The Prodigal Son (A Reverend Curtis Black Novel) by Kimberla Lawson Roby Page A

you here?” Matthew asked.
    “Yep. Just got home this afternoon. So did Elijah. What’s up with you?”
    “Man, you don’t even wanna know.”
    “So what’s up?”
    Matthew hadn’t spoken to either of his boys in a couple of weeks, mostly because they’d both been studying for finals and partly because he didn’t want to have to tell them that his marriage was falling apart. Jonathan and Elijah both liked Racquel, but they’d never thought he should marry her. He remembered how they’d both shaken their heads at him when he’d told them.
    “Jon, man, things are bad,” he said and then told him everything from A to Z—except the part about Racquel slapping him. Jonathan would never understand that or tolerate something like that from anyone.
    “So she wants nothin’ to do with little MJ? And she also wants a divorce?”
    “That’s pretty much it.”
    “Wow, man, we tried to tell you. You never shoulda married her. You coulda stayed at school and still been a father to your son.”
    “Yeah, but you know I wanted to do the right thing, and I really do love Racquel.”
    “Shoot, maybe. But sometimes love isn’t enough, my friend. Sometimes, mistakes are made and we have to move on and get past them.”
    Matthew was quiet. He knew Jonathan was making some good points, but his words weren’t making him feel any better.
    “So where’s MJ now?” Jonathan asked.
    “At my aunt’s. I’ve been taking him there all this week.”
    “You’re still not talkin’ to your mom and dad?”
    “Nope.”
    “Man, I know you don’t wanna hear this, but life is too short for all this drama. They messed up, we all know that, but I gotta tell you. I can’t imagine not seein’ my parents for more than a year. I can’t even imagine goin’ a whole week without talking to them on the phone.”
    “That’s easy to say because you have normal parents who have always tried to do the right thing. They’ve never hurt you or humiliated you.”
    “Well, it’s not like they’ve been perfect. Nobody is. But I’m just sayin’, man. Those are your parents, and they really miss you.”
    Matthew knew Jonathan still spoke to his parents and that he also went to see them whenever he came home some weekends and holidays, but Jonathan had learned a long time ago not to tell Matthew about it. Elijah visited Curtis and Charlotte, too, whenever he was in town, but he never mentioned his visits to Matthew either.
    “Anyway, so when are we gonna get together?” Jonathan said.
    “Tomorrow?”
    “That’s what’s up. I’ll call you when you get off work.”
    “Talk to you then.”
    “Later, man, and you hang in there.”
    Matthew dropped his phone back on the seat, but when he looked to the right he saw the main street leading to the one his parents lived on. At first he debated, but the next thing he knew, he’d turned down it. He wasn’t sure what had made him do so, although maybe it was the conversation he’d had with Mrs. Downing. Her words had truly gotten to him and touched him in a way he hadn’t planned on, and ever since then, he hadn’t been able to get his parents out of his mind—not to mention the words he’d just heard from Jonathan about them. Matthew also hadn’t seen Curtina in a while because, lately, she hadn’t been over to Aunt Emma’s on any of the days he’d been visiting. He missed his baby sister a lot, though, and he knew she missed him, too.
    Matthew drove past the house, peering through the wrought-iron gates and up the driveway. Though a part of him was glad he hadn’t run into his mom or dad, a part of him wished he had. He wouldn’t have stopped to talk to them or anything, but maybe if he’d at least been able to see them, he wouldn’t feel as though he missed them so much. Maybe if he saw them, he’d be reminded of all the terrible things they’d done, and he could go back to living his life without them.
    As Matthew continued farther down the street and away from the house, he