“Evidently somebody does, Dad. You’ve been hanging out with another woman for way too long, come home unannounced, and are surprised to see that Mama has gone on with her life. What was she supposed to do?”
Obadiah didn’t have an answer for that one.
“Who was she, uh, going out with?” Being the first time in his life that he’d spoken them, King found it hard to get these words out of his mouth.
“Henry Logan.” Spoken through a countenance as one who smelled dookey.
“He any kin to her neighbor, Mrs. Logan?”
“He’s Beatrice’s son.”
King was floored. He’d been so busy with the ministry lately that conversation with his mother had been regular but brief. They’d talked about the usual—kids, church, politics—before he’d either get another call or hand over the phone to Tai. He wondered if Tai knew about his mother’s … his mother’s what? Friend? Love interest? Brothah man on the side? King didn’t even know if he wanted to find out.
“Daddy, if he’s Mrs. Logan’s son, then there’s a good chance that this is less about something between Mama and Henry and more about Miss Beatrice. You know what good friends she and Mama are, and that Mama has been visiting her regularly since the stroke.” This was an explanation that King could live with. He gained confidence in its probable truth with each word he spoke. “As a matter of fact, I now remember Mama saying something about Miss Beatrice’s son moving back home to take care of his mom. He was probably over at Mama’s giving her an update.”
“He was at your mama’s house with a bouquet of flowers, and they were on their way to have dinner and go to a movie. Does that sound like them talking about Miss Beatrice to you?”
This time it was King without an answer. Because if what his father said was to be believed (and there was no reason not to believe him), it looked as though his conservative, church-going mama was channeling Stella … and trying to get back her groove!
King saw Tai walking down the hall. He assumed she was looking for him. “Look, Dad, I’ve got to run. We’re expecting Derrick out of surgery any minute and then we’ll know whether the tumor they removed was malignant or benign.”
“I’ll pray for Derrick, son.” A pause and then, “You pray for me.”
38
A Healer In The Sickroom
All eyes were on Vivian as she walked into one of Cedars-Sinai’s private rooms. She took a deep breath, before saying two words. “It’s benign.”
Instant celebration. Spontaneous praise.
“Thank you, Jesus!” Derrick’s mother cried, while his father simply hung his head to hide the tears.
“Praise the Lord,” Victor Stanford whispered. It was a rare time that Vivian’s father was subdued or at a loss for words. His reaction showed just how much he loved his son-in-law and just how frightened for him he had been.
Other exclamations echoed around the room, a multiplicity of “glories” and “hallelujahs” among them. Tai walked over and embraced her friend. “I’m so happy for you, sis,” she whispered in her ear. “God answers prayers.”
Vivian looked into Tai’s tear-filled eyes. They mirrored her own. “That He does.”
Kelvin and Princess walked up to where Vivian and Tai were standing. He hugged Vivian. She hugged Tai.
After he stepped back from Vivian, Kelvin addressed Princess’s mother. “Hello, Miss Tai.”
Not wanting to place a sour note in such a celebratory moment, Tai responded simply, “Kelvin.”
King walked over. Like Tai, he hadn’t had a chance for a real tête-à-tête with his daughter, and his former lover’s son. And on top of this unresolved drama was the recent phone call with Obadiah, not to mention what had happened in Barbados. For the moment, at least, King felt he could be thankful. For the moment his best friend who was like a brother was out of the proverbial woods.
He hugged Vivian. “God heard our prayers, sistah.” Vivian nodded. He hugged Tai.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. She leaned back to look into his eyes and was bothered by the troubled orbs that stared back at her. But of course he’d be showing signs of concern. His best friend had been given a reprieve from death’s sure door, and he was standing next to the young man he’d almost beat down just three years before. “You look tired,” she whispered.
King pulled back. “I am.” His cell phone rang. It was an unknown number. “King Brook.”
“Hello, handsome.”
His heart skipped a beat. He shot a quick glance at Tai before stepping away from the tense atmosphere surrounding his wife, Princess, and their new son-in-law. “Hello,” he said, once he’d stepped outside the room.
“How are you, lover?”
“I thought we already had this conversation and agreed that what happened on the island was going to have to stay there.” King had tried to forget what took place just before he left Barbados, when his mind was distracted and his flesh was weak. He’d all but pushed aside the exhilarating feeling of that incredibly delicious night: her baby soft skin underneath him, his muscular body hovering above, her gasps, his pants, her tears, his comforting, her pledges of undying love, his heartfelt joy tempered by plaguing guilt. With all the events he’d dealt with since returning home, blocking out that night of indiscretion hadn’t been too difficult. But now, “indiscretion” was on the line.
“I am still here. I just want you with me.”
King heard the door to the private room open. He looked over and saw a couple Kingdom Citizens church members exit the room. “Why are you calling me?” he asked through clenched teeth.
“I miss you. I want to know how you are.” A pause, and then, “I want to feel you inside of me again.”
King closed his eyes in frustration, cursing his weakness for the umpteenth time, and vowing yet again that what had happened in Barbados had occurred for the absolute last time.
“Charmaine, what we shared will always be special. I’ll never forget the time that I spent with you, and will always wish you well. Someday, you’re going to meet an awesome man and he’ll be very blessed to call you his wife. As I told you before I left there … I am not that man.”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, filled with truth and longing. “I wish you were.”
“If wishes came true, many things would be different.” King looked up to see Tai walking toward him. “Look, I’ve got to go.” He hung up without a good-bye.
“Who was that?”
“Joseph,” King said, the lie rolling smoothly and convincingly off his tongue. “He wanted to know whether I’d be staying here or returning to Barbados to finish our work there.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“I don’t know.” A memory of Charmaine’s long, silky legs wrapped itself around King’s mind. Just that quickly, his resolve weakened. “I’m thinking to go back…especially since we’ve received Derrick’s good news.”
Tai nodded, and placed her head on King’s shoulder. “I’m so glad his tumor was benign. I truly don’t know how Vivian would have handled any other outcome.”
“Thankfully, we don’t have to find out.” King placed his arm around Tai. “Guess it’s now time to deal with this other situation.”
Tai raised her head. “Your daughter?”
King chuckled. “So now she’s all mine, huh?”
“You know it. There’s no part of me that would be so stupid as to make the decision that she did. Kelvin over Rafael? No, let’s go back even farther. Marriage at all at the age of twenty-two? Ridiculous.”
“Let’s hope you didn’t share these positive feelings with her and her new hubby.”
“Not in so many words,” Tai sarcastically replied. “Princess and I had lunch before we came here. I’m trying to be civil about it, King, but you can surely understand my difficulty in accepting this.”
Considering that King’s affair with Kelvin’s mother spanned a decade, he surely could. “Why don’t we invite them out for a late dinner; try
and make a new start with the man Princess married.”
“That sounds like a plan, but let’s go someplace where I can order soup. Because if I have something sharper than a spoon, like a knife or fork at my disposal … things might get ugly.”
39
More Family Affairs
Later that night, King, Tai, Kelvin, and Princess walked into Cut, Wolfgang Puck’s restaurant located in Beverly Hills. They were immediately led to a corner table, given water and menus, and left to make choices. After deciding on a diverse selection that included Kobe steak sashimi, maple-glazed pork belly, salads, Porterhouse steak, filet mignon, and seasonal vegetables, King started out the conversation.
“I think it’s important for us to speak our minds here, even as we are respectful of each other. At the end of the day, both Tai and I just want our daughter to be happy and if you’re the one to bring her that happiness, then and only then, Kelvin, will I welcome you into our family.”
Kelvin leaned back in his chair. “I believe your daughter is very happy.” Tai fought to keep from frowning … and lost. “Listen, Mr. and Mrs. Brook, when it comes to who Princess married, I know that I wasn’t y’all’s first choice. Heck, I probably wasn’t even on the list. But the truth of the matter is, from the moment I laid eyes on her I knew that Princess was the one for me. Yes, I’m young and have done my share of sowing wild oats and whatnot,” (okay, Tai should really be forgiven for the frown here), “but those women didn’t mean anything. They never did.”
Tai looked at her daughter, who’d said very little since they’d sat down. “You’re awfully quiet, Princess. What are you thinking?”
Princess glanced at her mother and father. “I think that we should address the elephant that is crowding us at this table—Kelvin’s mom.”
“Princess …” Tai’s tone was full of warning.
“Mom, we’re all grown-ups here. And until we have this conversation, the topic of Janeé will always stand between us. Why not just put it out on the table and get it over with?”
Tai kept her hands folded in her lap, far away from the knives and forks. “I understand your reasoning, Princess. Really, I do. And I know that in your”—immature, sex-whipped, crazy-ass—“mind, you feel that this is something that we can talk about. If you two ever have your own children you’ll understand what I’m about to tell you. There are some conversations that will never take place between you and your child. No matter what. No matter how old the child gets, his or her parents will always have forgotten more than they will ever remember, and be in tune with things the child will never understand. Any conversation about Janeé will happen with Janeé, not you.” Tai looked from Princess to Kelvin. “Understand?”
Kelvin crossed his arms. “Look, I understand the problems you may have with my moms, but she’s my mother. As long as you respect that fact … we’ll be fine.”
Tai met Kelvin’s unflinching stare. Lord, please help me not to hate, or kill, this child. Just behind this thought was the one acknowledging that anger and animosity would not get any of them anywhere. If there was any chance of this union working, they were going to have to clear Kelvin’s slate and give him a fair chance. Tai took a deep breath and continued. “It is no secret how we feel about what Princess has done. Rafael practically grew up in our church. We’re friends with his parents and know his values. Plus, he has never given our daughter one minute of heartbreak. So it isn’t personal, Kelvin, it really isn’t.
“No matter what has happened between your parents, this marriage is between the two of you. You’ve made your choice and I will respect your decision. Kelvin”—Tai forced love into her eyes as she looked at her new son-in-law—“on behalf of King and myself, welcome to our family.”
King shifted in his seat.
“Are you on board with this, Dad?” Princess asked. “Do you accept my husband?”
“I meant what I said earlier. Time will tell whether I accept him or not.”
“You said that you’d see if he made me happy. Dad, I couldn’t be happier, and more importantly, I remember your counsel in honoring my husband, cleaving to him, and the two of us becoming one. So if you don’t want Kelvin in the family, that means you don’t want me either.”
King and Tai looked at each other, both experiencing déjà vu at the last time their daughter had sided with this man. Then, as now, they knew it futile to try and change her mind. Then, as now, they silently agreed to go along to get along. Later, they’d also agree that Princess would now have to sleep in the bed she made.
“You’ve made your decision,” King said, even though tension could still be cut with a knife. “And we’ll abide by it.”
The waiter began delivering food and the conversation shifted to lighter, less volatile topics.
“How was Barbados, Daddy?” Princess asked, glad that she and Kelvin were no longer the topic of discussion. “Kelvin and I plan to take a honeymoon at some point, and we’re thinking about the islands.”
“It’s beautiful,” King answered, “Crystal blue water. Miles of white sand.” Chocolate-covered cuties with toned, lush bods. It was a topic he needed to get off of, lest a physical reaction put him in a bind. “How do you feel about the season, Kelvin? Do you think y’all have a chance at taking the crown?”
That question, and the delivery of their drinks, set the tone for the rest of the evening. The men chatted somewhat amicably about basketball and sports in general while Tai and Princess caught up on her participation in Conversations with Carla. “She feels it best for me to come on the show and talk about everything,” Princess finished. “Especially since the tabloid story, she feels it will help me retake control.”
“She knows from whence she speaks,” Tai replied.
The others nodded. Everyone sitting there knew about Carla Lee Chapman’s own brush with tabloid fame, how an overzealous church member sold pictures of her and a film producer to LA Gospel, the number-one church weekly. Later, it would be proven that Carla and the film producer were indeed having an affair. It caused the divorce between her and her then mega-preacher husband, Stan Lee, the subsequent marriage between her and the producer, Lavon Chapman, and the eventual marriage of Stan and the overzealous church member who’d exposed the affair, Passion Perkins Lee.
“Are you going to do it?” King asked Princess. “Are you going to do a tell-all on national TV? And are you ready for what comes with that?”
“We haven’t talked about it yet,” Princess replied, glancing over at Kelvin. He squeezed her hand. “There’s been so much going on that there hasn’t been time. But considering that Kel is in the NBA and I’m a regular cohost—”
“And a bestselling author,” Kelvin interjected.
“It might be the best way to go.”
The foursome continued to talk and get to know each other. Tai developed a cautious respect for the well-mannered humorous man who was the love of her daughter’s life, and King admitted that under different circumstances, he might actually like the young man who reminded him of himself at that age.
By the end of the evening, some decisions had been made. King and Tai would respect Kelvin as long as he respected their daughter. Princess confirmed that she would go on TV and tell her failed wedding/quickie marriage story. And King vowed that he would not sleep with Charmaine Freeman again.
40
Like Father, Like Son
It was Friday, a week since Derrick’s surgery. He was home. The crowd had left. His parents had left on Thursday morning; Vivian’s parents, the Stanfords, had left earlier today. Vivian had shooed the members of Kingdom Citizens Christian Center out of her house an hour ago and now here she sat with just the immediate Montgomery clan: Derrick, D2, and Elisia.
After placing the relatively simple meal that the church mothers had prepared on the table—lasagna, salad, and Texas toast—Vivian asked, “Who would like to lead us in prayer?”
“I will,” Derrick Jr. replied. Vivian hid her smile. She’d expected no les
s than little preacher man to step up to the plate, especially when it involved a prayer of thanksgiving for his dad.
The family joined hands. “Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for healing my dad. Thank you, God, for saving his life … and for holding the doctor’s hands through his surgery. Thank you, Father God, for bringing him back to our family, so that he can see us grow up and…”—Derrick’s voice broke—“stay in our lives. Please stay with him while he recovers, God, until he is well, one-hundred percent. In Jesus’s name we pray… .”
In unison, the family said, “Amen.”
“Thank you, son,” Derrick added, his voice hoarse with emotion.
“I want to say thank you, too, Daddy.” Without waiting for an answer, Elisia bowed her head and held her small palms together in the prayer position. “God, thank you for saving my daddy and blessing our family. Amen.”
“Amen.”
Following her children’s lead, Vivian continued. “Father God, thank you for saving the life of my husband, my children’s father, the senior pastor of Kingdom Citizens, and one of the most prolific men of God that you’ve ever created. I pray that you bless other families, Lord, who have loved ones in need of healing, and families wanting to be restored. Keep me humbled in this gratitude, Father God … amen.”
“Amen.”
The room was quiet as expectant eyes turned toward Derrick, man of God, biblical scholar, preacher’s preacher, and speaker extraordinaire. And for the first (and perhaps only) time in his life … there were no words. “Father God, thank you,” he said, clearing his throat and wiping a tear away from his eye. He bowed his head, unable to continue.
Vivian reached across the table and squeezed her husband’s hand. “Amen.”
“Amen.”
“It’s so quiet, Mommy,” Elisia said, after she’d asked for a large helping of salad and a modest portion of the lasagna.
“We’ve had a full household,” Vivian replied. “Are you already missing your grandparents?”
Elisia nodded.
“I’m missing my brother,” D2 said. He’d spent a considerable amount of time with Kelvin and Princess. Kelvin, especially, had been a calming influence in the life of a very fearful fourteen-year-old boy. “Can I go and stay with him this summer?”
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