“Wake up sleepy head.” Amora whispered into my ears before she kissed it sending goose bumps over my entire skin.
“Amora.” I said on my sleepy croaked voice.
“Roman, wake up. It’s Sunday.” She said louder.
“So? What if it’s Sunday?”
“We have to go to church.”
“Church.” I said finally sitting up. “Amora you have been here for a few weeks and you haven’t been to church. Why today?”
“I was still getting used to the town.”
“Okay. You go ahead then.” I said hoping she would leave my room but the look on her face told me otherwise.
“I’m not going without you.” She said and folded her arms on her chest.
“Do you know the last time I entered a church?”
“Doesn’t matter. Go take a shower and get dressed. Okay.” She bent to kiss my lips but I tilted my head away from her.
“I haven’t brushed.” I said shyly but either she didn’t hear me, or she pretended not to because she gently pulled me close to her by the hair and planted a delicious kiss on my lips.
“Silly.” She said and giggled.
Church. I was going to church. A part of me felt nervous and another part felt excited. I wondered if much had changed. Did they still sing the hymns? Did they still clap and dance? Did the choir still bless the congregation with their special numbers? Did they still move the basket around for members to drop their offerings? Maybe I should tell Amora I wasn’t going but it would make her sad, I thought. The last thing I wanted was for Amora to be sad. So I stood up and got into the bathroom. Roman was going to church.
I got dressed and knocked on Amora’s door and she stepped out immediately.
“You want to eat now or after the service?” Amora asked.
“After the service would be fine.”
“Yeah. Me too. Nicole’s already eaten.”
“Thank you. Let’s say goodbye before leaving.”

“Good morning mom.”
“Roman. You are dressed.”
“Amora is dragging me off to church. She gave me no choice.” I whispered and my mom laughed.
“I can hear you, you know?” Amora said hitting me lightly with her hand.
“I wanna come.” My mom said.
“What? No. Mom, you are not strong enough to go outside.”
“Roman. I’m coming with you two. Amora please help me get dressed.”
“Of course beautiful.”

The eyes that stared at me and my mom and Amora somewhat disturbed me. I shifted uncomfortably on the bench I sat with Amora and my mom seated by my two sides. Amora must have noticed how uncomfortable I was because she placed her hand on mine and squeezed it and then she looked at me and mouthed “relax.” Then she smiled and I let out a deep breath and became calm.
The church was a Pentecostal one. Saints of the last days. It wasn’t here when I was growing up. I hadn’t even noticed when it sprung up and hadn’t cared either. For such a small town, there were plenty of churches. You were sure to see one at every bend. Amora had chosen that one for reasons unknown to me. Maybe the Lord placed it in her heart like he had placed it in her heart to come to white Oakland. The congregation was small, about fifteen people including children. I turned my neck and looked at my mom and her eyes were closed and she had a very peaceful smile on her face. It terrified me. That smile. It made me feel like she was going to leave me that day. The voice that began singing amazing grace, how sweet the sound moved me. I once was lost but now I’m found. I closed my eyes and listened to them sing and I suddenly felt very weak and helpless. I didn’t want my mother to die. I wanted her to stay, to live. I wanted her to stay with me and Amora. I wanted us to be a family. Please don’t let her die, I remember pleading in my heart. I will do anything, just don’t take her away from me, I pleaded some more. Still, deep down in my heart I knew she was going to die. I knew it. I sniffed in and took Amora’s hand in one hand and my mom’s in the other.
The minister finally climbed the pulpit and talked on and on about the trials of life, the storms of life and how Jesus was always there to calm our storms no matter how raging they were. And then he said,
“I leave you with these final words. The Lord wants me to tell someone seated here Lo, I am with you always.”
I froze. He was talking to me. The Lord was talking to me and I knew it. I always wondered how Amora could say she heard the Lord say or the Lord placed this or that in her heart. I finally understood. The words played over and over in my heart Lo, I am with you always. I closed my eyes and I meditated on those words and I knew they were true. I believed them, I believed them with all of my heart. I still believe them till today.
                       _____________
“This has to be the best I’ve felt since I got sick.” My mom said cheerily yet weakly.
“Everything is going to be okay mom.” I said as I drove us back home. That was exactly what Amora would say. She was rubbing off on me too much.
“I know son. We have Amora to thank for all these. Thank you dear.”
“Oh Nicole. Don’t be silly.” Amora said.
                   _____________
We laughed as we ate.
“Who have thought? Roman, afraid of lizards.” Amora said and laughed some more. My mom had just told a crazy story about my fear of lizards and how I made her carry me on her back all day when I was five because I had thought I saw a lizard in the house.
“Come on. Stop laughing. Those creatures are creepy. You know that.” I said with a wide grin at the corners of my mouth.
“Well, I miss those days. Watching Roman grow up. I miss them. I also miss his dad.”
“Mom...”
“It’s fine Roman. I’m alright. I’m not sad.”
“How did you meet?” Amora asked and my mom grinned.
“In college. It was funny. I was in a rush for something I cannot remember and he was in a rush too. Guess what happens when two people who are both in a rush collide.”
“Oh Lord.” Amora gasped. I wasn’t surprised. I had heard the story a million times but watching her get excited about telling it again made me smile.
“You fell?” Amora asked with eyes wide open.
“You bet I did. He helped me up and that was when I learned his name. Leonard. Apparently, we had a few classes together and after that day, we ran into each other a whole lot. It was destiny. It didn’t take a lot for me to fall in love with his father. His charm and sense of humor were enough and he loved me too. No matter what anyone says, I know Leonard loved me too. We became inseparable and it was everything I ever wanted. A few years after college, he asked me to marry him and I did and a year later, we became parents to the most adorable kid in the universe. Twelve years later, he cheated on me. He left me for another woman and then sent me divorce papers some weeks later. I didn’t sign them. I tore up those papers and put them in the trash bin. Contrary to what people think, contrary to what you think Roman, I and your father never got divorced. We are still husband and wife.”
“Do you regret it? Loving him?” Amora asked.
“Not a moment of it. I don’t regret meeting him. I don’t regret falling in love with him. I don’t regret having a beautiful baby boy with him. And up till this moment, I still love him. He is the only man I’m going to love till I die. You will not understand…”
“I do.” I said and looked at Amora. I knew in my heart that she was the only woman I would truly love till I died. “I understand mom.”
                  ________________
“You are in love with her aren’t you?”
“What?”
“Amora. You are in love with her. I’ve been watching you. The way you steal glances at her.” My mom said as I adjusted her on her bed.
“Yes mom. I might just be in love with Amora. Mom, it feels crazy and calming at the same time.”
“I know she loves you too.”
“Huh. How is that?”
“Aside from the fact that I’m a woman too, Amora and I talked this morning. She told me she is not your friend from college. She told me that she met you in a Bar…”
“She didn’t tell you I slammed the door to her face?”
“She did, she told me all about that and she told me she desperately needed a place to stay so she asked you and you agreed on the condition that she would help you look after me.”
“I’m sorry I lied. What else did she tell you?”
“That you are her boyfriend now. I’m happy for you son.” She said very lowly. I knew she was tired from all that talking.
“Go ahead mom. Rest.”