He watched her as she grabbed her things and walked out the door. Max still had a lot of issues to deal with. He was beginning to think that Nadine was right. They needed to live apart. He knew that Max for some reason was not ready to live alone with Matthew even though she said she wanted to marry him. He shook his head as he began to wash up the dishes and wondered how they were going to work this situation out.
Matthew was dozing when he heard a knock on the door. He looked and saw an older black man standing there with a book in his hand.
“Hello, Mr. Richardson?” he asked, walking into the room.
“No, I’m Matthew Ferguson. I think the man that you’re looking for has already been discharged,” he said. “I did just move into this room yesterday, and I believe that the man that was in the other bed’s name was Richardson.”
“Oh,” he said extending his hand to Matthew. “I’m Pastor Brownlee from Good Hope Baptist Church. How are you doing, son?”
“I’m doing much better.”
“I came to pray for Mr. Richardson, who is one of my parishioner’s family members. However, God never makes mistakes so here I am. I believe that God sent me here for you. I will be happy to pray with you, son.”
Matthew looked at the older man who was smiling at him with pearly white false teeth. His head was completely gray and his skin had a leathery appearance. Matthew knew that he was much older than his father and uncle.
“My uncle’s a minister,” Matthew replied.
“That’s good,” Rev. Brownlee replied. “So then you’re a Christian, right?”
Matthew didn’t know what to say to that. He went to services occasionally, but he wouldn’t call himself a faithful member or believer.
“Something like that,” he mumbled under his breath.
The minister stared at him and then put his hand over his. “May I pray for you, son?”
Matthew grunted. “Sure, why not? What could it hurt?”
The minister said a prayer and then looked up at him. “Something’s troubling you.”
It was more of a statement than a question, and Matthew grunted.
“Let me ask you something,” Matthew said, looking him in the eye.
“Of course,”
“Why would an all-powerful, all-knowing God allow someone close to me to be raped as a child? Can you even answer that question? Where was God when that happened? Why did he let it happen? Why didn’t he stop it? Now answer that, Mr. Preacher!”
Reverend Brownlee looked at him. “You’re angry at God. I can see that much.”
“No kidding?” Matthew responded sourly. “My girlfriend is raped as a child and still suffers from it! She is still experiencing trauma from that attack! Where was God, taking a coffee break?”
“Son, many people have asked the same question when things go wrong in their lives. ‘Where is God’ they ask over and over again. God was there. He promised to never leave us. However we live in a world that was turned over to Satan a long time ago. God gave us free will which means that all of us can do what we want, but there are consequences. Sometimes innocent people get caught up because of the foolish decisions of others.”
“But he’s supposed to be our father. A father protects his children!”
“He does. He may not do what we want him to do, but he does take bad situations and turn them into good situations for us when we ask him to. However I’m not going to pretend that I have all the answers, because I don’t. We have to pray and we have to trust God.”
Matthew rolled his eyes. “Sounds like a cop out to me.”
“No matter what you think, God still loves you” Reverend Brownlee insisted. “How is your friend now?”
“She’s good, no thanks to God,” Matthew replied dryly.
“She’s alive isn’t she? She has you doesn’t she?” Reverend Brownlee insisted.
“I mean, she has issues-”
“We all have issues and problems to work through,” Reverend Brownlee insisted. “We can learn from them, or we can become bitter.”
“She’s not bitter,” Matthew insisted.
“What about you? Are you bitter?” Reverend Brownlee asked.
“No, but I wonder sometimes why God sits back and let these things happen and then he expects us to run inside of his church and worship him!”
“It’s called faith and trust. We have to trust that God will work things out and that he will be our vindicator to bring justice to us when we’re mistreated. A lot of times God will deliver the perpetrator right in our hands to see how we will respond in the situation and for us to get the justice we need. We will then have to ask ourselves if we’re going to do things our way or God’s way.”
Matthew didn’t respond thinking about all that had happened. Had God delivered James Rogers into their hands? To Matthew it seemed to be the other way around, but he couldn’t argue with the fact that Rogers was dead.
Reverend Brownlee patted his arm and handed him his card.
“This girl means a lot to you?” he asked.
“Yes,”
“Then trust God. You’re with her for a reason. Just like Jesus came back to redeem us back to himself when man fell from Grace, perhaps God is going to use you to redeem her heart so that she can trust him as well as trust you as a man.”
Matthew looked at him. “Her heart is fine.”
“It’s broken,” Reverend Brownlee insisted. “It’s broken and because of that damage that has been inflicted on her person, she can’t trust you as a man and she can’t trust God as her protector. However, God can fix it. Let’s pray in agreement for her.”
Matthew was hesitant, but he allowed the Reverend to pray. He still didn’t understand all that he’d said to him and he didn’t understand God either, but he did feel a lot better after the prayer. Reverend Brownlee said good bye and Matthew stared at the card he’d given him. Maybe there was hope for him and Max’s relationship after all.
CHAPTER 27
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.. Matthew 6:34
Max walked into the hospital and found Matthew dressed sitting on the side of the bed.
“You’re going home?” She walked over to him and looked at the bag that he had packed that was beside him. “When did you find that out?”
Matt turned to her. “The doctor released me a little while ago. I was about to call Mom so that she can pick me up. I’m glad to get out of this place!”
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take you.” Max said with a smile. “It seems I showed up just in time!”
Matthew looked at her. “All right then. I’ll just call and let her know that you’re bringing me home so that she won’t make a trip here for nothing.”
Matthew quickly called her and her cell went to voice mail. He then left his mother a message.
“All done,” he said, closing the phone. “I hope she hasn’t left already.”
The nurse came in with the wheel chair and Max went out to get the car to pull it around to the entrance door. She parked the car and got out and opened the passenger door as Matthew slowly stood and got in the car with the nurse’s help.
As they left the hospital Max turned to him.
“How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good actually,” he replied. “I have my pain medication if I need it.”
He noticed that Max wasn’t headed toward his Mom’s house. In fact, she was headed in the opposite direction.
“Where are we going, Max?” He looked at her when she did not reply immediately. She continued driving and then turned and looked at him.
“I’m just making a quick stop by the courthouse so that we can get our license,” she replied.
He didn’t say anything for a moment. He was surprised that she would do this knowing that he had just been released from the hospital.
“We have plenty of time for that, Max. Why not wait?” he asked. “We don’t have to go now!”
She looked at
him. “You change your mind or something?”
“I haven’t changed my mind. I just got out of the hospital, and we are not getting married tomorrow. What are you afraid of, Max? Why are you rushing into this like a bull in a china closet?”
She didn’t reply but continued driving. He noted the look of determination on her face. He sat back in the seat and closed his eyes. He wasn’t up to fighting with her.
When he felt the car stop he opened his eyes and saw that they were at the courthouse and Max was pulling in the parking lot.
Matthew was tired. He dreaded climbing the steps to the courthouse and wondered if she had given that any thought beforehand. She parked the car and looked at him with a grin.
“Let’s go in and get the license. It won’t take long, and then I’ll take you straight home!”
Matthew winced in pain, but got out of the car. He walked slowly into the courthouse after taking his time tackling the steps. He knew that this was not a good idea, but he refused to argue with Max.
Luckily no one was there, and he quickly filled out the paperwork. His pain medication was starting to wear off and he began to sweat. Max paid for the license and the clerk told them that there was a ten day waiting period.
“Ten whole days?” Max snapped at the clerk.
“That’s the law here in Horry County, ma’am,” the clerk replied calmly.
“Max, let’s go.” Matt said weakly. “We’re not getting married tomorrow anyway.”
She turned to him ready to argue her point, but saw how pale he had become.
“Are you all right, Matt?”
“I just need to get to Mom’s and lie down.” The pain was starting to get to him.
She helped him out of the courthouse and into the car and he lay back on the seat.
“Matt, if you weren’t feeling well, you should have told me,” Max said, pulling out.
“You don’t listen, Max. I asked you to begin with if we could do it another day. Just get me to my Mom’s.” He closed his eyes and put the seat all the way back.
Max was quiet as they drove through town and Matthew was glad to see his parents’ house. Max got out of the car and opened the door.
Rachel came running out of the house. She appeared frantic with worry.
“Max, what happened? I expected you two over an hour ago,” she said, looking anxiously at her son.
She went to the passenger door and opened it. “Matthew, you look terrible! What’s wrong?” She noted that he was pale and sweating.
“I’m fine, Ma. I’m just a little tired,” he replied.
She looked at Max. “You should have bought him straight home! What in the world were you thinking?”
Rachel put her arm around Matthew and helped him into the house as Max followed behind with his things.
Max realized that she had tired Matthew out and she knew that Rachel was mad with her. What was wrong with her? She should have known that the trip to the courthouse was a bad idea. Once again, she had let her insecurities take control and she felt like kicking herself.
She helped Rachel help Matthew to the bed she had prepared.
“I need my pain meds,” he said, pointing to a bag.
Rachel quickly got them and a glass of water. She handed them to Matthew who quickly downed the pills. Rachel removed his shoes and put a blanket over him.
Matthew lay back on the bed and closed his eyes.
“You rest awhile,” Rachel said, looking at Max. “Let’s leave him to rest.”
Max followed her out of the room.
“What were you thinking? He just got out of the hospital! Where have you been?” Rachel asked angrily, her mother role in full swing.
Max knew that she was upset and didn’t want to tell her what she had done.
“I’m sorry Rachel.” She looked at her helplessly hoping that she would let it go.
“Whatever it was, it should have waited.” Rachel replied taking his bags from her. “I realize now that’s why Matt wanted you to bring him home. He knows that I would never have agreed to make a stop. I bet you all went by the Agency, didn’t you?”
Max realized that his mother was blaming Matthew for the stop and that she’d have to tell Rachel the truth.
“No, it was my idea,” she said quietly.
Rachel looked surprised. “Your idea? Where did you go?”
“To the County Courthouse.” Max replied not looking at her.
Rachel stared at her a moment speechless. “Have you lost your mind? What’s the hurry! Have you two set a date?”
“No.” Max replied and then got up enough nerve to look her in the eye. She had never seen Rachel so mad. She knew that there was no excuse for what she had done. She hadn’t been thinking about Matthew, she had been thinking of getting the license before he changed his mind!
“Did you even consider his weakened condition when you were so hell bent on having your way? My god Max!” Rachel looked as if she was about to strangle her and Max backed up a step.
Max began to cry. She felt terrible about what she’d done. “I’m sorry Rachel. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’ve been doing that a lot lately. I love Matthew so much! I’m sorry.”
Rachel bit her lip and walked into the kitchen. Max followed her not knowing what else to do.
Rachel looked at her. “You have some serious problems, Max. Matthew is grown and I can’t tell him what to do, but I will give him my opinion. You are not ready for marriage. Marriage is compromise. Marriage is putting the other person before your own wants. You showed a total lack of maturity and I have a feeling that this is only the tip of the iceberg. I like you Max, I do, however I feel that marriage between you and Matthew right now is a bad idea and I plan to tell him so.”
Max stared at her helplessly. What could she say? Rachel was right. She picked up her purse and walked out of the house without saying another word.
Eric hung up the phone not knowing what to think.
His mother was livid telling him about what Max had done.
There was no way that she could watch the babies now that Matthew had been discharged and he felt that perhaps it was for the best anyway.
He picked up the phone and called Nadine and related all that had happened with Max to her including their exchange that morning.
After talking to Nadine, he called his brother Nathan and asked Janice if she minded watching the babies for a while. He wanted to go over to see Matthew for himself.
Nathan told him that he and Janice were also going over to his Mom’s and to just bring the babies.
Since Nadine had the car and the car seats, he would have to wait until she got off before he was able to go to his Moms.
Just then he heard the key in the door and saw Max walk in.
He continued to feed the girls who were in their high chairs. They squealed when they saw Max.
“Hello, Erika and Derika,” she said with a smile.
Each of them was chewing on a piece of toast and making a complete mess as they tossed pieces of the bread on the floor.
“Looks like you have your hands full,” she said, looking at Eric.
“Yeah,” he replied picking up the discarded food.
Max looked at him. “Matthew went home.”
Eric didn’t look up. “I know. Mom called me.”
There was an awkward silence for a moment.
“Is she still mad with me?” Max ventured.
Eric looked at her. “She’s upset because Matthew could have had a setback that would have sent him back to the hospital. He had specific orders of bed rest for the next week, Max.”
Max didn’t know what to say. She had no explanation for her behavior.
“I guess you’ve told Nadine,” she said finally. “I guess everyone thinks I’m the worse person in the world.”
“Don’t be dramatic, Max. This is about Matthew and not you,” he said, wiping the baby’s mouths.
She didn’t reply and walked from the kitchen into her bedr
oom and shut the door.
Nadine walked in the door about six thirty that evening and found Eric on the floor playing with Erika and Derika.
“Hey there guys,” she said, and the babies began to squeal and reach up for her.
She laughed and picked up one and the other began to cry.
She kissed Erika and sat her down and then picked up Derika and gave her a kiss.
“Where’s Max?” she asked as Eric got up off the floor.
“In her room,” he said. “She’s been in there for hours.”
Nadine sighed. She was tired and didn’t feel like fighting with Max, but they would have to talk.
“I want to go over and see Matthew.” Eric said. “I made some soup and I was going to carry the crock pot over to Moms and we could eat there when we check on Matthew. I made some cornbread too.”
Nadine looked at him gratefully. She was starving. “Max hasn’t eaten?”
“She thinks everyone hates her. I told her that she was being dramatic and I think I made her mad and she shut herself up in her room.”
Nadine walked up to Max’s bedroom door and knocked. There was no reply and she opened the door and found Max lying on the bed.
“Max? Are you all right?” she asked walking into the room.
“I’m fine.” Max replied crisply not looking at her.
“What are you acting all offended about, Max?”
“Who says I’m offended!” she snapped.
“I know you, remember. You’re offended. What’s going on with you? First you accuse me of not wanting you to be happy and now you’ve compromised Matthew by dragging him down to the courthouse! This isn’t like you Max. I was shocked when Eric told me what you’d done. I think you need to call Dr. Nelson.”
Max turned over and sat up on the bed. “So now I’m crazy right? I’m some sort of deranged fruitcake, right Nadine?”
“Max, I’m not judging you. I am just trying to understand what’s going on!” Nadine replied. She could tell that Max’s mood was just as bad as it had been before if not worse.
“Forget trying. You’ll never understand how I feel.” Max replied.
Broken: The sequel to THE PREACHER'S SON Page 34
