by Mark Goodwin
“What are you saying Ava? How could you have known? What do you think you fell for?”
“All of it.” Ava looked at Charity’s ring when they walked out the back door. “I see you’re having second thoughts.”
Charity put her hand in her jeans pocket. “It’s frightening. Pastor Rob was the most spiritual man I knew. At least I thought he was. If he can cheat on his wife . . .”
“Then James can cheat on you.” Ava finished her sentence.
Charity cried harder.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.”
“But what about you, Ava?” Charity looked her in the eyes. “You’re thinking something else. You said you shouldn’t have fallen for it. Please tell me this isn’t shaking your faith. Rob Cody is human. God isn’t. Don’t get them confused. Don’t let this come between you and Jesus.”
Ava sighed. “I don’t know, Charity. The whole thing is starting to look like a scam. Every time I believe in something or someone, I get let down—especially when a man is involved.”
“Not your mom. She never let you down.”
“No, but God took her from me. The only person I had in the world, and He took her.” Ava looked away.
“No, Ava. God paid the ultimate sacrifice. He sent His Son to die on the cross so when you pass from this life to the next, you can be with your mom for eternity.”
Ava didn’t want to hear that right now. She didn’t want to be consoled. Charity, on the other hand, needed someone to comfort her. And Ava simply wasn’t up to the task. She knew she’d only bring her friend lower, so she dismissed herself for the evening. “I’ve gotta get back to the dog. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
Once home, Ava sat on the couch and watched the local news which offered up many more details about Rob Cody’s multiple affairs than the leadership team at Faith Chapel.
The field reporter was, once again, broadcasting live in front of Faith Chapel. “That’s right Jennifer. This is the second time this month that Faith Chapel has been embroiled in scandal. Eighteen days ago, crime scene tape was everywhere. More than twenty people left the building in body bags. Faith Chapel is an organization that preaches mercy, yet nine of the people who were shot and killed at Faith Chapel were innocent protesters who simply wanted to express their freedom of speech. Because of conflicting reports from the protestors and Faith Chapel congregants, no charges were ever filed against either side.
“Tonight’s story is not quite as bloody, but it provides more evidence that the attendees of Faith Chapel don’t practice what they preach.
“Pastor Rob Cody has spewed hate-filled rhetoric from the podium of Faith Chapel week after week. He has spoken out against homosexual marriage and transgenders, he’s been on record labeling Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and new age spiritualism as false religions, and even attacked the heterosexual community by telling straight people who cohabitate that God doesn’t approve of their living arrangement. Rob Cody has been very active in calling out the so-called sins of others, while he himself lives a double life. By day, he is a self-righteous clergyman who puts himself in charge of interpreting the words of his God. And by night, he’s living like Caligula, having multiple sordid love affairs.
“Our source inside Faith Chapel claims Cody has been romantically involved with a woman who worked as his assistant at Faith Chapel. At the same time, he’s been having a separate affair with a fitness instructor whom he connected with on Facebook. And that’s not all, Jennifer. Rob Cody’s personal computer is filled with pornography. And his search history shows he frequented multiple pornographic sites as well as discreet online dating sites.”
The woman in the newsroom commented. “Wow, Porter. It sounds like Cody is a busy guy. But I guess since he’s been let go from Faith Chapel, he’ll have a lot more free time to pursue his active lifestyle.”
Porter laughed. “That’s true, Jennifer. And with his hefty $500,000.00 severance package, he can take a little time to enjoy the good life before he has to start looking for another gig.”
Ava’s phone rang. “Hey, Raquel. What’s up?”
“Just watching your church go down in flames on live television.”
“Yeah, it’s sad, isn’t it?”
“I feel bad for you and Charity. But I always knew there was something fishy about that Cody guy. You know, you guys can say what you want about the guys I go out with, but they don’t claim to be anything. They’re all about a good time, not a long time. And that’s cool with me. I don’t have someone telling me what to do. I do what I want, when I want. At the end of the day, no one is lying to anybody and no one gets hurt.”
“I’m not arguing with you.”
“What about Charity? Is she still defending Cody? She probably thinks it’s a conspiracy, that he was set up or something.”
“I don’t think so. She’s more hurt than I am. I’m mad, but I’ve seen it plenty of times before in my own life. I guess it’s to be expected.”
“Exactly, so why even keep chasing this fantasy?”
“I’m not chasing anything.”
“No, but Charity is. She still thinks she’s gonna get married and live happily ever after with prince charming. It’s not real and she’s just setting herself up.”
“It’s her life. She can believe what she wants.” Ava watched Buckley as he crawled up on the couch. She thought about making him get back on the floor for being a boy, but she gave in and let him stay on the sofa.
“But you’re her friend. You’ll be the one listening to all the whining and sob stories when James finally steps out on her. Depending on how deluded she is; some women just sit back and take it—turn a blind eye rather than see their fairytale go up in smoke.”
“I can’t see Charity doing that.”
“I don’t know. If she’s still hanging on to her denial after this whole thing with Cody, then she may be too far gone. I think I understand why you go there, but Charity—man, she really drinks the Kool-Aid. She believes it all, hook, line, and sinker. She’s brainwashed.”
“She’s not brainwashed. She believes the Bible and that affects the way she lives her life.”
“I don’t know. I think churches that take the Bible too literally cross over into being cults.”
“We’re all entitled to our opinions.”
“I’m just saying, you still manage to think for yourself. But everyone isn’t like that. Charity is a great person, but she’s easily duped.”
“Well, I’ve gotta go,” Ava wasn’t in the mood to listen to Raquel.
“Okay. Are you going to keep going to that church?”
“Probably not.”
“Maybe we can go out Saturday night then; or Friday after work.”
“We’ll see.”
“Great—talk to you in the morning.”
“Bye.” Ava clicked off her phone and returned to being angry and alone.
CHAPTER 11
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour
1 Peter 5:8
Monday morning, Ava streamed live video of the financial news from her phone on the way to work. She’d listened to the financial network provided by her cable network while getting ready earlier that morning. The live stream was from a different network, so she hoped they’d provide a fresh perspective.
The male reporter said, “Japan’s financial regulators have declared a bank holiday today, meaning that financial institutions will remain closed in an effort to quell an anticipated run on the banks. The banking holiday has been extended to include bonds and equities exchanges as well. Analysts say the move is designed to shield the Nikkei until US markets have had an opportunity to rebound from Friday’s bloodletting.
“However, looking at early morning trading on the board today, a rebound in US markets is highly unlikely. We’ve still got an hour before trading resumes on Wall Street, but if Chinese and European markets are any indicator, we could
potentially see the S&P lose another 20%, triggering all three circuit breakers and halting trading for the day, yet again.”
“Bank of America and Citi Bank were two of the financials hit hardest on Friday. Both banks have issued press releases stating that they are going to be reevaluating their consumer credit divisions, and based on customer records, will make changes to current credit lines. The move is intended to mitigate potential losses in the event that we are cycling into another prolonged economic downturn.
“But now I’m going to turn the show over to Andrea Scarola. She’s talking with the Senate Majority Leader, Oregon Democratic Senator Molly Pole. Andrea, take it away.”
“Thanks, Mike. As Mike just said, I’m here with Senator Molly Pole. Senator Pole, welcome to the program.”
“Thank you, Andrea,” Pole said.
“You’ve got some breaking news for us today. I’ll let you tell it.”
“That’s right, Andrea. I just got off the phone with the Speaker of the House. He informed me that the House will be voting today to charge the president with misconduct. The Speaker sounded sure he’ll be able to get the two-thirds supermajority required to begin impeachment. Once those charges are filed and approved by the House of Representatives, the Senate stands ready to begin impeachment hearings.”
“Senator Pole, can you elaborate on the nature of these charges?”
“Andrea, as you know, President Higgins is a very wealthy industrialist. When a man that powerful steps up to be president, he pledges an oath to put the good of the people ahead of his own. Unfortunately, Friday’s market crash shows that through his economic policies, Higgins has put his own business interests and the economic interests of his colleagues far ahead of the American people’s.”
Ava glanced out her front window at a gaggle of protestors holding Impeach Higgins signs. The protestors wore the standard issue uniform of the leftist youth; black jeans and black hoodies. “Protesting on Monday morning? What do these bums do for a living?”
Ava turned her attention back to the financial network.
“Senator, I don’t think anyone will deny that Higgins’ business interests have prospered under the economic policies his administration has implemented, but will you be able to prove malfeasance?”
“Andrea, the burden of proof will be on the president for this one. His fiduciary duty is to the American people. If the Senate can show that he failed to uphold his oath to the American people, I have no doubt that we’ll be able to secure the votes necessary to take him out of office.
“And you said something which is going to be key in these hearings. You said the president has prospered under his own policies. I think his financial statements will verify that remark. The legal philosophy is called Qui Bono—who benefits from a crime. American investors lost five trillion dollars on Friday alone. Who knows how much wealth will be erased when trading begins today?
“I understand your position, Senator, but Higgins only has three months remaining in office. He’s obviously a lame duck since your party controls both houses of Congress. My question is, why bother?”
“It’s a matter of principle, Andrea. Not to mention, his vice president, Michael Ross, is contending for the Oval Office. Ross has been a staunch supporter of these reckless economic policies that have brought us to the brink of disaster. So these hearings will also serve to warn the public about handing over the reins of such an important position to someone who is committed to continuing the atrocities.”
Ava spotted a second group of Impeach Higgins protestors just before she arrived at the office. “Maybe this is what they do for a living. Maybe someone is paying them to be out here. After all, if they’re that motivated to get up on Monday morning and whine about being underprivileged they could have just gotten a job.” She looked closely at them as she passed. “Yep, they’re being paid to be here.”
She continued listening to the news stream on her phone.
“You’ve been very generous with your time, Senator, but I’d like to ask one more question. How do you think your announcement of impeachment proceedings will affect the markets today? Is this the sort of thing that will calm rattled nerves on Wall Street?”
“That’s a fair question, Andrea. And while it may seem counter-intuitive, I think it will go a long way in calming market jitters. What markets want is certainty. Yet, when you have a rogue administration wielding political power and making economic decisions for their own personal gain, who wouldn’t be panicking? I know I personally haven’t slept well for the past eight years.”
“Last thing, and I promise I’ll let you go. The Democrats have control of both houses, but you’re still a long way off from a two-thirds supermajority in either.”
“Andrea, we’re in an unprecedented age, and up against a level of criminal misconduct from this administration that even Higgins’ own party can’t ignore. Republican members from the House and the Senate have been very outspoken about the impetuousness of the president and his cohorts since he was elected. This isn’t about left and right, it’s about right and wrong.”
“And you’re still not right.” Having heard all the propaganda she could stomach this early in the morning, Ava switched off her phone.
Minutes later, she pulled into the back parking lot of the dental office, locked her pistol in the glove compartment, and reported to work.
Charity greeted Ava when she walked in. “Good morning.”
“Hey, how are you?” Ava asked.
“I didn’t sleep. I’ll be running on coffee all day, so if I seem jittery . . .”
“What did James say?”
“He’s upset. We talked on the phone most of the night. It’s like Pastor Rob died. You know, one day he was there, and the next day he wasn’t.”
“Yeah, unfortunately, I know all about it. When Lee left me and my mom, it was worse than death. With death, you’ve got an excuse. This sort of thing, there’s no justification. Are you and James planning on staying at Faith Chapel?”
Charity yawned and took a long swig from her coffee mug. “I’m not sure. But if we don’t it has nothing to do with Pastor Rob. If we go somewhere else, it will be because we disagree with the way leadership is handling the whole thing. The lack of transparency about what happened was bad. They shouldn’t have treated us like children. Pastor Neil or whoever should have told us exactly what happened. But I don’t even think that’s the worst part. This thing with the severance pay. I mean a half million dollars? That’s not right. You saw how few people came to church after the attack. Imagine what attendance will be like now that Rob Cody isn’t there anymore.
“And a drop in attendance translates into a drop in giving. So even without that severance package, a lot of people on staff at Faith Chapel are going to get laid off. That money could have acted as a cushion to keep twenty people on staff, at least part-time—twenty people who were faithful to their jobs—and their marriages.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t support that with my tithe. I think it’s just bad stewardship. And if we can’t give our money to Faith Chapel, then I don’t think we belong there.”
Ava sighed. “I’m certainly not going back.”
“We’re thinking of trying that little Church of God down in Buda.”
“That’s a long drive.”
“Not really. It’s like twelve miles. And not through Austin, so there’s no traffic.”
“I might just take a break for a few weeks. Think things over.” Ava turned to go prep her exam room for the day.
Charity said, “Be careful. Make sure you don’t confuse Pastor Rob with God. God didn’t let you down, Pastor Rob did. So don’t give God the cold shoulder. And remember, a little yeast leavens the whole lump.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ava paused and turned back around.
“It means that if you start laying out of church, you’ll find something else to occupy your time. And since it isn’t church, it’ll probably be something bad; a little yeast
. Next thing you know, you’ve started a bad habit—and bad habits grow into more bad habits, which eventually lead to bad character.
“Pastor Rob—I mean, Rob Cody probably didn’t just wake up one morning and decide to cheat on Dianna. It was probably a digressive series of small compromises that took him lower and lower.”
“I’ll be okay.” Ava turned and proceeded to her workspace.
At lunch, Ava rushed home to walk Buckley, then made a sandwich to take with her. She signed her paycheck and hurried to the bank to cash it rather than simply depositing it in the ATM like she’d normally do. Buckley was cooperative about the pace in which he relieved himself and she made good time in traffic.
The bank was located between the office and her apartment, so it wasn’t out of the way. Ava finished half of her sandwich during the drive. She also listened to the latest market details via the live stream on her phone.
“Down eighteen percent. It’s twelve thirty and the market is still trading. I guess that’s an improvement over Friday’s performance.” Ava checked the parking lot of the bank as she pulled in. “Looks fairly normal.”
She walked inside and made her way to the teller. She presented her ID and handed her check to the girl behind the counter. “You can give me all hundred-dollar bills.”
“Absolutely, Ms. Wilson.” The teller processed her check and counted out the money.
“Have you guys been busy today, with all the uncertainty in the market?”
“We’re fully insured by the FDIC, so there’s no threat of anyone losing a dime from this institution.” The teller gave her the cash. “Would you like an envelope?”
Ava turned her attention to a gentleman in his mid-fifties at the window next to hers.
“Why can’t I?” The man’s voice grew louder.
“We simply don’t keep that much cash on hand. I can give you five thousand right now, but you’ll have to schedule in advance if you need to make a larger withdrawal,” the other teller said.
