about it, but she didn't care. She was almost obsessive about making sure no one misunderstood her digital messages.
"OK!" Nita typed the text message back to her friend.
Speed-dating would be a new experience. Going with people she knew would make it fun, even if she didn't think she'd be excited about anyone she met there. She didn't expect to be but it would be nice to have something to do Sunday Night.
Chapter 5
Telephone Book Club
Hannah called promptly at 8 o'clock. "Let's DO this!" she exclaimed.
Nita was ready for her call. She had gathered her notebook, pen and paperback and made a comfy place on her bed where she could sit and talk during this first meeting of the telephone book club.
"How far have you read in the book?" Nita inquired.
"I'm halfway through Chapter 3, but we're only going to talk about Chapter 1, today. What did you get from reading chapter 1?" Hannah asked.
Nita flipped through the pages to her bookmark. "From what I read, it looks like I am supposed to be working on making myself the best possible me, and the right man will take notice."
"Yep. I used to think it was up to me to search for the men I wanted in my life. I read lots of books, went to all the singles seminars, took classes and hung out wherever the expert du jour said was the latest trendy place to be, if I wanted to meet someone."
Nita was not used to Hannah sharing so personally about her life. She got the feeling her friend was about to say something particularly meaningful.
"I ended up exhausted..." she continued "...frustrated and disappointed at the quality of the men I was meeting. The results weren't worth the level of effort and time I was putting out."
"Did you just stop?" Nita asked.
"Almost. I was very angry at men and myself for what seemed to be a waste of everyone's time. I didn't have an alternative, so I began to think, if I gave up, it would mean I would never meet anyone decent."
"What did you do?"
"Well, I knew that I wasn't just ending an activity because it wasn't working for me. Around that same time, I was making a change in my life that I believe was a step of faith and obedience to God."
Nita was curious. "Was that all? I mean, did something serious happen before you made this decision?"
"As disillusioned as I was about men and dating, that would've been enough, but there was something else." Hannah confided.
"Oh." Nita thought she may have crossed a line with Hannah by asking her to share something personal. "You don't have to tell me. I didn't mean to pry."
"That's OK. I can tell you."
Although Hannah was not fiercely private, she rarely talked about herself. Her friends enjoyed being around her because she was such a good listener. They knew something about her life, but she knew more about theirs. Most times, when she was with friends, by the time the conversation came around to Hannah talking about herself, it was time to go. She had a talent for shifting the focus away from herself. Nita realized she was privileged that her friend was trusting her with some personal information about her.
"I was raped."
Nita was silent, shocked at this revelation.
"It happened many years ago, before I moved here, to Karberry."
"Oh, Hannah!" Nita empathized.
Hannah continued, "A man I had just met, took me out on a date. I didn't know him very well, but I thought I would get to know him a little better. We went to a restaurant and enjoyed a good meal. The conversation was informal and we were enjoying the live band onstage. I remembered that I had two glasses of wine. My date slipped a drug into my glass and I didn't remember much after that."
"I am so sorry." Nita was still in shock.
"I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed next to him. My body ached inside and out. There was no way we didn't have sex, but I couldn't remember any of it. He acted as if everything was normal, like we had gone a date that went so well, we decided to have sex. But, I know i
"OK!" Nita typed the text message back to her friend.
Speed-dating would be a new experience. Going with people she knew would make it fun, even if she didn't think she'd be excited about anyone she met there. She didn't expect to be but it would be nice to have something to do Sunday Night.
Chapter 5
Telephone Book Club
Hannah called promptly at 8 o'clock. "Let's DO this!" she exclaimed.
Nita was ready for her call. She had gathered her notebook, pen and paperback and made a comfy place on her bed where she could sit and talk during this first meeting of the telephone book club.
"How far have you read in the book?" Nita inquired.
"I'm halfway through Chapter 3, but we're only going to talk about Chapter 1, today. What did you get from reading chapter 1?" Hannah asked.
Nita flipped through the pages to her bookmark. "From what I read, it looks like I am supposed to be working on making myself the best possible me, and the right man will take notice."
"Yep. I used to think it was up to me to search for the men I wanted in my life. I read lots of books, went to all the singles seminars, took classes and hung out wherever the expert du jour said was the latest trendy place to be, if I wanted to meet someone."
Nita was not used to Hannah sharing so personally about her life. She got the feeling her friend was about to say something particularly meaningful.
"I ended up exhausted..." she continued "...frustrated and disappointed at the quality of the men I was meeting. The results weren't worth the level of effort and time I was putting out."
"Did you just stop?" Nita asked.
"Almost. I was very angry at men and myself for what seemed to be a waste of everyone's time. I didn't have an alternative, so I began to think, if I gave up, it would mean I would never meet anyone decent."
"What did you do?"
"Well, I knew that I wasn't just ending an activity because it wasn't working for me. Around that same time, I was making a change in my life that I believe was a step of faith and obedience to God."
Nita was curious. "Was that all? I mean, did something serious happen before you made this decision?"
"As disillusioned as I was about men and dating, that would've been enough, but there was something else." Hannah confided.
"Oh." Nita thought she may have crossed a line with Hannah by asking her to share something personal. "You don't have to tell me. I didn't mean to pry."
"That's OK. I can tell you."
Although Hannah was not fiercely private, she rarely talked about herself. Her friends enjoyed being around her because she was such a good listener. They knew something about her life, but she knew more about theirs. Most times, when she was with friends, by the time the conversation came around to Hannah talking about herself, it was time to go. She had a talent for shifting the focus away from herself. Nita realized she was privileged that her friend was trusting her with some personal information about her.
"I was raped."
Nita was silent, shocked at this revelation.
"It happened many years ago, before I moved here, to Karberry."
"Oh, Hannah!" Nita empathized.
Hannah continued, "A man I had just met, took me out on a date. I didn't know him very well, but I thought I would get to know him a little better. We went to a restaurant and enjoyed a good meal. The conversation was informal and we were enjoying the live band onstage. I remembered that I had two glasses of wine. My date slipped a drug into my glass and I didn't remember much after that."
"I am so sorry." Nita was still in shock.
"I woke up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed next to him. My body ached inside and out. There was no way we didn't have sex, but I couldn't remember any of it. He acted as if everything was normal, like we had gone a date that went so well, we decided to have sex. But, I know i
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