Lindsay tried exiting the pew as quickly as she could before anyone could reach her. She was able to maneuver her way back about six pews, halfway to where she needed to be.
“Sister Nay, Pastor Adams would like to speak with you for a moment before you leave.”
Lindsay turned to find Pastor’s assistant, Tina, giving her the request. She stood confused about whether she should refuse to speak to Pastor Adams. She really needed to get her kids away from Sha’Ron, and she knew that Pastor Adams was going to question her about her and Cody’s situation. She decided to compromise.
“Tina, tell Pastor Adams I’ll be right with him. I just need to get my kids settled.”
As Tina went off to deliver the message, Lindsay started to figure this could be okay. She could first get her kids away from their brother. Then she could use their presence as a reason not to get into a deep conversation with Pastor Adams.
Finally she made it back to the narthex where the kids stood waiting ... alone.
“Hey, you two. Where’s Sha’Ron?”
“He left already. He said he had to go take care of our grandma. He said she’s real sick, Mom, and she wants to see us.” This information was delivered by her baby, Li’l Shaun.
“Can we go by there and see her soon, Mom?” Shauntae added.
“We can talk about setting something up once we get home,” Lindsay replied.
“That’s when Cody will be home and you have to talk to him first, right?”
Li’l Shaun’s question caught her off guard. She was unprepared to answer it, so she did not.
“I have to go and talk with Pastor Adams really quickly. You two follow me.”
Lindsay turned and headed toward the pastor’s office, hoping the kids didn’t start quizzing her about Cody again. The pain of not seeing him at church had her poor heart ready to leap from her chest. But she did not want the kids to know about their drama. Not yet.
She made it back to the pastor’s office without further interrogation. Now all she had to do was get in, make her excuses, and get out before he had an opportunity to grill her.
“Hey, Tina, is Pastor in his office?” Lindsay asked.
“Yeah. You can go on in. He’s waiting for you. The kids can have a seat out here with me.”
Lindsay hesitated a moment. She hoped to take the kids in with her for more effect. She relented, however. She just had to let Pastor Adams know they were out here.
“Hi, Pastor. I really can’t stay because Shauntae and Li’l Shaun are out there waiting on me.” Lindsay didn’t even bother sitting because she figured she would be dismissed in less than a minute.
“Don’t worry about the children. I instructed Tina to take them to the kitchen and get them a snack. They’ll be fine with her while we talk. Have a seat.”
Lindsay’s surprise was very visible. Pastor immediately noticed. “Nay, are you okay?”
“Uh, I’m fine, Pastor Adams. I’m fine,” she repeated wearily. She then lowered herself very slowly into the seat Pastor Adams indicated with his hand.
Lindsay was unprepared for Pastor Adams’s strategy. She thought her plan was foolproof. So she was sure she looked as silly as she felt since her eyes were bucked and her mouth hung open.
“Nay-Nay, why do you look so ... afraid?”
Lindsay closed her mouth and lowered her head. She was ashamed of herself. She knew Pastor Adams simply wanted to help her in light of what she had shared with him a couple of weeks ago. Considering how badly she felt, she should have been happier to talk to her pastor and have him pray for her. Instead, she chose to act like a child and try to run from his assistance.
“Pastor Adams, please forgive me. I’m just a wreck today. I haven’t been behaving like myself. I told Cody the truth last night. He left me.” Surprisingly, even to herself, she did not break down and weep.
“Yes, Nay, I had a feeling something was amiss when I didn’t see him with you in church. I’m very sorry to hear this, but I don’t want you to give up hope. God is still able.”
“Thank you, Pastor, for saying that. I’m still holding onto hope. I’m pretty positive my husband will come home soon.”
“I called you back here to see if there was anything I could do and to pray with you.”
“I’m glad you asked that, Pastor. I think it would be a great idea if you would give Cody a call. I’m not telling you what to say, but I’m sure he would listen to whatever you say.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll call him after I have my dinner this evening. You just keep the faith, young lady. I know God will work this all out for the good of everyone involved.”
Lindsay rose, prepared for prayer, but Pastor Adams wasn’t quite finished with his questions.
“Before we pray, Nay, can I ask about the young man that sat with your children today? He’s an unfamiliar face.”
Tribe of Judah was nowhere near big enough to be considered a megachurch, but it had a pretty good-sized congregation. Yet, somehow, Pastor Adams seemed to always be able to spot a nonmember. He also always knew when his regular members were not in attendance. This always amazed Lindsay. She guessed that was just one of her pastor’s gifts.
“His name is Sha’Ron. He’s my children’s half brother, my late husband’s oldest child. He decided to surprise the children and join them for church this morning,” Lindsay answered tightly.
“You don’t sound as if you’re pleased by this young man’s appearance here today.”
Lindsay closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She then released it slowly. “Pastor, I don’t mean to be so sensitive about my former stepson, but in all honesty, his close association with my children unnerves me. Cody found out that Sha’Ron is being groomed to take his father’s place in his uncle’s drug organization.”
“Oh my. That is cause for concern. I can see why you would be nervous and apprehensive.”
“Cody thinks we as Christians should help Sha’Ron instead of alienating him. But Pastor Adams, he hates me so much. I can see it in his eyes. I can feel it in his stare. I realize this is not about me but the kids. I also understand his anger, but it honestly frightens me. I actually didn’t realize he scared me until I saw him in church today.”
“I see. I understand Cody’s motives as a Christian man. I also understand your concern and the dilemma you have because he is a sibling to your children. I could discern that the young man was a little rough around the edges just from his appearance and mannerisms. My spirit is telling me you, not necessarily your children, but you need to be concerned for your safety.”
Lindsay looked carefully at Pastor Adams. She noticed the seriousness in his face and posture. She wished now, even more than before, that Cody were with her so he could hear and feel what Pastor Adams was saying.
It was now Pastor Adams’s turn to see and feel the new distress in Lindsay.
“Come on, Nay, let’s get our pray on.” Pastor Adams prayed with Lindsay. After he was done they both felt somewhat better.
“Okay, Nay. As I said, I’ll give Cody a call this evening. In the meantime, I don’t want you to worry too much about any of this. Remember Philippians 4:6 from the NIV, ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.’”
“I will earnestly try, Pastor. I know God is with me through these trials, so I’ll work hard at leaning on His strength. Thank you so much for praying for and for caring about me.” The two embraced before parting ways. Lindsay then went in search of her children.
On the ride home, Lindsay tried to think of something as close to the truth as possible to tell the children about Cody’s absence. She truly hated lying to them... .
Sha’Ron pulled into his driveway still unable to shake the discomfort he felt while sitting through the entire church service. He felt like everybody in the church was staring at him as if they knew he didn’t belong there. It seemed as if the pastor was looking at him, knowing he eventual
ly planned to do harm to his former stepmom. It was a very awkward period for him.
He got out of the car finally so he could go in to check on his grandma. Aunt Tameeka’s car was gone, so he hoped she had been okay for whatever time she had been left alone. He found her in her room awake and safely watching television.
“Hey, Grandma, I’m back. Do you need anything?” he asked as he peeked in from the doorway.
“Sha’Ron, come in and tell me about seeing that witch at church.”
“Granny, I told you she was not there. Now don’t you get stressed out even worrying about her. I went there to spend more time with my brother and sister. Forget about Nay-Nay.”
“I’m surprised she let you see ’em at all. She always did think she was better than everybody. I’m surprised she ain’t turned my grandchildren against all of us.” After so much speaking, the coughing started again. Sha’Ron went to the kitchen to get her some water.
“Grandma, I told you not to get yourself excited over her. I’ll handle her. Don’t worry. Isn’t it time to take your medication?”
Sha’Ron carefully put the cup to his grandmother’s lips and slowly allowed her to drink from the cup so as to not have a repeat of this morning’s fiasco.
Patricia took a few sips, then zeroed in on her grandson’s comment. “What ... do ... you ... mean ... you will ... take ... care of her?” She took a little more water.
Sha’Ron didn’t realize what he let slip until his grandma repeated it to him. “Grandma, I didn’t mean anything, okay. Please stop upsetting yourself worrying about her.”
“She killed ... my son, Sha’Ron ... I hate her. I ... really ... hate ... her.”
Sha’Ron listened to the venom in grandmother’s voice and felt the depth of her pain. In his own heart he believed his father’s death to be the cause of his grandmother’s cancer returning. He didn’t know if it made sense medically or not, but it was just after the funeral that she had taken ill again.
“Grandma, I know how you feel about her, but you can’t allow her to make you sick.”
“Baby, I’m going to my grave with the hate I have for her in my heart. I know I ain’t got much time left, but even if I were to live for a hundred more years, I would spend each day of each year hating her. So I’m for sure gon’ hate her in these last days.” Patricia spoke those words without one moment of pause. Sha’Ron had not heard his grandmother speak that clearly in months. The sheer hate that she spoke of filled the small bedroom and fueled his own anger and determination to avenge his father’s death. He just hoped he would be able to accomplish his goal before his grandmother left the earth....
Chapter Twelve
Cody sat in the hotel restaurant looking at the menu for what seemed the one-thousandth time, still unable to decide what he wanted to eat. He truthfully was not the least bit hungry, but he needed to get out of the hotel room. The walls began to feel as if they were closing in on him. He decided to come and get himself some nourishment. He had not eaten a thing since lunch the previous day.
His mind told him he needed food to maintain his health and strength. His heart said there was no room in his body for food because of the unbearable pain that had been with him since he last saw his wife. It clung to every fiber of his being, leaving no room for any other logical natural body reaction. All Cody felt was hurt; not hunger or sleepiness or even anger; simply pain.
However, in an effort to break the monotony of staring at the walls in his room, he decided to attempt to drown the pain in his heart and pay a bit more attention to his head.
When the waitress returned for the third time since she had served him a glass of water, he decided to order. “I’ll have the grilled chicken salad, no cucumbers, please, with ranch dressing. Thank you.”
The waitress didn’t even bother asking if he wanted anything else since it had taken him so long to come up with this order. “Okay, sir. Thank you. I’ll be back quickly with that order.”
“Oh, and miss, could you also bring me a shot of Hennessy along with another glass of ice water?”
“Certainly. Right away.”
It had been quite awhile since Cody had anything to drink stronger than a glass of wine. Tonight he needed something to burn away the pain in his chest. The waitress returned quickly with his drink. He swallowed the shot in one gulp just as quickly as she placed it on the table. His phone rang just as he began to feel the heat of the drink in his heart. A look at the caller ID revealed that his wife had finally decided to call him, no doubt to ask for his forgiveness and beg him to return home.
“Lindsay,” Cody answered flatly.
Lindsay could hardly believe he answered the phone, especially on the first ring. Sure, he sounded aggravated that she had bothered to call, but hearing his voice, even a voice filled with contempt, made her heart soar. She took a deep breath, breathing in her husband through the phone lines, temporarily unable to speak a word.
“Lindsay, are you there?”
“Yes, Cody. I’m here. I ... uh ... I just wanted to share something with you that Pastor Adams said to me today.”
Cody immediately began to feel as if this was some kind of ploy, a simple excuse to give Lindsay a reason to call. “You called to tell me about Pastor Adams’s sermon?” he said with a little sarcasm and animosity.
“No. It’s more personal than that. Pastor Adams said he believes I should be concerned for my safety as it relates to Sha’Ron.”
“What? How and what does Pastor Adams know about Sha’Ron?” Now he was positive this phone call was a scheme of hers.
“Today, Sha’Ron showed—”
“Hold on, Lindsay. My other line is ringing.” Cody checked the phone to find an unfamiliar number listed on his screen, but decided to answer it anyway. “This is Cody Vincini.”
“Cody, this is Pastor Adams. How are you, son?”
What the ... Cody thought. Okay, this could not be a coincidence. “Pastor Adams. This is a surprise. I’ve actually got Lindsay on the other line. If you just hold for a moment, I’ll let her know I need to call her back.”
“Certainly. I’ll hold.”
“Lindsay, it’s Pastor Adams on the line, but I think you knew that. I’ll call you later.” He disconnected the call without waiting for her reply.
“Pastor Adams, I’m back. To answer your question, I’m not the best, sir. But I’m sure you know that. I’m sure that’s the reason behind your phone call.” Cody’s tone was flat and even. No emotion. He was putting into practice his professional voice inflections. He had no intentions of lying to Pastor Adams. He just didn’t want to get too deeply involved in an overly emotional conversation with him about Lindsay.
“You’re right, son. I spoke with Nay-Nay today. She told me about your leaving. I’m concerned about that, very much so. But before we get into that, I want to first talk to you about Nay’s former stepson, Sha’Ron. I believe she told me that was the young man’s name.”
Cody was pretty positive that Lindsay would not be able to manipulate Pastor Adams with any false ploys or schemes. So he realized immediately that she had been speaking the truth when she began telling him about Pastor Adams talking to her about Sha’Ron.
“What about Sha’Ron, Pastor?”
“Did your wife tell you he surprised her here at church today?”
“No. She started to tell me something, but you called before she could finish.” Cody immediately became concerned for Lindsay’s safety. Sha’Ron was not the type of kid who would suddenly decide to give Jesus a try.
“Well, she told me that neither she nor your kids were expecting him, but he was here when they arrived today. The young gentleman stuck out in the congregation like a sore thumb. A very well dressed sore thumb, but out of place nonetheless. I kept an eye on him before and after my sermon from the pulpit. And while he didn’t do anything bizarre, he seemed quite uncomfortable; kind of jumpy.”
“I see, Pastor.” Cody sat processing Pastor Adams’s concern while also tr
ying to rationalize it. “The young man is very rough around the edges. He hasn’t spent much, if any, time in church. So I’m sure he was nervous. You know you wield some serious sermons from that pulpit, sir. The boy was probably feeling the heat of hell in his seat on the pew.” Cody chuckled lightly, but his mind was seriously analyzing the situation between Sha’Ron and Lindsay.
“I’m sure that accounts for some of the anxiety I perceived. But a bigger part of it seems to stem from anger. Anger, no doubt, aimed at your wife because she killed his dad.”
Cody’s emotions began to run the gamut at Pastor Adams’s statement of observation. An instant and very instinctive surge of protectiveness for his wife filled his bones. But how could he protect her if he wasn’t even sure he could be around her? He also felt a wee bit inadequate because he had failed to recognize any predatory behavior in Sha’Ron. Sure, he was obviously aware of the boy’s anger, but he had not discerned any signs of retaliation. Cody also felt trepidation at the thought of returning home for any reason other than he planned to work things out with Lindsay. Right now, he was still unsure about his stance on that. He didn’t want to go home only to end up resenting her.
“Pastor Adams, I honestly didn’t think Lindsay was in any real danger from Sha’Ron, but I don’t, and won’t, doubt your instincts. It’s my responsibility to protect my wife.”
Cody paused as the waitress came and served his meal. She noticed he was on a telephone call so she quickly made her exit after Cody had given her the thumbs-up indicating everything was okay.
“Cody, are you still there, son?”
“Yes, sir. I was just receiving my food from the waitress.” Cody continued to talk as he prepared his salad for eating. “Like I said, Pastor, I know my responsibility is to protect my wife, but, sir, I’m not so sure about the state of our marriage right now.” Cody again became silent as he took a quick moment to ask God to bless his meal.
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