by Pat Simmons
“Hungry?” Veronica asked but didn’t wait for his answer. She immediately headed to the kitchen to warm up a plate.
A few minutes later, they gathered around the table for a second time. Between bites of food, Philip shared testimonies about God’s amazing works during his recent revival services.
Finally, he wiped his mouth and pushed back from the table. Everyone took that as a signal to retire. Veronica made sure the kitchen was tidy before she joined her husband. Unfortunately, Gabrielle should have already been in bed. Without accruing any vacation days as yet, she had to work in the morning. Her family could rest or enjoy a day of sightseeing.
Gathering toiletries from her bedroom, Gabrielle headed for the guest bathroom. While she played with the water temperature, the thought of her family sleeping under one roof caused a feeling of security to sweep over her. Although she admired the Jamiesons for their closeness, her own family was just as close in their own way. No complaints.
By the time she finished and dressed in her pajamas, the apartment was completely quiet. Philip was already under the covers, knocked out on the sleeper in the living room. Smiling, she kissed her brother’s forehead before claiming the other sofa.
After thanking God for His many blessings, she made herself comfortable and closed her eyes. Suddenly remembering her cell phone needed to be charged, Gabrielle reached for her purse laying on the end table. Instantly, she noticed an unread text. It was from Cameron hours ago.
Did your family make it in safely?
Yes, she typed and hit Send before going into the kitchen to retrieve her charger. Plugging in her phone, she saw that Cameron had already responded. It was about twelve-thirty. She was sure he would have been asleep.
I can’t wait to meet them.
Gabrielle shook her head and responded. They’re more eager to meet you. If you thought Drexel was a force to be reckoned with, be prepared. Warning: I’m the only daughter.
Cameron texted back again: Caution: I’m a man in love, waiting for a certain woman to return my affection. I’m fearless when it comes to you.
Rolling her eyes, Gabrielle blushed at the same time. Of all the men in the world, why did she have to be attracted to a man who seemed lacking in the one area she deemed most important? Why couldn’t he channel that determination for Christ?
You are planning on coming to the tent meeting tomorrow evening about seven? Right? She texted back, holding her breath.
Yes. The Jamiesons will be there. My mother is preparing a spread at my house afterward. I’ll see you then. Love, Cam.
Forget Battle of the Bands, it may turn out to be a battle of the families, she thought.
This ought to be interesting.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Strolling through the door of his house, Cameron sniffed the aroma seeping from his state-of-the art kitchen. With a spare key, his mother had let herself in. She was preparing a repast for the Duprees after the tent service that night. He kissed her cheek and began to peep inside the pans.
“I like her,” Charlotte Jamieson said, as if they had been in the middle of a conversation.
“I love her. You’ll love her too, Mom.” Cameron waited for his mother to say something. “You don’t seem surprised. What tipped you off?”
“You know there are no secrets in this family. Your brothers told me that love is in the air. I noticed at the barbecue that whenever you were around Gabrielle, you had this certain softness. I could sense that there are sparks between the two of you, but she seems hesitant. Cameron, I don’t have to tell you this, so I’ll just remind you. Women need to be made sure of a man’s intentions. Don’t give her a reason to doubt your affections.” Charlotte sighed. She was wearing a faraway expression that turned into a frown. “Don’t mess this up, Cam. For some reason, my sons have an uncanny skill of initially running a good woman away. Thank God He gave the girls a change of heart.”
“Relationships are about give and take.” Cameron shook his head. “That woman challenges me on everything.”
Charlotte’s brown eyes twinkled with amusement. “Good for her!”
“Funny you’d say that. Gabrielle makes it seem as if the package I’m offering isn’t good enough.”
“Sometimes, it’s not what’s on the outside that a woman wants. It’s what’s on the inside that counts,” his mother said.
“Right, she’s had a glimpse of that part of me too.” He glanced at his watch. “Thanks for doing this, Mom. I’d better shower and change.”
“Son, I’ll tell you like I’ve told your brothers. You may think you’re all that, but usually what a good woman wants from a good man is the least he’s willing to give.”
Cameron lifted his brow. “I know you’re speaking in some kind of female code, but I don’t have time to crack it right now. I have to go and shower before it’s time to go back into the hot St. Louis humidity.” Then, reminded of the night’s event, he threw up his arms. “The things a man endures for a woman. What’s with this tent thing? Doesn’t that church have a building to hold their services?”
“Stop being so puffed up. That’s not who we are,” Charlotte scolded. She snickered until it turned into a fit of giggles. “I guess since you won’t come to church, Jesus is bringing the church to you. It serves you right that Gabrielle’s brother is a preacher. You can’t run from God now.”
“Who says I’m running? I just prefer the comfort of a cushioned seat in an air-conditioned building,” he said.
“And you barely come then. You didn’t complain when it was just as hot and your house swelled with guests for the holiday barbecue,” she reminded him. “God is user-friendly …”
To escape her harping on his lack of commitment to attend church services, Cameron headed upstairs. What was wrong with his family? He did attend church. Then again, after taking a pause in his thinking, he had to admit it had been a while.
Cameron took his time showering and getting dressed. Later, when he returned to the kitchen, his mother was nowhere in sight. She must have gone back home to get ready for the big night. He chuckled at his own sarcastic thought.
Cameron didn’t know which irritated him more, the St. Louis summer humidity or the fact that he had to impress Gabrielle’s family by sitting through tonight’s service. Listening to a man scream Scriptures for several hours wasn’t exactly his idea of a fun evening. Begrudgingly, he got behind the wheel of his Audi. Ten minutes later, he was curbside in the park.
The gigantic, white vinyl, makeshift tent could not be missed. Stepping out of his car, Cameron stared. The time was a quarter to seven, and it didn’t look like the preacher had much of a crowd.
He had just activated his car alarm and was about to cross the street when more family members’ cars drove up to the curb and parked. Cameron smirked at the possibility that they had synchronized the time of their arrival.
Upon entering the tent, it didn’t take much effort to spot Gabrielle and her family. Of course, they claimed seats near the front. Muscular built men seated on either side seemed to swallow up Gabrielle and her mother.
His family was eager for introductions, but Cameron held them off. He didn’t want to overwhelm the Duprees and thought it best that he get in on their good graces first.
“You’ll meet them afterward at the house,” he told them. Making his trek down the grass aisle to the front, the only prayer Cameron wanted answered was an unrealistic one. He hoped that the service wouldn’t last more than thirty minutes—and that was pushing it.
The older gentleman occupying the end seat had to be Gabrielle’s father. Cameron kicked up his charm a few notches.
“Excuse me, sir. I’m Cameron Jamieson.”
“Bernard Dupree.” Her father stood and gripped his hand in a hearty shake.
Cameron returned his strength and maintained eye contact so Bernard would know he wasn’t easily intimidated. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Dupree.”
“This is my beautiful wife, Veronica,” he boasted,
as he motioned toward her.
She was a mature version of his lovely Gabrielle. “Mrs. Dupree,” Cameron greeted. Her parents made a striking older couple. Both were casually dressed in cool, but stylish attire. Their polished mannerisms hinted they had class.
Cameron was in awe of Gabrielle’s resemblance to her mother. If the myth proved true about how to tell what a woman would look like in her older years, by observing Gabrielle’s mother, then he was in for a real treat. That is, if he and Gabrielle could move past their differences. She had yet to profess her love for him.
“Dashan.” The man sitting next to Gabrielle said, as he rose to his feet and shook hands.
Reluctantly, Drexel—the judge who had judged him without knowing him—stood. But no handshake was forthcoming. The most Cameron got from him was a nod.
Gabrielle popped up from her seat with a smile that brightened her face and made him forget they weren’t alone. He whispered in her ear, “You look so pretty.” Then, without hesitating, he added, “I do love you.”
She sucked in her breath at his face-to-face declaration. “Stop flirting with me in front of my family,” she mumbled, then shooed Drexel to scoot down a chair.
“I hope you came with your praise shoes on, young man. My son is a gifted man of God,” Bernard boasted, leaning across his wife and Dashan.
“I came interested in his style of delivering the message,” Cameron said. Looking around, he caught his own brothers staring at him. Besides the Jamiesons and the Duprees, there were a few curious bystanders outside the tent who dared not come inside.
“I do hope more people show up.”
“God has an appointed time for everyone to hear His message. They’ll come,” Mrs. Dupree said confidently.
As the musicians walked onto the stage and took their places, Cameron reached for Gabrielle’s hand. “You really do look pretty and cool in this heat.”
“Thank you. Compliments swell one’s head, so I’ll leave it at I’m glad you came,” she replied.
“Did I pass my first inspection?”
Gabrielle shrugged just as a piercing sound echoed through the tent.
A woman fumbled with the microphone on stage. “Praise the Lord, everybody! Praise the Lord!” She clapped, as she attempted to stir up the handful in the audience to follow her lead.
Cameron heard shouts of “Hallelujah” from behind him. He didn’t have to turn around to know the praises came from his clan. His family could always have church without being in one. It was no surprise that, at the mention of a tent meeting, they didn’t even wait for an invite.
“We are truly in for a treat this weekend. God is good and we were able to snag world-renowned, Holy Ghost–filled preacher, Evangelist Philip Dupree. Let’s pray that God will use him mightily to minister to the people of St. Louis.”
She glanced down at a small piece of paper. “There are water bottles in the back and the ushers have plenty of fans to keep you cool. So relax and praise the Lord with us!”
As band members stood and blew their horns, the drummer set his rhythm. The same woman who greeted the audience got behind the keyboards. Within seconds, the crew had initiated a gospel music jam fest.
Gabrielle and her family were immediately on their feet. In sync, they swayed to the beat. Instinctively, his conscience told him to join them and follow suit, but Cameron reasoned he was his own man.
He was a leader, not a follower. Looking around for an usher, he requested a fan. After nodding his thanks, Cameron relaxed, crossed an ankle over his knee, and kept beat by moving his shoe.
The crowd began to grow until there was standing room only around the packed tent. It was hot, it was humid, and it was a Friday night. Yet these people made an effort to be there. Cameron figured it had to be the music that drew them.
As soon as the concert seemed to be in full throttle, a tall man who resembled Gabrielle walked up the few steps to the stage, carrying a worn Bible. In front of a folding chair, seemingly reserved for him, he turned his back to the crowd, knelt, and prayed.
Gabrielle tapped his thigh. “That’s Philip.”
“I could tell.” But he had already lost her attention to the excitement over seeing her brother.
After taking his seat, Philip glanced in the direction of his family and smiled. It was the same smile Gabrielle had graced Cameron with many times. The evangelist made eye contact with him and they exchanged nods.
Several minutes later, after he was formally introduced, Philip stepped up to the microphone to a hardy and enthusiastic applause. Closing his eyes, he stretched his arms high in the air and instructed the crowd to shout praises toward heaven. Then, without further preliminaries, he dove into his sermon.
“Most of you are a bit uncomfortable because of the weather, so this won’t take long. We’re all about comfort. Heat in the winter, cool air in the summer, a luxury car, a spacious home …”
Cameron liked Philip already. Philip was speaking his language. Perking up, he folded his arms and focused.
“Our wants appear only to be a remote click away. What more could a man ask for?” He paused and looked around the audience. “How about a three-car garage and a beautiful wife? And if she isn’t enough, then add a few babes on the side. After all, everybody’s doing it. Am I right?”
Various responses rippled through the crowd. Some snickered, including Cameron, but Philip’s expression didn’t change. Although Cameron never cheated when he was in a committed relationship, Philip’s stone expression made him uncomfortable.
“I have yet to meet a man or family named ‘Everybody’ who I want to emulate.” Philip continued running down a laundry list of the woes that come as a result of a sky-is-the-limit lifestyle. “Keep over-indulging, and you’ll soon spin out of control. A portion of Luke 16:15 says, ‘What people value is highly detestable in God’s sight’. Friends, money cannot buy you a reservation in the kingdom.”
Lifting up his Bible, Philip shouted, “Jesus is the senior reservationist and the only one who can save you from yourself. In Him, we live and move and have our being. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6:17, ‘Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.’”
His dramatic preaching style charged the crowd. Chancing a glance around, Cameron was amazed that the audience had swollen, which made the air even thicker. The looks on their faces made many people appear hungry, like they were feasting on every word out of his mouth.
“If you want riches, power, and wisdom—look to Jesus. God put mansions inside of a house, not the other way around. Read the Scripture for yourself. In John 14:2, the King James Version says, ‘In My Father’s house are many mansions.’ That should blow your mind because I still can’t fathom it.” Philip paused to wipe his face with a handkerchief resting on the podium. The harder he preached, the more he sweated. Finally, he turned to the musicians. When he nodded, they began to play softly.
“This is the part of the service where God doesn’t care what you look like, what you have or don’t have. He’s looking at a soul that needs nourishment. Won’t you come today and let Jesus save you? Repent from where you are standing and come to the altar …”
Many rushed to the front almost in a stampede manner. Cameron couldn’t believe the throng of people who flocked down the aisle. There seemed to be no end in sight. Some were in tears with anguish and sweat dripping from their faces. Philip patiently listened, then one by one, he laid hands on each person’s head and prayed for them. He treated everyone as if they were the only person in line.
Cameron didn’t see his folks until the crowd finally thinned. He excused himself from Gabrielle and headed toward them. Ace met him halfway.
“That brother can preach, can’t he?” His cousin seemed impressed.
“He definitely fired up the troops.”
“But did the Word light your fi
re?” Ace gave him a curious look.
“Everything was common sense.” Cameron responded with a shrug. “Frankly, I was amazed that others found his preaching so mind-boggling. I know that everything I have, God gave me the ability to get it, and I thank Him every day. I don’t live beyond my means.”
Ace nodded. “True, bro, but your pride has pushed you to the brim. Step off your high horse and repent like the rest of us.”
Before returning to his wife and child, Ace gave Cameron a mock salute. “That is all.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
It was almost ten o’clock when Cameron’s house came alive for the repast. The Jamiesons never missed a meal or a reason to get together as a family. Refreshed and energized, they barged through the front door. Despite the hour, the children looked ready to get into something.
When Cameron was a child, his father, Parke V, declared every Friday night to be game time as a way to strengthen the family bond. Plus, the weekly exercise served as an opportunity to ingrain their African-American heritage into his three boys. It was during that time when the Jamieson sons were recharged and reinforced to be the confident Black men their dad reared them to be.
As the three brothers grew older and became involved in school-based activities, the weekly family game night turned into a monthly event. Now, with expanding and extended families involved, it was a struggle to keep that tradition. Still, everybody was expected to show up for family game night every other month.
Cameron’s house was abuzz as the Jamieson wives stormed in and took over the kitchen. Cheney and Hallison warmed the food that Charlotte had prepared. Talise and Eva set the table with plates, napkins, and utensils.
What a contrast to the Duprees, who rang the bell and waited to be invited inside. Gabrielle’s family would soon learn that they would only be treated as guests once. After that, they would simply be considered family. A round of introductions was made before Charlotte announced everyone could wash up and eat.