No Sin in Paradise Read Free Page A

can marvel at his own achievements. But out here, you see a wonder that man can’t even claim. He just has to sit in awe and observe.”
    Whenever Sam has a belly full of good food and wine, he turns into a philosopher. Sammy worked for the water and power company, but he spent every waking moment reading and educating his four children into adulthood.
    â€œTrue, but there is a flip side to the coin,” I say. “Skyscrapers and iPhones speak to man’s creativity, and thus, divine potential.”
    â€œBoring,” Adele says after she sips on her wine. “All you men ever want to talk about is God and sports.”
    â€œWhat would you rather us talk about, Adele? Atlanta Housewives or Basketball Wives? ” I ask.
    â€œYou,” Adele says.
    â€œMe?” I swallow a lump of wine down the wrong pipe and begin to cough. It takes me a minute to recover. “What about me?”
    â€œEvery day I see you watch as those planes land, hoping and looking for something or someone. Who is it?”
    I don’t like talking about myself, and my line of work makes it easy for me to not talk about myself, since I’m always focused on everyone else. I don’t have to deal with the demons that lie within me. I pacify them with a paradoxical cocktail of prayer, alcohol, and nicotine.
    At least . . . that was the case until now. I gaze into the flames and think of only one person who can make this night perfect.
    â€œVictory.”
    â€œWho?” Sam asks.
    â€œShe is a woman I met recently, and I gave her an open ticket to fly out here. Each day I wonder if she is on one of those incoming flights.”
    â€œShe must be a cold piece of work to be named Victory,” Sam says, “and you must be the biggest fool I’ve ever seen to be out here without her.”
    â€œI’m trying to tell you,” Adele says.
    The one time these two agree with each other . . . and it’s at my expense. Sam is right.
    I am a fool; a fool to think that Victory and I have something special, that my time in Sacramento was not a waste. Love is a cold game, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I don’t have the stomach for combat involving matters of the heart.
    â€œShe’ll come,” Adele says, as certain as she is sitting along the fire breathing.
    We spend a long time in silence watching the crackling of the fire. It feels good to be in the company of people who can appreciate silence as much as I do.
    â€œWhat time is it?” Adele asks.
    Sammy and I both look down at our watches.
    â€œIt’s about ten o’clock,” I say.
    â€œOh my goodness, Justified is on. Sitting around fooling with y’all two, I almost missed my Raylan Givens.”
    Adele takes off heading toward her house like an Olympic sprinter.
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    An hour later the show concludes. Sam was not invited to watch Justified so he went on home with the promise that he and I would hook up later.
    â€œWhoo wee, I just love my Raylan Givens, especially when he asks folks if they are willing to bet their life on it.”
    â€œYea, it’s a good show.” It has a little too much violence for my taste, but I see why Adele finds the show appealing.
    â€œDo you mind if we watch the nightly news?” I ask.
    â€œSure, sugar.” Adele hands me the remote, and I change to the news station.
    A breaking news bulletin appears on the scene with a local reporter. I still haven’t adjusted to the contrast between the news out in the States and the news on the island. In the U.S., our news primarily focuses on what’s going on domestically, while out here in the islands, the news is focused on what’s going on internationally.
    â€œBreaking news: tragedy struck this Faith Conference when the keynote speaker Pastor Jeremiah Cole was found dead.”
    â€œOh my Lord,” Adele says.
    My Lord is right. A famous pastor is found dead on an island next to mine. What could that