Page 107 of Ezekiel
It was obvious, an hour after Zeke had left, that I couldn’t sit with this information alone. I felt on edge. Like I was bursting at the seams, ready to break down into a panic attack at the drop of a hat. I needed to get it together before Zeke came home.
I decided to call Delilah. Maybe she would have some words of wisdom or some helpful advice. At the very least, it would give me a short while where I didn’t have to be alone with my thoughts in an empty house. That part was just unbearable.
I was thankful that Zeke kept his cellphone at the house when he went to work. I quickly dialed up Ollie’s number, knowing he left his phone at home for Delilah, just as Zeke did.
The phone rang and rang, with no answer.
I scrolled through the few numbers in Zeke’s phone until I found Levi’s number. Perhaps Ruth would be available. But before I could call, the phone buzzed in my hand. Ollie’s number appeared.
“Hello?” I answered.
“Hey, Talia! Sorry about that, I was dancing in the kitchen and didn’t hear the phone ring until the last second. By then, I couldn’t get to the phone in time,” she panted out breathlessly.
“Dancing in the kitchen?” I asked, confused.
“Yup. It’s my favorite way to clean a kitchen. Granted, it takes me twice as long, but that’s just because I get caught up in the music and I forget to do the cleaning part,” she chuckled. I could just picture her dancing away in the kitchen while she put dishes away or while she scrubbed the counters.
“Hey, you do what makes you happy,” I laughed along with her.
“So, what’s up?” she asked. “I’m all done and you’ve got my full attention.”
“I’m having a problem,” I admitted, getting comfortable on the sofa in the living room. It was more comfortable than the study, and for this conversation, I wanted comfort.
“Tell me everything,” she said. I could hear the grin in her voice. Delilah was a vibrant woman when she felt comfortable. Seeing her come into her own with Ollie filled my heart with so much happiness for my friend. They really were a good match.
“Something happened. It’s a long story, but —” I began.
“Girl, I’ve got all the time in the world,” she reassured me.
“It all started last night. I had another night terror,” I admitted with a heavy sigh.
“Oh, hun! I’m sorry! Why are you waiting till now to call? I would have had Ollie drop me off on his way to work this morning. I could have stayed with you and kept you company today!” she exclaimed. She had such a giving heart. It was one reason we had become fast friends in childhood. That and the fact that Delilah had been the first child in our Sunday school class to take me under her wing when I had first come to Zion. It was strange how easy that memory came to me, yet the traumatic events before my arrival here were a mystery.
“Well, that was part of the problem. Zeke was up half the night with me after I woke up screaming, and then when he did fall back asleep, he overslept for work,” I continued.
“Oh shit, I bet that didn’t go over well, did it?”
“No. We were both woken up abruptly by Elder Temple banging on the front door,” I admitted.
“Oh, fuck,” she cursed.
“Exactly. Delilah… the things that man did to Zeke, the things he said… I…” I could barely get the words out through the emotion lodged firmly in my throat. “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.”
“What did he say? You know what? Hold that thought. Let’s bring Ruth into this conversation. She tends to be the voice of reason for me when I’m all emotional and worked up. Not that you’re worked up. That’s not what I meant. I just mean… oh, you know what I mean,” she rambled, making me smile.
“Sounds good.” I waited while Delilah conferenced Ruth in. It only took a moment before Ruth’s voice joined in.
“Hello, ladies!” She greeted us cheerfully.
“Hello,” I stated.
“Hi, Ruth,” Delilah responded.
“So, the whole gang’s here, huh?” Ruth chuckled. “What’s the occasion?”
“Long story short is that Talia had a night terror that kept her and Zeke up all night in a very non-kinky, non-fun way, and because of that, Zeke overslept for work. They both got woken up by Daddy Temple himself banging on the front door. Now you are all caught up,” Delilah sped through the story I had just stumbled over in one fell swoop.
“Good Lord,” Ruth swore under her breath. “What happened?”
