Chapter 9 Lovina
“Yeah, I’m just going to sign you up for driver’s education,” Beyuna said from the passenger seat. “Teaching someone to drive is not my ministry.”
I sucked my teeth and rolled my eyes. “What? I’m actually going the speed limit, not ten miles an hour slower. That’s improvement.”
After the weekend on Sullivan’s Island, I told Erygon that I wanted to learn how to drive. Mama Beauvia thought it was a good idea. She told me to call her Mama after my relationship proposal. I didn’t feel comfortable just calling her Mama. I just put it in front of Beauvia.
My man gave me three lessons before he told me Beyuna would teach me. I didn’t think I did that badly when I was with him. I lightly tapped the lamppost when I parked once. You couldn’t even see the small dent.
I was still in awe that I had a significant other, a man, a boyfriend. I had a boyfriend. It was something I never saw for myself but always wanted it. I never thought it would be with a man that wasn’t Amish and that was black.
Beyuna’s scoff pulled me out of my thoughts. “What’s the point of going the speed limit if you’re going to come to a screeching halt when the light turns yellow? Oh, and you can go five over the speed limit and be alright.”
My brows tightened. “I didn’t see that in the driver’s manual. Where is that?”
She side-eyed me. “Girl, park this car in this driveway and hush. I swear, you give an Amish chick some outsider peen and she gets all testy and mouthy.”
I roared in laughter after the car parked.
I was taught sex changed things. Boy, were they right.
For me it changed in the most amazing way.
Yes, I understood the biblical aspect behind it and understood that I would have to answer for it.
I truly believed in my heart and soul that Erygon was who God had for me.
That was why I wanted to give him one of the most sacred parts of me.
“Maybe if you got some then you wouldn’t be so moody,” I jested. If looks could kill, I would be deceased without a proper burial. “I love you, best friend.”
She rolled her eyes. Her fake display of annoyance was taken over by her warm smile. “I love you too, Lovina Marie.”
“You’re really going to stick to giving me a middle name and calling me by it?” The other day, she just started calling me Lovina Marie. There was no rhyme or reason. I thought it was a one-time thing, but whenever she said my name, she added Marie on the end.
She waited until we got out of the car to answer. “Um, I am. Adding Marie signifies the transformed you.” She shrugged her shoulder before our eyes connected. “You know, the free you that smiles, laughs, and loves without restrictions.”
Her words did something to me. The transformed me. “I like the new me.”
She stopped walking, then put her finger up.
“No, not the new you; it’s the transformed you.
A new you implies that you left everything in the past. All the values and qualities you learned as an Amish woman were not bad.
Many of those are still in you and that’s a good thing.
All that happened was that you’ve decided to live a life to explore who you truly are without feeling convicted.
You have and it’s transforming you into the person you were meant to be. ”
I felt the tears well in my eyes. Beyuna pulled me into her arms and called me a big baby. When she told me that the peen made me soft, I laughed. “I’m still enrolling you into driver’s education, can’t drive ass girl.”
She teased me all the way into the living room of Erygon’s house.
I loved his house and spent a lot of time there.
On the nights that he was still at work after I got off, Mama Beauvia or one of my coworkers dropped me off here.
He gave me a key after the first time I spent the night.
He always came home to a cooked meal. The surgical center that he worked at had late surgeries once or twice a week, but he was still home before eleven that night.
If I was already asleep, he would wake me up with his mouth on my vagina.
How I loved that! We had so much sex. Our sex had improved my math skills.
Erygon said that incentives help people reach success.
For every problem I got right, I got to choose the sex positions.
It could be said that I got a lot of answers correct now.
“I missed your lil ass,” Erygon mumbled into my neck. His lips kissed that special spot behind my ear. Finding new spots was his specialty.
The affection was so new, and I loved it. I couldn’t understand why it was bad to be affectionate in public. I still felt like there was a line that could be crossed that was inappropriate. He knew that and respected it.
I wasn’t sure who Beyuna was on the phone with, but her face was tore up as Mama Beauvia would say. Her eyes narrowed on me before she pulled the phone from her ear. “Lovina Marie, why is your sister calling me?”
My head bucked back, and my finger pointed at myself. “My sister? That’s impossible.”
“Well, I don’t know anyone named Rachel. I know that you have a sister named Rachel and she said she’s your sister. So . . .”
My family didn’t use phones. I wasn’t even sure if they knew how to. Furthermore, how would she know to get in touch with Beyuna? I stood to reach my hand out for the phone.
I walked out of the living room. As soon as it was on my ear, I spoke. “Hello, Rachel. Is that you?”
There was shuffling on the other end. “Oh, I thought that I might have the incorrect number. Yes, this is Rachel. Hi, Lovina.”
Out of all my siblings, Rachel was my favorite. Her youth and the generation that she was born into made her curious. I loved her curiosity.
“How did you get this number? How are you calling me, Rachel?” That was all I could think to ask.
She cleared her throat. “Um, Jacob threw your tablet away and I took it out of the trash. I bought one of those Hotspot things and hid it in the workshop to use it. I found this number in the tablet. Please don’t tell anyone that I have it.”
Her confession made me smile for some reason. “I won’t tell anyone, Rachel, I promise. Please be careful. I don’t want you to be shunned. You explained how you got the number, but how are you calling?”
“Miranda has a cell phone. She let me use it,” she confessed.
Oh, these kids had a whole little defiance network I see.
They covered it very well because I would never have known.
“I’m calling to let you know that Mother is sick.
When I asked Father if he would tell you, he said you chose to leave so you weren’t entitled to that information. I don’t think that’s right.”
My hand covered my heart. “What do you mean she’s sick? How is she sick, Rachel?”
She sniffled. “She had a stroke. She’s at Lancaster General Hospital. They said that she may have to go to a rehabilitation center for some time.”
I stood there in a daze. My mother had a stroke. “Baby, baby! What’s wrong?”
Erygon’s voice and the feeling of his fingers on my cheeks to wipe away the tears that I didn’t know had fallen brought my mind back into the room.
I thought I was in shock. When I didn’t say anything, he took the phone from me.
I heard him introduce himself to my sister as my husband.
I could only imagine what she thought about that.
I was surprised he said that, but I understood why he did.
In prior conversations, I told him if I ever went back to Pennsylvania, I wanted to be married.
“Alright, we’ll catch the first flight in the morning. Thank you for calling, Rachel.” Erygon’s comment brought me back down to earth. What did he mean we were going to catch the next flight?
Let’s Make It Real . . .
Ayriss had a school play that I refused to miss, so Erygon and I decided to wait until after her play to go to Pennsylvania. Rachel promised to keep me updated on Mother’s condition. I’d spoken to her every day since she called Beyuna’s phone.
Tonight was Ayriss’s play, and I was so excited. The production was Mary Poppins. I heard of the famous story but didn’t know it. Erygon made a family night of it, and we watched the movie.
It was kind of awkward at the play because of Hope’s presence. She looked uncomfortable around us, but I wasn’t sure if that was something that could be fixed. Erygon and I were in a relationship now, so I would be around. Erygon kept his word. He only spoke to Hope about Ayriss and nothing more.
By the end of the performance, I was out of my seat clapping. She did so amazingly, and I was so proud. The entire family was here in support.
We all waited in the front while Hope went back to get our little thespian.
Erygon, Beyon, and Beaunir, Beyon’s father, held large bouquets of roses in their arms for Ayriss.
I knew that she wouldn’t be able to hold them all.
Mama Beauvia and Beyuna bought her a beautiful necklace with an umbrella charm.
I was able to find different Mary Poppins fabrics to make her a custom quilt.
“Our little star!” Erygon called out when Hope and Ayriss came into view. “Let me start interviewing people for your security detail. You’re about to be too big and Daddy won’t be able to protect you.”
Her little giggles were like angel songs. “Daddy, you always gonna protect me best. You’re the best protector.”
His lighter skin reddened as he blushed. “Come here, baby girl.” He lifted her into his arms and hugged her tightly. “I love you and am so proud of you.”
“I know, Daddy!” She wiggled out of his arms, then turned to me. “Ms. Lovina, did you like it?”
I used my fingers to tuck some of my hair behind my ear before I lowered myself to be eye level with her. “You did so amazingly.” I cupped my hand next to my mouth to hide it, then whispered, “So much better than that girl in the movie. You brought Jane to life.”
“I know, right!” She hugged me around my neck. I loved her hugs.