[ - ]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer Chapter or Story Microsoft Word Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
A/N: I’m back with another chapter, please leave a review, it helps me know that people are interested and such. Thanks so much, take care and God bless.

“Love Can Save”

- “…what do you say about the most wonderful, perfect, caring, loving and understanding person God ever created except that I love you and care for you more than words could ever express on paper or could be spoken in words.” A.J. in his thank you’s of the Black and Blue CD.

**~A Growing Affection~**

Words have a powerful effect on people whether we realize it or not. The statement, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me” is false and we all know it. We all experienced someone saying something hateful to us and it’s strong enough to break a person down. Still not thinking words can’t hurt, well: for example take the word love, like many other important vocabulary words it has been degraded and used so frequently that it loses its significance and value. Words such as Jesus, God and Bible fall into that same spectrum. Now it seems any one can use love: one can love ice cream and love music. People use the word love to express to their family and friends how strongly they feel, yet the word itself isn’t strong enough to hold a relationship together. One can fall in love with someone and the next day forget them and move on to someone else. Words like Jesus have become part of the vulgarity one can use to express their rage over something. Now ‘ Jesus’ seems to mean something else instead of the man that died for each and every one of us for our chance to have a relationship with our creator. Even God becomes a hollow word, how many times have we all said, “Oh God…. Followed by something negative, I’m guilty of it, I do it all the time. Funny how a few simple words can leave such an impression on any one of us and yet we don’t acknowledge its presence.

The air conditioner vents hum quietly as A.J. taps his foot on the white tiles. It was five fifty in the evening and Yasmine still didn’t come out of small conference room in the out patient section of the hospital. Yasmine started attending rehabilitation since last week to help her cope with everything she was experiencing. And A.J. had noticed the dramatic effects it was having on Yasmine’s attitude. It seems she was more willing to be open to talk about what little she recalled that fateful night. Though she often stood nights crying herself to sleep, A.J. never left her side, he felt he needed to watch over her for her health as well since she was pregnant. Yasmine feared being alone and the thought of it only brought about sudden break downs. A.J. shuddered at the thought of Yasmine’s silent tears hitting her face. It broke his heart each time she whispers she’s scared, that she didn’t know how long she could live like this. A.J. feared that one day she could hurt herself if he isn’t watching her. So he made an oath to always be there for her and if he couldn’t: that the other guys will gladly obliged in helping out.

He recalled the soft whimpering one night from her as she cries out how much she couldn’t stand her life. That if God loved her so much, why did He allow her to go through so much pain. A.J. didn’t know how to answer that, he himself wasn’t a firm believer. He knew that somewhere there is a God but he never really focused his life on it, unlike Yasmine who desired to gain a better understanding and change to learn to be God’s child. But during those nights: she pleaded with God, with A.J. with any of the other guys: Nick, Brian, Kevin and Howie to help her. To help her understand why and how was it allowed. Unfortunately none of the guys had the answers and God seemed to be keeping silent about it to her as well.

“Hey Alex, I’m gonna get something to drink, do you want anything?” Nick asks, standing up from his seat, fumbling through his pockets for change to use on the soda machine down the hallway.

“No I’m fine, thanks.” A.J. whispers, leaning back further into the cushioned seat as the soft florescent lights gently shine down on him and lit up the hallway.

“Ok.” Nick responds quietly and shuffles over to the soda machine, the only sound besides the soft humming of the air conditioner was his footsteps. The quarters clatter through the slot of the machine as Nick pushes on the Pespi machine and awaits for his drink.

A.J. sighs and closes his eyes: he couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard it was for poor Yasmine, he still couldn’t understand why bad things happen to the most innocent of people. He remembered he had a private talk with Brian about it yesterday and Brian seemed quiet about the topic:

A.J. asked the question again and Brian sat there, staring at his own folded hands. “I, I don’t know J. That’s something I can’t answer.”

“Yes you can! Brian, you grew up in church, you read the Bible, you’re the one who corrects us and tells us that God wouldn’t like the things we did. Rok, if anything, you should know if Yasmine did something that God is punishing her for.” A.J. stated, the frustration growing in him.

Brian smacks his lips together and shakes his head, “I’m sorry, I don’t know! Ok! I was thinking about it for while too, but I don’t know. Sometimes God allows things to happen for a reason.”

“Like the World trade Center right?” A.J. growled, his fingers drumming the side of the sofa.

Brian sighs, “Yeah. A.J. why did you really come to me to talk?”

“I needed to talk to someone who knows God and judging by your sissy actions, I figured you know a thing or two about it.” A.J. hisses, knowing he hurt his friend intentionally and at the moment he didn’t care.

“Excuse me? What did you say? Sissy actions?!” Brian yelped out, painful look cross his soft face. “How can you say that? Just cause I don’t live my life to your standard, you’re criticizing me. How dare you?!” Brian hisses out. “And you expect me to help you with your problems when you insult me. God, why are you acting like this?” Brian blurts out, his azure eyes cloud in pain.

“Exactly!” A.J. whispers out: enlightenment crossing his eyes.

“What?” Brian blurts out, confusion evident in his voice, “A.J. what do you mean?”

A.J. leaned forward and tugged on Brian’s sleeve, “Why does God act like that? You just help me see something. Thanks man.” And he had left the room leaving Brian in utter confusion and dismay.

A.J. shifts in his seat and opens his eyes to see Nick sauntering over to him with a Pespi can for him. Nick smirks and tosses the can towards him and plops into a seat beside him.

“Dreaming?” Nick asks, popping the top of the can open, the small hiss of air exiting from it.

“Na, thinking about what I talked about with Brian.” A.J. asks wearily, rubbing his tired eyelids and pulling the tinted shades off his eyes.

“Ohhh, he helped you out?” Nick asks, taking a cold sip from his drink.

“Yeah. Somewhat.”

“Oh ok. Care to share?” Nick gulps down a long sip and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Not really. I have to first talk to Yasmine about it.” A.J. murmurs as he invites the cold sharp liquid to enter his warm mouth. The soda filters down his throat as he lets out a satisfied sigh. “Good for the heart Nick.”

Nick smirks and shakes his head, “Doubt it. If Kevin catches us drinking this junk, he’ll prohibit us from the snacks.”

A.J. burps softly and smiles, “Well Kevin ain’t here and we ain’t gonna tell him right?” He gazes at the younger man as Nick nods his head and pushes his can to hit A.J’s drink:

“Cheers. Not a word from me.” Nick states, raising his light eyebrows at his friend. Both chuckle softly and continue to wait for Yasmine to appear.
~*~

“Howie, what am I gonna do with A.J.? He’s acting all weird. You know yesterday he wanted to talk to me but it was the strangest conversation I ever had with the boy.” Brian explains, pulling a pillow to place behind him on the sofa.

Howie places s glass cup down on the mahogany table and stares at his friend across him, “Well AJ. is weird, why are you worried about it?” Howie smirks, a twinkle in his eye.

“Dude, he was asking me about God and wanted to know if Yasmine did something bad for God to punish her.” Brian whispers, lowering his voice in case any of security or such heard a word.

“Why would he ask that though? He isn’t much a child of God as Nick is.” Howie asks curiously, rubbing his knuckles on the edge of the coffee table. He seems surprised about why A.J. would ask such a thing.

“Pshhhh, that’s what I was thinking. I mean its cool and all that A.J. is curious about God but he came to ask about something bad instead of learning about God.”

“Maybe this is his way of doing it. Brian everyone reaches out to God differently, not everyone is gonna be down and about in their Bibles like you. Some people have to fight with God before He can use or even work with them.” Howie states, eying Brian.

Brian smiles and lowers his head a bit embarrassed, “Man, D. That’s about the strongest statement I heard from you since today.”

“I take it, it’s a compliment then.” Howie whispers, patting Brian on the shoulder and stands up to talk to Kevin who was reading something in a manila folder.

Brian smiles and takes in what Howie said, ‘God has a way of working with people.’ He thinks to himself as his mobile phone begins to ring, taking him out of his thoughts.
~*~

Yasmine smiles and twirls around in the bathroom mirror, placing her hands over her stomach. She splashes cold water over her face and spits into the sink. It was strange to think that she was becoming a mother. But throughout her rehabilitation meetings, she wanted to be the mother she needed to be for the innocent soul inside her. She fights a yawn as the doctor told her yesterday that she will begin to feel fatigue throughout the first trimester of her pregnancy which is normal. She smiles and takes a deep breath as a minor headache nagged at her temples. She feels herself getting queasy again after already regurgitating her lunch. Her stomach grumbles and twists into knots as she tries to hold it together. “Not now. I have to go, let’s behave ok.” She whispers, looking down at her slowly developing growing stomach. The morning sickness surely didn’t hold its true meaning, at times she really ill, other times she would get ill in the morning, other times at night and sometimes she wouldn’t get ill at all. Throughout the week since the incident, she began to realize that through her torment there was a small light of hope- her child. The small conferences helped her see that she was going to be alright. That physically she was still healthy and intact and she was grateful for it. She pulls her long raven locks into a messy ponytail and exits the hospital bathroom, walking towards the waiting room. She smiles and giggles at the sight of her two friends. She never realized what amazing friends she had until now. Throughout her sleepless nights, Nick and A.J. would take turns to watch over her and keep her company. She knew the true value of friendship and they showed it to her. She could tell A.J. truly cared for her and she was blessed to have a caring, enduring person in her life.

She giggles and runs towards Nick, yelling loudly, “Waz up?”

A.J. and Nick jump from their seat in shock and smile when they see who it was coming at them.

Nick laughs as Yasmine leaps into his arms and gives him a small peck on his cheek.

“Hey what’s that for and can I get another one?” Nick asks, raising his eyebrows up in curiosity.

Yasmine giggles and pulls away from Nick’s embrace, “Hey no more for you fresh boy. I’ll give one more and it won’t be for you.” Yasmine pokes him on the side as he smiles. He runs his hand through his messily golden spikes and teases her,

“So close. Maybe next time and the lips are here, not here.” Nick points to his lips, smirking as A.J. laughs and pulls Yasmine into his arms.

“So how did it go in there?” A.J. asks, tugging on one of her raven curls.

“Good, the therapist says I’m going to be fine and she’s proud of my healing.” Yasmine says happily.

Nick claps his hands and A.J. cries out happily, “Oh right! You go girl!” A.J. smirks as Yasmine laughs.

“I say we go out and eat, Yas anything you’re interested in?” Nick asks as they exit the hospital.

Yasmine blurts out what her stomach craved for, “Oh you guys, I never tasted frog legs before but I heard they taste like chicken, lets go check that out.”

A.J. gags and both men look at her in disgust. “If they taste like chicken, we’ll just buy chicken.” A.J. whispers, trying to hold in the nausea that raced through his upset stomach.

“Ahh guys, you asked what I wanted and I want to try something new.” Yasmine asks.

“You’re craving it aren’t you?” Nick asks disgusted as Yasmine grins and nods her head. “Well you heard the woman. Frog legs it is.” And he opens the passenger side door to the black Mercedes to allow Yasmine to get in.

A.J. growls and pokes Nick roughly on the shoulder, “Boy I swear you better not buy me those things. I can’t stand green stuff with legs or any limbs that aren’t chicken.”

Nick smirks and shrugs his shoulders, “Hey she’s the pregnant one, she wants to eat that, then that’s what’ll she eat.”

“Man you’re so enjoying this ain’t ya?” A.J. growls as he slips into the backseat of the camel hair seats. Nick smirks and laughs as he takes the driver seats and pulls away from the parking lot laughing the entire way to the exquisite dining restaurant where the frog legs await their presence.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**