MEETING AT THE MIXER, SHADELRA [free ebook reader for pc txt] 📗

church burning down around him. It was cherish that noticed freddie. "Hello" she said shyly. "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm freddie watson." When cherish acknowledged freddie's presence, raymond snapped out of the trance he was in. "Oh, i'm sorry cherish this is my best friend freddie, fred this lovely lady is cherish." "Yeah, you're kind of late with the introductions" fred said with a smirk. All of them laughed and for a minute there was awkward silence. Fred started to feel like a third wheel so he spoke up. "Well, i have to talk to pastor williams about something so cherish it was nice to meet you." "You to freddie" she replied. "Well ray i'll talk to you later man" freddie said. As he walked away he shot raymond a look as if to say "my nigga!". "Alright fred, take care bro" raymond repied bringing his attention back to cherish. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was clearly wrong about coming here tonight. "Best choice i made in a long time" he thought. Raymond had an idea. "So cherish." "Yes" she answered like she had a mouth full of honey. "Would you like to go get a cup of coffee?" he asked hopefully. "I would love to" she answered. Raymond escorted her out the door of the church. They walked over to his car, where he opened the door for her. they went to a local coffe shop that he knew of, where they conversed over cappachino's and slices of apple pie. The atmosphere was intimate as cherish told raymond about her life. She became a mother at a young age and ran a little wild. Now she felt that at her age now she had to make up for loss time. She started community college to try to get her life on track, but she said it wasn't easy working, going to school, and being a single mother at the same time. Raymond expressed to her how hard he knew it was, and praised her for staying resilient and focused. Cherish flashed her beautiful smile. "Thank you raymond." "So tell me" she said playing with her cup. "Are you seeing somebody exclusively?" Raymond chuckled. She looked cute with her shy looking eyes. "Now if i was i wouldn't be sitting here with you" he said reaching out for her hand. She smiled and put her hand in his.


3


Over the next month raymond and cherish spent alot of time together. They started to attend church on a regular basis, as well as going out on dates. They were growing together spiritually and raymond really felt himself changing in a positive way. "I couldn't imagine i would feel like this" he thought. "She makes me feel good, i could make her my wife." Things were going so well that one day raymond asked freddie to meet him for lunch. Freddie sat down and joined his friend at the table. "What's up stranger?" he said. "Man, what you in love i never see you unless if we're at church." Raymond grinned and gave his friend a hug. He grabbed something out of his pocket. "Well, to answer your, yes i am in love." He pulled out the engagement ring. Freddie looked at the ring, looked at raymond, then back at the ring. Raymond looked impatient waiting for some type of approval. "Well, aren't you going to congratulate me?" Freddie looked down at his menu. "I don't know ray, cherish is a nice girl and good looking, but don't you think you're moving kind of fast?" Raymond closed the box to the ring and stuffed it back in his pocket. "Listen i know it hasn't been that long, but this girl is different. she's open my mind to things i never thought possible, i mean i'm going to church! i'm growing spiritually and i love it!" he said. "Man, i can see me spending the rest of my life with her." Freddie took a long breath. "Man you know i'm gonna support you in whatever you decide, i just feel like there's no need to rush." "I feel where your coming from, but i know in my heart she is the one for me." Freddie looked raymond in the eye and realized this is the most focused he had ever seen him. "Okay, ray you know i'm with ya bra." Raymond smiled. Freddie was truly a good friend. "Thank you fred." "So... when are you going to pop the question?" freddie asked. "This sunday after church." raymond answered rubbing his hands in satisfaction. The week went slow for raymond as he was trying not to be anxious, but he couldn't help it. He didn't talk to cherish much during the week because they both were busy. On thursday he finally did catch her on the phone. "What's going on baby?" he asked. "Haven't talked to you all week." "I'm sorry, i've been running around doing this and that, by the time i get in and put the baby to sleep i'm exhausted" she answered. "I understand that. listen, can we get together friday, or saturday?" he asked. "I'll take you out to catch a movie, grab a bite to eat." Raymond just heard nothing but the static on the phone. Finally cherish replied. "No, i have to work this weekend. a double shift, can i take a raincheck?" Raymond was a little dissapointed. Cherish always worked on weekends and usually busy during the week. The only time he got to spend time with her was on sundays. "Ok, then well, i guess i 'll see you in church, hey i will have a surprise for you." Cherish seemed not to be pleased with this information. "Whoah! raymond i don't really like surprises." Raymond felt a cold vibe coming from her. "Well, your going to love this one, i'll see you sunday?" Again there seemed to be a pause. "Okay i'll see you" she finally replied. "Cool, hey cherish i really li.." before he could finish she had already hung up the phone. Raymond tried not to be discouraged. "She's probably having a rough week" he convinced himself. Raymond got up earlier then usual sunday morning. He was so excited he could hardly sleep that night. He ate some breakfast, hopped in the shower, then got dressed in his sunday best. As he looked in the mirror, he thought to himself, "by the end of this day my life could change forever." He took one last look before putting it in his pocket. He grabbed his car keys and was out the door. When raymond reached the church, cherish had not gotten there yet. He waited out front, greeting some of his new church family. Each car that pulled into the parking lot he hoped was her, but it was not the case. Freddie came up to meet him on the steps. "Hey ray, wassup man service will be starting soon." Raymond looked at his watch. "I was trying to wait for cherish. she's running late." Freddie could see that raymond was nervous. "Come on in, she will be here. you know how women are, they can be in front of the mirror for hours, don't worry." Raymond let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, you're right." They made it in as the ushers were closing the doors. Raymond tried to sit patiently thru the service, but as time went on, there was no sign of cherish. A couple of times he went to the bathroom just to try to reach her on her cellphone. No answer. Things were about to wrap up and raymond was sitting there looking sick. He couldn't beleive it. Was he wrong? What happened? He just did not understand. "And now i want everybody to bow there heads for prayer" said thee pastor. As freddie bowed his head, he said a prayer for his friend. "Lord, ease raymond's mind, and if cherish is the one for him, deliver her." He was confident of his blessings. When the pastor said "amen", he turned around to tell his friend about it, but raymond wasn't there. When everyone had bowed there heads, raymond slipped out the door.


4


Freddie rang raymond's doorbell for the third time. Weeks had gone by and he had not seen or heard from his friend. He was not answering freddie's phone calls, even though freddie had left about fifty messages. Freddie had not seen raymond since he had snuck out of church. "I know that he is in there, his car is out front" freddie thought. "I'm not leaving until i get a hold of him." "Raymond! open the door!" fredddie pounded on the door. "I'm not leaving so you better open the door!" he shouted. "Your neighbors are going to think i'm your gay stalker!" he continued to pound on the door. Finally he heard the door unlock. When the door opened freddie was shocked at what he saw. There was raymond, but not the confident, clean cut brotha he had grown to love. In his stead was a needing a shave, depressed, funky smelling, shell of the raymond he knew. "Damn bra" freddie said. "Where you been?" i've been trying to hit you up for like two weeks now." Raymond just left the door open and turned around and fell on the couch. In the ten years freddie had known raymond he had never seen him like that before. It looked and smelled like he hadn't washed for days. He was lying around in a beat up robe, and his apartment was a wreck. "You alright man?" freddie asked with concern. Raymond picked up a bottle of Jack Daniels that was on the table. "Does it look like i'm alright? you know i haven't spoken to cherish in about two weeks, i was really feeling that chick and she played me for a fool." Freddie sat on the arm of the couch. "Well that liquor your drinking isn't going to help." "Damn sure won't hurt" raymond said taking another swig. "Listen ray, brother you have to get a hold of yourself, you look a mess!" Raymond just shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever man, i'm doing me." "You need to do yourself a favorand come to church with me tomor.." Raymond cut freddie off before he could finish. "Don't start with that religion talk, that's what got me in this mess in the first place." he said. "You and pastor williams can get up early tomorrow, me i'm going to the strip club tonight and sleeping in tomorrow morning." Freddie didn't say anything for a minute. Finally he said "okay ray, you are a grown man and i know you will figure it out." Raymond finished off the bottle with one last gulp. "Damn skippy."