Chapter One – Prologue

Thank you for visiting.

I’m delighted to share the opening chapter of The Story of GGLC.

— Howard R. Smith

Prologue

People from all over the world come to Brazil to enjoy our culture. Especially Rio de Janeiro, where I was born and raised.

Carnival is our biggest attraction, but the beaches and landmarks — especially the statue of Jesus Christ the Redeemer — are very popular as well. The statue stands ninety-eight feet tall atop Corcovado Mountain, where visitors can see breathtaking views of the entire city.

I have to admit… I love Rio.

One beautiful Saturday afternoon, my friend Asia, her mother, and I went shopping together. I loved shopping with them because we always had so much fun.

Asia was a gorgeous dark-skinned goddess. Her hair was long, usually worn in braids, and she kept her body in perfect shape because she loved to dance. She stood five foot eight.

I was a year younger than Asia — brown-skinned, five foot five, with a curvy body and long wavy hair.

When we went shopping, we loved trying on expensive clothes we could not afford, especially the sexy ones. The store owners knew we were only dreaming, but the outfits looked so good on us that they did not mind. In fact, when other customers saw us wearing them, they often rushed to buy the same styles.

Asia lived to dance and never missed a party. After I moved in with her family, she made sure I never missed one either. She loved showing off her dancing skills, so we were always looking for the perfect outfit — and the outfits had to be sexy. We just did not want her mother seeing the really daring ones.

So our strategy was simple. We told her we were going to the music store to buy CDs, then we would meet her later at one of our favorite places to eat. She always agreed, and off to the ‘hoochie mama’ store we went.

Asia was bold and adventurous, while I was more conservative. It took me a while to become as confident showing my body as she was. My outfits earned compliments. Asia’s earned gasps.

I loved living with Asia and her family. After my parents were killed in an automobile accident, her parents adopted me as their daughter, and I adopted Asia as my sister.

We could shop all day without becoming tired. On this particular afternoon, when we returned home, we ran upstairs to try on our new outfits. Afterward, Asia wanted to spend time with her friends, but I wanted to go to the beach. Antoine was on my mind, and I wanted to fill my thoughts with nothing but him. So after changing clothes, I grabbed a sandwich, said goodbye, and hurried toward the beach.

It was evening — just after six — and the sun was beginning to set. When I arrived, I walked to the exact spot where Antoine and I had made love, then sat quietly, letting the memories of the most beautiful day of my life wash over me.

Antoine was from Africa.

His family visited Rio every year for Carnival.

But now he was back home…

and I was here.

Whenever I saw a man walking along the shore, for a brief moment I imagined it was Antoine returning to surprise me. I would watch, waiting for him to run toward me. But the thought always faded. It was never him, and I was alone again.

I wondered what Antoine might be doing at that very moment. Was he thinking about me too? As the first stars appeared in the sky, I imagined him looking up at the same sky and seeing the same stars…

Seeing me.

I blew a kiss into the night air and hoped somehow it would reach him.

After losing my parents, a deep emptiness remained inside me. Asia and her family tried to fill that void with love, and they gave me more kindness than I could ever repay.

But what I felt with Antoine was different. He awakened something inside me that I could not explain. When I looked into his eyes, I felt safe. I felt seen.

I felt chosen.

He captured my heart, my thoughts, my entire being. Even remembering him made my stomach flutter. That feeling made me happy and sad at the same time — happy because I had known him, and sad because he was gone. I had only known Antoine a short time before he returned to Africa, yet in that short time, he changed my life. And I missed him more than I could express.

I became so lost in my thoughts that I did not notice how late it had become. When I finally checked the time, it was after eleven. I panicked. It was far too late for me to be alone on the beach. Asia would be worried sick.

I quickly brushed the sand from my clothes and began hurrying home. I decided to take a shortcut that would get me there faster. Asia and I had used this route many times before, but only during the day. But I needed to get home quickly, so I took the chance.

The shortcut led through an alley lit by neon signs from nearby bars and tattoo shops. On the other side was a park. During the day, the park was harmless. At night, it attracted drugs, prostitution, and people looking for easy targets.

I lowered my head and kept moving, carefully watching both sides of the street as I walked. Groups of men stood outside the bars smoking and talking. In one group, I thought I recognized someone, though I could not remember where from. I lowered my eyes again and kept walking.

Then I heard a car engine start behind me. The sound moved slowly— as it approached me. When the car pulled beside me, it slowed even more. I felt my body tense. I quickened my pace but did not look back.

After a few seconds, the car drove ahead of me. I felt a small wave of relief. But when it reached the intersection ahead, it made a U-turn and began driving back toward me.

Now, I was afraid.

As the car approached, bright headlights flooded my vision. I raised my arm, trying to shield my eyes, but the light was blinding. I could not see anything.

I heard a car door open.

Then footsteps behind me.

Before I could scream, someone grabbed me from behind. Something soft pressed tightly over my mouth and nose.

Then… everything went dark.

Want to discover what happened next?

Continue Gabrielle’s journey in The Story of GGLC.