Sex with a Ghost 1&2

"Alright, but have you taken it up to God in prayers?" he asked with a faked seriousness.

The smile returned and she wondered how he does it, making her laugh often, even in her current predicament.

"You are not seriously asking me whether I prayed about it?" she asked with her head slightly bent to one side and eyebrows raised.

"That's what most people do"

"Most people? You are not one of them?"

"No" he shook his head; "I don't believe praying to a big guy upstairs will make my problems magically go away"

Judith nodded at his response with a lingering smile at one side of her lips.

"So why haven't you talked to Him about it?" he asked.

"I stopped having an imaginary friend a long time ago"

"Wow!" he howled in excitement with both hands over his mouth. "That's straight up cold, never saw it coming"

"Having an imaginary friend as a child is cute but as an adult, it is something totally different…"

He emptied his glass, beckoned on the barman to refill his glass. While the barman filled his glass, he told him "I just met a woman after my heart".

Judith giggled, took a sip from her, squeezing her face afterward and Peter continued

"Well, whatever your problem is. Sitting alone at a bar and wallowing in your sorrows won't make it go away and neither does praying to an imaginary friend". He took a mouthful from the just refilled drink.

"So counselor, what do you recommend?"

"I say, go to a club, get drunk, dance like King David till you forget your troubles, then sleep and you will wake the next morning a new you" he took out a handkerchief and wiped his black eye with it.

"Truly?" she asked thrown aback by this suggestion. "Is that how you tackle your problems?"

"Yes. In fact, that's why am here this night. To get over my troubles too"

"I guess we all have problems then…"

"You know what? Let's share our problems and who has the most challenging, gets to ask for something that the other must do. What do you think?"

"Am cool with it but we begin with you!" she said giving him a slight push with the index finger.

"Day before yesterday, I returned from the burial ceremony of my one and only younger brother David. Since the day I was told of his death, grief and regret have been eating me up; I can't sleep at night. Few months before his death, his shop got burnt, he requested money from me, but I turned him down. Asking him to go be a man, find his own path in life and become independent. I can't continue to provide for him" he stopped talking and bowed his head in remorse.

Judith could tell the young man was hurt deep down just like her but has been suppressing it. His all-smiling and happy personality were gone, pain evident in his voice as he suddenly grew cold.

"Sorry dear," she said, tapping his shoulders softly to comfort him. "The loss of a sibling is really painful. I can imagine what you are going through. Lost my younger sister to an illness when I was sixteen"

"David was shot twice in the chest by unknown gunmen. Probably since I refused him money, he went into business with the wrong crowd. He can be very desperate. If only I had given him the money, maybe, just maybe he would still be alive" he emptied the glass again and ordered for a refill.

"That's really sad. So nobody saw anything? What is the police saying?" Judith inquired letting her curiosity get hold of her.

"Neighbors said they saw a strange lady leaving his apartment that very night in a hurry, but the police said the crime doesn't look like what one lady would commit. The window of his bedroom was broken from outside. They said it must be the same gang of robbers terrorizing the area".

"Really sorry and try not to beat yourself over it; it wasn't your fault he died". Peter nodded sorrowfully in agreement.

"Is this where I get to tell you the Lord giveth and…"

Interrupting her, he said softly "Don't worry, I know".