Lady preacher, p.20
Lady Preacher, page 20
Shante jumped into pastor mode. She began counseling him about the changes that happened when becoming a new Christian and how it affected everyone around him. She advised him to take things slowly with Patrice, because she was probably watching him to see if he was true to his salvation. She also gave him scriptures that would give him hope. Afterward, they joined hands and prayed. She could feel the tremor in his hand. She knew the power of God was all over him. She prayed that their marriage would survive this transition and that Patrice and their children would get to know God the same way Shawn had. She also prayed for peace and blessing upon their house.
“Tay, I believe the Lord sent you to our home now. We need you here. Patrice needs you. She doesn’t have many friends she confides in. She trusts you. You guys have been friends a long time. She’ll listen to you. I know you’re going through some problems of your own now, and I hate to ask you to help me, but Tay, we need help now. I feel the enemy really working on our marriage.”
“I’ll talk to her. Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”
“Thank you. I’ve got to get out of here and get ready to go to work. Patrice took today off. Hopefully, you’ll have a chance to talk.”
Shawn hugged her and left the room. She looked around. She was impressed with everything she saw. There was an elliptical, treadmill, stationary bike, free weights, and exercise mats. A television with DVD player was positioned on the wall facing the equipment. Two of the walls were mirrored, making the room feel larger than it was. She got on the elliptical machine and began to pray for Shawn and Patrice.
She ended her prayer and continued working out. She picked up the remote to the television and began going through the channels to find something to watch for the next thirty minutes. Her mind began to wander back to her own troubles. She still could not believe the church board had sat her down. She never expected that or the way they had spoken to her.
The more she thought about being called a tramp, the angrier she became until she realized she had been working out an hour without noticing. She went to her room and showered. She put on her sweat suit and went down to the kitchen. She could smell bacon; Patrice was up and cooking breakfast. Shawn and Travis were at the breakfast bar. Patrice was at the stove making an omelet.
“Good morning, everyone,” Shante said, hugging first Shawn and then Travis.
“Morning, Aunt Shante. Come on, Pops, I’m going to be late for school.”
“I’m coming. Morning, Shante,” Shawn said as if this were his first time seeing her that morning. He walked over to Patrice, who was pretending she was concentrating on the omelet she was making. He kissed her on the cheek. She said good-bye without looking up. When the door closed, she looked at Shante and asked, “Would you like breakfast? I made cheese omelets with bacon. I have hazelnut coffee. Sit down. I’ll pour you a cup.”
“Thank you. Coffee will be fine. I don’t feel like eating right now,” Shante said, taking the cup from Patrice.
“You didn’t eat much yesterday. You need to eat. It’ll keep you from being depressed,” Patrice said, going back to the stove.
“I don’t have much of an appetite right now.” “Is it Kevin? Did he attack you again?”
“No, it’s church stuff. My board met Saturday, and they sat me down.”
“Sat you down? What does that mean? Did they fire you?” She stopped stirring the mixture in the bowl and faced Shante.
“No, it’s more like I’ve been suspended with pay until they complete their investigation.”
“Investigation? What investigation?” Patrice sat down at the table with her.
She told Patrice about being seen with Max and all the rumors that were out about her. She explained that she couldn’t preach or teach at the church until they found out what was happening with the church finances. She told Patrice how Sister Turner had called her a tramp.
“Wait a minute. You mean you let someone call you a tramp to your face and you didn’t say anything?”
“Bishop advised me not to say anything, and I respect him. He’s a wise man. I wanted to say something to her real bad. She almost took me back to before I got saved. I wanted to cuss her out and jump across that table. It took everything in my power to sit there and take that from her.”
“It’s obvious she doesn’t know you. As stiff and uptight as you are, anybody can look at you and tell you’re not getting any. I don’t see how you take that from those people. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another.”
“I know. It’s probably all over Charlotte now. The preachers are probably beginning to fight for my job. I wonder how my members are taking it. I should have gone to church yesterday and told them. It would’ve been easier on the church if I told them about the investigation. There’s no telling what was said yesterday. I should’ve waited to come here.”
“You did the right thing. You look bad. Did you tell Max?”
“Max? Max and I aren’t seeing each other anymore,” Shante said quietly, stirring her coffee.
“What? What happened? I thought everything was going great for you two.”
“He asked me to marry him.”
“Oh, Shante. What did you say?”
“I said no. He tried to use his sons to manipulate me into marrying him.”
“How?”
“They helped him propose to me. They were there. It was so bad. Little Josh was so excited and kept asking me when I was moving in with them. I felt pressured to say yes. I kept quiet and left. The next day, I gave him back the ring, and we argued. I told him it was a good idea that we don’t see each other.”
“Tay, I thought you loved him. Didn’t you tell me you thought you were in love with him the last time I talked to you?”
“That is what I thought at the time.”
“So, you’re sitting here telling me you don’t love Max now?”
“I don’t know what I feel. I know I didn’t like him trying to manipulate me into marrying him. How could he use those boys like that? It turns out I didn’t know him as well as I thought.”
“You still love him. I can look at you and tell that. You told me Max was good to you. You said you enjoyed being with him. You called me many times and told me about how romantic he was. How could you change your mind all of a sudden? Love doesn’t come or go instantly—not true love. You can’t turn your love on and off. If you were in love with him, then you’re still in love with him.”
Shante didn’t respond. She knew Patrice was telling the truth. She did love Max. She didn’t want to admit it. She felt it wasn’t the right time to be involved with anyone. She fought hard to hold back her tears.
“You should call him.”
“I’m not calling him.”
“Does he call you?”
“Yeah, and he started sending me text messages and e-mails when I wouldn’t answer his phone calls. He sent me flowers Friday. He wanted me to know he was praying for me and for the outcome of this meeting. Anyway, he’s probably heard about the meeting by now.”
“He needs to hear it from you. You guys love each other, and you should talk this thing out instead of running and hiding out here in Atlanta. You need to give him a second chance. You told me yourself, he’s good to you and his sons. You said he was everything you wanted in a husband. You said you could trust him. I’m only going by what you told me. How can you just throw it all away?”
“I’ve got too much going on now. My ministry is in trouble. All the work I put into the church is about to be destroyed. I don’t even know what my next step will be.”
“You need to stand up to those negroes at your church. That is the first thing you need to do. It’s just like black folk to get jealous when you’re successful. Someone probably saw how successful the church was becoming under your leadership and got jealous. Don’t let them destroy what you and Max have. You need to call him and talk to him.”
“I can’t talk to him. I don’t want him involved.”
“He’s already involved. Don’t you think this has an effect on him? Didn’t you say that woman saw you and Max together? See, he’s already involved. You need to call him.”
Patrice picked up the phone and handed it to Shante. “Here, take this. Call him. I’m going to take a shower and get dressed. Then we can go shopping. I’m not going to let you sit here all day thinking about your troubles. Call Max. He’s probably worried about you. Call Gwen, too. She called here yesterday looking for you. She’s worried. You’re not answering your phone. Your friends love you, and you should stop shutting yourself off from them every time you have a problem.”
Shante sat at the small table with the phone in her hand debating whether she should call Max and Gwen. She began dialing. “Hello, Mother.”
“Praise God. Oscar, it’s Shante,” MotherThompson said. “We’ve been praying for you. Where are you hiding now?”
“I’m not hiding, Mother. I’m at Patrice’s in Atlanta. I’ll be here a couple of days.”
“Did you do what I told you?” Bishop asked after picking up the other receiver.
“I didn’t say anything. Even when they were calling me names, I didn’t say anything. I wanted to. I didn’t say a word. They sat me down.”
“We know, baby. Are you okay?”
“Yes, Mother. Patrice and I are going shopping. I think I’ll buy something to cook them a special meal when we get back. You know, something to say thank you for letting me stay with them.”
“Have you talked to Max?” Bishop asked.
“No, I haven’t talked to Max in a couple of weeks. We aren’t speaking to each other. I guess he told you he asked me to marry him and I said no.”
“Did you think about it first?” Mother’s soft voice echoed over the phone.
“I didn’t have to. I know I don’t want to get married now. I have so much going on. I can’t bring Max into all this.”
“He’s worried about you. He asked if you called us. I’m going to tell him that you’re fine and in Atlanta.”
“No, Bishop, don’t tell him where I am. You can tell him you heard from me, but don’t tell him where I am. I don’t want him to know. I’m embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? What do you have to be embarrassed about? Being sat down? I was sat down before. You get over it. Count it all joy. You’re going to come out of this thing on top. I did and you will, too,” Bishop encouraged her.
“People are praying for you. You don’t need to be embarrassed. You have true friends here who know you and know you wouldn’t do anything to bring shame to the body of Christ. You’re a good woman. Come back to Charlotte soon. You’re going to have to learn to look the devil in the eye and stand.” Mother spoke with such authority it made Shante shiver.
“Amen, Agnes.”
“I know you’re hurting about this and about Max. You’ll see that everything is working for your good. It was done for evil, but God will make it good. Believe this in your heart.”
“I do, Mother. I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay, baby. Let us know how you’re doing.”
Shante’s cellphone rang just as she finished talking with Bishop and Mother. She looked at the caller ID. It was Max. She debated whether to answer and decided to take the call to prevent him from sending her a text message. “Hello.”
“Shante?”
“Yes, Max,” she said, trying to sound confident. “How are you? I heard about everything. I was calling to see if you were okay.”
“I’m fine. I’m getting ready to go shopping.” “You’re in Charlotte?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, Tay.”
“What are you sorry about? You didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“I’m sorry about everything—the proposal, the meeting, everything.”
“You’re sorry you proposed to me?” She was trying to start an argument so she would have an excuse to hang up.
“No, Tay, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry I proposed the way I did. I shouldn’t have had the boys involved. I’m sorry the meeting went the way it did. I feel it’s partly my fault. I was with you when that lady saw you in Greensboro.”
“Max, I would love to talk now, but I have to go. Patrice and I—” She caught herself. She didn’t want Max to know where she was.
“Patrice? You’re in Atlanta? How long are you going to be there? Can I come and see you? We can talk.”
“Max, I’ve got to go.” She hung up. The phone rang; this time it was Gwen. “Hey, I was just getting ready to call you. This phone has been a hotline this morning. How is everything going?”
“Don’t act like nothing is going on. How are you, girl? Ron and I have been praying so hard for you. You haven’t been answering your phone. We were worried. Patrice told me yesterday you were with her. How are you holding up?”
“All’s well.”
“How can you say that? We heard they sat you down.”
“That’s true. They did what they felt was necessary. That is all I’ve got to say about that. I’m dealing with it. Anyway, I needed the vacation. We’re getting ready to go shopping.”
“You mean you’re not cooking and cleaning?”
“I’m cooking this evening and Patrice’s housekeeper, Carmen, will be here to clean the house. I don’t have to clean this big house. It’s spic-and-span clean. It’s good to be down here; it takes my mind off things.”
“I’m sure Patrice will help you keep your mind off things. Don’t stay too long. When you come back, Ron and I want you to come to our church. Oh, yeah, Pastor Kay called and asked if you’re still going to do her conference Thanksgiving weekend. She said she tried to call you, but you haven’t returned her call. She really wants you to preach at her church. Call her back. I have her number.”
“I have it. I’ll call her back. I really appreciate her letting me preach in spite of all the things being said. I’ll definitely call her back. Thank you, Gwen. I hear Patrice coming. I’d better go. I’ll talk to you later. Tell Ron I said hello.”
“Shante, are you ready to go?” Patrice walked into the room wearing a light blue designer warm-up suit and blue-and-gray tennis shoes.
“Yeah. I don’t think anyone else will call me. I’ve talked to everyone who has been trying to get in touch with me. I even talked to Max.”
“Good. You’ll see, everything will work out for you,” Patrice reassured her.
Shante wanted to believe that. Her faith and everything in her told her to believe. However, doubt lingered. What would she do if she didn’t preach? It was in her blood. It was her passion. How can it be taken away from her? She envisioned many scenarios as they drove through heavy traffic on their way to Lennox Mall. Finally, she thought of her invitation to preach at Pastor Kay’s church and found a small glimmer of hope.
* * *
Shante and Patrice sat at a table in a small coffee shop talking about their purchases. It was sunny, although the early October air was a little chilly. The coffee shop was packed with people looking for a bit of warmth.
“Thank you for taking me to that shoe store. These shoes are hot,” Shante said, admiring the navy-blue stilettos she’d bought.
“It’s one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets. Those shoes are nice. I’ll bet Max would love to see you in them.”
“Let’s not get on that again.”
“It doesn’t matter how much makeup you put on, you can’t cover up the sadness in your eyes. You love that man, and you need to tell him.”
“Mom? Aunt Patrice? What are you doing here?”
“Camille? The question is, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in class?” Shante asked as Camille came up to them carrying shopping bags.
“My classes start late on Monday. My first class is at three. Mom, what are you doing in Atlanta? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I was visiting Patrice. Sit down.” She pulled out a chair for Camille.
“Mom, I’m so glad to see you.”
“Why? Are you running out of money?” she asked, looking at Camille’s bags.
“Funny. I’ve got money. I saw Dad last week, and he gave me two thousand dollars.”
“What? Your dad came down here? I didn’t know he knew where you were going to school. And he gave you money?”
“Miracles do happen,” Patrice chimed in.
A waiter took Camille’s order for a latte. “Yeah, I was surprised, too. I figured since he’s never given me any money, this was a past-due child support payment and I took it. He owed me more than that. While he was down here, he could’ve paid some tuition, too. This is only a down payment on what he owes.”
“Amen, sister,” Patrice interjected.
“Don’t be so hard on your dad. Now that’s strange. Why all of a sudden would he come down here and give you money? That’s not like him.”
“I know, but two thousand dollars is two thousand dollars. Looks like I’m not the only one shopping. What did you get?” She began going through Shante’s bags.
“Just some shoes. ”
“Mom, those are nice. Max is going to love those shoes on you.”
Patrice laughed, openly enjoying Shante’s discomfort. “Didn’t you say you had class at three? It’s almost two. Don’t you need to be going?”
“You’re right. Are you staying tonight?”
“I’m staying with Patrice for a couple of days.”
Camille looked from Patrice to Shante. “What time will you be home? May I spend the night? My first class in the morning is at ten.”
“Is that all right, Patrice?”
“Sure, that’s fine. You can come over when you get out of class.”
The waiter returned with her latte. “Thanks. I’ll see you guys tonight. Bye, Mom, Aunt Patrice.” Camille gathered her bags and left, threading her way through the crowd.
“Now, that’s strange. I wonder what Kevin is up to?” Shante mused.
“He’s probably trying to look like the loving father now that he has those charges against him. He’s probably trying to get Camille on his side.”
“Patrice, he’s not getting any time for those charges; he got community service and counseling. He owed me that two thousand dollars and more for tearing up my house. This is so strange. It’s not like him.”
