My name is Nadya and I’m engaged to Darrell, my boyfriend of five years who finally proposed to me. He and I first met when I got my purse snatched and I went to the Pudding Police station to report it. He was on duty and I told him what happened. I was walking through the park when a man grabbed her purse and fled. I described the suspect to him.
Darrell said that I was one of the lucky purse snatching victims. He said there was an incident where an elderly woman died from hers from her injuries. I wasn’t hurt just badly shaken up. He promise that they would investigate the incident. He advised me to cancel all of my credit cards which I immediately did.
A couple of days later, he called me and I went down to the station. He handed me my purse. “A Pudding Police dog team tracked down the purse and some of its contents a short distance away. However, your wallet has not been found.”
“Thank you. I hope you catch the man soon so that this doesn’t happen someone else.”
“We have asked the public to contact us with any information.”
I thanked him and stood up to leave when he asked me to have dinner with him. I accepted, of course. That was the first of many dates by the third date, I knew that he was the man for me. He was my dream guy.
Early in our relationship he told me that he had a daughter with a Haitian woman from a previous relationship. Antoinette was living with her mother but spent weekends and holidays with him. The first time I met her, I was nervous because I was afraid that she wouldn’t like me but we hit it off immediately. She’s a lovely girl. Darrell said that she was a splitting image of her mother, Yvette. When he said that it made me wonder why he hadn’t married Yvette.
“I don’t believe in marrying for any other reason than love,” he told me. “Yvette is a remarkable woman but I wasn’t in love with her. When she had Antoinette, I was there to support her and provide her with whatever she needed. I went with her to the Lamaze classes and her doctor’s appointments. I was there for the delivery and cried when I held Antoinette in my arms for the first time. I’m there for every birthday. Yvette said that Antoinette couldn’t have asked for a better father.”
“Does Yvette know about me?”
“Yes. I told her and so did Antoinette. Yvette is happy for me. She and I remained friends after we broke up. I hope that one day she finds happiness too.”
Sadly that day didn’t come. I was at work when Darrell called and told me that he was at the hospital. Yvette was in critical condition. She had been a victim of a hit and run. She was crossing an intersection on her way back to her office after having lunch with a friend when the accident happened. He asked if I would get Antoinette and take her to hospital.
I immediately left work and went and picked her up. I told her what had happened as calmly as I could. She cried and I held her for a while before we drove off.
When we got there, Yvette as dead. I cried when I heard Antoinette screaming and hollering. Darrell hugged me tightly. It was an experience that will stay with me for a long time. I watched a young girl lose her mother who was still young and beautiful and had years ahead of her. It didn’t seem fair. I was lucky I still had both of my parents. I didn’t want to imagine what it would be like to lose either of them.
Antoinette stayed with Darrell’s parents. He and I cleared out the apartment where she and Yvette used to live. Darrell made sure that there wasn’t any outstanding rent.
I told him that we should postpone our wedding for the time being because I didn’t feel right going through with it when the family had suffered such a tragic loss. He agreed. We decided that when we get married, we will buy a house and Antoinette would live with us.
I know that I could never replace Yvette but I promised myself that I would the best mother I could be for Antoinette. For now I’m just trying to help her to get through her loss, grief and pain. We visited her mother’s grave together and placed fresh flowers. I told Darrell that if we were blessed with a daughter, we could name her Yvette. He thought it was a good idea.
Sometimes life deals us a heavy blow but it’s comforting to know that we don’t have to weather it alone. We have friends and family to help us through our pain and suffering and our faith which keeps us going when we are overwhelmed. The scripture which has been of great encouragement to Antoinette is, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Posted for October 2020 Writing Prompts – #13 – The pudding police
Sources: iHeart Radio; Times Colonist; Bible Gateway
Notes to Women 