Mr. and Mrs. Jackson arrived, came inside, and said their hellos and goodbyes to their son-in-law and their grandkids. Rena followed suit by kissing and hugging her children, forewarning each of them to be on their best behavior for their father while she was away.
Robert walked them to the door, barely saying two words.
"I love you. I'll see you Monday," Rena told him and kissed him on his cheek.
"Enjoy yourself," he said dryly, as he waited for her to exit the front door after which he abruptly closed it.
Rena shook her head, pursed her lips, and walked toward her parents' car. She couldn't hold back the excitement swelling inside at the thought of getting away from Massachusetts, if only for a few days.
‡
Stiles wasn't particularly looking forward to his trip to Memphis. His emotional wounds and pain remained fresh. Since leaving Memphis after the death of Baby Audrey two years ago he hadn’t returned to the city. The thought of returning to Memphis and to Holy Rock only served as a cruel reminder of the devastation he experienced there. Losing his little girl because of the stupidity of his lying, cheating, ex-wife, Detria, made his anger fester until he could hardly manage to get through each day. Several of his newfound church friends tried to tell him that holding on to his grief in the manner in which he was doing, was not good for him. But how could they know if they never experienced losing a child, an only child at that. People could say what they wanted to say, but Stiles didn't care. He couldn't let go of the anguish inside no matter how hard he tried and how much he prayed. The thought of Detria and how she ruined his life was ever present.
His friend and confidante back in Memphis, Leo, was the one to tell him that Detria’s baby daddy and Stiles’ former friend, Skip, was still married to Meaghan. Meaghan was the girl Skip was sleeping around with while he was seeing Detria. Skip and Meaghan had a baby of their own, too and with all the money Detria had shelled out to him when she got her high seven figure settlement from the car accident, Skip opened several Subway franchises, and was doing quite well for himself.
Elijah, the little boy he had with Detria, lived with him most of the time. Detria never really cared much for children, which was obvious when Baby Audrey was alive and now evident with her son. Stiles had heard that she hadn't put up much of a fight to keep him from Skip once she got over the initial fact that he was married and had moved on with his life. On the contrary, she had fully recovered from the tragic accident and except for limited mobility in her right arm, she was back to the old slick, conniving, selfish Detria.
Stiles chuckled lightly to himself as he thought about how she had all of that money but probably no peace. He packed his last few items and said aloud, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord."
3
A secret's worth depends on the people
from whom it must be kept. Carlos Zafon
Nervously rubbing her left arm and breathing heavily, the mysterious woman waltzed through the airport terminal like she was a jet setting millionaire. Her stride revealed confidence and she had a certain air of sophistication about herself as she prepared to board her flight to Memphis.
She'd been silent for forty-one years, forty-one years too long. Now was the time for her to step out of the closet, show her face, claim her place, and shock the Grahams, especially Pastor. Her sister, being the mean conniving control freak she was, had played her, taken advantage of her illness, and like a fool she had allowed her to do it. The witch had forced her to keep her silence back then by threatening to tell everyone about her illness. But now there was no longer a reason to hide because the wicked old witch was dead.
As she approached the airport boarding ramp, the woman carried on a conversation with herself. “Chauncey Graham, I’m going to show you that I’m not one to play with. And while I’m there, it will be the perfect time to pay my dear sweet boys a visit. Certainly, they’ll be glad to see me.” A disturbed look engulfed her round, full cherub-like face as she thought, This visit to Memphis is going to be good. It’s going to be real good.
‡
Pastor was elated that he was going to render a message during the Jubilee service. It had been years since he’d graced the pulpit and delivered a Word from the Lord. Accepting Hezekiah’s offer to share a word gave him a sense of renewed energy. To think that once again, God had shown him favor to the point that he felt like his old self again was incredible. Two strokes, the death of his soulmate, Audrey, the secrets that had been unearthed after her death, and of course the tragic death of his granddaughter, Baby Audrey, were all enough to crush a man's spirit and make him question his trust and faith in God. But not Pastor. He held strong to his faith and refused to believe that God had forsaken him. His wife, Josie, was in good health too and for a couple who had both recently celebrated seventy years on earth, they were living quite well. They travelled occasionally and entertained frequently.
Speaking on Jubilee Sunday wasn't the extent of Hezekiah's generosity. He had recently asked Pastor to return to Holy Rock as one of the five associate ministers he had on staff, and again, Pastor humbly accepted the role. He would oversee the Seniors' Ministry. He and Josie already taught a senior's class on Sunday mornings. It was something he'd always wanted to do with Audrey, but Audrey had always been into being a trophy wife and a showpiece for Pastor. As for Josie, she loved teaching just as much as she loved God. She had served in the church all of her life and had been a Sunday School teacher for years up until the year she fell and broke her hip. She was incapacitated for quite some time but when she met Pastor, she was on the mend and back to being the vibrant Josie she once was.
Josie was right by Pastor's side, supporting him, helping him with his study notes, and similar to Audrey, she kept her man dressed sharp. They made a good couple.
"Honey, I printed your notes for Sunday School and your speech for Sunday."
Pastor walked over to Josie and planted a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you, baby."
"I guess we'll do some shopping later today. I want to find something special to wear for Jubilee. And you could use a new suit yourself," Josie told Pastor as she stood up from the computer and faced him.
"Nothing to it, but to do it,” Pastor jovially said. "We can have lunch while we're out. How about that?"
"Okay, I'd like that. I’ve been wanting to try that new Italian restaurant in midtown."
"Anything you want," Pastor said, patting Josie on her rear and kissing her again, this time on the lips and with deep affection.
As they got dressed and ready to go out, they talked about Hezekiah and Fancy. "What do you think about Pastor McCoy's expensive taste?" Josie asked Pastor. "Some of the senior ladies, who attend the Golden Friends monthly luncheon, say that he and the first lady spend far too much time away from the church. They say when you were senior pastor, and even when Stiles was pastor, that neither of you believed in gallivanting around like him and First Lady Fancy."
"That’s none of our business, and what people need to keep in mind is that everyone is different. None of us are the same. Pastor McCoy and Sister Fancy happen to love exploring new places. That’s on them."
"I guess so," Josie said hesitantly. "But the trips are so lavish, and it's not like he's going on these trips because he has to speak at other churches. He and Fancy seem to be travelling the world on the church's dime. I'm just telling you what folks are saying."
"Are you sure you don't feel the same way these folks feel?" Pastor questioned.
"I just think that they both should be more considerate of the church's expenses and what people say."
"And I say, if they are taking advantage of the church and its benefits, then that's between them and God. God will bring to the light anything that's not of him."
"You always say that, Pastor."
"I say it because it's true. Let God handle it. We're here to serve Him and trust in Him. Now to change the subject; I can't wait to see my children. Stiles should be arriving Friday morning and if France
sca and Tim decide to come they'll drive down early Sunday morning."
"I'm so glad that you and Francesca talked. It's an answered prayer. And her health, she's doing well, isn't she?"
"Well, we’ve only spoken a couple of times over the last few months, but she did call last week to tell me that they might drive down for Jubilee.”
“That’s still good for Francesca. You know she shuts herself off from you and Stiles so whenever she does decide to reach out, it’s a blessing. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Yes, you’re right, and God is good. For someone with AIDS, Francesca defies the odds every day. No one but God can do that. No one but God."
"Well, are you ready to go?" asked Josie.
"Yes, I'm ready."
They locked up the house and walked out into the two-car garage. Pastor proceeded to walk spryly toward his black on black Lincoln Continental.
"Honey, I think we should go in the Mini Cooper. You know how difficult it can be finding a parking space downtown, and at least with the Mini we can ease into the smallest of parking spaces."
"You're right," Pastor said. "The Mini it is." He opened the door to the green and black, four door Mini Cooper and waited for Josie to get inside before closing her door and walking around to the driver's side.
"Babe, do you think Stiles is bringing his new girlfriend with him?" Josie asked, as they headed to their destination.
"He didn’t say anything about bringing anyone with him. And according to him, he's not involved with anyone. He says he and that woman I think you’re talking about, uhhh, I can’t call her name right now, are friends. Her daddy was the pastor up until he died. She works at the church," Pastor replied.
"Yeah, I remember you saying that her daddy died and that she works at the church. I'm just glad to hear Stiles laughing again. When I talked to him last week, he sounded like the Stiles I knew before his divorce and before, well you know, before poor little Baby Audrey died." Josie's sadness resonated in the tone of her voice and the expression on her face.
"Yes, he's come a long way," Pastor added. "And he still has a long way to go. But all I can do is trust that in time God will heal his heart totally and completely."
"Enough of that. I’m just excited about Jubilee. I know the church is going to be packed; if that's even possible since it's almost always at overcapacity on Sundays already."
"That's one thing I can give Pastor McCoy credit for; he knows how to draw the people to the church. He has some powerful, life altering sermons. I'm sure he's going to deliver another one on Jubilee Sunday."
"I'm sure he will," Josie said.
4
“The truth is, unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself, unless you forgive the situation,
unless you realize that the situation is over,
you cannot move forward.” Unknown
Stiles was scheduled to fly out on a red eye Friday morning, but Tuesday evening after Bible Study, he went online and cancelled his flight. He decided to drive the eight and half hours from Houston to Memphis. He believed it would help to relax his mind. He would listen to his motivational audio books, play some of his favorite music, and spend some alone time with God.
He contemplated asking Kareena to come along, but changed his mind about that, too. He really liked her. She was sweet, sensitive, and his definition of sexy. When he was with her, he felt at peace, not stressed, but calm and satisfied. That was the reason he had to steer clear of the two of them embarking on a relationship other than friendship. He didn't want to hurt her and he didn't want to be hurt again either. He wouldn't even take it to the good Lord in prayer, because he didn't want to chance God giving him the approval to become involved with her.
Kareena was not only sweet, she was kind, generous, a great listener, and she loved the Lord. Stiles felt that she understood him and she definitely didn't judge him. She didn't pressure him to be in a relationship with her, but they did spend lots of time together. Being one of the daughters of the late pastor of Full of Grace Ministries, Kareena knew everything there was about the ministry. When Stiles accepted the pastoral position at the small church, he asked Kareena and another one of her sisters to remain on board as members of his ministerial staff. Kareena was the church administrator. Her oldest sister and her sister’s husband were the youth ministers.
Under Stiles' leadership, the church membership began to see some growth. God was blessing the ground where Stiles treaded and for that he was grateful.
He thought about his baby girl often. He missed her smile, her chubby cheeks, and her awesome daddy hugs. As for Detria, he hadn't spoken to her since the divorce. She had tried reaching out to him a few times after he left Memphis, but he ignored her calls and deleted her messages, then decided the best thing to do was to block her number from his phone.
He hoped he wasn't making a mistake by agreeing to attend Holy Rock’s Jubilee service and the banquet they were having on the eve of Jubilee. Understanding that Pastor was expecting him to be there, Stiles was glad that Pastor was back to a version of his former self. His father was healthier than he’d been in quite some time, had clarity of mind, and was still happily married. God had restored what the locusts stole and Pastor was involved with the ministry of Holy Rock, the church he loved. So Stiles understood that it was essential that he be there.
Stiles called Francesca and she told him that she and Tim might drive down, but she wasn't one hundred percent certain. He sure hoped that she would come down because he missed her. He hadn't seen his sister in a couple of years, and it wasn’t like she or Tim were on social media.
Stiles arrived home from Bible Study, and soon as he stepped into the1,700 square feet house that the church leased for him, he went inside his man cave, plopped down on the leather sofa, propped up his feet, and grabbed the remote to change to First Take. He watched it until he started dozing off.
"Guess I better get in the shower," he said aloud when he awoke from a light, short sleep. His cell phone rang just as he stood up to head to his bedroom.
"Hey, what's up, Kareena?"
"Do I need to put a tracker on you?"
Stiles laughed. "What are you talking about?"
"You mean to tell me that you drove all the way home without missing your wallet? I went into your office to leave that printout you asked me to drop off and there it was, on the floor by your desk."
"Dang, I sure didn't. I’ll swing by there tomorrow. Did you put it up for me?"
"Actually, I didn't. I just brought it with me. You said you weren’t coming back until Monday, so since we don't live that far from each other, I thought I’d drop it off."
"I hate that you have to go through all that trouble."
"It’s no trouble and what else do you propose, Stiles? You know you need your wallet and you can't drive around town, let alone out of the state, without it. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Thanks, Kareena. I'll be on the lookout for you."
Stiles and Kareena had one sexual encounter a few months after they initially met. That's another thing that led Stiles to try to keep things casual between him and Kareena. If he wasn’t careful, he could see himself possibly falling in love with her. She was just that special to him, but love was not for him. That was proven after two divorces and two deceitful ex-wives. He and Kareena both had talked about it, but like him, she agreed they were better off as friends.
The man Kareena once loved deeply was Carson Peele, her high school sweetheart. Carson’s family attended Full of Grace Ministries too, so like Kareena, he grew up at Full of Grace. He was active in the high school JROTC program so almost immediately, after he graduated from high school, he went to the Army and Kareena left Houston to attend Jarvis College in Hawkins, Texas.
The young couple remained faithful to each other while pursuing their life dreams. Less than a year after completing basic training, he received orders that he would be deployed to Afghanistan. He was granted a short leave before deployment. Carson
returned home, asked Kareena for her hand in marriage, which she gladly said, “Yes.” They made plans to become husband and wife after he completed his tour but unfortunately, the marriage never happened. An Army hummer he was riding in ran over an undetected land mine. Carson, along with four other soldiers, was killed. So, Kareena and Stiles both had their stories of tragedy and they both wanted to shield their hearts.
The night he and Kareena crossed the line, their desire for each other was at an all-time high. They had gone out for dinner one evening after Sunday church service. They laughed, talked, and reminisced about their past loves, the highs and lows of life, and how loneliness crept into their otherwise routine life every now and then. Stiles drove her home that evening, walked Kareena to the door, and without planning to, he kissed her goodnight. They couldn't deny the passion ignited between them. Staring into each other's eyes, words did not need to be spoken. Kareena's hands trembled as she tried to unlock the side door to her house. She was so nervous that she dropped the key. Stiles picked it up, unlocked the door, and led her inside. That night, the flesh definitely proved weak. They didn't plan to fornicate; they desired to live lives pleasing to God, but on this night, their passion, their desire, their loneliness, and their flesh said otherwise.
Stiles spent the night lying next to Kareena. The following morning when they woke up, she prepared a light breakfast and coffee for the two of them. While they enjoyed breakfast outside on her small patio, they talked and vowed to remain friends, but promised each other that they would not venture down that path of love and lust again.
The McCoys of Holy Rock Page 2