The Fight For Love (Joshaya)

Chapter 23

  Peeking her head around the corner of the wall, Maya watches her mom biting into a candy bar and occupying her mind with reality TV. She desperately wants to ask about her story, but she's scared to go about it. At dinner, her mom had wanted the duration of the meal to remain quiet because she didn't want to hear any more talk of God.

  She closes her eyes, breathes in a prayer, and steps as quietly as humanly possible in the direction of her mother. Stopping directly in front of her, she allows a small, genuine smile to appear on her face. "Hi, Mom."

  Keeping her eyes glued to the screen and mouth pressed up against the candy bar, her mom mumbles a word of response to her daughter's greeting.

  Maya takes this to mean that her mom isn't going to be interested to tell her story tonight, but goes ahead and sits down next to her anyway. Josh made out the story to be of significant importance, so she's not going to avoid the subject until tomorrow or the next week. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before beginning. "I love you, Mom." She pauses in hopes of a recognizable response, but no sound emits into the air. She continues with her thoughts, feeling that she may as well just talk to herself. "I love you. My acceptance of Christ and my appreciation for God's creation has gotten me to think more about others and less about my wants. Therefore, I would like to hear some of your story and get to know you better."

  The eyes remain fixed on the television screen, but the hand holding the candy bar slowly lowers down to her lap. Barely audible words escape from her mouth. "You want to know my story." The eyes turn from the screen and focus on those of her daughter. "You want to know my story. Maya, I don't think you realize what you'd be getting yourself into. It may end up pulling at your young heart and taking you straight down to destruction."

  Maya gives a slight laugh at these words. "Mama, I have Jesus. There's no way I'm going down. I can only go up from here."

  Her eyes turn concerned. "You're still human. Just because you have Jesus doesn't mean you won't face trials in this world. In fact, you'll probably end up facing more trials than before you had him."

  Maya continues to laugh off the warnings. "I don't even see how that could be possible. Philippians 4:13 says 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'"

  "Yes, I know what the Bible says. I believed once."

  All of a sudden Maya is caught off by the last three words that her mother spoke. She was a believer in Christ. Maya had thought her mom only believed in God, like most people in the country today, and that was that. Intrigued, she prompts her mom for more details about it. "When did you first accept Christ?"

  She takes her daughter's hand in her own and smiles. "I want you to be protected. I'm not going to tell you that part of my story. I don't want you to ever know. In fact, I'd prefer if you would drop the whole Jesus thing before something bad happens to you."

  Maya looks puzzled. Jesus gives her heart joy. For once in her lifetime, she actually feels like her existence has purpose and a meaning. "Mom, why would something bad happen to me for having accepted Christ?"

  "I can't tell you that. I don't want to curse anything upon you. I think you should go in your room now and get some sleep. Allow tomorrow morning to be a new day for you. Forget about having accepted Christ and restart your life with the way you have been living. I promise, you'll be much better off."

  "Why would I want to forget something that gives me incomprehensible joy?"

  "Oh, darling, find your joy in me. Find your joy in friends. Find your joy in Josh."

  "You guys make me happy, but it's not the same as the joy I get from Jesus. He fulfills me. I wouldn't want anything less."

  She lets go of Maya's hand and turns her eyes back to the screen. "It's too late. Josh's beliefs have rubbed off on you and you won't give them back."

  "Mama, his beliefs didn't rub off on me. I chose to accept Christ on my own."

  "If it wasn't for his influence, would you have chosen to accept Christ?"

  "I don't know. I know I wouldn't be a Christian at this moment in time."

  She nods. "Yep, it's too late. Go and live your life. Let me know when the wedding is so that I can send you off with your man."

  At a loss for words, Maya slowly stands to her feet and walks out of her apartment complex building. When she steps into the outside world, she takes out her phone and dials Josh's number.

  He answers, "Hey."

  "Are you busy? I'd like to talk with you."

  "Just working on homework, but I can take a break. What's up?"

  "Not over the phone. Want to meet at Topanga's?"

  "Well, I'm supposed to meet with one of my friends in fifteen to study for our test tomorrow. I can meet with you tomorrow night, though."

  "I'd really like to talk with you now."

  "Is it life or death?"

  "No..."

  "Then you'll have to wait until tomorrow. This is a big test and I don't want my grades to start suffering. I'm sorry. I love you, though."

  "Josh, part of you being my boyfriend is that I'm supposed to be able to come to you whenever no matter what."

  "And you can. But you also have to figure in that I'm a college student that needs to have time to study in order to succeed."

  "All right, I'll see you tomorrow then." Without waiting for a goodbye, Maya hangs up the phone and heads back into the apartment building.