After the Rain

by Vanessa Miller

  “Of course I love my kids, Dad. I wouldn’t trade those little monsters for anything in the world. But since Johnny transferred to the FBI and started doing all this traveling, I’ve had to cut my work hours down to thirty hours a week so the kids won’t feel as if they’re being raised by a nanny.”

  “The kids are young. I think you’re making the right decision.” Donavan put his hand in Diana’s as he finished, “Truthfully, if Diana wasn’t working at the church and able to get off work in time to pick the kids up from school, I don’t think I’d want her to work at this stage in our lives.”

  “Careful now, hon, you’re sounding like a chauvinist,” Diana told him.

  Donavan shrugged. “I’m just being real. There’s not a man alive who wouldn’t want his wife at home taking care of the kids while he goes out and earns the money. Isn’t that right, Dad?”

  Isaac shook his head while laughing at Donavan. “You’re not getting me in this fight. You started it, so either back your way out or just go on and say I’m sorry now.”

  “He needs to apologize. Because Donavan is straight tripping. This is not the eighteenth century. Women want careers just as much as men do,” Iona told him.

  “Yeah, and look at how our society has turned out since mothers decided they didn’t need to be at home with the kids.”

  Ignoring Donavan, Diana told Iona, “I’m with you. Because I would lose my mind if I had to stay in the house all day/every day with our children. Working at the church is my way of escaping.”

  Iona high-fived Diana. “You said it, sister-in-law. And if Johnny don’t get himself back here with the quickness, I’m about to plan my escape.”

  “You just want Johnny to suffer and give up a career he’s worked years to build, simply because you’re bored. That’s not right, sis.”

  With fire in her chestnut eyes, Iona kissed her father on the forehead, then got up. “I’d better take my children home, put on my apron and whip up something good to eat, before I say another word that might get me stoned up in here.”

  “Iona, come on. Don’t go away mad.” Isaac didn’t like it when his children fought. Especially not now, because he needed their help.

  “I can’t deal with him,” she pointed an angry finger toward Donavan, “judging me, like I’m such a terrible person for still wanting a life even though I’m married with kids.”

  With an apologetic look on his face, Donavan put an arm around Iona. “You’re right, sis. I have no right to judge you. I know that you love your family and I also know how much you gave up for the good of your family.”

  Iona twisted her lips as she contemplated whether or not to forgive her brother. He tightened the arm around her. “Come on, sis. Forgive me or I’m going to tickle you like I used to do when we were kids.”

  Smiling at the memory, Iona jerked away. “Okay, big head, I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

  Donavan laughed as he said, “Drama queen.”

  “Golden boy,” Iona spat back at him.

  Isaac clasped his hands together and leaned forward. “Now that we’re all friends again, can the two of you sit back down? I need to talk to you before your mother comes through that door.”

  “What’s up? Are you planning a surprise for your anniversary?” Iona sat back down next to her father and Donavan sat in the chair across from the sofa.

  Isaac shook his head. “We have at least four months before our anniversary. No, what I want to talk about is Ikee. His teacher asked if something traumatic happened to Ikee recently. I’m not aware of anything, so I need to know if he has talked to either one of you about what he’s going through.”

  “What kind of trauma do they think he’s experienced?” Donavan asked with a quizzical expression on his face.

  “That’s what I’m trying to find out,” Isaac told them. “I’m receiving calls from the school because he’s being disruptive and skipping class. Matter-of-fact, he’s even been skipping out on church the last few Sundays. I simply don’t know what has gotten into the boy.”

  Donavan shook his head. “I had no idea. But Ikee doesn’t say much to me these days. He thinks I’m too”—Donavan did air quotes with his fingers—“ na about the Bible.”

  Iona looked a bit guilty as she said, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something, Dad. But to be honest, I didn’t know how you would take the news. You’re right though, Ikee has talked to me about something that he’s dealing with.”

  “Thank God.” Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad he talked to somebody in this family, because I can’t get a word out of him.”

  “I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to say… I guess that’s why I hadn’t told you before now.” Iona took a deep breath and continued, “See Dad, Ikee has only known you as a preacher and as a good man who feeds the homeless, prays with the hopeless and introduces people in need of a savior to Jesus. So, he was confused when he started hearing all these stories about how you used to be the king of the streets.”

  “But Ikee knows that I used to be in the life. I don’t understand why hearing something like that would bother him.”

  “I really don’t think Ikee has paid much attention to our conversations through the years… especially since we don’t discuss your past during Sunday dinners. And you only make general statements about it during your sermons most recently. But Ikee met up with a couple of bad-news guys who broke your past all the way down for him. Now Ikee thinks he should be a gangster rather than a church boy.”

  Isaac exploded out of his seat. “And you failed to tell me any of this, because…?”

  “It’s Ikee, Dad. I didn’t think he was actually going to hang out on a street corner. I mean, come on, he’s a suburban kid.”

  “Okay, Iona, you tell me then… what has your brother been doing while he skips school and ditches church… before you answer, keep in mind that this is my son were talking about.

  As if a lightbulb came on for Iona, her eyes went wide as she said, “I’m sorry, Daddy. I guess I wasn’t thinking of it that way.”

  “What are you sorry about?” Nina asked as she stepped into the room. She was five feet with heels on, and since Isaac was a whole foot taller, he had to bend down in order to kiss her. “What are you harassing Iona about?”

  Chapter Two

  By the time Ikee snuck out of the church his mind was made up. He rode his bike to the park a couple of blocks down the street, leaned it against a rusty chain link fence and headed for the basketball court. Lebron, Kobe, Jordan, Iverson and Barkley wannabes were on the court going at it like they had million dollar contracts and endorsement deals. The fat one… the Barkley wannabe was playing like he needed to prove fat men could jump. The game was his for the taking, until Kobe decided to show them that age ain’t nothing but a number.

  Ikee was here to see the Kobe wannabe. The man was thirty-seven years old and shouldn’t have been anywhere near a court with twenty year olds. But the game was still in him and he was drawn to the court just the same way he was drawn to the life of crime this particular Kobe wannabe had led all his life. Which was probably the reason he hadn’t been able to go pro… too busy dealing with the juvee and adult court system to truly focus on the basketball court.

  The guy’s name was Bobby-Ray Morgan. Ikee had met him at the mall while hanging out with some of his church friends. Bobby-Ray was the first person who’d ever mentioned how notorious his father had been back in the day. He’d even told him about drug deals and about some of the murders his father had committed.

  Ikee used to look up to his father because he truly seemed like a good man. But he’d always felt inferior to his father, because deep down, Ikee knew he could never measure up to someone like Pastor Isaac Walker. Being labeled junior to a man like Pastor Walker was a hard pill to swallow, because Ikee knew that he would never be anything like his father. Donavan was following in the old man’s footsteps, but Ikee would never wear a preacher’s robe.

&nbs
p; Now, Ikee had finally discovered a way that he too, could follow in his father’s footsteps. After his father informed him that he would have to pay for his own car… actually, Isaac had offered to put in the same amount that Ikee had saved for his car. The only trouble was that Ikee didn’t have a job and although he had received thousands through the years in birthday money, allowance and yard work here and there, Ikee had spent most of the money. He only had twelve hundred to his name. Even if his father did give him another twelve hundred that still wouldn’t come close to being enough for the Mustang he wanted.

  So, Ikee decided that it was time to become an entrepreneur. He would have to start small, but Ikee had big plans. He was going to become not just the most notorious gangster around these parts as his father had been, no, as far as Ikee was concerned that was small-time thinking. He was getting ready to take over the world. By the time he was finished, kings and presidents would be bowing down and kissing his ring. All he needed now was to get started and Bobby-Ray seemed like the most likely way in.

  “What you doing here, Choir Boy?” Bobby-Ray asked as he came off the court and grabbed a bottle of water.

  Ikee had never sung in the choir and failed to understand why people needed to connect him with the church. So, he ignored the jab. “Looking for you,” Ikee told him, as if he had every right to be just where he stood at that moment.

  Bobby-Ray stepped back. He gave Ikee the once over, and then, as if deciding that he liked what he saw, “What can I do you for?”

  “I’m trying to get on, and you’re the man to help me with that.”

  Bobby-Ray laughed. “Don’t you have enough money with all the books yo’ mama selling and tithes yo’ daddy collecting?”

  “That’s their money. I’m old enough to make my own.” And besides, his daddy was being stingy with the cheddar.

  “And you choose to sell drugs? Don’t you know that your daddy will kill you.”

  “You let me worry about my daddy,” Ikee told him as he stood taller than his six foot-one frame would indicate.

  Shaking his head, Bobby-Ray said, “You trying to get shot like your big brother? These streets don’t belong to the Walkers no more. Now go on home before you bite off more than you can chew.”

  Donavan was too soft for the streets. Ikee didn’t know much about the incident Bobby-Ray was referring to, because his family kept him in the dark like he was a baby that couldn’t handle the realities of life or something. According to Bobby-Ray, Donavan had attempted a robbery that ended with the death of two of his friends. But Ikee wasn’t a thief and he wasn’t going to be pushed around by some two-bit hustler who never made it off the block. Shrugging his shoulders, Ikee told him, “I came to do business. You don’t want my money, then I’ll just find someone else.”

  Ikee turned and headed back to his bicycle as if he was headed to an Aston Martin.

  “Hold on there, lil pimp,” Bobby-Ray called after Ikee and then had to run to catch up with him. “If you’re serious about getting into this life, I got what you need.”

  Ikee put a hand in his pocket and pulled out a roll of money. He handed it to Bobby-Ray. “That ought to be enough to get me started, right?”

  Bobby-Ray counted the fives, tens and twenties, then turned back to Ikee and asked, “What you been doing… saving up your allowance and birthday money so you could get a good start?”

  “I got it where I got it. The question is, can we do business?”

  “I’ll say one thing for you Walkers… you might not be the smartest hustlers on the street, but y’all got heart.”

  ~~~~

  “Where have you been?” Isaac demanded as Ikee strolled into the church building as if he was on time for service, rather than showing up as the sanctuary was being cleaned and his parents were ready to go home.

  “Down the street hanging out,” he answered as if that’s what most people did while their father preached.

  “You know you’re not allowed to hang out around the church,” Nina told him as she stood next to her husband.

  Ikee scrunched up his face. “I don’t get the two of you. All I’ve ever heard is how important it is to keep this church in the hood. But we ain’t living in the hood… and you don’t want me hanging out here. That’s hypocritical, don’t you think?”

  Nina put a hand on Isaac’s shoulder, praying that he wouldn’t jump down their son’s throat. “We just want the best for you, son. We put you in private school and moved to one of the best neighborhoods in the city because we want your future to be bright and filled with advantages that your father and I never had.”

  “Well it looks like the both of you did okay even without all these so-called advantages you’re trying to give me.”

  “Where is all this coming from?” Nina was literally floored by the way Ikee was acting. “I thought you liked the kids in our neighborhood.”

  “I don’t have time for them squares.”

  “Well, what do you have time for, Ikee? Because the way I hear it, you don’t seem to have time for school these days either.”

  Ikee rolled his eyes to that. “You gon’ trip about a couple classes I missed when you’re the one who laid down the law… said I had to have my own money for a car? All I’m trying to do is make my way in this world.”

  Isaac was trying his best not to explode. “Oh, so you got a job somewhere that we don’t know about?”

  “I’m working on it,” Ikee said flippantly.

  Isaac had had enough. “Look here, little rock head boy, I don’t know who you think you’re talking to, but if you keep talking crazy to me,” Isaac took a couple of steps forward, he reached out and grabbed Ikee by the collar. “I will stomp a mud hole in you.”

  “Isaac, let him go.” Nina grabbed onto Isaac’s arms and pulled him away from their son.

  “I’m not your boy.” Ikee said once he’d been released from his father’s grip. “I’m almost grown and I don’t have to take abuse from you.”

  It offended Isaac that his son was standing there calling him an abuser. But Ikee had never even seen any kind of abuse in their household. He didn’t even know what that kind of horror was like, but Isaac knew first-hand. He had watched his father beat on his mother whenever he felt like it. Then Isaac grew up and did the same thing to the women in his life; that is, until the Lord Jesus got ahold of him and turned his life around. “You don’t know nothing about abuse, boy. But if you keep talking, you’ll find out everything you need to know about the subject.”

  “I’m not scared of you,” Ikee declared.

  “That shows how foolish you are,” Isaac told him with a menacing look on his face.

  Ikee smirked. “What are you going to do? Kill me like you killed so many other people in this town?”

  “Where’d you hear such a thing from?” Nina demanded.

  “Apparently everybody in this town knows all about my father the pastor… or the mobster, depending on what day it is.”

  Isaac knew this day would come. They had tried to shelter Ikee by not telling him anything about Isaac’s life before Christ came in and made him new. But through the years a nagging feeling plagued him that the day would come when they would pay for hiding so much from Ikee. His eyes closed tightly as he realized that his day of reckoning had finally come. When Ikee was young he’d made sure that anyone who stepped foot inside of their home understood that his past life was not a subject open to discussion around his son. He’d tried to shelter Ikee and bring him up in a way that he’d have no knowledge of the streets, but the streets found him anyway. “I’m not the same man that I used to be. I’m a pastor now and have been for over thirty years,” Isaac told him.

  Pointing at his father, Ikee turned to Nina. “Do you hear him? All my life this man has been telling me to stop fighting in school, acting like I was so wrong for getting suspended because I should have been praying for people rather than fighting against them.” Ikee turned back to his father and spat, “And all the while, he was this
thing people called the Ike-Man.”

  “I’m not the Ike-man. I’m Pastor Isaac Walker,” Isaac declared. He knew his identity and he would never let anyone take that from him, not even his son.

  “But you used to be Ike-Man, didn’t you? And you murdered people, right?”

  Isaac let out a heavy sigh. He looked at Ikee in a manner that implored his son to understand. “We haven’t talked much about my past-”

  “Much? How about not at all,” Ikee spat back while still holding his jaw. “All my life you’ve acted like you’re so perfect that you could walk on water with Jesus. You tried to make me believe that something was wrong with me just because I’m not like everybody around here.”

  “We accept you for who you are, Ikee. Where are you getting this from?” Nina couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “If I’m so accepted around here, why did Dad get so upset when I got into that fight at school? I told him that the kid had been asking for it, but all he said was that I should have prayed for the guy.” Ikee turned to Isaac with daggers in his eyes. “Did you pray for any of the people you murdered, or did you think they were asking for it?”

  Chapter Three

  Isaac drove them home. Told Ikee to go to his room and stay there, then he told Nina that he needed to take a ride to clear his mind. Nina went to their bedroom, got on her knees and started praying for her son like she had once prayed for Donavan. She and Isaac thought that moving into the suburbs and keeping Ikee away from the kinds of influences that had once caused Donavan to think about living a life of crime, would keep Ikee out of trouble. But no matter how much Nina and Isaac wanted to protect Ikee, trouble had found him anyway.

  “I don’t know what to do, Lord. I don’t want a repeat of the tragic events that occurred when Donavan was young and trying to find his way. Please lead and guide Ikee out of harms way, Lord Jesus.” Tears flowed down Nina’s face as her words caught in her throat and left her moaning from the sorrows of a broken heart.