“That was hitting a little below the belt, don’t you think?” With a pained expression on her face, Ruth looked at Alice.
“I think you like the man, but you’re too afraid to admit it, or to let yourself become involved with a man, because Daniel hurt you too badly.”
“Allie, he murdered someone. There’s a good possibility that someone in my congregation won’t approve of me dating him. Still, I admit I felt an attraction to him, and that’s why I accepted his lunch invitation.”
“I’m sure your congregation has studied the Bible, and has listened to you and Bishop preach over the years about how Christians aren’t perfect. Wasn’t King David a murderer? Didn’t the apostle Paul spend time in prison? Didn’t God have good things in store for those men? The key is asking for forgiveness for our sins, and owning up to our faults and trying to do better.”
“I know you’re not trying to debate theology with me?” Ruth’s eyebrows rose in disbelief.
“Well, you know I’m not lying. Most of the people you read about in the Bible were flawed. But through faith, repentance, and much prayer, they were able to fulfill the destiny that God had in store for them. Even Cain, after murdering his brother, was forgiven by God. I don’t know Aron personally. I’ve seen him around church, and he seems to have taken responsibility for his shortcomings, and made the most of life. He’s cute for an older guy,” Alice said innocently.
“I’m attracted to him, and that scares me. I’ve only been that attracted to one other man in my life, and where did it get me? I’ll tell you—divorced by the time I hit my fifties, discarded like an old mare, and abandoned for a younger woman.” Ruth shrugged her shoulders helplessly.
“You’ve got to let those feelings go and live your life, girl. We both know you’re a good person. Just breathe, and then you’ll be okay.” Alice waved her hand in the air and exhaled loudly. “Who would have thought that in our sixties, we’d be talking like this about men, like we did as preteens?” She giggled, picking up her can of 7UP, and then sipped.
“You got that right,” Ruth agreed. There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two friends. “I’m really struggling with the church budget,” Ruth confessed. “We truly need more money to keep some of the ministries afloat.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alice remarked. “What do you plan to do?”
“I’m not sure. My mind tells me that I’m going to have to shut down a few of the outreach programs until the economy picks up. And only God knows when that’s going to be. I have been praying and fasting over the matter.”
“You know it’s all going to work out in the long run, don’t you? There have always been times when the economy has slowed down, and despite that, the world continues to function.”
“I know in my heart that the high unemployment rate in Chicago, has contributed to offerings being down. Chicago TransitAuthority has raised bus fares. People are having a hard time just trying to survive,” Ruth responded.
“You’re right. But God takes care of His own, and you and Bishop have done so many good things for The Temple. I don’t think God will let you down now.”
“I thought about asking the members to increase their offerings and tithes, but it doesn’t sit well with me in this tough economic time. For the first time in many years, our food pantry is running low on supplies. I’ve been supplementing the food from my own pocket.”
“What has the finance committee suggested?” Alice asked.
“That we cut some programs and maybe combine services to save on utilities. The Temple is old, and the upkeep can be costly at times. I’m torn about what to do,” Ruth admitted.
“Stay prayerful and listen to God’s direction. He will never steer you wrong.” Alice yawned. “I’m a little tired, so why don’t we do scripture and pray now? I have a student I’m going to tutor at Fort Dearborn School tomorrow, so I’d like to get some rest.” She leaned her back against her seat.
“Are you sure you’re up for tutoring? Maybe you should rest tomorrow,” Ruth suggested, a concerned tone in her voice.
“That’s why I’m going to bed early. If I’m not up to it in the morning, then I’ll cancel. Right now, I plan to go.”
“Okay.” Ruth hopped up from the sofa, went to the dining room, and removed the Bible from the buffet. She thumbed through the pages of the Bible. “I’m going to read from Deuteronomy 31:8. ‘And the Lord, he is it that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.’ The second scripture is from Joshua1:9. ‘Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.’”
“I like those verses, good choices, Ruth. Amen,” Alice said, and closed her eyes.
Ruth laid the Bible on the cocktail table, and then she and Alice joined hands. Ruth closed her eyes tightly and prayed fervently.
“Amen,” Alice said, waving her hands in the air when Ruth was done. She turned to her friend and said, “Well done. Sometimes I’m going to need you to be a friend, and then at other times my pastor. You’ll know when I need you to step into either role. I’m not going to worry about what tomorrow brings, and I don’t want you to either, because God has this. He is our Redeemer, our bright and morning star, and He will never leave us.”
Alice and Ruth hugged each other tightly. Then they stood and walked to Ruth’s front door.
“See you in the morning,” Alice said to Ruth, winking, after she unlocked the door.
“Yes, see you then,” Ruth said, and waved.
After Alice locked her door, Ruth did the same. She walked back into the living room and took the glasses she and Alice had drunk from to the kitchen and loaded them along with the other dishes into the dishwasher. She returned to the living room, and then she sat on the sofa and meditated.
A few hours later, Ruth retired for the night. She turned off the light on the nightstand, but she was too keyed up to sleep. She rose midway off the bed and turned on the light again. She turned on the CD player and resumed listening to the Smokie Norful CD that she’d been listening to before she left the house that morning. The song “God Is Able” flooded the room. She leaned against the pillow, closed her eyes, and listened to the music. As she let the music soothe her spirit, the telephone rang. She peered at the phone anxiously.
Ruth picked up the receiver from the cradle and tentatively said, “Hello.” Her stomach muscles clenched at the thought of yet another crisis to be faced. Her first thoughts flitted on Alice, and then her children. Please, Lord, let all be well.
Chapter Twelve
“Momma, are you still up?” Sarah asked. She sat on the edge of the bed inside the ash-gray-and-mauve striped guest bedroom of Daniel’s house. Her laptop was placed on the other side of the bed, booted up, and she was logged on to her e-mail account at her job.
With the receiver cradled in her neck, Ruth sat up in the bed and reached over to turn off the CD player. “I am. I’m just lying in the bed listening to Smokie Norful’s Nothing Without You CD. How are you feeling?”
“I’m good. I love that CD. I picked up Mary Mary’s new CD for you. I think you’ll like it. I just wanted to see how things went today with Aunt Alice. We really didn’t get a chance to talk earlier. How is she feeling, and how are you doing?”
“We’re both a little tired.” Ruth sighed. “It’s been a long day. Alice is doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.”
“Good,” Sarah commented. “Aunt Alice is one of the strongest women I know, and I’m sure she’s ready to face the disease head-on and beat it.”
“How was your day?” Ruth asked, shifting in the bed to get more comfortable.
“Not too bad. The boys are little demons sometimes. I was ready to pull out my hair, until I realized they’re trying to cope with the abandonment of their mother, as well as an indifferent father. Looking at it from that perspective has given me patience.”
&
nbsp; “It’s good you’re there, because they need a stable influence right now,” Ruth said.
“I had a talk with Daddy, and I pretty much told him he has to get it together. He lets the boys run roughshod over him and the house. He just sits on that chair by the window and stares outside, while the boys are wreaking havoc inside. He’s been wearing the same clothes every day, and he’s beginning to smell.” Sarah’s nose wrinkled, as if she smelled a dead rat.
“Hmm, it sounds like Daniel is suffering from depression. That happens sometimes in situations like this,” Ruth observed. She kicked the bedcoverings off her body and crossed her feet.
“If he’s suffering from depression, he’s been doing that for a while, from what Felicia told me. She and her husband offered to take the boys home with them. I asked them to give me a little time with Daddy; and if that didn’t work out, then I’d give her a call. Then today Daddy had the nerve to say that maybe he should give the boys to Felicia and her husband.”
Ruth could feel the crossness in her daughter’s voice from that idea. “Daniel must really feel overwhelmed to have said something like that. Well, I’m glad you’re there to help him, Sarah. I know he appreciates your presence, even if he doesn’t say so.”
“I think I had a major breakthrough with him this afternoon about the state of his family and his behavior. I basically told Daddy that it was time for him to grow up. The boys are the children, not him; and I emphasized how much they need him, with Lenora not being here. I’m hoping he’ll become more understanding about his sons’ needs,” Sarah shared with her mother. She reached over and clicked to save an e-mail she had been working on before she called Ruth.
“Good for you,” Ruth responded. “I know God put the right words in your heart to get through to your father.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I did,” Sarah observed. “Daddy broke down and cried after we talked. I don’t ever remember him crying my entire life. He admitted that he was ashamed of how he handled some things in his life.”
Ruth’s breath seemed to be caught in her chest. Her interest was piqued. She wanted to ask Sarah if Daniel had said anything about her, but she quickly dismissed the idea. “That’s even better,” she managed to reply smoothly. “There comes a time when one has to admit their failings and sins, and take responsibility for the outcome of the hurt their actions might have caused. Good for Daniel. We’ll keep praying for him, and God will make it right for him and the boys.”
“I also talked to Naomi this afternoon, and she’s not coming home this weekend, but next Friday, instead,” Sarah informed her mother.
“Well, that’s good to hear,” Ruth replied enthusiastically as a smile filled her face. “It seems like it’s been ages since we’ve seen her. Too bad it’s not this weekend, but at least she’s coming home. How is she doing?”
“Looking forward to graduation. And she asked me the oddest question,” Sarah told her mother.
“What was that?” Ruth was immediately alarmed. “Naomi isn’t ill or anything, is she?”
Sarah laughed out loud. “No, nothing like that. She asked me what I thought about her bringing a friend home with her.”
“That’s different,” Ruth mused as she unloosened the wrap scarf on her head. “I don’t remember her ever asking about bringing someone home with her.”
“I didn’t tell her, but I was surprised too. I asked Naomi if her friend was male or female, and it’s a man.”
“Oh, my.” Ruth sat upright in the bed. “Do you think she plans to get married or something? I don’t know what to think.”
“I think you’re jumping the gun, Momma. I don’t think anything is wrong. Naomi is almost thirty years old. It’s time she settled down. I think it’s good that she’s bringing a man with her,” Sarah said, voicing her opinion.
“Goodness, where will the two of them stay? Did she say?” Ruth’s head was spinning with thoughts.
“No, but they can always stay with me if they like. There’s a little bit more room at my house,” Sarah hastily added. “Not that there’s anything wrong with your place.”
“I have a futon that can be converted to a bed, if needed,” Ruth said, defending her space.
“That’s fine, Mom, I didn’t mean anything. I’m just saying they’re welcome to stay here. She’ll be here next Friday. I was thinking of having the Saturday dinner, when Nay comes home, here at my house for the family. Are you okay with that?”
“That sounds like a plan. My meeting with the finance committee is scheduled for next Friday evening, and there’s no telling what time I’ll get out of there. Sunday is the first Sunday, and we have Communion. So Saturday sounds good. Just let me know what you want me to bring.”
Ruth debated mentioning her date with Aron. Then she decided not to mention it, and felt a flash of guilt. Ruth always shared her news with Sarah. She justified her actions by telling herself that it wasn’t worth mentioning, anyway, since she wasn’t sure she would see Aron again socially after Friday. Ruth hadn’t yet come to terms with her congregation’s possible reaction.
“What else is new?” Sarah asked Ruth.
Ruth talked about the plumbing problem at church and how Aron had come to the rescue.
“That’s another good man. I’m surprised some woman hasn’t snatched him up at church. I see the mothers, and a few of the younger women, congregating around him after church. Monet and I had a conversation about that a few weeks ago,” Sarah told her mother.
“Hmm. I didn’t know he was that popular. I just assumed people judged him by his past deeds.”
Sarah waved her hand, dismissing her mother’s comments. “Momma, that was years ago. Mr. Reynolds has paid his debt to society. And I think he has proven his worth to the church. Did you know that he attended Brian’s mentoring group two weeks ago and had a talk with the young men about the consequences of committing crimes? The session went really well. Joshua attended, and I decided to tag along. Quite a few parents were in attendance, and the feedback that Brian received afterward was very positive. He plans to talk to Mr. Reynolds about joining the committee.”
“You never told me that,” Ruth said. She thought she had her finger on every facet of the church.
“I thought I did. But you’ve been so busy with the financial crisis, I sometimes don’t think you hear a word I say. After Mr. Reynolds spoke, Marcus Caldwell talked to the boys and made himself available for questions too. I think the two made a good pair. The boys were simply spellbound by the lectures. Brian and Marcus plan to sponsor a career fair at the church, which I think is a good idea.”
Ruth chided herself for not paying closer attention when Sarah talked to her about church activities.
“I meant to tell you earlier, if you hire Mr. Reynolds, then you’re going to have to present his application to the board of directors,” Sarah advised.
“Why is that?” Ruth asked. “I thought applications had to be presented for salaried positions. Aron has volunteered for the time being. Although I feel bad about the lack of payment, since the church is so enormous.”
“You’re right,” Sarah commented. “If the position is on a volunteer basis, then it’s up to your discretion. If you decide to hire him after the trial, then you’ll have to present his application to the committee. If you have time, mention it at the meeting.”
“That’s a good idea.” Ruth picked up the notepad on her nightstand and wrote herself a note. She planned to ask Aron to fill out an employment application on Friday during their lunch.
“Momma, I’ve got to go. I’m logged on to my e-mail account at work, and I need to find a document to attach to an e-mail from one of the managers. Luckily, I e-mailed myself a copy and saved it. Have a good night, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Love you.”
“Love you too, Sarah.” Ruth hung up the telephone and pulled the covers back on her legs.
She was simply astonished to learn that Aron played a bigger part in the church than she suspected. Perhaps she had been
overreacting about her congregation’s response to dating him. Then her mind roamed to Daniel. What if he was beginning to change, as Sarah suspected? What if he decided he wanted her back? Ruth couldn’t imagine herself ever being the object of desire between two men. She married Daniel when she was barely out of her teens, and she didn’t have any points of reference regarding other men.
She admitted to herself, if she could pass the hurdle with the church and they had no problems with her dating an ex-convict, then maybe she could see Aron socially if they clicked. All of Ruth’s anxieties regarding her date with Aron were for naught. As it turned out, she ended up canceling her date with Aron. One of the church members had emergency surgery and Ruth had to go to the hospital.
When she called and told Aron about her change of plans, Aron was gallant and asked for a rain check for the following week. Ruth told him definitely, and that she was looking forward to having lunch with him. After hanging up, she smiled prettily to herself. She really was looking forward to it.
Chapter Thirteen
The second week of April, spring showers pounded unmercifully on the city of Chicago. The Wilcox family eagerly awaited and prepared for Naomi’s weekend visit.
Sarah and Ruth’s houses were spick-and-span clean. Both women anxiously anticipated Naomi’s visit, as well as meeting her friend. Sarah and Ruth had talked on the phone during the week, wondering about Naomi’s friend. They promised to do everything in their power to make the weekend a memorable one for Naomi and her guest. It was a big deal to the Wilcox family—their baby girl Naomi was bringing a man home.
Naomi and Montgomery had booked a reservation at the Hilton Hotel in Oak Lawn, a suburb of Chicago, for the duration of their visit.
By midmorning, Naomi and Montgomery were on their way to Chicago. She looked attractive in a pair of stonewashed jeans, with a beige-and-cream sweater and a tan leather jacket, with a matching cap lying jauntily on her head. Naomi still liked to pamper herself as she did as a teen, so her toenails and fingernails were painted a burnt sienna color, which matched her lipstick. She had given up weaves, and her hair was styled in a precise blunt cut with a hint of red highlights. Montgomery wore a pair of dark jeans, with a gray pullover shirt. He had on a black leather jacket.
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