The book of matthew, p.13
The Book of Matthew, page 13
“One day you are going to love them as much as I do.” Matt wiped the sweat from his face, then leaned over to kiss her.
“Do you have a few minutes to help a brother in need?” Luke asked Terry.
“That depends on what it is that you need,” Terry replied.
“At the moment, a listening ear.”
“I can do that,” Terry replied.
The two walked off talking as Matt and Leah watched.
“How did it go?”
Leah knew what Matt was asking. She shrugged. “Not good. Carter tried to mediate, but my father closed that door. I’m hoping he will leave me the key to the bus in the morning.” She shrugged. “I’m just not sure at this point.”
“I’m sorry things went bad with your father.” Matt took her hand in his as he picked up his bag.
“I feel like I let you down.”
“We will make it work.” Matt kissed her temple. “Maybe I can lift your spirits a little.”
Leah smiled. “Watching those thighs of yours on the field gave me a lift for sure.”
Matt smiled. “Then what I have in store for you is going to blow your mind.”
They turned the corner to the parking lot. A number of vehicles were still there. Some people were standing around talking.
“Where did you park?” Matt asked.
Leah turned to point to where she had parked. “Right there.”
“I’ll walk you over,” Matt said as she walked in that direction.
“Someone has a nice Executive Mini Coach.”
“A what?” Matt asked.
Leah pointed. “The mini bus. It’s an executive liner. One of the best on the market right now.”
“You can tell what it is from here?”
“Are you kidding? Yes, that’s a F550 limo bus, can seat up to 26 passengers. They also have a F550 party bus with everything you need to boogie down the road.”
“Let’s go look at it.” Matt pulled her forward.
Leah pulled back. “You can’t walk up on somebody’s bus like that.”
“The door is open, come on, we can peek in.” Matt pulled her along.
“No, Matt. That bus has security features you would not believe.”
“You’re not curious to look inside?”
Leah stopped as Matt walked forward then stuck his head inside. “No one’s in here.” He waved her on. “Come on. Take a look.”
Leah looked around nervously. “Maybe just a peek.”
Matt stepped back to help her inside.
Leah stepped inside, then stepped back shocked.
“Good afternoon, Welcome to Leah’s Charters, where we offer a ride of luxury to and from any destination of your choosing.”
Leah’s hand flew up to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. All of the Lassiters were inside the bus along with Terry.
“Noooooo.” Leah bent over not believing what was happening. Tears filled her eyes as she stopped in the middle of the aisle reeling from the surprise. She looked at Terry, who shook her head then pointed to Matt.
Leah turned to him, mouth gaped open. “You…..you did this? When? How? Why, Matt?”
“Everyone should follow their dream.” Matt smiled.
“OMG!” Her body fell into his arms. “Oh my god, Matt.”
The day had been filled with so much emotions, Leah couldn’t hold the tears back. Waking up with a man who was sweeping her off her feet, gave her the strength to end the toxic relationship with her father. Then quitting her job with no prospects in mind to this was crazy, but freeing. It was overwhelming in a good way. and it was all because of Matt. Leah kissed his neck, his cheek, then his lips. “Matthew Lassiter, you are a blessing.”
“Well, I helped,” Luke yelled out, causing everyone to laugh.
“Terry, handle that for me,” Leah said while remaining in Matt’s arms.
“My pleasure.” Terry cupped Luke’s face, then planted her lips on his and delivered a thank you kiss that would rattle any grown man.
“I think we may have to rename this the baby making bus?” Phire laughed.
“As long as it is not you making the babies,” Sally suggested.
“Leah, we are a family,” Joe began. “We look out for our own. You have a dream. We hope these two buses will get you started.”
“Yeah, you can merge the two together and birth more buses,” Phire added.
Sally glanced at her. “You sure do have babies and birthing on your mind.”
“I’m just saying, Mom. That’s all,” Phire said as she looked around to see everyone glance back at her. “I’m just saying,” she insisted.
Matt looked at Leah. “I don’t want to pressure you into anything you are not ready for. Timothy set up the terms.”
“You can test them out for ten days,” Timothy explained. “If this is not what you want, you can turn them back in.”
Leah looked at the people on the bus. “I can’t believe you did this. I’m not sure what to say. Thank you for believing in me when my own family did not. I promise you I will not disappoint you.”
“Time to put that business plan into action.” Terry smiled.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The bus arrived at City Hall in plenty of time for the students to prepare their presentation. Mac, Coco and Blayne began setting up their equipment as Matt supervised the operation from a distance. The community room of City Hall was a large open area. There were six tables, on each side of the room, with students setting up their exhibits.
“They look so intense, and you look like a proud daddy watching them.” Leah smiled up at Matt.
“Grandmother.” Teddi pulled on Sally’s hand. “I believe it is past my mid-day rest period.”
“I am certain your mother would not mind you missing a nap for one day.” Sally looked up at Matt. “I’m so sorry, I had to bring her with me. Roc was called in on some assignment out of the blue.”
“I will mind, Grandmother. I must have my rest.”
Matt glanced at his mother. “It’s my fault, Mom. I didn’t mean to interrupt her routine. We really did need another chaperone on the bus.”
“I don’t want to miss the children’s presentation,” Sally replied.
“I could take her to the bus for a nap,” Leah offered to Sally, then looked down at Teddi. “It’s cool, and the seats are very comfortable.”
“I do not know you. It is not wise to go with strangers,” the child responded.
Matt smiled. “She’s right. You are a strange woman.”
Leah glared at him. “Haha.”
“How long do you think it will be before your students are set up?” Sally asked Matt.
“About an hour,” he said as he checked his watch.
“Then, Leah, I will take you up on that offer if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Leah glanced at Matt. “We will be back in time for the presentation.”
“Thank you,” he mouthed. As the three walked away, Matt watched when Leah took Teddi’s hand. His mind filled with visions of children running around her as she cooked breakfast at the stove in his house. The thought made him smile as his attention went to the students setting up the presentation. He was excited to see the concept completed.
“Hey, baby brother.”
Matt turned to see Joshua standing next to him. “Where are Sally and Leah going with Teddi?”
“To the bus. Teddi said it is her mid-day nap time,” Matt laughed.
“The stringent schedule is a little much for me,” Joshua stated.
“All right. I know I’m late, but I come bearing gifts.”
Matt glanced at Luke, who walked up next to him. “What’s in the box?”
“A sixty-inch monitor for the kids’ presentation,” Luke explained.
“And this,” Joshua lifted the long box up. “is a hydraulic television lift to hold that monitor. I thought it would help with the presentation.” Joshua grinned as he and Luke walked towards the students. “They are going to love me for this.”
“Us,” Luke corrected him. “Love us.”
“Stop trying to steal my kids,” Matt yelled as he stood back to see the kids’ reaction. He could not be prouder in that moment of his brothers. They really came through for his students.
“Okay, hold it there,” Mac ordered. “Hand me the HDMI cords,” he ordered as he placed the laptop on the shelf that was attached to the stand.
“Don’t you need two of these?” Blayne asked. “I only see one in the case.”
“I have the other one in my back pocket,” Coco said as he pulled the cord out. He hesitated.
“What?” Mac asked as he held out his hand.
“I think you should tell Coach what happened last night when we ran the test. “
“Man, we went over that. We decided to let everyone see it at the same time.”
“We took a vote, Coco.” Blayne looked around to make sure she was not overheard.
“Vote or not, I think we should tell an adult what happened. Just in case something goes wrong.”
“CYA.” Blayne nodded. “I can get with that.”
“CYA?” Mac questioned.
“Cover your ass,” Coco explained.
“Not Coach though,” Blayne said as she thought. “I know who we can tell, Phire.”
“That’s Coach’s sister. She will tell him.” Mac shook his head.
Coco nodded. “The only way I plant this on the bus is that we definitely need to tell somebody.”
Mac hesitated then reluctantly agreed. “All right we will tell Phire but we don't tell anybody else. Period.”
“Okay, I'll go find her, you guys keep setting up,” Blayne said as she rushed off.
Mac continued setting up for the presentation. Checking the program to ensure the timer was set correctly.
When Blayne returned she turned to Mac. “Are we ready to begin?”
Mac smiled, then nodded. “Ready.”
About an hour later, as everyone watched the monitor, Blayne narrated the sequence of events. “We all see that the bus is parked in front of City Hall. Can we all agree on that?” The audience responded in agreement. “What would you all say, if I tell you, what you are seeing on the monitor is a facade. The bus is not parked in front of this building. Coco, will you take it live from the front of the building.”
“This is Coco Brown, walking outside of City Hall.” He walked out the door with a camera in his hand. “I’m walking around the building. Your eyes do not see the bus. Do you believe what your eyes are seeing?”
Matt watched as people walked closer to the monitor. They were mesmerized by what they were seeing or not seeing on the monitor.
“Where’s the bus?” someone asked.
“Good question.” Joshua frowned. “Where is the bus?”
“What if I told you the bus is right in front of City Hall? You would not believe me because you are looking at Coco, who is standing right out front of the building and you do not see the bus. We have become so engrossed with believing what we see on television or social media rather than what is actually taking place.” Blayne shook her head. “People can manipulate anything that is run by a computer to convince others of whatever they want. It is up to us to seek the truth.”
“Where is the bus?” Joshua asked a little more forcefully.
Matt tapped him on the shoulder. “The bus is out front. Give them a minute.”
Joshua moved to the window. “The bus is not out there,” he said to Matt, then proceeded to walk out of the exhibition hall.
On the monitor you could see when he walked out the front door of the building.
“Where is the bus?” he asked Coco, who was still holding the camera.
“That’s perfect, Mr. Joshua. Another witness to this poppin’ presentation. Can’t see the bus, can you?” He swung the camera from Joshua to the area the bus should have been.
“You are so right, Coco,” Blayne said from inside the exhibition hall. “Mr. Joshua gives you more evidence that what you are seeing on the monitor is not what is actually there.”
On the screen Joshua was seen walking around as if searching. He then walked back into the exhibition hall.
He walked over to Mac. “Where is the damn bus?”
“Patience, Mr. Joshua, all will be revealed in time.” Mac smiled.
“Show me where that bus is now!”
The tone of his voice caused Mac to take a step back. He glanced over at Matt, who was walking towards them.
“Joshua.” Matt held his hands up. “The bus is right outside. Don’t mess up the kids’ presentation.”
“Forget the presentation,” Joshua growled. “My daughter is on that bus. Now where in the hell is it?”
The attendees at the science fair had pulled out their cellphones and were recording as the scene unfolded.
“Mr. Joshua’s reaction to what you think you see on the monitor supports the very reason why this presentation is significant,” Blayne continued. “His apprehension for his daughter’s safety has increased because of the vision on the monitor. What if I told you the bus and the occupants on the bus are right on that monitor? Yet, Mr. Joshua’s increasing anger doesn’t believe it. Why? Because what his eyes are seeing is telling him something different than what is real. We cannot believe everything we see on the news, social media or on our own security monitors. It can all be manipulated to show you what the person in control wants you to see and nothing more.”
Suddenly there was an explosion in the room. People screamed, as some ran towards the doors. Others ducked, then slowly stood to see what had happened.
“Whoa,” Mac yelled as he watched Joshua point a laser at the laptop to give it another zap. “Hold up, hold up, Mr. Joshua. Why are you zapping my laptop?”
“I want that bus and my daughter to reappear now,” Joshua demanded.
“Joshua, what are you doing, man!” Matt yelled. “Chill, man.”
“Chill my ass, where is that bus?”
“What’s going on?” Sally asked as she, Leah and Teddi looked around. “Did we miss the presentation?”
The frustration on Joshua’s face was so intense, people parted making a path as he walked by them, took his daughter up into his arms, then walked out of the building.
On the section of the monitor, Coco could be seen holding the camera as Sally, Teddi and Leah, walked out of thin air down two steps that could not be seen. They walked around the space as if something was there, then walked up the steps and through the front door of City Hall. He captured a few people running out the doors.
“What happened?” He looked at Mac and Blayne.
“Matthew, what is wrong with Joshua?” Sally asked.
Matt laughed. “I think the kids’ presentation was a little too real for him.”
Phire ran over. “Blayne, wrap up your summary. The show must go on.”
“In conclusion.” Blayne held the microphone up then continued. “What you think you see is not always what is factual. The point of the presentation has been delivered.”
Phire and Matt could not contain themselves any longer. They both burst into laughter.
“What in the heck is so funny?” Sally demanded.
“Joshua,” Phire declared. “He thought the bus with you and Teddi on it had disappeared.”
Matt was still shaking his head in disbelief. “If you had any doubts about how Joshua feels about Teddi, it was cleared up today.”
“He blew up my laptop,” Mac huffed. “My mom is going to kill me.”
“I’ll replace it, Mac,” Matt said. “Don’t worry.”
“That was awesome,” Phire declared. “He doesn’t know it, but Joshua made your presentation rock.”
“I thought he was joking at first,” Blayne jumped in. “But then he got all serious.”
“The way he ran out of here, wasn’t no joke,” Coco added.
“Looks like we only caught the ending, Sally,” Leah said. “I have to say the expression on Joshua’s face was funny.”
“He blew up my laptop,” Mac shouted again. “How can that be funny?”
“Seal the room,” demanded a voice from the doorway. “Everyone please stay where you are.” A few men in black suits appeared with badges. “My name is Special Agent Brewer. Where is Princess Theodora Lasheera Ashro?”
“She is with Joshua Lassiter,” Sally replied.
The agent walked over to her. “We have been ordered to locate and secure the child.”
“Ordered by whom?” Phire asked.
“The call came directly from the White House,” the agent replied.
“She is here visiting with my family,” Sally declared. “Why is the White House involved?”
“I do not know all the details. We were told to locate the child on a missing bus.”
Matt stepped forward. “I think this is all a misunderstanding. Neither the bus nor Teddi was missing.”
“Until we can assure the safety of the diplomat we are going to follow orders.”
“I told the school board not to admit those children from Marshall,” one parent said. “Trouble follows them. Agent Brewer, our children were not involved in the presentation that involved the bus. I don’t see why we should be inconvenienced because of the action of a few.”
“Give us a minute to determine what occurred,” Agent Brewer replied.
“Agent Brewer.” Luke walked over then whispered in his ear.
The agent nodded. Then stepped out of the room with him and Matt.
“Everyone return to your tables,” Phire said to the crowd. “We’re going to come around to interview each of the participants in the Fair. Then we will turn over the event to the judges to determine the winner of the $5,000 scholarships.”
Leah turned to Matt when he walked back into the room. “Are the kids going to get into trouble behind this?”
“No.” Sally scowled. “This is a silly misunderstanding. I assure you, no one is going to get into trouble behind this.”
“Mac,” Matt called out. “Come with me, please.”
“No, Coach.” Coco jumped up. “If Mac goes, I go too.”
“Same here, Coach,” Blayne added.
“No one is going anywhere,” Matt explained. “I have Mac’s back. We are going to explain the presentation and we will be right back.”
