IN THE LIGHT

Mrs.Tomlinson POV:

I tried calling Mark's phone again but, it went straight to voicemail and I sighed . He hadn't came home last night and I was stuck between being worried or just nit caring.  He was still my husband at least that's what the ring on my finger stated but, as far as I was concerned the man that I had married was long gone and I had been living with a stranger.

I had just returned from the hospital with Celine and I was glad that she had recovered enough for the doctors to released her but, ever since she had came home she had went to her room and locked herself in and I knew she had questions but, I wasn't sure how to even begin to answer those questions.  In a matter of months the life I had structured and had was completely shattered and I knew there was no saving my marriage which explained the reason my ring was no longer on my finger but, on the coffee table infront of me.

I had been waiting for Mark to come home last night so I could asked for a divorce. I was drained both mentally and physically and I just wanted space to work on myself and start over . I knew that once I divorce Mark , I was going to have to walk away from ministry and our church and it was just as well because, the life I had led was neither fair to God or the people I had stood before and ministered to every Sunday morning.

I had lost my daughter because of it and I knew that she would never forgive me and I  couldn't blame her which was why I had called Lenisha and told her to come over so we could talk. I was going to end what we had together for good and then I was going to call Bria and apologise to her . I knew I had been wrong in many things I had done pertaining to her and the worse one of all had been me asking her to not say anything about the man I had called my husband and who was supposed to have been a father to her and protected her but, instead he had done the complete opposite and not even just to her but, to God knows how many other girls .

The whole thing had made the news but, suspiciously enough the police had no way to tie him to the operation because none of the girls that they had rescued saw his face but, I believed Bria and I thanked God that someone had saved her from what would have certainly been hell itself. She had said she hated us and I couldn't blame her, not after all that she has been through and all the lies she had been told . After I spoke to Lenisha I was going to break open the safe in Mark's office and called the police to collect everything that was inside , that was of he hadn't already gotten rid of them.

The knock on the door alerted me and I got up from my place on the couch and walked to the door and unlocked it letting Lenisha inside.

" how yuh look suh ?" , she asked as she followed me into the living room and sat down in one of the couches opposite me .

" just tired " , I replied looking at her wishing she hadn't worn a dress that exposed the top of her breasts and she had gotten her hair done too , a new wig install jet black and styled in curls that fell around her shoulders and framed her face .

" Celine come home a ready? Which part Bria deh?" She asked and I shifted my gaze from her breast to her eyes .

" yes mi just nuh too long come from eh hospital wid Celine but, mi nuh know which part Bria deh . Only thing mi know seh she meet wah man and a him save har from wah did happen couple days aguh wid Mark. Lenisha eh life weh mi a did a live ova , mi cah continue fi live like this ", I said and she frowned confused.

" wait , wait cause yuh lost mi . Wah happen wid Mark and Bria and weh yuh mean by yuh life ova?"

I explained the whole situation to her and watched as her eyes widen in shock and disbelief as she took in everything I said .

" suh eh human trafficking operation weh mi si come pon eh news, Mark did involved inna that? Jesus Sashana! And him have eh heart fi sell unu daughta? eh man who guh up infront a people a preach every Sunday really involved inna sumunh like this ? No man , him and Satan a mus bredda. Oh gosh poor Bria but, yuh seh eh man who she deh wid now a him find har and report eh whole operation to eh police ? "

" yes thank God fi him but, Bria nuh wah nuhun fi do wid none a wi because a wah mi seh to har. Mi did start have wah feeling couple weeks back seh sumun off wid Mark and mi start listen to him conversation dem when him inna him office a talk and then mi find eh key fi eh safe and open it one night while him upstairs inna wi bedroom a wait pon mi fi come up come join him . Lenisha , mi neva expect fi find eh things dem weh mi find . Blood stained shirt, ova 5 different banga phone, stack a money wrapped wid rubber bands . Eh did just to much and when Bria disappeared eh night mi did have wah feeling seh him involved suh mi ask him and confess to him seh mi si wah inna him safe and a suh comes mi si eh real man who mi been a live wid now fi years.  Him cus bad word and threatened mi fi let him guh before him do things him might regret and when Bria come back eh next mawning and tell mi wah happened wid she and how Mark involved mi did fraid and mi just neva know wah fi do suh mi tell har fi nuh seh nuhun ", I finished.

" jeez Sash mi nuh know eh fus thing fi seh . Suh weh Mark deh now ? Work  because mi nuh recall anything but him a get mentioned inna eh operation suh a just you and Bria know  , suh Bria already talk to eh police ?"

" mi nuh  know which part Mark deh and fi tell eh truth mi really nuh business . From last night him did fi come home and mi did a plan fi ask him fi a divorce eh mintue him set foot through eh door but, all now mi nuh si him and mi call him phone and eh guh straight to voicemail ".

" divorce?, well mi cah blame yuh fi that because afta all a this mi woudah do eh same thing but, yuh nuh think seh him probably dead? Because think bout it Sash if him sell him owna daughta,  him mus inna wah situation weh a sumuh weh him did haffi do fi save fi him life or sumuh . Mi nah seh weh him do right because mi woudah kill him afta Bria guh missing if a di fi mi daughta cause mi nuh ramp but, him mus did have wah reason fi do weh him do and normally wid things like dem deh , anuh just one smaddy in charge ", she said and I nodded realising that she had a point  but, then I remembered the reason she had came and I decided to get it over with.

" mi understand weh yah seh and as mi seh mi aguh gi eh police dem whatever inna eh safe and whatever other information dem need concerning Mark but, a neva really this mi call yuh ova here fah . Lenisha wi affi stop this,  wi cah continue eh relationship weh wi have and mi nah seh this because a all a wah happen but, mainly fi miself and wi children dem . Yuh know aeh if yuh daughta fi find out seh wi deh it aguh shock har and it aguh be difficult fi she accept even though a fi yuh life ", I said and she sighed .

" Sashana fi tell eh truth mi nuh wah let yuh guh because mi love yuh and mi love eh fact seh mi have yuh inna mi life and if mi coudah do things openly I would but, mi understand weh yah seh especially eh fact seh weh wi have together nuh fit in wid yuh life as somebody fi be a leader a eh church.  Just please nuh block mi out a yuh life and if one day come and yuh feel like yuh ready fi wi try have wah relationship together again just mek mi know ".

I was about to say something when out of nowhere Mickayla appeared from around the living room corner like she had been hiding on the other side of the wall that separated the living room from the kitchen and hallway. Her face was a mask of shock and surprise and I felt my stomach dropped as I  wondered how much she had heard and how had she even gotten in without me hearing the door ?

" wah the hell mi just hear ? Unu deh together?"

Lenisha turned to look at her , her face a mask of fright and worry .

" Mickayla weh yah do here ? "

" that anuh eh question mi just ask mummy . Mi nuh have nuh classes until Monday suh mi decide fi come dung fi look fi mi best fren and all mi did a call out a gate nuhbody nah ansa and eh  front door neva lock .  Suh tell mi why mi just hear yuh tell mi best fren mada seh yuh love har and she just a tell yuh seh weh unu have cah continue?"

I sat still frozen in my seat but, I knew that there was no use hiding anything anymore because the truth was out not just to my daughter but, to her best friend and there was no reversing that.