The filth from the past seemed to gnaw at her soul. The series of events that were transpiring at that time pulled her back to the kind of dad her father was. Her boyfriend, Elijah, proved to be such a waste of time. They'd been fighting from their first month of dating until this time. He was an addict of both sex and drugs. They had met in a night club a number of months back.
As more time passed, she realized this wasn't the type of man to be with. She was such a young flower, despite some broken petals, to be withering this fast. She felt she was missing much out of life. Elijah had the characters of Elizabeth's father; selfish and loud.
"What do you mean you're breaking up with me?" he barked, grasping her chin firmly.
"I told you, Elijah, I can't manage your temper and ways," she explained, tears escaping her closed eyes. Stephanie and Faith were there to watch the whole scene but couldn't intervene in the battle. They weren't qualified.
"So I'm that flawed and you can't bear with me, huh? Tell me, Liz, tell me." The man's voice cut through the air like a rumble of thunder across a bare sky. His eyes had turned red. Elizabeth didn't say another word. She could not stop sobbing amid the horrific moment.
"You're hurting her Elijah," Faith intervened.
"Shut the fuck up," he spat, pointing a finger to the two women. "It is better you keep quiet because you know nothing about us. You are just some dumb followers always on our tails and hooking up with her to have a shot at free food!" They were offended. They glanced at each other but didn't react either. Elijah was out of his mind. He was high. The glass table in the centre of his room was stuffed with cocaine and pornographic magazines.
He let Elizabeth go after a moment of consideration. The young lady did not wait for the second phase of terror. She sprang out with her girls before the angry man changed his mind on the unspoken discharge. She was like an injured antelope running from the sharp teeth of a hungry lion. They never looked back or heard from him for a week.
*
"I told you he would give up," Faith said. "This is the right time to renew your life." The other two rolled their eyes in their socket to show their disgust about the daily reminder from Faith. Faith was a staunch born again who always reminded her friends to get saved. They obviously showed their disinterest in her words whenever she talked about that. She did not mind their reactions. "I tell you, girls, when you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, the old things are never remembered. You become a new creature."
"Faith please, stop," Stephanie interrupted. "Are you always going to talk about your religion when you're with us?"
"It's not a religion," explained Faith. "It is a..." Elizabeth's phone rang, and interpreted Faith's sermon. The caller brought a frown to Elizabeth's face.
"Who is it?" asked Faith. Elizabeth took a few seconds to recollect herself from the shock.
"Elijah," she whispered, her voice spiced with fear.
"Don't pick him up," advised Faith. She was the type that didn't believe in getting gold from the mud. She always highlighted essential qualities like being God-fearing, loving, caring, etc. She was always the clear path among the three; she had no makeup, always had a natural puff instead of plaited hair, and wore more decently. She was like a guardian to the two.
"Don't listen to her, girl," intervened Stephanie. "If you don't pick him up, you won't know what he wanted to say." The folds on her forehead made clear the layer of makeup that coated her face. Her eyes dazzled, as though ready for a fight with Faith.
"Okay guys," Elizabeth cut through. "I have to pick this call Faith because Elijah used to be there for me despite his flaws. At least he deserves this. And besides, we are very broke now," Elizabeth and Stephanie smirked. Faith opened her mouth as if to say something but did not, since she also needed the money if there was any possibility on that note. As the three discussed with their eyes alone, the call went off. Elizabeth and Stephanie were disappointed. Elijah called back immediately. Elizabeth picked up before it even rang.
"Hey," She replied a greeting from the other side. Silence followed as she heard all that Elijah had to say. "It's okay; we can meet for the last time." The other two changed their expressions on the statement. "Okay, I'll be there." She seemed not to put up a fight against the requests of the man. She hanged up and turned to her girls with smiles filling her face. "Elijah has requested an outing with him for the last time," she announced.
"What?" The two shouted in unison.
Elizabeth nodded. "We are not getting back together. It's just something like 'a final date'." She sounded ecstatic about it. She danced her eyebrows in excitement.
"Why did you accept?" Faith demanded.
"What's wrong with it?" Elizabeth defended herself. "It's not that we are going to break rules. Or commandments."
"If you're not getting back with him, I think it is okay for you to go," Stephanie supported after a moment of consideration. Faith looked at the two in disagreement but it wasn't her call to make. She knew Elizabeth had already decided, and she didn't want to sound like a mother.
"Where are you going to meet?" Faith asked what would be the last question to let Elizabeth go.
"Heaven's Way Club," Elizabeth replied in a low tone.
"That club again? Why does Elijah respect you at least for once?"
"Faith!" Stephanie intervened again.
"Okay girl, you can go but be safe. Such a place is not good for you," Faith cautioned all the same.
"Come on Faith, you always say bad things about having fun and living life fully," teased Stephanie as Elizabeth smiled.
"Clubs are not good. There are other places where one can have fun decently," Faith explained. The other two went into a deep moment of laughter as they gave each other high-fives.