“Today was a turning point, and it brought home many things,” Tony said, continuing where he left off. “This issue with the Henderson family has been brewing for a while, and the fact that the board and the deacons were all in on what Minister Henderson planned to do to my wife says that I’m not as good a judge of character as I thought.”
“Naw, that wasn’t it,” Sister Mae said, her weathered hand dismissing his last words. “You’d need a different kind of radar to sniff out their kind of mess.”
Everyone laughed. Well, everyone except two of the three newcomers.
Tony left his seat, stood in the center of the living room at an angle where those in the other spaces could see him as well. “I’ve spent the last two years battling the people who don’t see that the church is no good if it’s not serving the people of the community. The church is all about people in need. I’m not going to forget that again.”
“And we’re with you on doing more community service,” Sister Sandra offered, amidst verbal agreement from the rest of the people. “My son was shot right in front of our house. He was home from college, just catching up with some of the family he hadn’t seen in a while.” She paused; her bottom lip trembled in her effort not to cry.
Sister Aridell stroked a comforting hand across the stout woman’s back.
“They shot him. He wasn’t in no gang or nothing like that. He was making good grades; wanted to be an engineer. They ended all that.” She locked a tearful gaze with Tony as she said, “They’re getting bolder every day. Every. Single. Day. The police … they’re always somewhere else when the shooting happens.”
“Yet, when that officer shot that unarmed dude in the middle of the block,” Sister Sharon chime in. “There were at least fifteen police cars and twice as many officers on one street.”
Brother Ray leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “How can we live six blocks from one of the largest police stations in the city, and have more shooting and crimes than the rest of Chicago combined?”
“How exactly do you think you can help, Pastor?” Brother Thomas asked, rubbing a hand through his barely-there hair. “He’s right, you know.”
Tony shared a glance with Kari and said, “Tomorrow we’re going to start our search for a basic building that has offices.”
“I have a spot about a block away from the church,” Brother Ray said, sliding back comfortably on the sofa. “Closed on it last month. You said we should be buying property nearby, trying to put some life back into the area. My cleaning crew’s going through it and it’s nearly ready for me to rent. I can donate the space for your ministry’s use.”
“That’s awesome,” Tony said, smiling at the muscled man who was well-sought after by female members of the congregation, but he only had an eye for Sister Aridell. “And that’s what I call a ram in the bush.”
A few people smiled; some applauded. Brother Ray beamed.
“And when we finally have a building that might be used for a Sunday gathering, the members aren’t going to just sit on positions and hold ground,” Tony said, eyeing each of them. “Every ministry will serve a purpose inside and outside of those four walls. For instance … ” He fixed his eyes on Brother Ray, then on Sharon, the only usher board member present. “The usher board will serve on Sunday mornings, but they’ll also be the people who keep in touch with our visitors and new members after they leave Sunday service.”
Tony shifted, placed a hand on Sister Jean’s shoulder. “The nurse’s board needs to be made up of practicing and retired nurses who will head up fitness and nutrition training for the members as well as consistent visits to the sick and the shut-ins.”
He swept a gaze across the silent people in the room; then he went on to explain a little of the concept of people with professional degrees and experience being put to service in their field, in small ways, so that it was spread out amongst several members. The plan? A lot of people, doing a small amount well—and gaining more experience and references within the church.
“We’re giving people something to do so they can put their salvation on wheels. Y’all still down with me on that?”
“That’s so freaking awesome,” twelve-year-old Ricky said, beaming. “Can I head up the technology board?”
“There’s no such thing as a technology board at a church,” Sister Martha said, giving him a stern look that made him wither a little.
Tony ruffled the lad’s unruly curls and said, “We do now. Everyone could learn their way around a computer.”
“And how Facebook works, too,” Aridell said with a knowing smile at Leesa, Tee, and Cathy. “Teach them about those ally-rhythms and such.”
“Algorithms,” the teen and everyone else corrected.
“You know what I meant,” Aridell grumbled, causing a few chuckles.
Tony took some time to explain a few of the other systems he wanted in place, and the fact that in addition to a focus on women and girls who were victims of child sex-trafficking or sexual abuse, he was going to have Kari work on a limited basis with Aridell on the teen division.
“Me?” Kari said, looking at him for a long moment.
He nodded, gesturing for her to take the floor. “The perfect place to stop some of our youth from answering the call of the streets is at the beginning. Tell them what you told me.”
Kari crossed one leg over the other. “When you give teens something to do, show them the finish line—take them on college tours, travel to other cities, maybe even to other countries—they realize there are more important things to do in life than drugs, sex, and losing sight of their dreams.” She paused long enough to take in the expressions of admiration from everyone. This encouraged her to continue. “My thing is to keep them busy, keep them traveling, keep showing them that when they become adults, that’s when the fun is supposed to start. That they’ll have a bit more life if they don’t have to worry about raising a child when they haven’t finished being raised themselves.” Kari looked at Aridell, who gave her a reassuring smile. “Or end up in rehab trying to shake addictions that should never have been theirs to begin with. Or be easily led into things that they shouldn’t; by listening to someone making all kind of empty promises just to get between their legs.”
“That certainly would’ve helped me,” Tee admitted in a soft voice, referring to the fact she now had two children, suffered the loss of a third, no husband, and had problems trying to finish school and juggle work too.
“Indeed,” Aridell said with a small smile in her grandniece’s direction. “An idle mind is the devil’s playground. But it doesn’t mean that you’re not able to bounce back and do what you want to do in life. It just means it might take a little bit longer. You don’t give up.”
Tee nodded, and her eyes glazed over before tears streamed down her face.
Aridell moved in, pulling the young woman to her in an embrace, ignoring Leesa and Cathy’s scowls.
Soon others were tearing up as well.
“I think I’ve always been jealous,” Tee admitted in a low voice.
Aridell pulled away to look at her. “Of what?”
“You helped Jennifer, Marco, and Malcolm through college,” she said, her tone accusatory and more than a little angry. Then it turned soft and whiny. “But you didn’t help me.”
“Oh, sweetheart, that’s what I would’ve done for you,” Aridell said, cupping her hands around Tee’s tear-stained face. “That’s exactly what I wanted for you. Finish high school. College. A career. A life.”
“But why did I have to sign that thing to get it?”
“Because you needed some type of boundaries,” Aridell said, flicking a glance toward Cathy, who remained stone-faced during the exchange. “Your cousins did too. Putting it in writing makes sure everybody knows what’s what. It’s giving you some clear rules and direction. That’s all.” She looked directly at Cathy. “I wasn’t trying to take your child away like you accused. I wanted better for her than what you were able to give back
then.”
Tee’s gaze landed on her angry mother then shifted to Kari, who offered an encouraging smile.
“I’m sorry, Auntie,” Tee whispered, flexing her hands, a sure sign that her emotions were running high. “I’m really, really sorry.”
Aridell nodded, then spread her arms and the girl came forward into another embrace.
Though Kari was warmed by the reunion, and so were others, she scanned the group until she looked into Leesa’s eyes. The animosity was so strong it was able to reach across the room and choke out all the happiness the niece and aunt shared. Cathy wasn’t much better.
Aridell kept her arm about her niece’s shoulders as she moved them both into the middle of the living room. “This new direction that Pastor Baltimore wants to take the church in is something we’re all in agreement with.”
“Amen.”
“Yes.”
“Of course.”
“Did you keep a copy of the church records, Pastor?” Ricky asked, causing Tony to glance in his direction.
“No paper files, but all the documents were scanned to a system and they’re kept on a special hard drive.”
“Encrypted?”
“All of them,” Tony asked, his gaze narrowing on him. “At church and right here. What does that matter?”
“Someone in as much of a hurry to get their hands on the church as Minister Henderson is, might have some other ideas, like signing your name to something or printing out a document and backdating it.”
Half the people in the room looked shocked that a youngster could even fathom such a thing.
“You watch way too much television,” Leesa grumbled, pressing her back to the entrance between the rooms.
Kari glanced at her husband. “And there’s all of those confidential records you created when you became pastor. They contain financial information and even personal things you may have written down during counseling sessions. He’s right. They shouldn’t be in just anyone’s hands.” She crossed the room and placed her hands flat against Tony’s chest. “If Terrence was keyed up enough to go behind your back and get the board and deacons to saddle up and ride to his cause, then he won’t be above using any of that information for his own needs.”
“My brother wouldn’t do that,” Leesa snapped, her expression filled with animosity as she glared at Kari. “He’s not a criminal, like some people around here.”
Cathy nodded, but her focus was on Tee who hadn’t left Aridell’s side.
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Leesa, whose lips were set in a thin, disapproving line.
“Care to share why after several months you showed up at church today?” Kari asked, undeterred by the woman’s demeanor. “And why you’re really here, in my home, right now?”
Tee and Aridell shared a glance, but it was Cathy who seemed suddenly uncomfortable.
“I wanted to have a talk with Pastor to resolve this issue with Aridell,” Leesa defended, chest puffing up a little.
Aridell scoffed, but remained silent when Tony shot her a warning glance.
“So instead of calling to set up a meeting at a later time,” Kari reasoned, getting to her feet. “You just showed up here when you knew all these people were coming this way?”
“We didn’t know about them,” Cathy said, nodding toward the group spread out in the living room.” We followed Tee to see what she was up to.”
Aridell cleared her throat, and put a warning glance to Tony that said, “You’d better listen to your wife.”
“I’ll give you the information you need right now to make all that data secure on my computer,” Tony said to Ricky while gesturing for Brother Ray to pass him a sheet from the notepad resting on an end table. “Snatch the files labeled counseling from the church’s computer and place it on this cloud account.” He scribbled the information down. “Then make a backup on the hard drive that I have here.”
“What about the financial records?” Ricky asked, accepting the document.
“Legally, the church records, finances, board meeting minutes should remain. They’re the property of the church. I have a copy here just in case they decide to do some creative accounting of their own and try to pawn it off on me.”
“Sure thing, Pastor,” the teen said, taking the slip of paper Tony held out to him.
“The computer’s upstairs in my office. The last room on the left.”
Ricky made it to the stairs and froze. “Nothing else on it that I shouldn’t see, right? I mean … ” He spoke over his shoulder, giving Kari a quick, sheepish look, then back to Tony so they’d take his meaning.
“No!” Tony and Kari yelled in unison.
“I don’t know, Pastor,” Aridell teased with a suggestive lift of her eyebrows. “You and Sister Kari seem awfully happy these days.”
“Doesn’t mean we’re putting it on video, though,” Tony replied as Kari shook her head trying to ignore the entire conversation.
While the rest of the people shared a laugh, Tony jerked his thumb toward the upper level and the teen scrambled up the stairs.
“Then it’s settled,” Aridell said, allowing a smile to grace her lips. “On Wednesday, we let the rest of the church know what’s what. Either they’re riding with you, or they’re rolling with the heathen.”
A round of applause followed.
Kari didn’t fail to notice that Tee was all smiles and her hands were still placed in Aridell’s, but Leesa and Cathy had soured like month-old buttermilk.
Chapter Fifteen
Aridell gripped the edge of her balcony, trying to keep her anger at bay. The panoramic view of Lake Michigan and downtown Chicago swam in and out of focus. She had listened to Tee’s story as she told in brutal detail, the things Aridelle always suspected had transpired, but wasn’t allowed to protect that little girl to keep them from happening.
“It hurt. It always hurt,” Tee had whispered.
Once the meeting at Pastor Baltimore’s house was done, Tee surprised her mother and Aunt Leesa by making a beeline to Aridell and asking if she could speak with her—alone. Aridell witnessed the anxious expressions on the faces of the two women who had given her grief for as long as she could remember and knew that having a neutral place to hold a private conversation was key.
“He said that’s the way sex was supposed to feel. I told Mama and she said that I just had to keep him happy. She said that since he was paying the bills, he could do whatever he wanted.”
Right now, she wanted to take a strap to Cathy’s hide and keep it there until the woman met her maker. How could a woman put her own needs before the welfare of her child? What kind of monster had Cathy become? And had she done the same with her other daughters? Aridell hadn’t been around to know for certain. The minute she’d called the police to inform them of that unholy relationship between Tee and that grown man, no one in the family would have anything to do with Aridell for fear she’d uncover their dirt, bring it to the light of day and put their lives on display as well. Then when she showed up at the hospital that day, hoping to bridge the gap between her and Tee, and she saw an opportunity for the nurse to do what her job entailed, she did what needed to be done. Consequences be damned.
Aridell left the balcony, steeled the emotions warring within and absorbed all of the sordid things Tee had told her. knowing she couldn’t do anything about it now. The regret for slinking away under the weight of the family’s swift retribution for what she’d done, hit Aridell full force. She should have kept some pressure on the police and CPS to at least make sure Tee was safe. Instead, after they’d managed to slide through those first accusations with no consequences, and the family alienated her, all while Tee kept gravitating to that man and his money, Aridell stayed away. Guilt filled her like no time she could remember. But she would do what she could now to give the young woman and her children a better life.
“I’ll keep the babies,” she said, giving Tee’s hand a gentle pat. “I want you to connect with your cousins. You need time to hear what
they’ve been up to. Let them tell you the things they’ve made it through. You’re going to need to play catch up, love, but I know you can do it. Bond with them.” She swallowed her regret and placed it deep in her heart. “You didn’t allow me to help you years ago, but let me do it now when you need me the most.”
Aridell watched as Tee looked out on the evening sky, then closed her eyes as though praying for help. The kind of help that would get her out of the never-ending cycle of poverty she seemed to be in. No one in her family lived beyond their next paycheck. And Cathy and Leesa were always onto the next get-rich, multi-level marketing scheme. None of them ever worked out and some of the family had been duped by their schemes, but still fell for them often enough.
“I’m sorry, Auntie. I …” Her voice trailed off, and Aridell understood exactly what the young woman was going through. She couldn’t put a voice to the sadness that filled her at the understanding that she would be so much further along in life if she’d listened to Aridell instead of her mother, who had no regard for anything but her own desires.
“It’s all right,” Aridell replied, trying to push the rest of her anger and guilt to the background so she could deal with what was more important. “Everyone has a path. Yours was just different. We move forward from here. No looking back and saying if I’d done XYZ … You can’t change then, you can only change now.”
“So, I’m going to make those first changes by—”
“Going off on a retreat with your cousins,” Aridell supplied. “I’ll set everything up. They could use a break. You too. Simply to unwind and get to know each other all over again.”
“You’re going to watch all of their kids, too?”
“I’m bringing in reinforcements all at one time,” she replied, giving Tee a megawatt smile. “Youngsters to keep up with your little heathens and theirs too.”
“That’s smart,” Tee said, chuckling.
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