If He left me

Chapter 1

"Yes, mom, yes I understand...but..." I was trying to explain to my mom, Eliza Brookes Forester, why I wasn't ready to be serving in church.

"No buts! You've been at it for far too long, it's time to return to your roots, Faith."

I sighed and shook my head, "It's about time you and dad left me alone, let me live my life because no one is telling you how to live your life, excuse me," I stormed out of my parent's house. I made my way to my car and drove off hurriedly.

My parents, Eliza Brookes Forester and Thomas Forester, are pastors in our church, Faith Of Christ Ministries, and they've been pressuring me into becoming a pastor there. That's not the path I wanted to take.

I got home to meet André, my boyfriend of five years. I entered the front door of my 2 bedroom apartment and found Andrè too busy on his cellphone to even notice me come in. I collapsed on the couch and sighed to draw his attention. He looked at me, rolled his eyes and said, "What's up with you?"

I sank my face into the fluffy red cushion on my coffee leather sleeper couch, "Argh!" I screamed into the cushion.

"If you're going to suffocate yourself and yell at the top of your lungs like a little baby, why don't you go finish up whatever rage you have inside you elsewhere?"

Those words sank deep into my heart, instead of comforting me or trying to hear what got me so stressed, he chooses to speak to me that way. I quickly sat up and gazed at him, "Whoa, what's got you so angry?"

"Do I look angry to you?" Knowing Andrè De la Cruz, money was the only thing capable of putting him into such a mood.

"Jeez, Andrè, what's got into you? What's wrong sweetheart?" I moved from the sleeper couch and sat on the arm of the single seater sofa where he was sitting. I knew Andrè was pretending to be angry so I won't have a chance to ask him if he had applied for the job I told him to apply for that very morning. I was too distressed about my conversation with mom that I just focused on the one person who brought me joy and put peace into my heart.

"What's wrong sweet?" I massaged his shoulders.

He shut his eyes and let out a sound of relief as I kept on massaging his shoulders, "Aww honey, that feels good."

"Tell me what's wrong?" I asked.

"Argh, Ximena's son is sick and she needs $350 for his hospital bills."

I stopped massaging him and started coughing uncontrollably. My own saliva had choked me, "Whoa, $350? What's wrong with him?" I said as soon as I was able to talk. Andrè didn't bother to help me while I was almost about to lose my life. But I loved him anyway.

"Appendix. Trevor has got some problem with his appendix and he needs to undergo surgery as soon as possible. I just don't understand why she would tell me all that as if I'm the child's father."

I felt bad for the poor child. Ximena Valdez is Andre's sister from a different mother. She got pregnant and got dumped by her son's father. She's been struggling to raise the kid and so she runs to her brother for support.

"She's your sister and you have to help her in whatever way you can."

"Babe, you know I'm not working, and I don't have any money, how do you expect for me to help her?"

"You have to get serious about getting a job so you can also help me with the bills around here. You know I haven't been focusing much on trading and in turn, I've only faced numerous losses. So you have to get a job so you can also support your sister and your nephew. For now I'll transfer that $350 into your account first thing in the morning."

Andre's frown changed to a huge smile and he turned his whole body to face me, "Mami! You will?"

"Yes, I will babe...." before I was even done talking, I found myself wrapped inside his huge muscled arms.

"Wow! Your cuñada will be so happy Mami!"

That evening I forced myself to trade even when I had taken a break from it because of the pressure I was facing. I made sure that I entered a profitable trade because knowing that a little child was going through a tough time pained me so much as if it was my own child facing that problem. In the morning I transferred $350 into Andre's account and headed out for grocery shopping. I didn't tell Andre where I was going though.

I went back home after exactly one hour and a half. I went inside and I found toys lying on the carpet of my living room. I knew that Trevor and his mom were inside my house but there was no one in sight. I went to the backyard and I found Trevor playing football there. The 5 year old was excited to see me.

"Tía! Tía!" He ran towards me with his arms wide open and he wrapped them tightly around my waist. I hugged him back.

"Hi Trevor, how are you? Where's mama?"

"In the house with papi."

"Papi? Is your dad here?"

"Yes, in the house Tía. In the house." He pointed to the window of my bedroom. I was surprised why he pointed to the window of my bedroom, I thought he was mistaken. His dad disappeared even before he was born and no one has heard from him ever since. I got curious to see if he was really in my house. I ran straight to the room where the little boy pointed and found his mom, Ximena sleeping on my bed with only her undergarments. My heart skipped a beat as many questions came rushing through my head. Why was she sleeping on my bed, wearing only her undergarments?

"Ximena!" My voice came out louder than I intended for it to. She jumped up in fright. She got out of bed, took a sheet and wrapped it around herself to cover her body. She had a look of fear as she stared at me...