The lock clicked, the door flew open, and in barreled Isaac, Joel, and finally Leigh, looking gorgeous despite her baggy sweats and chaotic hair. Plopping down her purse on the table, she brushed past Angelica and glanced into the fridge.
“No soda.” She slammed it shut and faced Angelica, her black hair falling in waves around her face.
“Thanks for picking up Isaac,” Angelica said, then scanned the room for her son. “Hey, mister.” She raised her brows and held out her arms.
“Aww, Mom.” He dashed to her and gave her a hug as Joel grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV.
“How was school?”
“Fine,” he gave his usual answer. Easing out of his backpack, he dropped it on the table. “Can I watch TV before I do my homework?”
“Sure. But only a half hour.”
Angelica faced Leigh. “Sorry about the soda. I know it’s your favorite after a hard day at work.”
Leigh attempted a smile and glanced at her son with the same look Angelica imagined she so often glanced at Isaac—extreme love and extreme concern.
“You look tired,” Angelica said.
“I am. We’re out of food.”
“I know. I’ll make a run to the store. Do you have any money? I have thirty notes, but that won’t be enough.”
“I’ll see what I can scrounge up.” Leigh dropped in a chair at the table and sighed. “Everything is getting so expensive.”
Angelica nodded. “I remember the days when the fridge and cupboards were full, and we had to force ourselves to stop eating everything we wanted.”
Leigh began sifting through her purse for coins. “I suppose this is one of your prophecies?”
“Actually, yes… food shortages, famine. It’s all prophesied in the Bible for the last days.”
“Does this God of yours ever give any good news?” Leigh dropped a handful of coins on the table and went fishing for more.
“He does. That’s His specialty.” Angelica leaned against the kitchen counter. “The word ‘gospel’ means good news. All this trouble we are seeing leads up to the best news of all. Jesus will return to set the world right. There will be no more pain or sickness or sorrow. No more hunger and empty fridges. And no more death.”
“Hmm. Sounds wonderful. If it’s true.”
Angelica smiled. At least Leigh’s tone was not angry or defiant as it usually was when discussing God.
Leigh added more coins to her pile. “Well, at least we don’t have to stand in those long food lines out in the Florida heat for a bag of flour and some canned veggies.”
“True. God has been good to us.”
Strange noises coming from the TV raised her mother hackles, and she glanced in that direction to see two naked people in bed together on the screen. Darting into the living room, she leapt in front of the TV and switched the station. “That’s enough for today.”
“But we just started watching.” Little Joel protested, no doubt oblivious to what he just witnessed.
Isaac’s red face and wide eyes, on the other hand, indicated that he knew exactly what he had seen. She would have to discuss this with him later.
Angelica put her hands on her hips. “Go do your homework. Both of you.”
Rising, Isaac scowled.
“I don’t have any homework,” Joel announced proudly, his innocent eyes staring up at her.
“Come here and draw Mommy a picture.” Leigh grabbed paper and crayons from the shelf and placed them on the table while Isaac begrudgingly grabbed his backpack and trudged off.
Something fell from it onto the floor, and Angelica headed over to pick it up. “I wish you’d agree to cancel the cable.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. I can’t believe what they’re putting on during the day.”
Surprised at her roommate’s response, Angelica halted and faced her.
“Not that there’s anything wrong with sex,” Leigh added. “It’s perfectly natural, and they’re gonna find out about it sooner or later.” She lifted Joel into a seat and handed him a crayon.
“What’s sex, Mommy?” he asked.
“Never mind that. Draw me something pretty.”
Angelica gave her an incriminating look. “I’m sure you agree that your son is a tad bit too young to be exposed to it.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Jesus has finally arrived.” A mocking voice from the TV announced, drawing both their gazes and a chuckle from Leigh.
Angelica cringed at the picture of a bearded man in a white robe wandering through the streets of London.
“Seems your God has come back just in time,” Leigh teased.
“False messiahs were also foretold.” Angelica headed for the TV set.
“An 8.2 earthquake has struck Morocco,” the newscaster continued.
Grabbing the remote, she flipped off the TV. Enough bad news for one day. Making her way back to the kitchen, she leaned over to pick up the item Isaac had dropped.
And couldn’t believe her eyes.
Condoms. “Isaac!” Her shout brought him dashing from his room.
“Where did you get these?”
A red tide rose up his neck and swamped his face. “They’re handing them out at school, Mom. I didn’t want them. Honest.”
Angelica closed her eyes. “Okay. It’s okay. Come here.” Taking him in her arms, she kissed him on the forehead. “I love you.”
“Love you back, Mom.” And off he ran.
Leigh gave her a sideways look. “Kids his age are having sex these days.”
“At ten? Is that even possible?” Angelica groaned as she opened the cupboard beneath the sink and tossed the condoms in the garbage. “Doesn’t make it right.”
Grabbing her cell, she called the school principal. The woman was impossible. No matter how ardently Angelica protested, she wouldn’t budge. “Besides,” she said. “It’s a state mandate to hand out condoms to every child ten and up. You religious types want to avoid unwanted abortions, don’t you?”
Angelica had informed her that no abortion was unwanted. It was a choice to murder a child, plain and simple. To which the woman said she had to go and hung up.
Leigh handed her twenty-nine notes and a handful of coins, one brow arched. “Didn’t go well?”
Angelica took the money. “No, but I really didn’t expect it to.” Still, she had to try. Another thing she needed to talk to Isaac about—the sex talk. At moments like these, she longed for a father for him, one who could speak of such things from a godly man’s perspective. Who was she kidding? Every moment since Isaac’s birth, she had longed for a father for him, someone to help raise this precious boy. From the first time she looked at his sweet face, she’d been terrified to do it alone, unsure of herself, of her ability to be a good parent, to lead him down the right path.
Dropping the notes in her purse, she was about to leave when a knock sounded on the door. Her heart froze, praying it wasn’t Daniel.
But it was Melody who entered when Leigh opened the door, a young boy in her arms and another about Joel’s age clinging to her leg. Angelica hardly recognized her in her jeans and T-shirt with no makeup.
“Melody, what a surprise. What are you doing here?”
“I guess we’ve been on different shifts at work, but I couldn’t wait another minute to thank you.” She glanced at Leigh.
Angelica made introductions. “Thank me for what?”
“You saved my life.”
The little boy sat at the table beside Joel and watched him draw.
Angelica smiled at the child in Melody’s arms. “This must be Jackson.”
“Yes. He’s so much better.” Melody kissed her son then stared at Angelica as if she were a ghost. “How did you know?”
“Know what?”
“That there was going to be a huge sinkhole on East Broward that night.”
Leigh glanced up from helping Joel draw.
“Oh, that.” Angelica smiled. “I was so glad to hear you
avoided it. God revealed it to me that night at the Den.”
“God?”
Angelica pulled out a chair for the lady who suddenly seemed wobbly on her feet. “Yes, who else?”
“I almost went that way,” she mumbled. “But at the last minute, I thought about your warning.”
“Wait a minute.” Leigh pointed a red crayon at the lady. “You’re trying to tell me that Angelica told you not to drive down East Broward before that sinkhole happened?”
Melody nodded. “Several hours before.”
“Which proves there’s a God.” Angelica placed her hand on Melody’s arm. “And that He cares about you.”
Both the women gaped at her as she silently thanked God for the chance to bring Him glory.
♦♦♦
That euphoria continued the next day at the beach with Anna, Robert, and Clay as they ministered to the crowd. She half expected Daniel to show up again, but for her son’s sake, she was glad he didn’t. Though, if she admitted it, a small part of her heart felt the pinch at the thought that he had probably moved on. What made it more difficult was that every day Isaac asked when they were going to see Daniel again. The look of expectation in her son’s eyes nearly killed her, and she had tried to let him down gently by saying that Daniel was important and a very busy man.
Now, as she glanced at her son, dripping wet and board in hand, heading her way from the water, she smiled. Hopefully, he would soon forget all about the famous pastor.
Clay strummed his guitar as a crowd of people gathered close. Today, it was Robert’s turn to recite Scripture, and he had chosen Isaiah 53, a messianic prophecy. Isaac joined them and dropped to the sand as the people listened with rapt attention to the words that described Jesus’ suffering with precise accuracy—over 500 years before He was even born.
“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth,” Robert continued.
An older woman began to cry.
“After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”
Robert finished the passage with his own testimony. Though Angelica had heard it a dozen times, she never grew tired of the story of how God had pulled him from drug addiction and gang violence, forgiven him of every sin, and given him new life and purpose.
“Not only that,” Robert added, his eyes aglow. “But when my time here on earth is done, I will live forever with my Father in a beautiful place without evil, sorrow, or pain. And all you have to do to receive this free gift from God is repent of your sins, accept the sacrifice of Jesus, confess Him with your mouth, and follow Him the rest of your days. This life has only two doors that lead to eternity. Choose the right door.”
What a gift this man had for evangelism. If Angelica wasn’t already saved, she would go forward with the five people who now answered Robert’s call to receive Jesus. As it was, she, along with Anna, Clay, and some of the others present, offered praise to God for the lives saved.
At the edge of the crowd, her angel appeared, along with others she didn’t know. All of them were dancing and singing, leaping like little children and kicking up sand. What a glorious sight!
Until two police officers walked right through them and they disappeared.
“Break it up! Break it up!” one of them shouted. “What’s going on here?”
One of the new converts dashed up to them, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m saved! I’ve met God!”
The man humphed and glanced at his partner, who was already pulling out his handcuffs and calling for backup.
“Get out of here!” The officer waved at the crowd and most of them scampered away. The few who didn’t remained at a distance.
“We told you the next time we found you proselytizing on this beach, we’d arrest you.”
“That you did, Officer.” Robert turned around and flung his hands behind his back.
The other policeman hauled Clay to his feet, a bit too harshly, as other officers advanced toward them from the parking lot.
Angelica couldn’t breathe. She drew Isaac close, her first thought to run away with him, but one of the policemen grabbed her arm and swung her around so fast, pain etched across her shoulders.
Cold steel encircled her wrists, and the handcuffs clicked shut.
Chapter 15
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:22 (NKJV)
Daniel pressed the BACK key on his keyboard and erased the sentence he’d just written. Garbage, pure garbage. An unintended growl rose in his throat. He’d been working on this speech for hours and only had two paragraphs written. And they weren’t even good paragraphs.
It was all Angel’s fault. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her? He could have his pick of women, yet here he was pining over a cocktail waitress like a lovesick college boy.
Ridiculous! The woman had made it plain she wanted nothing to do with him. Especially after he’d put her and Isaac in danger.
But he missed her. Terribly. He felt like he was twenty-two all over again standing in the rain at the coffee shop off Sunrise. For hours. And she’d never shown. Why was he putting himself through this again?
A knock on the door brought him relief from his thoughts, and he was glad to see his good friend Marley enter the room. Or was he? The poor man looked conflicted. And Daniel definitely didn’t need any more conflict today.
Marley approached Daniel’s desk, a thick book in hand.
“What’s up, buddy?” Daniel’s attempt to be cheerful had no effect on the man’s contemplative look.
“I think we’re doing this all wrong.”
“Doing what wrong?”
“Everything. I’ve been studying the Bible.”
Daniel chuckled, still hoping to lighten the man’s mood. “Course you have, you’re a pastor.”
“No, I mean really studying it, asking the Holy Spirit to instruct me.”
Daniel stared at him, fearing the worst, fearing he was becoming one of those illegal fanatics. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about compromising with the world, about defying what God says”—he held up his Bible—“for the sake of political and cultural correctness.”
Rising, Daniel circled his desk, his eyes on the Bible in his friend’s hand, his suspicions rising. “Is that—”
“Yes.” Marley nodded, his jaw stiff. “An old one. I’ve had it for a while.”
Daniel squeezed the bridge of his nose and growled. “Do you know what could happen to us if someone found that in this church? I can’t believe you!”
“I’m sorry, Daniel. Really.” Marley sank into a chair and leaned forward on his knees. “I’ll take it home today.” He shook his head and stared at the carpet. “I’ve just…I’ve just not been feeling right about things…in my spirit, you know?” He looked up at Daniel.
No, Daniel didn’t. At least not in his spirit. His heart was another matter. “Everything is fine with the church. I assure you. In fact, never better. We are doing good work here.”
“Are we?”
Daniel closed his eyes, seeking his dwindling patience. “You gotta pull it together, man. Do you hear me? I can’t have my youth pastor going all wacko on me.”
“I know, Daniel. It’s just that…well, we’re supposed to make disciples, not fill pews. We’re supposed to teach them to follow Jesus, to obey the Word of God, and from what I’m reading, God says that any form of immorality is a sin and an abomination to Him.”
Daniel pointed at him. “That’s exactly why they took out those verses. They scare people. None of us can be perfect, right? Even our good deeds are like filthy rags to God. I’m sure you read that verse as well. So, why fret about it? Accept the free gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins and t
hen love everyone. Isn’t that the real message of the Bible?”
“Yes, of course,” Marley said, but his tone lacked conviction.
“Let’s focus on God’s love, goodness, and grace as we’ve been doing, not on His judgment and rejection. That stuff only turns people off. It’s exclusive and not inclusive, and God is an inclusive God.” Daniel offered his friend his most reassuring smile.
Frowning, Marley pushed to his feet and headed for the door. Before he reached it, he spun around. “You know, I think we’re close to the end, Daniel.”
“What end?”
“The end of this age. You know, when Jesus comes back.”
“Yeah.” Daniel waved him off. “People have been saying that for hundreds of years.”
“But this time is different. We should be warning people, telling them to repent and get ready.”
The phrase get ready reminded Daniel of Angel’s first warning to him, but he shrugged it off. “Listen, Marley.” He used his boss tone. “Take that Bible and get rid of it. That’s an order.” He’d had enough of this religious craziness. Not only was it bad for his church, but even allowing Marley to speak about it could land them both in jail.
After Marley left, Daniel sank back into his comfy chair and stared once again at the computer monitor, feeling a headache rise.
“Good. I hope you’re working on your speech for the prayer breakfast.”
Daniel looked up to see Thomas’ head poking in the open door.
“I’m trying.” Daniel sat back in his chair and waved his friend inside.
“I won’t stay long. I’m just checking on your progress. It needs to be proofed a couple of times before we leave for D.C. You know that’s in a month, don’t you?”
“No need to remind me.” Daniel stared at the picture of his mother on his desk, wishing she hadn’t died all those years ago. Her strong faith was such an inspiration to Daniel, and she always knew the right thing to say, the right advice to give—the right way to comfort him after his father had belittled and berated him into dust. Sort of like he felt now. After Angelica’s rejection and now this pressure to write the speech of his life, to be great and charismatic when inside he felt like the loser his dad always told him he was.
When Angels Cry Page 13