Black Coffee (Tara's Dream)|Dearest Diary, - Book 1 (unedited)

Chapter Four.

"Hi David."

"Hi. Are you ready?"

" I am almost out."

"Good. Don't forget we are going through the church first." I nod moving past Shea with my car keys in hand.

"Yea. I will be there in fifteen minutes." I hang up my phone again and as I do so, a thought crosses my mind.

"Are you coming?" I ask turning back to face my sister.

"Me?" She responds, taken aback.

"No, the computer."

Shea grins at me and bounds towards me still smiling.

"Should I get Bri?"

I shake my head moving towards the living room.

"Okay..." she responds again, but follows me either way.

♡♥♡

"Eighty five?"

"Can you believe it?"

"It happens. Especially when you commit yourself the way you did. Luke six - thirty eight says ; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, for the measure that you give will be the measure you get back, while Malachi three - ten says; Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house and thereby put me to the test, see if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you an overflowing blessing. "

"Okay, Bible whiz." I tell him, coming to a stop before the church help desk. I pick one for tithes and another for thanks giving before following Shea and David into the sanctuary. "How do you do this?"

"That's a nice problem to have. Don't you agree?"

"You are not helping!" I complain pulling out two checks to place inside the envelopes.

" Okay, I'll go and ask around."

"Thank you."

David chuckles at my response and stands up to seek out one of the pastors. I turn to check on Shea, only to find her engrossed in her phone, probably chatting with her old friends from her high school in Batchelor.

“I spoke to one of the pastors, he said to place it in the offertory box.” David says coming to a stop in front of me.

“Thanks.” I respond before turning back to Shea. “Are you coming with?”

Shea shakes her head no, without looking up from her phone to face me. David shoots me a questioning look and I shrug my shoulders,  standing up to follow him to the altar. When we are a long way off, he shoots me that another look and I shake my head at him.

“What?” he ripostes.

“You are worried about her.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“It is, when I am the victim.” I deadpan and his face lights up with understanding.

“Oh. She’s still acting out?”

“You have no idea.”

David takes in my exagerrated pose and lets out a laugh. I let him laugh since I understand how weird my situation looks, but that’s me. The queen of weirdness. It sorrounds me front, back and centre and sticks to me harder than glue. If it's not my daughter, it's my mother, my sister or Monica. Even my publishers are not immune to it. The only sane people in my life are Troy and David.

“Why don’t you just tell her.”

“Not you too?” I pout, coming to a stop before the altar.

“Try it. It will give you some breathing space.”

I narrow my eyes at him and he shrugs his shoulders, shooting me another wide smile.

“You have been talking to him.” My statement is more of an accusation, but he takes in stride.

“He’s my friend. We talk.”

"No! You are my friend first. My big brother? You're supposed to be loyal!"

At that, David cracks up laughing and my frown deepens.

"You're funnu Attara, but technically speaking, he became my friend before you did."

My mind wonders to that one Sunday, when David took Troy and Bri out to the animal orphanage and my case collapses.

“Fine!” I retort, dropping the envelopes through the slot on the closed box. “I’ll think about it.”

“Good. Now lets go and buy you a house.”

I find myself grinning despite myself. My mind pictures the twenty unit apartment block that will soon belong to me and I clap my hands with glee.

"You are like a toddler who's been handed a lollipop!"

"You don't get. This is big!"

David shakes is head at me, still smiling and then he begins to walk towards Shea leaving me behind. I jog to catch up with his long strides, meandering through the crowds of people gathered in the main sanctuary and we finally reach the bent over form that is my sister, still typing on her phone.

"Took you long enough." Shea says unplugging the earphones from her ears.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," That's David's reply and I can't help but roll my eyes at him. However, it seems to pacify my forlon sister and she follows closely behind us as we lead the way to Bridget.

David takes the wheel and swings Bridget from the almost empty parking lot and into the street outside. Not long after we join Uhuru highway and head towards Mombasa road.

"I now see why you left Bri behind." Shea says snarkily, continuing with her hostility.

I grimace and David gives me a sympathetic look. My mind wanders to our conversation by the altar and before I know it, my mouth is open and spilling out secrets.

"Troy and I are back together."

"What!" My sister responds outrageously.

"I thought you would be happy?" I ask, turning my head round to face her .

"You are not lying to me, are you?" Shea retorts from the back seat.

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know, for the same reason you kept it a secret?"

"Touché" I reply turning back to face the front. Silence reigns in the closed up space and I imagine that Shea is thinking things through.

"So where are we going to?" Shea finally speaks up, her tone more lenient.

"I have a meeting at some place along Mombasa road." I reply even as David takes the turn into that neighbourhood. From afar I spot the building that I intend to purchase and my lips twist into a wry smile.

"Let me guess, you plan to leave me in the car like you did yesterday?"

"Yes, but after that I will take you shopping."

That does the trick and my sister lights up like a Christmas tree in the already festive season.

"Really?"

I nod.

"Good, because I want a dress, just like that one you wore yesterday."

"Okay..."

"And a car!"

"Remote controlled or the type that they wind up with gears?"