True Black Love (COMPLETED - AMAZON PUBLISHED)

۵ 10 ۵ (UPDATED /2021)

"I want you." Africa hovered above him. She was sitting straddled his lap as he lay back on a stack of pillows on his bed. Israel wasn't able to utter a sound. He saw his hand reach up to slide the strap of a cotton candy pink silk negligee from her soft ebony skin. He sat up and kissed her shoulders. He kissed her neck. His hands slid the silky material down. Just as he was about to inspect the bountiful breasts that were before him, he heard a phone ringing in the distance.

*****

"Hello, son?" His father's voice drew his full attention.

"Yes, sir." Was his noticeably sleepy reply.

"Your mother is in the hospital." The undeniable sorrow in his father's voice registered quickly. Israel jumped up and rushed to get dressed as his father informed him that his mother was in the hospital. He scrambled around the house to get his children up and dressed. Within 30 minutes, he was in his car headed to Christus St Michael Health Systems Hospital.

Israel walked blindly through the hospital parking lot. He worked closely with the hospital social services departments to assist people leaving the hospital with the process of setting up home health care. His mother was now the person in need. He could feel his heart racing as random thoughts plagued his mind. The phone call he received from his father was cryptic. It was as if his father was withholding something from him. Israel wasn't sure what was wrong, but he was truly afraid.

He rushed through the Emergency Room doors and bumped into someone who was headed out. It was uncustomary for him to move about with so little concern for others. The vision of his mother hurt or incapacitated caused him to lose his normally professional demeanor. He stopped and stared at the person who stumbled as he pushed through the door to see that it was Africa.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." He stated with a blank look on his face.

"Mr. King are you okay?" The glare in his eyes seemed wild and somewhat alarmed. She could tell he was barely holding himself together.

"No. I'm sorry. Not really." Israel was visibly shaken. Africa placed her hand on his arm. She stepped in closer to him and rubbed his arm. He was holding a little boy who looked like his twin and the little girl was walking while holding his hand. Both of the children were like cutest little angels. The look of fear and frustration on his face concerned her.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" She offered. Israel appeared to really need support.

"My mom is here. My kids and I are going to see about her." His statement answered a question she wondered about but hadn't asked. The worry on his face told her something serious had taken place.

"Israel if you like, I can walk with you. That's if it's okay with you?" Sincerity softened her eyes and registered on her face. He stared at her for a moment and then accepted her offer to accompany him.

"Junior is it okay for my friend to carry you, so I can pick-up your sister?" He asked the little boy. His son looked at Africa who flashed one of her dazzling smiles at him. The little boy touched her hair and then looked back at his father.

"She's pretty." The cute little man looked and her and reached out for her to take him from his father. Africa laughed at how bold he was and reached out to lift him out of his father's arms. Junior hugged her as she pulled him close to her chest. He laid his head on her shoulder as if he had known her from day one. The smile on her face could light up the night sky.

"Where are you headed?" She asked Israel as she held his son protectively. To her surprise, her new little admirer was already falling asleep. His tiny fingers twirled in her hair. As he struggled to keep eyes open.

"She's in the ER." He said with the same blank look on his face. They walked in the building together. Israel stopped at the desk right inside the doors. He requested the location of his mother and waited patiently as someone came to take them back to the room.

When they reached the room, Israel nearly fell to the floor the moment he saw the tubes and all the devices his mother was hooked up to. If Africa were not standing next to him, he would have hit the floor with his daughter in his arms. She saw his reaction and grabbed him. Her free arm was used to ease the blow of what he walked into. Her arm wrapped around him and pulled him from the door. Even though he tried to fight her, Africa managed to coax him outside the room.

"Israel. Please look at me. Please." Her voice was soft and understanding. The hurt on his face was something she had recently experienced with her own mother's health issues. The difference between her situation and this one was the presence of two children.

"Look at me." She gently placed her hand on his face and guided him to focus on her face. The tears streaming down his cheeks broke her heart. To see a man so affected, touched her in a way that was beyond her comprehension. She felt her heart swell with hurt for him. Israel finally focused on her.

"I know this is difficult for you, but please think about your babies. You have to pull yourself together for their sake. Just take a few deep breaths and we can ask the doctor about her condition. It may not be as bad as it seems. Okay." She tried to distract his mind from what they had just witnessed. His eyes were locked on hers and occasionally he glanced at her lips as she helped him through the shock of everything that was going on. Israel focused on her face and nodded his head in agreement.

Africa pulled him close and offered him a hug of support to let him know he wasn't alone. For a moment he held onto her tightly and rested his head on the shoulder opposite his son. He observed his son's little fingers rolling her hair around his finger and realized he needed to pull himself together. Once he regained his composure, he wiped the tears from his eyes and walked over to the nurse's station to request the assistance of the nurse or doctor over his mother's room.

Israel switched into business mode. Within a matter of minutes, the doctor came over to discuss his mother's condition with him and assured him that everything was under control. She suffered a large vessel stroke. Because it seriously impaired some of her functions, the hospital wanted to keep her a few days for observation. They were getting her ready to go up to her room. The doctor advised him that she was doing well considering how she was when his father brought her to the hospital at 5:45 am. After receiving an update on her condition, Israel stopped briefly for everything to sink in.

Standing against the wall, she heard everything. Earlier, she was under the impression that she was the only person going through far too much for one person to handle. When she saw Israel's response to seeing his mother in the hospital bed, all of her worries disappeared. He was still standing in the same spot as she walked over to him and wrapped her free arm around him once again.

Isreal looked down at her and pulled her closer. How was it possible that she was right there when he desperately needed someone? His son was sleeping soundly in her arms. His little head rested comfortably with his mouth open as he lay on her shoulder. Even his daughter was holding onto Africa. She was softly reassuring the little girl that her daddy was okay.

*****