Silver Lining

by Wanda B. Campbell

  “Kevin,” she began somberly. “You don’t understand what I am trying to accomplish.” She paused. “I am trying to make sure this church is around long after I am gone. Why can’t you help me continue the work of the ministry?” she questioned with the sincerest expression.

  “Mother, how many times do I have to tell you that I am not a preacher, or pastor, nor do I desire to become one? It’s not my calling.”

  Pastor Jennings interlocked her fingers, then leaned forward. “I know it’s not you’re calling, but I have trained Reyna well. If the two of you marry, she can run the church for you. That way the church can remain in the family.”

  Kevin was still shaking his head long after he stood and walked over to the window. For a while he just gazed out the window, focusing on nothing in particular. It was bad enough his mother wanted control of the church while she was alive, but from the grave too?

  “Well what do you know,” he said, finally turning around. “The truth finally comes out. You’re not genuinely concerned about my happiness and you really don’t care about Reyna’s well-being. This is all about control, plain and simple.”

  “Kevin, that’s not true. You’re always analyzing everything. You’re an ophthalmologist for goodness’ sake, not a psychologist!”

  Kevin never thought he would see the day his mother would stoop to rolling her eyes and smacking her lips. “It is true. It has always been about control. I am just now identifying it, but it’s definitely control. That’s why you avoided spending time with Dad. He wouldn’t allow you to control him, so you camped out at church where you had total control.”

  “I stayed away from your father because he wasn’t saved, not because I wanted control!” Pastor Jennings was yelling again, a sure indication Kevin had hit the nail on the head.

  “Was Dad saved when you used his money to pull the church out of debt?” If Kevin were in arm’s reach, his face would be on fire again, of that he was sure. “No, he wasn’t. I know because I was there.” Kevin paused briefly before making his next statement. “Mother, there is no easy way to tell you this, but if Reyna pastors this church, it won’t be because I’m her husband. I won’t be here. I’m moving my membership to Restoration Ministries effective this Sunday.”

  Pastor Jennings was floored. She knew Kevin had been distant, but the idea of him leaving her leadership never crossed her mind. “You’re leaving the church over that woman?”

  “I’m not leaving the church.” He sighed. “I am moving my membership to the church where my spirit is being fed. I truly enjoy the worship services to the point where I look forward to going. I haven’t been excited about coming here in a long time. Pastor Drake’s Bible Study is awesome and I’m learning a lot about what true Christianity is and what it’s not. There’s a sense of family there and true fellowship. I don’t feel that here. They have strong ministries in place and it’s active for all ages. Mother, all we have here is you.”

  All the truths spoken didn’t matter; Pastor Jennings focused on one thing. “You’re choosing that woman over me. You’re not going to divorce her, are you?”

  “Mother, you should try to get to know Marlissa. She really has changed.”

  “If she’s changed so much, then why is she making you change churches? She’s just trying to keep you away from me,” she charged.

  “Marlissa is not making me do anything. I haven’t shared my plans with her yet. I am making this move because this is what’s best for me.”

  Pastor Jennings whined, “Kevin. I am what’s best for you, I am your mother.”

  “You are my mother, that will never change, but you are no longer my pastor. It’s better this way. I need to grow, and you need to find out who you are outside of church.”

  She gasped again as the truth rang out, but she wasn’t ready to accept it yet. “I know who I am. I am saved and sanctified.”

  Kevin started for door. Reaching for the knob, he said, “Mother, learn to listen. The word was who you are, not what you are. You should do a self-examination. Are you really saved and sanctified or have you grown accustomed to reciting the words? Manipulating Reyna for your benefit and plotting my divorce is not something a saved and sanctified person would practice.” Kevin made it out a second before the stapler banged against the door.

  Reyna lifted her swollen head from the headrest and timidly rubbed her enlarged eyes, then tried to figure out her location. She had slept the entire ride home from the police station. The big red Walgreens sign came into focus, and Reyna realized she was in the retail drugstore’s parking lot. After reading the time on the console, Reyna inspected her clothing. Getting beaten senseless by Marlissa the night before left her vision too blurred to notice that her $200 dress had been ripped and ruined. Reyna patted the top of her head and cringed. Anxious to see the damage firsthand, Reyna released the visor and screamed, “Aw!” Her fresh curls had transformed into a matted mess. This went far beyond a bad hair day, thanks to the head dunk inside the fish tank.

  Her hair reaction was cut short once she beheld her reflection. The image was too much. Her face was three different shades of purple. Although the right eye was nearly shut, it was twice the size of the left one, which was open. With both jaws swollen, her nose appeared off center. Her once thin lips had tripled in size, and traces of dry blood trickled down her chin. The vision coupled with the aches that racked her body broke her down. Reyna covered her ravaged face and cried deep sobs. “How in the world did this happen to me?”

  Reyna had been asking that question and many others all through the night. It was as if she experienced a reality check behind those cold bars and on the linoleum floor. Why did she think it was appropriate to seduce a married man? What possessed her to scale the deck in a $200 dress? Why was she chasing Kevin anyway? What made her believe they had a future together after Kevin blatantly told her otherwise? All those questions taunted her through the night. Then this morning she asked, why had Pastor Jennings refused to come get her out of jail?

  Pastor Jennings had been Reyna’s one phone call, but she was more concerned with knowing if Kevin knew she had given Reyna his house key than she was about Reyna being arrested. Once Reyna admitted she had told him, Pastor Jennings went on to scold her for making a mess of everything. “Call me when you get out,” Pastor Jennings had snapped, then hung up. At first Reyna thought she was being sarcastic, but by 3:00 A.M. Reyna was resolved to the fact that Pastor Jennings wasn’t coming.

  “Here.”

  Reyna cried so hard she didn’t see Tyson walking toward the car, nor had she heard him open the door of his BMW. Reyna grabbed tissues from Tyson without looking at him. “Thank you,” she offered once her face was clean, but she was too ashamed to hold her head up and glance in his direction.

  Tyson didn’t press her. “No problem. I picked up some ice packs and some medicine for the aches and pain.”

  When he turned down her street, Reyna said, “I am sorry to inconvenience you. I didn’t know Pastor Jennings would send you to bail me out.”

  Tyson parked and killed the engine before turning to her. Reyna still wouldn’t allow him to see her face, shielding it with her hand.

  “Reyna, I haven’t spoken with Pastor Jennings since I started visiting Restoration Ministries over a month ago. Kevin called this morning and told me what happened. He is the one who sent me to make sure everything was in order. He’s not pressing charges, but he is hoping that now you’ll leave him alone.”

  Reyna winced, but not from the pain. The realization that Pastor Jennings didn’t care enough about her to send help penetrated her gut deeper than Marlissa’s karate kick.

  Tyson walked around to the passenger’s side, but before assisting Reyna out of the vehicle, he offered her some words of advice. “Reyna, I think some time away from people, Pastor Jennings included, and alone with God will open your eyes to what’s really going on with your life. I think you should pray about your relationship with Pastor Jennings. You should also associate
yourself with other Christians. Trust me, Reyna, there’s nothing like experiencing the real liberty that comes from the believing in Jesus Christ. I’m so glad I met Pastor Drake at that picnic and accepted his invitation to visit the church. I’ve learned so much to help me grow in such a short period of time.”

  Tyson’s words resounded in Reyna’s head all day. He was just as right today as he had been on Memorial Day. She didn’t know who she was or what made her happy. Reyna had walked in Pastor Jennings’s shadow for so long, she couldn’t even think for herself. Reyna had taken the slogan, “What would Jesus do?” and changed it to “What would Pastor Jennings do?”

  Before turning in for the night, Reyna checked for voice messages. Pastor Jennings still hadn’t called.

  Chapter 25

  From the archway, Kevin observed the back of Marlissa’s head. For the third consecutive night she had left him alone in bed during the middle of the night, preferring the cushions of the sofa over the firmness of his body. Marlissa didn’t know that Kevin had knitted himself to her so that he literally couldn’t sleep without her next to him. Marlissa had unknowingly robbed him of what he needed to be alert for the task awaiting him in the operating room in just three short hours. That’s not what worried him, though. Kevin was more concerned about why Marlissa was slowing withdrawing from him, and if she would eventually run away again.

  The first night Kevin didn’t think much of her change of venue. Marlissa had returned to bed in just under an hour and resumed her position under his arm. Last night she stayed away longer, almost two hours, but upon returning she offered Kevin her back. Tonight it had been three hours, and, based on the blanket covering her, Kevin guessed he would spend the rest of the dark hours alone. He was so terrified of being rejected again; tonight he used their playtime to try to convey a message to her.

  Kevin methodically and deliberately loved every inch of her. Using all of his skills, Kevin attempted to permanently sear her senses with him to the point where she needed him like she needed oxygen. He wanted to plant a need in her that only he could feed. When she shuddered in tears, he thought he had succeeded.

  Using his crutch, Kevin walked over to the couch and hovered above her. He’d assumed she was sleeping, but Marlissa was wide awake, staring at the blank big-screen TV.

  “’Lissa, are you all right?”

  Slowly she sat upright, and offered him a slight smile before answering, “I will be.”

  “Why are you out here?” Kevin sat down next to her and placed his arm around her shoulder, then kissed her on the forehead.

  “Couldn’t sleep,” Marlissa answered honestly. Their earlier playtime had left her too emotionally spent to the point where she didn’t know if she would ever be able to sleep again. She had connected with Kevin so intimately that she completely surrendered the essence of herself to him. The tears she shed afterward weren’t the usual tears of fulfillment. Tonight Marlissa’s raw emotions wouldn’t allow her to deny the truth any longer: she loved Kevin too much to let him go. If the reconciliation wasn’t successful, mentally she wouldn’t survive.

  Thoughts of life without Kevin were what had drawn her into the den and compelled her to sit and stare at nothing for the past three nights. Marlissa was trying to prepare for the inevitable. By the calendar, the divorce should have been final in the next week or so, and Kevin didn’t seem concerned at all. The only thing to pique his interest was the gala scheduled for the following evening.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Marlissa shook her head from side to side. “Not now, you need some rest.”

  Kevin gazed down at her intensely, wishing he could read her mind. Was she plotting her getaway? Had her feelings for him changed? Was she tired of him? Had he made a mistake by getting involved with her again? Those questions and more bombarded his mind and caused his chest muscles to constrict.

  “Mind if I stay here with you?” His vulnerability wouldn’t allow him to be alone. He had to be next to her, to feel her and make sure she didn’t completely slip away from him.

  Marlissa’s answer was to lay her head against his chest. With Kevin’s strong arms securely wrapped around her body, Marlissa stopped fretting long enough to fall asleep. Only after Kevin was positive sleep had overtaken her did he allow himself to drift off without loosening his hold on her.

  Chapter 26

  It was a miracle that Marlissa applied the liquid eyeliner without smearing it and giving an illusion of having a black eye. She didn’t recall being this nervous on her wedding day. For her, tonight’s gala was just as important. It was the first time she and Kevin would be seen together outside of casual dinners and church. It was the first time they would be addressed publicly in a professional setting as Dr. and Mrs. Jennings, and, with Kevin receiving an award, Marlissa wanted to look perfect. She’d spent Saturday morning receiving head-to-toe body treatments, primping and primming for the occasion. Marlissa enjoyed a facial, manicure, and pedicure, and suffered through a painful eyebrow waxing. At the hair salon, she decided at the last minute to wear her hair pinned up, leaving a few loose curls dangling. Everything was in order; now all she had to do was apply her makeup correctly.

  As she outlined her lips and filled in the lip color, Marlissa sat at the vanity and quietly admired her work before she inserted the diamond tear-drop earrings Kevin had given her for her birthday two weeks ago. She then headed to the walk-in closet for the four-inch black beaded slingbacks that matched perfectly with her dress; a treat from Kevin on a shopping trip to Nordstrom. Moments later, while she admired the finished product in the full-length mirror, Kevin walked up from behind and kissed her neck.

  “You’re beautiful,” he whispered. “What can I do to win you?”

  Marlissa blushed and inspected his giant muscular frame through the mirrored glass. The black Georgio Armani tuxedo with gold cummerbund was tailored perfectly for his large, well-developed upper torso. “Thanks, gorgeous, but please don’t kiss me like that again.”

  Kevin’s defenses immediately shot up, and possessively his arm went around her waist as his lips found her neck again. “What? You gave me permission to kiss you anytime I want, remember?”

  Marlissa moaned before verbally responding. “You do have permission, but if you keep doing that, we won’t make it to the gala. It took me over twenty minutes to find the right shade to cover your other markings.” She’d finally gotten those hickies she desired.

  Kevin responded by moving his hands slowly down the sides of her body. “We can be late, it’s not like we don’t have reserved seating.”

  Marlissa decided to burst his ego. “True, but you wouldn’t look right arriving in a wheelchair and stuttering.” Kevin ceased his hand movements and frowned. Marlissa answered his next question before he could voice it. “When I get through with you, not only will you be unable to walk, you won’t know your own name. When you accept the award, the only words coming from your mouth will be ‘my sweet ’Lissa.’” Marlissa imitated his roar.

  Kevin forged shock. “I can’t believe you said all that with a straight face. Your ego is bigger than mine.”

  “That’s because I am telling the truth and you know it.” Smiling, Marlissa turned to face him. “Say my name.”

  He pressed her into him. “Frontward or backward? English or Spanish?”

  “Too many decisions,” Marlissa whispered, suddenly becoming lost in the seduction his voice promised. “Just kiss me.”

  After a delectable feast, Kevin pulled back. “’Lissa, thank you for sharing this moment with me. Your presence really means a lot to me.”

  Marlissa wanted him to say more, but he didn’t and she wasn’t going to push him, not tonight. But very soon he would have to level with her.

  “Anytime.” She smiled, and then headed back to the bathroom to refresh her lipstick. It was while painting her bottom lip that Marlissa caught a glimpse of her bare left ring finger. She blinked back tears as thoughts of her wedding band flashed
before her. The two-carat marquis cut diamond would go perfectly with her outfit, or any outfit for that matter. But she didn’t own it anymore; she had left it behind along with the house keys the day she left. “I’ll probably never wear that ring again,” she mumbled, and placed the lipstick into her black beaded purse. Tonight was Kevin’s night and Marlissa loved him enough to allow him to enjoy the moment, but tomorrow she would learn exactly where she stood with him.

  “Shall we?” Kevin asked from the doorway with his arm extended.

  “Lead the way.”

  Marlissa gasped and wondered if Cinderella felt this much excitement on her way to the ball. The white majestic Claremont Resort & Spa tucked away in the Berkeley hills was literally a former castle transformed into a grand hotel. The world-class resort amenities included tennis courts, a 20,000 square-foot state-ofthe-art spa, and 279 plush guest rooms. World travelers and the Bay Area’s elite paid nearly $2,000 per night for the royal treatment. Marlissa, like thousands of regular Bay Area residents, had passed the resort hundreds of times wishing for a glimpse inside. Tonight she wouldn’t have to wish.

  No sooner had Kevin set the gear shift into park than the valet opened the door to the Mercedes. Kevin thought the early summer night was perfect. Not because the sunset sprayed the sky with yellow and burnt orange rays, nor did he attribute the seventy-degree weather to the magnificence. It was all Marlissa; she was simply beautiful. Admiring the provocative shoes as her shapely long legs stepped from the vehicle, Kevin felt an urge to kiss her.

  “You’re the most beautiful woman here,” Kevin said, after he kissed her hand.

  Marlissa giggled. “How do you know that? We haven’t gone inside yet.”

  “Marlissa Jennings, you’re the most beautiful woman anywhere and everywhere all the time.”

  “You’re mackin’ real hard tonight.” Marlissa continued giggling as they made their way to the entrance.