“Well, I’m glad you let me know,” said Jada. “Mama is riding with Robert this morning. That reminds me—I need to call Jazzmyne to see if they need a ride.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” said Candice.” Brother Dupree is picking them up. Jazzmyne told me yesterday.” Jada was relieved. She could sleep a little longer.” How was your shopping spree with Melanie?”
Jada’s heartbeat felt like it moved to her head.” I’ll give you the details after church. Let me get off this phone. I’ll see you at church.”
“How’s your pen pal?” Candice asked.
“Not well. She’s fallen back into a deep depression. She keeps blaming herself for not protecting her daughter from being sexually molested by her man. It’s unfortunate she trusted her man more than she trusted her own child. I’m going to visit her Wednesday. I’ve got to get off this phone.” Jada placed the cordless on the charger. The phone rang again. Damn!
“Hello.”
“Good morning, my Nubian Queen. You left without letting me know.”
“No, I didn’t. You didn’t hear me because you were sound asleep. I decided not to wake you.”
“Are you going to church this morning?”
“You know I’m not going to miss a Sunday in church if I can help it. I’m lying down trying to recover from last night’s activities.” Jada sighed.
“Yeah. I can ditto the recuperation part,” said Wellington.” I’m beat.”
“You going to church?”Jada asked.
“Not this morning,” he responded.” But I plan on going to the seven o’clock service. Call me when you get back. I’d better go downstairs and eat breakfast before it gets cold.”
“Breakfast sure sounds good. What did you cook?”
“Oh, I didn’t. Melanie cooked. I’d better get going. You know I don’t eat cold food. Call me when you get home.”
“Sure.” Jada placed the phone on the charger. She showered. She really needed to get to church on time.
Jada, Candice, and Jazzmyne arrived at church at the same time. They exchanged hugs and greetings. Brandon eagerly awaited his Sunday morning hugs and kisses from Jada and Candice.
Candice squeezed Brandon real tight.” How are you doing, little man?”
“I’m fine,” said Brandon.
“Come here and give me a hug, Shelly,” said Candice. Candice was in a much better mood than Jada.” Are you still doing wonderful in school?”
“Yes, ma’am! I’m still making straight A’s,” said Shelly. A proud smile accompanied the sparkle in her eyes.
“You know I’m so proud of you. Remember this, everyone is in your corner when you’re doing great but when times get hard, even your best friends may turn their backs on you. I want you to know you can always count on me if you need anything.” Shelly gave Candice a great big hug and a smile and ran off to greet one of her church friends.
“Thanks,” said Jazzmyne.” She needed to hear that.”
“Girl, what have you done to Brother Dupree?” asked Candice.” He’s just beaming and glowing.”
“I haven’t done anything to him, yet,” replied Jazzmyne.” He won’t take no for an answer. He’s nice to my children and we actually have a lot in common. I don’t try to counsel him and he doesn’t try to lecture me so we get along quite well.” She laughed. “Jada, you look tired. Are you all right?”
“I’ll be fine. I overindulged last night. I’m going straight home after church and get some rest.”
“Let’s go inside and get a seat before it gets too crowded,”Jazzmyne suggested.
“Yeah, since Pastor Tellings started the pen pal program, the membership has doubled,” said Candice.
“That’s because there are so many of our church members and non-church members with relatives and loved ones in prison. Most of society prefers not to acknowledge their existence, including some congregations,” said Jazzmyne.” More churches should fulfill the needs of the people and their community instead of the desires of the pastors.”
“I hear you,” said Candice.” You mean like the pastor needs a new car or we need a bigger church.”
“Exactly,”Jazzmyne said.
Jada remained silent. She felt psychologically trapped behind invisible bars. She replayed the prior night’s events.
Jazzmyne sat with Brother Dupree. Jada and Candice sat two rows behind Mama and Robert.
Pastor Tellings opened his sermon with a poem entitled, “The Seed You Sow.”
The seed you sow
Is the seed I will know
Actions speak louder than words
Not what you say
But what you do
Is what I see in you
The seed you sow
Will continue to grow
You cannot unplant a tree
You can dig it up
But hey, guess what
Your roots are what I see
My reactions to you
Your reactions to me
Are based on what we do
So don’t say I’m wrong
When I sing your song
And sing it better than you
“There’s an old saying,” said Pastor Tellings.” ‘Put your money where your mouth is.’ Well, I want to let you know that this congregation has stepped up to the plate. The male prison facility now has over five hundred active pen pals and the women have over four hundred. Many of you are visiting, and let me tell you, you have made a world of difference in their lives. And they have made a major difference in yours.
“I can see it in the way you fellowship among one another,” Pastor preached.” I can see it in the faces of the inmates when I visit the facilities and they’re shouting, ‘Tell Sister Brown I said hello,’ or ‘Tell Brother Johnson I love him, man.’ But I want you to hear from Sister Candice Jordan this morning. She’s going to share with you a letter she wrote to Leslie and a letter Leslie wrote to her.”
Candice walked up to the front of the church. She stood behind the podium and lowered the microphone.” Good morning. First, I would like to say all glory be unto God. My pen pal, Leslie Washington, and I have been writing one another on a regular basis since Pastor Tellings started the program. After speaking with Sister Jazzmyne yesterday, she asked me to share our letters with you.
“First, I’ll read my letter to Leslie and then I’ll read Leslie’s letter to me. Before I start, I want you to know Leslie gave me her blessings to read each letter.
Dear Leslie,
It’s hard sometimes for me to believe you’re only twenty-three years old. You are wiser than most who have been on earth seventy-five years. You opened your world to me and explicitly told me how your mother’s boyfriend sodomized you at the age of seven. Then you said you ran away from home when you were twelve and lived on the streets for over a year before you went back home to your mother. My heart was saddened and my eyes were filled with tears. As if that weren’t enough, you continued to calmly tell me how your mother traded your virginity to the drug dealers in exchange for crack. And how she allowed them to violate your precious temple to fulfill their selfish needs. I just wanted to run to where you were and hold you. I wanted to tell you everything would be all right. You explained how you turned to a life of prostitution because that was basically all you knew how to do to keep from being hungry. The tears poured down my face. But then you wrote me a letter and because of you I’m a stronger person, a better person, and I’ve learned not to judge others. Because of you I have a better understanding of the saying, Where you stand depends on where you sit. It’s so very true. Leslie, I want you to know how much I appreciate you. How much I love you. I will be here for you when you get out in June of next year.
Your sister, your friend,
Candice.
“Now I’m going to read Leslie’s letter to me:
Dear Candice,
You ‘re the only person in my life that hasn’t judged me. Turned your back on me. Kicked me to the curb and treated me
like a slut, a whore, or a prostitute: basically like shit. I’ve never told anyone this before, but I’ve always dreamt of becoming a dancer. Most people don’t even know I can dance. When I was a child, I danced to keep from hurting. I danced to keep moving. I felt if I could just keep moving, I could make it through another day. I believed if I could make it to another day, it would be better than the day before. Well, here I am twenty-three and still dancing. The inmates say I’m really good at it. There are a few who tell me I’ll never be famous. But I just keep on dancing. When I get out of this awful place, Candice I’m going to dance for you. You are the only person in my life that truly cares about me. Tell Pastor Tellings I said God Bless him and tell him to keep doing positive programs for the community. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have found you.
Your sister, your friend,
Leslie”
Everyone was in tears by the time Candice finished reading the letters, including Jada, as if her eyes weren’t puffy enough.
Pastor Tellings closed the service.” Actions speak louder than words. If you haven’t signed up for a pen pal, please do so today. There’s someone out there who needs you.”
Jada didn’t want her mother to see how terrible she looked, so she rushed out of the church. In her haste to get home, Jada hurried past Jazzmyne and Candice. She could hear Jazzmyne thanking Candice. Candice yelled, “I’ll stop by on my way home.” Jada waved and kept walking toward her car.
On the way home, she called Wellington from her cellular.
“Jones residence,” answered Melanie. Now wasn’t that cute.” Hi, Melanie. Let me speak with Wellington.”
“You just missed him. He went to his mother’s house. I’m not sure when he’ll be back.”
“Ask him to call me when he gets in.” Jada felt her head pound in her throat.
“Anything for you, darling.” Melanie hung up the phone before Jada could get the next word out of her mouth. Jada could have sworn she’d heard Wellington’s voice in the background. Maybe it was her imagination.
By the time Jada arrived home, Candice was parked in the visitor’s space. Jada wasn’t in the mood for company. She parked in the garage and met Candice in the lobby.
“Girl, you have got to get some rest,” said Candice. The elevator doors opened. Candice walked straight to the kitchen. She proceeded to pull out a pot, a pan, and a skillet.” Here, drink this glass of cranberry juice and relax. I’ll cook us something to eat and you can tell me what happened yesterday. Then you must get some rest.”
“Thanks,” responded Jada. She didn’t know where to begin. She struggled to formulate a response in her head.
“Would you like grits, hash browns, and turkey bacon or hotcakes and sausage?” asked Candice.
“Grits. I’m not in the mood for anything sweet.”
“Okay.”
While Candice cooked breakfast, Jada busied herself and set the table. She needed to burn off the nervous energy.
After Candice said grace, she looked Jada in the eyes. “Tell me what happened. And I already know whatever it was, it wasn’t good, so give it to me straight.”
Jada didn’t know where to begin, so she started with the shopping spree. Then she told Candice about the champagne. She hesitated and concluded with the games.
“You did what?” Candice placed her fork full of grits on her plate.” Jada, that was stupid and you know how much I dislike using the word. But that didn’t make any sense. What were you thinking?”
Jada knew Candice was going to give it to her straight. She had already kicked herself. The interesting part was, she didn’t regret what she had done, only with whom she had done it.
“Well, it didn’t seem like a bad idea at the time, but now I’m not so sure,” Jada cried. Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped onto the oriental silk print blouse she’d bought in Japan.” When I called Wellington this morning, Melanie was cooking him breakfast.” A lump formed in Jada’s throat. She swallowed hard. She needed Candice to shed some light on the situation.
“I tried to warn you that she couldn’t be trusted,” said Candice.” That whole thing about introducing you to Mrs. Jones’s friends was probably part of her scheme to take advantage of you and your man. I just can’t believe you let that happen, girlfriend.” Candice shook her head and pushed her plate aside. She was angry. Jada wasn’t. She was upset with herself for being oblivious to the big picture. Jada didn’t know what to say, so she figured it was best not to say anything.
“Okay, let me calm down,” said Candice.” Because I realize I’m not helping you. At least she’s leaving today, so we don’t have to worry about the aftershocks of Melanie’s little games.”
The word “aftershock” made Jada’s body tremble with the thought of Melanie’s head between her legs.” That’s true,” agreed Jada.
“I know Daddy would have had something to say about all this,” said Candice. She looked at Jada and waited for a response.
“Daddy always said, never gamble greed against need. You’ll lose every time. In retrospect, I realize there was nothing I needed that I didn’t already have.”
“Well, look,” said Candice, “I want you to get some rest and don’t do anything irrational. Go to bed. I’ll clean the kitchen and let myself out. Call me when you wake up.”
Jada hugged her and said, “Thanks. I really don’t know what I’d do without my best friend.”
“One last thing,” Candice said.” Don’t have any contact with Wellington until tomorrow. That’ll give you time to compose yourself mentally and spiritually.”
Jada removed her clothes and slid under the covers. She thought about what Candice had said about Melanie. Now that she could see the big picture, she concluded that Melanie had staged the sequence of events that led to last night’s rendezvous.
Chapter 11
Melanie’s investment had finally paid off. After ten home pregnancy tests, she cheered when she saw the pink plus sign. This time she wouldn’t hide the results. She tucked it in her purse for safekeeping. Melanie stood sideways in front of the bedroom mirror. She placed her hand over her belly. It was flat as a pancake but not for long. She stared at the photo she and Wellington had taken at Geoffrey’s. Then she envisioned how beautiful their children would look. She’d never told a soul about the fertility drugs she’d taken for the past three months. She ran downstairs and kissed Wellington.
“What was that for?” he asked.
“Would you like to go with us to the airport?” asked Melanie.
“No, thanks. I think I’ll stay here, but thanks for offering. Tell your mother it was a pleasure seeing her.”
“I’m sure she’ll like hearing that,” beamed Melanie.” She’s very fond of you. Don’t forget, I already prepared dinner, so if I’m not back in time to eat with you, you can warm a plate in the microwave.”
“Thanks,” said Wellington.” You should use my Jaguar to take your mother to the airport. I’ll take your car to my repairman tomorrow so he can tune it up for you before you hit the highway.”
“Sure. Thanks.” Melanie picked up the keys to Wellington’s brand new baby blue Jaguar. As Melanie cruised to pick up her mother, she thought about how naïve Jada was to have allowed anyone to become intimate with her fiancé. But there was no way Jada could have prevented the inevitable. Melanie Marie Thompson had finally found her soulmate. The thought of being pregnant crossed her mind. Her cherry-red lips spread east and west. Now that was truly divine intervention. She parked Wellington’s car and ran into Mrs. Jones’s house.
“Hi, Mother. Hi, Godmommy,” Melanie said.
“Hi, baby. Slow down before you hurt yourself. My flight doesn’t leave for another two hours,” said Susan.
“Hello, darling,” Cynthia responded. She hugged and kissed Melanie.
“Where’s Daddy Chris?” Melanie asked.
“Oh, he went to the Raiders game with Robert today,” Cynthia replied.
“They seem to be hitting it off pretty
well,” Melanie said.
“Yeah, too well if you ask me,” said Cynthia. She walked out the door. Melanie and Susan followed behind her.
Melanie put her mother’s bags in the trunk of Wellington’s car. Cynthia rode in the front. Her mother sat in the back.
“Susan, you know we’re excited. Our Melanie starts working at Sensations Communications in three weeks,” Cynthia boasted.
“I am excited,” Melanie said.
“So am I,” said Susan.” I’m proud of you, Melanie. You’re just like a cat, sweetheart. You always land on your feet. Now we just have to find you a husband like your sister Stephanie.”
Melanie looked at Cynthia. Her eyes drooped low. She hated when her mother compared them.
“Melanie didn’t tell you the good news, Susan. She and Wellington are going to get married.”
“Did I miss something in the translation?” asked Susan.” Melanie, when did all of this happen?”
“Well, Wellington doesn’t know it yet but—”
Cynthia interrupted.” Let’s face it, Susan, Jada is not Jones material. I don’t want my grandbabies growing up going to public school or thinking it is all right if they don’t want to carry on the family tradition.”
“I think the two of you are going too far,” said Susan. “Jada is a wonderful young lady. What gives you the right, Cynthia, to dictate who Wellington marries?”
“I’ll comment on both,” replied Cynthia. “Yes, Jada is wonderful. She’s just not good enough for my Wellington. Now mind you, if I hadn’t taken Wellington in, he’d probably be dead. I don’t ask Wellington for much. This is the very least he can do for me.”
“Melanie, how do you feel about all of this?” Susan asked.
“Mother, I just want to start work at my new job and let whatever happens between Wellington and Jada happen,” Melanie said with a quick wink to Cynthia.
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