Letting Misery Go

by Michelle Larks

  “That it does. It’s hard to believe that we’re the family elders now. For so long, it was Queen and Bishop and my few aunts and uncles, who are now deceased. Now it’s us and my children.”

  “Well, as they say, time doesn’t stand still. So how did it feel yesterday with Aron and Daniel being in the same room? I’m sure you were shocked when Daniel came to Sarah’s, and then Aron came with Monet.”

  “Girl, you could have knocked me over with a feather both times. It was a weird feeling. I thought Daniel’s apology to the family was sincere, though those boys of his are something else,” Ruth said.

  “They are the spawn of Lenora,” Alice muttered.

  Ruth and Alice cracked up.

  “Seriously, though, I think Mr. Wilcox is planning on putting the moves on you. He hasn’t considered there’s another sheriff in town named Mr. Reynolds.”

  Ruth looked down at her folded hands, and had the grace to blush. “I think you’re reading way too much into this. Daniel is still technically married, but there’s no way I’d get back together with him, anyway. Plus, I have to admit, I’m starting to develop deep feelings for Aron. We had a nice chat today and he cheered me up.”

  “Good. From what I could see of him yesterday, he seems like a good, strong black man. I’m sure everyone with eyes could sense the attraction between you two.”

  “He would be perfect, if not for that jail record,” Ruth mused.

  Alice sat up, erect. “I would hate for you to miss out on a good thing because you’re concerned about what people might say.”

  “Now, Alice, you know between us, you were the fiery one, not me. I was, and still am, the compromiser. I tend to go with the flow. I don’t deny that I have an attraction to Aron,” Ruth said primly. “What do you want to hear?” She stood up and removed the Bible from the bottom shelf of the cocktail table.

  “I think I’m in the mood for some verses from Hebrews: 13.”

  “I know just what you mean,” Ruth replied. She returned to her seat and opened the Bible to the book of Hebrews, and read the thirteenth chapter.

  “Amen.” Alice nodded her approval. “There is a lot going on in that scripture that applies to Aron, Daniel, you, and me. Specifically verses four through six. You know the part about whoremongers and adulterers. But the verse that is near and dear to my heart dealing with my health issue is the end of verse five; I will never leave nor forsake thee. What do you think?”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” Ruth replied stiffly, although she knew what Alice was going to say.

  “Sure, you do,” Alice said triumphantly. “Aron has been imprisoned, and Daniel has been the adulterer. I know whatever God has in store for me regarding my cancer, He will never leave or forsake me. And you, my dear”—she looked gloatingly at Ruth—“you should not fear what man shall do, and that includes your congregation. At some point, we have to come out of that comfort zone and enjoy the blessings God has in store for us.”

  “Did that scripture tell you anything about Fred, while you were analyzing everyone else?” Ruth asked cattily.

  “Now, that just wasn’t fair, Pastor Ruth,” Alice replied tartly. “I don’t like your tone.”

  “You’re right. I just have to give things time on my end.”

  “I’m sure you will make the right decision. Because, as sure as the sun rises each day, I sense Daniel wants to make a comeback, and I’m not sure his intentions are pure.”

  “You know what”—Ruth nodded her head—“Naomi pretty much told me the same thing when I talked to her. But I have to take what she says with a grain of salt because of her dislike of Daniel.”

  “Maybe she sees something that you don’t,” Alice suggested. “I have faith that you will do the right thing. Now I’m hungry. I think I want some soup. Do you think you can hook a sister up?”

  “Coming right up.” Ruth went to her apartment and retrieved the bag off the kitchen counter; then she went back to Alice’s place. She warmed up the soup, and they sat and talked for another hour or so, until Ruth returned to her apartment to prepare for her visit to one of the neighborhood churches. When she returned home from church, Ruth was not the least bit surprised to see that Aron had called. When she returned his call, he’d wanted to know if she had made it home safely. However, Ruth was astonished to see Daniel’s number on caller ID, because she remembered telling him to call her at church. Ruth decided it was too late to call Daniel back; that conversation would be postponed for the time being.

  Before Ruth fell asleep, her telephone rang. She noted the caller was Edwina Henderson, Brother Eddie Duncan’s daughter. “Hello, Edwina.”

  “Pastor Wilcox, I hope I’m not calling at a bad time. Daddy suffered a stroke and he’s in a coma.” Edwina sounded distraught.

  “Oh, no. I’m so sorry to hear that!” Ruth exclaimed. “Do you need me to come to the hospital? Is there anything I can do for you?”

  “I don’t think it’s necessary for you to come out tonight. I just ask that you keep Daddy in your prayers. If you could come to the hospital tomorrow, that would be fine.”

  “I can come tonight. That’s not a problem,” Ruth assured Edwina.

  “Pastor, tomorrow is fine. Just keep our family in your prayers.”

  After Edwina gave the name of the hospital, the women ended the call. Ruth closed her eyes and said a prayer for Brother Duncan’s recovery. She got out of the bed and began quickly dressing. Ruth decided to go to the hospital. She felt remorseful that she hadn’t allowed Brother Duncan to have his say at the meeting. Coils of shame consumed Ruth’s being. She now feared that she’d never find out what Brother Duncan had wanted to tell her.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  In early May, Ruth was sitting in her bedroom. She was reading while the television was on. A commercial aired for an art show that was being held at several Chicago hotels. The advertisement caught her attention. Ruth planned to replace several paintings in her living room, and she decided to attend the show. Ruth called Aron and asked him to go with her. He was more than happy to comply with her request.

  Ruth had taken Alice’s advice, and she and Aron were dating on a regular basis. Ruth was torn about what her congregation might think. The church was still struggling financially, and Ruth felt she couldn’t afford to lose any member.

  Ruth decided to attend the exhibition at the Oak Brook Marriott. She decided that the location was far enough out of the way that they would not run into any church members.

  She and Aron left her house at noon on Saturday and traveled west to Oak Brook.

  “I’ve heard there are several good restaurants in Oak Brook,” she remarked to Aron. “So, to thank you for going to the show with me, I’ll treat you to lunch.”

  “Now, you know, that isn’t necessary. I’m glad you invited me to come with you,” he said meaningfully.

  “I’m glad you accepted my invitation.” Ruth smiled back.

  Before long, they arrived at their destination. Aron parked the car. They exited the vehicle and walked inside the hotel. The warm temperature was an incentive for art lovers to attend the show. The ballroom was crowded.

  Ruth and Aron strolled around the room, hand in hand. They circled the ballroom as Ruth tried to decide which oil paintings she wanted to purchase.

  After an hour had elapsed, Ruth whispered to Aron, “I need to go to the ladies’ room. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’ll go with you, and wait outside for you,” he said. “I’d hate for us to become separated. It’s pretty crowded in here.”

  Ruth asked one of the hotel attendants where the restroom was located. He pointed toward the bank of elevators for access to the rooms. “The restrooms are around the corner from the elevators. You can’t miss it.”

  When Ruth came out of the restroom, Aron was waiting for her. He asked, “Are you hungry? How much longer do you want to stay?”

  The couple had just walked past the elevators, when they heard a voice yell out, “Pastor Ru
th!”

  Ruth stopped dead in her tracks. Her stomach plummeted to her feet. She turned around to see Brother Thomas Ellis and his wife, Jocelyn, smiling at her.

  “Hello, Thomas and Jocelyn. How are you two doing?” Ruth asked politely. Tendrils of dread crisscrossed her stomach because Jocelyn was known to be a gossip.

  “We’re good,” Jocelyn answered. “Well, you’re far from home. Aren’t you going to introduce us to your friend?” Jocelyn looked at Aron with interest in her beady eyes.

  Ruth faltered for a moment. She moistened her lips and said, “This is Aron Reynolds. Aron, this is Brother Thomas Ellis and his wife, Jocelyn.”

  Jocelyn was unaware that Aron was the custodial engineer for the church. Brother Ellis knew exactly who he was. He smirked as Ruth said his name.

  Aron shook hands with the couple. They chatted about the weather.

  “Well, Thomas and I came here for brunch. We should be getting along. It was nice seeing you, Pastor Ruth, and meeting you, Mr. Reynolds,” Jocelyn added. There was a wicked gleam in her eyes.

  “Yes, it was good seeing you, Pastor Ruth,” Thomas echoed. “We’ll see you in church tomorrow.” He took his wife’s arm.

  “You two, enjoy your meal. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ruth watched Thomas and Jocelyn walk away. Jocelyn was leaning toward Thomas, talking animatedly to her husband. The couple glanced back at Ruth and Aron.

  “Ruth,” Aron asked, concerned, “are you okay? You look pale as a ghost.”

  “I’m fine. My head is hurting. Do you mind if we go back to Chicago now?”

  “That’s fine with me, but you didn’t buy anything. I thought you wanted to get some paintings for your house.”

  “You know what? We can do this another time. They have these kinds of shows frequently.”

  “Okay, if that’s what you want to do. I’m sorry you don’t feel good. Would you like me to bring the car around to the front of the hotel?”

  “No, I can walk,” Ruth replied.

  The couple strolled quietly to Aron’s car. All the gaiety had gone out of their excursion. The drive back to Chicago was equally silent. Ruth closed her eyes and leaned against the headrest.

  Before long, Aron was exiting the expressway and driving on Eighty-seventh Street. In a matter of minutes, he parked his car in front of Ruth’s building. He got out of the car and opened Ruth’s door. They walked into the building and stood outside her door.

  Aron grabbed Ruth’s hand. “I hope your mood wasn’t spoiled because we ran into Mr. and Mrs. Ellis.”

  “Of course not,” Ruth denied hollowly. “My head is killing me.”

  “Well, I hope it wasn’t because you were ashamed of being seen with me.” Aron chose his words carefully, though his face was expressionless.

  “Of course not,” Ruth protested. She knew her voice sounded weak.

  Aron kissed her cheek. “I’m not going to pressure you about what happened. Although, I think I can guess why. But we do need to talk about it at some point.”

  “You’re right.” Ruth sighed and placed her hand over her brow. “I’m just tired now. Will you call me later?”

  “I will,” Aron nodded. “Get some rest, and I’ll talk to you later.” He left after Ruth entered her apartment and locked the door.

  Ruth walked into the living room and sat heavily on the sofa. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Ruth hoped against hope that Jocelyn would keep her mouth closed about seeing her and Aron that afternoon. She knew realistically that Jocelyn wouldn’t.

  Ruth would be forced to make a decision. She couldn’t keep straddling the fence. She might be forced into revealing the nature of her relationship with Aron, sooner than she had planned.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Aron sat on the sofa in his living room. The lights were muted as he listened to music. He hoped the jazz recordings would help lighten his depressed mood. After he and Ruth had returned from Oak Brook, he couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of disappointment that had invaded his psyche.

  The telephone rang. Aron’s eyes scanned the caller ID and he answered it. “Hello, daughter,” he greeted Monet.

  “Hi, Daddy. What’s happening with you?”

  “Oh, nothing much. I’m relaxing, listening to music. How are Marcus and the children?”

  “Everyone is fine. The kids are in bed. Marcus had to work. Elise stopped by. I’m helping coordinate her and Derek’s wedding.” A yawn escaped Monet’s lips. “Excuse me.”

  “No harm done,” Aron replied.

  “I tried to call you about a half hour ago, and your phone just rang. What were you doing?” she asked her father nosily.

  “Nothing. I just didn’t feel like talking. My date with Ruth was a disaster.” Aron told her about running into the Ellises.

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Monet said caringly. “Though you haven’t said anything to me about Pastor Ruth, I sense you have strong feelings for her. I don’t want you to get hurt, Daddy.”

  “Are you looking inside your crystal ball?” Aron joshed with Monet. “Tell me what you see?”

  “That’s not it,” Monet denied adamantly. “Pastors are different. People expect perfection from them and the people around them. You know I love her, and whatever is meant to be will happen. I debated telling you this, but Sarah mentioned that her father’s wife has left him. Sarah always thought Pastor Ruth still had feelings for her ex-husband. Just be careful, Dad,” she cautioned.

  “Aren’t I always? I will admit I have feelings for her, but we’re not young children heading to the altar. Love and relationships are different when the parties involved are older.”

  “I know what you mean. But I couldn’t help but notice the looks you were giving Pastor Ruth when we were at Sarah’s house. And I don’t think her ex-husband missed them either. Come to think of it, both of you were giving Pastor Ruth the eye.”

  “I think you’re reading too much into this, Monet.”

  “I don’t think so, Daddy. I always assumed you were done with that part of life. You’re in your seventies.” Monet stopped talking, feeling embarrassed. She felt like she was treading in dangerous waters. “That’s not how I meant to say that.”

  “I understand.” Aron tried to lighten the now-somber mood. “I’m well over the age of consent. My life is not over; there’s still fire left in this old man. I admire Ruth and enjoy her company. I hope we can take our friendship to another level. I want her to accept me for who I am, and not be influenced by what other people think. As for me, there’s no need for you to worry. I can handle myself.”

  Monet felt like she’d offended her father. “Dad, if I was out of line, then I’m sorry. I didn’t mean things the way they came out. You’re entitled to your life. I guess I’m just a little overprotective of you. People can be so cruel, and I just don’t want that for you.” Her voice was emotional and impassioned as she explained her misgivings.

  “I understand, honey, and I appreciate your caring for me. People are always going to talk, no matter how a person lives his life. It’s the nature of the beast. But as parents age, that doesn’t mean they stop living and give up on life, waiting for the inevitable, death. I will be fine.”

  “Just be careful. Seriously, I’m tickled pink. My favorite woman in the world, who happens to be my pastor, and my daddy are dating. I didn’t see that one coming,” she deadpanned.

  “Well, Ms. Monet, gift or not, you can’t always be privy to everything. Ruth and I have a special friendship for now, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”

  “Okay, I’ll see my way out of it. I need to go check on the children and then call Liz. Love you, Daddy.” Liz is Monet’s best friend.

  “I love you too, daughter. Kiss the babies for me.”

  “I will.”

  Aron’s mind began racing. He prayed that Ruth would see him for the man he had become. Aron didn’t want his sins of the past to interfere with his present. He knew Ruth reciprocated his feelings. Most of all,
Aron hoped if Ruth had to make a choice between him and her ex-husband, she would have the courage to follow her heart.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Ruth’s favorite season, summer, was around the corner. The family made preparations to drive to Edwardsville to attend Naomi’s graduation, scheduled for the second Saturday in May.

  Alice was beside herself, since she wouldn’t be able to make the trip. She had been receiving radiation treatments, and much to the family’s relief, the tumor was shrinking. Brian promised to videotape the ceremony for her.

  After some strong coaxing from Sarah, Naomi grudgingly invited Daniel to her graduation. He accepted the invitation. Felicia and Reggie would babysit the boys over the weekend while Daniel attended the ceremony.

  Queen Esther also would not be going. Her doctor thought the trip would be too rigorous for a woman of her age. Though Fred was invited to the ceremony, he opted to stay in Chicago to take care of Alice.

  On that Saturday, Ruth was inside her apartment when she heard the toot of a car horn. She walked to the living room, peered out the window, and waved. Brian had rented a van for the weekend. The family planned on staying in Edwardsville until Monday morning. Ruth walked into her bedroom and picked up her overnight case. She felt slightly out of sync. Sunday would be the first time she hadn’t preached in five years. The last time she missed church service was when Naomi received her bachelor’s degree.

  She looked at herself in the mirror on the closet door, and she liked what she saw. She looked elegant. She wore an olive-colored suit with a muted gold blouse and matching bronze accessories. She wore bronze pumps on her feet. She placed the strap of her purse on her shoulder, and took her bronze-and-green straw hat off the foyer table. The doorbell rang, and she buzzed the door to admit entry into the building. Seconds later, Brian, clad in a navy suit and pale pink shirt, was standing at her door.

  He leaned over and kissed Ruth’s cheek. “Don’t you look nice today,” he complimented his mother-in-law.

  “Thank you, Brian,” Ruth replied. “I have one bag.” She pointed to her overnight bag by the front door. “You can take it down. I’m going to stop at Alice’s house for a minute. Then I’ll be ready.”