Amnesty - Kim Lenor (beach read book TXT) 📗

Chapter 1
“As we stand before one another… I can’t think of anything other than love and eternity. Love is in your eyes, it’s in your touch, and it lives inside of you like new life in a mother’s womb at its most delicate and precious stage. I am consumed by your love, there is no me without you. I live to see your smile, to hear your laugh and to feel your touch. I promise here today and for all eternity that I will always love and protect you in return for this gift you’ve given me, in which I am so undeserving and yet so privileged and blessed to have and accept. I take you, Sahona Angel Story to be my wedded wife, in love and in fidelity and for a lifetime or two.”

Ian and I stood staring into one another’s eyes on a lush beautiful beach in Jamaica under the soft sun at dusk, and though the evening was still very warm, the mist of the ocean and the gentle breeze that seemed to gracefully dance through my hair and the bottom of my winter white dress, kept us just cool enough. The sound of the waves seemed to be the perfect background music for such a beautiful motion picture. I remember those vows Ian made to me as if he said them yesterday. What stood out to me the most is that he said he would love me for a lifetime or two, that meant beyond forever…and I honestly believed he was capable of that.

Most every bride says that she will never forget her wedding day but for me, it was truly more than a wedding day. Not only was it the day that we symbolized our love before the world and God but Ian was truly my knight and shining armor that seemed to had leaped into my life and saved me, and committing through marriage was the last way of making our commitment official. However, we were truly one flesh, one mind and one heart for all eternity long before I became Mrs. Sahona Legrou.

Ian grew up fighting most of his life because of the way he looked. His mother was Latino and his father was black and even though he didn’t really look very interracial, he was often picked on because of his fine curly hair and cocoa milky skin. Some considered him to be a “pretty boy,” which always seemed to force him to have to claim his territory and prove that he was tough and man enough to hold his own, and so he learned to use fighting at times as a survival method in many ways.

At age ten Ian was away at a friend’s house when he lost his parents in a very tragic accident. A drunk driver plowed into the front of their home while his mom and dad sat in the living room watching television. The car exploded and his parents were crushed by the debris and killed instantly. The only family Ian had was his grandfather who was too old to care for him.

Since Ian was already a pre-teen no one rushed to adopt him, so he went from foster home to foster home. Fortunately, he settled with a foster family that was very well off and lived in an affluent neighborhood and therefore we attended the same high school. Somewhere along the way Ian lost a year of school so he was older than me but we were in the same grade.

Ian and I met during our sophomore year in high school but before we actually met I had noticed him at basketball games and in the halls from time to time but I was sure that such an attractive guy on the basketball team had too many girls chasing him to ever notice me. However, I was consumed with all the activities I was involved in so I didn’t have much time to focus on chasing any boy.

Then one afternoon I was running late for class and decided to cut through the gym to save time even though there was a gym class in session. I tried to clumsily dart across the basketball court when suddenly a basketball came flying at me full speed and struck me directly in my face. My vision cleared slowly and besides the vivid stars going around my head, I could see a guy kneeling beside me with the prettiest, deepest, darkest, almost black colored eyes, apologizing emphatically. I insisted that I was okay until I realized that blood was gushing from my nose. I was so embarrassed so I quickly got up and rushed away to the lavatory while never looking back at him.

Later that afternoon, I sat anxiously in my last class waiting for the clock to strike three so I could hurry home in an effort to attempt to avoid any questions as to why I was wearing a big white bandage on my nose. To my surprise, I had seemed to go unnoticed and was able to make it through the rest of the day and was very close to making it home until I heard the sound of a bouncing basketball getting closer and closer to me from behind. I tried to step to the side to allow the person to pass me but then I felt a tap on my shoulder. I stopped in place without turning around, but he walked in front of me and began to speak, “Hi, Sahona, that’s your name right?”

The first thing I thought was, Oh god it’s the guy that hit me with the ball and he’s so cute, but then when our eyes met I just wanted to reach out and rub his smooth, cocoa skin. I quickly noticed how tall he was and his thick and muscular build, his body was every bit built like a model athlete. His deep-dark brown eyes seemed to look right through me. His jet black wavy hair was cut very low but it was obvious it was very soft and fine. I thought he teetered tottered between pretty and handsome but his very strong masculine features couldn’t be ignored.

I quickly made those observations as my eyes moved about nervously in every which direction, but I knew I needed to look at him, consistently in his eyes with confidence so he wouldn’t realize just how embarrassed and nervous I really was. I wanted him to think that I thought the whole situation was no big deal.
“Yeah, I’m Sahona.”

“I wanted to apologize for hitting you with the basketball again. I feel terrible,” he said embarrassed.

“No, it was totally my fault for cutting across the gym, I know better. I’ve seen people get hurt plenty of times before. I guess I had a superwoman moment,” I said as I laughed.

“Honestly, I thought you were one of my teammates and I was just trying to hurry and get you the ball. I guess that shows that I’m not really that good of a player,” he said humorously.

“I guess I’m not a good player either because obviously I didn’t catch the ball with the right body part,” I replied laughing and pointing to my nose.

“I waited for you outside the girl’s bathroom but you took so long and I had to get to class.”

“I understand… I was in there forever. I really didn’t want anyone making a fuss about this. I cleaned myself up so well that Mr. Jamison didn’t even believe why I was late for class and he ended up giving me a detention. The funny thing is, the minute I stepped out of his class my nose started bleeding like crazy and I had to end up going to the nurse and she made me wear this stupid bandage.”

“Now I really feel like an asshole. You can get a note or something from the nurse to take to Mr. J so that you can get out of detention, right?”

“Yeah I could, we’ll see.”

“Sahona, again I am truly sorry. I gotta catch this bus downtown to the rec center for training so I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he rushed off to get on the bus.

“Wait, what’s your name?” I yelled inquisitively.

“You know my name!” He yelled arrogantly and with a big smile from the bus door.

He was right, I knew his name all along but I didn’t want to let him know that.

The next afternoon, I sat in detention reading. I could have given Mr. Jamison a note from the nurse but I didn’t mind being in detention because I wasn’t anxious to be at home. I happened to look up and was surprised to see Ian walking in the detention room. I couldn’t help but smile with confusion as he came to sit next to me.

“What are you doing here?! What did you do?”

“I threw all the basketballs around the gym after we lost the game and then I refused to pick them up.”

“Oh so you’re a sore loser huh?” I asked jokingly.

“No, not at all. I just knew this is where you would be. I figured we could do “your time” together.”

“You did that for me?” I asked shocked and humored.

“It’s the least I could do. Oh by the way, I was joking yesterday, my name is Ian. I guess I just want to believe that I’m more popular than I really am.”
“Well actually I did know your name but anyway it’s nice to meet you Ian.”

The teacher interrupted, “Unless you two want an additional day in detention, I suggest you be quiet.”

Ian and I finished out detention and he insisted on walking me home.

“Ian, you mentioned you had training yesterday. What are you training for, what else do you do besides play basketball?”

“I box and honestly my foster parents insist I play ball. I just do it to keep them off my back. I have to catch the bus all the way downtown to train for boxing. In this high and mighty neighborhood you can’t find a place to do stuff like that. I hope to get a car soon though, I’m working on one but the parts I need are too expensive right now.”

“Oh really? Boxing seems dangerous and violent. I never understood why men like to pound themselves for other people’s entertainment.”

“It’s more to it than that, it’s a good sport. I like boxing but I like the money a lot more. Big time boxers get paid a lot of money. I can’t say I like getting punched or beating up some other guy, it’s just something I’ve been doing for a long time in and out the ring but mostly out the ring. Besides that, it gives me an excuse to go to my old
neighborhood. My dad and I practically lived at the rec so I guess it reminds me of a better time before I had to go into foster care. Plus I’m just trying to save up some money for when I age out of foster care and will be on my own. But anyway maybe you can come watch a fight one night and see that it’s not so bad.”

“I don’t know, maybe. Thanks for walking me home, this is