by Phenomenon
Ginger thought that they had it rough at the church with the people and the gossip but what her baby was going through was so much worse. She was physically attacked by someone and her property was damaged. Ginger was pissed and the last thing that she wanted to do was pray. She wanted to kick some ass. Her daughter had almost never said that she needed her and Ginger wasn’t going to the let another opportunity to be there for Taurus pass her by.
“Baby don’t cry. Don’t cry. Listen, we’re gonna come out there and get all of this straightened out. Don’t you worry about a thang. Momma is on her way and she ain’t comin’ like no coward either. I’m here for you. I will be there as soon as we get some flights together.” Ginger said with assurance.
Taurus was relieved to hear that her mother was coming to her rescue. It was just something about her mom being there that gave Taurus a sense of security. Taurus gave her mother the address and confirmed that she had Corey’s and Kenisha’s phone numbers before they ended the call.
Pastor Fillmore
Fillmore was relaxing in his private den trying to forget all of the stresses that had accompanied the many changes in his life over the past month. Although in the worldly sense it appeared that things were going terrible, Fillmore had more understanding that he had in the past and was ushered into a new found peace provided to him by God. It wasn’t easy to live the way that they were living but he noticed that their standard of living didn’t take a decline. However, in a sense their standard of living improved with peace of mind and a steady cash flow. Although there were concerns that popped up in his mind from time to time Reggie was at peace while he sat and watched the basketball game on television.
Suddenly like a bat out of hell Ginger stormed in and disturbed the peace like only an emotional wife could. “Reggie! Reggie! You need to do something!”
Fillmore looked up at his beautiful wife and said aloud, calmly with humor. “Of course I do honey. What is it that I need to do now, cause in your eyes there is always something that a brotha need to do? ” Ginger ignored the old married husband’s remark and continued on her rant. “Yes you do need to do something. Taurus is out in Chicago being harassed and beat up and attacked. It’s so much worse than what we’re dealing with. They attacked her home with spray paint and shot at her car and it’s just not safe. My God Reggie, that’s my daughter. You gotta do something. We gotta do something. We’re going out there. That’s what we’re doing! And you have to think of something because I can’t rest knowing that my baby is being targeted for nothing.”
Reggie understood what that last statement meant. If Ginger wasn’t going to rest, neither was her husband. For the bible said that it’s better to live in the corner of a hot roof under the sun than to be in a house with an unhappy woman. Fillmore was angry as well. He’d been fed up with what he was enduring and to think that it was worse for the girls was even more taunting for him to accept. “She’s not just your daughter. She’s OUR daughter. Both of them are. And you’re right we have to do something. First I need you to calm down though doll. Go and look at the airfare prices and book us something reasonable so we can go and check on them. Leave me to pray.” Pastor Reggie Fillmore stood and escorted his wife out of the room and closed the door behind him. He needed a calm space to go to God. He turned off the television and sat at his desk, bowed his head and prayed in the spirit.
Kenisha
Kenisha overheard Taurus wailing on the phone with her mother. She was at a lost for what to do. Taurus was her rock. Taurus always knew the best thing to do. Kenisha had allowed her to be the leader of the household but what could Kenisha do when the leader was weak and ailing. She thought to herself that this was the meaning of helpmate. This was her time to step up. She stood from her sneaky listening spot and rushed to the garage. She closed the door behind her and prayed. She gave thanks, and worshipped. She repented and then asked God to come in and speak to her and He did.
God was aware that Kenisha was afraid for their future even though she didn’t know that those were her exact feelings. “There is no fear in your purpose.” God said to her. Kenisha replied slowly. As much as God had made himself known to her throughout her recent encounters with Him, it was always so intimidating to be in His presence. She couldn’t treat Him like everyone else. She couldn’t talk to Him like she did everyone else.
“God, I wanna know what I can do. This is a big problem. It’s not peaceful for us to live this way. Why are we being attacked if you love us? And why won’t people believe that you love us too?” Kenisha asked. God responded with a thunderous motion in her spirit. Kenisha’s heart felt to beat harder. “As long as you know that I love you, you’re doing what you should be doing to fix it. Shouldn’t everyone know? I made you to be my tool. Be the hammer. Everyone should know that I love you too. What good is a hammer when there’s no wood to bind? Go and find the wood. Find my people. You two, be my hammer.”
Kenisha responded the way any curious child would. “How am I supposed to do that? That’s like you telling me to build you a house God and I don’t even know where to start. How am I supposed to bring you some wood? I’m just one person. What do you want me to do?”
God responded. “I want you to do everything. And you’re not just one person. I allowed you to join so that you can be the handle and she could be the head. Together you’re my hammer. Together, you’ll do everything. Start with anything and end with everything. I love you too. You were built for me and by me so it’s only right that I tell you to please me.”
And just like that God stopped speaking and left the Holy Spirit behind with Kenisha. What a tall order He’d left her with. Everyone wanted to please God but the pressure was much heavier when He chose to tell a person one on one to do so. Kenisha felt that things like that only happened in the biblical days but she was mistaken. She was living in the biblical days for everything that was happening had been prophesized worlds ahead of her time.
Pastor Fillmore
After speaking with God, Fillmore was on fire. He marched out of the room and grabbed his cell phone. He didn’t say a word to Ginger as he made his way back into his den and closed the door. Ginger left him alone. She understood that she’d told him what she wanted so there was no need to bombard him with the how and what of what he’d chosen to do. As a wife and mother she’d asked her husband to fix a situation. It wasn’t her place to immediately demand to know his methods but to sit in satisfaction knowing that he was in action to adhere to her request. Later was the time to ask questions. Over the years, Ginger had learned that there was an unspoken beauty about a woman that knew when to stop talking. Ginger possessed that beauty.
Kenisha
Kenisha began cooking dinner. She had to return to work the next day. Taurus had an opening to take as many vacation days as she needed but Kenisha didn’t have that liberty. God’s Words were ringing in her head and she planned to discuss them with Taurus at the dinner table. Taurus was preoccupied with her concerns but ecstatic to see her mother the following day. Ginger and Reggie had booked last minute flights and Kenisha felt the weight of preparing the house for her mother in law in less than 24 hours.
When dinner was ready Kenisha said grace and immediately jumped into the conversation. “I talked to God today.” Kenisha said. Taurus who’d immediately dug into her food slowed her eating down when she’d heard Kenisha’s statement. Taurus asked. “Did He speak back?” Taurus knew that she should’ve prayed more that day but she was so frustrated. She’d hoped that God wasn’t too angry at her so she waited on pins and needles for Kenisha’s answer.
“Yes. Oh yes!” Kenisha chuckled a bit.
Taurus didn’t laugh at all. She was always so concerned when God spoke to Kenisha. She understood how much of a responsibility that it was to hear from Him and had always wondered if Kenisha could handle it. Even after God assured her that Kenisha was more than strong enough, Taurus’ fear of God and love for Kenisha always made her nervous. God was the one entity that Taur
us’ couldn’t protect Kenisha from and her earthly sense of responsibility sometime clouded Taurus’ spiritual judgment.
Reluctantly Taurus asked. “What did He say?” Kenisha, sensing Taurus’ anxiety, placed her hand over hers. Taurus was immediately calmed by her touch. It was almost as if Kenisha’s very hand embodied the THC chemical from marijuana. Taurus sat back in her chair and smiled. That high was something that only God and her wife could provide. She was no longer worried about anything. Taurus just sat and listened while tingling.
Kenisha began to explain what God had told her to do. She then explained the metaphor that God used. “He called us a hammer, baby.” Taurus sat up in her seat. She remembered when God approved their marriage; he used that term with her as well. Taurus was hoping that He’d given Kenisha more insight to what that meant. Taurus smiled. She was enjoying her marriage so much. That moment where they sat over dinner and discussed their father with interest and excitement was priceless. Tingling touches and joy was also a part of that awesome package. Taurus motioned Kenisha to continue and they both laughed.
“He said that I was the handle and you were the head and together we were the hammer and that He wanted us to bring Him some wood. So I guess the people that don’t know Him are the wood. He said what good is a hammer when there’s no wood to bind so…”
Taurus interjected and cut Kenisha off as she received revelation. “So basically He wants us to be the hammer to nail the wood together?!”
“Exactly.” Kenisha said. “He said that’s why He allowed us to marry; which made me feel better because you know folks say that God doesn’t recognize our marriage so it’s good to know that He’s still with us.” Taurus lowered her eyes in guilt. She’d never told Kenisha that God told her to marry her. Something’s should be kept private between a person and God and Taurus felt that the reason behind the marriage was one of those things, so she just nodded and agreed.
“So if we’re the hammer and the people are the wood, then what’s the nail?” Kenisha asked her wife. Taurus pondered over it and it came to her like a bolt of lightning. Taurus burst out laughing and clapping as if she’d seen a private concert that was encore worthy.“Jesus is the nail! Oh my God.” Taurus continued to laugh. “How could I have missed that? Jesus is the freaking nail that holds the wood together! God told me before in a conversation that the wood was rotting. He was talking about the people. If you build something and combine it with other wood and nails, the foundation is strengthened. Even if some of the wood is rotting, it’ll be stronger with the support of the nails and other wood. But if the wood rots completely then it may be too late to combine it because it’ll affect the other wood and ruin the entire structure. So God is telling us to move quickly because His people are rotting without Him!”
They both sat in silence after working the puzzle out in their heads. It felt great to be in unison with someone and to know that their union was all a part of God’s perfect design. They saw greatness in each other sitting across from the table. There was passion that wasn’t necessarily sexual in that moment. It was indescribable. Taurus developed beads of sweat on the nape of her neck. Kenisha’s breathing increased in speed. She closed her eyes and took in as much air as her lungs would allow. Drops of perspiration gathered above her top lip. Taurus’ palms became sweaty as she gripped the table. Heat developed between the two of them although they weren’t touching. Kenisha placed her hand on her chest as it heaved up and down and she could barely stand to open her eyes. Both their spirits were stirred in a way that they’d never felt. Taurus was moved from her chair and fell to the floor gripping her stomach and stretching her arms into the carpet in high temperature. The back of her shirt was drenched in sweat. Kenisha’s legs began to vibrate with shivers of release. With balled fist Taurus tried to no avail to compose herself. She was denied the ability to open her eyes. She beat on the floor in inconceivable force and eventually surrendered the feeling of completion.
God’s Voice resonated. “This is the feeling that I own. Nothing that you can accomplish in your flesh can ever compare. Without me, you can only love at half mass, like a flag that waves but no one can see from afar. This is how love is really made. What you do is born out of your flesh in which you are forgiven but without me, you will never know this feeling again. Keep me and keep this.”
Taurus crawled to Kenisha and reached for her hand. As soon as they touched, watts of electricity engulfed them and forced them apart.
He said. “The connecting of your flesh isn’t necessary for THIS feeling. My spirit is sufficient. It will always be sufficient.” So they sat apart from each other feeling more connected to each other than ever before. Twenty minutes it took for that spirit to leave them. They then showered separately, climbed into bed and held each other until morning came. That evening, they did indeed learn that there was a multitude of ways that they could make love but that God’s spirit was of the Most High.
Chapter 23: The Return of “Hips”
Taurus
The next morning after Kenisha had left for work, Taurus began finishing the prep for her parent’s visit. Kenisha had done an amazing job with sprucing up the decorating and arranging the guest room with things that she knew Ginger would like but Taurus also wanted to add some touches for Reggie. So she added some manly things to her office and coined it as his private space while he was in town. Ginger refused to ask Taurus to go out of her way to pick them up and insisted on them taking a shuttle from the airport. Her concern as a mother had increased and God had definitely moved in her life. She was a totally different person than she had been in her first marriage to Taurus’ father.
Around 1:35pm Ginger and Reggie’s shuttle pulled up in front of the house. She was so excited to see her daughter’s house for the first time. Ginger was so proud. She almost pushed poor Fillmore out of the shuttle and into the grass. “Look at my baby’s big ole house. Look Reggie. She’s doing so well for herself. I’m so proud. Look Reggie! Look at it.” Ginger poked Fillmore in his side beckoning him to look at the house that he clearly saw as he fumbled with all of the bags because Ginger had grabbed nothing but her purse. He laughed at his wife as he continued to struggle with the bags. “Yea baby I see it. It’s real nice.” Ginger realize that Reggie had bags in both hands and wrapped around his neck as she had made it to the front door already and he had not. She turned and saw him looking like a vagabond and rushed to help him. “Oh baby, I’m sorry. I just got so excited.” She said.
“I see!” Reggie said as he surrendered some of the bags. Taurus heard the talking and opened the door to greet them. Ginger dropped the bags back onto Reggie and leaped into her daughter’s long arms. They embraced each other tightly and eventually entered the home.
Taurus helped Fillmore with the bags and embraced him as she would her own father. She respected him and loved him as such. She took them on a tour of the house and showed Fillmore his private sanctuary/man cave while they visited. It was stocked with beer, wine, a large TV, a couch, a desk with computer and a surround sound system. Reggie was very impressed. “Now this is what a brotha is talking about!” He said reaching for the remote and plopping down on the sofa. Taurus went on to give her mother the rest of the tour without the couch potato that they’d just left in the office. She showed her mother where they’d be sleeping and she even showed Ginger her rose garden that she’d planted in the back yard for Kenisha although it hadn’t completely sprouted yet.
Kenisha
Kenisha was nervous to return to work. She knew that practically everyone in the city knew about her wedding and the opinions were flying all over the place. When she walked onto the work floor many of her work associates congratulated her. Some of them didn’t but it wasn’t taken as a snub. Kenisha just felt that they didn’t care, didn’t know or were completely indifferent. When she went to the break room to make herself some coffee, she ran into a couple of the machine operators that worked with Taurus. Kenisha was always very polite and kind which mad
e her a favorite amongst the men in the company and even some of the women. “Hey guys!” Kenisha said to them. JJ, Taurus’ old friend was aware of the last minute wedding. She couldn’t wait it mention it. “So you stole my friend huh?” JJ joked. “You took her on vacation, married her and stole her from me without even an invite or a second thought. That ain’t right Hips. That ain’t right!”
Kenisha had a feeling that they were calling her Hips as a nickname because she had heard it before. She had no problem telling JJ’s silly self where she could go. “Well first of all JJ, my name is not Hips. It’s Kenisha. Second of all, I didn’t steal your friend. She gave herself to me like a good woman would and don’t you wish it could’ve been you! Bam!” Kenisha said with a smirk while snapping her fingers in the air and rolling her neck in a way that only a black woman could. They both laughed their way back to the work floor and Kenisha began working on her side.
The women were all a gossip about Kenisha and Taurus’ wedding, some asking question after question before Kenisha could even answer. There was a young lady that was silent at a nearby machine in earshot. She began making snide sounds and remarks under her breath every time Kenisha said anything. Finally she interjected and said. “Well I’ll pray for you sister. Cause you marrying another one is too deep for me.” Instead of being frustrated and angered like the onlooking women felt that Kenisha would be, it was the exact opposite. Kenisha was excited to do what God had commanded her to do, be the hammer. “You know ladies,” Kenisha began. “God loves me too. Yes He does. He loves all of me and He loves my wife and even you guys. He loves you too. God loves you too. He talks to me and tells me when I’m wrong and He tells me when I’m right and that He’s proud of me. He hangs out at our house and everything. He’s at you guy’s houses too but you won’t know unless you invite Him in for sure and speak to Him and get to know Him. It’s really an awesome thing to do.” The women around Kenisha smiled at her kindness and optimism. Most of them believed that God would come in just as easy to their homes but the one lady that had originally sparked the conversation of prayer had gone to the manager and complained that Kenisha was discussing religion and the conflicting views and controversy, the woman stated, was making it hard for her to concentrate and effectively do her job.
