It Won't Prosper: Parable On Infidelity In Marriage

by Genevieve Woods

  Ben, however, was becoming more anxious by the moment. He started second guessing if he should ask Camille to marry him so publicly. What if she said no? What if she laughed in his face? What if mother Carol caused another scene? What if Paige, who looked like she was going to snap, caused a scene? There were so many what ifs that he did not hear his mother call the family into the dining room.

  Kevin came up to him and said, “Yo, Ben, dinner is ready.”

  Everyone piled into the dining room grabbing a seat either at the adult table or one of the two kid’s only tables. Ben’s uncle, Jack, who was an elder at Liberty, led the family in prayer. Everyone held hands with bowed heads as Uncle Jack blessed the cook, partakers, children, pastor and wife (who were not present), the sick, the shut-in, Mayor A.C. Wharton, and President Obama. The prayer would have gone on until the food was cold had Ben not interjected with an “Amen, thanks, Uncle.”

  “The food prepared looks scrumptious,” Ben told his mom.

  She bashfully replied, “Thank you.”

  Camille could not believe the spread of food that was before them. Mother Ellen had something for everyone, from lean food for the calorie counters, gluten free for the diabetics, and fried food for those who were ready to chow down. The conversation was light and pleasant with laughter and smiles. Camille tried to shake off the death stares she was receiving from Mrs. Carol. She would not let her take away the joy of today’s gathering. Camille reminded herself that all people grieved differently and needed time for healing. However, Paige leaned in and whispered to Camille, “That crazy lady looks like she is feeling some type of way down there. She better be cool because I’m about ready to snap her neck.”

  Camille loved Paige but could not have her flexing in Mother Carol’s home. She whispered back to Paige, “I’m fine, don’t worry about her.”

  Paige nodded and said, “But I got your back Mille, that’s all I am saying.”

  “I know, girl, but stay cool, I’m fine.” Camille looked at Karen and Frankie who were sitting across the table from her. They looked like a happy couple, and Camille’s heart was warmed. Nikki was chatting it up with the other children at a kid’s table. The dinner was nice and gave Camille a deep desire to have a family of her own. She was happy with the possibility it may happen one day.

  As everyone was finishing their dessert, and coffee was being served, Benjamin stood and got everyone’s attention by hitting his dessert knife on his glass. He rose and then said, “May I have your attention please?” Everything went quiet, and all eyes were focused on Ben as he stood in his, white crisp dress shirt and diamond cufflinks. His shirt was neatly tucked in his blue and white pin striped trousers. Camille swallowed hard because she was ogling the man as he was trying to make a family speech to end dinner, she guessed.

  Ben cleared his throat and gave a nervous but heart–stopping smile. “Family, it has been great breaking bread with you today. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen some of you, and I am happy to find that you all are doing well. I have been busy as usual for the last six months or so. Besides work, my time has been occupied by getting to know an extraordinary young lady.” Ben turned and scanned the room. “You all have been introduced to her today.” Ben walked to Camille and took her hands to help her stand up. “I want to say to Camille Danyelle James, six months ago, you stepped out of your SUV, and I instantly felt a connection. It was so strong that it took my breath away. It was not just your beauty, for I could not clearly see you that night, it was your spirit, your essence that traveled to greet me.

  “Unfortunately, you were involved in an accident before we had a chance to speak face-to-face. That accident has led me to see what you were made of; you are made of the stuff that lasts forever. I have seen you overcome physical odds when the doctor said you might walk with a limp for the rest of your life. Your faith in Jesus’s healing powers and your tenacity allows you to wear those three-inch heels you should not be in.” Chuckles were heard all over the room. “I have watched you have courage, strength, and all while running a company from your bed. You are a friend like none other, this I know, because your friends have never left your side, and that is why I asked them here today. Camille, you have turned my dark life into a bright sun shining day. I love you with God’s love. I love you as his Word commands me to love a wife. I love you as I love myself. I am willing to die for you, to live with you, and I want to have you carry my name, carry my children inside your body, and share my life until I no longer have breath to breathe. Camille James, will you marry me?”

  Camille could not believe the words coming out of Benjamin’s mouth. The tears, the trembles, the snot, would not stop. Benjamin was really on one knee in front of his entire family and all their friends, asking for her hand in marriage. Not one romantic book she had ever read was as sweet as this. She felt as if she was outside of her body, her mind and heart were screaming “Yes! Oh, Yes!” But nothing was coming out. She looked around and saw Karen, Mother Ellen, Paige, Tabitha and everyone else with tears streaming down their faces.

  Paige finally said, “Camille, don’t leave the man hanging, answer him already.” There was laughter all around.

  Camille finally came to her senses, lowered to her knees and said, “Yes, Benjamin George Adams, I will marry you.” They kissed on the lips and hugged each other tightly as applause was heard all around them.

  No one noticed until it was too late that Mrs. Carol had come up behind Ben—and knocked him in the head with an iron skillet from the kitchen. Ben toppled over, and Mrs. Carol stood screaming, “No! You can’t have him! What about my Lauren?”

  Mrs. Carol started charging for Camille, who was down checking on Benjamin. Uncle Jack and Frankie took the skillet from her and dragged her into another room.

  Mother Ellen was screaming, “The Blood of Jesus, The Blood of Jesus!” The remainder of the house went up in pandemonium. Kevin had to grab Paige who was running after Mrs. Carol and the men carrying her, screaming obscenities. Karen went to help by getting an ice pack for Benjamin until the paramedics arrived. Tabitha had placed the 9-1-1 call.

  Camille could not believe one minute she was saying yes to the love of her life, and the next he was out cold. What was with the pivotal moments of their lives? Their first date, she gets hit by a car. Their engagement, Ben gets knocked out by his deceased girlfriend’s mother. Was the Lord sending warning signs? Saying, Danger do not enter! Yield, proceed with Caution! It could be an enormous mistake, stop! Camille was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sirens. The paramedics and police were there. The sirens also stirred Ben. He began to wake and immediately grabbed his head. Camille took his hand. He glanced at her, smiling. “You said yes.” That one sentence gave Camille the peace she needed to know he was alright, and this was right.

  The paramedics rushed in and took Ben’s vitals and examined his head. Because he was out for over five minutes and had experienced trauma to the head, they took him to the emergency room to be examined as a precaution. Camille and Mother Ellen rode with him in the ambulance. The entire ride, the paramedic, John, asked Benjamin pertinent questions such as his name, birthday, and who the president was. When John asked him what today was, he answered, “The happiest day of my life. My lady said yes.” The entire crew and mother Ellen laughed out loud.

  John looked to a blushing but concerned Camille and asked, “Are you his lady?”

  “Yes,” she proudly answered. John shook his head, never had he seen starstruck lovers before, until now.

  A couple of hours later, Benjamin, Camille, and Mother Ellen were being told all the scans looked good, and there were no signs of blood clots, swelling, or ruptures, and he was free to go. They advised him if he had any headaches that caused blurry vision or dizziness to go to the Emergency Room immediately. Benjamin agreed, and they all waited for Kevin to arrive to drive them home. Benjamin had already decided he would not press charges against Mrs. Carol. She was still grieving and in shock. Camille did not care
for that decision, but what could she do. Mother Ellen agreed Mrs. Carol needed time to adjust. However, it wasn’t lost on Camille that neither of them asked her what she thought.

  *****

  Kevin and Paige were on their way to the hospital to pick up Benjamin and the ladies. Kevin was the only person who could calm Paige down. She was set on slapping that crazy heifer for hitting Ben and charging at Camille. Karen, Tabitha, and Benjamin’s aunts and cousins tried to tell Paige that Mrs. Carol was still hurting over the loss of her only daughter. Paige could not care less.

  Paige yelled, “Well, I’m about to make her hurt over the pain in her eye when I sock her in it. She won’t be thinking about her daughter or anybody else.”

  Kevin had to forcefully pull Paige away from the room Mrs. Carol was in. He grabbed her by the shoulders to face her toward him. Then he looked her eye to eye and said, “Paige you have to calm down. Fighting will not help Benjamin or Mrs. Carol. You are scaring the children and their parents, so stop this now!”

  That got Paige to quiet down and take a seat. Kevin held her while she shook with tremors. Paige became quiet and balled up in a fetal position shaking as if she were in Alaska. Kevin rocked her in his arms until she was back to his Paige.

  Now Paige sat quietly on the passenger’s side of Kevin’s car, wondering what happened. Again she had lost time and could not recall in detail the events of the evening. All she remembered was someone trying to hurt her best friend . . . her family and that was not allowed. She was grateful Kevin was there, if he wasn’t, who knows what she would have done. She leaned over and rested her head on Kevin’s shoulder. He turned and kissed the top of her head. How he loved this unpredictable and crazy woman.

  ****

  “Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord, my soul to keep.

  Keep me safe through the night and wake me with the morning light.

  If I should die before I wake, I pray for Lord my soul to take. Amen”

  Frankie and Karen were kneeling with Nikki beside her bed saying her good night prayers. It was the first night they did this as a family unit. Nikki’s Sunday school teacher taught her class the prayer over the last few Sundays, and Nikki had been faithful. Frankie was overtaken by his emotions as he kissed his baby girl’s forehead, and she said, “Night Daddy, I love you.” He let the tears fall on her forehead, and she wiped them away looking at him curiously but remained quiet. It was as if she knew her daddy had come to the conclusion that he could not take leaving her any longer. He wanted to be there every night to say her prayers, and every morning to thank God for a brand new day.

  Karen hugged and kissed Nikki. She rubbed Frankie’s back to give him comfort. She could see he was struggling with his emotions but did not know in what direction he would be going. It had been such a long day. With the powerful worship service, and their talk on the way to Mother Ellen’s, where they decided they would put the brakes on intimacy until marriage, and the fiasco after the proposal, it would take time for her to process it all. When they made it to the living room, they sat side by side on the couch.

  Frankie blurted out, “I can’t do this.”

  Karen’s heart fell through her stomach. It had not been twenty-four hours yet. Was his emotional breakdown because he was walking away from her and Nikki without even trying? Karen felt her flesh wanting to say, forget abstinence if it will make you stay. She mentally told Satan to get behind her, and that thought left as quickly as it came. She slowly asked, “You cannot do what, Frankie?”

  It felt like time stood still. Their short time as a family flashed before her eyes like a movie trailer. But then her heart rejoiced as the words Frankie spoke became audible to her.

  “Karen, I cannot continue to tuck our baby girl in and go back home like some young man. I am forty-two years old. I am too old to date. I know you are my future. You, Nikki, Dawn, and Autumn are my family and my world. I want to marry you as soon as possible. We can go to marriage counseling, but I don’t need a how to date my woman class. I need you emotionally and physically, and I am ready to marry you as soon as you will have me. So, tell me that you are ready to say yes to our family—say yes to us.”

  Karen leaped on Frankie screaming, “Yes, Lord! Thank you, Jesus! Yes! Frankie, I was so scared you were going to break up with me and walk out on Nikki when you were having your moment in there. Jesus, I was so scared.”

  Frankie grabbed Karen’s hands and put them on the sides of her face. Then he took one hand and brushed her tears away. He tilted her head up and said, “Karen, I am never leaving you, ever. Well, I will leave tonight and each night until we are married. But, I am never walking out on you two.”

  Karen kissed him, and they held each other tight for minutes. They both told each other they loved one another and agreed to speak to the counselor at Liberty on Tuesday night about attending marriage counseling. They would be taking their vows as soon as possible.

  Frankie stopped the conversation and said, “Karen, after we talk to the counselor on Tuesday, and you still want to proceed. We will go pick you out a wedding ring that will tell the world that you have been touched by my love.” Karen happily agreed, and Frankie scooped her up in his arms and gave her a twirl. Karen giggled like she was a three-year-old, instead of the mother of one. Frankie bent down and gave her a lingering kiss then abruptly stopped and said, “Let me get out of here before we have to call the pastor tonight to marry us. Come walk me out, love.”

  Karen walked him to the front door and said, “Good night,” as she closed the door. Then she did the cha-cha and started screaming, “I am getting married! I am getting married!”

  Chapter 6: Love, Honor, and Respect

  “Karen, that is the tenth dress you have tried on, pick one already!” Paige screamed at Karen as she frowned while looking in the mirror at her. Camille was standing by Karen’s side straightening out the bottom of the silver dress Karen was trying on. The ladies were out shopping for Karen’s wedding dress and their bridesmaid dresses.

  Karen turned to face Paige and put one hand on her hip. “What is your problem, Paige? If you don’t want to be here, then go home. I am fine with just having Camille, Dawn, and Autumn as my bridesmaids. You are dismissed because I am sick and tired of your pouting!”

  “Ladies, let’s calm down, no one is going anywhere,” Camille said firmly. “Paige, you have been a pain all day. We understand it is because you are in limbo right now with Kevin. But that is your own doing.”

  Paige gasped. “What do you mean my own doing?”

  Camille chuckled and shook her head while she watched Karen take a twirl in the dress like Kenya Moore, the former Miss USA and reality TV star on Atlanta Housewives. Paige stepped in front of Camille rolling her neck and eyes. “Mille, what do you mean my own doing?”

  “Paige, you are the one that went to Atlanta and beat Kevin’s mother up like you’re Straight Outta Compton. Now, I am not saying Julia was not out of line, she was. But, sweetie, you have got to start taking responsibility for you and your alter ego, Raige’s actions.” Karen burst out into laughter with Camille.

  Paige was furious. “How dare you take that evil woman’s side? She spat in my face what was I to do?”

  Karen chimed in on that question. “You were to take a step back and ask yourself if beating her down was worth you losing Kevin. That is what you were supposed to do. Then you should have told Kev, and his daddy, so they could deal with her. If you had done that, you would not be here ruining this great girls’ day out. We are planning my wedding, and we are supposed to be happy!”

  Karen rolled her eyes, then looked at Camille and said, “This is the one.” Camille jumped up and down with Karen as they chanted, “We are getting married, we are getting married.”

  Paige stepped out of the dressing area and sat on a nearby couch. She had to admit; Raige was out and in rare form. If she were to have an honest moment with herself, Karen was speaking the truth. There was another way she could have dealt wi
th Julia, but she just could not see herself letting that woman or anyone else walk all over her. Why should she have run to Kevin like she could not take care of herself? The sensible Paige took over and said, so you won’t lose the best man that ever happened to you. So you can have a girls’ day out in the future where you can try on ten dresses and get on Karen’s nerves.

  Raige did not like those thoughts and cut in. Yeah, and see how long Kevin will want a weak woman.

  Sensible Paige said, Kevin just wants me to stop reacting negatively to his mother’s antics.