Church Boyz--Book 4 (After the Rain)

by H. H. Fowler

  “You have a good man,” Michelle said to her daughter once Dominic had walked away.

  “I know. I have no idea what my life would have been without Dominic...” Tayah suddenly shifted gears, instinctively lowering her voice. “I wasn’t going to mention anything to you, but after hearing that Ellie and her son were here, it made me think that the email I received a while ago was somehow connected.”

  “An email from who?”

  “Ellie’s sister.”

  Tayah’s words instantly destroyed that peaceful look in Michelle’s eyes. “Why in the world is Shaniece contacting you?”

  “To tell me that Phillip is dying.” Tayah dug in her handbag and pulled out her cell phone. “I didn’t get the chance to read it all. I can safely do so now that Dominic is out of earshot.”

  “Why didn’t you tell your husband about the email?”

  “Because I am going to handle the situation myself.”

  “Tayah…”

  “Do you want to hear what the email says or not? Because I’m not going to let you lecture me about what I should or shouldn’t do.”

  Michelle ran a hand through her ebony ringlets and said, “This defiant streak of yours gets on my nerves sometimes. You are truly your father’s child.”

  “Thank you for the compliment.”

  “That was not a compliment.”

  “Mother, can we get back on track?”

  Michelle threw her hands in the air. “What does the email say?”

  “I intend to read it to you,” Tayah said. “After all of the pain and disgrace Shaniece has put this family through, I’m stunned that she still refers to herself as pastor, but we all know that she’s a lunatic. But listen to the absurdity of what she writes:”

  “Greetings in the precious name of Jesus and our soon coming King. As the subject line indicates, Phillip, my brother, who is still your HUSBAND in the eyes of the Lord, is at a stage in his life when he needs the love and special care of those he loves. Just so you know, my brother hasn’t the slightest clue of my reaching out to you. He prefers to shut himself off from the world and rot in prison for his mistakes.”

  “However, it has recently been brought to my attention that Phillip has been diagnosed with colon cancer. The cancer is in its final stage, which means that it has already spread from the colon to the lymph nodes, bones and other organs. His survival rate is relatively grim and he’s been given less than four weeks to live.”

  “I am appealing to you, as his ONLY wife, to seek treatment and hopefully, his release from prison into your personal care. Congress made that possible nearly thirty years ago, giving terminally ill inmates and prisoners with extraordinary family circumstances an early way out. It’s called compassionate release. Obviously, I am not in a position to care for him…”

  “I thought I’d heard the last of that manipulative excuse for a woman!” Michelle interrupted. “Phillip is no longer your responsibility. I hope you’re not giving this contrived mess a second thought.”

  “Of course I’m not,” Tayah said. “I only mentioned it because you said that Ellie showed up here with her son. What are the chances of us hearing from both Shaniece and Ellie on the same day after two years of silence? I don’t think this is a coincidence.”

  “I know it’s not. It’s Shaniece’s idea behind Ellie’s actions.”

  “Perhaps, that could very well be the case. However, I want no part of it because I’m quite content with the way my life has turned out. You know if I’d remained married to Phillip, I probably would have been in my grave a long time ago. That man nearly strangled me to death with his bare hands.”

  Michelle grew silent as flashes of the family’s past pain began to resurface. They’d almost lost everything because of the cunning schemes and the controlling personalities of Shaniece and her brother. It had taken her these last two years to completely empty her soul of the hate and bitterness she had developed because of those two. She hadn’t any intention of being dragged back to that dark dungeon.

  “Well, if any of this is true,” Michelle finally said to her daughter, “Phillip is probably reaping the consequences of his wickedness. And while I fully believe in the regenerative work of Christ, one who’s committed as many evil works and has destroyed so many lives in the process, will reap some of those bad seeds in one form or another. However, I strongly suggest that you tell Dominic about that email. You two should deal with this together as a united front. Because if you don’t, you will be giving the devil room to work.”

  Brenda stuck her head out through the front door, interrupting Tayah’s opportunity to respond. “Excuse me, Lady Paxton, your husband is about to give the closing remarks. He is requesting that you be at his side.”

  “Thank you, Brenda. I will be right in.” Michelle touched Tayah’s arm in a supportive manner and concluded with a smile, “Think about what I’ve said, darling. I will let you know the outcome after I get a hold of Ellie.”

  Tayah nodded, preferring not to voice her objection to telling Dominic about Shaniece’s email. “I will follow you inside,” she said. “It seems as if Daddy can’t survive twenty minutes without you these days.”

  Michelle laughed as she daintily swayed ahead of Tayah in her Marc Jacobs heels. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Second chances are hard to come by.”

  Chapter Five

  As expected on a Sunday morning service at Mount Moriah Baptist church, the atmosphere was tight, as the young people would say. With upbeat contemporary music and the vigor of designated performances in liturgical dance and drama, Mount Moriah continued to be the leading example in praise and worship, gracefully drawing thousands of congregants into the presence of their eternal creator. Indeed, it was a multi-racial mega church envied by its rivals.

  But beyond that was the fresh change in the way Leroy rearranged the order of the services – especially on this particular Sunday, which was being led by the youth department. Instead of having a seasoned minister conduct the program, a youth between the ages of thirteen and twenty would get the opportunity to stand before thousands and display what they’d learned from the mentoring program taught by Dominic and Tayah.

  The late Abraham Winder, the founder of the mentoring program, would be pleased to know that his legacy had been given the utmost care and attention by two people whose destinies he’d had a hand in developing. A sixteen-year-old boy, impeccably dressed in a black suit with a red bowtie mounted the platform behind an area known as the junior pulpit. Dominic rose from his seat, holding a cordless microphone. Taking over Abraham’s position as the Youth Minister in Charge, he stood next to the young boy, resting his free hand around the young boy’s shoulders, as he always did as a show of support.

  “Good afternoon, everyone! Grace and peace be unto all of you. First, I would like to recognize Bishop Leroy Paxton and First Lady Michelle Paxton who have given me and my wife the freedom to express our vision through the youth department and the mentoring program. There are no leaders like them anywhere. A power couple, who are not intimidated by anyone else’s gift or their God-given abilities. Leaders who lead with integrity, transparency and accountability.”

  The congregation flew to their feet with a roar of salute, provoking the musicians to join in the celebration.

  When the noise simmered, Dominic continued, “Bishop Paxton just celebrated his fifty-first birthday yesterday, but he doesn’t look a day over forty. God bless you, sir...let us hear it again for our great leaders!”

  Leroy normally sat on the pulpit in his designated chair, but that afternoon, he decided to sit with his family in the front pew, which included his wife, along with Eric, Sean and his fiancée and Tayah, who had just returned from dropping the twins off in the nursery. Dominic’s accolades had suddenly made them the targets of attention. But over the years, they’d gotten used to the fanfare.

  Leroy fought back tears as he remembered that darkened place where he’d once been two years ago. Actually, no member
of the Paxton family could forget how the mercies of God had brought them through one of the most embarrassing scandals in church history. Granted, it was Leroy’s indiscretion with a fifteen-year-old girl and her becoming pregnant that had given his blackmailers leverage. But to see that the original seven-thousand membership had exploded to near ten thousand strong supporters was a testament to what the power of forgiveness could achieve. Yet, none of it would have meant much to Leroy had Michelle walked out on their marriage of now twenty-eight years.

  “Without further ado,” Dominic announced, “I will turn this portion of the service over to Marcus Salby. He will begin with our current focus of the mentorship program and conclude with the introduction of the speaker. Please receive our young brother, in Jesus’ name.”

  Marcus took the microphone and bravely said, “Good afternoon! Protocol has already been established, so please excuse me as I get right into it.”

  The congregation smiled at the articulation of the sixteen-year old. Dominic and Tayah were doing an excellent job with the youth, their faces seemed to say.

  Marcus continued, “World AIDS Day is observed on the first day in December. December is a long way from now, but our current focus this month in the mentoring program will still be centered on the threat and dangers of HIV and AIDS. We are going out in the community, educating the youth about the disease, especially regarding how they can protect themselves. How many of you are aware that more than 1.1 million people in America are living with HIV? And about 1 in 6 don’t know that they have been infected.”

  Eric, who had been disinterested throughout the service, suddenly locked his gaze on the young speaker. It bothered him that the issue he was trying to avoid was now slapping him in the face. He did not come to church to be reminded of a disease he may have contracted from some stupid bimbo he’d casually slept with. The fact that he hadn’t worn a condom was the ultimate torment. He was usually careful about things like that. But the girl looked so voluptuous and so trustworthy that he never gave it a second thought that he could be putting his life in danger. Because she told me she was clean. How could I have been so stupid as to believe her?

  What were his chances of escaping such a deadly and embarrassing disease? Eric didn’t know and he was too terrified to find out.

  “As we gear up for our Tuesday night youth forum,” Marcus continued, “I’m encouraging all youth to attend what promises to be an informative session on prevalent issues facing us as young people. Also, a medical expert will be there to answer questions about sex, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Please invite as many people as you can, because I believe, as our youth leaders have taught us, that it is the responsibility of the church to educate, to train and to establish truth.”

  Marcus paused to accept the applause of the congregation. “Second Timothy 2:22, our golden text in the mentoring program, says, ‘Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.’ At this time, I present to you our youth drama team, which will be followed by a rendition from the choir.”

  While the drama team was moving into position, Eric stood to his feet and hastened down the aisle toward the main exit. Aching to know what was going, Sean got up and followed him, which generated a look of concern from Michelle. Something was definitely going on with her sons and she wanted to leave her seat as well, if only to relieve her anxiety. However, such actions would draw unnecessary attention. Leroy was already giving her a questioning stare, to which she simply shrugged and then refocused her gaze on the performance. She didn’t want Leroy reading too much into anything before she had a chance to put a handle on the situation.

  ****

  Eric lashed out at his brother, “Why the heck did you follow me? I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “Man, chill with all of that,” Sean said. “Because I’m thinking you just might need one after seeing the way you’ve been acting. What’s going on with you?”

  “Like I’m gonna tell you anything,” Eric scoffed. “You don’t know how to keep your mouth shut.”

  “I don’t agree with that,” Sean said. “But if you want to keep this thing bottled up on the inside until it kills you, then go right ahead. You never were that nice to me when we were growing up; why should I expect anything different now?”

  Eric looked away to hide his watery eyes from his brother. How could he tell Sean, or anyone for that matter, that he may have contracted HIV? A full-blooded Paxton, who’d come from the royal genes of strong and virile men. This was not like explaining to someone that he’d developed diabetes, or high blood pressure, or even cancer. This was a downright embarrassing, man-eating virus that could kill him within months. The stigmatization alone was enough to make him fret the flesh off his body.

  “You can stay out here if you want,” Sean finally said. “I’m going back inside to enjoy the service.”

  Eric didn’t respond. He simply kept his back turned and stared out at the stone bridge that linked the two main towers of the church. The asphalt flowed through the middle, spreading out at the rear to a massive parking area. It was an affluent spot that his father wanted him and Sean to inherit someday. How futile it suddenly seemed to try to imagine how his life would be ten years from now, much less six months. Taking a deep breath, Eric blinked away his tears and then followed Sean back into the sanctuary.

  Chapter Six

  The one thing Leroy hadn’t changed was the customary greeting that followed immediately after each Sunday morning service. The clergy would take their positions at the exits and shake the hands of those leaving the building. It was a warm gesture that had been favorably noted by first-time visitors. A large portrait of the late Abraham Winder, which hung on the ‘wall of remembrance,’ served as a reminder of his enduring loyalty to the Paxton family and to the Mount Moriah Baptist Church. He’d been Leroy’s right hand man and Leroy had found it impossible to locate anyone to replace him.

  However, he’d found a friend and confidant in Deacon Mackey Reynolds, a fifty-four-year-old plumber, who in some ways shared some of Abraham’s personality traits. One of which was the unswerving commitment Mackey displayed for Leroy and Michelle, whom he humbly referred to as the ‘man of God and his darling wife.’ But that was where the similarities ended. Abraham was a shorter man with a natural propensity to mentor younger men. Mackey simply didn’t have the patience or the beneficence to mentor anyone. His bulky frame and receding hairline that boldly showcased his bushy eyebrows, gave him an unapproachable look. Yet, he had the utmost respect for the Paxton couple and would do anything they asked of him.

  Mackey was standing opposite Leroy when a young woman in dark shades and a wide-brimmed orange hat, secretly slipped a note into his hand. He tried to get a better description of her face, but the young woman bowed her head and skirted through the exit with the flowing crowd. Mackey moved to the side and quickly scanned the note and then stuffed it in his pants pocket. He looked up and caught Leroy staring at him. It was difficult for Mackey to shroud his expressions. Whenever his bushy brows pulled his forehead into three tight lines, Leroy instantly knew something was wrong.

  “Honey, would you excuse me for a minute,” Leroy said to his wife. “I need to go back to the office for a minute.”

  Michelle barely acknowledged Leroy as she was deeply involved in conversation with one of the church mothers about sewing classes. It was Leroy’s cue to signal Mackey to follow him. But since Leroy’s office was a long way from the foyer, the two men simply created enough distance from the crowd where their words would be out of earshot.

  “Sir, that young lady is becoming more audacious in her attempts to see you,” Mackey said, handing Leroy the folded note. “First the emails, then her trying to crash your birthday party yesterday and now this. I mean no disrespect when I say this, but I think it’s time to inform your wife about what’s been going on before this blows
up beyond our control.”

  Even though Leroy hadn’t witnessed Ellie trying to make a scene at his home yesterday, he was thankful that Mackey had been on the lookout to tell him about it.

  “Well, let’s just wait it out,” Leroy said, “because if Michelle had known Ellie tried to crash the party, she would have come to me about it by now.”

  “And what makes you believe that Brenda hasn’t told your wife already?”

  Leroy thought a moment. “Well, if that’s the case, I’m not saying anything either. At least not yet.”

  With an air of contempt, Leroy snatched the note from Mackey to read it for himself. A very concise and curt message from Ellisa Benjamin – the mother of the child he’d sired outside of his marriage. Mackey knew Ellie had been sending Leroy emails but he didn’t know how lewd they were. Leroy feared Ellie had now laced the note with sexual undertones, which would certainly be a step up in her pursuit to win him back.

  Your son and I need you, the note read. Stop avoiding us because that is not going to make us go away. I want what belongs to us. Meet me at the Best Western Hotel on 30th street at 3:00 this afternoon, or I will continue to show up at your house until I get what I want.

  Leroy crumpled the paper and spat, “What more does that impertinent girl want? I initially offered her three thousand dollars a month to support her and that boy, but she turned it down and decidedly moved back to Brandon, Florida. She then begged me in her emails to spend time with her and the boy, which only aggravated the heck out of me. I would be foolish to put my marriage in jeopardy a second time by bending to Ellie’s unreasonable demands.”

  Mackey felt Leroy’s pain. He was a member of the church two years ago when the scandal struck the airwaves about Leroy’s indiscretions with this girl, who happened to be the sister of former pastor, Shaniece Bryant – the woman Leroy had chosen to assist him in the pastorate. Mackey would never forget the wiles of Shaniece Bryant, a blackmailer of the lowest sort who’d tried to capitalize on Leroy’s mistakes. It had been a depressing era for the church. The first ray of hope came when Shaniece had been detained, locked away for a long time from hurting anyone ever again.