Saving Sunni by Reggie Alexander, Kasi Alexander Page A

was her constant, “Was Randy really so bad? Couldn’t you give it another try? Don’t you think you might have done something to provoke him?”
    So I looked around to make sure Geri wasn’t charging with her Taser and stepped out, motioning him to the side so he wouldn’t be visible through the window.
    “What are you doing here?” I demanded, when I was confident we would be able to talk for a minute. “I told you I’m perfectly fine, and I don’t want you back in my life.”
    “But I need to talk to you,” he said. “Something really important happened to me, and I need to share it with you.”
    This didn’t sound good. I narrowed my eyes. “I’m listening. Make it quick. Geri’s going to notice soon that I’m not in there and come looking.”
    “Okay. Listen. I know I’ve been into some bad things in the past, and I wasn’t a good husband, but that’s all over. I’ve found Jesus, Jessie. I’m a completely different person now. I’ve straightened out my life, and I’d like you to come back and give me another chance. We’re still married in God’s eyes, and I know he wants us to try again. We can make it this time, Jessie. I know we can. Jesus loves you, and he wants us to be together.”
    I stared at him, not quite able to believe my ears. He must have taken that for indecision, because he stepped closer and grasped my shoulders.
    I pulled away, startled, and backed up a few steps. He let go, looking sheepish.
    “Come on, Jessie,” he pleaded. “I never hurt you that bad. And from what I hear, you are into being hit these days. Isn’t that true? Doesn’t that big guy beat you up?”
    I was speechless for a minute. Did my mother tell him that?
    “First of all, that is a completely different thing,” I said, surprised I could talk. But the words were racing through my head, all trying to get out at once. “He is not ‘beating me up.’ Our relationship is none of your business, and neither is what I am ‘into.’ I don’t care that you got religion, and I don’t believe or care that Jesus wants us to be together. What I want is for you to go away and have your own life and leave me here to have mine.”
    “But what’s so bad about me if that other guy hits you too?” he demanded.
    “That is a totally different kind of relationship. We have negotiated how he treats me, and how we relate to each other. I know he won’t do anything I don’t want him to, and we both accept our own responsibilities. You never understood anything about taking responsibility, or considering anybody else’s feelings, or thinking about anybody but yourself. And besides”—I was getting off track here and onto dangerous ground—“I love him, and I don’t love you. I am with him now, and I’m happy. I need you to accept that and go away.” Something occurred to me. “How do you know he’s a big guy? Have you been spying on us?”
    “But you need Jesus,” he said, completely disregarding my question. “I can’t ignore the fact that you’re living in sin. You’re still my wife in God’s eyes and I’m finally taking responsibility for that fact.”
    I was about to reply when the door suddenly opened and Geri stood there tapping the Taser in her palm, like a housemother surprising two amorous teenagers in a make out session.
    “We’ll talk about this later,” Randy said, glaring and striding off down the sidewalk. Geri held the door open, and I slunk in, perfectly aware there was at least one lecture coming out of this.
    “Why were you outside talking to him?” she demanded when we were back inside the shop, hugging me but staring at me reproachfully at the same time.
    “I had to tell him that I’m happy and he needs to get over it and go away,” I explained. “I couldn’t call the cops. He hasn’t actually done anything. I didn’t want him just standing out there.”
    “What did he say?” She sounded skeptical.
    “He’s gotten religion. He thinks God wants us to be