JT had run all the way down the hall of the ICU in order to bring the good news to his family. He took a moment to catch his breath and then said, “Yeah, she woke up and asked me about Lily. I told her that Lily was okay and she went back to sleep. Her nurse is in there with her right now.”
“I want to see her,” Mattie demanded.
“Okay, just let me make sure the nurse is okay with all of us being back there and I’ll come back to get everyone,” JT said.
“No!” Mattie shouted. “I’m her mother. I’ll go back there and see what the nurse has to say. You can sit here and take care of your baby.” She pulled Lily out of Bishop’s arms and handed her to JT. “Change that baby’s diaper, while I go see about my daughter.”
JT knew that he was well within his rights to stop Mattie from going into the ICU. But he stepped to the side and allowed Mattie to go in while he held Lily and sat down in the waiting room with Bishop.
Bishop shook his head as he watched Mattie bully her way through the ICU doors. “That woman needs to learn how to forgive.”
“Yeah, well, I am holding a baby that I had by another woman. So, I can’t really blame her for how hateful she is to me.”
Bishop lifted his hands as he said, “I can’t throw any stones at you on that issue.” Bishop sat down next to JT and gazed at Lily as she lay peacefully in JT’s arms. “Can I give you some advice?”
“Yes, sir. I think I’m going to need some advice right now,” JT said as he grinned at Lily.
“Don’t choose the church over your family. I don’t know if you and Cassandra will be able to stay together after what’s happened, but if you do, don’t ever look back and don’t let the church pull you away from your family.”
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot. I lost my way when Sarah died. I turned to everyone but Cassandra and God. That’s how I grew so cold and indifferent.” JT shook his head, still trying to get rid of bad memories that just wouldn’t go away. “I don’t ever want to be like that again.”
Bishop put his hand on JT’s shoulder. “One more thing, Son. Don’t hide Lily. Don’t make the same mistake I made. My wife and I moved past my mistake, but I never trusted my church enough to tell them the truth, so I was never able to be a true father to Cassandra. I’ll have a life time full of regret for denying my own child.”
“There is still time. For as long as I’ve know Cassandra, she has worshipped you. Make her proud now, sir.”
Bishop leaned back in his seat. He put his hand over his mouth as he appeared to be heavy in thought.
JT laid Lily in her baby carrier and changed her diaper. She kicked her legs out and cried out when she felt the coldness of the wet wipe on her skin. JT then turned to Bishop and said, “Do you really want to make this up to Cassandra?”
Bishop closed his eyes and a single tear seeped out. He wiped his face and then sat back up. “Of course I would like to make this up to her. She’s my daughter and I love her.”
“Then be here for her, even when she doesn’t want to be bothered with you.”
CHAPTER 30
In the morning JT went to the courthouse to attend Vivian’s arraignment. He had to make sure that she wouldn’t be getting out on bail. JT was thankful when Vivian’s attorney announced that the half-million dollar bail was too much for his client. He was now assured that she would not be loose on the streets to terrorize his family any time soon.
JT ran into McDaniel, the officer who had arrested Jimmy, as he was walking out of the courthouse. “Hey, JT,” McDaniel said as the two men shook hands.
“How are things going?” JT asked.
“Things are looking real good. I was going to call you later today to let you know that we’re making progress with setting a trial date for Jimmy Littleton. The prosecutor thinks that we will be able to keep Jimmy and put him on trial here before sending him back to New Orleans.”
JT shook his head. “Good. The sooner we get this over with the better. But what I don’t understand is why he hung around in Cleveland after he ran me over when he could have just moved on to another city.”
“My guess is, he hoped that you didn’t see who ran you over. He had met a woman and moved into her section-8 apartment by the time we found him. Trust me, he was in no hurry to leave,” McDaniel said.
“Well, thanks for everything,” JT said as he walked away from McDaniel. He was anxious to get all of this behind him. Not just the thing with Jimmy, but Vivian also. None of it made sense to him. If he lived to be a hundred years old, JT would never figure out why he had been so willing to destroy his life with people like Jimmy and Vivian.
After he left court, JT took the boys and Lily to see Cassandra. She had been transferred from ICU to a regular room that morning. He went and purchased a two-seater stroller so he could get Aaron and Lily around. When they walked into the room, Cassandra’s bed had been elevated so that she could sit up. She was watching CNN. “How are you feeling?” he asked her.
Cassandra turned away from the television and smiled as she saw the children. “You brought them.”
“I figured you would want to see them today,” JT said.
Jerome ran over to his mother and said, “What happened to you, Mommy? Why do you have to be in the hospital?”
She put her hand on her son’s head as she tried to think of what to say to him. She knew that the world was filled with violent people, but she also knew that there were a lot of good people in this world also. Her son was only three years old, almost four, but she still didn’t want to fill his head with the knowledge of good and evil right now. So she simply said, “Mommy got a little banged up, but I’m getting better. I’ll be home soon, so don’t worry about me.”
“You’re not going to die?”
“No, Jerome, I’m not going to die. I’m going to be home to fix your oatmeal real soon. Okay?”
“Okay,” Jerome said as he sat down and then asked. “Do they have cartoons on this TV?”
“JT, can you change this channel for Jerome?” Cassandra asked.
JT took the remote and found Sponge Bob.
“Right there, Daddy. I want to watch that,” Jerome said.
JT turned back to Cassandra and asked again, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m a little sore, but I’ll make it,” she answered.
“Thank God. I was so scared.”
A knock at the door caused Cassandra and JT to turn. The door opened and Cassandra saw a pretty woman with short hair standing in the doorway. She held her breath as she wondered if another one of JT’s women had come to assault her. As the woman came further into the room, Cassandra saw that she was holding the hand of a man who was about a full foot taller than her. She looked at the woman’s left hand and saw her wedding ring and breathed again.
“How is the patient doing?”
JT smiled as he shook their hands. “Nina, Isaac, thanks for coming to see about us.” He then turned to Cassandra and said, “Do you remember Nina?”
Cassandra was drawing a blank. She shook her head.
“This is the woman who helped you at the mall. She called the ambulance and came out to the hospital with you. She even called me.”
Cassandra was filled with gratitude. She turned to Nina and said, “Thank you so much. I don’t remember seeing your face, but I thought I heard someone praying for me while I lay on the ground. Was that you?”
Nina stepped closer to Cassandra. She extended her hand and they shook. “My name is Nina Walker and yes, I did pray for you while we waited on the ambulance.” Nina turned toward her husband and said, “This is my husband, Isaac.”
Isaac shook Cassandra’s hand also. He said, “I’m glad you’re doing better. Your husband was sure worried.”
Cassandra turned to JT with questioning eyes.
He told her, “I went to the church Isaac was preaching at yesterday and asked the members to pray for us.” JT turned the stroller around so that Nina and Isaac could see Lily. “I got her back and
the police arrested the woman who stole her and hurt Cassandra.”
“Praise God. I knew He would come through for you,” Isaac said.
JT smiled. “You know something? I knew He would come through for us also. This is the first time in a long while that I didn’t doubt my God.”
“Well, we’re on our way back home, we just wanted to check in on you all before we left town,” Nina said.
“You don’t live here?” Cassandra asked.
“No, we live in Dayton, Ohio. Isaac was preaching at a revival in your town. I dropped him off to meet with the pastor and went shopping. At the time, I thought I just wanted a new outfit, but now I realize that God sent me to that mall for you and your husband.”
“We wanted to know if we could pray with the two of you before we leave,” Isaac said.
“I would appreciate that,” JT replied.
Isaac and Nina held hands with JT and Cassandra and prayed for their health, happiness and restoration.
Cassandra and JT thanked them.
Nina and Isaac left the room. JT sat down. He put Cassandra’s hand in his and said, “I’m sorry all this happened to you, Honey.”
She held up her hand, the one that didn’t have bandages on it from stab wounds, and said, “I just want to focus on getting better so I can get out of here and take care of my children.”
“That’s fine. We can discuss this later. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am.” Aaron woke up and started fussing. JT took him out of the stroller and held him. Then the telephone in Cassandra’s hospital room rang. JT picked it up and was surprised to hear Elder Unders on the other end of the line. “Hey Unders, thanks for calling.”
“Not a problem. How is Cassandra doing?” Elder Unders asked.
“She’s doing much better than yesterday, thank God,” JT said.
“I was worried. Thank the Lord she’s all right. What about the baby? Were you able to get her back from Vivian?”
“How did you hear about all of this? Did Betty call you?” JT asked.
“Has Betty been out there?” Unders asked.
“She watched the boys for me yesterday. Did she tell you what’s been going on with us? Is that how you found out that Cassandra was in the hospital?”
“No, actually a few of our members attended the conference at True Vine and were there when you asked for prayer.”
JT was silent.
Unders continued, “I’m not calling to condemn you, Pastor Thomas. I just wanted to let you know that I will be praying for you and your family.”
When JT found his voice again, he said, “I appreciate that, Unders. Would you like to speak with Cassandra?”
“Certainly, if you think she’s up to talking on the telephone.”
Cassandra had been watching JT while he talked with Elder Unders and she could tell that he was uncomfortable with the fact the elder and possibly the church members were discussing their situation. She took the telephone from JT and smiled warmly as she thanked Elder Unders for calling.
“You know you’re one of my favorite people in the world. I was so worried when I heard what had happened,” Unders said.
Her smile brightened. “You’ve always told me that I was your favorite first lady. But now that you are standing in for Pastor, you’re not allowed to have favorites.”
He chuckled. “I know, I know. Look, Cassandra, my wife and I are praying for you. Please know if you ever need us, we are here for you.”
“Thank you, Elder. I appreciate that,” Cassandra said.
***
After five days of hospitalization, Cassandra was being released. JT arrived to pick her up. When Cassandra saw that he was alone, she asked, “Where are the kids?”
“Betty agreed to watch them for me so I could come and pick you up.”
“They haven’t released me yet.”
“That’s okay. We can sit here and talk while we wait for them to release you. I had a couple things that I wanted to talk with you about anyway,” JT said.
“All right, I’m here so let’s get this show on the road,” Mattie said as she barraged into the room.
“Hey Mama,” Cassandra said with a half-smile.
“Hey yourself. How are you feeling today?” Mattie asked.
“I’m doing better. I’m not as sore,” Cassandra said.
“What’s he doing here?” Mattie pointed at JT.
“He is her husband. And I’m here to take my wife home,” JT said.
Mattie turned daggered eyes toward Cassandra. “What’s he talking about? You haven’t changed your mind have you?”
“No. I haven’t had a chance to talk to JT yet,” Cassandra said.
JT looked from Mattie to Cassandra. “What’s going on? What haven’t you talked to me about yet?”
Cassandra looked at her husband. If she were being truthful, in the past few months, JT had actually turned into a decent man. One that she could respect and even love, but too much had happened. The day that Nina and Isaac Walker prayed for them, caused Cassandra to think about giving her marriage another try. Cassandra didn’t know if her marriage could work, but she did know that she didn’t have the strength to work on it. Not right now anyway. “I’m moving in with my mother,” Cassandra told her husband.
“What?” JT asked with a shocked expression on his face.
“I know you’re not surprised. Not with all that you’ve done to my daughter. But maybe you are. Men like you think you’ll have a doormat forever,” Mattie said.
“Mattie, this does not concern you. Please give me a moment to speak with my wife,” JT asked his mother-in-law.
Mattie folded her arms and planted her feet.
“Cassandra, can you please ask your mother to step in the hallway so I can speak with you for a moment?” JT asked.
Cassandra looked at her mother. Now that she knew the truth about her father, she wondered if her mother truly hated JT for the things he’d done to her, or was it self-loathing that caused her to be so evil all the time? “Mother, can you step out into the hall for a few minutes so I can speak with JT?”
“Why do you have to explain anything to him? Did he explain why he had a child by another woman to you?”
“Mother, please. Why do you have to be so mean all the time?” Cassandra asked.
“Well, excuse me. I’m just trying to keep you from making a fool of yourself. But if that’s what you want, then fine. I’ll be waiting in the hall. When you’re done listening to his lies, let me know,” Mattie said as she walked out of the room.
JT shook his head as his mother-in-law walked out of the room. He then turned to Cassandra and asked, “What’s going on, Honey? Why aren’t you coming home with me?”
“I need some time, JT. I just need to think.”
JT sat down in the chair next to her bed. His eyes implored her as he said, “I don’t want a divorce, Cassandra. Can you promise me that we won’t get a divorce?”
She touched his hand as she said, “I always thought that when I got married it would be forever. I thought divorce was the easy way out. But sometimes it seems so hard to stay.”
JT tightened his grip on Cassandra’s hand. “I know I wronged you, Honey. But I swear to you – I’m a different man now. I won’t make the same mistakes.”
Cassandra’s eyes filled with tears that cascaded down her face. JT wiped them away as he said, “Don’t cry, Baby, just trust me.”
“The sad thing about this whole mess is I really do believe that you have changed.” She grabbed some tissue, blew her nose and then said, “The change just might have come too late. I honestly don’t know if I care anymore.”
“Give me a chance, Cassandra. Don’t do this to us.”
“I need time, JT. I won’t file for divorce right away. But I need you to give me some time to decide if I can stay married to you.” As she finished her statement, Cassandra saw pain etched in JT’s face. Even with all that had happened to them, she couldn’t stand to see this man hurt or in pain.
She gently touched his face as she said, “You were my love. We had many years that I will remember fondly. So, don’t think that I will ever forget that.”
“What’s going to happen to us, Cassandra?”
“I don’t know. But I can’t come home with you right now.”
“I can’t stop loving you just because you want to walk away,” JT told her.
Cassandra closed her eyes for a moment. When she reopened them she asked JT, “Where were you when my husband was breaking my heart?”
CHAPTER 31
JT had wanted to talk with Cassandra about some things that had been on his mind when he went to the hospital to pick her up. Instead, he got his heart broken. He was now at home licking his wounds. Cassandra had taken the boys with her to Mattie’s house. She’d kissed Lily and then handed her to JT and said, “I can’t take her with me. You’ll have to learn how to take care of a baby.”
“Can I call you if I have any questions?” he asked with a grin on his face.
“Of course you can,” she said and then she was gone. She’d also taken two suitcases full of clothes with her.
With Cassandra gone, JT noticed just how big the house was. It was lonely with just him and Lily in it. But besides that, JT realized that even if his entire family was in this house, there were still too many rooms for them to use. Since he was still on suspension from his pastoral duties, he roamed around the house aimlessly at times. When Lily was woke he fed her and changed her diaper. When he had changed about fifty diapers, JT realized that he hadn’t changed that many diapers for both his sons put together.
He picked up the telephone and called Cassandra. When she answered he said, “Is it okay if I call you from time to time?”
“It’s okay, JT. What’s up?” Cassandra asked.
“I just realized that I wasn’t very helpful to you when it came to taking care of our children. I left all the work to you, and I’m feeling pretty bad about that right now.”
“I wouldn’t feel too bad, JT. You had to work and I stayed at home with the kids. So, of course I would do more with them.”
Former Rain-Forsaken Box Set Page 39