Broken (Endurance) (55 page)

He was eager to feel her slide on top of him. Makayla leaned forward and whispered in his ear how much she loved him. His breathing was deep and heavy, almost tortured.

She took him and guided him inside of her.

Tamarius fought back a scream of unimaginable pleasure as Makayla slowly settled herself on top of him. Tamarius kept his eyes on his wife as they made love. So many powerful loving emotions filled his heart and mind as he sat up and held her close.  He caressed her breasts and laid gentle kisses on each nipple. She groaned and accelerated her torturous pace, but not enough. 

No longer able to contain himself, Tamarius picked her up and laid her on her back. He made wild and passionate love to his wife, howling like a madman when release quickly came. He wrapped her in his arms and nuzzled her neck while her legs remained blissfully draped over his. "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop." Tamarius was upset with his lack of control.  He’d not been able to stop and pull out.

Makayla laughed. "I said it's okay. Whatever happens happens."

Tamarius cuddled up to his wife. They faced each other, breathless and happy.

Tamarius swept her hair off her face. "You’re the only woman for me."

"You’re the only man for me."

"We are going to get out of here, I promise."

"Babe, I know you will do everything in your power to make sure your family is well taken care of."

Tamarius held his wife as they drifted off to sleep.

***

Natasha sat back in the bushes. She needed a glass of water and a cigarette after spying on Tamarius and Makayla. Unable to pull her eyes away, she’d watched every heart pounding movement. It has been too long for her. Tamarius was the last man she’d been with before she’d gone missing. She still remembered the last time he’d made love to her. It was nothing like what she’d just witnessed. Natasha knew she was no match for Makayla and felt intimidated by the beautiful woman who had such a hold on Tamarius.  Despite that, she still felt Tamarius would feel differently if he saw her. Natasha believed they shared a special chemistry.

She walked back to where she had been living for the past seventeen years. Natasha cried and thought back to Tamarius. She hated herself for choosing science over Tamarius.

They’d had something real and she’d thoughtlessly thrown it away. Natasha walked into her cottage and closed the door behind her. She was exhausted from following Tamarius and his wife around as they searched for food. She could help them out is so many ways, but she didn't know how to face Tamarius. She decided she would face her fears in the morning. She curled up on her bed as tears streamed out of her eyes.  She closed her eyes and went to sleep.

In the morning Natasha woke and grabbed a fruit off of the tree next to her cottage.  She made her way to Tamarius' hut. She could see where they had just put out a campfire.  Natasha took a deep breath and knocked on the hut. When no answer came, she slowly pushed back the opening. No one was inside. The cradle was gone and it looked as if they’d taken as much as they could carry.

Natasha stepped back outside and looked around. They couldn't be far. There was still smoke coming from the fire that they had just put out. Natasha looked on the ground to see where the tracks led. She followed them until she heard Tamarius' voice as he laughed and talked with his wife.

Makayla felt brave again as she attempted to taste a new fruit.  Tamarius was teasing her, but was soon upset when he realized she was serious about trying it.

"Kay stop, it could be poisonous," Tamarius warned as he held her forearm, stopping her from eating a strange looking fruit.

"T, it can't be that bad. It looks like a...a...peach," Makayla replied.

"A peach? Makayla, when have you seen a blue peach… with purple leaves?"

"Today," she answered.

"Oh, real cute."

"I'm gonna do it." Makayla smiled as she leaned forward to take a bite. Tamarius placed his hand on her forehead, stopping her from taking a bite. Makayla shook her head and looked at him. "I need to feed our son. If I don't eat something, I’ll get sick then he will get sick and eventually I won't be able to produce milk."

"You’re not tasting this. Eat what we already know is safe," Tamarius insisted.

"Babe, we ate it already, and I haven't seen any of those trees here."

"I don't want you squirting out blue milk," Tamarius responded.

Makayla leaned forward to take a bite. Her lips hovered over the fruit as she tried not to laugh.

"Oh, so you’re going to just do it anyway?" he complained. Makayla was about to put her mouth on it when he snatched it away and bit into it.

Makayla laughed then became concerned when he looked at it awkwardly. Inside the fruit was bright orange. "It really does taste like a peach," he said with his mouth full.

"Nice, can I try now?" Makayla replied.

"If I’m still alive after fifteen minutes, then yes."

"Alive? And what am I supposed to do if you die?" Makayla questioned.

Tamarius laughed as he looked at his wife. "See how the tables turned?"

"I think it's fine.  It just looks funny," Makayla replied. She stooped down and picked up the small cradle that held her son. "He is such a good baby. Hopefully we won't kill ourselves before we can get you back home, Solomon."

Tamarius shook his head as they began to walk.

Natasha decided to follow them from a distance. She lost the courage to approach him for now. As she followed them her mind went back to her last memories of them together. She remembered the day she’d come to him, telling him she might be pregnant. She was so upset and so angry that it’d happened to her. She’d told him, assuming he would want her to have an abortion or pray for a miscarriage at least.

When he insisted she go to the campus doctor, she’d believed it was to make sure she had the abortion. Tamarius was so happy and his surprise had startled her. She didn't know how to react. She’d smiled as she’d cried inside.  She didn’t want to be pregnant, not at nineteen and not when she was about to test her new portal opening experiment. Natasha had worked on a device to open and close portals for over eight months. She had planned to test it out soon. It was going to be a surprise for Tamarius.

Natasha flashed back to another memory; Tamarius placed a nine-carat solitary diamond necklace around her neck for Christmas. She never took it off. To this day it still hung around her neck. Natasha was dying inside.  Seeing him after all these year brought back so many emotions and she was incapable of handling them all. Natasha was relieved to see they were taking a break.

Their baby was crying. Natasha smiled as Tamarius consoled his son. He spoke to him so lovingly as his wife prepared to breast-feed.  A tear trickled down her cheek when Tamarius selflessly allowed his wife to use his body as a cushion while she fed their son.

Natasha knew he would have been the same way with her if she hadn't aborted his baby. She waited patiently for Makayla to finish feeding her son. She looked at the path they were following. If they stayed on this path eventually they would meet the locals.

Natasha had successfully avoided them for as long as she had been here. She was afraid of them and didn't know how to find the courage to meet them. She watched Makayla stand up and pace with her baby in her arms. Tamarius relaxed against a tree, admiring his wife.

Natasha admired his body. His smooth, clear skin looked better today then it had when he was twenty-one. His body, well developed and strong, looked as though he worked out every day of his life.

Natasha grew jealous as she watched his wife with her long brown hair and well-toned, shapely body. They did make a good-looking couple, both looking as if they’d come from some country that only produced beautiful people. Natasha looked at herself. Her legs were covered in hair. Her armpits hadn't seen a razor for quite some time. She didn't have a toothbrush and she was weary about trying the surrounding vegetation. She did admire Makayla's bravery in their quest for food.  She was ready to try every root plant and edible flower in order to help her and her family survive.

Natasha crept out of the bushes as she watched Tamarius and his wife walk again. She looked around, trying to remember where she was so that she could find her way back home. They walked for another hour before being stopped. Natasha was startled when she saw blue men jump out of the bushes and surround Tamarius and his wife. She watched as he defensively protected his wife, stepping in front of her all while keeping his eye on all of them.

Without thinking it through, Natasha edged closer to one of the blue men. She took a deep breath and leapt at him, knocking him to the floor. Tamarius was focused on protecting his wife and child and did not lose his focus. Natasha fought with two other men, but they were soon able to subdue her and tie her up.

The chief arrived. He approached Tamarius and looked him in his face. The baby began to cry as Makayla tried to comfort him. The chief tried to see the baby, but Tamarius kept his wife behind him. The chief yelled something to the other men who held spears. They all looked at each other and put their spears down. The chief again approached Tamarius, realizing he was just trying to protect his family. He respected Tamarius and smiled at him. He gestured his desire to see the baby.

Tamarius reluctantly stepped aside. He looked at his wife and nodded. He was still cautious as he placed his arm around his wife. The chief smiled as he leaned over and looked at the baby.

He took a step back and put his hand out for Tamarius to shake. Tamarius was hesitant, but he took the man’s hand. By simply touching Tamarius' hand, the chief was then able to speak with Tamarius in his own language.

"My name is Nijah. I am one of the leaders of the Nivatran people."

"Nivatran?" Tamarius questioned.

"Yes."

Tamarius looked at his wife and pulled her closer.

Makayla looked up at Tamarius. She knew he was apprehensive about trusting anyone right now. "Babe, it's all right. They seem to be good people," Makayla whispered to him.

"We mean you no harm. You are not the first human to end up here. We have food and everything you need to survive. Your wife looks tired," Nijah said, inviting them into his tribe.

Tamarius agreed.  He and his wife followed the chief to his village. Tamarius never looked behind him to see who had caused the commotion.  Natasha was released by her captors.

She stood there for a while, dumbfounded by the extent of loving devotion he showed his wife. He never even noticed how she’d risked her life for him. She watched as the men slowly walked away.

After all these years, she found herself once again crying over Tamarius. Natasha was so distraught she just stood there with her head down.  The sound of feet shuffling through the leaves brought her gaze back to the path. Tamarius stood in front of her with a bewildered look on his face. He seemed neither happy nor angry.  Tamarius was speechless as he walked towards her. "Natasha?"

"You came back for me." Natasha smiled.

Tamarius stared at her in disbelief then shook his head. He turned and grabbed his son's cradle. He glanced at Natasha, still speechless. He looked down the road to where his wife stood waiting for him. He ran towards Makayla, leaving Natasha standing alone and devastated.

To be continued...

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