Praise Him Anyhow - Volume 1

by Vanessa Miller

Pulling into his mother’s driveway, Dontae turned off the car and then asked Ramsey, “Do you think Ronny will help me out?”

  Ramsey laughed. “Two women are involved, right?”

  Dontae smiled at that. Ronny was definitely a ladies’ man. “I forgot who we were talking about.” Dontae nodded toward the front door. “You go on in, the family’s waiting on you. I’m going to give Jewel’s sister a call and tell her it’s a go.”

  Ramsey put his hand on Dontae’s shoulder. He had a sincere look on his face as he said, “I know we’ve only been brothers for the last eight years, but I just want you to know that I’m glad that we are family.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Dontae said as he pulled his cell phone out and made a call to the woman he hoped would be his future sister-in-law.

  ---

  The first person Dontae saw as he stepped into the house was Lance, his sister’s husband. They shook hands and then Lance told him, “Man, am I glad you and Ramsey are here. I’m hungrier than a hostage and Carmella said we couldn’t eat until you two rock heads got here.”

  “Stop.” Dontae put up a hand. “I don’t think I can handle all the love you’re throwing my way.”

  “Don’t get it twisted,” Lance told him, “Family is good, but when you’re hungry and your mother-in-law cooks like an Iron Chef, food is better.”

  The two men laughed as they joined the rest of the family. Carmella was busily uncovering the food as Dontae walked into the dining room. She turned and caught a glimpse of her son and then got the biggest grin on her face. “Come on in here, boy. I been waiting all day to give you a hug.”

  Even though his heart was heavy because of the situation with Jewel, Dontae yet and still smiled back at his mother. He could only remember one time in his life when his mother hadn’t been there for him. With the horror stories he’d heard from other men about the things their mothers had done to them, Dontae wasn’t about to dwell on one incident. “Hey Moms, I’m happy to see you, too,” he said as they hugged. As he peeked over her shoulder, he added, “but I’m even happier to see that mac and cheese on the table.”

  “See Mom, I told you that I should be your favorite. This boy would take food over you,” Joy said as she walked over and hugged her brother.

  “Stop all that foolish talk, Joy Lynn. I have been blessed with seven children, two by birth and five by marriage and I love you all with a mother’s heart,” Carmella declared for everyone’s hearing.

  After that the family sat down to dinner. They talked, laughed and then played Trivia and Sequence. The ones who weren’t playing either game got comfortable on the sofa and watched a movie. If anyone had looked into the Marshall household ten years ago, they never would have believed that all that sadness and dysfunction would one day turn into great joy.

  As Ronny, Ramsey and Dontae stood, preparing to take that two hour drive from Raleigh to Charlotte, Carmella remembered something that she needed to tell Dontae. Ramsey and Ronny walked out to the car and Carmella grabbed hold of Dontae’s arm and pulled him to the side. “Guess who I saw yesterday?”

  Dontae gave her a blank stare. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

  “Okay, okay... Coach Linden moved back to town. The school has hired him back and they are throwing an awards banquet for him.” The excitement shone through with every word Carmella spoke.

  Dontae didn’t say anything.

  Bringing her excitement down a notch or two, Carmella said, “I thought you’d want to know. I asked him to send the invitations to the banquet to my house because I thought you would want to attend.”

  A storm was brewing in Dontae’s eyes as he said, “I don’t want to attend. And I don’t want you to go either.” He turned and walked out of the house without further explanation.

  2

  “Oh no, that’s not about to happen. Don’t even worry about it. One hundred percent, I got your back.” Dontae was on the phone with one of his clients while Ramsey and Ronny got themselves situated in the house.

  “Thanks, Mr. Marshall. My dad was a little worried about me taking the meeting by myself, and he’ll be out of town on business that weekend, so he can’t attend.”

  “Your dad was right to worry. But I got this. I will contact Coach Jones and let him know that I will be making your hotel arrangements and setting the agenda for this meeting. Then if all goes well, you just might be the first round draft pick this year.”

  “That would be so awesome. I can’t thank you enough, Mr. Marshall.”

  “Do me a favor. Stop calling me Mr. Marshall. In a year’s time you’ll be making so much money, people will be calling you mister. But the thing about it is, if you never forget what it felt like when you had to call others mister, you’ll do just fine.”

  “I get it, I get it,” his client said, then finished with, “Stay humble.”

  “Yeah, but don’t be so humble that you end up missing the money being thrown your way.” Dontae knew first hand that a career could end within minutes of getting started. But if a player was smart and grabbed hold of opportunities, he could make enough money to feed his family for a lifetime.

  “I’ll remember that, Mr.—I mean, Dontae.”

  “And no matter what happens next weekend, I’m getting you on a plane the minute the meeting is over. Under no circumstances do you agree to hang out with anyone for golf or anything else. You got me?” Dontae was firm on that. Owners and coaches tried to get over on kids fresh off the school bus. But Dontae made sure that his clients were protected from all the nonsense.

  “Okay. My dad said the same thing.”

  “Your dad is a smart man.” That made Dontae think about his own father. Nelson Marshall would be getting out of prison in about ten days. Dontae could only hope that he had finally wised up.

  After hanging up with his client, Dontae walked into the family room where his brothers were resting. He made one more call; this one to his assistant. When Brielle answered the phone, he instructed her to contact his client’s coach and inform him that he was the agent of record and would be attending the meeting. He then told her to make separate reservations for him and his client at the Ritz Carlton in Charleston, South Carolina for the following weekend.

  “I love Charleston,” Ronny said.

  “And I love you for agreeing to help me out with my little problem. Unlike some other folk who shall remain nameless.” Dontae pointedly stared at Ramsey as he switched from business mode to personal.

  “Hey, we’re family; why wouldn’t I help you,” Ronny said while leaning back in his seat on the family room sofa in Dontae’s condo.

  “Oh, yeah right,” Ramsey Jr. scoffed, “And if Jewel’s sister had been ugly, I bet you would have forgot all about this we-are-family moment you’re having.”

  Ronny looked as if Ramsey had misjudged and falsely accused him. He put his hands on his chest. “I’m trying to take one for the team. At least I’m willing to help Dontae with his sad and pathetic love life.”

  “Hey, there’s nothing sad or pathetic about my love life,” Dontae objected. “At least I have a woman. I’m the one setting you up with a woman.”

  Ronny stood up, popped his collar as he strutted around the room. “Don’t need help with the ladies. I’m doing you a favor.”

  Ronny was mostly correct. Being young and handsome, the three men needed little help where the ladies were concerned. However, what Ronny lacked was focus. He had an entrepreneurial mindset, but floated around from one idea to the next, never sticking with anything long enough to see it through to the other side of success. Dontae hoped that being around him and Ramsey this week would help his step-brother focus and figure out what he wanted to do with his life.

  “Okay, you’re right. You are doing me a favor and I thank you,” Dontae conceded so they could get on with it. “Now, since you’re such a ladies’ man, help me pick out a restaurant where I can arrange for us to run into Jewel and Dawn.”

  “Hold
on, Playa,” Ronny took center stage again. “Didn’t you tell us that Jewel threw those prenup papers in your face while y’all was at a restaurant? And you want to just simply bump into her at another one? What you want her to do at this restaurant, throw her drink in your face?”

  “What’s the man supposed to do, Ronny? He’s got to run into her somewhere, because she’s not taking his calls right now. And Jewel is a Christian woman, he won’t find her hanging out at some rump shaking night club,” Ramsey said.

  “Just shaking my head.” Ronny walked over to Dontae’s laptop and turned it on. He then turned back to Dontae with confusion written on his face. “How do you use this thing?”

  Dontae got up, walked over to the table. “You’ve never used a Mac before?”

  “I’m a starving entrepreneur, where would I get the money to buy anything that comes out of the Apple store?” He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and said, “I’m still using my flip phone.”

  Dontae and Ramsey had no problem laughing in Ronny’s face.

  “Laugh if you want to, but when Sprint told me I had a relic of a phone and tried to get me to upgrade, I told them I would wait until Beyoncé decided to upgrade me herself.”

  “You gon’ be waiting a long time, bro. I think Beyoncé is happy where she’s at. And anyway, you don’t want none of that baby’s daddy drama,” Dontae said, laughing, but as he turned in Ramsey’s direction to get a co-signer on his joke, Dontae caught a glimpse of sadness in Ramsey’s eyes that took the fun out of the moment. Dontae was about to ask Ramsey if he was alright, but then Ronny got his attention.

  “A notification of an email from Mama Carmella just popped up.”

  “Just ignore it, click on Safari and go on to the website you want me to see,” Dontae told him.

  Ronny shook his head. “Can’t just ignore Mama Carmella’s emails. She delivers some real nuggets.” Ronny opened his flip phone. “If you’re not going to check your email, I’m going to check mine so I can read her Praise Alert for the day.”

  Dontae rolled his eyes heavenward. His mother emailed her so-called Praise Alerts out to the family at least once a week. His step-father’s children all seemed to enjoy receiving the Praise Alerts; they even sent comments back. Dontae wished they would stop hitting reply to all because he wasn’t really interested.

  All these Praise Alerts were his sister, Joy’s fault. About five years ago, his mother had given Joy a journal to write down her thoughts and to give God praise for things He had done in her life. At the time, Joy wasn’t really feeling it. However, within a few months his sister had given her life to the Lord and gotten over some serious issues in her life. Ever since that happened, his mother decided that the entire family needed to be in on this praise thing. Hence the Praise Alerts.

  “Get up, boy. Let me open my email so you don’t have to strain your eyes trying to read it on that 1999 flip phone.”

  Ronny got up and then hovered over Dontae’s shoulder while he opened his email account. Ramsey came and stood behind Dontae also. They each read the Praise Alert at the same time. Her Praise Alerts always began with a scripture out of Psalm 150:

  Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise Him in the firmament of his power. Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness... Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

  After the scripture the praise alert went on to tell of God’s goodness in someone else’s life. This one said, ‘For the past three years I have gone through so much. I went from being blessed and having everything, well at least materialistically (cars, homes, a great job), to having nothing, not even hot water to bathe—not that I wanted to because I was so depressed. My wife left me and my house was due to be sold on March 4th (foreclosure) and today I was approved for SSDI and they are working with me and Legal Aid to see how they can help to save my home. Imagine, the SS Administration trying to help. I don't know why God brought me so low, but I pray that it is for His glory. Oh and I also thank Him for giving me a fighting spirit that will not allow any demonic influences or energies to win. My wife said that my fighting spirit was what won her heart back... Praise the Lord!

  “Mama Carmella is something else,” Ramsey Jr. said as he finished reading the Praise Alert.

  “Tell me about it,” Ronny added. “There have been days when I’ve been down on myself about my business and then she’d send one of her Praise Alerts and it just picked me right up.”

  Dontae wasn’t as enthusiastic. He stood up, pointed to his seat and asked Ronny, “Can you show me the website you wanted me to check out now?”

  “Oh, sure thing.” Ronny sat back down and typed an address in the browser, hit enter and then pointed at the screen as the information materialized.

  “The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island?” Dontae had a puzzled look on his face.

  “Why you got your face all scrunched up like that? It’s a five-star resort. What better place to win your lady back?”

  “I’m not saying the place isn’t nice. But it’s all the way in Charleston, South Carolina. I just don’t see why we have to leave Charlotte when both Jewel and I already live here.”

  “Just shaking my head,” Ronny said again.

  “What? What did I say?” Dontae turned to Ramsey for help.

  Ronny said, “You’re going to Charleston next weekend anyway. I just heard you book the Ritz for business. Why not schedule something with Jewel after your meeting.”

  “I’ll tell you why,” Dontae said. “There’s going to be a ton of athletes in Charleston networking and cheesing for the camera that weekend. How can I concentrate on Jewel with all that going on?”

  “That’s why I’m suggesting The Sanctuary. Your meeting is at the Ritz. Once we check out of there... it’s all about personal,” Ronny said.

  “I don’t know, D, I’m kind of with Ronny on this one.” Ramsey scrolled down, looking at the features the resort offered. “To me, if you just run into her at a restaurant in Charlotte, that doesn’t seem like you put a lot of effort into it. But run into her at a swank place that this... and then she discovers that you set the whole thing up, now that sounds like a man who wants his woman back.”

  “How would I even get Jewel to agree to meet me at this resort?”

  “You won’t,” Ronny said, then added, “Book the rooms for this weekend, then have Dawn tell her that she has a free weekend at a five-star resort. Jewel will bite because she’s ticked with you and probably needs a little getaway right now.”

  Dontae took a moment to think it over, then said, “Actually, this isn’t a bad idea.” He turned to Ramsey and added, “So glad you invited Ronny out here this week. Looks like he’s going to be helping both of us.”

  “He wasn’t doing anything else. Might as well help us out,” Ramsey said.

  “Glad that my between-jobs situation could be of service to my brothers. But since we all know that I don’t have any money... I might be charging for my services this week.”

  ***

  Jewel’s eyes were just about popping out of her head as she and Dawn pulled up to The Sanctuary resort at Kiawah Island. The valet opened the car doors for them, then about two or three other employees said, “Welcome to The Sanctuary,” as they made their way up the walkway. The front doors were pulled open by staff members as they approached. As they entered the large main entrance, Jewel couldn’t help but be awed by her beautiful surroundings. Looked like a place where royalty vacationed.

  As they walked through the doors, three more staff members welcomed them to The Sanctuary and then directed them to the registration desk. “Girl, this place is top notch. How on earth did you get a free stay at a resort like this?”

  “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Let’s just enjoy the weekend. Didn’t you tell me that you needed to get away?”

  “I had no idea that you would bring me to a place like this. All I can say is, you must r
eally love me and I might need to break up with the love of my life about once a year if I get perks like this for my troubles.”

  Dawn took the room key from the desk clerk and as she and Jewel headed to their room she asked, “So you think this weekend will make up for your broken engagement?”

  Jewel stopped, put her hand over her heart and shook her head. “Forget what I just said. I don’t ever want to go through this kind of pain again in life.”

  “I’m sorry that I asked you that, Jewel. Please forgive me.” Dawn put her arms around her sister and lovingly pulled her into an embrace. “I shouldn’t have said that. Please just forget what I said and let’s try to enjoy ourselves this weekend.”

  Jewel drew strength from the hug. She took a deep breath and then stepped back. “I’m good. I don’t want to spoil our fun this weekend by dwelling on my problems with Dontae.”

  “That’s the spirit,” Dawn said as she they found their room and she opened the door.

  Taking in the beauty of the suite, and walking from the living room, to the kitchen and then the bedroom, Jewel said, “The only way I can see you getting this room for free is if they think they are going to get about thirty grand off of you by suckering you into one of those timeshares.”

  “Girl please, I don’t make enough money to even qualify for a timeshare.”

  Still walking around, taking in every facet of the suite, Jewel said, “Well you sure must be living right or something. God is in the blessing business and I guess he just decided to bless us this weekend.”

  “In more ways than one, my dear sister... in more ways than one,” Dawn said without even cracking a smile.

  3

  “Man, you wasn’t lying. This is hot,” Dontae said as they stepped inside the resort.

  As they walked to the registration desk, several staff members said, “Welcome to The Sanctuary.

  “I told you that this spot was legit. Now come on. Let’s hurry up and get the key to our rooms so we can get ready for our golf game.”