Sam
Sam’s phone vibrated as she was cooking a late dinner. Junior was in the other room watching ESPN after she told him to get out of the kitchen. He had laughed and thrown his hands up in defense when he realized he forgot the kitchen was her realm. She would have missed the call if she hadn’t turned when she did. She reached over from the stove and grabbed it from the counter before it was too late. Tonya’s picture was on the screen and Sam was relieved to hear from her. She had a bad feeling all day and couldn’t put a finger on why.
“Hey, honey. I’ve been thinking about you,” Sam said into the phone. With one hand holding the phone she stirred the boiling rice with her other, trying to keep it from sticking.
Tonya didn’t say anything for a few seconds and Sam got worried. At first, she thought the connection was lost and looked at the phone. Finally, Tonya spoke in a harsh whisper.
“Can I come over and talk?”
The tone in Tonya’s voice sent red warning signals through Sam’s thoughts. She didn’t have to ask if something was wrong with her friend. She knew.
“Of course. What’s wrong, honey?”
“I’ll talk about it when I get there. I’ll be there soon.”
“Okay, I’ll see you when you get here.”
Sam stared at her phone for a few seconds then set it on the counter and turned off the heat from the rice. She placed the pot on a cooler eye on the stove and stood back and thought, hands on her hips and a frown on her face. She had no doubt the upcoming conversation wouldn’t be a happy one. She didn’t know what was bothering Tonya, but apparently it was something serious. Before she told Junior that Tonya was on her way, Sam pulled the fish from the oven and set the pan on a towel on the counter. She checked the vegetables, decided they were tender enough, and drained them, then walked into the room with Junior.
“Tonya is on her way over.”
He looked up from watching three men in suits talking about a Dallas Cowboys quarterback who had been injured. She had no clue what any of it meant.
“Okay. It would be good to see her. It’s late for her to be out, though isn’t it? Is she okay?”
Sam sat in the chair across from him, absentmindedly twisting a hand towel.
“Honestly, I don’t know, but I get the feeling she isn’t. It is late for her, like you said, but it was her voice. I could tell right away and she had very few words. She didn’t ask how we were or anything. The first thing she said was asking if she could come over. I asked if she was okay, but she told me she would talk when she got here.”
Junior frowned, not sure what to say. “You don’t think something has happened at work do you?”
Slowly shaking her head and still twisting the towel, Sam replied, “I doubt it. I think it’s something more serious, but I don’t want to jump to conclusions. She’ll be here in a few minutes so I wanted to give you a heads up.”
Headlights threw their beams through the curtains of the window and they could hear Tonya’s Mercedes outside. Sam’s nerves were on edge as she walked to the door and opened it. She watched her friend get out of her car and walk toward the house with her head down. Sam’s heart went out to her friend. Something serious was wrong. She rarely saw Tonya slump that way. When Tonya walked into the light from the porch Sam could tell she had been crying. Without a word, she walked into Sam’s arms and Sam could feel the tension invading Tonya.
They held onto one another as Tonya’s tears fell on Sam’s blouse. Not a word was said; none were needed. Tonya needed Sam’s strength and comfort. It was all she could do to not let her own walls collapse. It was tearing her up inside feeling Tonya sob against her.
When Tonya was able to collect herself they closed the door and walked into the living room where a very concerned Junior had been observing them. He moved to the single chair and let them sit together on the couch. Tonya wiped her eyes, blew her nose, and asked for a drink of anything with alcohol. Junior jumped at the chance to be helpful; he got them both a glass of wine and himself a beer. After Tonya drank half of her wine, with a deep breath she looked at them both.
“I’m so sorry to be barging in like this and worrying you both this way. I know I look a mess right now,” she began and wiped her eyes again.
Sam held her hand and comforted her. “Don’t be worrying about what we think or feel right now. We are both here for you. What’s got you all tore up like this?”
Tonya couldn’t look at either of them. She had never felt so weak. She was almost ashamed of herself. Her eyes fell to the floor and she began with what happened when she got home last night.
“I called my doctor this afternoon when I was finally able to get out of bed. I couldn’t even make it into work. He saw me on an emergency basis and ran some tests. It’s back, Sam. The cancer is back.”
Bursting into tears again she collapsed against the back of the couch. Sam’s heart wasn’t strong enough to keep all her tears back. Seeing Tonya hurting was too much for her. Together they cried as Junior watched, close to tears himself. Tonya told them the results weren’t in yet, but she knew. In her gut, she knew.
“You’ve gotten through this before, honey. You’ll get through it again. You have to have faith.”
Nodding her head, Tonya blubbered through her tears. “I’m trying. I really am.”
“When are the results supposed to be back?” Junior asked.
“In a day or so,” she answered.
“Right now, I think the best thing we can do is pray. You know as well as I do how powerful prayer is. You know God will take care of you,” Sam promised her.
As Junior sat and watched and listened the girls closed their eyes and talked to the only one who could help. Sam prayed hard for her as they held hands.
“God, I know You are here with us right now and You can feel the pain in the room. You know what Tonya is struggling with. We ask You Lord to please help her. We ask that You lay Your loving and healing hands upon her and take away the cancer that is inside of her. We know You work miracles. You have proven it over and over, time and time again. Please God. Help her. In Your name, we pray, amen.”
Junior had closed his eyes as they prayed. He had never been much of a praying man; he did believe, although he wasn’t a born again Christian. While the girls had their heads bowed and eyes closed, he said a prayer of his own.
Tonya stayed and ate dinner with Sam and Junior. Afterward, she stayed the night and slept in the same bed with Sam. They lay in bed that night for hours, talking and crying and even a few times let laughter fill the room. Finally, Tonya allowed sleep to take over, and slept until late the next morning. When she woke, she said she felt better, but still couldn’t gather herself enough to face responsibilities.
She thanked Sam and Junior and left to talk to her uncle, Steve. She knew they needed her at the restaurant, but he would understand and wouldn’t want her to be there until she was ready. When she talked to him he was obviously worried and stricken with grief. She was his niece, but was more like a daughter to him. He told her he would be there for her and if she needed anything to let him know.