"My book" (Excerpts from Egypt to Canaan Land)

As promised, during the month of June I will post a few excerpts of my book From Egypt to Canaan Land. Please read the excerpts and provide me with your thoughts and comments.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Things are not always as they seem."

“My God……please……please……pick……up…..” LaTanya mumbled as she listened to the phone ring in her ear. She held the cell phone to her ear, praying that Tyler J would answer the phone. “Hello…......Hello……...” said Tyler J picking up the phone. “Thank God…......is it you….......I was praying you would pick up the phone” she cried. “LaTanya…......LaTanya………....is this you…..what’s wrong?” startled he asked. “Yeah…..it’s…..me….oh…I’ve…..done….something…..” she sobbed.

“Wait…..calm.……down….baby….....” concerned he said. “I……know….its……wrong…..but……I….....was....so…......so….angry…” she said in between sobs. “Angry……angry…..for…..what?” he asked. “Dave….he……he…..beat….her….for….no….reason….” she said still sobbing. “Dave….Dave…...beat….....who?” he cried trying to make sense of the conversation. “Oh……my……God….you…don’t know yet…do…you?” sobbing she asked. “No…what…..what in the hell are you talking about?” seriously he asked. “Dave…..he……he…oh…..God….Tye …..he….beat…..Larissa!” she sobbed.

“Larissa……what…......do you mean he beat Larissa!?” he shouted. “I’m….so….sorry…..Tye. But she’s in Taylor General fighting for her life. Dave is nowhere to be found” she said. "Wait…a….minute! This is too much for me to take!. I didn’t know Larissa was dating Dave. How long has this relationship been going on?” angry he asked. “It’s been going on for years. Larissa didn’t want your parents to tell you. They figure you would be upset once you found out he was dating her” she said wiping her eyes.

“You damn right, I’m upset! So tell me something, is my niece Dave’s kid?!” he snapped. “Yes…..Tye.....….Danielle is Dave’s daughter” sadly she replied. “I will be damn! I knew that bastard was fooling around with somebody I knew. At first, I thought it was my mother. Every time I talk to him about his woman, he changed the subject. Just last month I called the nigga’ and told him I was going to be in town for a few days. I told him I wanted to meet this “mystery” lady and he told me she was out of town.

The nigga’ never told me he had a child, let alone it was my niece!” harshly he said. “Larissa wanted to tell you when she came to visit you. That’s why she would never bring Danielle, because she looks so much like Dave” she said.

Tyler J held the phone in silence for what seemed like an hour. Finally, she broke the silence. “Tye……Tye…..are….you…..there?” softly she said. “Yeah, I’m here. You said that Larissa is fighting for her life, right now. How badly did he beat?” sadly he asked. “Well…..she’s in a coma, right now. The doctor’s said there is a good chance she may come out of it. If so, there may be some brain damage. But, Larissa is a fighter and I know God will bring her through this” she said trying to sound reassuring.

“Yes….Larissa…is….a……fighter” he stammered as tears began to well in his eyes. “Tye, there’s more. You see I was having an affair with Dave, too” ashamed she said. “Baby girl not you, please tell me you didn’t fall for the punk, too?” shocked he asked. “Yes….I’m….. ashamed…….to….admit, it but I did. I never meant to hurt Larissa. I don’t know, I guess I was looking for love in the all wrong places. But, he made me believe that he loved me and he was with Larissa for the sake of Danielle. My heart told me it was all a lie, but I wanted to be loved so badly, I believe him” sadly she replied.

“You know baby girl, love is not just a frame of mind, or a sexual feeling. Love comes from the heart, soul and mind. You can’t take a chance on your heart with someone for thirty seconds of pleasure. Because when the ecstasy is over, you’re going to need a foundation to build your relationship on. Relationships built primarily on lust never last. Lust is a momentary emotion, which is false and has no real substance. But love is real, and it lasts forever. You and Larissa are beautiful women, who wasted your time on a brother who has experienced nothing but moments of pleasure. He would have never been able to love either of you, because he finds it hard to love himself. In the long run, the lust and desire of one man destroyed one young woman who is fighting for her life and brought another woman to shame. But for some reason, I feel sorry for Dave” softly he said.

“What….do you mean…you…feel sorry for him! Your sister is in the hospital behind his dumb ass! Don't you understand he could have killed her?!” coldly she replied. “Yes, I’m angry! I’m angry with you, Larissa, Dave, Mom and Dad! But there is nothing I can do about that, now. He has never known real love. He never took the time to learn about love. He believes sex is quick fix for the void inside of him. He has yet to learn, the void in his life cannot be filled by women, sex and alcohol. It is a void that only Christ can fill. So, my sorrow for Dave is that he does not know Jesus. Because if he would have known Him, he would have never hurt you or Larissa” he said.

“You’re right I guess I never looked at it that way before. I guess I was so angry at myself for being stupid, I never realized he was just as broken as I was” she replied. “We all have done things we are not proud of. But, the thing is to learn from our past and then release it back into history where it belongs” he said.

Well….there is something else. In my haste to get back at him, I called Saw and put a hit out on him” quietly she said. “YOU DID WHAT? ARE YOU CRAZY, LATANYA?” he shouted. “I know………I…..wasn’t thinking straight…..” she said starting to sob again. “You’re right! You were not thinking straight!” harshly he replied. Tyler J head started to spin. “What in the hell was she, thinking? Didn’t she realize what she had done? Saw never took a hit on without careful thought. Once he decided to off someone, he would never resign himself not to carry it out” he thought.

“Tye…..I know it was wrong, but what am I going to do? Saw refuses to call the hit, off. He said that Dave deserves to die. I begged him to call it off, but he said I was too late. He already called it in. He said don’t worry about paying him, this one was on the house” sobbing she said. Tyler J held the phone as his mind was racing a mile a minute. How could he prevent Saw from killing Dave? He didn’t have the heart to tell LaTanya he wanted the job himself. His own mind was full of thoughts of killing him. No! He didn’t want Saw to have the satisfaction of killing Dave it would be too easy a way for him to die. He wanted Dave to look into his eyes as he beat him. He wanted him to feel what Larissa felt, the day he maliciously beat her. His head was reeling with evil thoughts. He knows he love God and the right thing to do would be to pray for Dave. But how could he pray, now.

Revenge had shown its ugly head. How could it be that his best friend for the past ten years had been living secretly with his baby sister and had a child with her? He felt betrayed by Dave and his entire family. He couldn’t tell LaTanya what evil was forming in him. But, he knew he needed to hear the whole story.

“LaTanya don’t worry, I will straighten this matter out with Saw. But right now, I want you to tell me the whole story from beginning to end about Dave and Larissa’s relationship. I’m trusting that you won’t leave anything out” calmly he said. “Well…..it……all started five years ago at a New Year’s eve party……….





“Hey baby….what’s up? Did you miss daddy? You sho’ know how to sniff a brother out. How did you know I was back in town?” he asked . “I heard through the grapevine baby, you had never left” said the woman. “What….bitch….you spying on me these days?” he asked coldly. “Naw baby, I’m not spying on you. I happened to be at Benji’s and I heard a couple of dudes talking, that’s all” defensively the woman replied. “Is that right…..so…...my partners are telling you shit, now?!” harshly he asked. “No baby, it’s nothing like that. You know how the niggas’ on the block are. Somebody is always running their mouths. You know you always tell me that loose lips sink ships, right baby?” softly the woman replied. The woman knew he had a bad tempered. She didn’t want to do anything to set him off. She knew he had beaten Larissa, badly She didn't want to make him mad. She needed him to believe everything was ok between them.

Dave exited the driveway of the Blue Pit and turned the brown Infinity onto Lexington Avenue and headed for Route 5. “So….baby….what else have you heard” curious he asked. “Nothing baby….I…wasn’t there to hang out. I just drop in to pick up a fifth” she lied. “Is that right…......well if there is something, I would be the first one to know about it right, baby?” sarcastically he asked. “Of course baby….of course” still lying she said. “Good, then we shouldn’t have any problems. By the way I’m out of ends and I going to be flying out of town in a couple of days. I had some unfinished business to take care which delayed my trip by a few days. So, I’m coming by to see you this evening. It will be the last time I see you for a while. Which means, I’m going to need a couple of thousands to tide me over until my lick comes through, you dig!” sternly he said.

“This nigga’ has the mitigating gall to ask me for a couple of thousands after what he done!” angrily she thought. Here, Larissa was lying up in the hospital not sure whether she is going to live or die, while he’s playing house with the next woman. This nigga’ is crazy for real. But, I don’t have a problem with giving him a couple of thousands. Hell, a couple of thousands is worth the price he’s going to have to pay” she thought. “Baby…..what’s up…..did you hear what I said?” harshly he asked. “Yeah baby….I…heard…you. I was just thinking that I needed to run to bank before closing” lying she replied. “Yeah….you….do that. I will meet you at the Seventh Avenue motel in thirty minutes” he said. “Alright baby….I’ll see you soon” said the woman as she hung up the phone.

“Yes….. daddy…… come……to….mama” mumbled the woman. The woman re-opened her flip phone and dialed a number. “Rrrrrrrrng…….rrrrrrrrring………rrrrrrrring” the phone rang. “What it is…….”said the voice. “Yeah…..it’s…..me… I talked to the nigga and it’s on tonight. He’s meeting me at the Seventh Avenue Motel” said the woman. “What time, tonight?” asked the voice. “He said he’s going to be here in about thirty minutes” the woman replied. “Yeah…..but the team won’t be assembled until tomorrow. I’m still waiting on my boy from out town to get here. His flight is delayed until tomorrow morning. So, we will just have to patient until tomorrow.

Besides, I want my boy to have an opportunity to use his own strategy, you feel me” said the voice. “Yeah…I feel you, but he’s talking about leaving town in a couple of days” concerned the woman said. “Baby…..believe me this nigga’ is already set up on the other side of town. I’ve already done my homework. He’s held up with some broad and her two kids. He thinks he has gotten away with some shit. He’s the type of brother who believes his own hype. He would never leave town as long as he has a mark. Don’t worry hang with him tonight like it’s all good. I hope he gets to know Jesus tonight for his sake” laughing said the voice hanging up the phone.

The woman closed her cell phone. “Now its your turn, Mr. Anderson. You’ve mistreated and abused every woman you’ve ever come into contact with. These women loved and trusted you. But you played with their heart as if it was a game. You never loved any of us, because you don’t know how to love yourself” angrily she thought.

The woman grabbed her purse off the table sitting near the door. She paused and looked at herself in the mirror. Strangely, the face in the mirror was the face of woman she had never seen before. The woman in the mirror was full of hate and bitterness. Her eyes were filled with rage and revenge. These were not the eyes of gentle woman, who believed three years ago that a young man could love and desire her. So much, she was willing to leave her husband and family for him. She was willing to sacrifice years of marriage just to be with him. It wasn’t anything she woyld not to do for him. But that was over now. The pain and the agony he cause Larissa as well as LaTanya could not be overlooked.

It was time for him to pay and pay he would. The woman smiled sinisterly as she ran her fingers through her hair. She rubbed away the red lipstick off her teeth. “Yes….my…dear….you’re..…. looking lovely. But now, it is show time!” she laughed as she walked out the door.