Rain in the Promised Land

by Vanessa Miller

  Calvin saw them coming and stepped onto the porch of the broken-down house he used for his drug trafficking. “You must be slipping in your old age, because all I’ve ever heard about the great Isaac Walker is that when he comes for you, you won’t know you’ve been got until it’s too late. But I spotted that Range Rover right off.”

  “I would have figured you’d still be asleep at eight o’clock in the morning,” Keith said as he and Isaac stepped onto the porch.

  “Naw man, I’ve always been an early riser. I like to catch the morning news. When I was a kid and my mom wouldn’t come home at night, I would get up and check out the news. As long as they didn’t mention her name, then I knew she was all right. Then one morning, these newscasters were standing in front of this van that had been set on fire with a man and a woman inside. I remembered thinking how sad it must be to have your life ended like that… then my granddaddy came to the apartment. He packed up our clothes and told me that my mama died in a fire. You’d think I’d stop watching the morning news after that… but I’m hooked.”

  “You’re not the only one watching the news, Calvin.” Isaac wasn’t about to admit that it had been his wife who’d clued him in about the riot. So he just got in the man’s face as he added, “I need you to shut this riot situation down.”

  Calvin laughed. “How can I shut down something that has already happened?”

  “I’m not talking about the riot that just took place in Middletown. I’m talking about the one you’re planning right here in Dayton, at the same time as our revival.”

  With a look of defiance on his face, Calvin barked, “Y’all didn’t want to help the cause when I brought it to you, so y’all might want to back off my porch.”

  Steam was rising as Isaac’s nostrils flared. Who did this little wanna-be-gangster think he was talking to? Isaac saw himself putting a death grip on Calvin’s throat and squeezing until this parasite took his last breath. Just as he was about to make his fantasy a reality, Keith put a hand on his shoulder.

  Then Calvin said, “Why are you here? You need a rock or something?”

  Keith poked Calvin in the chest while still keeping a hand on Isaac’s shoulder. “We came to let you know that this is not going down… not in this town, and not during the revival. You claimed that you respected preachers because of your granddaddy. So, respect that.”

  “Respect time is over. I did my part. Y’all didn’t want to listen. So whatever happens, happens.”

  “I don’t think you understand.” Isaac’s voice was lethal as he stepped closer to Calvin. “This town deserves better than the likes of you. You’re only interested in promoting your brand of hate. But I’m not going to let you get away with this. So either get the message or deal with the consequences.”

  Calvin wasn’t budging. Isaac may have been the man back in the day… but as far as Calvin was concerned, this was a new day and a new generation. He was the man now, and he was going to do just what he pleased. “You delivered your message. So, now you can be on your way.”

  As Isaac and Keith stepped off the porch and headed back to the car, Calvin called out to them. “Oh… and, pastor… I wouldn’t come back here without being strapped.”

  Like a predator spotting his prey, Isaac swirled back around and got in Calvin’s face. “I have never needed to be strapped to handle a little parasite like you. So, let me put it to you like it is.”

  Calvin gulped, but stood his ground as Isaac continued, “I’m not asking you not to cause any trouble for the people in this neighborhood, I’m telling you. Because all you pack is a gun, while all of Heaven backs me up, and believe, my help comes fully loaded and prepared to take care of business.”

  Chapter 7

  “Oh my God, it has been ages since I’ve laid eyes on you.” Nina hugged Elizabeth as if her best friend had been kidnapped and they had just gotten her back home. In reality the two talk on the phone all the time, but hadn’t seen each other in person in the past five years.

  “I love you too, girl. But let go… I can barely breathe.”

  Stepping back and letting go of her best friend, Nina smiled at her. “Sorry about that. I’m just so happy to see you.” Tears cascaded down Nina’s face as she said, “We have to stop letting so much time go by before we get together.”

  “I know,” Elizabeth agreed, “but either I’m busy recording or you’re busy writing that next bestseller. But we have got to stop letting things get in the way.”

  Nina hugged Elizabeth again, but this time not so tight. Then she moved on to Kenneth and gave him a big hug as well. “Get on in here so we can eat this breakfast.”

  The rest of the gang was already around the table with only two exceptions—Isaac and Keith. But Nina wasn’t going to let that stop her from enjoying breakfast with family and friends on the morning of her youngest son’s high school graduation.

  “Where’s Isaac?” Kenneth asked as he pulled up a chair for Elizabeth.

  Nina wasn’t even curious about her husband’s whereabouts this morning. She still very much loved her man, but his presence was so all-consuming that she was enjoying the break from it right now. Shrugging her shoulders, she said, “I’m not sure where he went off to.” She glanced at her watch. “But we’ve got to get to the convention center pretty soon, so he’ll just have to eat leftovers when we get back.”

  “But Dad doesn’t like leftovers,” Ikee reminded Nina.

  Nina ignored her son as she sat down, bowed her head, and prayed over the food. Just as they began passing the plates around, the kitchen door opened and Isaac and Keith strutted into the dining room as if they were the guests of honor for this breakfast.

  “I’m back,” Isaac proclaimed. “Glad I didn’t miss the food.”

  “Since we had no idea when you’d be back, I didn’t want to keep our guests waiting,” Nina told him curtly.

  “Good call,” Isaac agreed as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

  Nina couldn’t stop herself from smiling at the show of affection. She loved her husband and nothing would ever change that, but some things had changed and Nina didn’t know how to un-change them. Not this time.

  Isaac and Keith joined them at the table. Nina smiled, laughed, and chatted, but she wasn’t really in the moment. She just kept telling herself that today was the day her last child would graduate from high school. She would wait until tomorrow to start lobbying for college again. Because there was no way she was going to allow Ikee to work with his father all summer long with no thought as to what school he would be attending in the fall.

  “Did you hear me, Nina?” Isaac called out to her.

  “Huh? Oh, no, I’m sorry, Isaac. I didn’t hear you.”

  Grinning at his wife’s absent-mindedness, he repeated, “We’d better get going if we’re going to get Ikee to his graduation on time.”

  She glanced at her watch. “Oh, yes, you’re right. Let’s get out of here so I can watch my son accept his diploma.”

  “I’m driving,” Isaac told her. “You got up so early this morning to fix this wonderful breakfast that I think you’re still a little sleepy.”

  ~~~~

  Isaac was behind the wheel and Ikee was in the back seat of the car. Nina was still in the house, so Isaac took this moment to have a heart-to-heart. He turned to his son. He didn’t have much time because Nina would join them in the car soon, so he skipped the niceties and asked, “Are you sure this girl is right for you?”

  “I know what you think, Dad. But I’m not only with Marissa because of the baby. It’s not like that.”

  “That wasn’t what I was thinking. What I’m wondering is if you’re trying to help this girl because of Candy.” When Ikee had gotten himself in trouble over a year ago, he had run into a crackhead named Candy. At first he had treated the girl badly, but later, as Ikee figured out that he wasn’t cut out for gang banging and selling dope on street corners, he also realized that if he didn’t help Candy, she would be dead soon. Once he got it in his
mind that Candy needed his help, Ikee risked his own life in order to bring that girl out of the horrible life she had been living.

  “What about Candy?”

  “I’m just wondering if Marissa is another one of your crusades. Because if she is, you don’t have to throw your life away. Your mother and I can help Marissa while you go on to college and live your life.”

  “I thought you were in agreement with me about putting college off for a while?”

  “I was when I thought you were foregoing college because of the ministry. But not so you can stay here and play daddy to this girl’s baby.” Isaac shook his head like he wasn’t about to let that happen.

  “She’s not a crusade, Dad. I really love Marissa.”

  Isaac took in his son’s words and then asked, “Is the baby yours?”

  “I’m going to treat it like it’s mine.”

  Ikee was talking crazy, but Isaac didn’t have time to set him straight because Nina was headed toward the car. “Don’t do anything drastic before I can talk to your mother about this.”

  Hopping in the car, Nina gave both her men the brightest smile they’d seen on her face in weeks. “Let’s get this party started,” Nina said as she put her seat belt on.

  “Yes ma’am.” Isaac started backing the car out of the driveway, hating that he would soon be wiping that smile off of his wife’s face.

  “Hey Ma,” Ikee called out to her. “After I get this piece of paper, Dad and I want to talk to you about something. Is it okay if we let the others go to the restaurant without us?”

  “Sounds serious.” The smile on Nina’s face was fading as she gave Isaac a cold, angry stare.

  Isaac didn’t know what had gotten into his wife, but he wasn’t about to keep taking all these angry stares and accusations from her. He was on a mission from God and Nina would have to accept that sooner or later.

  “What’s got you so upset?” Isaac asked, after Ikee jumped out of the car to catch up with a few friends as they were headed into the convention center.

  Nina turned to Isaac. She put her head in her hands before answering, trying to calm the raging storm that was building inside of her. As she lifted her head to face Isaac, she didn’t answer his question, but rather asked one, “Do you really think Ikee should delay going to college?”

  Isaac wasn’t going to bust Ikee out before the two of them had the chance to sit down and talk to Nina about this pregnant girl. So, he answered her question without incriminating himself. “I’m not sure if it’s the right thing for Ikee or not,” he admitted. “But I do know that every kid is not cut out for college.”

  “Donavan did well in college. Iona not only did well, she was on the Dean’s list and went on to law school. Our kids are smart… they can take on any challenge that’s put before them. I just don’t understand why, after he and I sent out numerous college applications and stayed up late at night talking and praying about his options, he would suddenly decide that he’s no longer interested.”

  “Kids do it all the time, Nina. Let’s just roll with him on this one and see where it takes him. God may have a better plan for Ikee, so we don’t want to stand in the way, right?”

  Rolling her eyes to that non-sense, Nina told him, “That’s easy for you to say. Ikee wants to join you all summer long. So, of course you’re not going to stand in his way.”

  Someone knocked at the window. Nina turned to see Elizabeth waving at them. “Are y’all going to sit out here while the graduation ceremony is going on or what?”

  Nina hopped out of the car and started walking with Elizabeth without waiting for Isaac to get out of the car. “Girl, I’m so ready for this day, I’m not about to miss a minute of my son getting his diploma.”

  “You sound like me when Erin was graduating college. That girl stressed me out so bad her last two semesters that I wasn’t sure if she would finish.”

  “You know my pain,” Nina joked with Elizabeth. “Let’s get in there and take a seat before this boy decides he doesn’t even want this diploma.”

  While Cynda, Iona, and Diana walked in behind Nina and Elizabeth, the men stood by the car as Isaac looked as if he’d lost something and didn’t know the first thing to do to get it back. He shook his head. “Well, I guess I’m still invited, seeing as I’m the father of the graduate and all.”

  Patting his friend’s shoulder, Keith said, “She’ll calm down, my friend. And then things will be back to normal.”

  “When?” Isaac asked, as if he desperately needed to know the timeline. “She’s been on ten since Ikee told her he’d rather work with me in the ministry than go off to college.”

  “Then you’ve got your answer,” Donavan said, grinning. “Just tell Ikee he has to go to college and Mom will stop being all—” Donavan lifted his hand as if it was getting ready to claw his dad’s eyes out.

  “Boy, don’t tell me how to handle my woman.” Isaac playfully gut punched his son.

  “All right, old man. Don’t start nothing you can’t finish.”

  Isaac looked to Keith and said, “You better tell him, before I have to show him.”

  “You don’t want none, Youngblood. I’ve seen your daddy finish plenty of what he started.” Keith then pointed toward the convention center as he said, “The only person I’ve ever known your dad to have trouble handling just walked in that building over there.”

  “That’s just it,” Isaac answered, as the men began walking to catch up with their wives. “I haven’t tried to handle Nina since we’ve been married. I let the good Lord deal with my wife.”

  “If all the shade Mom was throwing your way this morning is any indication, then I think you should get to praying,” Donavan told him.

  “Don’t you worry, son… I’ve already got that covered.”

  ~~~~

  The graduation was beautiful. When Ikee stepped onto the podium to accept his diploma, Isaac and Nina high-fived each other and screamed, “We did it!”

  That moment was the highlight of the day for Nina. And she hoped that just the simple act of touching his diploma would cause Ikee to think more seriously about college and his future. But those hopes were soon ripped to shreds. They stood outside getting ready to head to a restaurant to celebrate when a young woman ran up to Ikee, wrapped her arms around him and then kissed him as if his teeth were made of gold and she was trying to suck the fillings out.

  Nina stepped forward and pulled the two apart. She stood between her son and this girl who’d just slobbered all over him in front of God, Ikee’s family, and whoever else wanted to see this outrageous display. “What is going on here?” she asked Ikee. She then turned to the girl before her son could respond and asked, “And who are you?”

  “Mama, Mama, it’s cool,” Ikee said nonchalantly. “This is my girl, Marissa.”

  “Marissa who? I’ve never met…” Nina was saying, but as her eyes traveled the length of the girl, she turned her head, in search of Isaac as she pointed to the bulging stomach in front of her. “Isaac, oh my God. This girl is pregnant.”

  Chapter 8

  “Calm down, Nina. Let’s sit down and talk about this.”

  “Don’t you tell me to calm down, Isaac Walker.” They were in their bedroom and Nina was wearing out the carpet, pacing back and forth. “I kept telling you something was up with this boy wanting to skip out on school, but you acted like I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Isaac objected. “I just wanted to let Ikee make his own decisions… like a man.”

  “Oh, he’s making grown-up, man-like decisions now… that’s obvious after seeing that pregnant girl slobbering all over him.” She threw a pillow at Isaac. “And you just stood there, letting your son behave like that.”

  “What do you want me to do, Nina? He turned eighteen two months ago. It’s not like I can send him to his room or take away telephone privileges anymore.”

  “See what I mean?” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “Being eighteen d
oesn’t mean he’s a grown man. He’s still very much a boy in many respects and that’s why I’m putting my foot down. That girl is not getting her hooks into my baby.”

  “Your baby is eighteen.”

  “Will you stop saying that?” Nina screamed at him.

  He didn’t know how to make this one better for her. Ikee was in love with a pregnant girl and planning to help the girl take care of the baby. He didn’t think Ikee was ready to take on the responsibility of a baby. But telling Ikee that would most likely cause him to want to be with this girl all the more.

  “And why did you invite that girl to this house?” Nina was angry—angrier than she’d ever been at any point in her life. Her son’s future was being snatched from him by some baby-mama and Nina wasn’t having it.

  “Because we need to sit down with Ikee and Marissa and find out where their heads are at.” Isaac held out a hand for his wife and waited by the door for her to do the right thing.

  Defiance was written all over her face as she folded her arms around her chest. “I don’t want to talk to her.”

  Isaac held out his hand. “We don’t have a choice, baby. We need to do this for Ikee.”

  Sighing deeply, she relented. Nina unfolded her arms, took her husband’s hand and marched into the family room where Ikee and the very pregnant Marissa were waiting. The rest of the group had gone out to dinner in order to give them privacy. But Nina didn’t want any private moments with Marissa. She wanted to hop on the next plane headed to some far, far away place where she could protect her son from girls like Marissa.

  Isaac got the conversation started. He turned to Marissa and said, “First off, I’d like to welcome you to our home.”

  “Thank you so much, Pastor Isaac. My mama always said that you was real cool people. And when y’all did that revival in my neighborhood and Ikee came knocking on my door, I found out first-hand just how cool y’all are.”

  Nina’s head almost snapped off her neck as she darted her eyes from Isaac to Ikee, then back to Marissa. “Are you telling me that you met my son while he was out doing work for his father’s street revival?”