Abide with Me Read Online Free

answer my letter, so why in the hell would I want to call him?”
    “Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he call you after the letter and suggest you see a doctor?”
    “Yeah, but it was a phone call that lasted less than a minute long. It was like he was saying, ‘I’m concerned about you but I ain’t got the time to deal with you and your life. I got my own,’ ” Basil said as he stared blankly.
    “You were saying you thought of Yolanda and then Raymond?”
    “Oh, yeah. Then—don’t ask me why, Doc, ’cause I don’t have a fuckin’ clue.”
    “Why did you think about him at the restaurant?”
    “Who?”
    “Raymond.”
    “Because I’ve been thinking how I’m gonna get that mofo back! I’m gonna make him pay for ignoring my ass,” Basil said firmly. “Anyway, I just felt like that being in this restaurant with a dumb-ass sistah was the last place on earth I wanted to be. I had bigger fish to fry.”
    “And what did you do then?”
    “I excused myself. Told her I had to go to the men’s room. She just smiled and said something like ‘I’ll be waiting.’ I went up to the waitress who was at the bar picking up our drinks and told her to cancel the Beck’s, gave her a twenty, and walked my ass right on outta there.”
    “So you just left the young lady sitting in a restaurant. Then what?”
    Basil put his arms behind his head, as if he was stretching out onthe beach, somewhat satisfied that he’d gotten even the slightest rise out of the doctor.
    “What’d I do then? Stopped my ass at a Mickey D’s, a block away, got me a fish sandwich, and took my ass home!” Basil burst out laughing, but the doctor didn’t even crack a smile.

4

    It was Monday evening, a week and a couple of days after Raymond had received one of the most important phone calls of his life. He and Trent were enjoying the afterglow of a spectacular sunset lingering over the wooden deck in their backyard.
    Relaxing on matching chaise lawn chairs, Trent was drinking a beer and Raymond was nursing a glass of white wine. Raymond still had on his work drag and Trent was comfortable in gray warm-ups and a black muscle T-shirt. They talked about the weekend just past, when Raymond’s parents had surprised them with a trip to Seattle to celebrate his nomination for federal judgeship. His parents had called Thursday and casually asked what Raymond and Trent were doing. When Raymond said, “Nothing special,” his father responded, “Great, me and your mom will be there tomorrow evening, so pick us up at the airport.” It was the first time Raymond’s father had visited them since they had told him they were a couple. Raymond’s mother had visited a couple of times and always stayed at their house, but this timeshe stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown with her husband. When Raymond suggested he get the guest bedroom ready, his mother responded, “You know your daddy don’t like sleeping in strange beds.” Raymond teased that hotel beds must not count.
    Despite the sleeping arrangements, it was a wonderful weekend. Trent had taken the Tylers on a tour of the city, while Raymond made sure his caseload was in order. He had been advised to make sure there weren’t any controversial cases outstanding that might derail his nomination. Since he mostly handled corporate clients and a few sexual harassment cases, he wasn’t that worried, but he made sure.
    Saturday evening, the four of them had gone to see the movie
Soul Food
and then enjoyed a delicious Italian dinner at Marco’s, an elegant supper club, posh with pretense. Sunday found them enjoying services at Mount Zion Baptist Church and then brunch at Mecca. Trent was happy about this since Raymond didn’t go to Mount Zion as often as he did. Trent went every Sunday, sometimes on Wednesday, and anytime there was a gospel musical. Trent loved gospel music. Raymond couldn’t count the number of times he had come home and caught his lover swaying from side to side like