If Memory Serves

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  Landris hesitated for a second. He couldn’t say they were fine, because, from a realistic standpoint, they were both in critical condition. He didn’t know how much Reverend Walker knew already, and for whatever reason, he really didn’t want to go into lengthy details regarding the situation. “We believe all is well,” Landris said.

  “God is able,” Reverend Walker said. “And we know that He won’t put any more on us than we can bear, that’s for sure. If God has brought you to it, somehow He’ll bring you through it. That’s not a cliché for me. It’s a certified fact.”

  “Absolutely,” Landris said as he stood up and began to pace near the fireplace. “I must say, I was surprised to have a message from you. So, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Landris said, deciding to get right to the point.

  “Oh, of course. How inconsiderate of me. I know you have a lot going on, with your wife in such bad shape at the moment, and your new baby barely hanging on, a son, right? Have you named him yet?”

  “No, we haven’t named him as yet. I’m waiting on my wife so we can do that together,” Landris said, picking up his bottle of water and taking a swallow from it.

  “You probably should go on and do that. Give the baby a name,” Reverend Walker said. “I’m sure you want to name him George Jr. or the Second. It’s a joy when you produce boys, because you know you have someone to carry on the family name. I have five boys myself—three by my first wife and two by my second. The wife I have now can’t seem to birth anything but girls, so I now have two little girls. It’s okay, though. I have sons to carry on the name, so there’s no real pressure on me at this point in my life. I can enjoy my little girls the way a doting father is supposed to. Now, Landris is a pretty unusual name. I know your mother has to be proud that at least one of her children has finally given her her first biological grandchild. Your mother was the one who answered the phone when I called earlier, right? I’m sure she’s proud. With Thomas and his condition, I doubt he’ll ever have children. How is your brother, by the way?”

  Landris paused and counted to ten. “Much better, thank you.”

  “That’s good to hear. I really like Thomas. I’m glad he’s getting some help. I felt something wasn’t right with him when he was here with us, but I try living my life without judging people, at least too harshly, anyway. I’m sure you understand that.”

  “Listen, Reverend Walker. I can’t talk long. I’ve been at the hospital the past three days and only came home to get a little rest before I go back,” Landris said.

  “I’m so sorry. Of course. Here I am just going on and on. But I did call for a reason, other than to check on you and your family, of course.” Reverend Walker cleared his throat. “I know you’re supposed to be preaching Reverend Knight’s funeral tomorrow.”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, there appears to be a change of plans. I’m sorry, I guess Joyce must not have had a chance to speak with you yet.”

  “You mean, Mrs. Knight?”

  “Yes, Joyce Knight, Poppa Knight’s lovely wife. Well, actually his widow now. Anyway, she and I spoke extensively last night, and she now wants me to preach Reverend Knight’s funeral.”

  “I don’t understand. Reverend Knight asked me, and the last time I spoke with Mrs. Knight, she still wanted me to honor his wishes and do it. So what changed?”

  “Pastor Landris, your wife and child are in the hospital fighting for their lives. You don’t need this kind of distraction. If I know you the way I think I do, it’s probably next to impossible to get you to leave that hospital. What if your wife is still in that coma tomorrow? Do you honestly believe you can preach a funeral decently? Poppa Knight has been a great friend to too many people. He deserves the best send-off we can give him, and I intend on doing just that. I’m not implying you won’t do a great job, because from what little I’ve heard of you, they say you’re an outstanding teacher of the Word.”

  Landris began to laugh with disbelief as he sat down, shaking his head.

  “Listen, Pastor Landris. Poppa Knight and I were close—closer than most brothers, if you want to get technical. If I may be transparent with you, it’s going to be hard, even for me, to stand up there and preach over my dear friend’s remains. But I also know I can do all things through Christ, who will give me the strength I need to do it.”

  “I believe He’ll give me strength as well.”

  “I know that, Pastor Landris. And quite frankly, this is not a contest between you and me. The reality is, your family needs you. There’s no reason for you to be worrying about preaching a funeral just because you gave your word to a dying man before you knew what was coming your way. None of us knows what tomorrow will bring. This little time we’re here on this earth is like a vapor. One minute you see it, and before you can explain what you saw, it’s gone—just like that. That’s why, in the book of James, somewhere around the fourth chapter, it tells us we ought to say, ‘If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.’ You had no way of knowing this trouble was headed your way. You made a promise you fully intended to keep. God knows your heart. But you need to put your energies toward those who are still on this side of the earth.”

  “Is that what you told, Mrs. Knight? That she was being unfair by trying to hold me to a promise I made, that I fully intended to honor?” Landris asked.

  “I told Joyce that Poppa Knight was wrong to have asked you in the first place when he’d said I would be doing this if it came to him departing before me. You didn’t know him like I knew him. He and I had history together. Lots of it. You knew him when he was a mere shell of his previous robust stature. Now, please don’t take this the wrong way, but, Pastor Landris, you cannot do what I’m going to be able to do tomorrow. You just can’t. And frankly, your preaching style is not what the people who knew him best are accustomed to. You don’t bring enough fire with it, at least not enough for most of our taste.”

  “Listen,” Landris said, “I have a call in to Mrs. Knight already. She called and left me a message earlier. Until I’ve spoken to her and she tells me otherwise, or unless the Lord says differently, I plan to be standing, at noon come tomorrow, doing what I was asked to do.”

  “Pastor Landris, I’m going to let you go and get some rest. Clearly, you need some sleep. But allow me to give you a bit of advice before I hang up. You don’t really want me as an enemy. Trust me, you don’t.”

  “Is that supposed to be a threat?”

  “Oh, no. I don’t make threats. I make promises. And I promise you, you might want to rethink any idea you may have about crossing me. Greater men than you have tried and failed. But listen, I didn’t call you to get into all of this. I’m sure you and I will have our day to really talk. You speak with Joyce. She knows the deal. You see, Poppa Knight is no longer around to flex his muscles against me. People seem to have been under the mistaken impression that I was afraid of him, like he had something on me.”

  “So did he?”

  Reverend Walker laughed. “That’s a good one. I respected him, but let’s just say that whatever Paul ‘Poppa’ Knight may or may not have had on me is safe and securely with him at this point in time. After I say this, I’m really going to let you go. But I once heard someone wisely declare that the only way to keep a secret between three people, is if two of them are dead. I’m not trying to be cold or insensitive, but they also say ‘dead men tell no tales.’ So whatever Poppa Knight might have known, he kept it to himself all these years, and it looks like he took all of that with him. Now, you take care, and you take care of that family of yours. I’ll say a little prayer for all of you. Have a good night,” Reverend Walker said, then hung up.

  Pastor Landris looked at the phone that now buzzed with only a dial-tone. His mind immediately went to the Private and Personal envelope Reverend Knight had given him over a year ago. The envelope he’d been told to keep in a safe place and to open only should Reverend Walker attempt to come against him.

  As much as Pastor Landris wanted to o
pen that envelope right now, he knew this was not enough to warrant him learning something, he suspected, ultimately, could have dire consequences for a fellow brethren in the Word.

  Chapter 44

  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.

  Isaiah 40:8

  Landris spoke with Mrs. Knight over the phone after he woke up from about four hours of sleep. She confirmed what Reverend Walker had said to him earlier.

  “Mrs. Knight, I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me.”

  “Sure, Pastor Landris. What is it?” Mrs. Knight said.

  “Is this what you want to do? Would you prefer that Reverend Walker deliver the eulogy for Reverend Knight’s funeral instead of me?”

  “Honestly, I was in total agreement with what Paul wanted,” Mrs. Knight said. “His funeral at the church he’d worked so hard to build, and you preaching his eulogy.”

  “Then why are you changing things now?”

  Mrs. Knight let out a sigh. “Marshall presented a lot of good arguments for why I should allow him to preach it—a few of which I agree with. Truthfully, you really do have your hands full with your own family troubles and heartaches. And it is wrong of me to insist you do this when there are obviously plenty of others willing and quite capable of carrying on,” she said.

  “Is that the only reason you’re changing it? I really want to do this, and it’s not a problem for me. I’ve gotten a little rest; I’m ready for another round.”

  “Pastor Landris, Marshall is not one who is used to being trumped by anyone. It doesn’t matter whether it’s me, you, or someone else, no one will get in his way. This is not the first time he’s reminded me of his position and power. I admit, it’s been a long while. When Paul first heard how Marshall was trying to boss and push me around early on in our marriage, he had a nice little ‘chat’ with him, as Paul put it. I don’t know what all my husband said to him, but whatever it was toned him down in ways I never could have imagined. Every now and then, he would try something again, and Paul would shut him down quickly. I suppose Marshall feels free now to go after any- and everybody he wants, with Paul no longer here to stop him. I don’t know.”

  “Are you telling me Reverend Walker is forcing you to do this?” Landris waited for her answer; she didn’t say anything. He then heard sniffling, and he knew she was now crying. “Mrs. Knight, are you all right?”

  “Pastor Landris, I don’t want any trouble. I just can’t handle it on top of everything else I’m dealing with. Please, let it go, okay? You do need to concentrate on your own family. In fact, I feel bad taking time away from you right now. Why don’t you just focus on your problems and leave me to deal with mine.”

  “Mrs. Knight, I appreciate you for caring about me and my family. But I also want you to know that I promised Reverend Knight I would look after you for him. If Reverend Walker is trying to intimidate you or is threatening you in any way, I want to know about it. He has no right to do anything like that to you. And I won’t stand for it.”

  “Pastor Landris, what can you do? Marshall Walker is an influential, powerful man of God with a bully pulpit, even more so now that my Paul is gone. That’s why it’s best you and I just let sleeping dogs lie.”

  Landris thought again of the envelope. He didn’t appreciate Reverend Walker seemingly bullying a woman, an elderly woman at that, who’d just lost her husband.

  “Pastor Landris, I’m going to go now. If you find you can come to the funeral tomorrow, I’ll be happy to see you. But if your family needs you, then you spend the time with them and don’t you feel bad about missing Paul’s funeral. I know that’s what Paul would have said to you. It’s what he would have wanted. You were there for him when he was alive. That’s what counts in life. We’ll leave Reverend Walker in God’s hands. The Lord says vengeance belongs to Him. Marshall’s manhandling doesn’t bother me. If he wants to preach Paul’s eulogy that badly, then he can. And please know that you and your family are definitely in my prayers. God will get the glory in all of this. I know that in my heart. I feel it in my spirit. So don’t you get discouraged. God has your back.”

  “And my front, and my side, my top, and my bottom, too,” Landris said. “Mrs. Knight, will you promise me one thing?”

  “What’s that?”

  “If Reverend Walker tries to push you around again, will you let me know?”

  She laughed. “You sounded just like Paul when you said that.”

  “Promise me that you’ll let me know,” Landris said again.

  “If I feel like I really need you when it comes to Marshall, I promise I’ll let you know. But in truth, after this funeral is over, I’ll probably never have a reason to talk with or to Marshall again. When your wife wakes up, you tell her what a blessed woman she is. You’re a good man, Pastor Landris. And I and my family are proud to know you.”

  When Landris hung up, he went to the safe in his bedroom and tapped in the four-digit security code. Opening the safe, he moved items around until he found the envelope Reverend Knight had given him. He pulled it out, opened it, and looked inside to see what it contained. Sitting down on the sofa in his room, he examined everything closely.

  After he finished, he put everything back in the envelope and clamped it back shut. “Lord, now that’s definitely some deep stuff there. I don’t know when, if, or how I’m supposed to use a thing like this. I’m really going to need Your guidance on this.”

  The phone rang. “I got it,” he yelled loud enough for his mother to be able to hear him. “Hello,” he said.

  “Pastor Landris, my name is Nurse Wren, and I’m calling from the hospital. The doctor asked me to call you. We need you to get here as quickly as you can.”

  “Is this about my wife? Has she awakened?” Landris asked.

  “Sir, all I know is that Dr. Freeman asked me to call you and tell you he needed you to come to the hospital as soon as you can. He’ll speak with you when you get here.”

  “Dr. Freeman? But that’s not any doctor I’m familiar with. Is this about my son?”

  “Sir, just come to NICU and ask any nurse at the desk to page Dr. Freeman upon your arrival. He’ll talk with you then.”

  Landris got off the phone, told his mother he was going back to the hospital without mentioning the call he’d just received, and began to pray as he hurriedly got in his car. “Heavenly Father, I don’t know what’s going on, but You know. I’m still standing on Your Word, Lord. I’m not going to allow anything to move me off Your Word. I thank You, in advance, Lord, that my wife is healed. I thank You that my son is healed. You are worthy to be praised. No matter what happens, Lord, I will praise You. I have nowhere else to go but You. No one else to turn to except You. Please don’t ever leave me. Be with me, Lord Jesus. Continue to cover me, I pray.”

  Chapter 45

  Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

  Isaiah 54:15

  Sarah continued to wait for Polly to speak. Polly fiddled with her hair, then her hands for several minutes. Sarah sat patiently. Polly then glanced down at her watch.

  “Will you look at the time?” Polly said, grabbing her purse as she stood up. “I almost forgot; I have an appointment today. I’m supposed to see my therapist at three.”

  “Sit down,” Sarah said sternly, but nicely. “We both know you don’t have anywhere you need to be right this minute. Now, Polly, I want to know how you knew about the missing Wings of Grace box and the Alexandrite necklace. And please don’t insult my intelligence again by trying to get me to believe that someone here told you and you can’t tell me because you think you’ll get them in trouble.”

  “What are you trying to imply?” Polly asked.

  “Sit, and I’ll tell you what I’ve learned over this past week.”

  Polly nervously sat down.

  Sarah picked up a petite spinach quiche and bit it.
She set the rest back on her plate. “Would you care to tell me how well you know my nephew, Montgomery?”

  “Montgomery?”

  “Yeah. You know, Montgomery Powell the Second.”

  “I’ve met him a few times at various social functions around town. But I don’t know if I can answer how well we know each other. That’s a relatively broad question.”

  Sarah began to nod her head slowly. “All right, then. If you like, you can go on to your appointment. There’s no real reason for you and I to waste each other’s time any longer.”

  Polly stood up as she watched Sarah. Sarah picked up the rest of her quiche and ate it.

  “Sarah,” Polly began, “I don’t know what you think you know, but I believe someone has misinformed you.”

  “No, Polly. I think someone has misinformed you. But if you want to play this little game, then you go right ahead. I just thought the right thing to do was to give you a fair chance to tell your side. However, I can’t make you tell the truth if you’re bent on keeping up your little charade.” Sarah picked up a slice of cucumber and bit it.

  “Seriously, Sarah, I don’t have a clue what you could be referring to. I mean, I’ve seen Montgomery. Our paths have crossed. In fact, I admit, I’ve been to his house a few times, mostly to discuss things regarding you. Truth be told, I didn’t appreciate some of the things he’s done to you, and I wanted him to know where I stood on the matter.”

  “Okay, Polly.” Sarah picked up another cucumber slice and ate it. “I’ll have a check cut tomorrow and put in the mail to you for the work you’ve done toward this Christmas celebration.”

  “But I’m not finished,” Polly said. “We still have to come up with the menu to give to the caterer we’re bringing in. You were going to get that to me by the end of this week, remember?”

  “Oh, you’re finished.” Sarah picked up a broccoli floret, stuck it in her vegetable dip, and ate it. “Trust me, you’re finished,” she said.