Goodness and Mercy

by Vanessa Davis Griggs

  Fatima touched Gabrielle on her shoulders. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. His wife? Zachary has a wife?”

  “Yeah, he has a wife. Oh, and did I mention she’s pregnant? Yep. Five months.”

  “So, you’re saying Zachary Morgan is Doctor Zachary Morgan, he has a wife, she’s five months pregnant, and you and she chatted at his house, where you now work?”

  Gabrielle nodded. “Yep, that about sums it up perfectly. At the time, I didn’t know whose house I was going to. I knew I was assigned to clean a doctor’s home. I arrived at the house, before time—”

  “That’s good. Before time is on time and on time is late,” Fatima said, repeating what most of them had heard Pastor Landris say on more than a few occasions.

  “Yeah. So, I’m there on time. She shows me what I need to do. Everything is going great. I’m excited about my new job. I get to dance ministry meeting Tuesday night. And Sasha Peeples and Alicia Cantor are there rolling their eyes at me.”

  “You’re kidding? Sasha and her sidekick Alicia? As much as you helped the two of them back when we were trying to get that routine right, and they have the nerve to be giving you attitude?”

  Gabrielle waved it off. “Any-hoo, I decided to confront the problem. You know, with love, the way Pastor Landris taught us we should do if it ever becomes necessary. I thought they were acting that way because of the stuff Darius started spreading throughout the congregation about me.”

  “Darius. Yeah, I’ve heard rumblings about that since I’ve been back. Tiffany called me, upset that folks are falsely accusing her husband of spreading that about you. She insists he was not the one who did it. It upsets her that Darius’s name is being dragged through the mud by some who are saying he was wrong to have started it. Then, there are those questioning that if that is true about you, how Darius happened to come about that knowledge. It’s a mess for sure. Darius is such a despicable little person to have started a lie like that. Especially since everybody knows it’s not true. An exotic dancer. Please!”

  “It is true, Fatima. It’s true. In my past, I was in fact an exotic dancer. I’m not proud of that now, and I gave it all up once I came and gave my life to Christ. That’s why I’ve been struggling so financially—trying to pay my bills when my income was cut so drastically all of a sudden. Still, I’ve been steadfast in the Lord and in His Word. I’m proud to say that the old person who used to do those things is dead and gone now.”

  Fatima sat down slowly. “You were an exotic dancer?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’ll need to give me a minute to process this. You danced in front of men—”

  “Fatima, we don’t need to go there, okay? That’s who I was, not who I am. I made an error in judgment in my life, but now I’ve changed.”

  “I just can’t wrap my head around that. I would have argued anybody down who claimed that was true,” Fatima said. “In fact, I did argue a few people down. I don’t believe it.”

  “Oh, so I guess you’re telling me you’ve been holy all of your life? You’ve never done anything in your past that you regret?” Gabrielle held up her hand. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I shouldn’t have said that, especially not now. Forgive me.” She went over, leaned down, and gave her friend a hug. “I know you’re still grieving over your mother. I’m sorry. Okay? You came over here to get your mind off of things and to help me, and here I am saying something like this. I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

  Fatima stood up. “But you’re right. I’ve not been holy all of my life. In fact, even as a Christian, I’ve done some things I’m ashamed of. So I really don’t have any place to judge you or anybody else, for that matter. I’m sorry for having acted like I’m holier than thou,” Fatima said, returning Gabrielle’s hug.

  Gabrielle pulled back and smiled at her. “It’s okay. I guess it comes with the territory. I suppose I just thought Christians, of all people, would appreciate what it means to be a sinner saved by grace. I was a sinner, I admit that. I gave my life to the Lord. And now, my old life is gone, at least, not being held against me. That’s how I thought it was supposed to work anyway,” Gabrielle said.

  “I suspect that proves we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It’s why Jesus told us not to judge, so we wouldn’t be judged by that same measuring stick.” Fatima sighed. “Here I was somewhat throwing mud about what you used to do when my own hands aren’t exactly mud free. I know I would hate for you to find out some of the things I’ve done in my past. I know that much.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Gabrielle said. “But back to my Sasha and Alicia story. I thought they were looking at me funny because of what was being said about me. So I confronted them, trying to see if I’d personally done anything to them. That’s when Sasha went off on me about taking a man she had her eye on—Doctor Morgan. Well, I’m arguing that I don’t have a clue what she’s talking about. I’m thinking she’s referring to my new job where I’m working for Doctor Morgan. I’m completely confused, thinking that she wanted the housecleaning job I’d secured. I thought she had a job at the bank. Well, suffice it to say, she didn’t know what I was talking about either. She didn’t know I cleaned houses for a living. She only knew she’d seen me talking to Doctor Z. W. or, as she calls him, Doctor Z., after the celebratory service, and she felt I’d done her wrong. That’s when we unraveled that Doctor Z. W. Morgan was my Zachary Wayne Morgan.

  “I’m standing there in shock, discovering that the house where I’d just so excitedly left working earlier that day happens to belong to the guy I’ve started having a relationship with. Boy, did I feel stupid. And then, it hit me. Queen was the person I was dealing with at the house that belonged to Doctor Morgan. Queen is pregnant. Zachary was married, and that meant I was dating a married man.” Gabrielle released a quiet sigh, then wiped her face with her hand. “You have no idea how it feels to know you’re fooling around with a married man.”

  Fatima dropped her head slightly. In fairness, this would be a great place for her to come clean about the affair she’d had with Darius. After all, she and Gabrielle were friends now. But she just couldn’t bring herself to show her scars to Gabrielle. Besides, it wasn’t like it was a requirement for her to be forgiven. She’d confessed it years ago to God, and He’d forgiven her. There really was no reason to confess it to Gabrielle. But what she could do was tell Gabrielle how Johnnie Mae had helped her when she had had a problem and needed someone to talk to.

  “Does Johnnie Mae know about what you did before? I’m sure she’s heard, now that it’s making its rounds through the church. Talk to her about it. You can even talk to her about Zachary if you feel you need to. You don’t have to give her names. She’s a great confidante.”

  “Yes, I told her everything after my audition. She knew before any of this got out. She had talked it over with Pastor Landris. They agreed that whatever I’d done in my past shouldn’t be held against me in what I’m doing for the Lord now. Johnnie Mae said that God has forgiven me, so who were they to make me pay more than God was doing?”

  “That’s why I love Johnnie Mae and Pastor Landris. They are so real. They really get it. They get what Christianity is all about,” Fatima said. “But this thing with Zachary, now that’s messed up.”

  “So now do you understand why I don’t want to talk to Zachary?” Gabrielle said.

  “Yeah. But I know it can be hard to walk away. Most times, the best way to handle it is to cut it off completely,” Fatima said. “Just like you’re doing.”

  “You don’t think I’m wrong or a coward because I won’t talk to him and at least tell him what I know?”

  “No, I don’t think you’re wrong. You don’t owe him anything. The way it sounds, he’s the one wrong. He’s the one trying to pull one over on both you and his wife. I’m so tired of men trying to have their taco and eat it, too,” Fatima said.

  “Taco? I thought it was cake.”

  Fatima smiled. “I like tacos. Taco, cake, box of candy, it all me
ans the same. They want to have what they have but be able to eat it, too.”

  “I won’t bother calling him back then. I had said I would tell him what I knew after I left his house,” Gabrielle said. “Now that you and I have talked, I’m not going to bother doing even that much. Let him figure it out. He needs to move on. Either work on his relationship with his wife or find someone else who’s interested in fooling around with him. Sasha certainly sounded like she was interested. I’m not sure if she knows he’s married or if she cares. You never know about folks. But I’m not going there with him or any other married man.”

  Gabrielle’s phone rang. She checked the caller ID. It was Zachary again. “Humph,” she said. “He’s calling me from a different number now. Looks like a home phone number. I guess that must mean Queen isn’t around.”

  “Ignore it,” Fatima said. “Or you’ll find yourself dealing with it as a stronghold.”

  Gabrielle sighed. “I just wonder how long it’s going to take him to get the message?”

  Fatima thought about Darius and how even years after breaking up, he still tried every now and then to talk to her. “Hopefully, soon,” she said. “Hopefully, soon.”

  Chapter 40

  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

  —Matthew 5:16

  Gabrielle started work at a different house on Monday. The person there was not nearly as nice as Queen. She really did talk down her nose at Gabrielle and had specific ways she wanted things to be done. On Tuesday, Gabrielle was told it wasn’t necessary for her to attend the closing of her house Wednesday. Only the buyer was needed. Wednesday evening, her Realtor called to let her know that everything had gone smoothly, and that she’d officially sold her house. When Gabrielle inquired about the date she would need to be out of the house, her Realtor told her the buyer hadn’t specified that date yet. But he had her phone number. She could expect to hear from him soon. As much as Gabrielle had needed this sale to happen, still she cried. She loved her house. It was bittersweet indeed.

  At Bible study, she could barely contain her delight in having finally officially sold her house. She saw Fatima and told her the good news. She passed Sasha in the hall, who was a bit warmer to her than she’d been even Tuesday during dance ministry meeting. Other people were a little more cordial, although a few acted as though if they were to accidentally touch her or get too close to her, they might contract some kind of a disease or something. When Mother Franklin and Mother Robinson saw her, they beckoned for her to come over.

  “Baby,” Mother Franklin said, “we just want to tell you not to let none of these prunes get to you. Folks are awfully good at pointing a finger at other folks. But they tend to forget that when they do that, they have three other fingers pointing right back at them.”

  “Trust me,” Mother Robinson said, “the things I could tell on and about some of these folks right here in this church would make most of them run out of here with their holier-than-thou tails between their legs. You just keep blessing folks with your gift and keep on letting the Lord use you. That gift you have, it’s from the Lord. He created you for His service. This is what He intended for you to do with it. Okay, so you got off track. Who hasn’t? And now, you’re back. Some folks don’t ever get back. They take their God-given gifts and squander them in the world. You ever hear the parable of the Prodigal Son?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Gabrielle said.

  “Well, just like that child finally came to his senses and went back home to his father, people like you and others that went out into the world to see what it had to offer and come back make God happy when you come back to our Father in Heaven,” Mother Robinson said, then beckoned for her to come even closer. She gave Gabrielle a big grandmotherly hug, complete with the usual “Mmmm-uh!” sound effect.

  “She’s right. You just hold your head up. Don’t you dare let nobody get to you. God’s gonna take care of those who judge you and do you wrong,” said Mother Franklin.

  When Gabrielle got home, Clarence’s car was parked in her driveway. She knocked on his window. Apparently sitting there with his eyes closed, he jumped, then smiled when he saw it was only her. He opened his car door and got out.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” Gabrielle said as they started toward her house.

  “I came to check on my investment,” he said.

  She stopped. “Clarence, now I told you: if you’ve done anything thinking you’re going to get something out of it, that’s not going to happen. I’m not coming back to work for you. I’m just not.”

  “Are you deaf? I said I came to check on my investment.”

  Gabrielle unlocked her front door and stepped inside. “I heard what you said. I just hope you heard what I said.”

  He started laughing as he followed behind her. “This is really nice,” he said, looking around as though he’d never been inside of her house before. “Real nice.”

  “Yeah, well. I officially sold it today. So if you had wanted it, you should have bought it for yourself.” Gabrielle set her purse down on a table.

  “I agree. And you’re absolutely right. And I did.”

  “You did what?”

  “I bought this house,” Clarence said. He walked over, opened the hall closet, then looked inside. “Very nice,” he said as he closed it.

  “What do you mean you bought this house?”

  “I mean, I bought this house. Straight out purchased it. Completed the deal today. I have my paperwork with me, if you’d care to see it.”

  “No, I believe you.” She looked at him, suddenly touched by his generous action. “Why? Why would you buy my house?”

  He chuckled. “Why does anybody buy a house? You either need a place to live or think it’s a good investment. I sort of need some new investment ventures. My daddy always told us that you can never go wrong investing your money in real estate.”

  “Clarence, you did this for me, didn’t you. And you paid the full price.” She shook her head as she looked affectionately at him and placed her hand on his arm.

  “Now, don’t go getting all sappy on me. You know I’m a businessman. I just figure it’s time I expanded my stream of income. I was thinking I could buy this house and maybe rent it out or sell it on my own terms. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who needs a place to live, now, would you?” He grinned. “I’m a great landlord if they’re looking to rent, or I can set up a nice payment plan if they want to purchase on friendlier terms. With the housing market like it still is, I’m willing to work with them.”

  “Clarence, what can I say?”

  “Just thank God. Apparently, He’s still working on me. Otherwise, even I can’t explain why in the world I did something like this. It’s crazy! Maybe I’m getting soft.”

  “Thank you,” she said to Clarence. Then, looking up, she said, “Thank You.”

  “Now, do you think it would be okay if I see a little more of what I just bought myself ?”

  She laughed. “I’ll be glad to give you a personal tour. This house has some great features.” She stopped and looked at him. “You’re coming to church with me Sunday, right? Please, say yes. Come one time, and I promise I’ll not ask you anymore. Please.”

  “We’ll see. If I do, will you promise you’ll leave me the dickens alone about it?”

  Her phone rang. She smiled at him. “I promise.”

  “You can get that. I can wait,” he said, after she didn’t move to go get it.

  She went and looked at the caller ID. It was Zachary again. When it went to the answering machine, Zachary didn’t bother to leave a message this time. She then took Clarence on a microtour of the house.

  Chapter 41

  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? How he maketh intercession to God against Israel.

  —Romans 11:2

  Sunday, Clarence was true to his word. Dressed in a dark blue, three
button, notched lapel tailored suit, he looked like he’d just stepped out of GQ magazine. He came by and picked up Gabrielle. Gabrielle was also surprised to see Queen at church. She was there alone. Zachary didn’t appear to be with her. She and Queen hugged and exchanged quick pleasantries before she and Clarence went inside and sat down. They were four rows from the front. Clarence sat in the seat at the end of the row.

  Clarence fidgeted a little during prayer time. Gabrielle could tell he wasn’t as comfortable during that part of the service. But he really got into the singing portion, standing as he clapped on beat. During one song, he even did perfect double claps. She knew that only experienced people could double clap and keep time. He really did have a wonderful voice with perfect pitch. Several people turned around and looked at him, smiling, as they’d wanted to see exactly whom the smooth baritone sound was originating from.

  Pastor Landris took the stand and began his sermon, using scriptures from Romans 8:1 and Galatians 6.

  “I have been a bit disturbed about something over these past few weeks,” Pastor Landris began. “Many of you have been hearing things that have made their way through our congregation. You may have been presented this information by someone who prefaced it under the guise of praying for someone who needed prayers. Well, if you ask me, I’d say that’s just a phony cover for gossip. And what’s sad is how many people are excited, thinking they’ve come across something juicy on someone else, and they can’t wait to tell it to somebody else. Some of you have even said things to me, declaring that you don’t think it’s right that a sinner of such a caliber should be working in our church.” Pastor Landris rocked his body back and forth a few times.

  As he rocked, he was thinking about his conversations with a few members who had voiced their disgust and opposition when it came to Gabrielle having once danced as an exotic dancer before she became saved and was now being allowed to dance in church. He was thinking about Reverend Marshall Walker, who had called him to personally register his disagreement at his having allowed, let alone supported, such a disgrace to take place in the “Lord’s house.” Reverend Walker had even gone so far as to tell him that the young woman needed to be sat down and not allowed to serve, at least not in a capacity such as that.