My lover, my friend

My Lover, My Friend
Prologue
Cindy stared silently out of the long, rectangular-shaped window as the old blue bus steadily puttered on, on to her hometown of Dayspring, Illinois. It was such a dreary overcast day. Even the sky looked depressed, as if at any moment it was going to cry. Cindy let out a sad sigh, closed her tired puffy eyes, and leaned her head against the worn black leatherheadrest. She wished that she were anywhere but here on this raggedy old bus going back home in shame.

But Cindy had to leave. She’d had no choice. He had changed. Yes, her beloved, now ex-husband Charles had become someone else right under her very nose. A mean, manipulative, and cold-hearted someone else. Perhaps he’d been that way all along. His parting words had certainly sealed the truth ofthat possibility in Cindy’s heart forever. In reality, Charles seemed to have taken a sick form of pleasure in the fact that he’d deceived her for so long. And his malicious declarations seemed to somehow empower him.

Even now as the rain began to rapidly blanket the bus with moisture, Cindy remembered how empty his hurtful words had made her feel. Had she been a fool all this time – believingin a lie? Had Charles ever really loved her? Cindy grew angrier as each mile drew her closer to her hometown. She was angry at herself and especially angry at her ex-husband.

Marriage to Charles was like a bad investment, she mused, feeling bankrupt and disappointed on more than one level.

“I’m ready to move on to the next level of my life. Without you,” Charles had said smugly as hepushed copies of the divorce papers towards Cindy, papers that only needed her signature to be final. His bold handwriting was already on the documents, signifying that in Charles’ mind the marriage was already over.

Then he went on to tell Cindy that this was best for the both of them since she never really knew him anyway. “What do you think all those long business meetings and tripswere about? I’ve found someone else. Someone who suits me better and is headed in the same direction as me. Someone I’m, quite frankly, tired of sneaking around to see. Plus, I’m tired of all the guilt,” Charles had concluded.

The guilt! Charles actually thought that divorcing her would remove the multitude of guilt from his heart and mind. Yeah right! Cindy thought. Brother, you’re going tofeel guilty for a long time for how you’ve treated me.
Cindy had wanted to say those words and a few choice others to Charles, but at the time she’d been in such a state of shock that all she could do was cry as she signed the fateful documents. But no tears flowed now. They had stopped several miles back when the bus first entered the state of Illinois. Cindy would let the sky cry the rest ofher tears. And it did. The drenching rain continued to beat repetitiously against the bus. What a way to start the New Year off - divorced and alone.

Ten miles to go. Cindy’s sister had offered to let her stay with her for a while. Thank God for that and the fact that she’d had no kids during those six years of marriage. Charles hadn’t wanted children. If they’d had kids that would have madeit even harder to leave him. Cindy didn’t really know why she stayed as long as she did anyway. The marriage had been bad for years. Now she felt like such a fool for extending her loyalty to a man who didn’t deserve it or her.

Cindy folded her arms across her chest in comfort, but it wasn’t enough. She needed more than she could give herself right now, yet she was reluctant to turn tothe One who could give her what she needed. She was still too angry, too ashamed, still a little too prideful to do that just yet. Instead, her mind returned to that last scene at the house.

After Charles left the premises, Cindy had packed. There had been no use trying to stay there. She couldn’t afford to keep the house which, ironically, was the only thing she’d gotten out of the marriage...