“That ain’t none of your concern. Are you going to represent him or not?”
“First of all, Uncle, I am a defense attorney, not a civil one. Secondly, he is a very good friend, so even if this were a criminal case, I am too close to him. But I am his friend and I am giving my support to his cause. What I don’t understand is why you are opposed to this halfway house.”
“I ain’t against nothing that will help ex-cons, but Pastor needs that land, and that is good enough for me. That heathen can find another place to build his house. Do you know what that studio Pastor and Mrs. Day plan to build would do for this city? Pastor is trying to spread the gospel to the world and that heathen is trying to stop him.”
“Dr. Earls may not attend church, by he is not a heathen. He believes in God. What he doesn’t believe in is organized religion.”
“Do you know that man said that the church was the black man’s corporate America? What kind of shit is that to say about the church? We out here trying to save souls and he is talking about the church as if it was racket!”
I can feel the anger rising in my uncle and have decided to proceed with caution, although I was going to give him my opinion.
“Uncle, don’t you think that some of these churches are not what they appear to be? I’m not talking about the Days. I have never attended their church, nor have I met them, so I don’t know how sincere they are. But some of the preachers you see on TV, you have to question.”
I prepared myself for his response.
“I don’t give a damn about them other preachers. I believe in the mission of the Days, and I’m telling you, I don’t want you supporting Dr. Earls!”
“Uncle Artis, I love you with all my heart,” I said, “but Dr. Earls is my friend. He helped me through a very difficult time in my life, and I am going to support him. That is what people do when they believe in someone. And I believe in him.”
“I guess I know where we both stand, niece.”
With that, he got up from the couch and walked to the basement stairs, making his way to his living quarters. I’d allowed him the run of the basement, where he could have his privacy. I could hear him talking to himself, and I knew he was angry. The dogs had witnessed his departure; then looked back at me as if to say, What was that all about?
I had a feeling that this was not going to be the last conversation we would have about Dr. Earls. I also had a feeling that they would not go as well as this one did; they would be much worse.
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The next day, as Gemini was preparing for her meeting at the firm, Tabitha Day was seated in the conference room of the church, waiting for the board and her husband to appear. Today’s conversation would center on the city council meeting that was scheduled for next Thursday. She always arrived before everyone else, because there were plans that she had to make that she didn’t want anyone else to hear. Then, of course, she wanted to talk to him…. They were making plans, and everything was coming together. She couldn’t wait for the day when she would take control of the studio and the two of them would conquer the religious film market. She’d been looking at projects that she wanted to turn into movies, including a movie about Pastor Du’Marcus Day. It would be a good story, especially after they embellished it. Her lover was going to work on the screenplay. She’d given him lots of background on her husband—stuff that would make a successful film and make them millions.
And there would be nothing the righteous pastor could do to stop her. If he tried, there was always Plan B. It wasn’t pretty, but if need be, she would work the plan. That plan wouldn’t be good for the pastor. She had not mentioned Plan B to her lover. He was ambitious, but he wouldn’t want her to go as far as she was willing to go.
The door to the conference room opened and in walked her husband. She glanced at him and thought for one moment, if only they shared the same vision, they could run the studio together. But that fool was sincere in his work. Pastor Day looked at his wife. She saw the love that he had for her, and it made her sick. He always looked at her as if she were a goddess, not with lust and desire as her lover did. She did like the way he was dressed; she taught him how to dress for the camera and the public. The light gray suit with the baby blue shirt, gray tie, and gray shoes made him look like a million bucks. His wavy hair was cut short and was black with a little gray on the sides. He was clean shaven, which the public preferred. It made him look young for his age.
He loved her, and she and the church knew it. Every Sunday at the close of his sermon, he would pray thanking God for his calling and his beautiful and supportive wife. She was getting better at hiding her contempt; no one knew how much she loathed him, except her lover. She told him everything, except for her Plan B if the pastor wouldn’t give her a divorce.
“What time is the meeting to start, honey?” the pastor asked Tabitha. “I have prayer meeting at ten this morning, and I promised I’d visit Sister Tyler today. She’s in the hospital again and has been asking to see me.”
“Pastor, can’t you get one of the associate pastors to visit her?” Tabitha replied. “Who is the minister for her zone?”
“That would be Minister Elwood, but honey, Sis Tyler is one of our oldest members. She’s been worshiping with us for a long time.”
“Sis Tyler got behind in her tithes, pastor,” Tabitha said as she looked at the list of members who were behind in their offerings. She kept a list of them on her computer so that the offering committee could call them. They were instructed not to be harsh, but to remind the members that they would not be allowed to have funerals or weddings at the church until they were caught up. Sis Tyler hadn’t given an offering for over a year. The fact that she was sick and a widow made no difference to Tabitha. If she wanted her funeral to be held at the church, she’d better pay up.
The pastor replied by quoting scripture, “Tabitha, honey, you know what the Bible says: ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the LORD. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the LORD will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.’ James, chapter five, fourteen and fifteen. She is counting on me. There was a time when she and her late husband gave very well. You remember, darling, Brother Tyler bought our first Lincoln town car. Said he wanted his pastor to have the best. I didn’t want the car—I thought it was too fancy for my taste—and only accepted the gift because you said it would insult him if I didn’t. And I didn’t want him to leave the congregation. Besides, we already had the Cadillac. But I guess it turned out fine; you got the Lincoln to drive so we didn’t have to depend on one car.”
Tabitha was about to lose her temper. She was sick of his constant preaching and looking out for his “flock.” But soon the door opened, and the rest of the committee came in for the meeting. Her husband bent over to give her a kiss on the cheek before he took his place at the head of the table. She held the seat at the other end. The committee consisted of Deacons Henry Carter, Jeffrey Humphries, Maurice Chambers, and J.C. Maury, all of whom were as ambitious and greedy as she was. The other members were Mother Adela Woods and her sister, Mother Odell Stinson, Sister Mattie Lightfoot, and the church attorney, Howard Fielding. Of the women, the only one who seemed as genuinely sincere about church work as the pastor was Sis. Lightfoot. She loved the church and the pastor and took her service to God seriously. Tabitha didn’t mind because Sis Lightfoot was very generous to the church. The Lord loves a cheerful giver, Tabitha thought to herself and chuckled. She had persuaded the women to join the committee by telling them they would all be in danger if the halfway house would be built across the street from their church. Who knows what these men would do if they got a hold of their daughters? Tabitha knew how to use fear and even blackmail to get what she wanted.
The meeting went as planned, each member giving a brief report on their assignments for next week’s
council meeting. The congregation had been informed of the meeting and told what time to be there. Tabitha had her own assignment, unknown to anyone but herself and one of the deacons. Her plan guaranteed not only would the council allot them the land, but it would also put into question the reputation of Rodney Earls.
The meeting ended, and as the members of the committee were about to leave, Tabitha spoke.
“Excuse me, everyone, but before we leave, I’d like for us to say a prayer for poor Sister Edna Tyler. She is in the hospital and is asking for prayer.”
“Sister Day, I think that would be very appropriate,” Sister Lightfoot said. “What hospital is she in? I would like to go and see her.”
“Sister Tyler is at Methodist Hospital, the one near her home,” responded Pastor Day. “Let us bow our heads in prayer.”
He’s going to pray one of those long prayers of his, Tabitha thought, but she had other plans. He was about to start his spiritual talk with God when she faked an illness which, of course, abruptly ended his prayer. As he came around the table to console her, she told him she needed to go home and rest, and that she needed him to drive her home. She then asked Sister Lightfoot if she would go and visit Sister Tyler.
“Please let her know that the pastor and I will pray for her health and her return to the church.” And if she doesn’t resume her offerings, she is out of this church, Tabitha thought, laughing to herself. No way is Pastor going to waste his time on a member who’s behind in their offerings. She always got her way.
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Gemini
Antoinette offered to come to my house and pick me up for the meeting. I refused. This was a drive that I needed to take by myself so that I could emotionally prepare. I wasn’t sure what I was going to tell Quinn as far as when I would be returning to work. Although my doctor felt I still needed time, I was getting edgy at home and knew that work would help. But I wasn’t ready to face the fact that Bookie was leaving, nor did I think I was ready to face Donald Webber. I was sure he would try to bait me into another fight, making Quinn doubt as to whether I was fit to return. He wanted me out and I wanted him out. But he was a senior partner in the firm, and I had just made partner.
I was curious about the new associate. Her name was Nobel Cummings, and that was all the information I could get out of Antoinette. I would be introduced to her today. I hoped that she was ready for the stress and long hours. Associates are required to work at least 80 per week, but the money is great.
The firm’s parking lot appears to have more cars than usual. I find that my assigned parking space is vacant, and after parking my car, I make my way towards the building, which isn’t too far. I notice that the landscaping has changed; there appear to be more plants, and I notice the sound of running water. As I get closer to the door, I realize that we now have a fountain. Marvin the security guard opens the door for me and says how good it is to see me. He asks if I am coming back today, and I inform him that I am only here for a meeting. He runs ahead of me to get the elevator, and tells me that he and his wife are praying for me. I usually get my office gossip from him, but today I don’t have time. He would know the reason why Bookie was leaving, as well as any information on the new associate, Nobel Cummings.
I make my way to the top floor where the meeting will be held, but first I go down the hall to my office. I wanted to say hello to Antoinette. I can see her sitting at her desk through my new glass doors, which were ordered just before I went on leave. She is talking to a woman I don’t recognize from the back, and neither one sees me. As I open the door, she turns around and we face each other. I recognize her immediately, and it takes every ounce of strength that I have not to faint. I am looking into the face of the woman in the pictures with Bookie.
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Tabitha Day hung up the phone with her lover just as her maid came in with a tray of tea and her favorite shortbread cookies. Pastor had returned to the church for a series of meetings, and she would be joining him later. But for now, there was work to be done here at home, away from the nosy church staff who were in and out of the office all day. She had just been given a very important piece of information about Rodney Earls, and she needed to squash his plan. He was never going to get that piece of land. He would burn in hell before he got the best of her again.
He’d taken her heart, her love—something she’d only given to one other man, her father. In fact, they were the only two people she’d ever loved. Her father had never failed her; she was daddy’s princess. But Rodney had betrayed her, and she was going to make him pay. They had been childhood friends and started dating in high school. She fell in love with his rebellious spirit, and he reminded her of her father. Later when they became engaged, she thought that her plans for them would come true. She had even thought about having children with him. She didn’t like children, but Rodney adored them, and she wanted to please her husband. When she realized that he did not share her ambitions, she told herself it didn’t matter. She loved him and thought that she could eventually help him see how they could achieve success together and be happy. The night he came by to take her to dinner, she showed him her new ring. The ring he first gave her was too small for her taste, so she went to her father and told him what she wanted. He, of course, went to his personal jeweler to pick out another one. She thought Rodney would be pleased that she was so happy, but he wasn’t. What he said to her didn’t register at first. Something about not being the man she needed him to be. He was calling off the engagement.
She couldn’t believe what she heard; he was leaving her. Not because she had cheated, or even that he had found someone else, but because he realized that they were headed down two different paths and the marriage would never work.
The tears and crying had little effect on him; he had made up his mind. Was it because of the ring she’d wanted, she asked? He could take it back. She was sure her father wouldn’t mind. She begged and pleaded, but to no avail. It was over. He told her he loved her but realized that he was not the man for her. He ran out of the house, jumped into his car and left. She knew that he could hear her screaming as he took off. She was outside by then, begging him to come back. She didn’t see the tears streaming down his face as he left.
Her mother ran outside when she heard Tabitha screaming at the top of her lungs, and told her to come inside and calm herself. She looked into the eyes of her mother, and for one brief second saw the satisfaction in her eyes. She did calm down and never cried over him again. The seed of hatred for Rodney Earls began to grow in her heart that night. Not only for breaking up with her, but for bringing her mother a moment of joy at Tabitha’s expense.
There were two other phone calls to make before she returned to the church. One was to her silent partner on the committee. She had to relay to him the information she had just been given, and to have him carry out her plan. He’d also informed her that the person she was looking for had been located and was ready and willing to do anything to help the pastor and first lady. The second call was to the reporter for the city newspaper, who was covering the story of their battle with Rodney.
Having completed both calls, Tabitha grabbed her purse and made her way to her Mercedes parked outside. She liked to drive the car herself and didn’t want anyone else behind the wheel, especially her husband. It took her about twenty minutes to get to the church from home. They lived in the Miller section of town, not far from Marquette Park on the lake front. Living there was only temporary for her; after she got the land and the divorce, she would be moving to Crown Point. There was already a house she had secretly purchased. The money had come from church funds, of course, but she had free reign over the money—the pastor had insisted.
Her silent partner on the committee had helped with the purchase. He’d somehow gotten the impression that the two of them would be living in the house when her plan was completed. She didn’t know how she was going to end his dream, but she’d think of somet
hing. After all, he had a very jealous wife and several children who would be hurt if he left his family. That house was for her and her new man. There was some truth to the scriptures, after all; she was getting the desires of her heart.
The Fishers of Men Community Church was in the midtown section of Gary. It was founded in the 1940s and had since then been a beacon of hope, seeing to the needs of its members and the community. Thanks to the pastor and a few of the older, more powerful members, Fishers of Men held regular clothing and food giveaways, offered state-approved GED courses, and provided several other programs designed to help those in need. There was a senior citizens home, as well as an assisted living facility. There were plans to build a school for grades K-6, but Tabitha put a stop to that. No money in it; besides, she had convinced the committee that the school could be built with the profits of the film company. They agreed with her and put the building of the school on hold. The school would never be built while she was the first lady. There wouldn’t be any money for it. Her plan was to sink as much money from the church funds into her studio. She and the pastor would be divorced by the time she was ready for the building to begin, and she could care less whether the school was built or not.
She arrived at the church, parked her car in her reserved spot, and proceeded inside the building. As she walked towards the building, she noticed that the lawn needed mowing and called one of the groundmen. She wanted to fire the lot of them; they didn’t keep the grounds the way she wanted, but the pastor said they were young men who’d recently started their own small business, and he wanted to support local businesses. She informed the man about the lawn, who informed the first lady that it was on their schedule for the day. She also wanted them to prune the flower beds for her and inquired about the fruit trees that pastor wanted to be planted. She thought having fruit trees on church property was stupid, but pastor wanted them. He said that the fruit would be harvested and given to the poor. He was always thinking about those people. She didn’t understand how a person could live in poverty their entire lives. Whatever happened to picking yourself up by your bootstraps? She felt that people should be given temporary assistance, and then at some time they would have to fend for themselves.
The Future of My Past Page 6