How do I tell her I’m using her name, that I’m Sunjiya now? That the broken and abused me is no more. That Tanjaya died in a fire?
She’s gonna freak the hell out.
Fuck!
This shit has gotten out of hand.
What was I thinking?
Hell, what were we thinking eight years ago?
Sleep is evasive because Sunjiya’s mind is cloudy. She tosses and turns for hours as she replays the last few weeks with Akeem, the horrific years with Marcelin, and the night that led her here.
If only I didn’t go to Tallahassee when she called,she thinks as her eyelids start to feel like boulders.
Her body yearns for sleep but her mind has other plans. She manages to close her eyes about thirty minutes later but the rest doesn’t last long. By two-thirty her eyes are open again and her mind churns. The battle between thinking and sleeping continues until the bright Antigua sun illuminates through the large window in her room.
Sluggishly, she drags her weary body out of bed into the bathroom. After performing her morning routine, she grabs her cell and ambles to the kitchen. Her mind needs caffeine and her empty stomach craves food. The trail mix from yesterday has completely digested in her belly and she’s hungry.
A quick search of the kitchen reveals that although the refrigerator and pantry items are scarce, the coffee and tea bar are stacked. A bag of local coffee from Carib Bean Coffee Co. rests on the bar, Ethiopian Moka Java. Sunjiya is sold as soon as she opens the bag and the bold scent of coffee, chocolate, and earthiness makes her mouth water.
She measures two heaping tablespoons of the coffee and places them in the maker. After removing the plastic from a disposable cup and lid, she opens three sugar packets and pours them inside, places the cup on the machine, and presses start. As it brews, she surveys the fridge again. Several to-go containers and bags are inside along with bottles of water, eggs, cans of juice, and a bowl of pineapple chunks leftover from her sister’s binge last night.
Not wanting to awaken her twin, Sunjiya takes her coffee and fruit onto the veranda. She’s met with a bright sun and a beautiful view of the serene beach. It’s barely seven in the morning and only a few people are out. After taking a sip of her robust coffee, she decides to try Akeem.
“Hey, bae. I was just about to text you,” he answers and his voice soothes her weary soul. “Why you up so early?”
“You’re rubbing off on me,” she admits. “Plus, I really needed to hear your voice this morning and know you’re good.”
“Oh, I’m good. I got my game plan figured out early, so I might have this deal sealed before the week is out. You can stop what you’re doing and I can meet you in Atlanta to help,” he says and she quickly counters.
“I told you it’s not much. I should be done today and heading back to Austin tomorrow.”
“You sure?” he questions.
“Very. I don’t have furniture to move or place in storage. I’m a minimalist and all I really have is my clothes and shoes.”
“What about your workspace?” he asks.
Shit. I forgot I’m Sunjiya, a travel agent who works from home.
“I’m boxing that up,” she says while making a mental note to order and ship a printer and a few office supply essentials. “But I won’t bring much. I’m not trying to take over your condo.”
“You can take over whatever you want when it comes to me and it’s your condo too now. I want you to be comfortable, so bring whatever you need, and when I get back, you can change shit up if you want. I don’t care. You just can’t touch my gun room,” he says and she smiles at his willingness to have her fully in his life and home.
“Can I add a gun to the room? I want to go shooting with you again.”
“We can definitely make that happen. You got natural skills we can work with.”
“Thanks. I know,” she says with a smirk. “A few more shots and I would have hit that damn clay pigeon.”
“My lil sexy shooter,” he says with a deep chuckle. “I miss you already,” he admits in a more serious yet gentle tone.
“I miss you too,” she admits honestly, which makes this visit and conversation with her twin so pressing and pertinent. Sunjiya wants the life with him they are building, but uninterrupted. No one and nothing can come between them, not even her sister. “Please be careful.”
“I’m always careful. I have people I love to come home to and a very beautiful woman just got added to that list. I’m gonna be careful as hell.”
“Good. Call or text when you can. I love you,” she says.
