Page 216 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Reason To Sing

Hudson screams even louder. “Yes, you do! You know
exactly what I’m talking about. You’re making a fool of me.
Kelita, don’t lie to me!” He is driving even faster now, well over
the limit.
“I do not know what you are talking about,” I lie with false
bravado. “I have told you, there is nothing going on.” I cannot
tell him the truth. Not here, not now. Please God, let me get home
before this all explodes.
Hudson swerves the van to the side of the road, skids into
the gravel shoulder and brings us to an abrupt stop. His face is
beet-red and there is a vein popping out of his forehead. The
man literally looks like he could burst! “Get out! Get out of
this van right fucking now!” His bulging eyes pierce through
me. “I don’t want to see your face for another fucking minute!
Get out!”
I recoil in silence and fear. Just like I always do. I say
nothing. I just turn my head and stare out the window at the
sign which says, ‘Thank you for visiting Sault St. Marie.’
I send out a silent prayer that I won’t be forced to visit this
lovely town as I wait for Hudson to calm down and reclaim his
senses. Finally, after what seems like forever, he takes a deep
breath and puts the van into drive.
Calamity averted. For now. I recognize that the physical
aftershock of the accident, the emotional drama and the
extreme levels of tension are swarming over me like vultures
wanting every last bite. My resiliency reserves have all but run
dry. But I refuse to be eaten alive and I will not concede. This
battle is tough, yes, but I am becoming tougher.
We finally arrive home after a grueling 1,600 miles in the
confines of this rented prison. Climbing into our bed, I think
it so strange and sad that I once thought this person beside me
was my soulmate. So much has changed in us both. We were

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