Soul Reader Series: Book1: Touch Enabled

by Dante Lupinetti

  “We’d also like to ask you some questions about your ministry,” said Sly. “Would you mind signing this waiver so that we can air the interview?”

  “No problem. The media is always very skeptical of what I do and tries to discredit me, but my miracles always end up increasing people’s faith. That’s why I am still here and doing fine. Glory be to God. What’s your question?”

  The cameraman began shooting the interview. “Sly here will be doing the interview,” said Zeke.

  “Well, Pastor Dollar, do you really have the gift of healing?” asked Sly.”

  “Of course, I do,” replied Pastor Dollar. “How do you think I built all this? Anyway. You’ll find out in a few minutes, won’t you, Zeke?”

  “How much seed money did you take in last year?”

  “How do you expect me to know that?” asked Pastor Dollar. “I’m doing God’s work here. The money just comes. I don’t count it. I’m not in this for the money. You’d have to talk to our accountants.”

  “Accountants plural?” Sly asked.

  “Yes, we have several accountants and lawyers,” replied Dollar. “Any ministry this size needs accountants and lawyers plural to handle its affairs.”

  “One last question,” said Sly. “What’s your annual salary?”

  “Son,” said Pastor Dollar. “Didn’t your momma teach you any manners? You shouldn’t ask people such personal questions even if you are a reporter. I don’t even tell my congregation that kind of personal information. But, just to show you and the media that I’m above reproach, I’ll tell you. I personally receive one hundred thousand dollars a year from this ministry. And, let me tell ya, that’s not a lot money for Washington DC. Now, let’s move to the auditorium. There’s a group of parishioners waiting for services to begin,” said Pastor Dollar.

  As they entered the auditorium, they heard mesmerizing music. The auditorium was dark except for the flashing stage lights. Smoke billowed from beneath the stage.

  “This is not like any church I’ve ever been to,” said Sly.

  “I ta…ta…told you it was going to get a little crazy,” said Zeke. “The…the…the show hasn’t even started yet.”

  “Show? What do you mean show?” asked Sly.

  “That…that…that’s what they call the service,” replied Zeke.

  Pastor Dollar walked out onto the stage. There must’ve been a hundred people in the auditorium.

  “You all come up here on, stage,” said Pastor Dollar. About fifty people came up. There were some men dressed in suits assisting Pastor Dollar. They got behind the people and guided them closer to the pastor. Pastor Dollar waved his right hand and several people fell back as if they had been knocked down by some inexplicable force. Pastor Dollar waved his hand again and several more fell backward. His assistants moved in to catch them and break their fall.

  “This is really weird,” said Sly.

  The pastor motioned to Zeke to get in front of him. Pastor Dollar waved his right arm one more time. Zeke felt a blast of air push him until he fell backward, but one of the attendants was able to break his fall. The attendant helped Zeke to his feet and brought him before Pastor Dollar. Zeke appeared to be in a stupor. The pastor lightly smacked the sides of Zeke’s face.

  “Speak to me boy,” said Pastor Dollar.

  “What happened?” asked Zeke.

  “You’ve been healed my boy,” said the pastor. “Glory be to God Almighty.”

  Zeke shook his head. The trance was wearing off. Zeke grasped the pastor’s hand as if to shake it. He looked the pastor directly in the eye.

  “You don’t need to thank me, Zeke,” said Pastor Dollar. “Glory be to God Almighty.”

  “Your stomach has grown obese, and your belt has broken,” said Zeke.

  “What? What are you talking about, son?” asked Pastor Dollar. The pastor looked down at his stomach. “Same old flat stomach, and my belt is intact. You’re still reeling from the healing, son. You’ll be OK.”

  Zeke, still holding the pastor’s hand and still looking him intently in the eye, asked, “Did you really heal me?”

  “No,” said Pastor Dollar. “I merely hypnotized you.”

  “So, you really don’t have the gift of healing?” asked Zeke.

  “That’s right,” said Pastor Dollar.

  “So, how much seed money did you take in last year?” asked Zeke.

  “Twenty million,” Pastor Dollar immediately replied.

  “And what is your annual salary?”

  “Half a million a year plus expenses.”

  Zeke pulled his hand away from the pastor and said, “This interview is over.”

  “What was that all about?” asked Pastor Dollar. “And did I just say what I think I said?”

  “Yes, you did,” said Sly, “and we got it on camera. Let’s get out of here, boys. We can get this on the Six O’clock News.”

  “You can’t air that,” said Fernando Dollar.

  “You agreed to it,” said Sly. “Remember the release you signed in your office? Take it up with WJOP’s lawyers.”

  Zeke, Sly, and the camera crew quickly gathered up the equipment and exited the auditorium. They made their way to the reception area and out the front door, loaded the equipment in the van, and raced out of the parking lot.

  “Wow,” said the audio tech. “What just happened?”

  “I’ll tell you what just happened,” said the cameraman. “Zeke just took down televangelist Fernando Dollar with three questions, and he got rid of the stuttering. Never seen anything like it.”

  On the way back to the station, the camera crew could not stop talking about it. They pulled up to the loading dock in the back of the station. As they unloaded the camera equipment and talked to the other employees, the cameraman described it to his buddies.

  “That was so surreal. Never seen anything like it. All smoke and mirrors, and then out of nowhere, he just takes the guy down.”

  John, the camera crew supervisor, came out to the loading dock to see what all the commotion was about.

  “What’s going on guys? What just happened?”

  “You’re not going to believe this,” said the cameraman. “Zeke got healed of his stuttering and he took down Fernando Dollar.”

  “Well, that’s not exactly right,” said Zeke. “Fernando Dollar did not heal me of my stuttering. He hypnotized me. He admitted to it.”

  “Is that right?” asked John.

  “And, that’s not all,” said Zeke. “He admitted to taking in twenty million in seed money last year.”

  “Are you kidding me?” asked John.

  “It’s all here on video” said Zeke.

  “Let’s get this up to Harvey right away,” said John.

  Zeke, Sly, and the cameraman took the video up to Harvey’s office.

  “Harvey,” said Sly, “we got it.”

  “Got what?” asked Harvey.

  “We got Fernando Dollar.”

  “What do you mean you’ve got Fernando Dollar?” asked Harvey.

  “He’s a fraud,” said Zeke. “He admitted to not having the gift of healing and raking in twenty million dollars in seed money last year.”

  “Zeke, you’re not stuttering,” said Harvey. “He healed you?”

  “No, he hypnotized me. He admitted to it. It’s a common trick used by faith healers.”

  “And, you captured this on video?” asked Harvey.

  “Yes, sir,” replied Zeke.

  “Let me see that video,” said Harvey.

  The cameraman put on the video, and they all watched it.

  Zeke provided commentary. “Notice the mesmerizing music, smoke billowing from the floor, strobe lights. It’s all part of the show. Faith healers typically use things like music, lights, smoke, and other environmental effects to mesmerize their flock. They’re experts at generating hypnotic effects. It’s all about creating the aura, the feeling. By the time Fernando Dollar comes on stage, the people are ready to be manipulated. People are
easier to manipulate when they are in a crowd. Watch as Pastor Dollar waves his arm. Many fall back and are caught by the assistants. It’s a combination of suggestion and hypnotism that causes them to fall. For those who do not fall, he repeats the hand waving motion, a suggestion, until they do.

  “Then, there’s the seed money. Not only does it fill the coffers of the faith healer, but it also creates an anticipation of healing and prosperity as a deserved reward for their faith. Then, he tells me to get in front of him, and he waves his arm. At this point, I’m caught in the effects of his hypnotic trance. I’ve got a lot riding on this so I want this to work. I fall back and am caught by an attendant. When I return to my feet, I speak without stuttering, but there is something I cannot explain.”

  “What is it?” asked Harvey.

  “I’m seeing Pastor Dollar differently. I see him as obese and with his belt broken, but in reality, he is, physically, a very thin man. I tell him, but he thinks it’s some residual effect from the healing. Also, I feel emboldened to confront him and ask him some questions. So, I grab his hand and look him in the eye, and then it happens.”

  “What happens?” asked Harvey.

  “I’ve got a lock on him,” replied Zeke. “It’s like he can’t get loose ’til he answers me, and he can’t do anything but tell the truth.

  Zeke continued to recite the encounter to Harvey.

  “Incredible. It’s absolutely incredible,” said Harvey. “Zeke, write me some copy to cover the story, and we’ll lead with this on the Six O’clock News.”

  “You got it, Boss,” said Zeke.

  “By the way, how do you know so much about this?” asked Harvey.

  “The most excitement in Lincoln County, Nebraska, happens at tent revivals. Some of it’s legit. Some of it’s not. Learning to tell the difference is a hobby of mine.”

  “Well, that’s going to come in real handy around DC,” replied Harvey.

  3

  Going Viral

  As Zeke went to his desk to write up the story, Harvey got on the phone and called down to the TV studio. “Send Melany up here as soon as she gets off the air.”

  Melany Delaney, WJOP’s lead anchor, finished up her midday report and went upstairs to see Harvey.

  “What’s up, Boss?” asked Melany.

  “I want you to review this video we have from Zeke Jackson’s interview with Fernando Dollar.”

  “Zeke? Isn’t he the new reporter you just hired?”

  “That’s right,” replied Harvey. “He hit the ground running, too. Here, watch this video.”

  Melany took the video to a production room and watched. Then, she returned to Harvey’s office. “Wow! Looks like Zeke took him down.”

  “I want you to lead with this on the Six O’clock News,” said Harvey.

  “It’s sure to go viral,” said Melany. “Fernando Dollar is one of the most prominent televangelists in the country.”

  “Zeke’s writing up copy as we speak,” said Harvey, “and if it’s anything like the commentary he gave us of the video, sparks are gonna fly.”

  After about an hour, Zeke brought his story into Harvey’s office. Harvey read it.

  “Sly,” Harvey shouted out into the bullpen, “Get in here. Here’s Zeke’s copy. Looks pretty good to me. Do an edit on it. Nothing major. Then, cue up our social media desk to generate some buzz for the story ahead of our Six O’clock News.”

  “Got it, Boss,” said Sly. With Zeke still in Harvey’s office, Sly said to Zeke under his breath, “Looks like I’m working for you, now, kid?”

  Later that afternoon, Ellie, the lead on the social media desk, called Harvey to tell him the story was starting to go viral. “We got one million views on Facebook in the last four hours,” said Ellie, “and the retweets are accelerating on Twitter.

  By the time the Six O’clock News came on, a good buzz had already been brewing. WJOP’s Evening News at Six had become a staple in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It was the most watched TV news show for fifteen years running in the DMV. After the Six O’clock News aired, Harvey received a call from the station manager, Jim Browning, who complimented him on breaking the story and told him that the network had already contacted him.

  “They want to air the story later tonight on the Nightly News,” said Jim, “and they want the reporter who broke the story to be part of a network special they’re doing on prosperity preachers.”

  “Is that right?” responded Harvey. “This thing’s getting even more buzz than I expected. I gotta give this kid a raise, and he’s only been here two days.”

  “What kid?” asked Jim.

  “Zeke Jackson,” Harvey replied. “I just hired him this week. Kid’s got great news instincts. Says he’s got some kind of truth-telling ability. I don’t know if I buy all that, but hey, if he can prove it, we’ll use it. Why not?”

  “Well,” said Jim. “Give him the good news, and tell him great job for me. Well done. Congrats to all.”

  Harvey yelled into the bullpen, “Zeke, get in here. Close the door,” Harvey commanded as Zeke entered his office. “Look, Zeke, is this truth-telling ability of yours for real?”

  “Oh, it’s for real,” said Zeke as he closed the door behind him.

  “I’ve got to know firsthand,” said Harvey. “Let’s conduct a little test. I want you to force me to tell the truth. There’s something I’ve been hiding. Extract it from me.”

  “OK,” said Zeke. “Grasp my right hand, and look me in the eye.” Zeke saw that Harvey’s right eye is missing from its socket. “Harvey, your right eye is missing.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Harvey. “My right eye is fine.”

  “Harvey, is there something you’re hiding from us?”

  “Yes,” replied Harvey.

  “What is it?” asked Zeke.

  “I’m having an affair with the receptionist.”

  “Julie Stokes?” asked Zeke.

  “Yes, that’s right,” said Harvey.

  “How long has it been going on?” asked Zeke.

  “Two years,” said Harvey.

  “Harvey, are you married?”

  “Yes, but my wife doesn’t know about the affair.”

  Zeke pulled his hand away from Harvey. Harvey moved back with a look of surprise. “Did I really tell you all that?” asked Harvey.

  “Yes,” replied Zeke.

  “Tell me you won’t tell anybody about this,” said Harvey.

  “You have my word,” replied Zeke.

  “Zeke, I have a feeling that your life is going to become very different now.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Zeke.

  “I just got a call from the station manager. The network contacted him. They’re airing your interview tonight. Also, they want you to appear on a national TV special they’re doing on prosperity preachers.”

  4

  The Past Catches Up

  Harvey called everyone together in the news bullpen. “I want to pass on congratulations from the station manager on the great job you all did on the Fernando Dollar interview. The interview is airing tonight on the Nightly News at eleven o’clock. Special congratulations go to Zeke Jackson who conducted this interview and has been asked to appear on a network special on prosperity preachers. Zeke, you’ve had an unbelievable first week.”

  Everyone started clapping. At first, Zeke’s face turned red but then he smiled and grinned. He put two fingers in his mouth and blew out a loud whistle.

  “Can I say something? I just want to say that it was a team effort. Thank you.” Zeke returned to his desk and straightened up a little before getting ready to leave the station for the night.

  Sly came over to Zeke’s cubicle. “I guess congratulations are in order. First impressions are hard to shake. You made an incredible one on everyone. Enjoy it while it lasts, kid.”

  “Thanks,” replied Zeke.

  There it was again, thought Zeke. Was it a compliment or a warning?

  “By the way, I’ll let it slide this o
nce since you’re new, but don’t ever steal an on-camera interview from me again,” warned Sly with a grin.

  Now that’s definitely a warning, thought Zeke even though he said it with a grin. “Wouldn’t think of it,” said Zeke. “I’m just happy to be here. It’s a real break for a kid from Nebraska.”

  “Don’t forget it,” said Sly.

  “Have a good night,” said Zeke as he got up from his cubical and headed to the stairs.

  “You too, rookie.”

  The next morning, Zeke arrived at the station, walked up the long set of white stone steps, and entered the lobby with a newfound sense of confidence. This was the first time in his life that he could remember when he didn’t have a stutter, and he felt free.

  “Good morning, Julie,” he said. “How’s our beautiful receptionist this morning?”

  “There’s something different about you today, Zeke.”

  “That’s right,” he replied. “No stutter.”

  “Wow, that’s great.”

  Without giving it a second thought, he blurted out, “Julie, can I take you to lunch today?”

  “I don’t know, Zeke. Let me think about it.”

  “Sure, no pressure.”

  Zeke proceeded upstairs. By the time he reached his cubical his desk phone rang. It was Julie. “Zeke, I would love to go to lunch with you.”

  He wondered what had made up her mind. “Great. I’ll meet you downstairs at twelve noon,” said Zeke.

  “Just keep it on the down low” said Julie.

  “No problem,” replied Zeke.

  Harvey stopped by his cube to tell him that network’s airing of the interview the previous night generated thousands of emails, four million Facebook posts, and continually increasing retweets. It had to be some kind of record.

  “By the way,” said Harvey. “I’m promoting you to News Reporter II, and I’m authorizing you for on-camera reporting. This is the quickest I’ve ever promoted a reporter. You’ll have the responsibility of proofing and editing copy for more junior reporters and all your stories will be given bylines. Also, anything you write for social media will be given your byline but the frequency and quality of your submissions will be expected to increase.”