“Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Jesus!” Zakia praised God all the way home.
Chapter Nine
Jay, Jay! Baby, where are you? Jaaaayyyy!” Zakia cried out joyfully as she dropped her bag and went from room to room looking for her husband.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Jay asked, running to his wife.
She grabbed him and hugged and squeezed him. He hugged her back.
“What is it, baby?” he asked again, only a little less alarmed.
She spoke to him in her newly found language.
“Huh?”
“Baby, I went to that church, and it was totally awesome. The people greeted me at the door with friendly smiles and warm hugs. The music was just so uplifting, and the preacher, oh wow, the preacher was so awesome. He was walking up and down the aisles as he preached . . . and he preached, you hear me, I am telling you, he preached! In all the Sunday school and church I’ve been to, I never ever heard anybody preach like that. It was absolutely liberating. I feel so free, so rejuvenated, so brand-new. Oh, and guess what? I joined and was taken to the back room, and I spoke in tongues. That’s what I just spoke to you. They said tongues would be my power. So guess what? Guess what? I was speeding and a policeman stopped me and I started speaking in tongues and the policeman told me to have a nice day and he didn’t even give me a ticket,” Zakia said all in one breath.
“Huh?”
“I found us a new church, baby.”
“What’s wrong with the old one?”
“It’s not about what’s wrong with the old one, it’s about what’s right with the new one, baby. You got to check it out.”
“Baby, I am not looking for a new church,” Jay said.
“You have to check it out, Jay.”
“Zakia, I have dealt with all of your other ventures and adventures, but now you are talking church. You have crossed the line. My dad is a deacon at our church, for crying out loud. And you just up and joined some other church. You have really, really gone too far this time.”
“But, Jay . . .”
“But Jay nothing. Now, let’s get ready to go to our church.”
“But . . .”
“This discussion is over.”
They went to Fig Tree Baptist, and absolutely everything seemed wrong about it to Zakia. Deacon Morris flirted with Sister Ann while his wife ushered. Two of the choir members were rolling their eyes at each other. Brother Braxton smelled like alcohol. The male choir director’s eyebrows looked like they had been waxed. The offering bucket came around four times. People were sleeping while Rev. Fisher preached, and he didn’t open the Bible, just read from notes. She couldn’t wait to go back to Faith in the Word Christian Center, with or without her husband.
Zakia took the next day off work to go over to her new church. She spent the day learning about it. She learned about all the ministries and the weekly Bible studies. They even had a Bible Institute where she could earn college credit. She realized that she had so much to learn, and she couldn’t wait to get started. She spent another few hundred dollars in the bookstore. She bought several versions of the Bible, concordances, commentaries, cassettes, and videotapes. She bought caps and T-shirts bearing the slogan “What Would Jesus Do?” for the boys. All week long as she studied her material, she bugged Jay to go to church with her the following Sunday.
“Look, baby, you can do whatever you want. I don’t have time to go with you on all your little trips. This is one I am not going on. I have been at my church all my life. I was born there, and I’m going to die there,” he said, sounding like his father.
“Please, Jay, just once. Come with me next Sunday, and if you don’t like it, I promise I won’t ever bother you about it again.”
Jay went to church with her the following Sunday hard-hearted and closed up. Based on his conventional upbringing, he was expecting a traditional-looking building with stained-glass windows.
“Where’s the steeple?” he asked as they entered the church.
“Oh, Jay, just wait until you hear the preacher. You are going to forget all about that kind of stuff.”
Jay had a bad attitude the whole service. The boys thought the place was cool, but Jay thought that crazy language the congregation was speaking sounded spooky, and he couldn’t wait to leave. He didn’t even hear the Word as it went forth because by then he was sound asleep. He had developed the ability to sleep with his eyes open to avoid his mother’s nudges as a child.
“I’m awake,” he said, alarmed when Zakia poked him because of an awesome revelation the pastor had just shared, which Jay had totally missed.
When the invitation was given, Zakia was waiting for Jay to answer the altar call. He did not move. He looked at his watch. How can he not go up there?I want to go up there again. She nudged him.
“Quit it,” he snapped.
Zakia didn’t understand why Jay wasn’t affected like she was. They had always been in accord. They were a team and flowed in perfect harmony. Even when they argued and disagreed, they always found a compromise. This one should have been easy. It was the real deal that spoke for itself. Why couldn’t Jay see it? As they walked to the car, she gave him the third degree.
“Why didn’t you go up there?”
“For what?”
“Didn’t you like it?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Zakia, save it. We’ll talk when we get home.”
Nothing else was said on the drive home. When they got into the house, the boys went to their room to change clothes. As Jay and Zakia were in the master suite changing, he sensed her about to burst and decided to beat her to it.
“What the heck kind of church is that, and what was all that crazy talk, like you come busting up in the house last week talking?” he yelled.
“It’s our power, baby. It stopped that officer from giving me a ticket.”
“Bull! You probably batted your eyes at him like you did at me, and that’s why he didn’t give you a ticket.”
“Now you’re talking crazy.”
“I’m serious. You think some crazy talk stopped a cop from giving you a ticket. Well, I think you sweet-talked your way out of it, but that’s all right: use what you got to get what you want.”
“Come on, Jay, be serious.”
“I am serious. Now, look, you promised that if I didn’t like it, you wouldn’t bother me about going anymore. I didn’t like it! Do you hear me? Now I expect you to keep your word and don’t ask me to go back,” he said with an adamant finality.
Zakia didn’t know what to say, so she just grabbed her new Bible case with all of her material in it and went to the office downstairs to study the notes she had taken.
Zakia could not stay away from Faith in the Word Christian Center. It seemed that every time the doors opened she was there, whether it was for weekly Bible study or just to visit the bookstore during the day. The people were so full of genuine love for God and hunger for the Word, which was exactly what she needed to fill her void. The more she filled it, the more it needed filling. She read and prayed and read and prayed. She studied like she was in school, comparing line upon line and precept upon precept. She was neglecting her family, her work, and her house, and when she did pay attention, all she talked about was the Word, but nobody wanted to hear it. This frustrated both her and those she tried to talk to. The Execs avoided her because she was absolutely no fun anymore.
The Cowboys and Redskins were playing. The gang was at Zachary’s house to play cards and watch the game on the big screen. Zakia still tried to hang out with her friends, and when they played cards, she would shout “Hallelujah” when she got a good hand and “Thank You, Jesus” when she won. She didn’t realize that it made them uncomfortable. She didn’t want to be a hypocrite, but she learned that she couldn’t avoid those in darkness. She felt she needed to be around them so that her light could shine and draw them. After all, Jesus hung out with sinners.
“Hey, look. �
��Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’ You don’t have to keep telling us, Z,” Eli said, trying to shut her up.
“Yeah, chill, twin. You playing and praying all at the same time is messing up my concentration,” Zachary admonished.
“You know, twin, if I were you, I’d get rid of that wicker furniture in your sunroom. Wicker is too close to wicked for me. You don’t want anything evil in your house, now, do you?” Zakia asked sincerely.
“Now she’s calling my furniture evil. Girl, I’m really beginning to worry about you,” Zachary said.
“I thought you study to get smart. You done got dumb, Z. You need to leave that Bible alone. It’s making you crazy, baby,” Eli said.
Zakia just ignored their insults and continued to pray for them.
Months passed, and to her family, Zakia was getting worse instead of better. She was alienating everybody who loved her in the name of getting them saved. She called out their sins and told them that their adultery, fornication, smoking, drinking, cursing, and gambling were going to land them in hell. Everyone avoided her except her sons. Zeke and JJ understood what she was saying. She took them to the eight o’clock service, leaving Jay behind. Eventually, she stopped going to Fig Tree Baptist altogether, not making it back from Faith in the Word in time, so Jay went alone.
Chapter Ten
Zakia joined the Faith in the Word mass choir. Her desire to be a part of the creation of such a wonderful atmosphere overwhelmed her. Rehearsal was only one day a week, which gave her time to take a Bible class or two. She was also considering joining the soul-winning ministry. Zakia was aware that her methods of leading folks to Christ had been less than effective, and she deeply desired to sharpen her skills. Fitting these new activities into her schedule, along with the boys’ activities, became a real juggling act.
Because her zest for advertising had all but disappeared, she was missing a lot of time from work. She had been analyzing her family’s portfolio and was seriously entertaining the thought of being a stay-at-home mom. Convincing Jay was the tricky part.
“Honey, I’ve been thinking. There is a lot going on. Our portfolio is stronger than ever. Our assets alone are generating enough income to cover our expenses, and the boys’ college fund is working for us. I really feel this is a good time to be a stay-at-home mom.”
“What about early retirement?” Jay asked.
“Have you looked at our investments lately? You should work for Wall Street, baby.”
Knowing they had been very fortunate that his risk-taking had yielded high returns, he had no argument. “Are you sure you’ll be fulfilled without your work?”
“Oh, I’m positive.”
“I hope this does it for you, Zakia. I’ve been tolerant and patient with you. You have me going to church alone, and that’s just not right. Maybe without so much on your mind you’ll see clearly and come to your senses.”
“Oh, thank you, baby,” she said, hugging and kissing him. Maybe I’ll learn how to convince him that he’s the one who needs to come to his senses about church, she thought.
As much as Zakia planned to be home by not having to report to an office, all her extra time was spent at church. Jay was not pleased. While she was working, he had overlooked something he was used to having. His mother, having been a housewife all his life, was always there for her family, so he knew what to expect from a stay-at-home wife. He complained to Zakia that things were not working out as he expected. Zakia still wasn’t home, her housekeeping didn’t meet his expectations, and they still didn’t talk to each other like they used to. They were speaking two different languages. He flat out refused to go back to Faith in the Word to learn this new language she was speaking, truly believing that everything was perfect before she found her new church.
It wasn’t long before the Fig Tree Baptist women noticed Jay attending church alone and began to speculate. His family was respected in the church, but that didn’t stop the rumors. It was said that he and his wife were getting a divorce because Zakia had joined a cult. The women were lining up for when that rumor was confirmed.
“Good morning, Jay,” one of the women sang in a sweet voice to match her big, bright smile as she approached him one day.
“Good morning,” Jay said, returning her smile, not sure of her name.
“Is your wife doing okay? I haven’t seen her in a while, and I didn’t see her name on the sick and shut-in list?”
“She’s fine. Thank you for asking. Excuse me,” Jay said, walking away to avoid any other inquiries about Zakia.
“Looking mighty sharp, Jay,” said another woman as she moved in a little too close for Jay’s comfort. She began to straighten his tie, causing him to take a step back.
“Thank you,” he said, straightening the tie himself as he stepped around her and kept walking to the finance room.
Jay served on the finance committee of Fig Tree Baptist because of his business savvy.
One evening Jay attended a meeting held at the home of the finance secretary. After the meeting was adjourned, she asked Jay if he could stay a while longer to give her some personal investment advice. Jay couldn’t resist the stock game and obliged. She gave him the prospectus of a company in which she was considering investing.
“No, no, no. This company will fold before the year is out,” Jay said.
“Oh my. I would have lost everything.”
“Call me before you do anything in the future.”
“You bet I will.”
And she did. Jessica called him often, at work initially, since it was supposedly about business. Then she started calling at home. Zakia didn’t notice. She was deep into her Bible classes, ministry meetings, and choir rehearsals. She was always at the church, which gave Jay more time to provide investment advice to Jessica.
When Jay got home after work, he would invariably smell nothing cooking. Nobody was ever home. One evening he called Alexis.
“Mamalexis, do you know where my family is?”
“They’re not here. Did you call the church?”
“You know, this is getting old. I thought Zakia would have snapped out of it by now.”
“Maybe it’s the real thing. I mean, I went over there to check it out. If my child had been lured into some cult, I would have promptly blown the whole building up, then turned myself in,” Alexis said.
“So what did you think?” Jay asked.
“Well, what was being preached was the truth, and one thing about my child, she was always in search of the truth. The real deal. She always had that need to know.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t act like she needs to know how I feel.”
“She’ll come around. I talked to one of the counselors, who told me that new born-again baby Christians are so excited about the newfound things of God that they sometimes throw caution to the wind, believing God has their back, and go out to single-handedly save the world. It made sense and described Zakia perfectly. I decided not to blow the building up,” Alexis explained.
“If you say so. Thanks, Mamalexis.”
“Sure, baby. Hang in there.”
“I’m trying.”
Jay continued to give after-hours financial advice to Jessica, who followed through on one of Jay’s tips and received a windfall that was beyond her imagination. She insisted that Jay come to her house to help her celebrate.
“Thank you so much!” she said, hugging and squeezing him with excitement when he arrived at her apartment.
“You’re quite welcome,” he said as he received her gratitude.
The hug lasted a little longer than their usual Christian embraces. Jessica finally pulled away, appearing shy, causing Jay to feel like he had made her uncomfortable.
“So did you take your own investment advice?” she asked as she led him to the sofa.
“What kind of investor do you think I am? Of course I did.”
“How’d you do?”
“I doubled what you did.”
“Oh,
Jay!” she exclaimed as she gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll get the champagne. We have to toast your brilliance,” she said, going into the kitchen.
“Let me help you,” Jay said, feeling good to be needed.
As they drank champagne, they talked about how to reinvest. Jay was becoming very comfortable, and after so much champagne, he began to imagine that Jessica was Zakia.
“This is it, the last of the champagne,” Jessica said, emptying the bottle evenly into both of their glasses.
They held up the glasses, toasted, and sipped the remaining champagne as she looked deep into his eyes, drawing him into her. He moved closer to her, and she met him with a long, deep kiss. Jay imagined his wife as they removed their clothes and made love.
When he woke up hours later, groggy from all the champagne, he was very remorseful about what had happened. He thought he had taken advantage of Jessica.
Things were exactly the same between Jay and Zakia. He started feeling less and less guilty about his infidelity . . . until Jessica called Jay at work three weeks later and informed him that he was going to be a daddy.
“I don’t expect anything from you, Jay, but I do plan to have my baby and raise him or her in the church. You have been wonderful, and thanks to you, I am doing fine financially. We’ll be fine.”
“I wouldn’t turn my back on a child of mine, Jessica. Give me some time to figure things out.”
“Of course, darling. Take all the time you need.”
That evening Jay decided to tell his wife everything. Zakia was brushing her teeth when Jay came into their bedroom and stuck his head in the bathroom.
“We need to talk when you’re done,” he said.
“Okay,” Zakia responded with a mouthful of toothpaste. She rinsed and spat, then came into the room wiping her mouth with a hand towel.
Jay was sitting on the side of the bed and patted the spot beside him for her to sit down. Zakia was relieved that Jay didn’t appear to be upset with her for again not cooking dinner. She thought he probably grabbed something on his way home from work, which was why he was late. He had stopped complaining about a full-course meal not being ready every day, so he was probably eating out more often, having figured out that she wasn’t the housewife type. That was good. Less pressure on her.
Saved Folk in the House Page 6