Lance didn’t answer. He took a big swallow of Arykah’s drink. “That’s pretty good.”
“Oh, heck no,” she said. “You can’t drink mine. That’s what you ain’t gon’ do.” Arykah stood. “I’m going to get the bottle.”
She left and came back to the patio moments later. She poured rum in Lance’s lemonade, then she freshened her own drink. The two of them moved to lounge chairs. They watched the stars and drank until the wee hours of the morning.
Nine
Bright and early Wednesday morning Lance and Arykah were in the rear of a limousine as they waited for Myrtle.
“Is your head okay now?” Arykah asked Lance. He seemed to be a little woozy when they woke up that morning.
He nodded his head. “Yeah, I’m cool. How much rum did we drink?”
“The whole bottle.”
Lance shook his head from side to side. “Remind me to never do that again.”
“Next time I’ll give you two Excedrin capsules to take before you drink alcohol. That’s how you cheat a hangover.”
“Spoken like a professional drinker.”
“I is what I is, Bishop.”
The driver opened the passenger-rear door and Myrtle got inside the limousine. “Morning. I wasn’t expecting this. I was looking for a taxicab. This is fancy-shmancy.”
“Morning, Mother Myrtle. Ready for your first day at work?” Arykah asked her.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Morning, Bishop.”
“Good morning, Mother Myrtle. This is your car service.” Lance introduced Myrtle to her personal driver who stood outside the car. He hadn’t yet closed the door. “Your driver’s name is Cliff, and he will be here every morning at eight to drive you to the church.”
Cliff tipped his hat to Myrtle. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”
Myrtle was too outdone. “Wow, all of this for li’l ole me? I can already hear my neighbors gossiping.”
“The bishop and I figured that hiring a personal driver for you would be much better and safer for you than calling a cab every morning.”
Lance and Arykah could’ve sent the limousine for Myrtle, but Arykah thought it would be best if they rode with her on her first day of work.
“Did Mother Gussie get the red-carpet treatment too?” Myrtle asked.
“Hel—I mean heck, no,” Arykah answered.
“We’re ready to go, Cliff,” Lance said to the driver.
Cliff closed the rear door, got behind the wheel, and pulled away from the curb.
Myrtle noticed that Arykah didn’t have her baby in her purse. “Where’s the brat?”
“Diva Chanel is in doggie day camp where she belongs,” Lance said.
Arykah rolled her eyes.
“You know, Bishop,” Myrtle started, “we never discussed my pay.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Well, don’t you think we should?”
“Mother, Myrtle, you volunteered for the job; now you expect to get paid?” Arykah teased.
Myrtle’s eyebrows rose. Lance chuckled at the expression on her face. He knew she wanted to curse Arykah.
“Chile, don’t play with me, okay? Y’all gon’ pay me.”
“Of course, Freedom Temple will pay you, Mother Myrtle. You’ll have health and dental insurance coverage as well,” Lance said. “We’ll fill out the forms when we get to church.”
That news excited Myrtle. “Really? So, this is a real job, huh?”
“Yep,” Arykah answered. “Get ready for Uncle Sam because he’s coming after you.”
“How much will I make as the church secretary?”
“The secretary position pays fifteen dollars an hour,” Lance responded.
“Okay,” Myrtle said nodding her head. “Fifteen dollars an hour, plus health and dental. And all I gotta do is answer the phone, take messages, and keep the kray krays away from the bishop. I can work with that.”
Arykah laughed out loud. “Kray krays? Where did you hear that kind of talk?”
“From all the young folks at church. They keep me in the loop.”
After thirty minutes of driving, Cliff drove the limousine up to the front door of the church. He opened the rear door. Lance, Arykah, and Myrtle got out.
“Thanks, Cliff,” Lance said. “We’ll see you at five.”
Upstairs, on the second floor of the church, Lance and Arykah showed Myrtle her desk. It was the same desk that Mother Gussie and Sharonda sat at, right outside of Lance’s office.
“Do you know how to work a computer?” Arykah asked her.
“Not really.”
“You’ve never used Excel?” Lance asked.
Myrtle looked at him. “What’s that?”
“Oh boy,” Arykah sighed. “Let’s make the Bishop’s coffee. That has to be the first thing you do every morning. Then you and I will go over everything you need to know.”
“Have fun, ladies,” Lance said as he unlocked the door to his office and went inside.
Myrtle and Arykah went across the hall to the kitchenette. Arykah instructed Myrtle how to make Lance’s white mocha chocolate-flavored coffee and sweeten it to his taste.
Myrtle brought the mug into Lance’s office and set it on his desk. “Here you go, Bishop. Light and sweet, just the way you like it.”
“Thank you, Mother. Lady Arykah is gonna show you how to use Excel. When you’re comfortable with the program, I’ll need you to categorize all the members’ names in alphabetical order. Then you’ll need to send the list to the photographer that’s gonna take pictures of the entire congregation. We’re putting together a book that will have the members’ photos, names, and phone numbers. After that list is compiled, I’ll need for you to call everyone who is on the sick and shut-in list and ask if they need anything. Once that’s completed, Mother Myrtle, please call Holy Trinity Church and confirm that Pastor Jackson Montgomery will be our guest speaker in two weeks. The church’s information is in the rolodex on your desk.”
“Yes, Bishop.” Myrtle turned to walk away.
“One more thing, Mother.”
She stopped and turned around.
“I will need the names of all of the parents that are having their babies dedicated next month. Lady Arykah can help you with that.”
Myrtle didn’t say a word. She left Lance’s office in a hurry. She got back to her desk and saw Arykah sitting in her chair typing on the keyboard.
“You ready for your Excel lesson?” Arykah asked her.
“You can stay right where you are. Call Cliff back here so he can take me home.”
Arykah looked up at Myrtle and frowned. “Why?”
Myrtle lowered her voice so that Lance couldn’t hear what she was saying. She pointed toward his office. “He’s crazy.”
“What’s the problem?”
“He wants me to make a list of the members for some kind of photo book. Then he wants me to check on the sick folks. Then he wants me to call Holy Unity to confirm that Michael Jackson is coming next week and—”
“It’s Holy Trinity ,” Arykah interrupted. “His name is Pastor Jackson Montgomery, and he’s coming in two weeks.”
“Whatever,” Myrtle said. “He also wants every baby and their momma’s names. And he wants me to learn the excellent computer program.”
“It’s Excel.”
“Whatever,” Myrtle said again. The fear of failure was evident on her face. “Chile , I can’t do all of that.”
Arykah laughed at the creases on Myrtle’s forehead. “It sounds overwhelming because you haven’t done it before. This really is a simple job once you get the hang of it. It’s all computer work.” Arykah stood up. “Come on and sit. It’ll be okay. I’ll be here with you all day and tomorrow.”
“Not Friday?”
“Friday morning, my client is closing on his house, but as soon as I’m done with that, I’ll come straight here.”
As soon as Myrtle sat down at the computer, the telephone rang. She looked up at Arykah. “Should I a
nswer it?”
“Well, it ain’t gonna answer itself.”
Myrtle picked up the receiver and brought it to her ear. “Good morning, Freedom Temple.”
“Um, yes, um, I’m calling to see if Bishop Howell can come to my house and pray for me. I need some sexual healing,” a woman said in a seductive voice.
Myrtle’s mouth dropped wide open. Stunned, she looked up at Arykah and mouthed the words, “It’s a crazy woman.”
“What does she want?” Arykah mouthed the words back.
Myrtle shrugged her shoulders and spoke into the receiver. “What’s your name, Miss?”
“Baby Girl.”
Myrtle frowned and repeated the name. “Baby Girl?” Myrtle looked at the caller ID and recognized Monique’s cellular telephone number. “Wait a minute. Is that you, Monique?”
Both Monique and Arykah hollered out laughing.
“You ain’t got nothin’ else better to do than call my job and harass me?”
Arykah took the telephone from Myrtle. “Girl, we got her good. You should’ve seen her face.”
Myrtle stood and went to Lance’s door. She saw that he was laughing too. He must’ve been in on the prank. “I quit,” she said. “I ain’t gotta deal with this foolishness.”
Lance jumped up from his chair, came to Myrtle, and hugged her. “We’re sorry. It was a bad joke.” He looked at Arykah. “Aren’t we sorry, Cheeks?”
Arykah was still laughing on the telephone with Monique. “I gotta go, girl. She just quit.” Arykah put the receiver on its base and came to hug Myrtle. “We’re sorry. Lance made us do it.”
Lance quickly shook his head from side to side. “Uh-uh. You ain’t putting this on me. Cheeks, you are in the church so tell the truth,” he said. “You told me that there wouldn’t be any hanky-panky for a week if I told Mother Myrtle what you and Monique were up to.”
Myrtle went back to her desk and sat down. “Y’all are evil kids. All of ya. Evil, evil kids.”
By noontime, with Arykah’s help, Myrtle was in full swing of the secretarial position at Freedom Temple. Pastor Jackson Montgomery’s visit to the church was confirmed. Myrtle had contacted every member who was on the sick and shut-in list. She and Arykah had compiled the list of every member and telephone numbers. Arykah showed Myrtle how to fax the list to the church’s photographer.
Myrtle went to Arykah’s office and saw her typing on her computer keys. “Where do I find the name of all the babies and parents for next month’s dedication service?”
“Sharonda has the names in a folder on the desktop.”
Myrtle nodded her head, then went back to her desk and sat down. She searched the desk for a folder with the babies’ names. After removing everything and putting it back, Myrtle went to Arykah’s office again. “There is no folder with baby’s names on top of the desk.”
Arykah looked at Myrtle and chuckled. “I really gotta fast-forward your computer skills to the twenty-first century. The desktop is your computer. When you look at the screen, you’ll see a folder that says ‘July Baby Dedication.’ Just click on it, print the page, and give it to Lance.”
“Why didn’t you say that in the first place?”
“I did.”
Myrtle exhaled out of frustration. “You said the names were in a folder on top of the desk.”
Arykah knew that Myrtle was fit to be tied and she’d never win an argument with her. “I’m sorry, Mother. I should have explained myself better. When someone says ‘desktop,’ they’re referring to the computer that sits on top of a desk. Just like a laptop is a smaller computer that people set on their laps.”
“I don’t know why everything has to be so difficult.”
“It’s only your first day. You’ll get the hang of it. Patience is a virtue. That’s the word.”
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t born with any patience, and I’m too old to get it now,” Myrtle said as she walked away.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Arykah mumbled.
“I heard that.”
Myrtle went back to her desk and found the folder on the desktop that she was looking for. She printed the list of the names of the newborns and their parents and took it to Lance’s office. “Bishop, here’s the list you wanted.”
Lance looked up from writing on a notepad. He took the list from Myrtle. “Great. Thanks, Mother. By the way,” Lance started. He opened his top right desk drawer and pulled out three keys on a ring. He extended them to Myrtle. “Here are your keys. The large gold key is for the front and rear doors of the church.”
Myrtle took the keys and looked at them. “The same key for both doors?”
Lance nodded his head. “Mmm-hmm. The pink key is to Lady Arykah’s office, and the blue key is to my office. The only other folks that have copies of the keys to the church are Brian, the deacons, and Minister Weeks.”
“Why do I need keys to the church?”
“Because sometimes you’ll be here alone.”
Myrtle’s breath caught in her throat. “In this big ole church?”
“Well, yes,” Lance said. “You know I own a construction company on the north side of the city. I divide my time between there and here at the church. And Lady Arykah rarely comes here in the mornings because she sells real estate. The custodian, Brian, will be here most of the time. He cleans the church and takes care of the landscape. Are you okay with being alone sometime?”
Myrtle shrugged her shoulders. “I guess I’ll have to be, won’t I?”
“I don’t want you to worry. The church is in a pretty decent neighborhood. Cliff will bring you right to the front door. Brian works the same hours as you, nine to five, but often he’s here as early as eight. Once you’re inside, lock the door behind you and don’t open it for anyone. I overheard you and Cheeks talking earlier. She pointed out where all of the emergency contact numbers are, right?”
“Yes, she did. She also programmed yours and Minister Carlton Weeks cell numbers in my phone.”
Lance smiled. He pointed to an empty chair across his desk. “Have a seat.”
“Should I get my notepad and pen?”
“No,” he chuckled. “Not for this.”
Myrtle sat across from Lance.
“I’m really glad you’re here, Mother.”
“Why is that, Bishop?”
“I know I can trust you. You left your church where you’ve been for most of your life to come here and rescue Arykah from Mother Pansie Bowak and Mother Gussie Hughes.”
“I was furious when Monique told me what they were doing over here. I had to come. I love Arykah so much,” Myrtle said. “Both of them are the daughters I never had.”
Lance nodded. “I know you love them, and it shows. You have Arykah’s back, and you’re exactly who we need working at this church.”
“I love you too, Bishop. You are an awesome pastor, an amazing husband to Arykah, and you’re just an all-around cool dude.”
Lance smiled at Myrtle’s words. “I never thanked you for what you did for me when I felt like I was losing a grip on things when Arykah was attacked. Do you remember what you said to me in my kitchen the night I brought Arykah home from the hospital?”
Myrtle nodded her head. “Yep, Monique and Adonis had left, and I was washing the dinner dishes when you walked into the kitchen.”
“Thanks for staying over tonight, Mother Myrtle. I can’t do this on my own.”
Myrtle dried her hands with the dish towel. “Come and sit at the table, son.”
They both pulled out chairs and sat down.
“Trust me when I tell you that the devil has peeked into your future, and he doesn’t like what he sees,” Myrtle said. “He’s so angry at you for conquering the role as a husband and a pastor. He doesn’t wanna see you and Arykah blessed. Arykah’s rape was a setback, but she’s gonna be all right. Both of you will get through this.”
Myrtle grabbed Lance’s hands and squeezed them inside her own. “I know she has distanced herself from you. Just be patient
and love her. Hold on to God’s unchanging hand. Be still and know that He is God. There is glory after this.”
“I’ll never forget that,” Lance said.
“And wasn’t I correct? Didn’t God bring y’all out?”
“He sure did.”
Arykah poked her head inside Lance’s office. “What’s going on in here?”
“Mother Myrtle and I were just going over a few things.”
“It’s lunchtime,” Arykah said.
“Neither of us have our cars; we’ll have to order in.”
“Chinese?” Arykah asked.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Mongolian beef with fried rice,” Lance said to Myrtle.
Arykah looked at her. “Chicken with broccoli for me.”
Myrtle sat and looked from Arykah to Lance. She wondered what the heck they were gaping at her for. “I gotta order y’alls lunch too?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Lance asked Myrtle.
“Tell me what?”
“Not only does my secretary make my coffee, she fetches my lunch too.”
Arykah chuckled.
Myrtle stood from her chair and headed to her own desk. “You better be glad I like you,” she said to Lance. “And don’t think I ain’t getting myself lunch on your dime.”
On Friday, late morning, at Bowen Realty Offices, Arykah and Randy Brown finalized all of the paperwork. After he autographed his name for what seemed like one hundred times, Randy received the keys to his new estate in North Barrington.
“Congratulations,” Arykah said. She extended her hand to him.
Randy shook her hand. “Thank you.”
“So, how will you surprise your wife? Tamara, right?”
“Tamara, yes. I haven’t quite figured that out yet.”
The wheels in Arykah’s head turned. She recalled the day she sold Lance their home before they were married. He had invited Arykah over for dinner that very night he closed on the home. She thought that was very romantic. “Can I make a suggestion?”
Lady Arykah Reigns Page 17