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Aileen Friedman - Author
Category:
Romance
Publisher: Aileen Friedman
Type: Fiction
Pages: 192
Copyright: March 9 2014
ISBN-13: 9780620597562
Price: $0.99 (eBook)
You have to forgive others since God has forgiven you! If you don't forgive, you let those who hurt you win
From the coastal towns of Warner Beach in Natal to Gordons Bay in the Western Cape during the seventies Kaye Reid travels hoping to eventually find forgiveness and a new life.
She leaves behind a roller coaster life of happiness and disappointment from her High school boyfriend, her parents and her marriage.
Through new acquaintances Kaye finds God and realises that she has to rely heavily on Him to bring her through the difficult roads she must travel.
Excerpt
York left two days after New Year’s day. We had the usual beach party to see the New Year in and spent as much time with each other as was possible. Spencer became one of the crowd as he slowly progressed with his surfing skills. He even came to visit me on a more regular basis.
When York walked through the boarding gate at the airport my heart was heavy, aching for the close friendship we shared, but Spencer was waiting at the entrance to the block of flats with a bunch of flowers when I arrived home from the airport.
‘I knew you would be feeling sad so I thought the flowers would cheer you up,’ he smiled as if pleased with himself for being so thoughtful.
‘That is so sweet, thank you, they are lovely.’
I invited him in for coffee, his company would be just the thing I needed right now.
It was a beautiful, autumn Saturday, and rather than stay indoors Spencer mentioned that some of his work colleagues were playing in a soccer match at Hutchison Park in Amanzimtoti and suggested we go and watch. I quickly changed into a pair of Gap denim bell bottoms and a red checked shirt and put on my very high corked wedged shoes. Perhaps not the best shoes to wear to a soccer match but I was at least almost as tall as Spencer with them on.
I was sure the entire communities of the South Coast were all there. The game was exciting and naturally well supported by the local crowd. We sat on the bank alongside the field amongst our familiar friends and joined in with the occasional yell at a referee or a player and of course we all cheered wholeheartedly when our team scored a goal.
There were several games being played throughout the day and so we ended up being there the entire day, eating hotdogs, drinking fizzy cool drinks and thoroughly enjoying the company of each other as well as our friends.
On the way back to his car, Spencer took my hand and linked his fingers between mine, I didn’t withdraw my hand. I knew where this was headed and I was ready, if not a bit hesitant, to take that leap.
Although I was still confused and hurt by him, I had by the Grace of God forgiven Boyd and allowed my heart to open up to a new relationship. Perhaps Spencer was the one God wanted me to be with. I had to allow myself to be led by God and not my own emotions. I silently prayed this was what God wanted.
When we reached the car parked under the huge evergreen trees, Spencer still held my hand. He looked about him contemplating if this was the right moment to say what it was he wanted to say.
‘Kaye, can we go out together, I mean like always?’
He blushed nervously.
‘I’d like that, yes,’ I giggled as I replied, blushing too.
He put his arms around me, his face bent toward mine, his magnetic blue eyes pulled me toward him and he kissed me gently.
It was not a kiss that made me shiver in delight like Boyd’s had always done but it was pleasant. Perhaps it was just me and the reservations I still harboured toward any man since Boyd.
He kissed me on the forehead and pulled me into him in an embrace. I felt content in his arms. I supposed the kissing would get better as the relationship progressed.
I was growing with the Lord every day. Spencer and I never missed a study or service on Sundays. The single ladies were a little disappointed Spencer was now “taken” but we were all friends and so jealously was not an option.
We had become inseparable whilst we developed our relationship with each other as well as with God.
The kiss still did not have the fireworks that girls dream of, but he made up for that in the way he cared and with his bubbly personality.
The phone rang while we were watching the Saturday movie on TV. Evelyn got up and answered it as she was closest.
‘Hello,’ she said, then listened for the caller to reply for what seemed like a second and then she handed the phone to me, pulling the long cord almost to its capacity.
‘It’s for you.’
‘Hello?’ I said.
‘Is this Miss Kaye Raines?’ the voice asked.
‘Yes. Who is speaking?’
‘This is Constable Kruger from the Amanzimtoti Police.’
I straightened and motioned to Evelyn who was still standing to turn the TV down.
‘Your parents live at 34 High Road, yes?’
‘Yes,’ I replied hesitantly, not liking the direction this was taking.
‘Please would you come to their house immediately? I’m afraid there has been a fire.’
‘What? Are they okay? How bad?’ I asked and without taking a breath or waiting for an answer I put the receiver down and stood up, heading for the bowl of keys.
‘Come with me please, there was a fire at my parents’ house I think,’ I said rushing toward the door, Spencer and Evelyn already following me.
Spencer’s car was the easiest to get to and he drove as though the devil was chasing him. In minutes we drove into High Road to a scene from a movie.
It was dark already and the streets were soaked in water and yet it wasn’t raining. The reflection of the street lamps and the flashing red and blue lights gleamed off the water and the footsteps of the people and firemen everywhere splashed in the water as they rushed about.
I could hardly breathe as I saw the number of big red fire trucks, many smaller ones too and a collection of emergency vehicles parked outside the house of my parents. There were so many people bordering the barrier tape that was sectioning off the problematic area that we had to fight our way through the curious bystanders.
Ducking under the barrier tape, a fireman, clad in his yellow safety attire that looked heavier than he was, came up to me quickly intending to prohibit me from entering the danger zone.
‘Sorry ma’am you cannot come through here.’
‘It’s my parents’ house…’ I choked out and before he could stop me I grabbed Spencer and Evelyn’s hands and ran toward the house, jumping over several hose pipes that lay on the ground then stopping in my tracks the instant I had a clear view of the house.
I turned around and looked for someone that looked as if they were in charge. I couldn’t make out anyone in particular, there were just so many people dressed in firemen’s thick and heavy yellow suits and medical men in their red overalls and also several policemen in their blue uniforms, and so I kept running toward the house. I was only wearing a pair of flip flops, so my feet and my legs were drenched with water, but I didn’t care, I only cared about getting into what was left of the house.
‘Ma’am! Ma’am, please you can’t go in there, please ma’am!’
A paramedic had me by the arm preventing me from running any further. Spencer and Evelyn obviously believed him as they held me back too.
I began to shout and fight them all to break free to continue with my quest to get into the house. To find my parents, to make sure they were okay, to make sure they were still alive.
‘NOOOO LET ME GO! MOMMY, DADDY – LET ME GO. LET ME GO.’
A man with a shiny badge on his wet uniform and two police officers approached me while the others still held me back with difficulty.
‘Miss Raines, please come with me so I can explain all of this to you calmly.’
The man with the badge led me to the back of an ambulance and sat me down, Spencer and Evelyn in tow along with the policemen.
The paramedic gave me in an injection which gave me a fright as the needle penetrated my skin. I was not even aware he had taken my arm to administer it.
‘Ouch!’ I yelled and tried to get my arm back.
‘Miss, it is to keep you calm, trust me on this.’
He looked at me pointedly. I was so confused.
‘Miss Raines, it seems one of your parents fell asleep with a cigarette still lit and it set the house on fire. I am sorry but your parents did not survive the fire.’
‘WHAT? NO NO NO!’
I made an attempt to get up and run to the house to drag them out of there, they had to still be alive. They had to be.
‘LET ME GO. LET ME GO....Please please let me go!’ I begged, choking out the words.
The medication that was injected in my arm had started its process and I was feeling slightly woozy. Spencer held me with his arm wrapped around me so tightly I had no escape.
‘I am so sorry Miss Raines. Please know they would not have suffered at all. They were sleeping and would not have known their fate.’
The kind man held my hand, stroking it with his other hand and I felt his sorrow. For an instant I tried to imagine what he must’ve seen when he’d entered the house and found my parents. I shuddered and dismissed the visuals immediately.
‘If you need any more information please don’t hesitate to contact me. Again I am very sorry Miss Raines.’
He handed a card to Evelyn and left. I looked up at the house and with the lights from the rescue trucks and street lights all I could make out was a portion of the house on the right. It seemed everything else had collapsed.
Evelyn confirmed with the paramedic that I was able to leave and Spencer lifted me gently, putting his arm around me, steadying my wobbly legs. He helped me to the car where he slowly moved me onto the backseat and sat next to me, my head leaning back against the headrest as I stared out at the burnt house, weeping. Evelyn climbed in behind the steering wheel fighting the tears that wanted to fall out of her eyes as she drove us home.
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