Saminta gave off a sarcastic chuckle. “Really?”
Arykah’s eyebrows rose and her neck danced. “Really.” She didn’t know what Saminta’s problem was, but she wasn’t going to tolerate any disrespect.
Saminta chuckled again and gave in. “May I please have a word with you?”
“Absolutely,” Arykah answered. She pointed toward the sanctuary doors. “Let’s go in and sit.”
Saminta followed Arykah, and the ladies sat down on a pew at the rear of the sanctuary. They were the only two people in the room.
“What’s on your mind?” Arykah asked her not really caring. Saminta’s attitude had turned her off. But as the first lady of the church, Arykah obliged her.
“I don’t appreciate being the source of your gossip.”
Arykah was taken aback. “What?”
“Why are you spreading rumors about my family?”
Arykah frowned. “First of all, Saminta, I don’t start rumors or spread gossip. I’m clueless as to what you’re talking about.”
“Seriously?” Saminta asked in a high-pitched, disbelieving tone. “Well, then, why have several people approached me with negative comments about my decision to not attend Miranda’s baby shower? When you called and invited me, I told you that I wanted nothing to do with that girl or that baby.”
“Miranda is that girl’s name, and she is carrying your grandson.”
“I ain’t too sure about that,” Saminta fired back. “It could be anybody’s baby.”
Arykah felt herself becoming unraveled. She mentally calmed herself.
“Look, Saminta, I haven’t spread any gossip about you. I couldn’t care any less about your decision to skip Miranda’s shower. We had a great time without you. And if folks are coming to you with negative talk about your absence, then you deal with those folks. Don’t assume that I put your business out there. I don’t care that much about you.”
Saminta was caught off guard by Arykah’s boldness. “Is that so?”
It was obvious that Saminta had assumed that she could come hard at Arykah and get away with it. She was thrown for a loop when Arykah came back at her even harder.
“That’s absolutely so,” Arykah confirmed. “If you and your husband choose to not acknowledge that your son is going to be a father, then that’s on you. And in my opinion, Saminta, teaching Titus to not take responsibility for the child that he made is disgusting, and it’s doing him a great injustice. But that’s yours and Doug’s little red wagon; I’ma let y’all pull it anyway you want to.”
“It really ain’t your business what Doug and I do with Titus.”
“You made it my business when you told me about Titus’s promising football career and how you’re not gonna allow a baby to get in the way of that.”
“Miranda should have protected herself.”
That statement angered Arykah. Her neck really danced. “And Titus should have protected himself. Why should the responsibility of birth control only be placed on Miranda?”
“Because men can’t carry babies.”
“But they can certainly be taken to court and sued for child support.” Arykah needed to let Saminta know that she couldn’t hide Titus forever. Sooner or later, life will catch up to him and he’ll be held responsible for the child he helped to make.
“Lady Arykah, I know that you married rich but—”
Arykah sat straight up on the pew and turned her entire upper torso toward Saminta. “Uh, hold up, Chick. First of all, I was rich before I even met the bishop. Okay? I don’t need his money. You really need to get your facts straight before you shoot off your mouth and come off looking stupid.” Arykah dismissed the fact that she was a pastor’s wife. At that moment, she was too heated to care.
“Oh, so I’m stupid ?” Saminta asked.
“What you said was stupid. You don’t know where I came from. You’re looking at me now, but what you don’t know, Saminta, is that my mother gave me away when I was just nine years old. I was passed around from foster home to foster home until the age of sixteen. After I graduated high school, I put myself through college working three jobs. Okay? I come from nothing. No one has ever given me anything. Every penny that’s in my bank account, I’ve earned. Yes, I married a rich man, but he also married a rich woman.”
“Well, I’m just telling you what I heard.”
“I don’t give a rat’s behind what you heard. I’m giving you truth right here. Now take that back to your source.”
Saminta shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t care anymore ’cause this is our last Sunday here at Freedom Temple.”
Bye, Bitch. Arykah immediately silently repented for that thought.
“Doug and I feel it’s best for Titus if we found another church.”
“I feel that very same way,” Arykah responded. Get the devil’s hell out. Arykah wasn’t going to repent for that thought, though. She wished she could have expressed herself verbally.
Without saying another word, Saminta stood and exited the sanctuary.
Twelve
The floor-to-ceiling windows on the thirty-ninth floor provided a majestic panoramic view of Navy Pier. Arykah and Lance saw the largest Ferris wheel in the world spinning.
“This view is awesome, Cheeks.”
“Especially at nighttime. The lights from the Willis Tower and the entire city skyline is breathtaking.”
“You think Gladys will invite us over to watch the July Fourth fireworks?”
“She’ll be here soon. You can ask her yourself.”
“What excuse did you use to get her here?” Lance asked.
“I told her that I wanted her to meet me at my seamstress’s condominium so she and I can look at patterns and material for the baby’s christening outfit.”
“I really hope Gladys likes this place.”
“How can she not?” Arykah asked. “The three bedrooms are massive with floor-to-ceiling windows. All three have walk-in closets. The master bath is to die for. Gladys has her own washer and dryer. I know she’ll appreciate not having to load the car with duffel bags of clothes and driving to a Laundromat anymore. The hardwood floors throughout this unit are gorgeous. The kitchen is updated with granite countertops and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances. Gladys will have to share this entire floor with only one other tenant. There’s underground parking, a doorman, a drycleaners, and a gym on the premises. I’m sure Miranda and her friends will enjoy the rooftop deck and swimming pool. The security here is tight as heck. No one gets past the doorman without identification. Gladys can even send out for groceries if she wants to. She, Miranda, and the baby are minutes from downtown, and the views are spectacular. Plus, this condo is fully furnished. Who wouldn’t want to live here?”
“You know Gladys,” Lance said. “She doesn’t like to take handouts.”
Arykah shrugged her shoulders. “Hopefully, the fireplace in the master bedroom will influence her. And Miranda’s school is only fifteen minutes away. There isn’t one reason why Gladys shouldn’t be happy here.”
The doorbell rang. Arykah walked to the intercom next to the front door and pressed the TALK button. “Yes?”
“Ms. Blackmon is here to see you,” the doorman announced.
“Send her up, please.” Arykah released the button and looked at Lance. “Okay. Here we go.”
“Why are my palms sweaty like I’m interviewing for a job?”
Arykah chuckled. “Because you know with Gladys we may have a fight on our hands.”
Five minutes later Arykah answered a knock on the front door. She opened it and welcomed Gladys inside. “Hey, Gladys. Come on in.”
“Hey, First Lady,” Gladys greeted. She stepped into the foyer and was impressed. “Wow. This is beautiful. Did you see Starbucks inside the lobby?”
Arykah chuckled. “Yep, I sure did. It must be nice to wake up and just go right downstairs for a mocha, huh?”
“Chile, I sure could get used to it. I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
That’s what I wanted to hear. “Come in to the living room,” Arykah said.
Gladys didn’t even notice Lance sitting on the sofa. Her eyes were drawn to the panoramic views of Lake Michigan. The water and waves were a beautiful sight to see. “Oh my God,” she said walking straight to the windows. “Gurrrllll, this is spectacular. Look at this scenery.”
Arykah winked and smiled at Lance, then went and stood next to Gladys. “Isn’t this to die for?”
“Honey, yes,” Gladys responded. “Your seamstress is living off the chain.” She gasped when she saw the large Ferris wheel. “OMG.”
“I know,” Arykah said.
Gladys turned around and was surprised to see Lance sitting there. “Bishop?”
He smiled and stood. “You like the view?”
“Um, yeah, um.” Clearly, Gladys wasn’t expecting to see her pastor. She didn’t know why he’d be interested in choosing material and patterns. “What are you doing here?” Gladys looked over her shoulder at Arykah. “Where is your seamstress?”
“At home working on your grandson’s outfit that I’ve already designed. We’re just waiting on him to be born.”
Gladys frowned. “What?”
“Gladys . . .” Arykah started, “the bishop and I leased this condominium this morning.”
“This isn’t your seamstress’s place?”
“No. It’s yours,” Lance stated.
Arykah and Lance held their collective breaths and waited to see how Gladys would react.
Gladys was confused. She heard what Lance had just said to her, but the words didn’t penetrate through her ears to her brain. “What do you mean?” she asked Lance.
“Lady Arykah and I wanted to do something special for you, Miranda, and the baby. We saw how small your apartment was, and honestly, Gladys, I was uncomfortable with the baby’s crib in the living room.”
Gladys looked from Lance to Arykah, then from Arykah to Lance.
“And I understand that you’re working two full-time jobs to keep a roof over your family’s head. As your pastor, I’m concerned about Miranda being left alone overnight while you work.”
“Gladys,” Arykah started, “the bishop and I want to help you. Will you let us?”
Tears flooded Gladys’s eyes. She had never experienced so much love. Miranda’s father had walked out on them when Miranda was just seven years old. Gladys hadn’t heard from or seen him since. For years she had struggled to make ends meet. She looked around and saw the hardwood floors and the fireplace with the oversized mantle. “Why are you doing this for us?” she asked Arykah.
Arykah approached Gladys and wiped her tears away with her hand. She looked into Gladys’s glazed eyes. “Because we love you and we care.”
“Lady Arykah and I know you’re more than capable of taking care of your family. We just wanna lighten the load a little. That’s all.”
“Don’t you love it here?” Arykah asked Gladys.
More tears dripped onto her face. “Yes, but this must cost a fortune.”
“The cost of this place is not for you to be concerned about,” Lance said. “It’s close to Miranda’s school. You have secured underground parking. And without a mortgage payment to worry about, you can be home with Miranda and the baby at night.”
“Except for water the only utilities you’ll have to pay are cable and electricity,” Arykah said to her.
Gladys placed her face in her hands and cried openly. Lance went to her and pulled her in his arms. “I hope that’s a happy cry,” he chuckled.
“Let’s have a look around,” Arykah suggested. She knew that once Gladys had seen the entire unit, she’d accept their offer.
She and Lance led Gladys to the gourmet kitchen. “Oh my goodness,” Gladys said. The stainless steel appliances and granite sparkled. “What am I gonna do in here?”
Arykah laughed. “Bake me a cake.”
Lance took Gladys to the master bedroom. “Look at the view from in here. Can you imagine waking up to this every morning?”
“The sun rises in the east, Gladys,” Arykah said.
“Natural sunlight comes through these floor-to-ceiling windows for much of the day.”
Gladys saw the fireplace. “A fireplace in the master? Who has that?”
“You can,” Arykah answered. “Check out your private bathroom.”
Gladys gasped when she went and stood at the bathroom door. “My own toilet? For real?”
“Your very own toilet,” Lance confirmed.
Gladys was impressed with the granite countertop and double sinks. She saw the tub and separate oversize shower. “This is crazy. Five people can fit in that shower.”
“There’s more,” Arykah said.
Lance and Arykah showed Gladys the other two bedrooms and bathrooms before returning to the living-and-dining-room combination.
“Well?” Lance said to Gladys. “What do you think?” She looked all around the living and dining rooms. “I’m speechless.”
“It comes furnished,” Arykah said. “And there’s a rooftop deck with a swimming pool. All you gotta do is move in.”
Lance removed the keys from his front pants pocket and held them out for Gladys to take. “Welcome home,” he said.
Gladys didn’t take the keys. She glared at him and Arykah. “You know I can take care of myself, Miranda, and my grandson just fine. I really don’t appreciate the two of you getting in my business.”
Lance and Arykah looked at each other.
“But I’m so glad y’all did,” Gladys said smiling. She accepted the keys from Lance and hugged him tight. “I’m so grateful for this, Bishop.” She looked at Arykah. “And you, I don’t know what to say about you, Lady Arykah. You’ve been so good to me and Miranda.”
“Well, you and Miranda have been good to me as well. What goes around comes around.”
“I thank both of you so much. I know Miranda will love this place. Whoever thought that I’d be living on Lake Shore Drive?”
“Jennifer Hudson and Oprah own condos within walking distance from here,” Arykah informed her.
Gladys was floored. Her mouth dropped open. “You mean I’m amongst the elite?”
Lance and Arykah laughed out loud.
Gladys’s cellular telephone rang. She looked at the caller ID and frowned. “This is Miranda’s last day before summer break. Why would the school be calling?”
Seconds after Gladys answered the call Arykah and Lance saw the color drain from her face.
Gladys, Arykah, and Lance rushed to the maternity ward at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. They could hear Miranda screaming for her mother as soon as they exited the elevator. Gladys followed Miranda’s screams. When they entered her room, they saw Miranda lying in a bed with an IV in her arm. A nurse stood next to Miranda monitoring the baby’s heartbeat.
Arykah and Lance stood at the foot of Miranda’s bed.
“Hey, Baby,” Gladys said to Miranda.
Miranda was sweating profusely. “It hurt so bad, Momma. It hurt so bad.”
“She’ll be given an epidural shortly,” the nurse informed Gladys.
“Has she dilated?” Arykah asked.
The nurse nodded. “Her doctor just examined her. “She’s already eight centimeters.”
“Already?” Lance shrieked.
The nurse laughed at the fear on his face. “Yes. Apparently she’d been in labor for the past two days.”
“Two days ?” Gladys and Arykah shouted out.
Lance looked at the nurse. “How could she have been in labor for forty-eight hours and not know?”
“She ignored the slight stomach pains,” the nurse answered.
“I thought I had to poop,” Miranda said wincing at the pain in her lower abdomen. A sharp pain pierced her back. She screamed out. “Oh, it hurts. It hurts.”
Arykah went and stood on the opposite side of the bed and held Miranda’s hand in her own. “It won’t be long now.” She wiped the sweat from Miranda’s forehead.
“Bishop,” Miranda started. She was panting and incoherent. “I ain’t got time for that right now. You gon’ have to get me some pain medication.” Miranda looked at her pastor. “Please, Bishop. Get me something now. Cocaine, crack, anything, Bishop. I promise I won’t tell nobody.”
Gladys gasped. “Girl, what?”
Lance chuckled. “I won’t be able to do that, Daughter.”
The nurse laughed at Miranda. Every day she witnessed women lose their cool and say wild things while in labor. That was the first time she’d heard someone beg for cocaine or crack, though. “The anesthesiologist is on his way.”
Miranda screamed again.
The anesthesiologist rushed into the room and tended to Miranda. Lance and Arykah stood out of the way and watched Gladys try to comfort her daughter while a needle was stuck in her back.
“The pain should cease,” the anesthesiologist said to Miranda as he inserted the epidural in her spine. “And your legs will go numb in a few seconds.”
Moments later Miranda calmed down and lay back on the bed.
“How are you feelin’ now, Baby?” Gladys asked her.
“Okay,” she answered.
Her doctor came in to examine Miranda again. Lance and Arykah stepped out into the hallway and waited.
Suddenly Gladys opened the door to Miranda’s room and rushed out to them. “She’s ready to deliver! Miranda’s gonna start pushing now.” She looked at Arykah. “She wants you in there.”
“Me?” Arykah asked excitedly.
“Yes,” Gladys said. She grabbed Arykah’s hand and pulled her. “Come on.”
Arykah shoved her purse against Lance’s chest and ran after Gladys. Lance went toward the waiting room.
Gladys and Arykah quickly dressed in hospital garb, then stood on opposite sides of Miranda’s bed. They each held up her legs and forced them into her chest.
“Come on, Baby,” Gladys encouraged. “Push, push.”
Lady Arykah Reigns Page 22
