Stories By Mi'Chelle

Inaya floated on cloud nine for the rest of the week. She and Chandler talked every chance they got. She loved hearing his voice before she went to sleep at night and first thing in the morning. She especially loved the songs that he kept dedicating to her on the radio, though he had yet to mention her name. Each time he would simply say, “This song is dedicated to my princess.” Inaya appreciated the way Chandler respected her need for privacy considering how large his audience was. She, in turn, made certain concessions for him as well. One of which was to go out on another date the following Saturday. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of not only agreeing to a movie earlier in the day when more people were out and about, but to also go out to dinner afterwards at an upscale restaurant. As expected, they encountered stares galore on their date. Hard stares, inquisitive stares, and most of all, disapproving stares. It was like they were some kind of freak show. Yes, Chandl...

So she’s backslidden, huh? Seems like I read somewhere that God is married to the backslider , Chandler thought, doing as she asked, though his appetite was almost nonexistent. He ate and listened in silence as she revealed how at the age of nine, she saw a billboard about a Person named Jesus Christ who had died for the sins of man. So affected by what she read, she begged her mother to let her attend one of the neighborhood churches so that she could meet this Jesus Person in person. Uzuri agreed, but only if she took her sister with her. “Kali and I went unaccompanied the following Sunday, not just because the church was within walking distance and didn’t have any major streets crossing it, but mainly because Mama saw it as an opportunity to get us out of her hair for a few hours,” Inaya shared with a frown. Chandler frowned also. He was rapidly developing a strong dislike for Uzuri and he hadn’t even met her yet. “We had so much fun in church. I loved everything abou...

Chandler couldn’t help but notice how withdrawn Inaya became after their predawn tryst ended. She said very little to him, barely looked at him, and even insisted on separate showers. Was she also having ‘morning-after’ regrets because they fast forwarded to the sex stage without any real commitment? Chandler certainly was. Conviction descended upon him again as soon as they finished. Now he could barely look himself in the eye as he shaved in Inaya’s turquoise themed bathroom. He dreaded what was sure to be an awkward conversation over breakfast. Mindful of the time, Chandler finished getting dressed and then headed to the kitchen where Inaya was cooking breakfast. She’d taken her shower first and thus was already dressed. On the way to the kitchen with his black overnight bag in hand, Chandler slowed his steps and casually perused her immaculate home. During last night’s ride to Walmart, he learned that Inaya moved here when her sister got married. How she opted for a smal...