Divine Intervention

by Lutishia Lovely

  KIKI MINOR PREGNANT AND READY TO WED!

  Princess’s eyes shifted from the heading to the picture below it—a happy and smiling Kiki clinging to a handsome and satisfied-looking Rafael. Wow, he’s getting married. Princess was surprised at the longing she felt at the sight of her former best friend. Not for a love affair—she truly loved Kelvin. But before she and Rafael were engaged to be married, they were dear friends. She missed their camaraderie honed through shared interests. She missed their playful teasing. In short, she missed Rafael.

  She’d turned to the story and was reading it as Kelvin entered. “Put that down,” he said, snatching the magazine from her and tossing it on the table before he plopped down beside her and took her in his arms. “We’ve got better things than reading to do.”

  “Rafael’s getting married,” was Princess’s response.

  “For real? Him and Kiki?”

  Princess nodded. “She’s pregnant.”

  Kelvin looked closely at his wife. “What, you sad or something? Why the hell you care about any of that?”

  “I don’t care,” Princess insisted. “Not in the way you mean. But Rafael and I have been friends since we were like nine years old. We used to share everything… .”

  “Damn, Princess!” Kelvin pushed away from Princess and turned to observe her. “It sounds like you miss him and shit.”

  “I miss someone who used to be a friend.”

  “Oh, so I’m supposed to be cool with that? What if I told you that I missed Fawn? Would you be understanding about that?”

  Princess whispered, “It’s not the same.”

  “So what’s different?”

  Princess looked at Kelvin in a huff. “Rafael and I were platonic friends. You and Fawn were fucking. That’s the difference.” Princess hadn’t even realized that her halo had slipped a notch or two and her inner sistah-girl was on full display.

  Their repartee was interrupted as the pilot knocked, came into their quarters, and after a moment of small talk informed them that they’d be airborne in five minutes. It was enough time for both parties to calm down: for Princess to look at the situation from Kelvin’s point of view, and for Kelvin to do vice versa.

  “I’m sorry, baby,” he said as soon as the pilot closed the door behind him. “I understand you still having feelings for your boy. I just don’t like to know about it, that’s all.”

  Princess turned to look at Kelvin, her eyes clear and sincere. “Rafael is a good human being, a kind, decent, and intelligent man. While I don’t regret it, I feel bad for how our … relationship ended. I regret that even now, Rafael still refuses to speak to me, that I don’t know whether or not I have his forgiveness. Please don’t misunderstand where I’m coming from, Kel. I’m happy for Rafael and Kiki, glad that he’s found someone to love and someone who obviously loves him back in the way he deserves. While I didn’t know Kiki all that well, I always liked her. I think that they’re a good match, and I’m happy they’re having a baby. I just … I just pray that someday Rafael and I can put aside our differences and who knows? Maybe God will grant another miracle like the one he gave Uncle Derrick where the four of us can actually become friends.”

  The flight attendant arrived with their tray and the champagne. Kelvin walked behind her as she left and locked the door. He walked back to where Princess sat, taking off his shirt in the process. His eyes were black with desire, his countenance one of quiet determination. He reached for her leg and without words, proceeded to take off her heels.

  “What are you doing?” Princess breathlessly asked.

  “What does it look like? I’m getting ready to help us work up an appetite before we cool down with nice glasses of bubbly. I’m getting ready to sex you straight into the Mile High Club.”

  An hour later, they landed in Phoenix. And one would have sworn there was something in the water because a membership to the Mile High Club wasn’t the only thing this couple experienced. A month later, Princess would discover that she was about to have more in common with Kiki than she realized.

  61

  I’ll Always Love You

  A few months later…

  Mama Max shooed people from her overly crowded kitchen to the living room. She didn’t mind a little help every once in a while, but nobody was going to mess up her carefully prepared chicken and dumplings, and if somebody stomped and made her cranberry-apple-pecan bundt cake fall, well, it was going to be a problem.

  One woman remained behind, a very grateful member of Mount Zion Progressive named Celeste Adams. She was the single mother of two grown children, a godly daughter of Zion who’d prayed that the Lord would send her a good man. When Mama Max had told her that she had somebody that she wanted her to meet, Celeste had cringed inside. But she had deep respect for her pastor and loved Mama Max. So against her better judgment, the fifty-one-year-old size-eight sistah, with big dimples, a ready laugh, and a memorable badonkadonk, had walked into a coffee shop near where she worked and locked eyes with her future. She and Henry had talked every day since they’d met.

  “So how’s it going?” Mama Max asked, looking at Celeste with a twinkle in her eye. She didn’t miss the blush that crept up along her church member’s cheek.

  Celeste nodded. “Really good, Mama Max. He wants to take it slow, but I believe he’s worth the wait. Henry is an amazing man. He’s no nonsense, you know? No games, no BS … With him, what you see is what you get.”

  Mama Max nodded her satisfaction. “Told you he was a good man. All he needed was a woman to remind him of that fact.”

  The two ladies continued to converse on general topics as they finished what Mama Max referred to as “a little holiday meal” that included roasted duck, glazed ham, candied yams, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, a green bean casserole, a sautéed collard and mustard green medley, beets, dressing … and then there was dessert: besides the cranberry-apple-pecan bundt cake, there were sweet potato pies, an apple cobbler, and homemade ice cream.

  “Where’s the good Reverend Doctor?” Celeste asked as they placed the last of the dishes on the table and announced that dinner would be served soon.

  “He went to visit the sick and shut-in,” Mama Max replied. “He’ll probably make a stop and see Beatrice, Henry’s mama, over at that there assisted-living facility.”

  “We’re two blessed women,” Celeste said in a whispery voice.

  Mama Max didn’t respond to that. She’d agreed to let Obadiah back in the house, but the jury was still out on how blessed she was. And while she’d finally told him the story that along with her mother’s whispered admonishments had shaped her views on intimacy—how she’d gone over to visit a childhood friend, walked in on the preteen being sexually assaulted in brutal fashion by a relative, and then been threatened with the same fate if she ever told a soul—their road back to marital happiness was nowhere near assured. “I’ll think about having you back in the bedroom,” is how she’d left the conversation that had taken place a few days before. She still didn’t know if that would happen and even if they shared a room, had no idea if they’d share a bed, especially in the way Obadiah wanted. What she knew for sure was that this holiday was by far the most unusual she’d witnessed in quite some time. King and Tai’s breakup had sent their family to various parts of the country for the holiday, but his siblings—Queen, Daniel, Ester, and their families—had all come to Kansas to support their recently reunited mother and dad.

  Obadiah returned and entered the house through the kitchen door, just as Celeste had gone in there to retrieve the freshly baked yeast rolls that would round out the meal. They looked up simultaneously, their eyes locked, their breath held. Obadiah’s hand clutched the doorknob as he quickly scanned the church member who’d caught his eye some years ago. The air was thick with tension as their silence screamed in protest.

  Obadiah recovered first. He released the knob and walked into the room. “Afternoon, Sister Adams.” He walked over with hand outstretched.

  “R
everend Doctor,” Celeste acknowledged, filling her hands with the platter of rolls, thereby thwarting the need to touch this particular man of God.

  “I didn’t know that you and my wife were friendly, but I’m glad to welcome you into our home.”

  “My friendship with Mama Max is just beginning,” Celeste responded. “But on behalf of myself and my date, Henry Logan, we are delighted to accept your welcome.”

  With that, Celeste turned and sashayed out of the kitchen. And in that instant both Reverend Doctor O and the woman who several years ago he’d screwed seven ways from Sunday knew they’d take this little one-night stand secret that they shared all the way to their graves.

  Dinner was served and a cacophony of conversation commenced. Even though both King and Tai were noticeably absent, it almost felt like old times. After dinner, the festivities continued throughout the house. There was a moment where Reverend Doctor O and Mama Max found themselves seated next to each other in the living room. They watched as some grandchildren haggled over video games, while others trash-talked around a game of Uno. Mama Max looked up to find Obadiah’s eyes on her, soft and reminiscent. “I haven’t always been the perfect husband,” he said, placing his hand on Mama Max’s arm. “But I always loved you, Maxine. At the end of the day, you’re the only one I always loved.”

  Mama Max placed her hand on top of Obadiah’s, with over fifty years of marriage upholding a bond not easily broken. “I know,” she said softly, patting his hand as she gazed fondly at their legacy around the room. She looked at Obadiah and smiled. “I know.”

  As King sat at the massive table set up in the Freeman’s elaborately landscaped backyard, it was ironic that one of Tai’s favorite songs flitted through his head. His smile was bittersweet as he heard Sugarfoot declare that heaven must be like this. He sat back and looked around, still disbelieving at how quickly his life had turned. After being served the papers, Tai had further surprised him by announcing that she was moving out of the home they’d shared for over a decade and was staying at a hotel, alone, so that she could clear her head and plot her next move. The children, extended family and close friends had already been told, and while each person took the news differently, all were slowly adjusting to the idea of visiting their parents in two different households.

  The reaction from Mount Zion Progressive members? Equally diverse but much more heartfelt. Even though he and Tai had stood together as they’d announced their impending separation, and even though Tai had encouraged the members to forgive her straying husband as she’d already done, there’d still been an obvious split among members—those standing staunchly behind their man of God versus those who demanded that he exit stage left. Two members who fled along with the others were Elsie Wanthers and Margie Stokes, Sistah Alrighty and Sistah Almighty, respectively. Sistah Almighty had called him a disgrace to the pulpit while Sistah Alrighty had declared that she wasn’t going to worship in the devil’s playground. After a one-month leave of absence (during which time he and Tai had hammered out the divorce arrangements, division of assets, properties, etc.) he’d returned to a noticeably smaller congregation and, after asking the remaining members their forgiveness, vowed to spend the rest of his life regaining their respect and rebuilding his ministry. The first step to that would be in bringing honor to the expectant mother of his fifth child. On New Year’s Eve, Charmaine Freeman would become the new Mrs. King Brook and arrive in Kansas as Mount Zion Progressive’s new first lady.

  “Where are you, darling?” Charmaine’s voice caressed King’s body and calmed his nerves the way it always did. “You were a million miles away.”

  “A lot on my mind,” King replied, giving Wesley a wink and Charmaine’s hand a squeeze. “Plus I’m trying to decide how I’m going to move given this feast of a meal you’ve just served me.”

  The others at the table nodded their agreement, and gave their own accolades on the meal that had been prepared by Wesley’s more-than-capable cooks. Besides, King, Wesley, and his daughter, the table of twelve was filled with two associate ministers and their wives, the prime minister of Barbados and his guest, an international singing sensation, a world-renowned author, and a stunning international model who was Wesley Freeman’s “special guest.”

  Charmaine cleared her throat and stood. “Your company has been delightful, but if you’ll excuse me, I think the little one and I”—she placed a hand on her gently rounding stomach—“could use a walk.” She reached a hand out to King, her skin glowing, her smile brilliant. “Darling, will you join me?”

  King didn’t hesitate. “If you’ll excuse us,” he said to the table, taking Charmaine’s hand in his and leading her down the short walkway to the pristine white sand and the turquoise blue waters just beyond. He’d tried to fight it, had tried to deny it, and while living with Tai had desperately tried to hide it, but the truth of the matter was that he was head over heels in love with Charmaine Freeman, this island vixen who’d reeled him in hook, line, and sinker, and had stolen his heart in the process. The pain he’d caused his soon-to-be ex-wife and family would never be forgotten, but the sheer joy and unexplainable peace he felt at being exactly where he thought he needed to be could not be overlooked.

  He and Charmaine walked in silence a long while before she stopped and turned to him. Her large, light brown eyes were filled with tears.

  “What is it, baby?” King caressed her chin tenderly before reaching up to brush an errant tear away from her face.

  “I want to be everything to you, King. The best wife, the best mother, the best first lady, the best lover. I’m so afraid that I will fail you in some way. It is my deepest fear.” Her full bottom lip quivered as she worked to remain calm. “I love you so much. I want to make you proud, and happier than you’ve ever been.”

  King looked at the sincerity mixed with vulnerability in her eyes and his heart flip-flopped. “Come here,” he whispered, crushing this woman-child against his chest. “I’m already proud of you,” he whispered, kissing her temple, and again on her cheek. “And I’m very, very happy.”

  Six days later, King and Charmaine became husband and wife. Five days after that, the newlyweds moved into a lavishly appointed home in one of Overland Park’s most upscale communities. And two weeks after that … Charmaine lost the baby.

  62

  Love On Top

  “Hey, girl.” Tai closed the door to the guest bedroom in her parents’ home and plopped on the bed. It had been a long day and while she’d been happy to spend it with her parents in Ohio, putting on a happy face had worn her out.

  “Hey, sis,” Vivian replied. “How’d it go?”

  “Could have been worse,” Tai replied. “You know that Daddy doesn’t pry much, and I gave Mama the rundown before she could start the grill. She was trying to talk reconciliation, but telling her about King’s love child shut that talk right up. It was good for the kids to be here, though. They’re much closer to King’s parents than they are to mine and if anything good comes of this sordid mess it will be that they get to know their maternal grands.”

  “Where are the kids now?”

  “Mama and Daddy took the twins to a movie. Michael said he was taking Sonya on a tour of Cleveland.”

  “Who’s Sonya?”

  “His flavor of the month. She seems like a good girl. Graduated a year behind Michael with a degree in English, is thinking about joining the Peace Corps, and eventually wants to teach on Chicago’s South Side.”

  “Sounds noble.”

  “Very.”

  “Not sure how that gels with your mover-shaker son on the fast track to becoming a high-powered attorney.”

  “She’s got other things gelling, like big breasts, a big butt, a pretty face, and a thick head of natural hair.”

  “Ha!”

  “I have a feeling that this ‘tour’ will be less about the sites of Cleveland and more about the sites around Sonya’s hotel suite or more specifically … around her body.”

  “Tai
, please. I’ve known Michael since he was in diapers and can do without the visual.”

  “I’m his mother! How do you think I feel? But he is King’s son and his grandfather’s kin. Brook men will screw anything, even if it’s just a lightbulb into the socket.”

  “Oh, Lord …”

  “I might have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.”

  “Ha!” The two best friends chatted a little longer, confirming Tai’s plans to visit LA the following month. With an empty nest and newfound freedom, Tai had decided on a totally fresh start in a brand new location. She was moving to California! While the hustle and bustle of LA was too much for her laid-back style, she’d liked the vibe in Palm Springs, where she’d attended a conference, and was also interested in checking out the smaller communities near San Diego.

  “I’ll forward my flight info as soon as it’s confirmed,” Tai concluded. Hearing murmuring in the background, she added, “Sounds like we’re being interrupted.”

  Vivian laughed and murmured something before speaking into the phone. “It’s Derrick, acting like a spoiled brat clamoring for attention. It’s been a long day and we finally have the house to ourselves so … he’s feeling neglected.” He was also feeling underneath Vivian’s top in search of her breasts, but Vivian figured some facts were best left unsaid.

  “Say no more,” Tai said, as she tamped down a twinge of loneliness at the thought that no one was clamoring for her attention. “Give Derrick my love. You two have a good night.”

  “Can’t wait to see you, sis.” Vivian put down the receiver and turned to her husband, who was gently squeezing one nipple as he reached for the band of her lounging pants. “What are you doing?”