Quicksand

"Joy!!!" I heard my mom shout. "I'm coming!" I quickly put on my shoes; we were extremely late for church. I checked my reflection in the mirror one last time. I was wearing a long red dress with black heels, my hair neatly done up. Satisfied with my appearance, I headed downstairs, where I spotted my mom by the door, a strained look on her face. "Let's go, we're late," she said urgently. We quickly made our way to the car, hoping to make it on time despite the rush.

We arrived at the church twenty minutes later than planned, and I immediately noticed that the parking lot was unusually crowded. There was an array of expensive-looking cars that I knew none of our regular church members could afford, leading me to speculate that we might have new visitors or members. It was challenging to find a parking spot, but once we did, we hurried inside. My first impression upon entering was puzzling: "Why is the church divided?" I glanced at my mom, and the look on her face confirmed that she was thinking the same thing. On one side of the church were familiar faces—our regular church members. On the other side were new faces, all dressed in black attire except for a stunning lady in a baby pink outfit. I wondered if there was a funeral taking place. Luckily, I spotted my best friend Alisa, who had saved a seat for me in the front row. Relieved, I thanked God for her thoughtful gesture.

As I walked to my reserved seat, I felt a stare but chose to ignore it. "Sup, babe," greeted Alisa, my best friend. "You look nice."

"You look nice too," I replied, smiling. We then focused on the teaching of the pastor.

"There's a guy who has been staring at you for some time now, but don't look yet so he doesn't know," Alisa whispered.

"Okay, who are these people?" I asked.

"I don't know, but I heard they are important people."

And then I felt it—the stare. I turned and locked eyes with a pair of sharp, grey eyes. They seemed to have the ability to hold me hostage, and the only word that came to mind was "beautiful." He was undeniably handsome, and I was mesmerized. Suddenly, I felt a pinch on my lap from my best friend, which I really appreciated as it snapped me back from my trance. 

"What are they doing here?" I asked Alisa, who gave me a dumbfounded look.

"How do you expect me to know that? I just told you that I don't know who they are," she replied. 

I couldn't blame her; my curiosity often got the best of me and occasionally annoyed those around me.

We tried to refocus on the sermon, but I could still feel that persistent stare on the side of my face. After the sermon, it was time for the testimony and thanksgiving service. The pastor invited those with testimonies to the stage. Most people went up, and among them was the lady in the baby pink outfit, followed closely by my mom.

When it was the turn for the lady in the baby pink outfit to speak, the room fell silent."Hello, my name is Sofia, and I'm here with my family," she said, looking at her loved ones and smiling warmly. "On behalf of my family, I want to thank you all for receiving us so warmly. Secondly, I want to express my appreciation to God for granting my family good health and prosperity. Thank you." Her speech was met with loud applause, especially from a group I suspected to be her family, which prompted everyone else to join in. A very large man then stood up and walked to the stage, presumably to escort his wife, Sofia, back to her seat.

As my mom collected the mic, my heart raced, praying she wouldn't embarrass me, knowing she had a knack for such moments. She began, "Good day everyone, my name is Joliet , and I want to thank God for His grace and for granting my daughter Joy admission to the college of her dreams." A tear welled up in the corner of my eye. Despite my initial anxiety, her heartfelt words touched me deeply. I adore my mom and would do anything to make her proud, especially since she has been my only parent. She has worked tirelessly to ensure my comfort and success, and I truly love and appreciate her for all her sacrifices.

After the testimony service, it was time to say the Lord's Prayer and call it a day. As we stood up to say the prayer, I noticed that no one in the other row stood up except Sofia, nor did they say the Lord's Prayer. Once again, I locked eyes with Mr. Beautiful—I think I'll just call him that because he was exceptionally handsome. I immediately looked away and shut my eyes to finish the prayer.

After the service, I exited the church alongside my best friend. We said our goodbyes to her family, and I patiently waited in a corner for my mom, who was talking to one of her numerous friends. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I saw Mr. Beautiful standing there in all his glory. He was so tall that I had to crane my neck to look at his face. He just stared at me, which felt increasingly weird.

Adrik," he said, extending his hand.

"What?" I responded, confused.

"My name is Adrik."

"Oh, okay. I'm Joy," I replied, taking his hand. I tried to shake it, but he held my hand in a painful grip. When I tried to pull away, his expression turned intimidating.

"Joy!!" I heard my mom's voice.

"Yes, thank you, Mom," I thought inwardly. He released my hand, which I held to my chest trying to ease the pain. Noticing this, he grinned, a gesture that did little to alleviate the uneasiness I felt. As I was about to leave, I said to the gentleman, who had proven otherwise, "Excuse me, I have to go." Just as I turned to depart, he unexpectedly gripped my arm. The audacity of this man! I was on the verge of lashing out at him when he beat me to it. "Congratulations," he said, then walked away, leaving me standing there dumbfounded. The encounter was so abrupt and perplexing that I couldn't fathom what he was congratulating me for, nor why he had stopped me in the first place. The moment lingered in my mind, a peculiar blend of confusion and curiosity.