NO MORE BLUE SKIES

Warning: There are some curse words, and the subject of Athesism may offend some. This is the first chapter to a series I decided to write because of this prompt. This story will continue so there is no ending in this reading.

NO MORE BLUE SKIES

Paula Brooks stared at the dimming blue skies as she watched the ominous clouds slowly take away the once beautiful scenery. She knew a great deal of rain was about to be dispensed on her. Her fellow church folks always say that pouring rain means God was crying. She didn’t know about God’s emotional state, but at this moment, she felt a bit teary herself.

She had left Cleveland Baptist Church late this Sunday evening because of the extra-long service and then stayed later to help Pastor Reynolds tidy up some loose ends.

Always the good-doer, now she found herself on the streets alone, ready to get drenched by the oncoming rain.

She had already waited twenty minutes for her Access-a-ride, which never

showed up. She didn’t have a husband, boyfriend, child, or an Uber account to bail her out. Besides, she had forgotten to charge her cell phone, so calling anyone for help was moot anyway.

Luckily, she lived only 15 minutes away. It wasn’t a long walk, but the rain would

make her journey arduous for sure. She opened up her small, black, three-dollar umbrella for minimal protection.

“Oh, God, please protect me,” she prayed out loud after she felt the presence of

someone following close behind her after splashing through the heavy rain five minutes into her journey. Normally, she would not have been nervous, but the recent murders of two church members had everyone in the Christian community a little shaken up.

She reluctantly turned around to see who was behind her. Her rapidly pounding heartbeat only quickened after she saw the tall, shadowy figure menacingly approaching her with a knife in hand.

Shelly Stone and Aunt Eve

“How was church?” Shelly asked her aunt Eve, after her aunt whisked through the

front door of their two-bedroom apartment.

“Another one down,” Aunt Eve said, taking off her wide-brimmed, white church hat, andsetting it down on the rounded, crystal glass kitchen table.

“What?”

“They found another saint dead!” She said, tossing her white gloves on top of her hat.

Shelly’s eyes widen as if they were going to pop open and fly off her face, and land on

the floor.

“You have got to be kidding me?” Shelly lamented.

“Do I look like I am joking to you?” her aunt said, securing her hands over her rounded

hips.

“Who was it?”

“Oh, Poor Paula Brooks,” Aunt Eve sniffed.

“Wow. They got Ole Saintly Ms. Brooks,” Shelly smirked.

“Shelly! You know where you are going, don’t you?” Her aunt stated as she pointed a

finger at her.

“I know. I know. To Hell.”

“That’s right, young lady. You keep making light of God and his children, and there will

be a special place for you in Hell after you die.”

“Yeah, you’ve told me that a thousand times, and I still can’t seem to change who I am or

what I believe. Maybe you should try harder.”

” I gave up a long time ago. You are twenty-five years old. You should be married by now

to a respectable church fellow, and had a child or two.

But instead, you’re living with your old widowed aunt. I give up,” her aunt said, throwing her hands up in

the air. “I just give up!”

“Fine. I don’t need no damned husband, especially if he’s a part of that brain-washed

church of yours. I would rather die an old fucking maid if I ever have to convert into becoming a

Christian and marrying one of those Bible-Preaching losers. You know how I feel about that

church. They kicked my ass out when I was fifteen.”

“You were about to sleep with the pastor.”

“Yeah, the point is, Aunt Eve, I didn’t sleep with him. Did I?”

“Because I walked in on you before it got to that point, that’s why!”

“O.K. then, if I am such a slut, why would you or anybody in that church want me

anywhere near that place?”

“Because it’s about saving your soul. God forgave you for what happened more

than ten years ago. After it first happened, you were forgiven right away. I told you that already.”

“I don’t care what your supposed God allegedly did. I am a Black, Female, Atheist, and

I wouldn’t change that for the world.”

“You see what I said about giving up. I can’t win with you. My poor niece is going to

burn in hell forever. It breaks my heart, but what am I supposed to do?” Eve shrugged. “Enough of this talk, did you at least cook dinner?”

Eve walked towards the stove and started sniffing around the pots.

“No. I thought you were going to eat at the church.”

“The cooks who made food this week are the pits. I wouldn’t give that food to a dog if

he was dying, and eating something would save his life.”

“Blasphemy. Such talk against the great saints? How dare you?”

“Be quiet. I guess I’ll have to warm up leftovers. What did you eat?”

“I had some Oreo Cookies and a pint of vanilla ice cream.”

Eve shakes her head.

“One day, that fast metabolism is going to give out on you, and you won’t be able to walk

through that front door.”

“I’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

Eve walked over to the refrigerator. Shelly got up and stood in front of her, blocking her entry.

“Get out of my way, Child. I am hungry!”

“You know I love you, Aunt, Eve,” Shelly lowered her lankly, 5-foot-10 body, so she could be face-to-face

with her much shorter aunt.

“I know. I love you too,” Aunt Eve said.

The women hugged.

“I am sorry I was harsh,” said Shelly.

“Me too,” said Eve. “Now get out of my way. My stomach is growling!”

“O.K,” Shelly laughed. Before she moved away, Eve smacked her on her behind.

“Shelly, I was thinking,” Eve said, as she took out a foil-wrapped plate of leftover

fried chicken and placed it on the kitchen counter.

“About what?” Shelly asked while sitting down at the table.

“How can I say this?”

“Just say it?”

“Do you still do that detective stuff you were involved in about a year ago?”

“You mean as a Private Eye?”

“Yes, that’s what I mean.”

“I still get cases from time to time. Why do you ask?”

Aunt Eve looked at Shelly and tilted her head, and then tapped her cheek with her index

finger.

“No, way!” Shelly yelled.

“Shelly,” Eve grabbed her by the arm as Shelly stood up and was about to walk out of the

kitchen.

“I am not doing it, Aunt Eve.”

“We are all scared to death, Shelly,” Eve begged. “Especially me. You know God and

church means everything to me, but I am scared that whoever killed those other church members

might kill me too!”

But everybody in that church looks down on me. Why should I help them find

out who the murderer is. I don’t care about them.”

“Because we don’t have anybody else to investigate, and we can’t afford a real private

eye.”

“Oh, that’s rich. You only want me to help because you are desperate and broke.”

“Shelly, I wish you didn’t make things so complicated.”

“Nothing is complicated, Aunt Eve. Just give me one good reason why I should help

those Bible thumping fools?”

“Because I am scared, and I love you. I took you in when nobody else wanted you. I

loved you like the child I could never have. Tell me if I am lying?”

Shelly lowered her head. Tears were forming because Aunt Eve hit a nerve. She sure

knew how to pull her heartstrings. Shelly had a flashback to the day Aunt Eve came

to pick her up from that horrid Foster Care Home.

Shelly had never been so glad to see another person in her life. It’s felt like someone gave her 10 million

dollars and told her she could buy anything in the world she ever wanted.

In reality, all she ever wanted was love and someone to care for her, and Aunt Eve

was definitely that person. The thing that really moved Shelly was that Aunt Eve wasn’t even her blood aunt.

Aunt Eve’s husband was Shelly’s biological uncle; her mother’s brother. Even afterher uncle had passed away; Eve still cared for Shelly. They didn’t always get along, but theyloved each other.

After a short pause, Shelly said, “Yes, Aunt Eve. I will take the case.”