Mercy, Mercy Me

by Ronn Elmore

  L.W. leaned on the side of the desk. “Beverlyn, you are not his friend. You’ve got to get back to thinking like a businesswoman.” He took her face into his hands. “Please, I’m counting on you.”

  Tears streamed down her face. They were the first since she vowed not to cry last night. As L.W. rushed to comfort her, she tried to compose herself, swallowing the lump in her throat.

  “Okay.” She nodded as if she were making a pact with herself. “Don’t worry anymore, Uncle Linson. I know what I have to do.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  She forced herself to return his smile. “Thanks for everything.”

  “There’s nothing to thank me for, sweetheart. I’m just doing what I have to do.”

  As L.W. walked out the door, Beverlyn decided it was time to stop wallowing in this real-life drama. It was getting obvious to her that Dwayne had moved on. Now it was time for her to do the same.

  Awakened by the intercom buzzer, Dwayne sat up straight.

  “Dr. Grandison, Pastor Grandison is on his way up.”

  By the time Dwayne returned the intercom receiver to its hook and retrieved the package from his tabletop to put it back together, Lafayette was walking off the elevator.

  “You look a mess, baby bro,” Lafayette kidded.

  “I dozed off for a while. What time is it?”

  “Noon, man.”

  Dwayne returned to the position he’d been in before the buzzer awakened him. “Still getting calls?”

  “Yeah.” Lafayette leaned back on the couch. “I can’t believe the interest in this story. Did I say that I saw you on the news last night?”

  Dwayne grimaced.

  “So have you figured out what this is all about?”

  “Didn’t have to. Linson Lejohn came to see me this morning,” he said, handing Lafayette the package.

  “Are you telling me this man planned the whole thing?” Lafayette began to read the letter.

  “That’s right. Pretty good job too.”

  “But why?”

  “The way I see it, he never liked me, and when I got involved with Beverlyn, I became a threat. I knew this man was scum, but I underestimated the depth.”

  “How did he find out about Sean’s having AIDS?” Lafayette looked up from the papers briefly.

  “No idea. But it’s Sean I’m most worried about.”

  Lafayette gave a long, low whistle as he read the resignation letter and restraining order. “This man doesn’t play.”

  “Then again, he might have underestimated me.” Dwayne smiled, holding a microcassette in his hand.

  “What’s that?”

  “I taped L.W.’s conversation. He doesn’t come right out and admit he was behind this scheme, but even an idiot would be able to connect the dots after listening to it.”

  “All right!” he exclaimed, extending his hand to high-five his brother. “So what’s the plan?”

  “I’m not sure.” He paused and stood, walking past his brother to the view. “More importantly, I realize now that I had a lot to do with what happened. This is what happens when you go after the wrong things.”

  Lafayette remained silent. Many times in the last few months, he wanted to go to his brother and warn him.

  “I got too caught up,” Dwayne continued. “The money I was making had become just as important as God. I gave up the men’s fellowship at New Covenant so I could make more money. Then I started spending it in ways that weren’t really me.”

  “This happens to so many people. They get financial and material blessings mixed up with God’s real plan for their lives.”

  “It’s a thin line, isn’t it?”

  “It is because God wants to bless,” Lafayette explained. “But He makes it clear when Jesus says, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. That scripture gives us a formula. What comes first and then what comes next.”

  “Well, my mind is clear now.”

  “And things will work out for the best. You’ve learned an important lesson.”

  “Yeah, but at what cost?”

  They sat in silence for several moments before Lafayette rose and said, “C’mon, there’s something I want you to see.”

  “Where are we going? I’m not up to seeing people.”

  “Relax. Get your jacket.”

  At one o clock in the afternoon, they pulled into Lafayette’s driveway. Dwayne didn’t recognize the car in the drive.

  “Whose car is that?”

  “Clarence Milsap’s. After seeing the news last night, I gave him a call and he agreed to meet with you today.”

  Dwayne hadn’t thought of Clarence Milsap, an elder at New Covenant Assembly, who had been a much-decorated police detective. Now retired, he did private work for members of the church.

  “I didn’t know how you’d want to follow up, so I thought the two of you should talk.”

  Dwayne nodded in agreement. But as they walked inside, it became all too clear that the real surprise had little to do with Elder Milsap. Sitting silently, with full smiles, were Robbie and their four children, his mother, Nina, Monique, and Elder Milsap, and standing next to the fireplace was Sean.

  “This is a different kind of family council, son.” Bernice walked toward him, drawing him into her warm, full embrace. “The people who love you most have gathered to show our support for you, to pray with you, to let you know that all is well, and to remind you that we will not allow you to go through this alone.”

  Overwhelmed, Dwayne shook his head in disbelief.

  “Well,” said Lafayette, “let’s get this party started. You know the boy probably hasn’t eaten.”

  The children cheered and rushed to their uncle. Robbie followed with a kiss before disappearing into the kitchen. Then Dwayne turned back to his mother.

  “I’m proud of you, son.”

  Dwayne thought about what his family had endured over the last twenty-four hours. But here they all were, full of love and support. He hugged his mother tightly.

  Monique came to him next.

  “Hey, kiddo,” he said. He could tell that she’d been crying.

  “Dwayne, I’m sorry that I didn’t handle things well in the office.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  She blinked in confusion. “Lafayette didn’t tell you?” She lowered her eyes. “Some of your clients want to cancel their appointments—permanently.”

  He squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about it. We’re going to be fine. There are clients who will stay, clients who will leave, and new clients who will come. Everything is in God’s hands.”

  “Well, I really admire your faith. I don’t know if, in your position, I would feel the same. I suspect that man L.W. has something to do with this,” Monique said, sniffing back tears. “I knew there was something not right about him or his niece. I just knew it.”

  “No matter what, we will get through this. All of this… with God.”

  They hugged and she headed for the kitchen. Then he turned to Nina, who, without saying a word, put her arms around his neck. He had forgotten how good she felt in his arms and he held her longer than he knew he should.

  “How are you, Dwayne?”

  “Better now.”

  “You have good friends, Dwayne, because you’re a good friend. And I think there’s a friend over there who is very anxious to speak to you.” Nina motioned in the direction of Sean, who had not moved since Dwayne had walked into the room.

  Dwayne kissed Nina’s cheek and walked across the room, stopping in front of the fireplace.

  “How are you, my friend?” Dwayne said. The two men hugged.

  Dwayne couldn’t help but notice his friend’s pallor and that he seemed to be thinner than just a month before.

  “Will anyone miss us if we take a walk?” Sean asked.

  Dwayne looked around the room. “I think we can sneak out for a moment.”

  He led Sean toward the back of
the house, but by the time they walked into the yard, Sean said, “Let’s just stay here.”

  Dwayne’s high spirits dissipated, noticing that his friend was short of breath as he pointed toward the patio chairs and they sat.

  Sean felt Dwayne’s stare and met his gaze. “It’s started, Dwayne.”

  “I suspected that when you didn’t show up for Beverlyn’s New York Crusade.”

  Sean nodded. “Well, I won’t have to worry about missing any more of her crusades. My long-standing invitation has been withdrawn.”

  “You’ve heard from Beverlyn?” There was hope in his tone.

  “Not a word. But I got an earful from L.W.”

  “He paid you a visit as well?”

  “Yup.” Sean leaned back in his chair. “L.W. met me in the hospital this morning, right before I checked out. Did you get the videotape?”

  “Yeah, and a few other things. I can’t believe that man.”

  “I’m not surprised,” Sean said. “I knew he would try to take me down. I’m just sorry he pushed you off the cliff with me.”

  “I’m the one who’s sorry. I know how hard you’ve worked to keep your private life out of the news.”

  “Maybe this was God’s way of showing us that was the wrong move,” Sean said. “You know the saying, the truth will set you free.”

  Dwayne just sat, saying nothing.

  “I’ve called a press conference for tomorrow at noon, Dwayne. I’d like you to be there for support. Perhaps I can turn this around and show people how to live through all kinds of challenges with the grace of God.”

  “You got it, man. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Sean began coughing. As the seconds passed and his cough intensified, Dwayne jumped from the chair and knelt at his friend’s side.

  “What can I do?”

  Still coughing, Sean shook his head. Finally, he sat up slowly and Dwayne waited until his breathing steadied before he returned to his chair.

  “How bad is it, Sean?”

  He was silent for a moment. “Let’s just say I couldn’t have sung at a crusade if Beverlyn had asked me to—at least not for a while.”

  “I’m sorry, man.”

  “So what about you, Dwayne?”

  “I’m not sure yet. I want revenge, and at the same time, I want to cut my losses. I recorded my conversation with L.W., but I’m not sure what to do with it.”

  Sean began coughing again—a dry hack that made Dwayne cringe. Dwayne resisted the urge to touch his friend—to pat him on the back or just hold him. Instead, he watched from his chair and silently prayed that God would comfort his friend.

  “Let’s go back inside,” Dwayne said when Sean finally settled again.

  Sean stood, but shook his head. “No, I need to rest up for this press conference. Give everyone my regards. Let’s talk tomorrow morning.”

  Using his cell, Sean instructed his chauffeur that he was ready, and by the time Dwayne walked him around to the front, the Lincoln Town Car was waiting. Dwayne watched as Sean lowered himself into the backseat. He stood on the curb, simmering with myriad emotions as the dark car moved down the street.

  For the first time since his ordeal had begun, Dwayne faced all that he was feeling: His lips trembled with the thought of loss, and inside, he was still rocked by the betrayal. Yet it was his compassion for Sean that had brought him to tears.

  He stood for a moment, contemplating all that Sean was facing, and realized he had another very important meeting to conduct with the one person he had not yet personally greeted—Elder Clarence Milsap.

  Back inside, Dwayne took Milsap aside and they began brainstorming. Milsap theorized that Reverend Powell had indeed been a plant—a hired actor or a con. Either way they would never be able to discredit him without locating him. It would be equally difficult to tie Powell and L.W. together, as Milsap was sure that L.W. had hired a middleman to arrange the transaction in order to keep his hands clean.

  The microcassette did give them some leverage in dealing with Lejohn, but there were numerous ramifications: Did he really want to replay the whole scene for the world to hear, or should he just let it become yesterday’s news, as it surely would? Did he want his battle with the Jubilee Network duked out in the media? Did he want to further demean a network that had meant so much to the Christian community? Did he want to hurt Beverlyn? And finally, did he really want to play Linson Lejohn’s game?

  Still, he felt better holding something in his hand that bore out his story. With it—if he wanted to—he could bring down Linson Lejohn, the Jubilee Network, and Beverlyn Boudreaux Ministries.

  When Dwayne returned home, he knew he had some important decisions to make, and the opportune time to make them would be before tomorrow’s press conference. Last night, he’d gotten little sleep, and as he’d watched Lafayette drive off and made his way to the penthouse elevator, he realized the prospects for tonight wouldn’t be much better.

  He arrived at the church an hour before the press conference was to begin and drove in the back gate past a swarm of reporters. Though they shouted out questions, he drove past them into the lot, church elders holding them at bay. Lafayette said that they’d been camped out at the church since eight.

  As Dwayne entered the conference room, he could see that Sean had not yet arrived, but everyone else seemed to be in place. He was greeted by Lafayette and then pulled into a corner by Mark Mansfield, a prominent attorney who attended the church and not only handled Lafayette’s affairs but also had a thriving corporate practice.

  Mr. Mansfield went over some final details as Dwayne scanned the room, confirming the presence of Nina, Elder Milsap, Monique, Robbie, and his mother, all decked out in their Sunday best. Standing near them was a group of clients who had become friends, some of them high-profile entertainers there to lend their support—and get their famous faces on the six o’clock news. Among them were Jasmine Charles, Harrison David, the actor who’d first introduced Dwayne to Sean, Jade, and others Dwayne only recognized from Christian television. Then to the left of them was a number of local pastors—friends of Lafayette’s, some of whom he knew, like Dr. Beverly “BAM” Crawford and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer, and some he didn’t know; all representing the leading black churches in Los Angeles.

  For the first time in forty-eight hours, Dwayne felt that everything was going to work out just fine. Moments later, Sean arrived, looking much better than he had the day before, though Dwayne surmised it was taking every bit of energy Sean had to put it on for the cameras, which twenty minutes later began to roll.

  As the contingency of his supporters who’d gathered in the conference room now stood side by side on the pulpit, Sean walked slowly to the microphone to read his statement.

  “I have come here today to make two announcements. The first is to confirm that I am HIV positive, the result of a heterosexual encounter more than five years ago. I had been symptom-free for two years, until recently when it was revealed to me that my condition was progressing. The doctors say that my symptoms may worsen, but there is no timetable. However, for the time being—and under doctor’s orders—I am suspending all performances. I will not be singing for a while. But I remain optimistic about my health and a return to the stage as I worship a powerful and merciful God who has blessed me with success, with talent, and with the love you see in this pulpit today.

  “I did not come to this way of thinking on my own,” he continued. “In the depths of my despair, having first been diagnosed with AIDS and at the time suicidal, I was referred to Dr. Dwayne Grandison. My life has not been the same since.

  “That leads me to my second announcement. It is because of this man’s”—he paused and pointed to Dwayne—“professional services and friendship that I stand in front of you today. What many of you saw on TV the other day was a friend who had been sworn to protect the private affairs of another friend. A friend who had only recently come through the tragedy of losing his wife in an automobile accident.”

>   He turned to Dwayne. “I want to announce to the world today that Dr. Dwayne just happens to be the best friend one could hope to have, and quite a capable therapist.”

  Sean paused—his voice had begun to crack—while he composed himself. Amid the silence of pounding thoughts and the free-flowing spirit of God, admiring the spirit of his weary soul, members of the media were touched by a courage they had never before witnessed.

  Sean Wiley turned to the audience. “Any questions?”

  Hands flew up, and Lafayette, who’d been introduced earlier, pointed to a heavyset woman wearing thick TV makeup.

  “Samantha Steele, Around Hollywood. What about your resignation from the Jubilee Network?”

  “I’ll direct that question to Attorney Mark Mansfield.”

  Before Sean could answer, Mr. Mansfield quickly stepped to the podium and dramatically declared, “There were no such resignations.”

  “Can we deduce from your presence here, Mr. Mansfield, that there will be a litigation?” came the second question.

  “First of all, let me clarify that, at this time, I am simply an advisor to Dr. Grandison and Mr. Wiley. Mr. Wiley did not have a legal contract with the Jubilee Network. Dr. Grandison did. Legal action has not been ruled out, but for the moment, nothing has been decided.”

  “Will you file for slander?”

  “While my client has indeed been slandered, as I said before, nothing has yet been decided. We have contacted the network and fully intend to meet with their lawyers.”

  “Sean, do you believe you will ever sing again?”

  “I certainly hope so,” he said, looking a bit weakened by all the commotion.

  “And will you now be speaking out for AIDS causes?”

  “I have always done that, but, yes, whatever I can do to advance the cause against the spread of AIDS and foster a greater understanding in the Christian community, I will do.”

  “Dr. Grandison, will you sue to be reinstated with the Jubilee Network?”

  “I have no desire to be anyplace I’m not wanted. I have a thriving practice and hope to continue my work with Man-to-Man, a men’s fellowship right here at New Covenant.”