Mercy, Mercy Me

by Ronn Elmore

  “I am your family, Beverlyn.” L.W. sat frozen.

  “Of course, Uncle Linson, you’ll always be, but Dwayne satisfies other needs. Besides, it’s time for me to get a life away from all of this traveling and evangelizing and the Jubilee Network. I need some balance. Maybe you should think about that as well.”

  “No, no… Taking care of you and this ministry is quite enough for me.” He stood. “I need to go.”

  “I thought you had something important to tell me.”

  All of this had caught L.W. so off guard that he couldn’t muster the energy to come up with something clever. “It was a bit of business, dear, but it can keep until later.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He kissed her forehead. “I’m sure. Have a good night, sweetheart.”

  As L.W. retreated in the cool of the night air to the guesthouse, he allowed the weight of Beverlyn’s news to settle in. After last night, L.W. thought he wouldn’t need to implement the plan that would stop Dwayne Grandison dead in his tracks. But it seemed he had been wrong. He would have to move ahead now and do it sooner than he had first thought. No one would come between him and Beverlyn; certainly not now, when everything he’d worked so hard for was coming to fruition.

  It saddened him to think of how the plan might affect Beverlyn. Then again, he would be there to pick up the pieces just as he always had. L.W. leaned back in his plush leather desk chair. There was no need to worry. In a few weeks, Dwayne Grandison would be little more than a bad memory that would—with time—fade from her mind.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  The studio was frantic with excitement as the crew prepared for Higher Ground’s first live production. Doing the show live had been Beverlyn’s idea. She’d wanted to kick off the new season with something different. Dwayne had to give it to her: Her argument was persuasive. A live show wouldn’t look rehearsed, and it would be less predictable and thus more interesting to the viewing audience. Finally, as hardly any of their competitors did live shows, Higher Ground would be more edgy and the show could be billed “Live with Dr. Grandison.”

  “We can even take live calls,” she’d said. “Do you know how many people will watch and call in if they have the opportunity to talk to you directly?”

  Still, Dwayne had thought it a better idea to wait until they had a few more shows under their belt before trying it. Maria, the show’s production manager, sided with Beverlyn, noting that she’d done many live shows and all had gone well. L.W.’s approval had been the nail in the coffin, and with that, Dwayne had bowed to the team’s experience.

  “We’ll still plan down to the minute and scrutinize every caller, but that’s part of the excitement.” Beverlyn paused before adding, “I’m convinced this live format will make the show even greater.”

  Now, as Maria barked directions and the camera and the lighting crew conducted sound and video checks, Dwayne sat in the makeup chair, reviewing the last-minute script changes and guest introductions.

  “Maria, what is this?” Dwayne held up the page.

  She rushed to the chair and looked at the paper. “Oh, we had a last-minute substitution. Reverend Powell will be here instead of Pastor Williams.”

  “Why?” Dwayne asked sharply. “I don’t know anything about this Reverend Powell.”

  “Well, Pastor Williams called with an emergency. We were fortunate to get this fill-in because he’s a friend of L.W.’s.”

  “Maria, look at this sheet. There’s no information on this guy. How am I supposed to interview him?” He stopped. “He can’t be part of the show.”

  “I thought it was all there.” Maria flipped through the pages to the last stapled sheet.

  “What’s he supposed to talk about?”

  “Let me see what I can find out.” Maria dashed off.

  Dwayne went back to the script and continued his review of the background information on the other guests. Everything else was complete; just Reverend Powell’s information was sketchy. All he could see was that the Reverend Andrew Powell was an evangelist who lived in Los Angeles. That was all. No church information. No personal facts.

  “Tori, get Beverlyn on the line, please,” Dwayne said to his assistant.

  “No need; here she comes.”

  Dwayne watched Beverlyn’s approach in the mirror. Tori whispered something in her ear, and a moment later, Beverlyn walked over to Dwayne.

  “Good morning.” She spoke to his reflection. “Tori said you wanted me,” she said seductively.

  “Give me a second.” He turned to his makeup man, then back to Beverlyn. “Did you know there’s been a change in the guest schedule?”

  Beverlyn shrugged slightly. “No, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Well, this show is kind of different, Beverlyn, being our first live show. Not only do I not know this Reverend—”

  “Dwayne, you really don’t know any of the guests.”

  “But we always have background information. I don’t even know what this guy’s expertise is. I’ll look like an idiot.”

  Beverlyn glanced at the paper. “He’s an evangelist.”

  “So what’s he doing to add to the subject of family secrets?”

  “Who booked him?”

  “L.W.”

  “Well, then, Reverend Powell must be okay. L.W. would only book someone who’s good for the show.”

  Her words did little to soothe him. He’d never liked the idea of a live show, but he chalked his reaction up to nervousness and relaxed with Beverlyn’s assurances that everything would be fine. Now Dwayne took a deep breath and held the back of the makeup chair, silently praying that he would make it through the next forty-seven minutes. Then he headed onto the hotly lit set.

  The applause lights flashed and the camera zoomed in on Dwayne.

  “Hello, I’m Dr. Dwayne Grandison and welcome to Higher Ground.”

  The applause from the 112 audience members continued, and Dwayne tugged at the bottom of his suit, straightening it. He glanced again at the sheets on the small table in front of him and took another breath before the floor director gave him the signal.

  “Family secrets. Are there secrets in your family that have remained hidden because you’re afraid that if they were exposed, your family would be destroyed? The Bible says that we bring to light the hidden things of darkness. That’s what we’re here to discuss today: freedom from the bondage of secrets tucked away.”

  Camera one slowly pulled back from Dwayne, giving a view of the entire stage with the five other purple suede chairs, lined up next to his.

  “Help me welcome today’s guests. First, Tanya Roberts is a woman who has held a secret from her family. And though Tanya has not come here to reveal this secret, she wants to discuss steps to take to begin the healing process. Please welcome Tanya Roberts.”

  The applause lights flashed and the studio audience cooperated.

  “Next,” Dwayne continued, “we have Christopher Johnson and his wife, Joan. Christopher says that a family secret, hidden for twelve years, almost ripped them apart, but with prayers and guidance, they made it through the storm. Welcome the Johnsons.”

  Again, the crowd applauded.

  “Please also welcome the Reverend Andrew Powell, who says that nothing should be kept in the dark …”

  Dwayne paused, not knowing what else to say.

  “Finally, welcome Murray Ladd.” The applause started before Dwayne could continue. “You know him as the Self-Help Guru, but he prefers to be known as a simple man who loves God. Murray says that while it was a family secret that destroyed his family, it was through its revelation that he found the Lord.”

  Dwayne waited until Murray sat at the end of the stage and then said, “Welcome to all our guests.

  “I’d like to start with Christopher and Joan. You say that a secret devastated your family, but you were able to stay together.”

  Christopher took his wife’s hand. “Yes, but it was only through the power of God.”

>   Joan nodded. “You see, I kept a secret from my husband for many years. Our second child …” She bowed her head. “I was never sure that our daughter was my husband’s. I was tortured every day of her life. After she was in a terrible car accident and needed a transfusion, I had to face the truth.”

  She paused as the crowd moaned.

  “But you weren’t sure what the truth was?” Dwayne asked as he lifted his head from his notes.

  “No,” Joan continued. “We needed a DNA test to tell us.”

  “It was terrible.” Her husband, Christopher, picked up the story. “But if it wasn’t for that, I don’t know if we would have found the Lord. We went to a Christian counselor—by accident, quite frankly—and he set us on the road to true recovery. We were saved, and it was only through praying that I was able to forgive my wife. And frankly, there were things she needed to forgive.”

  “I’d like to ask a question.”

  Their eyes turned to Reverend Powell.

  A guest had never posed a question, but Dwayne didn’t stop the preacher. “Yes, Reverend Powell.”

  “Mrs. Johnson, why did it take you twelve years to tell your husband?”

  Tears came to Joan’s eyes. “I was afraid. I didn’t want to break up my family and I was afraid for my daughter. Christopher was the only father she’d known. What would her life be like if Christopher was not her father?”

  But Reverend Powell shook his head. “That’s what’s wrong with this society.” Dwayne took a glance at the reverend, marveling at how much he sounded like L.W. “The devil has such a stranglehold on us,” he said, making a fist. “The devil controls through the fear inside of us that holds us hostage.”

  “I understand what you’re saying, Reverend. That’s why we’re here. There are so many people like the Johnsons who want a way out, but in the natural, it can’t be done.”

  The reverend shifted in his seat. “You should know,” he mumbled.

  Dwayne frowned and the wrinkles on his forehead deepened when he felt the wrenching in his stomach. He waited a beat, then said, “The question is, what kind of solution can we provide to those in need? The Johnsons prove that you can come out delivered and healed on the other side—but how do you get there?”

  “By telling the truth,” the reverend boomed through the studio. “The truth will set you free.”

  “That’s why we’re here,” Dwayne said, feeling more discomfort with each of the reverend’s words. “Murray, why don’t you tell the audience your experiences?”

  “Before you do that, Murray,” the reverend said, turning and patting Murray on the arm, stopping him before he could start, “I’d like to ask the doctor a question.”

  A rumble began to rise through the audience.

  Dwayne clenched his teeth and turned his head slightly. Through the curtains, he saw L.W. backstage. His wide smile made the muscles in Dwayne’s stomach tighten even more.

  “What would you like to add?” The question moved through Dwayne’s lips in slow motion.

  The reverend smiled and leaned forward in his seat, as if he were about to jump on his prey. “As a Christian, the best thing you can do, Doctor, is lead by example. Before you counsel anyone to tell their secrets, you must tell your own.”

  “Cut,” Dwayne almost yelled, wanting to do what he’d done many times before—when the show was taped. The audience buzzed with both excitement and confusion, and the guests turned to him as if he had pertinent information.

  “Reverend, this is not about me, but I can honestly say that I’m not harboring any secrets …”

  “Oh, come on, Doctor.” The reverend chuckled sarcastically. “Tell the world.”

  Dwayne leaned forward in his seat, glaring at Reverend Powell.

  “Tell the world you’re a homosexual!”

  Dwayne wasn’t sure if the gasps he heard were from his own throat or others. “Reverend, I don’t know where you get your information, but that is not true.”

  “Doctor, not only is it true, but your lover is dying from AIDS. Are you also HIV-positive, Doctor?”

  It was his professional training that kept Dwayne calm, though friction from the highly charged tensions mounting onstage spilled out into the studio audience. He clenched his fists and measured his options. He couldn’t do what he felt like doing—jumping up and decking the reverend, which would surely thrust Higher Ground onto Jerry Springer turf.

  Though the reverend’s statements didn’t deserve to be dignified with a response, he knew he couldn’t allow the lies to stand, particularly not unchallenged. “Reverend, your statement is false, but we are not here to discuss my personal life. We are here to help—”

  Reverend Powell interrupted, “Sean Wiley is your lover and he is dying of AIDS.”

  With that, murmurs from the audience escalated into full-scale disorder. Dwayne’s head snapped back in surprise, but a moment later, he realized his reaction was a mistake.

  “Look at him,” the reverend charged. “You know I’m telling the truth.”

  Dwayne could feel eyes burning into him, waiting for his response. He cleared his throat.

  “Reverend Powell—”

  “Cut!” the floor director yelled, and the camera lights were turned off.

  Dwayne blinked in confusion. “We are live. We can’t cut.”

  The floor director looked at Dwayne, then dropped his eyes. “Those were the orders,” he said, pointing to his earphones.

  In just moments, a producer rushed the guests from the stage, while four others escorted the audience from the studio. Dwayne stood as if frozen in place.

  The first thing he noticed was that no one looked at him directly. The second was that every part of his body was shaking. At least two minutes passed before he took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. His eyes scanned the studio for Beverlyn or Kim, but he didn’t see either of them. As the delirium continued, Dwayne searched until he found Maria.

  “Who gave the orders to stop the show, and where’s this Reverend Powell?” he demanded.

  “Reverend Powell is gone,” she said, dropping her hands to her sides. “And the cameraman told me the order to stop the show came from L.W. It’s a mess now. The telephone lines are clogged …” She held her hands to her forehead. “I don’t know what we’re going to do.” Maria turned and rushed toward an assistant who was screaming for her to answer a call.

  Dwayne looked around. Just fifteen minutes had passed and the studio was now empty except for the production team. He gathered his papers. Maybe it was best to go back to his office. That’s probably where Beverlyn had gone to handle damage control.

  He left saying good-bye to no one. Teddy was waiting as soon as he got off the elevator. Without a word, Dwayne got into the car. He just wanted to go home, and as quickly as possible. He kept replaying the nightmare he’d just lived through over and over again. Who was Reverend Powell? Did he hate Sean? What was going on?

  He felt a familiar stirring, and the image of L.W. sprang to his mind. He had something to do with it, but what? Surely, he wouldn’t risk the reputation of the show or the network. No, L.W. wouldn’t hurt the network that way.

  But—Dwayne shook his head—L.W. had something to do with it. He felt it in his guts. And he would get to the bottom of this.

  “He was outed on television,” he heard Tori exclaim as she looked up and saw him returning and then abruptly cut the telephone call short. Her mouth had still been wide open as he cleared his throat and asked if Beverlyn had left a message for him.

  “No, but I can call her office.”

  “No need. I just went and she’s not there.” He moved toward his office. “Have her call the moment she gets in.”

  He could feel Tori’s burning stare as he walked past her desk. Surely, no one believed what the reverend had said.

  The intercom buzzed and Tori announced that Lafayette was on line one.

  Dwayne picked up the phone at once. “Lafayette.”

  “Dwayne, what
’s going on, man? People are saying you confessed on the air that you are gay.”

  Dwayne leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “I can’t believe this. I consent to do the show live and some reverend I’ve never heard of—I don’t know who this guy is—accuses me of being gay and involved with Sean. This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. Man, I could kill somebody.”

  “Now, calm down, baby bro. Who knows this guy? What was he doing on your show?”

  “I don’t know, but I sure am going to find out. This is just crazy, man. None of this makes any sense. I still can’t believe it. And this nut also announced that Sean has AIDS.”

  “Does he?”

  “Yeah, but no one knew. He’d wanted to keep it private, fearing what would happen if word got out.”

  “Man, this is too much. What are you going to do? What’s Beverlyn saying?”

  “I can’t seem to reach her.”

  “I always had a bad feeling about that show.”

  “I don’t know, man, I just don’t know. Will people really believe these lies?”

  “Don’t be naive. From the calls we’ve been getting here …”

  The buzz of the intercom interrupted Lafayette.

  “Laf, I have another call. I gotta call you back.”

  He didn’t wait to hear his brother’s response before he picked up the other line.

  “Beverlyn.”

  “No, son.”

  Dwayne closed his eyes. “Mom. You saw the show?”

  “What is going on? My phone hasn’t stopped ringing.”

  “I’m not sure, Mom, but we’ll handle this. I’ve really got to get back to you, though.”

  She was silent for a moment before she grudgingly agreed to let him call her back.

  He buzzed Tori. “Have you found Ms. Boudreaux yet?”

  “No, Dr. Grandison, but I’m overwhelmed out here. Newspapers are calling, all kinds of reporters… Do you want these messages?”

  Why would the newspapers care about something like this? Dwayne wondered.

  “Tori, take messages. I’m going to be out of the office for a few hours.”