Guilt Trip

by Pat Simmons

  “You two young people go on. I’m going to stop by a friend’s house.” Getting to her feet, Talise followed. Sandra gave her a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. Turning to Minister Thomas, she repeated her affection.

  “Sister Talise?”

  Rubbing her stomach, she replied, “My baby is hungry.” Wearing a big smile, she let that be her answer.

  “All right then.” He clapped his hands again. “What’s your favorite?”

  “Boston Market,” she and Sandra answered at the same time. They exchanged glances and laughed.

  Sandra handed Talise her Bible and purse and then picked up her own. Walking out of the prayer room together, Talise chatted all the way to the front door. Despite the extra weight she had gained, she felt lighter. It was as if the burdens were no longer significant; they had been truly lifted. She would always remember this day as her Nicodemus moment.

  Ace could no longer push her buttons. Donna could no longer condemn her, and Lois’s temporary roommate would not be able to irritate her. Her financial situation would be all right. She was free to praise God.

  “Congratulations again, baby,” Sandra said, as they stopped at Sandra’s car. After strapping in her seatbelt, she waved goodbye to Talise and Minister Thomas and drove off.

  He turned to her. “Shall I drive?”

  Talise may have been delirious in the Lord, but she was still on guard where men were concerned. “Sure, drive your car and I’ll drive mine.”

  He grinned. “Good answer. There’s one about ten minutes from here at Tolman and Morrissey.”

  “I’ll follow you.”

  He opened her car door and waited until she fastened her seatbelt. When Talise started her engine, Minister Thomas jogged across the parking lot to his vehicle. She couldn’t help but wonder what drew him to her. But right now, she was too excited to ponder that.

  Digging frantically in the bottom of her purse, she grabbed her cell phone and called Sinclaire. The overseas call was pricey, but this was worth the cost. Once Sinclaire’s voice mail kicked in, Talise shouted. “I’ve got great news! Won’t tell you until you call me back. Love you, Claire!”

  Next, she sifted through the junk in her purse until she found the piece of paper with Gabrielle’s number. She got her voice mail too. “I did it! I went to church and repented like a drunken sailor.” She laughed. “You probably know what happened next.” She laughed again and disconnected.

  Where was everybody when she needed them? Punching in her roommate’s number, Lois was next on her hit list. When a horn honked, Talise looked up. Minister Thomas had pulled beside her. He was behind the wheel of a sleek GMC vehicle.

  “Okay,” she said, adding a bob of her head.

  “Hey, Lois. Listen, I’ve got to go. I’m going out to dinner with Minister Thomas.”

  “Who?”

  “Details when I get back.” She disconnected and motioned to Minister Thomas that she was ready and he took off slowly. Before pulling away Talise took another minute to fumble with the radio until she found a gospel station.

  “Jesus will work it out…” the choir sang and she joined in. The music seemed to startle her baby causing him or her to move.

  She giggled. Her books said the baby would be able to hear by week eighteen and, about a month ago, she discovered it to be true. Paying attention so she could keep up, Talise trailed Minister Thomas down Talbot Ave. They passed Codman Square and then turned onto Ashmont, just past O’Donnell Square. After a few more twists and turns, they arrived at Tolman and Morrissey.

  He pointed to a parking space closer to the door for her and snagged a spot farther down in the same row. Talise parked, gathered up her purse, and stepped out. Minister Thomas’ long strides met up with her before she left the side of her car.

  “We could probably have been here five minutes sooner if you weren’t on the phone.” He wiggled his brow and his brown eyes sparkled.

  “You said that I wouldn’t be able to keep it to myself. And you were right,” she said with a giddy smile.

  “True.” He tilted his head and guided her to the entrance. Being a gentleman, he opened the door for her to enter first. Without looking at the menu, she gave him her order and left to use the restroom. Minutes later, she returned and chose a seat.

  It didn’t take long before he came to the table with their trays. After filling their cups with water, he carefully placed their drinks down and sat across from her. Stretching his legs, Minister Thomas grinned. Giddy once again, this time over the opportunity to pray, Talise waited patiently while he made himself comfortable. She was ready.

  Bowing his head and closing his eyes, Talise followed suit as he began, “Jesus, we praise Your name today for Your marvelous acts and unselfish love to redeem my dear sister. I ask that You bless her and her child, bless those who bless her.”

  He paused. “Now, Lord, we ask that You bless our food, sanctifying it from all impurities. And please provide for those who have not, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.”

  “Amen, Amen, and Hallelujah,” Talise added.

  Talise wasn’t shy about digging into her sweet potato casserole. He laughed at her gusto, as he started on his meal. After taking a few sips of water, she patted her mouth with a napkin.

  “Minister Thomas—”

  “Please call me Richard. We’re not at church … but that doesn’t mean I’m not on call 24/7.”

  “Makes sense. Okay, Richard, what is it about me that made you ask me out to dinner when I arrived this morning? It was only the second time you saw me. Why didn’t my pregnancy run you away like it did the father? Did God reveal to you what was going to happen today?” She fired off so many questions that Minister Thomas began to laugh.

  “Whoa, Sister Talise, or may I call you Talise?”

  Talise wanted him to call her Sister. She enjoyed the sound of that. It made her feel like she belonged in the Body of Christ. But he was right, the dinner was informal. Minister Thomas must have picked up on her hesitation.

  “I’m sorry, I meant no disrespect.”

  “It’s okay. I just like to hear you call me Sister Talise,” she explained and hoped she hadn’t offended him. “It reminds me that I’ve been changed.”

  “I understand completely. Then Sister Talise it is.” He gulped down his water before answering her questions. “I was glad to see you this morning after you didn’t return the Sunday after your first visit. I had thought about you, Sister Talise,” he smiled and continued, “and prayed that God would make His presence known in whatever you were going through. And no, I didn’t know what God was going to do for you today, but I’m so glad He did. Jesus is awesome!”

  “Thank you for praying for me.” Talise forked off a piece of her meatloaf. She chewed, waiting for him to answer her other question. “Okay now, about your dinner invitation.”

  “I asked you to dinner because you are a beautiful, absolutely gorgeous woman—I might add.”

  “Did you add that I’m pregnant with another man’s baby … and you are friends with the man’s mother?” she countered.

  “No, but let me add that Sister Nicholson’s son has chosen not to be involved in your life. If he has made no attempts to reconcile with you after these many months, then I’m not out of line to court you.”

  “I’m pregnant, Richard, with another man’s child,” she wanted to repeat herself in case he didn’t hear her.”

  Minister Thomas laughed and broke off another piece of his chicken breast. “If you’re trying to scare me off, then it didn’t work. I’m a product of a stepfather who would take issue with me if he heard me refer to him in such a manner.”

  He glanced away, as if recalling a memory. “Richard Sr. was there when I was born and I was there at his bedside when he passed away. He never abused me or my mother a day of his life. In fact, Dad taught me to take responsibility in whatever I do. He showed me countless times in the Old Testament how the sons of kings chose their paths by following in their fathers’ fo
otsteps to do good or evil. I chose to do good like my dad.”

  Wow. Talise blinked. Stunned, she was speechless for a moment. There really are good men out there.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Talise—I mean—Sister Talise…”

  She grinned at his endearing blunder.

  “I’m a good man. If you allow me to get to know you, then you can see for yourself. When is the baby due?”

  “In eighteen weeks.”

  Nodding, he forked the remainder of his creamed spinach into his mouth. “Hmm, just enough time to see if our friendship could develop into something more permanent.”

  Sucking in her breath, Talise held it. Flattered, she wanted to cry for happiness that she was still desirable, but mourned that Ace wasn’t the man sitting across from her.

  Emotionally full, Talise didn’t see the harm in giving him her phone number, so she did. She wondered what Sandra would think. Minister Thomas was like a son to her, but Ace was her son.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Although Sandra trusted Minister Thomas, she was going to have to trust God on the young man’s attraction to Talise. The minister did have a good reputation, was well-liked, and stayed away from controversy.

  She hadn’t heard of any reports that he had strung along a sister in the church and then broke her heart. Sandra doubted there was any man more than her own son who could break Talise’s heart.

  It was Sunday night and she hadn’t heard from Talise. She was itching to find out “what happened” between her and Minister Thomas. Sandra had to remind herself that she sought Talise out for friendship before she was really sure if the woman was pregnant, or if it was Ace’s child.

  She smiled, recalling when Talise told her that she loved her. That came from her heart and so did Sandra’s words of affection. If Sandra truly loved Talise, then she had to root for her happiness.

  When she knelt to pray before climbing into bed, she made sure to praise the Lord Jesus for the souls that repented earlier, who were buried in His name, and who rejoiced under His anointing. Then she poured out her soul, “God, You said You are not slack concerning Your promises. I reached out to Talise when I heard Your voice’s command. But I’m uncomfortable with being the matchmaker to the mother of my son’s baby.”

  Sandra’s heart was in distress as she cried out, “God, can’t You do something to fix this? Please?” She didn’t want her flesh to rise up in rebellion against Talise or Minister Thomas. Clearly, they were innocent in God’s plan.

  “I am concerned about man’s soul; then his happiness will follow,” God spoke.

  Comforted, but not fully satisfied, Sandra said Amen and then got under the covers. She prayed that God would give her an excuse to call Talise.

  The next day at work, she called Eva. Her daughter-in-law was in high praise about Talise’s salvation. On the outside, Sandra was praising God too. On the inside, she was hurting, chiding herself for being the cause of drawing Talise even farther away from Ace.

  Eva must have suspected something when she ceased her chatter.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing Jesus can’t fix. You know how it is when God sends His blessings and the devil is on your heels to snatch your joy.”

  “Then maybe it’s a good thing we plan to come to Boston next weekend for a shopping spree!” Eva said, surprising her.

  The news lifted her spirits, yet Sandra sighed with one reservation.

  “All of us, except Ace, of course.”

  That’s the one who should be coming, she scolded silently.

  “The husbands are coming too. Kidd, Parke and his family, Malcolm and his, and maybe even Grandma BB. I’m calling it a school shopping trip.”

  “Count me in. I wish Aaron would turn his life around and come.”

  “So do I. But I don’t see an end in sight with his refusal to make things right with Talise. I hate to say this, but I think she may need to move on because I don’t think Ace will ever make her happy,” Eva stated.

  Hidden in her office, Sandra stood and walked over to close the door. Tears began to steam down her cheeks. The evidence Eva felt in her heart may already be in the works.

  “Do you mind asking Talise if she can handle doing our hair?” Eva paused. “You know what, I’ll call her because I want to congratulate her and ask—”

  Sandra had an excuse to call now. “No. I’ll call. I want to check up on her anyway.”

  Chapter Forty

  Talise was in high spirits when she went to work on Monday. She didn’t care about the stares, the gossips, or the fake concern from other employees. It was no longer her battle; she had given her life over to Jesus. Nothing could steal her joy of redemption—not even Kendall.

  “Girl, I knew something was up with you,” her coworker, Kendall, said when Talise broke the news. They were idle and waiting for customers.

  “Yep.” Talise’s mind was somewhere else.

  Although no longer hoping for Ace to come to his senses, Talise wasn’t sure that anything serious would develop between her and the gorgeous, charismatic Minister Thomas. It was encouraging that a man found her attractive while she was pregnant—and with another man’s child—no less.

  Any other time, Kendall’s remarks, opinions, and backstabbing comments would grate on her nerves. Not today. She and her baby were doing fine in Jesus. Thank you very much, Lord, she said in her heart.

  “I will keep you in perfect peace with your mind stayed on Me,” the Lord responded from Isaiah 26:3.

  Talise was thrilled when the Scripture came to her mind. Hours later, Gabrielle strolled through the airport terminal with an extra pep in her step. She carried a small gift bag in one hand. When she made it to Talise’s side, Gabrielle placed the gift on the counter.

  “For you,” she said with a wide grin. “You are free to move around the cabin.”

  Kendall peeped over Talise’s shoulder. “You’re getting baby shower gifts already?”

  Gabrielle mouthed, she knows?

  Talise nodded and shrugged.

  Gabrielle spoke up. “Actually, this is a gift for Talise’s new birth. I’m sure she talked to you about her experience with Christ. Now she’s a new creature in Christ Jesus. Check it out in Romans 6:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17 …” She rattled off the passages to Kendall.

  What a memory. That was going to be Talise’s goal—to know her Scriptures like that. Last night, she couldn’t read enough of her Bible before she dozed off. Then Sinclaire woke her, begging for the good news. From the Persian Gulf, her sister praised Jesus for what He had done all the way in America.

  When Talise felt Gabrielle slightly bump her, she refocused on what her friend was saying. “That ought to keep Miss Thing busy.”

  Logging off, Talise gathered her purse and gift. “Thank you,” she said through misty eyes. Besides Sandra’s madness when she shopped for her, this was the second gift she had received since Ace had been gone. He used to lavish her with presents constantly, just because.

  “It’s a small token, a salvation gift, to encourage your walk with Jesus.” They briefly hugged and then Talise left so she wouldn’t miss her bus home.

  Her apartment, she thought of the third roommate at home. Besides the clutter, her loud, shrieking voice, and untidiness in the kitchen, Myra wasn’t that bad. She could be worse.

  Talise sighed, getting on the bus and settling into a seat. About three stops later, Minister Thomas called her.

  “Hello, Sister Talise, how was your day?” His voice was deep, but compared to Ace’s, it didn’t make the mark. Still, it was baritone enough to give a woman goose bumps.

  “Good. I’ve been happy in Jesus all day. And a friend at work gave me a ‘salvation gift.’ She said it was something to encourage me.”

  “I can’t let her outdo me,” he said.

  Talise rolled her eyes. She hoped he wasn’t a man who did things to out-best someone else. She liked things that came from a person’s heart, like A
ce—she caught herself.

  “Richard, please don’t buy me any gifts. I need a friend and a listening ear, not a Sugar Daddy.”

  His roar of laughter made her blush. “I’ve never been called that before. A Sugar Daddy. Hmm,” he repeated with a hearty chuckle. “I wouldn’t disrespect you or God. Your friend was very thoughtful. I was only teasing you.”

  Talise felt bad for scolding him.

  “One thing for sure, no matter how hard we try, we can’t beat God giving us anything.”

  Closing her eyes, Talise smiled to herself. She liked him talking about Jesus. Rubbing her stomach, she hoped to wake her baby. It worked.

  “I stand corrected.”

  “You stand to be appreciated,” Minister Thomas assured her.

  They chatted until she reached her bus stop. He told her to be safe. “Call me for anything, whether it’s to explain a Scripture, because you’re hungry, or simply for company. I’ll make myself available.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  She grinned at the thought that she could thank her ex’s mother for introducing her to Minister Thomas. Talise wondered how Sandra felt about her going out with the minister. She did say more than once she wanted to be Talise’s friend.

  Well, even friends get tested, she thought. Then, just a few minutes later, she was put to the test. When Talise walked into her apartment, she discovered that Myra had left a sink full of dirty dishes instead of loading them into the dishwasher. She and Lois never let that happen.

  Talise needed to talk with Lois about their “temporary” roommate. However, she knew she wasn’t in a position to complain because Myra was paying a portion of their monthly rent.

  Hungry, she changed quickly and then tackled the task of cleaning up behind Myra before she could cook something to eat. An hour and a half later, Talise had prepared enough salad for all of them, along with baked chicken breasts, roasted potatoes, and warm rolls.