There were also some who’d come asking God’s forgiveness. They testified about how they felt convicted because of some unspoken deed or, in a few cases, some outrageous and inappropriate act they’d committed long ago. Several of the church mothers raced over and began covering them with loud prayers and pleading for mercy on their behalf.
Sasha hadn’t moved, except to slide a little closer to Bea. “Do you see Mothers Ida Clair and Bossy, who have the nerve to lay hands on someone, and they sinning just as much as them they’re praying for?”
Bea sat expressionless, her Bible by her side and her arms folded. “Why do you think I didn’t go up there?”
“Harrumph,” Sasha replied. “That’s the same reason I stayed put. I don’t want all them demons interfering with my spiritual walk.”
The service had almost ended when Leotis called on Elder Batty to extend an offer to anyone desiring to join the church. “We’re a large church with a larger heart and a huge desire to see souls saved,” the elder said. “And we desire workers for the Lord. If you’ve any special skills,” he said, smiling, “we can always use a hand. The doors to the church are now open.”
Sister Betty felt a touch on her arm. She looked up, and a smile crept upon her face. “Sharvon,” she squealed softly. “I didn’t know you were here. When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here for quite some time,” Sharvon whispered. “I didn’t want to interrupt the service by leaving my seat in the back and coming forward when I saw you and the others first enter.”
Sister Betty looked up and mouthed, “Thank you, Jesus,” before turning back to Sharvon. “Wasn’t this a wonderful service?”
“Yes,” Sharvon whispered, smiling. “I really enjoyed it.” Sharvon abruptly stopped speaking. Her amber eyes suddenly appeared cynical, and her brown complexion turned muddy as the color drained from her face.
Sister Betty’s smile eased from her face when she saw Sharvon was no longer smiling. “What’s wrong?” Sister Betty looked over in the same direction that Sharvon had. “Oh, Lord,” she whispered.
A few rows ahead, Sasha nudged Bea. “I knew she’d show.”
“Who are you talking about?” Bea jerked her arm away from Sasha. “If you talking about Sister Betty,” Bea replied angrily, “she’s been here all the while. Didn’t you see her praying with folks?”
“Who cares about Sister Betty?” Sasha whispered sharply. “I’m talking about the future first lady of our church.”
Bea lurched forward and looked down the pew. She did so just in time to see what Sasha had meant before blurting, “What the ham and cheese!”
Leotis wanted to jump out of his seat. Instead, he managed to remain calm enough to rise slowly. He looked dazed, as though he’d seen a ghost, but he knew it was anything but one.
There were almost twenty people heading toward the front of the church, answering Elder Batty’s call to join Crossing Over Sanctuary. Ima was at the front.
Elder Batty, his baggy eyes now wide with wonder, glanced back at the pulpit. When he noticed Leotis hadn’t budged or spoken, he quickly walked over to him and whispered, “A few Sundays ago,” he said rapidly, “didn’t Ima already say she wanted to join?”
Leotis finally reacted. He looked up and whispered to Elder Batty, “Yes, she did.” With his eyes now locked on Ima, he grimaced, saying, “Pray and pray hard.”
While Leotis and Elder Batty remained in the pulpit with their heads together, whispering, Ima stepped away from the others. With her long sheer white dress covering a pair of white tights, she moved as though what she wore didn’t make her stand out. She quickly glanced at her aunt Sasha. Seeing Sasha smiling back was the approval she was looking for.
“Excuse me,” Ima said as she sashayed to the front of the sanctuary and stood by Elder Batty, who’d returned to his place at the microphone before looking back at the pulpit. “I’m sorry, Pastor,” she told Leotis. “I know testimony service is over, and I hope I’m not out of place.”
Ima smiled and quickly turned, not giving Leotis a chance to respond. She looked around the sanctuary, her eyes finding several male parishioners ogling and smiling. “I want to give the Lord praise,” she told the members. As she swayed, the long white dress she wore swirled about her feet. “I can’t pray like most of you. But I do have a testimony that I just can’t seem to put into words.” She stopped and peeked again at Sasha, who was still wearing her angelic smile.
Ima turned back to face Leotis. His face was blank, but it didn’t stop her. “Is that okay, Reverend?” Ima watched him as he waved his hand quickly, as if to tell her to get on with it or to go away. She smiled and walked over to the organist as those who’d followed her down the aisle found seats to watch the show.
As Ima spoke to the organist, the anger in Sharvon’s eyes found its way to where Leotis sat. His head jerked, as though her anger had stabbed him.
“We can just get up and leave,” Sister Betty told Sharvon. “There wasn’t much left to the service, anyway.”
“No way,” Sharvon replied. “I’m not budging. God’s gonna strike down that trifling witch!”
“But, Sharvon dear,” Sister Betty whispered as she tapped Sharvon on her hand, hoping to calm her. “You heard Elder Batty open the doors of the church. The rest of this service will be just an invitation to join.”
Sharvon crossed her legs, allowing them to swing, as if she were kicking Ima. “Yes, I heard him.”
Sister Betty looked about to see if anyone was watching before she asked, “Well?”
“I think I might just join, after all. It seems like it’s a free-for-all in your church.”
Ima stepped forward and began to speak again. “This is in honor of God and your wonderful pastor, who has set me on a path—” Her eyes accidentally found Sharvon. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed her before, but Ima didn’t flinch. She instead aimed her words in Sharvon’s direction, saying, “Toward the goodness that all the Lord has set aside just for me.”
With a nod from Ima, the organist began. His long fingers tickled the organ’s keys, and he ended with a crescendo, which was Ima’s cue to begin to dance. She’d chosen a Tamela Mann selection, “Take Me to the King,” written by Kirk Franklin. It had touched Ima from the moment she heard it months ago. Yet the way she chose to live, acting as though God and the world owed her something, and woe to anyone in her path, was the complete opposite of finally giving over all her cares to the Lord. Ima danced as the organist sang.
Leotis suddenly appeared hypnotized as Ima swayed to the music like a beautiful flower welcoming the breeze. Almost in disbelief, he watched as she began running across the front of the sanctuary. Her arms pushed against some imaginary force before she bent with professional flexibility from the waist down into a form, as though she’d learned from the dance master Alvin Ailey. Then Ima leapt, just as much for Leotis as she did for God. She began bounding, with her arms stretched out again, like a gracious gazelle, using the honey-complexioned legs he’d come to admire.
As for the congregation, some stood, craning their necks to see what move she’d make next.
The organist sang, his tenor voice rising and falling in time with his music and Ima’s movement. There was hardly a dry eye in the sanctuary. Even Sister Betty wiped a tear, while Leotis remained entranced, standing in awe, with his arms folded and a finger against his cheek, at the way Ima danced.
Sharvon had risen along with the others. But when Ima finished her praise dance and fell to the floor in a heap while the congregation, led by Leotis, clapped enthusiastically, she wasn’t there to see it. Sharvon hadn’t said a word to Sister Betty before she walked slowly out of Crossing Over Sanctuary and on to her car.
Sharvon sat in her car, taking short breaths. She needed to allow her heart to slow down and to keep herself from dismantling her steering wheel in anger. She looked at the manila envelope lying on the front seat, then picked it up. She hadn’t decided what to do with it. “I never did believe Ima�
��s excuse for not marrying that Reverend Lyon Lipps. If a man of God broke her heart that bad, then why is she going after another one?”
Sharvon held in her hands information on Ima that would destroy her credibility and any chance she had of winning over Leotis. It was just a matter of calling her out. But she needed to maximize that moment when she did it. She could take the envelope and go back inside the church. In front of Leotis and the entire congregation, she could prove Ima was a dishonest cheat. Sharvon unlocked the car door. But she couldn’t move. “What if I do this and it backfires? Leotis wouldn’t forgive me if I disrupted the congregation, especially if he thought I did it out of jealousy.”
Sharvon stared hard when she saw some of the people from the prayer meeting walking toward their cars. “Now the prayer meeting is over.” She blew out a breath. She leaned back against the seat, as though she was relieved that she didn’t have to do what she’d planned. “If I don’t want to answer questions, I’d better drive out of here,” Sharvon told herself. “At least Leotis will have Cousin Betty in his car in case that scandalous wench tries something.”
Sharvon drove out of the parking lot and down the street. If she’d waited a few minutes, she would’ve seen Leotis walking to his car, with Sister Betty walking beside him.
She would have also seen that Ima wasn’t with them.
Chapter 17
Leotis and Sister Betty chatted nonstop about the unusual prayer and testimony service.
“I must say,” Leotis told Sister Betty, smiling, “I truly didn’t know what to expect when Ima came down to the altar. It hadn’t occurred to me that she was wearing a dancer’s costume.”
Sister Betty turned to look out the window. “This evening’s weather is starting to change,” she replied. She’d promised God not to interfere when Leotis was about to fall off the romance cliff, and she certainly didn’t have anything positive to say about Ima’s latest gimmick.
If Leotis realized Sister Betty had changed the subject, he didn’t show it. “Who knew she could dance like that?” he asked. “It was like something I saw years ago, when the Alvin Ailey dancers came to Greenville. I’ve never forgotten that performance. The lead dancer was a Renee Robinson, and, oh my God, the way she contorted her body when she performed ‘Night Creature.’ ” Leotis laughed. “I’m sorry. Here I am, going on and on about modern dance, which I’m certain I’ve never told you I enjoy so much.”
“No, you’ve never mentioned it.”
“Perhaps after Ima’s completed the new members’ class, she’ll consider joining the praise dance team. What do you think?”
Sister Betty quickly turned on the car radio. That he always kept it tuned to the same gospel station was a given. But were it rap, she’d still listen rather than discuss Ima. No sooner did she hear Tamela Mann singing the same song Ima had danced to than she turned the radio off.
“You don’t like Tamela Mann?” Leotis asked. “I know Brother Cletus put his touch to it tonight, but I love her voice, and she was so funny in those Tyler Perry movies, playing Madea’s daughter.”
Sister Betty nodded, wishing he’d shut up. “I hope Sharvon got home all right,” she said instead.
“I’m surprised she didn’t stay for the entire service,” Leotis replied. “If you hadn’t mentioned she’d been there, I wouldn’t have known it. I didn’t see her at all.”
“I guess you didn’t.” Sister Betty had much to say about Leotis’s lustful look as Ima danced the dance of the seven veils, pretending it was a praise dance to God. But she said nothing. When they reached her home, she gathered her Bible, saying, “Thank you for bringing me home. I’m a bit tired, so I’m going inside to bed.”
“You made it home, I see.” Sharvon was coming out of the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea. “I’m sorry I left you there by yourself.”
Sister Betty talked to Sharvon as she continued toward her bedroom. “It wasn’t a problem. I was surprised and happy you came. I didn’t know what time you’d get home from work or if you’d feel like coming out.”
Tossing her Bible and hat onto the bed, Sister Betty rushed into her bathroom, trying to avoid any further conversation with Sharvon. Standing over her basin, she hung her head, praying. “Lord, I’m trying to mind my own business, and the Devil keeps throwing folks in my path. But I’m gonna continue to fast and pray until you say enough, Lord. I’m gonna wait on you and my Freddie.”
Sharvon went into the living room to drink her tea. Standing by the window, she saw that Leotis’s lights were still on inside his home. Tossing back her head, she drained the teacup and sat on the sofa. I’m being a coward, she thought. I need to go right inside and tell Cousin Betty everything. She kept repeating to herself the need to air everything, as though thinking about it would be good enough to replace actually telling her cousin the truth.
Sharvon heard a beep from her cell phone, alerting her to a missed call. Once she checked her cell phone log, she realized it’d been Delilah calling. She could only imagine what she had to say.
“Hello,” Sharvon said after she called back and Delilah picked up. “Sorry I missed your call earlier. It must’ve been while I was in church.”
“You were at church?” Delilah repeated. “That’s good, ’cause you’re gonna need God’s help in setting things straight. Thurgood has told me what’s going on, and young lady, it’s a mess that’s getting messier by the moment.”
“I know,” Sharvon replied as she began twisting her hair with her free hand.
“Well,” Delilah said, “I’m listening.”
“Cousin Betty is in her bathroom. When she comes out, I’m going to tell her.”
“Oh, the hell you will!” Delilah shot back. “You keep your mouth shut, ’cause grown folks is already on the case.”
It was almost ten o’clock, and although Freddie hadn’t gone to that night’s prayer and testimony service, he’d sat on his sofa, praying. He’d prayed for as long as he could, petitioning God for the same things concerning Sister Betty that he had over the past several weeks. All that praying had sparked his appetite. His body was tired, yet he still felt a need to prove that he could take care of himself. Between staying and eating at Leotis’s and Sister Betty feeding him when they were together, he hadn’t filled his refrigerator or his cabinets with the foods he liked or would stay in his stomach.
Against his doctor’s orders, he decided he’d drive to a nearby Burger King. A salad should stay down, he thought. Arriving there, he found the drive-through lane overcrowded on that warm summer’s evening. He parked the car in the lot, and now fully depending upon his cane for support, he went inside.
Freddie had just paid for his meal and was about to leave when Elder Batty and Bea entered. Bea just glared at him before she walked away to find a table, while Elder Batty walked over to greet Freddie.
“Hi there, Trustee Noel,” Elder Batty said with a smile, extending his hand. “I’m so glad to see you out and about.”
Freddie looked at him, juggling his cane and his bag, and then he reached out to accept the elder’s handshake. “I’m getting along,” Freddie told him. “Sorry I didn’t make the prayer or trustee meetings tonight.”
“No problem. You’ve got to take care of yourself, and we’ve postponed the prison concert. We couldn’t get permission in time to do it right. And if we couldn’t do it right, we knew you wouldn’t want to half step on something so close to your heart.”
“I feel terrible. I should’ve sent off those requests months ago,” Freddie said sadly. “Those men are going to be so disappointed. I hated that I promised them, and now it’s not going to happen.”
“Don’t worry about that. We’ve rescheduled it for next March. Reverend Tom already cleared it with the prison. He felt you wouldn’t mind if he got involved.” Elder Batty smiled. “And besides, with this part-time job I got as a process server, I’ve missed several, too.”
“I almost forgot you go around messing up folks’ day, delivering subpoenas,”
Freddie teased.
Nodding toward Bea, who was seated at a table, Elder Batty chuckled and said, “I gotta do what I gotta do to make enough money to bring a lady to this fine establishment.”
Freddie lowered his head so that Bea wouldn’t see him laughing, too. He was certain she was trying to figure out what was happening. “I guess when you get a big case, you gonna upgrade to McDonald’s.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Elder Batty laughed. “But then what would I do with Bea?”
Elder Batty’s smile faded as he touched Freddie’s shoulders and said sternly while looking directly at him, “I’m serious about you taking care of yourself. That high blood pressure ain’t anything to play around with. That’s just a small step before a stroke or a heart attack, and God’s given us five good senses to slow down when we need to. And you know you gonna need your strength. That wedding ain’t but a few weeks off.”
“Well, from your mouth to God’s ears,” Freddie replied as he looked away, avoiding the elder’s truths while wondering why more people close to Sasha hadn’t heard there’d be no wedding. But he’d promised God he wouldn’t pressure Sister Betty or do anything rash. He’d go home and eat his salad while he waited on God to show him when to straighten things out. Perhaps he would accept Thurgood’s help if God led him in that direction.
“Batty, I’m hungry,” Bea called out. She finally waved quickly at Freddie, but without speaking. “You said we wouldn’t be here all night if we came to a Burger King,” Bea whined.
Elder Batty turned around and smiled. “All right, Bea, just give me another moment.” He began chuckling. “I guess Bea ain’t feeling too friendly toward you at the moment. She’s been pissed off about that bedpan you introduced her to.”
“Sorry about that little incident, Elder.”
“You’ve got no problem with me. I’ve wanted to toss a bedpan or two in her direction from time to time. But I’ve got something else to tell you.”
Sister Betty Says I Do Page 19
