Practicing What You Preach

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  Marcus saw her emptying her purse as she searched for whatever change she could find, then begin to count it, sometimes smiling and looking toward Heaven when she finished, with a nod of yes. Sometimes looking upward, still smiling, with a shake of no. He would see her later bring that money to one of his sisters or brothers for something they needed or wanted for school. No one else in his family seemed to notice how much money they received in change. No one except Marcus.

  And that’s what motivated Marcus from a young age to do well in school. His mother was sacrificing too much for him to allow her sacrifice to be in vain. Marcus suspected his older brother knew how difficult things were. That’s one of the reasons Ronnie chose to enlist in the navy as soon as he graduated from high school instead of going off to college. The navy had promised him a chance to receive money for a higher education. Ronnie saw that as his pathway to rise up. After reenlisting that first time around, Ronnie decided to make a career with the navy.

  Marcus’s older sisters, Tia and Brianna, went off to college after they graduated from high school. They both took out student loans, but college was difficult because they still needed money for so many things besides tuition. Books certainly weren’t cheap, even the used ones. Ronnie sent money home to help out when he could, but once he was married and had two children, he had his own responsibilities.

  Tia met a guy in college who was a senior when she was a freshman. They fell in love and decided to get married after her first year with every intention for her to continue her education. She got pregnant in her first year of marriage and hadn’t gone back to finish college yet.

  Brianna went wild the first few months of college, despite her mother’s warnings. She got pregnant, then married the guy after the baby was born. She also dropped out of college and never went back.

  Marcus was determined not only to go to college and graduate with honors but to win scholarships that would pay for everything, including his books. Marcus was on a mission. He talked to the school counselor when he first arrived at high school to find out what was available to him and what he needed to do in order to get it. He wasn’t going to wait until his junior or senior year to get it together. He knew that everything he did from the ninth grade on up would have an effect on his well-thought-out plans. He was going to make something of himself, then give his mother something so she could stop working so hard and take a much-needed and well-deserved rest, if she chose to.

  When he first told her of his plans while he was in middle school, she smiled. “You know what, Marcus? I believe you’ll do just that.” She hugged him. “I believe in you.”

  Marcus was amazed at the power and impact of those four words: “I believe in you.” That’s what his mother had given him. A vision of what was possible if one would only believe and work hard for it. And whatever you do in life, to always put God first.

  “Marcus, if you don’t remember anything else I tell you, just know that with God all things are possible,” she had said. “God has a calling on your life. There’s something different about you. Yes, my dear Marcus, like all of us, God has a purpose and a plan for your life. There’s something truly special about you. And I’m not just saying that because you’re my child.” She nodded and smiled. “You’re destined for great things. I just know it.”

  That was the other thing Sharon Peeples had given her children: the knowledge of who God was in their lives and the power that is available to those who have the wisdom and the desire to connect and hook up with Jesus. There is grace, favor, and guidance to those who allow Jesus to be the Lord of their life and not just their Savior. Marcus knew what prayer could do. He had seen the effects of prayer, time after time, again and again, in his mother’s life.

  “Earth to Marcus, earth to Marcus,” Sasha said, before she finally yelled, “Marcus Peeples! Are you planning on making me stand out here all night or what?!”

  Marcus looked up from his tennis shoes. He hadn’t realized his mind had wandered so far from the present as he had wrestled with what he should do about Sasha showing up at his house early. Sasha did say her mother was going to pay him for tutoring her. That was money he could either give to his mother or use to buy something he needed so she wouldn’t have to worry about it. High school kids, especially juniors and seniors, had lots of expenses, so every little bit of cash he could make would help.

  Besides, he was seventeen, turning eighteen in a few months. His mother had married when she was eighteen, so he should be allowed to have someone in the house and be trusted to be responsible. It wasn’t that much time before she would be home. Sasha appeared harmless enough. Definitely not one of the thugs his mother was concerned would steal something out of their house. And they wouldn’t be doing anything except studying.

  “Come on in,” Marcus said after his brief deliberation. “Did you bring your algebra book?”

  “Yep, it’s in my bag,” she said, turning so he could see her oversized backpack.

  “We can go in the den and work in there,” Marcus said. “Unless you would prefer the dining room table?”

  “Where’s your computer?” Sasha asked. “Don’t you need a computer to teach me?”

  “Nah. Not yet, anyway.”

  “But you do have a computer, right?” Sasha asked. “Just in case we find we need one, you do have one, right?”

  “Yes, I do have one. It’s in my room. But for now, we don’t need one. I’m going to show you how to do things the good old-fashioned way.” He led her to the den and motioned for her to have a seat on the couch. He gathered the magazines spread out on the coffee table and placed them in a stack. Thus began their journey of variables and equations and expressions.

  “I still don’t get if a equals b and b equals c how a can equal c,” Sasha said. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t understand variables and expressions and equations. I don’t get why we need to use alphabets instead of just inserting the numbers and be through with it. Algebra is just crazy! Why would anyone go to so much trouble to make something easy so complicated?” She fell back against the couch and folded her arms. “And tell me, when will I ever, in the real world anyway, ever have a need, or for that matter, a reason to have to add using alphabets? When?”

  Marcus loved watching her being so passionate about how she felt, even if she was complaining about and bashing something he absolutely loved.

  “Okay, think of algebra as a way to say something without having to keep repeating certain information.” Marcus racked his brain to try and think of some way to bring this to life and turn it into something that Sasha might be interested in and therefore get.

  He looked down at her shoes. Despite the fact that she had come from cheerleading practice, she had arrived wearing high heels with red painted on the bottom.

  “Take a pair of shoes, for instance,” Marcus said. “Okay, let’s say that a represents one pair of shoes and b represents a second pair, and c represents a third pair of shoes. Let’s say you were trying to tell Mercedes or one of your other friends something about each pair. And you tell them that a equals b, and b equals c, then what would you be left to conclude about shoes a and c?”

  Sasha smiled. “Okay, you’re telling me that shoe a and shoe b are the same, and shoe b and c are the same, so that would mean that shoe a and shoe c are the same.”

  “Or as the equation would phrase it—”

  “—a equals c!” Sasha beamed as she relaxed. “I get that!”

  “So if you were to substitute a number for shoes, then what?”

  “Then I would know that whatever number a represents and if it equals b, and if whatever the number b is it equals c, then logically a must equal c since a equals b!” She clapped. “Oh, that was fun! You really are good.” Sasha touched his hand, allowing her hand to linger on his.

  And that was when he felt something that equaled electricity flowing from her hand to his body, and he fully realized just how much of a role science played and the impact it had in real li
fe.

  “Mama’s pulling up in the driveway!” T. J. said as he burst in the door and headed toward the kitchen. He stopped, backed up, and walked into the den. “You’re Sasha, aren’t you? Wow, you look even better up close.” He held out his hand. “My name is T. J. So tell me, which part of heaven did you fall from?”

  Just then, Sharon walked in the house. She stopped when she saw her two sons and one young lady in her den. “Boys,” she said, “what’s going on here?” She directed her gaze at T. J., since he was the one holding Sasha’s hand.

  T. J. immediately held up both of his hands in a show of surrender. “Ask Marcus. You told us not to have company in our house when you’re not here. I know better, so it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t dare disobey you, Mama.”

  Sharon looked at Marcus, feeling bad that his brother had embarrassed him.

  Marcus stood up. “Mama, this is Sasha Bradford. She goes to my school. I’m helping her with algebra.”

  Sasha stood, walked over to Marcus’s mother, and firmly shook her hand. “How do you do, Ms. Peeples? Your son agreed to tutor me in algebra. I must apologize. He told me to come after six. I got here a few minutes early and he’s such a gentleman, he didn’t want to make me wait outside until you arrived. I had an emergency come up so I sort of put him on the spot showing up like I did. He has been absolutely wonderful so far. Marcus has actually gotten me to understand some of this stuff. And to think, we just got started. Your son is really smart.”

  Sharon grinned as she nodded and wrinkled her nose. “He is, isn’t he? Especially when it comes to anything mathematical. I’m glad he knows how to do this stuff because if I had to help him, we would both be in trouble.” Sharon leaned over and whispered, “Between me and you, math was not my strongest suit either.”

  “Oh, I know. My mother has hired tutor after tutor for me, but I’ve still struggled. But I must say, no one has ever managed to make it come alive the way Marcus just did. I’m actually looking forward to learning more.”

  “Do you live around here?” Sharon asked. “I didn’t see a car when I drove up.”

  “I live in the subdivision next to this one. A friend dropped me off after school, after cheerleading practice. Oh, I’m a cheerleader, which is why I’m dressed this way. But it’s not all that far to walk over here. My mother is sending someone to pick me up.”

  “Oh, yes, I know,” Sharon said. “Back when I was walking more to stay in shape, I would walk over there and back.”

  “She lives in the rich folks’ neighborhood,” T. J. said with a smirk. “You have to make some serious Benjamins to own one of those addresses, unlike over here on this side where we can’t seem to ever be able to afford something as simple as a pair of Michael Jordan shoes.”

  “T. J.,” Sharon said with a scold in her voice. “That’s not nice. I’ve taught you better. We’re thankful for what God has blessed us to have. And I’m happy for those who manage to have even more.”

  “It might not be nice, but it’s true. And I ain’t hating on them. One day I plan to have a house like the ones in her subdivision, if not bigger. In fact, you gonna see my house featured on that show called Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Watch and see.”

  “Well, I’m not going to interrupt you two from your schoolwork,” Sharon said to Marcus and Sasha as she started out of the room. “I had a really rough day at work today. I’m going to go upstairs and change out of these oppressive clothes and find me something comfortable.” She smiled. “T. J., have you done your homework yet?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” T. J. said. “I finished all of it about fives minutes before you came in the house. I’m going to go get on the computer now.”

  After Sharon and T. J. left, Marcus and Sasha went back to the books. “Marcus, I hope I didn’t get you in any trouble being here. So, you didn’t tell your mother about me or that you were going to be doing this?”

  “I didn’t tell her yet because, honestly, I wasn’t sure you were serious. I thought I’d wait and see if you showed up, then I’d tell her.” Marcus tried to get comfortable. For some reason, Sasha sitting so close to him was making him more and more tense. He could only hope she hadn’t noticed just how much.

  After an hour of tutoring, a car honked outside. Sasha got up to leave. “Mama said you need to let us know how much you charge. She sent this today.” Sasha pulled out twenty dollars and gave it to him. “She said if I liked you and if I think the two of us will work out, we can schedule as many lessons as I need.”

  “I wouldn’t charge you twenty dollars for a one-hour session, though.”

  “Oh, it’s okay. My daddy is pretty loaded. He’s an investor. He works for some big investment company or something like that. Daddy’s paying for this so I feel good knowing that his money is going to good use. And Marcus, you are so worth it! In fact, if you like, I’ll tell Mama you’re charging twenty-five, or better yet, thirty dollars a lesson. And if they think it’s too much to pay, I’ll have one of my little tantrums, tell them how awesome a tutor you are. Make them understand what all I’ll possibly lose if I don’t get a passing grade. Trust me. I have my routine down pat.”

  Marcus smiled as he looked at her shoes and then back up at her. “Twenty dollars is more than enough.” He looked into her big beautiful brown eyes, then hurriedly looked away as he opened the door for her. “Thank you, though.”

  She touched his hand again. “No, seriously, I thank you. For the first time, I’m actually looking forward to class tomorrow, if you can believe that. Imagine how I’ll be when you and I are finished.”

  “If you keep up this enthusiasm, you just may decide to become a teacher and teach algebra one day. Wouldn’t that be something?”

  “Now let’s not get carried away, Marcus. I plan on becoming a top model or an actress. Maybe a model, then an actress. I’ve even had a few ad shoots. But teaching is not something I would ever be interested in doing. Besides, I’m not all that great with children. Trust me, a model or an actress is what I was born to be.”

  Marcus suddenly heard his mother’s words replaying in his mind as she spoke.

  “I saw Maya Angelou on Oprah one day,” his mother had said. “Maya said something that is so true and has stuck with me. She said, ‘When someone tells you who they are the first time, believe them.’ I can tell you Maya Angelou hit the nail on the head with those words of wisdom. Definitely something all of us should take heed of.”

  Chapter 10

  Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse.

  —Proverbs 1:14

  “Melissa, we’ll go in my car,” Angela said to me as she grabbed her purse and we headed out the door to go find Arletha’s place. “I appreciate this so much. You just don’t know how much.”

  “At least we can follow this one lead, and if it turns out it’s not the Arletha we seek, we can table this until later,” Gayle said. She stopped Angela by grabbing her by her shoulders. “But you have to promise me that if this is not the Arletha we’re looking for, you’ll put this out of your thoughts, at least until after your honeymoon.”

  “I know I shouldn’t have let this mess me all up the way it has. I just never thought this would mean so much to me. Apparently it does.” Angela walked over to the door of her apartment and held it open as we filed out. “I also know I don’t want this to drive me crazy and ruin my and Brent’s special day. We have been so looking forward to this wedding. You just don’t know how hard it’s been having to wait. Now this comes up. On the surface it looks like it might be a gift from God, but who knows for sure? To learn that my grandmother could possibly still be alive and could be right here, in a place I can get in my car and drive to today, I can’t put it into words.”

  “I know it’s messing with your mind,” Gayle said as we walked toward Angela’s car. “But you’re going to make me feel bad if I put even the slightest damper on your wedding for telling you this news today of all days.”

  We were close to Angela’s navy blue Cadillac S
eville.

  “Melissa, why don’t you sit in front so you can show Angela how to get there?” Gayle said. After Angela unlocked the doors, Gayle got in back behind Melissa.

  I got in front and closed the door. My old neighborhood was only about thirty minutes from Angela’s place. With the exception of the oak tree in the front yard being much bigger, everything else looked pretty much the same. Angela pulled into the driveway. She sat there, frozen, not moving one way or the other.

  Gayle leaned forward and stuck her head through the opening between the front seats. “Are you going to be all right? Do you want me to go in and check for you while you wait out here?”

  Angela continued to hold the steering wheel firmly without saying a word. After a minute, she released it and grabbed her purse. Shaking her head a few times, she seemed to snap out of it.

  “We can go in together,” Angela said. “If this is where Arletha Brown lives, I’ll just explain everything to her. If it turns out we have the wrong Arletha, I’ll let it go. For now anyway. And when I return from my honeymoon, and Brent and I have had a few weeks to adjust to being husband and wife, I’ll see what I can do to locate the right Arletha.” She nodded a few times as though someone had asked her a question that required a yes answer. “We’ll just have to play this by ear.”

  “Should I stay in the car?” I asked.

  Angela turned to me. “How well did you know Arletha Brown when you lived here?”

  “Not all that well. She didn’t have children and most of us children avoided her house as much as possible. Honestly, she didn’t seem to enjoy being around other people all that much, adults or children,” I said. “But whatever you want from me at this point, I’m ready and willing to do.”

  I was sincere about that, but I was also thinking about those place cards for the reception that still needed our attention back at her apartment. The sooner we took care of this, the sooner we could get back to taking care of them and all the other business that was screaming for our attention. There are just some things a wedding planner can’t do without the assistance of the bride. That’s if you want a bride happy with the end results. If my going in with her would help move things along that much faster, then whatever I needed to do, I was willing to do.