Oppressed Soul

There was some heavy weight on Christian’s soul. He and his wife were headed towards a divorce. The marriage was breaking his spirit. Christian was also at a crossroads professionally after some legal issues derailed his career. And Jesus, who had guided him through his darkest hours, was starting to fade from his life.

Right around the time that Christian found Jesus, he met his wife who had also gone through her share of tribulations before being baptized. Christian’s list of vices (pre-Jesus) included alcoholism, fornication, and stealing, among other things. His wife was also a fornicator, which was evidenced by the son she birthed before marriage.

As redeemed sinners, they hit it off instantly. They tied the knot six months into their relationship. After twenty-plus years of agony and loneliness, Christian finally had a loving family of his own—a beautiful wife and her previously fatherless son.  A short while later, the couple had their first child—a girl. Two years later, they gave their daughter a sister.

Their happiness was short-lived, unfortunately. They started arguing a lot. A rift developed between them that neither their Pastor, or Jesus, could close. As Christian was recounting his marriage gone wrong, he started to cry.

Christian: We married too young. It was too quick.

Me: Divorce is hard on anybody, man. Marriage is just as difficult. Is it your pride getting in the way of making this work? Y’all have two kids together.

Christian: I’ve thought about that. I don’t know. Like, I don’t feel any affection from her. She doesn’t give me affection like she used to.

Me: Have you told her that?

Christian: Yeh, but nothing changes. It just doesn’t feel like she loves me. I’m part of the problem too, you know, but I don’t know. It’s just lost, I guess. She’s the reason I’m going back to school.

Me: Why is that a bad thing?

Christian: So, you know how I’m an EMT right?

Me: Yeh.

Christian: Well, now I got problems because of my wife. We argue a lot. One time we was arguing and she called the cops and told them I hit her.

Me: Did you hit her?

Christian: Nah. I was holding her down because she was scratching up my face and the only way I could get her to stop was by holding her down. When the cops came they asked me if I hit her and I told them no. The cop asked me if I put my hands on her, and I said yes, to hold her down. They arrested me and now I’m screwed. I don’t even know if I could do anything with this Human Services degree even if I get it.

Me: If anything, can’t you just go back to your old job at the mall.

Christian: lol. Nah, I can’t go back there.

Me: Why not?

Christian: Back before Christ, I stole like $70,000 worth of merchandise from there.

Me: What?!?! Did you do time for that?

Christian: Nah. I never admitted to taking the stuff.