Glorious Sunset (28 page)

Finally, his tears broke free and took her hand, leaning his lips into her palm, kissing it, gently, grasping it with his hand to press his lips there, firmly. “I'm so sorry, my love. Please forgive me. I was too late to save you once and I'm too late again.”

She shook her head, confusion on her pretty face. “But, there's never been anything to forgive. It wasn't your fault what they did and it wasn't your job to fix me. That's what I'm trying to tell you. God fixed me. Today, just now, He gave me the strength to fight my fear and remember it all, the good and the bad. And you gave me the motivation. I haven't been pushing you away because I don't want you, it's only because I want you so much! All these years, waking up every day to a world that didn't have you was torture. I was angry at God for allowing me to dream and never giving me anything close to what I wanted. Don't you see? I've loved you all of my life. I loved you as king, I loved you as a genie. I love you right this moment for being man enough to fight for me. I'll love you for eternity, Taka Olufemi: the first or the twelfth. Will I have you? Abso-friggin'-lutely. Do I know you?” Her shy, tremulous smile widened. Her glance became cocky and he thrilled at the familiar glint of mischief in her eyes. “A queen knows her king. And I have to tell you, over the course of four hundred years I have developed a queen-sized appetite to know you all over again. Over and over. And over.”

She wanted him. She wanted him!

Taka grabbed her quickly, hearing her squeal of delight and happiness as he swung her around and let out a massive yell of victory. Finally setting her on her feet again, she was almost breathless from laughing and crying at the same time.

“Oh, baby,” he breathed, beyond words. He moved forward, feeling the skin of her face with his palms, letting her thick eyelashes brush his fingers, touching her lips with gentle caresses. Then, slowly, he bent to press his lips to hers and the fireworks that exploded between them was shockingly, achingly familiar. He kissed her until they were both dizzy. He kissed her as the memories flashed through his head. He kissed her as dreams of their future began to weave themselves in his mind. And then he kissed her some more, settling into the pleasure with a sigh of contentment.

When they finally pushed open the shop door and stepped outside, the light of a brilliant sunset almost blinded them. The sky was on fire with a mélange of colors as if the sky was a living thing, a beauty that sung the song of heaven above.

“Look, Violet. It's our sunset. It's almost as beautiful as you.”

She turned to him, her copper-skinned face so full of the glow of the sun her eyes were like starbursts of topaz within their darkness, her lips slightly parted and the color of berries . . . or Flori Roberts lipstick. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, today, tomorrow, and always. Her eyes twinkled at him.

“If I'm so beautiful why'd it take you so long to get to me?” At his questioning glance she went on, her shoulders rising along with her hands to the sky in a gesture of exasperation. “Why in the name of all that's holy does it take men so long to come when their women call? I mean, I've been calling four hundred years and a day. As much as I love you, I swear, you travel through time about as fast as you drive a car. I do believe you may have even been going backward.”

For a moment he could only blink and stare at her. Finally, a chuckle started deep in the pit of his being. A chuckle that felt warm and at home, that made his mouth open and his soul weep for joy. Violet lips curled and soon she was laughing as hard. With hands clasped, they made their way down the street, with the setting sun warming their path, to their very own happily ever after.

 

Skeeter finished locking his shop after peering outside and making sure the two crazies were gone. He'd had quite a shock that afternoon and had decided to close early so he could figure out how to get rid of the piece of stolen loot his good-for-nothing cousin had passed on to him. Now he paused as a gentle rumble bubbled under his feet. He cocked his head, trying to identify the sound. Not fierce enough to be an earthquake, not abrasive enough to be the vibration of a passing semi.

Oh well.
He shook his head. Whatever it was was kind of pleasant anyway. Comforting and warm. Reminded him of something one of those guys on the nature channel had said once about the contented purr of a great lion. It was the gentle rumble of a king.

A glorious sound, indeed.

 

The End

1. There is a quote that “to whom much is given, much is required.” Despite all the blessings he was given, do you think too much was expected of Taka when he was asked to go on after the tragedy?
   
2. Upon meeting Violet Jackson, Taka immediately thought it was his job to “fix” her but who, ultimately, needed the most fixing?
   
3. Is it possible to be angry at God and still have faith and love for Him?
   
4. Was fear the only thing keeping Violet from living a happy life or did she also hold some guilt from the tragedy long ago?
   
5. In what ways was Taka and Violet's romance symbolic of the relationships of men and women today? Or was Violet's relationship with Jerome more in line with today's unions?
   
6. Violet seemed to loathe the body weight that Queen Zahara had been proud of. Is Taka fair when he criticizes her for caring what society thinks of her size or is he hypocritical, especially since he has never been at the mercy of society? What are some of the traits of African American women that should be revered but are reviled, instead? How do black men contribute to or hinder our self-image?
   
7. Violet felt if she allowed herself to love Taka he would ruin her for the inevitable comparison with the lesser man (likely Jerome) she would end up with. Do women today settle for less because it will be less painful if the relationship ends?
   
8. Do you have a “Brenda” in your life?
   
9. Was the Almighty cruel or compassionate in taking Taka back to 1600 AD Africa after his failure to win Violet's heart? Did Taka truly have free will?
   
10. In their own way, neither Taka nor Violet were able to move past the tragedy at Jaha, but until they were able to do so neither would be able to gain salvation. Is this message overly simplistic or is it helpful when considering how to overcome our own challenges in life?
    

Ava Bleu lives and loves in the Midwest. She enjoys smooth jazz, cuddly dogs, and baked goods of all varieties. You can find her curled up next to her fireplace with a cup of tea or camped out at the local public library.

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Glorious Sunset Copyright © 2014 Ava Bleu

 

 

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

ISBN: 978-1-6016-2670-7

 

 

 

This is a work of fiction. Any references or similarities to actual events, real people, living or dead, or to real locales are intended to give the novel a sense of reality. Any similarity in other names, characters, places, and incidents is entirely coincidental.

 

 

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