Guilty By Association

by Pat Simmons

  Standing in the middle of the lobby, he asked, “Can you get any more beautiful? You are stunning, baby.” Kidd bent down and cupped her face until her lips touched his. He kissed her as if that moment was all he had to do for the day. Pulling back, she added a few more pecks on the lips and took a deep breath.

  “Show off.” Eva’s smile was alluring. “You’ve never kissed me like that before.”

  Standing at the desk to check out, Kidd threw his head back and laughed. “Really? Maybe it’s because you haven’t worn my favorite color before.”

  “I thought maroon was your favorite color.”

  “It was.”

  Minutes later, he steered her toward the revolving doors. Continuing their conversation, Kidd made a declaration, “Let me be clear. As for the kiss, you are my woman and I love you, which means I can show off any time I want. You’ve got a problem with that?”

  “I’ll never complain again.” She giggled.

  “That’s what I want to hear.”

  In the hotel parking lot, he placed Eva’s luggage in the trunk. His mother opened the door to give the front seat to Eva. When she got out of the car, the two women exchanged a sincere hug.

  “Sandra, you look so pretty in your classy hat and that elegant dress—so chic. I couldn’t pull off that hat look.” It was obvious to Eva that Sandra’s style was simple, but sophisticated.

  “You just haven’t found the right one,” she insisted and patted her lilac, wide-brimmed hat, trimmed in small beads.

  “I didn’t realize you were waiting. I hope I wasn’t too long,” Eva apologized.

  “Not at all. Here, you take the front seat.”

  While Eva shook her head, Kidd took control and ushered his mother into the backseat. After nudging Eva to sit in the front, they were on their way. In less than ten minutes, Kidd turned from Blue Hill Avenue to Woodrow.

  The pastor, Hershel Lane, stood at the top of the steps outside Faithful Church of Christ, speaking to everyone who entered. He was a large man with thick, gray sideburns that connected to his beard.

  “Praise the Lord, Sister Nicholson.” He nodded. “Kidd, welcome home! It’s good to see you again … and with two lovely ladies on your arms.”

  His mother grinned proudly. Kidd exchanged greetings, introducing Eva before they proceeded inside. The worship service was already underway on the second level. They walked into a sanctuary that could easily accommodate hundreds. Glancing around, Kidd nodded at a few recognizable faces, whose names he had forgotten.

  His memory was full of times when his mother dragged him and his brother to service. As he and Ace got older, however, Sandra’s urgent pleas went mostly ignored. Today it was all about his free will and answering God’s call to salvation.

  All week long, God had been leading him to Mark 2:17. Once Kidd read it, the Scripture wouldn’t leave his mind: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

  The atmosphere seemed notably different to Kidd. The praise was in high gear as they followed Sandra to what was probably her favorite seat. This time when his mother and Eva knelt to give reverence, Kidd joined them. Neither seemed surprised by his actions.

  Minutes later, Pastor Lane walked through a side door, dressed in a red and black robe. He took his seat in the pulpit. When invited to stand, Eva, along with other visitors, were acknowledged. Church announcements were next, followed by two selections from a small choir with powerful voices. Kidd was getting antsy. He was ready for the sermon and to get it over with.

  Then Pastor Lane stood and requested another selection, almost as if to taunt Kidd. Eva squeezed his hand, which was linked to hers. She must have sensed his impatience. He loved her. Wasn’t he about to make a commitment because of her?

  Beside Me, there is no other, God spoke.

  After the choir finished singing, Pastor Lane opened his Bible. He didn’t give a Scripture, but immediately began his sermon.

  “Life isn’t fair. We’ve heard it, we’ve said it, or perhaps we’ve thought it,” Pastor Lane stated. “Guess what? You’re right, but that’s in our natural mind. Cain killed Abel, and what did God do when Cain cried out because he feared for his life? God marked his head, so that no man would harm the murderous brother. Look at David, a big-time sinner. Yet he was an even bigger repenter, so much so that God called David a man after His own heart. How about God’s chosen people, His elite generation—the Israelites—yet they served their enemies, the Egyptians, as slaves.”

  Kidd drowned out the congregation and was locked into the message. He didn’t want to miss one word of the sermon.

  “There were so many perceived injustices toward men in the Bible that I would be here all day running down the list. So what’s your beef today? Nobody likes you on your job? Your father deserted you as a child? Your husband divorced you for another woman—or sometimes another man, these days …” Pastor Lane stirred up his members.

  “That’s right!” a few members shouted.

  “Let’s look at Jesus. He had it rough from the time He got here. The Son of God had to be born in a manger, in a barn filled with animals. Raise your hand if you were born outside in the cold. Hold them high.” With his microphone in his hand, the pastor leaned on the podium, waiting to count hands.

  “It wasn’t fair that the Pharisees and Sadducees hated Him for doing good…. Have you ever heard of such nonsense? You bless someone with a thousand bucks and they turn around and get mad at you about it.” He paused and lowered his voice, “This is your moment of self-examination. Be honest with yourself. You can’t lie to God anyway. What’s your injustice today that the Lord can’t fix?”

  As the pastor conjured up examples, Kidd’s beef with his father seemed less significant. His mother and Eva never looked his way, but he wondered what they were thinking. Pastor Lane tossed out more common complaints. Kidd didn’t realize that an hour had passed since he began his sermon.

  He swallowed hard and his hands became sweaty. It had been more than a week since he’d thought about his bargain with God concerning his salvation. He had asked God to hold off a little bit longer. God had been calling him for weeks, maybe all his life, but Kidd had rejected the RSVP.

  Will He call me again? Kidd wondered. Or has my door of opportunity closed?

  His heart pounded, anticipating the moment was upon him. The pastor opened his arms wide and the congregation stood. As though it was a signal crafted specially for him, Kidd heard the pastor say, “It’s time for you to allow Jesus to even the score in your life. The Bible says in Romans 8:18: ‘I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.’”

  He pounded the podium. “You need to stop listening to spiritually uneducated, silly-minded people! Stop carrying that burden that is weighing you down from sunup to sunset. Stop it! Come today. God is calling you. You’ve held off long enough with your stubborn, prideful, boastful self. Isaiah 64:6 says, ‘All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.’”

  By now, Kidd was on the edge of his seat. Pastor Lane continued his invitation. “If you are willing to come, He’s got something powerful to clean you up—it’s called salvation. Jesus stands at the door. Obey the Scriptures: repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. This is God’s order, not mine. Don’t say you’ll come back another time, come today.”

  Okay, this is why you’re here. It’s your time. Go, his heart pressed him.

  Don’t be persuaded by this one sermon. Consider your options, a louder voice in his head mocked him.

  Kidd looked to his left and right. Both his girl and his mother had their heads bowed and eyes closed.

  Why haven’t you come? God spoke.

  Because … he struggled to finish the sentence.

  I stand at your door and knock. I am Your Father. Why do you not let Me in? God asked. The day you hear My voice, harden not your heart.


  “It’s time to surrender,” Kidd mumbled. He felt himself being propelled and stood up. As though a video was playing before his very eyes, Kidd saw a vision of Jesus’ lifeless body lying on the ground. The gash in His side, with water and blood flowing to form a stream—it was a horrific image seared in Kidd’s mind.

  He stepped out of the pew and walked down the aisle on a mission. Coming face-to-face with one of the ministers, Kidd knew that simply receiving prayer this time wouldn’t do. “Welcome, brother. What do you want from God today?” asked a man whose stature resembled a teenager, but whose voice was commanding.

  “I want God to even the score. I’ve been carrying something for a long time.”

  “Then repent, brother. Be sorry for all your sins that you’ve committed in your heart, mind, and body. Confess them right now—not to me—but to Christ.”

  Come unto Me, those who are heavy burdened, I will give you rest. It sounded like a guarantee from God.

  He nodded, although the young man hadn’t said another word.

  “Lord, I am sorry for my actions. I want to move on with my life. I want to be delivered. Please save me.” Until he had finished, Kidd didn’t realize he had spoken out loud.

  “Brother, He’s able. You’ve repented. Now let God do the rest. He wants you to be born of the water and the Spirit. If you’re ready for a clean slate, we have ministers ready to baptize you. That’s the next step. Then you’ll have to continue in His Word.”

  Closing his eyes, Kidd nodded again. This was it. Either God was going to do what He said He was going to do, or He wasn’t. Kidd was bouncing the ball back in God’s court.

  Prove Me, God challenged him. I am not a man that I should lie.

  Opening his eyes again, Kidd followed several other candidates through a door behind the pulpit and proceeded down the stairs. The songs and praises seemed to follow him. Soon he was ushered into a small room to change into all-white garments: pants, socks, and a T-shirt. Within a few minutes, he and the others were led to a pool.

  One by one, each candidate was baptized. Soon it was Kidd’s turn to descend into the water. Taking the steps down into the pool, another minister who didn’t look strong enough to support his weight, instructed Kidd to cross his arms over his chest.

  Gripping the back of Kidd’s T-shirt firmly, the man lifted one arm. “My dear brother, on the confession of your sins, your faith in God and the confidence we have in the Holy Scriptures, we indeed baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. God will give you His promises and will equip you with every spiritual gear to fight the devil and gifts you need to present you faultless in the day of judgment. Amen.”

  Swiftly, Kidd was dunked under the water and then yanked back to the surface.

  He didn’t even recognize his voice when he came up. “Praise God! I did it! I’m free!” Then Kidd shouted a series of times, “Thank You, Jesus!” while pumping his fist in the air. “Hallelujah!” Not an excitable person by nature, unless he felt threatened, Kidd couldn’t believe his own theatrics. But he also couldn’t stop himself from praising God. Nor could he control the tears streaming down his face.

  Unable to remember how he got back to the changing room, the realization hit that he had made a commitment to God—and he was determined not to back out. He looked in the mirror as he dried off and donned his own clothes. Squinting, Kidd studied his face. There was no noticeable difference. But somehow, he didn’t feel the burden of life overpowering him any longer, even with Samuel’s absence. Taking a few more minutes to himself, he made sure that there were no lingering signs of his tears.

  Kidd stepped out of the room and was guided down a corridor where he heard loud voices of praise, unrecognizable words, and jubilant singing. Although he wanted to join in their praise, he bypassed the room and kept walking down the foyer. He was anxious to rejoin his mother and Eva, who waited with open arms to receive him. Squeezing him in a group hug, their tears went unchecked. They patted his back and rejoiced with him. Kidd couldn’t contain his joy and laughter.

  Finally, stepping out of their embrace, they fixed their eyes on him.

  “That was so simple,” Kidd said with a sense of awe.

  “Salvation is more than the water baptism. Now you’ve got to study the Bible and learn how to walk a different lifestyle,” his mother said, sniffling, as Eva nodded in agreement.

  “I don’t know why I fought God so long.” Kidd shook his head.

  “Stubborn,” Eva and Sandra said in unison. Neither woman cracked a smile.

  Chapter Forty-Three

  “We’d better hurry before we miss the boat,” Kidd advised Eva an hour later. They were back at Sandra’s condo, sitting and talking about Jesus. Kidd had questions about his experience, and his mother and Eva answered them as best they could.

  When she heard him mention the boat, Sandra threw up her hands in disappointment. “I cooked Sunday dinner for you, and what do you do? Go and spend money on a boat.”

  Surely, today’s baptism had changed Kidd’s mind-set about gambling—surely. Didn’t he know that a walk with Jesus involved letting go of old habits? Eva held her peace. He was now a babe in Christ and salvation meant crawling before walking. She was just ecstatic that Kidd took the initial steps toward a lifelong commitment to the Lord. The true test would be a different lifestyle, but God had the power to keep him from falling—if Kidd would accept it.

  “Since we fly out late tonight, I wanted to take Eva on the Spirit of Boston for a dinner cruise.”

  Sandra would not be placated. “For almost a hundred dollars a plate?” She shook her head. “Why didn’t you mention it when you saw me cooking all this food?”

  “Leftovers taste great, Ma.” Kidd wrapped his mother in a hug. “We’ll be back.” He kissed her squarely on the forehead and ushered a reluctant Eva out the door.

  In the car, Eva stared out the window. She felt guilty leaving his mother, but giddy because what she wanted so much had actually happened.

  “What’s the matter, baby? I got baptized today. We should be celebrating my new birth. Right?”

  “I am rejoicing. But I thought you’d want your mom to be part of it too. I’m hurt for her. She seemed so disappointed when we left.” In the midst of her joy, Eva had to express her concerns. “Besides, I know that the boats at home are casinos, and they have restaurants to lure people in. Can’t you cancel?”

  “Have you ever heard the saying, ‘You’re not in Kansas anymore’? The Spirit of Boston is a cruise boat. We board at the Seaport World Trade Center. I thought you would enjoy the skyline. Besides, I wanted some time alone with my lady.”

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, chastened.

  Reaching over, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “Babe, you had so much faith in me before today. Don’t lose it now. Okay?”

  “I won’t. I love you so much.”

  “And I’m even more in love with you. So relax, love. The decks are climate-controlled, and the buffet is scrumptious.”

  Eva did as he said and closed her eyes. Leaning her head against the headrest, she relaxed and linked her left hand with his right one.

  “You want to do any more sightseeing?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. The best Boston sight was watching you get your sins washed away. I’m good. Wait until I tell my parents and sister.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, wait until I tell Parke and Malcolm.”

  Soon they had made it to the Seaport World Trade Center and parked in the Seaport Hotel garage. Eva couldn’t hug Kidd enough, as they strolled to the majestic boat.

  “Wow!” she exclaimed when they boarded.

  Their host led them to a dining room that could rival any in a downtown St. Louis restaurant. With Kidd behind her, Eva followed the man up a spiral staircase to a top deck where many tables were set up for intimate dining.

  When it came time to be seated, Kidd ushered the host out of his way. “I’ve got this, man,” he said in a
territorial tone. Pulling out Eva’s chair for her to be seated, he then took his seat.

  Blushing, Eva rested her elbows on the table to cradle her chin. “Show-off.”

  “Some things, Miss Savoy, will never change—even with salvation. You are still my lady, and I can take care of you. Do you think I’m going to let some other man admire your backside while he waits for you to sit down? Think again.”

  She scrunched her nose at him. Eva had no further comment concerning his covetousness. The closeness she felt with him was stronger than she had ever experienced in the past. She sighed in contentment as she glanced out the window. “What a beautiful sight. It’s such a different world here. Are we going out to the Atlantic Ocean?”

  “No. The Spirit of Boston travels within the inner harbor and the outer islands. Come on, let’s eat.”

  Standing, Kidd reached for her hand. The buffet table was long and the seafood selection was endless. They stacked their plates with a sampling of everything and returned to their seats. Once Eva was settled, Kidd took her hands. Before bowing his head to pray, he stared into her eyes. “You are mesmerizing.” He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Lord, in the name of Jesus, thank You for keeping Your end of the bargain and giving me grace in my moments of stupidity. I didn’t deserve Your forgiveness, but You gave it to me. I didn’t deserve this beautiful woman I have, but You gave her to me anyway. And I plan on keeping both—You and her. Thank You, Jesus.”

  Warmth stirred in Eva’s soul at the sound of Kidd’s heartfelt prayer. It was music to her ears and a feeling of euphoria surrounded her like a dream. No, she did not want to share this moment with his mother. Before she opened her eyes, she added, “And by the way, Lord, please bless and sanctify our food. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

  Slowly, she met Kidd’s eyes.

  “Amen. Thanks for coming up the rear with that one.” Kidd smirked then frowned. “I’m still trying to get over the fact that Jesus really is a sin-buster. I can’t explain the feeling, except to say I feel carefree, with no burdens riding my back.”