Von sat in church with her mind made up that she was ready for change. She didn’t know what else to do. She was over the whole idea that she couldn’t do anything and had to just hope for the best. She figured that God had to have a say.
“Is there anyone in here that don’t know God and wants to accept the Lord into their life?”
Von didn’t know where else to turn. She’d always heard that the church was the only way to get your life right. To get your blessings. So she wanted to do just that. And just maybe her baby would be born healthy. Von raised her hand.
“Come on up here, young lady. God loves you and knows your troubles. What’s your name?” the preacher asked.
“Shavon Jones .”
“God bless you, Shavon. And I ask the Lord to come into your life. Renew your spirit so that you can be blessed. Do you accept the Lord as your Savior?”
“I do,” Von said, not really sure if this was the right thing to do. But she felt out of options. Von repeated every word the preacher said, blindly. But still, she was leaning on a man for guidance rather than leaning on herself and her own intellect. But desperate people do desperate things.
“Amen,” the preacher said. He walked Von down the three steps descending from the altar, and she made her way back to her seat. But when she looked up, she got the shock of her life. Rodney was sitting in her same pew smiling at her.
“Baby, can we talk?”
“No, Rod. We can talk after the service.”
He waited. He normally wouldn’t, but he was so happy to see Von, he’d wait a lifetime. When the service was over, they walked outside together. In front of the church was a brand-new X6 that Rod bought for her. There was a white bow on top. He dangled the keys in front of her face.
“Von, I bought you a new car. You deserve it, baby.” He didn’t understand why she was at church in the first place. It gave him the creeps.
“I don’t want your car, Rodney. I’m waiting on Marla to pick me up.”
“Hold up a minute, baby. You just disappear on me, then jump headfirst into church. What’s going on, baby?”
“My life needs a change. A major change. And you helped me see just how valuable my life is. I gave you my heart, my virginity, my loyalty—my everything. You were my everything, Rod. You were my god at one time, so I needed to come to church and find a God who is worthy of the title. Because you are not.”
“I had to damn near threaten somebody to find out where you were.”
“Well, I’m kind of glad you are here because there is something I need to tell you.”
Rodney noticed how soft spoken she was. How her face had taken on an angelic glow. He almost felt bad for doing her so wrong.
“What is it?” he asked taking a step closer to her. “I love you, Von. We can get through whatever.”
“I’m pregnant, Rod.” His jaw dropped. He couldn’t believe what she just told him. Pregnant! He smiled. Not so much because he was about to become a father, but because he suddenly felt back in charge of things. Even if she didn’t want anything to do with him, he was always going to be part of her life as her baby father. He would get back close to her by being an excellent pops and being there for her like never before.
“Word, Von? So I’m about to be a father? Baby, that’s beautiful. The best part is that you are the mother. I swear to you, Von, I’m gonna do right by you. I’ma take care of y’all,” he said excitedly.
She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. “You better hope this baby doesn’t come out HIV-positive.”
Rodney stepped back. “What? Why the fuck you would you say something like that? How in the hell could something like that happen?”
“How you think, Rodney? You passed that shit to me! I’m 18 years old and got bigger problems than I can handle. Your money, your cars, your words, none of that can save me—or your baby, Rod. And it’s all because of your carelessness and disrespect. I guess this is your Karma.”
Rodney’s world was shaken. Von had delivered a Mike Tyson blow to his dome. “Please tell me you’re joking, Von. Please!”
“Do I look like I’m joking? How many young girls’ lives have you ruined out there? How many?” A tear fell from her eye. “You need to let all them females you were cheating on me with know that they need to get checked. If you don’t, I will. You destroyed so many lives. So many.”
“Somebody had to give me the shit, Von. Goddamn, you act like I created the disease or something. Fuck!” he said rubbing his head from back to front. Then he put both of his hands on top of his head and let his hands rest there. “This can’t be. This can’t.”
“That’s how I felt. Now I got it, and your baby might have it too.”
He blew out a breath of air. “What the fuck I’m ‘posed to do now, Von? Does your brother know about this shit?” he asked.
“No! Hell, no! Nasty can never know. He has too many problems as it is.” Just then, Marla and Paige pulled up. She got in the car.
“Fuck I’m supposed to do now?” he said, grabbing Von’s arm before she got in the car.
“Talk to God!” she said before climbing in and driving off with her girls.
“What the hell did his ass want, Von?”
“A miracle. I told him he was gave me HIV.”
“Oh shit. You told him?”
“I had to. And you should have seen him. He looked like a hopeless child.”
“He lucky it wasn’t me telling him because I’d report his ass to the board of health,” Paige said.
“Hell, yeah,” Marla added.
“I’m not worried about that. I’m more concerned with my baby. But if I find out he’s not telling the girls he had sex with, I will report him. He is handing out death sentences, you might as well say.”
“You ain’t never lied, girl, and God forbid if Nasty or Soulja finds out. His ass won’t last to even die from the disease.”
“Y’all keep talking about dying, but the medicine today is amazing.”
“Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. That’s not the point. I’ve seen lots of people die from it. I always thought it was just dope fiends and prostitutes or gay men that got it. But I was so wrong. I was a virgin when I got with Rod, stayed with only one man, and look what happened.”
That silenced Paige and Marla. They’d both been with men unprotected, and they realized how serious Von’s point was. Von spoke again. She was learning to accept the disease more and more each day. Sadness or denial wouldn’t cure her.
“My brother will never know about this. He couldn’t handle it. And I want him to be happy with Marla. I want you guys to work out. I can’t have my issues blocking your happiness,” Von said. Paige and Marla were moved by Von’s selflessness.
“You don’t have to worry about us saying anything to Nasty. Lips are sealed!”
Marla and Paige both knew that if they said anything to Nasty and leaked that kind of information, they would be cut off for life. And neither one of them could live with that.
“Our friendships are based on trust. It stands on y’all word.”
“You don’t even have to go that far and say that, Von. You already know that your secret is safe here. We love you to death, and if you don’t want it mentioned to Nasty, it surely won’t come from us.”