Princess entered the lobby, saw her mom, and immediately walked over to where she sat. About midway she saw what her mother was reading. For a second this revelation slowed her pace, but after a slight lifting of her chin, she decided to keep on going and face the music. Understandably, her mother was disappointed. There was never going to be a good time to have this conversation.
Tai looked up as her daughter approached. She closed the magazine, suddenly wishing that she were anywhere but here. As much as she loved Princess, she didn’t have too much “like” for her right about now. Still, she put a smile on her face and vowed to try and be civil. Like her daughter, she knew that there would never be a good time for this conversation.
“Hello, Mom.”
“Hi, Princess.”
They hugged. Tai stepped back and examined her daughter’s face. It was the first time seeing her since the quickie marriage almost a week ago. There was no denying the glow that was there. “You look happy.”
“I am.” Princess looked at her mother. “I wish you could be happy for me.”
“You know how I feel about all of this, baby. But I’m going to try. Where is he?”
“At the hospital. He said to tell you hi.”
Don’t roll your eyes, Tai. “Are you hungry?”
“A little.”
They walked to the sunny, breezy Cabana restaurant, the crowd of which was surprisingly sparse on this Friday afternoon. For a moment, conversation centered around the menu choices. Princess settled on mahimahi tacos. Tai chose the turkey club sandwich.
Once the waiter had placed down their drink orders and walked away, Tai spoke. “I talked with Phyllis.”
Princess’s regret was visible. “How is she?”
“Hurt, angry, embarrassed.”
“I called, but she didn’t want to talk to me. Neither does Rafael.”
“Can you blame him?”
Princess shook her head. “I wrote him a letter, saying how sorry I am about what happened. Mom, Rafael and I have been friends since we were kids. I never wanted to hurt him. But when Uncle Derrick collapsed and I saw Kelvin at the hospital, I knew that I couldn’t go through with the marriage, knew that my heart was still tied to him.”
“But it had been a year since y’all even saw each other. If you still had these feelings, why would you say yes to Rafael’s proposal? Why didn’t you try and get back with Kelvin before now?”
“Because I was fighting these feelings, Mom. I didn’t want to still be in love with him!” The waiter arrived, and sat down their plates. At the moment, neither woman had an appetite. The food went untouched. “The night before the wedding,” Princess continued in a soft voice, “I prayed and asked God’s blessing on our marriage. I asked for His guidance, and for assurance that I was doing the right thing. I believe that what happened to Uncle Derrick was God answering my prayer.”
“Well, God definitely works in mysterious ways. And why you chose Kelvin over Rafael will always be a mystery to me.”
Princess didn’t even want to go down that convo road. “I told Mr. Stevens that I’d reimburse them for the honeymoon tickets, and any other monies they spent on the wedding.”
“I guess Kelvin having money counts for something.” Tai finally picked up her sandwich and took a bite.
“My being with Kelvin isn’t about his money,” Princess angrily retorted. “I’m going to use my money to pay them back!”
Tai took a calming breath. Knowing she had no power to change the situation, it was time to let it be. “I’m sorry for saying that, Princess. I really don’t want to argue with you. What’s done is done and you’re the one who’s going to have to live with your decision.” And then, because she couldn’t resist bringing up her nemesis: “Does Tootie know?”
Tai didn’t miss the smile that scampered across Princess’s face, before she replaced it with a blank expression. “Yes, she knows. She wants us to come over as soon as both of our schedules allow it, have a ceremony for his stepfather’s side of the family.”
Just like her to appreciate this messy situation. “Hopefully you’ll save one of the holidays for your family. We don’t really know Kelvin and”—Tai forced the words out of her mouth—“we’d like to.” Best to fake it till I make it. That’s the only way to weather this storm. Tai looked at her watch. “We probably should finish our lunch and head over to the hospital. King’s plane should be landing any minute now, and Vivian hasn’t called. I want to make sure she’s all right.”
Shortly afterward they left the restaurant. Tai rode with Princess to Cedars-Sinai, a mostly quiet ride. Tai’s concern was not only for her best friend, but for her daughter. She wanted Princess to be okay. What Tai didn’t know then, was that in time, she would be wishing this for herself as well.
35
Ring My Bell
Mama Max hadn’t been on a date in, well, ever. And that’s what she’d told Henry when he came up with the cockamamie idea for them to go to dinner and then on to the movies.
“It’s not a date,” Henry had argued.
“Well, what is it?” Mama Max had asked, hand on hip, brow raised.
“Two good friends enjoying each other.”
She did enjoy Henry Logan’s company. This, Mama Max could not deny. And that’s why she’d said yes and even now was putting on one of her signature oversized tops and a pair of wide-legged jeans. She’d balked when her granddaughter, Tabitha, had brought the jeans over, saying she’d seen them on a sale rack and thought they’d go perfectly with Mama Max’s big tops. Mama Max had told her that jeans were something that you donned to go fishing or hunting or maybe picking greens. But then she’d put them on and the soft, stretchy denim was not only surprisingly comfortable but stylish as well.
“Thank you, Jesus, thank you, Lord. Yes, you’ve brought me from a mighty, a mighty long way. A mighty long way!” Mama Max interrupted her own song as she remembered her friend Nettie’s earlier phone call. “Oh, shoot. I plumb forgot about calling Nettie back.” She looked at the clock on the wall, figured she had a good twenty or so minutes before Henry came over, and went into the kitchen to use the phone there. “Hey, Nettie Johnson.”
“Hey there, Maxine Brook!”
“Sorry I’m just now getting back to you. I got busy cleaning up the house and am on my way to dinner in a little bit.”
“Oh, yeah? You going over to your son and daughter-in-law’s house?”
“No, we’re going to the Golden Corral. It’s a buffet-style restaurant.”
“They have one of those in Dallas.”
“Good to eat out for a change.”
“Pastor Montgomery must be doing a lot better with King and Tai already back home.”
“They’re not here. They’re still in LA.”
“Oh, when you said ‘we,’ I just assumed …”
“Watch out there now, Nettie Johnson. You know what they say about that word. Making a you-know-what out of you and me!”
Nettie chuckled. “Hush your mouth, now, Mama Max. ’Cause I’ve sure gotten into trouble for that very reason, more than a time or two. So who are you going to dinner with? One of the sisters from the church?”
“No.” Mama Max felt girlish all of a sudden and chided herself for feeling so. She’d battled this feeling off and on for about a week now, ever since Henry had talked about her looking young and cooking good and falling in love and other such nonsense. “It’s Beatrice Logan’s son, Henry. Remember I told you about him moving back home to care for her after the stroke?”
“I sure do. Bless his soul for taking care of his mama.” Silence, and then, “How old is Henry?”
Again, that giddy feeling. Mama Max chided herself for entertaining notionss best left to young girls. “Sixty-two.” She cleared her throat.
“And you say he’s staying next door, in Beatrice’s house?”
“Yes. He’s holding out hope that she’ll come back home, I know he is. He’s keeping up the place while she’s in that assisted-
living complex.”
“With God all things are possible.”
“Yes, and it will take the hand of the Almighty for that woman to come back home. The stroke was a bad one, bless her human heart. I just keep praying.”
“I’ll add her to the prayer list at Gospel Truth.” And then, “Obadiah was supposed to be here this coming Sunday. I understand that something came up, and he’s sending an old retired preacher friend from Dallas instead.”
“Oh.” This was said with all of the excitement of watching a bird fly.
“I know y’all are still … unsettled.”
Mama Max snorted.
“But it’s not good for a man to be alone, Mama Max.”
“He’s ain’t alone! He’s with that hussy!”
“From what I hear, he’s in his apartment more than not.”
“And just who are you hearing this from?”
“Somebody who’d be better served minding their own business. But people talk.”
“Ain’t no business of mine what he does. When King and Tai get back from tending to Derrick, I’m going to have them help me find a lawyer.”
“Lord, Jesus, Mama Max. You sure?”
“I’ve been living a lie long enough, Nettie,” Mama Max responded behind a sigh. “Never thought anything but death would separate me and the reverend, but it looks as though I thought wrong.”
“But I thought that your kids wanted you to wait this out. Obadiah has to come to his senses before long. It don’t matter that your children are long gone and grown, Mama,” Nettie softly continued. “No child wants to see their parents divorced.”
“We don’t always get what we want, Nettie. You know that better than anybody!”
Silence, as both women remembered just how well Nettie Johnson knew this fact. Officially, she’d lost her husband, Daniel Thicke, to a tragic car accident. But in reality, she’d lost him years before … to Dorothea Jenkins’s sister, Katherine Noble. Her late husband and Katherine had an affair that lasted for years and some believe had he not died, he would have divorced Nettie to be with her. “Old man Jenkins is in the hospital,” she said at last.
“Sho’nuff?”
“Yes.”
“Man ought to have somebody he loves around him in his time of need.”
“Dorothea’s been around. Word has it that she’s staying at the Fairfield Inn, though I haven’t seen her as yet.”
“Where’d she get that bone?”
“Excuse me?”
“The one needed to visit the sick and shut-in. Lord knows if she got one it’s nigh unto brand new.”
“Mama Max, you’re a mess.”
“Just telling the truth and shaming the devil.”
“Folks say he hasn’t been the same since she divorced him. Thank God for his faithful church members. They’re rallying around him, along with the rest of the community.”
“I’ll keep him in my prayers.” Mama Max’s doorbell rang. “I need to run, Nettie. Henry’s at the door.” After hasty good-byes, Mama Max left the kitchen, humming a verse of “Search Me, Lord” on the way. She opened the door, unlocked the screen, and asked in righteous indignation …
“Obadiah, what are you doing here?”
36
They Say He’s Just a Friend
Obadiah took in Mama Max’s youthful appearance. Yes, a youthful seventy-three. Her hair was perfectly coiffed as always, done up in a chignon, the gray-sprinkled coloring a complement to her sienna-toned skin. The oversized top was no surprise either. It was a wardrobe staple, a safe bet for anyone wanting to get her a gift. But he didn’t think he’d seen this one before. When did she exchange her cotton numbers for this silky looking thing? And are those jeans she’s wearing? For the love of God!
“Maxine.” The unspoken words behind this one word utterance would have filled the Library of Congress.
Mama Max hid her surprise behind genuine perplexity. “What are you doing here, Obadiah?”
“My name’s on this here deed, last time I checked.”
Mama Max’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure that’s the limb you want to climb out on?”
Not unless I want to break my neck. Obadiah sighed. “Maxine, after all the driving I’ve been doing, all I want is a good hot meal and a place to lay my head.”
Remembering that King and Tai were out of town and that the twins were vacationing in Florida with Tai’s parents, Mama Max opened the door and stepped aside for Obadiah to enter. “You drove here?”
“Figured that I’d need my vehicle since I plan to be here awhile.”
This tidbit of information stopped Mama Max in her tracks. “What’s going on, Obadiah?”
Too much for Obadiah to explain on an empty stomach. He’d never liked fast food, and the chicken an associate minister’s wife had brought over for his journey had been eaten long ago. “What’s for supper?”
“Hey, Maxie!” Henry followed his usual route through the side door into the kitchen.
The shock of seeing Obadiah on her doorstep had made Mama Max forget all about Henry. She went to cut him off in the kitchen, but hadn’t moved fast enough.
“I sure hope you’re hungry, girl, because I’ve—” He saw Obadiah and stopped short. “I, uh, didn’t notice that you had company.”
Both Obadiah and Mama Max noted the beautiful bouquet of flowers Henry clutched in his hand. Obadiah took a step closer to Mama Max.
Mama Max walked over to where Henry stood. “Why, Henry, these flowers are lovely!”
A surprised Henry followed her into the kitchen. A scowling Obadiah trailed them both. “I saw them in the store and remembered how much you like lilies. They had a buy one, get one free sale so … I bought you two.”
“You shouldn’t have bought her any,” Obadiah growled from just inside the kitchen. “Maxine’s a married woman—just in case you didn’t know.”
“Don’t look like her husband’s been too keen on that fact,” Henry drawled, as he slowly turned around. “She was living here by herself, last time I checked.”
Obadiah took a step forward. “Boy, you’d better watch who you’re messing with.”
“If you see a boy, you kick his ass.” Henry took a step as well.
Mama Max stepped between them. “I’m going to take a rolling pin to both you rascals if you don’t calm down!” She looked from Henry to Obadiah and back again. “Last time I checked we were all grown folk. Now, can we act like it or do I need to put both of y’all out of my house?”
A still glowering Obadiah walked over to the table located in the kitchen and sat down in a huff. Henry leaned against the refrigerator and crossed his arms. Mama Max took the flowers that he still clutched. “Let me put these in some water.”
“We should be going, Maxie,” Henry said, looking at his watch and then at Obadiah. “I don’t want us to have to rush through dinner before the movie starts.”
Dinner? Movie? A bulldog couldn’t have scowled any deeper than Obadiah did right then.
“I guess you’re right,” Mama Max said, walking past the two men to set the vase of flowers on the dining room table.
Obadiah was hot on her heels. “Do you mean to tell me that you’re going out with this man, and that you are going to do it right under my nose?”
“Yes, Obadiah. My neighbor, Henry, and I are going out to eat and then to see Tyler Perry.” Mama Max was cucumber-calm. “And when I made these plans, I had no idea your nose would be in my house.”
“It’s my house, too, Maxine.”
“Maxie, let’s go.”
“Let me get my purse.”
“Her name ain’t Maxie, you ignorant heathen! My wife’s name is Maxine!”
Ignoring him, Henry crossed into the living room to the front door. “I’ll be waiting for you outside, Maxie,” he countered. He left without looking back.
Obadiah watched as Mama Max descended the stairs with purse in hand. “I never thought you’d step out on me, Maxine,” he said somberly. “But you a
re.”
“I never thought you’d forsake your wedding vows to live in sin. But you did.” She walked out the door with her head held high, humming “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.”
When she returned more than four hours later, she assumed that Obadiah would be long gone. But he wasn’t.
37
Losing My Religion
“Your mama done lost her religion … and her mind.” After several hours of stewing in his own juices, Obadiah had reached out to his son, King.
“What’s going on now, Daddy?”
“I walked in on your mama fixing to go out on a date.” He spat out the word as though it were poison.
“You’re in Kansas City?” King’s question was laced with surprise.
“Yeah, thought it was about time I came back home. And looks like it wasn’t a moment too soon.”
Even more incredulity wafted around King’s words. “Wait, Dad, back up. You’ve moved back to Kansas City, and you’re trying to get back with Mama?”
“My things are still down in Dallas but, yes, son. I want to come back home.”
“And you came back without asking?” King’s mind was reeling. Of all of the conversations he might have expected to have with his dad, this was not one of them. And considering everything else on his mental plate, the timing wasn’t necessarily the best either. Daddy back home? Mama on a date? WTH???
“Son, I’m a grown-ass man. I don’t need nobody’s permission to come back to my own house.”
When he got the call, King had stepped out of the room where members of the Montgomery clan, the Brooks, and various church members waited. Now he felt even more distance was needed, lest any part of this conversation be overheard. He stepped outside. “Dad, need I remind you that you’ve spent the better part of a year in an affair?”
“Boy, you don’t need to remind me of nothing!”
Divine Intervention Page 17