In this short story Maxine had been living with Marcus as his wife although they were not married. She thought she was forever condemned to the fate when Marcus died as the result of an accident. Maxine is ecstatic but she must pretend that she is sad and has no idea how she will cope in life because her man was dead.
In fact Maxine began looking at Lance who she see as a far better man than the dead Marcus and she is determined that although there were many females in the community that had an eye on Lance she was the one that would trap Lance.
A man like Lance a woman should try to get to
take her before a pastor as quickly as possible.
Maxine was glad that the pastor
had not tried to embarrass her like the last time she went to church with her
friend Sandy, that night the pastor had said “it is good to see the sinners in
church tonight, Maxine it is good to see you.” The laughter outside the church
made her vow to that it would be a long time before anyone saw her in church
again. She had been true to that promise.
The best thing of all about being
in church that Sunday was that she saw Lance was in church. A bit of jealousy
crept into her heart when it was time to meet and greet, everyone was hugging
and shaking hands. Some of those hugs were unchristian hugs she told herself as
she observed how some of the church sisters hugged Lance. Those hugs more appeared to be lust hugs she
thought to herself. She hoped none of the church brothers tried to hug her like
that, well she would not mind Lance’s but not in church.
At the end of the church service
one of the deacons came and personally greeted her and extracted a promise from
her to come again the following Sunday. To this she readily gave the promise
telling, herself that she had a week in which to start making her plans.
“Anything done in a haste will
have to be done a second time,” this had been so often repeated by her mother
that it had stuck in Maxine’s brain and had caused many a regret during her
time living with Marcus. “Take your time and study the man and when the time is
ripe make your move.” Maxine whispered often when she was alone at home.
It was no accident that she
attended church services on a Sunday mornings on and off for the next few
months. Some times when she was invited she also attended church meetings in
the nights. She did not join in the conversations that everyone engaged in
while walking home from church, instead she listened and she learnt much.
Whenever possible she passed by Lance’s house and studied his every move.
Sometimes Maxine even hid near his house and watched after dark and watched,
soon she could tell if he was at home or not when she passed his house whether
it was in the day or at night.
Maxine became a picture of industry and
virtue going to work, working at home and giving a helping hand to anyone that
was in need.
“Whatever you have, use it to
your advantage,” was what she had been told as a child. Thus it was that one
Friday afternoon Maxine just happened to be passing Lance’s house just as it
started to rain and Lance being outside like she knew he would be was obliged
to invite her to come inside his house and shelter out of the rain. The rain
cooperated nicely and fell long and hard and continued late in to the night.
Lance had not eaten dinner as yet Maxine knew.
Lance hated to admit to Maxine
that he had not prepared his dinner as yet but he did and accepted her offer to
help. Maxine could see he was nervous and did not help the situation in any way
by deliberately as if by accident touching him just to see how he would respond
to her. Maxine saw that he was trembling so she subtly set about getting him to
relax. A mosquito came to her aid by biting her neck. Her hands being dirty she
quickly called Lance, he readily squashed the mosquito and then he had to use a
towel to clean the mess that squashing the mosquito had made on her neck. His
touching her made him just relax a little bit.
Lance enjoyed his dinner and he took
note of the difference her cooking was when it was compared to his cooking and he
actually enjoyed having someone to talk with while he ate. When the rain stopped
falling it was late. Lance knew he was expected to walk Maxine home. This was
an unwritten rule. He was actually enjoying walking with her until he came to
what he knew would be a small pond in the road after the rain. When they came
to the pond, Lance stopped for a few minutes wondering the best way to get her
across, there was no going around the pond and the water was more than knee
deep. Maxine on learning why they had stopped mischievously suggested that he
lift her and take her across in his arms. His reluctance made her dare him and
seeing it was dark and no one about to take note Lance took the dare. It was
dark so he took it as an accident that her lips brushed his and she made the
most comfortable way to hold her was so that her breast rested on his chest
while her hands went around his neck.
Lance
knew that he should put Maxine down on the ground then and there but she felt
good and he would be putting her in the water so he continued across the small
pond in the road. Holding her in his arms was not as bad as he thought. (An exert from For Love of Him available (amazon stores, kindle stores and create space ebooks.)
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