guy who married you and Sasha?”
Too numb to form any more words, Drake simply nodded his response. He hadn’t planned on going back to Devin’s Cay anytime soon, but he had to go now. He’d told Rev. Henderson that he would be back within two months, but two months had turned into six. How could he not attend Rev. Henderson’s funeral? The man had fathered him and had caused Drake’s dreams to flourish from one manifestation to another. The least he could do was to pay his respects to such a giant of a man. Drake stumbled outside for some fresh air. If this was God’s way of punishing him for the error of his ways, God had certainly gotten his attention.