When Saint Goes Marching In

by Laveen, Tiana

  “And how do you raise your children regarding religion, sex, what you do for a living, the whole nine yards?” Jazz asked, flipping her long black, curly hair over her shoulder.

  “My wife and I teach our children to be their own people. We are open and honest with them. As they mature and get older, I have certain expectations for their behavior, regarding respect for themselves and others, and that is what I teach. They can choose their own belief system once they are mature enough. I have no desire to dictate to them what they should believe but I’d hope to be a positive influence in their decision, as my parents were with me. I would like them to believe in God, but I will accept the choices that they make. As far as sex is concerned, I feel that if my sons are old enough to ask a question regarding sex, relationships or reproduction, then they are old enough to receive an accurate, age-appropriate answer. What I do for a living is also an open book. They know Daddy is a licensed therapist, author and a speaker – that I talk to couples and crowds about ethnicities, racism and sex. Nothing I’m doing I’m ashamed of nor should they be afraid to ask me anything,” Saint said.

  “How does your wife handle all of the attention you get from women?” Jazz laughed. “You get a lot, Saint. Also, what does she think of your philosophies?”

  “Xenia thinks I’m kind of out there,” Saint chuckled. “She agrees with a lot of what I write and lecture about though. We don’t have to agree on everything. We agree on the core concepts, the important stuff, and that’s what matters. To your first question, she knows where my heart is and I’d never do anything to hurt her.” Jazz nodded. “No matter how much attention I get, it’s her that I want, and only her.”

  “Aww! That is so sweet. I do love what you said on Zar’s radio program last week, and if it made me swoon I’m sure it made other women do the same.”

  “What was that?” Saint smiled.

  “You said, ‘There are only three things a man should change about a woman once he obtains his soul mate. Her last name, her address and how she now sees men in general.’ You’re really smooth!” Jazz laughed.

  Saint grinned. “Am I? It’s true, though.”

  “Now, I can’t let you get out of here without asking this. There was some recent controversy about you on a panel in Georgia, for the Men’s Health Tour awhile back, in regards to statements made about condom use. You want to explain your new position on that?”

  Saint grinned and shook his head. He lowered his gaze to his feet as he gathered his thoughts, then raised his eyes to his interviewer again. “Sure. Basically, I’m a scientist. People forget that and just focus on the controversy but anyway, I have a medical background and I always try to keep myself well educated and open minded regarding new information. We don’t know everything. The doctors, the teachers, whomever – no one has the lock down on the truth except the Creator. Now, my discussions in Atlanta were in regards to a big lie we’ve been told, that I also believed, which was that condoms can prevent transmission of HIV and Aids. They help, they do, and they should be used, but they are in no way as effective as reported and so we have to help ourselves and not just depend on a factory to protect us.”

  “How so? If this is true, what do we do short of abstaining?”

  “The key is to get ourselves healthy from the inside out, so that our immune system doesn’t allow the infection to spread within us in the first place. We’re not there yet. I believe HIV has been around much longer than we suspected, but our health was better, and caused it to go undetected. We’re physically sick and don’t even know it. We’re not eating right. We’re not exercising, and like I said, a man’s seed is important so we need to watch who we are making love to and control our ejaculations. Our life force is not just in our penis, it’s in our semen.”

  “But what about birth control? How can you prevent pregnancy? In some of your earlier books and statements, you are also against birth control pills and…”

  “Shots, all of that, it’s poison. To all the women in child bearing years please listen to me, stop putting that stuff in your bodies,” Saint said vehemently. “It can ruin a woman’s reproductive system. There are women who were never able to conceive after getting off of that stuff but they were fine just beforehand. Look, it’s the man’s job anyway to prevent his woman from getting pregnant if that’s what they want. We are the givers; you are the receivers so we have to make sure we don’t give you anything that would be upsetting, in this case, an unplanned pregnancy. We are making a delivery – you are taking it in so it’s our job to control that. If we do give you a child, then when it’s time for that child to be born, the woman becomes the giver and we become the receiver. The roles reverse. I used to be all for condoms, and I still am but with the knowledge that you still aren’t fully protected. Also, that is still a foreign item inside her body. I bought so many boxes of Magnums that it should’ve become my last name.”

  Jazz burst out laughing.

  “There are people who are allergic to latex and those people are actually the normal ones. Their body is at least telling them something isn’t right. It’s sending out smoke signals. I know that condoms help reduce the spread of HIV and STIs, as well as help prevent unwanted pregnancies, and as out there as I was at one point in time, I’m certain they helped protect me. What I’m saying is that it isn’t enough and we have to come up with something else, something more natural, and make better choices, period. This needs further research and people need to wake up and get in tune with themselves. You are the only person that can completely prevent this, not these companies out here making synthetic hormones and rubbers just so we can have sex without worry.”

  “Now Saint you know some guys are just too irresponsible for this!”

  “Maybe, but there is natural birth control and it works.”

  “OK, let me ask you something else, Saint. You said in one of your books that a man can track his woman’s ovulation but what if she isn’t regular? There are some women who don’t start every twenty-eight days.”

  “If her cycle isn’t regular, there are ways to fix that for many women as well with just simple herbs, a healthier diet, fasting, detox and some other things that are mentioned in a couple of my books, one being “Banquet of the Nubian Goddess” in which I talk in great detail about African and African-American women’s sexual health. In the meantime, her partner needs to make sure he doesn’t rely on timing exclusively then.”

  “So you can actually prevent a pregnancy without the use of contraception even in these cases? You really are trying to sell that bill of goods here?” Jazz asked, her eyebrow raised.

  “Look,” Saint steepled his hands. “Let me put it this way, Jazz. Xenia and I have two children. They were both planned, discussed prior to their conception. My youngest is a product of what I’m discussing with you right now. There were no birth control pills, shots, spermicides or condoms involved at least six months before and never again, after his conception and birth. I’m very fertile and so is my wife yet it is clear we only have the two children. I’ve said this for years, men and women are hard-wired to reproduce. We have to use our brains to combat that if we are trying to avoid it. Our bodies will make us do it if we don’t use our mind to intervene. When and if my wife and I decide to have more children, it will be planned – just like the first two.”

  “One last question before we go, and just for the record, it has been such a pleasure to speak to you, Dr. Aknaten. What a delight!” Jazz said sincerely.

  “Likewise,” Saint smiled.

  “How has your career changed since you’ve been married to your wife, Xenia? Off topic for a moment, ladies and gentlemen, I really admire Dr. Aknaten’s wife and know her personally. She is a lovely person, inside and out,” Jazz smiled.

  “Yes, she is.” Saint agreed. “My career definitely has changed from the standpoint of time management and some activities. I pretty much do everything I did before meeting and marrying her, only less of it because I need to spend time with my wife, m
y family, and enjoy the fruits of my labor. Also, after I got married I got first-hand experience of what I’d been preaching about all these years and I found that I was pretty accurate but until you actually are married, much of what can be said could be just assumptions and lucky guesses. It has helped me tremendously for the conferences and should I return to my private practice one day, it will help in that arena as well.”

  “That reminds me of something, actually. Can I ask you one last question?” Jazz’s eyes narrowed.

  “Of course.”

  “What is some advice you could give to people about marriage in general, something you’d want everyone to remember?”

  “Marriage is not always easy. It’s not about just me, I have to consider another person’s feelings before I make choices. So, when I do something regarding my career, I have to think about, ‘Will Xenia be OK with this?’ because if she isn’t, even after we hash it out and I explain my side and she explains hers, then I won’t do it if I believe it’s not important enough to keep fighting about. Some things are just not worth messing up the vibe between you and your spouse. Now that we are together, I’m also a little more mature in regards to considering other people’s feelings, hers in particular.” Saint smiled. “This has definitely helped my career.”

  “Thank you so much, Dr. Aknaten, for being with us today. We’d love to speak to you again in the near future and congratulations again on the Queendom Conference. I wanted to attend but it was all sold out!”

  “You should’ve called me or Xenia, we would have got you in,” Saint winked.

  “Well, I’ll remember that next time. Ladies and Gentlemen, you’re tuned in with the greatest, Jazz on your dial. Stuntin’ is a habit, get like me! More music, less talk coming your way.” Jazz put on the commercial break and removed her headphones.

  “Saint, thanks again for coming. This was a great interview and as I stated, we wouldn’t be taking any live callers – I didn’t want that drama today!” Jazz laughed. “It helped us stay on topic, too.”

  Saint gave an appreciative nod. “Either way is fine. You have to have a thick skin to do what I do and the pleasure was all mine.”

  Saint stood up, slid his jacket on, shook her hand and exited the studio.

  As he drove home, he thought about seeing Xenia two nights prior at the Queendom Conference. They made love again after the conference and once again, she’d disappeared. This time, he had gotten beyond her self-made mental fortress; he could see that she was in their home right this second. He smiled excitedly as he increased his speed, filled with anticipation to see his Goddess and Princes. He pulled up to the house and entered the garage.

  The garage door seemed to open slower than usual. He cracked his knuckles impatiently. Once inside, he jumped out of the car, almost forgetting to put it in park. As soon as he opened the door, he heard Hassani screaming.

  “Get off!” Hassani yelled.

  Dakarai was in the middle of a meltdown of epic proportions. Saint smiled to himself. “Home sweet home, alas. This is what I missed!” He walked inside the kitchen.

  “Daddy!” Hassani called out, running towards him with a blue toy car in his hand. Saint reached down and hugged him tightly, inhaled the scent of recent shampooing on his wavy, black hair.

  “You smell nice and clean,” Saint grinned as he straightened back up. He walked over to sobbing Dakarai and swooped him up in his arms.

  “What’s wrong, Dakarai?”

  “He won’t give car!”

  “Well, did you ask your brother first or did you just go over and try to take it, Dakarai?” Saint asked lovingly.

  Dakarai rubbed his eye. “I say ‘car’ and Haha say ‘No’ and I try to get it, but he hit me.”

  Dakarai started crying again. Saint raised his eyebrow and looked over at Hassani who was happily playing on the floor, pretending to not hear the conversation.

  “Hassani, did you hit Dakarai?” Saint asked as he stood over him, Dakarai still in his arms.

  “He did somethin’ first!” Hassani screamed as he leapt up in a fit of anger, holding his car tightly to his body.

  “That still didn’t give you the right to hit him. You’re stronger than he is, I’ve told you that. You could really hurt him. I have told you many times that if he is doing something you don’t like, tell me or your mother. Now, the next time you hit him, you’ll be in your room with no toys, games or music.”

  Hassani started to cry. “It’s not fair! Dakarai can do anything but I always get in trouble!” He stomped his foot as the tears poured.

  “You need to calm down and get a hold of yourself. You haven’t been back home for over four hours and you’re already acting like this. Come here, boy.” Saint gathered Hassani in his arms and proceeded to walk up the steps, carrying his two sons.

  “Where is your mama at?”

  “In your room.” Hassani sniffed.

  Saint put his children down and opened the master bedroom door. “Hey, do me a favor you two. Hassani, let Dakarai play in your room for a few minutes while I talk to your mother.”

  “Aww, Daddy! He is going to mess everything up!” Hassani whined.

  “Nuh uh!” Dakarai said as he ran into Hassani’s room, eager to get to his big brother’s favorite toys. Hassani chased behind him, prepared to give another smack down even though he had been previously warned.

  Saint entered his bedroom. The familiar scent of her perfume lingered around their boudoir.

  This is home.

  “Xenia?” he called out softly.

  “In here, Saint,” Xenia called out from behind the closed door of the bathroom. Saint walked towards the bathroom and turned the knob. He looked inside. Xenia was submerged in the bathtub, jets on full blast.

  “Have the boys destroyed the house yet?” she asked, smiling, her eyes half closed. “I heard you come home on the intercom and decided to try and unwind. I just got in here. I hope in that short time they haven’t demolished the house.”

  “You mean each other, have they destroyed each other.” Saint laughed. “They’re in Hassani’s room.”

  “I was wondering where you all went. I had the monitor on and could hear them fighting. I forgot to turn the camera on so I couldn’t see anything.” She laughed. “Then you got on Hassani and left from downstairs. You know how he feels about his cars, Saint. He is much better about sharing but he refuses to share those cars. He’s like you,” she reminded as she secured a green towel around her wet hair.

  Saint leaned against the door and grinned at her.

  “So what have you been up to? What’s with all the secrecy lately? You accept my invitation to come over last week, we reunite, and you leave before I wake up with just a note for goodbye. I barely speak to you in between that time then before I know it, you are at the Queendom conference making a speech and telling everyone how much you love me. We come back home after the breakfast and make love. I wake up and again, you’re gone – like Groundhog Day. Now you’re back. Are you back for good this time or is something else going to happen, Xenia?” Saint asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t like this disappearing you keep doing.”

  “I’ve had to tie up some loose ends, is all Saint. I needed to help my mother with some stuff, get the kids squared away. Moving out was much easier than moving back in.” She smiled. “Yes, I’m back.”

  “Well then why have you been blocking me?” Saint asked, slightly annoyed as he realized it was happening again right at that moment.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You know what I’m talking about, Xenia. I was trying to read you because you were being evasive. I couldn’t figure out what you were doing and where you were going. You have my kids, too. That wasn’t cool. You keep doing it. It’s like a dropped call but now even when you drop it, I can get back in soon after. I figured out how you did it. Nice try though, I’m back in,” he smirked. “And you just blocked a second ago. I know what you’re doing.”

 
; Xenia smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned back against the tub. “I bet you do,” she laughed. “I knew if I thought of just one object intensely, with all my might, once I felt you trying to get in, it would throw you off. I read it in one of your books you bought about…your gift.”

  Saint sighed, uncrossed his arms and sat on the edge of the bathtub. He rolled up his sleeve and dipped his arm inside the foamy water, caressing her collar bone and breasts.

  “I needed to keep my surprise appearance at the conference under wraps from you and I didn’t want you worried about me, Saint,” Xenia explained, her eyes closed. “I know how you worry about me when I’m not around. It just got to be too much. I could feel you digging in. It was upsetting.”

  “But I didn’t do that after you left me, only after we were back together. It was confusing.”

  “I know you didn’t, and I appreciate that, thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me. It was for selfish reasons. If you were with another man I didn’t want to see it. I would have gone ballistic so I decided I’d better not look at all.” He admitted as he continued to caress her. “I told you I would have kicked his ass. I meant that. I know it sounds childish, but I’m just being honest.”

  Xenia laughed and nodded in understanding. “How’d your interview go with Jazz? She was so excited about it.”