Something Old, Something New

by Beverly Jenkins

  His mouth dropped. “But—”

  “No buts allowed. Your family has been here longer than mine, Gary. You’re my friend, and you need help. I’d hope you’d do the same for me and my family if the shoe was on the other foot.”

  “You know I would, but I can’t pay for any of this.”

  “We’ll figure out something when the time comes. For now, consider yourself and the girls guests of the mayor. You want to drive, or shall I?”

  Gary seemed frozen by the generosity. He finally said, “You.”

  Trent picked up his keys and walked to the door, but Gary still hadn’t moved. He was still staring at Trent with wonder.

  “You coming or not?”

  Gary shook himself free. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m coming.”

  The old Clark place was in as bad a shape as Gary had predicted. Everything from the roof to the support beams to the storm cellar needed replacing. Walking carefully over rotting floorboards and through spiderwebs the size of bird’s nests, Trent used the beam of his flashlight to assess the interior as best he could. The small two-story home hadn’t been occupied since Gary’s folks died within days of each other back in 1992.

  Outside now, Trent grabbed a hand towel from his truck and ran it over his hair to rid it of the dust and cobwebs. He handed one to Gary, who did the same.

  Gary asked, “So what do you think?”

  Trent tilted up a bottle of water to wash the dust out of his throat. “Depends on what you want to do.” He handed a bottle to Gary. “If you plan to stay here, I see two choices. We can either have everybody pitch in to rebuild it, or you can have Bernadine build you a new place in the sub.”

  He stared again and croaked, “A new place?”

  “There are plenty of plots.”

  “But I don’t even have a job, how am I going to pay for a new house?”

  Trent sighed. How to explain Bernadine to someone who had yet to benefit from her blessings? “Money is not the issue here right now. Getting you and your family up and running is. We can work out payment sometime in the future, if that’s what you want.”

  “But—”

  “No buts allowed, remember? Do you have any job prospects, or is there something you always wanted to do?”

  “Like what?”

  Trent shrugged. “If a djinn gave you a wish, and you could be anything in the world you wanted to be, what would it be?”

  He laughed. “I don’t know.”

  “Think about it, and if it benefits the town in some way, all the better.”

  Gary shook his head. “The way you talk, it’s like Henry Adams is made out of money.”

  “You don’t know the half of it.”

  They stood silent for a moment and scanned the old house. Trent smiled at a memory that came to mind. “Remember when we had your sixteenth birthday party here?”

  Gary laughed and choked on the swallow of water he’d just taken in. “Twenty minutes after the party started, my mother found out we’d spiked the punch and shut us down. Sent everybody home.”

  “Shortest sweet sixteen party in town history.”

  “Maybelle Clark was a pistol.”

  “Your old man was no slouch, either. Remember the day he head-butted Mal during the Super Bowl because Mal said Terry Bradshaw couldn’t read?”

  Gary laughed. “Forgot about that. He was something.” Gary quieted for a moment, as if thinking back. “Pops would say I’d made a mess of my life.”

  “I don’t think he would.”

  “He wanted me to be the first Clark to study law. And then I met Colleen.”

  Trent stayed quiet.

  “Who knew that hiding beneath all that beauty was the Wicked Witch of the West?” Gary asked bitterly. “When she told me she was pregnant, I stepped up. It’s what a man’s supposed to do, right?”

  “You did the honorable thing.”

  “Some honor. Told me three days after the wedding that she’d lost the baby. I should have split then, but when her father offered me part ownership of the dealership . . .” His words trailed off as if he didn’t need to explain more. “My father never liked her or her family.”

  Trent hadn’t either, but he kept that to himself. “So now, you get to do what you always wanted to do, whatever it is.”

  “I’ll have to think on that one. When can I see this trailer?”

  “Now if you like. Tamar said she’d leave the keys out. Rocky lives in one of the other trailers, so you’ll have her as a neighbor.”

  “What happened between her and Bobby Lee? One minute I hear she’s married. Next thing she’s divorced, gone, and now she’s back.”

  “You’ll have to ask her.” No way was Trent going to reveal that Rocky had divorced Bob because she found him wearing her underwear. If she chose to share with Gary, she would.

  “It’s going to be strange living here again after all this time away. When you and I were growing up, we swore we’d leave Graham County and never come back, remember?”

  “I do. Glad to be back, though.”

  “Me, too.”

  They spent a few more minutes looking at Gary’s old house and talking about the past before he turned to Trent and said in words that sounded like they came from deep in his heart, “Thanks, man.”

  “It’s what friends are for. Now let’s get over to Tamar’s and pick up your keys so that you and your girls can get out of that motel.”

  Gary nodded solemnly.

  As they got back in the truck, Trent didn’t remark on the tears standing in Gary’s eyes, because that’s what friends were for, too.

  After spending the flight discussing Genevieve, Riley, Preston, the Clarks, and the rest of the Henry Adams goings-on, Lily looked out the window as Bernadine’s snow-white jet touched down at a small private airport outside Miami. Once they deplaned, they entered a sleek black town car and were whisked away.

  The meeting with the banker was to be held not in an office building but at a beautiful estate on the water. As the hired car moved slowly past the armed security guards posted at the entrance of the elaborate wrought-iron gates, Lily could feel her eyes starting to bug at the surroundings, but she took her cue from Bernadine and acted as if she traveled to swanky places like this on a regular basis. Inwardly, however, she was awed by the riotous colors of the lush tropical flowers lining the cobbled drive, the beautiful fountains, and the glimpses of the blue ocean that dotted the way. “Who lives here?”

  “Tina Craig.”

  Lily paused, surprised. “Your friend Tina, who helped us get Tamar’s land back from Morton Prell before Cletus sat on him and killed him?”

  “Yep. She heads up the investment committee for the Bottom Women’s Society, and this land buy is her baby.”

  The Bottom Women’s Society was an organization whose members were the divorced first wives of some of the wealthiest men in the world. Collectively they had their expensively manicured fingers in every pie, from technology to real estate to micro loans awarded to female business owners in developing countries. The society also threw one heck of an annual convention, as Lily found out when she and Crystal attended last summer’s bash as Bernadine’s guests.

  The car eased to a halt at the front entrance of the pink brick mansion, and all Lily could do was stare, impressed by the sprawling beauty of the home and the lush surrounding grounds. “You all live very, very large,” Lily noted aloud.

  Bernadine’s eyes twinkled. “Have to do something with all this money.”

  The driver opened the door and politely handed them both out. A tall, tanned, dark-haired woman dressed in a flowing white tunic and matching capris hurried out of the front door to meet them. She had gold hanging from her ears, neck, and wrists, and jeweled sandals on her bare feet.

  “Bernadine!” she screamed. The two embraced with affection and glee while Lily looked on with a smile.

  Bernadine introduced Lily.

  Tina said, “Lily Fontaine. I talked with you on the phone when we were deal
ing with that old thief Prell.”

  “Yes. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

  “Same here. Love that name. Lily Fontaine. Like I said before, sounds like one of those old burlesque queens.”

  They were led through a covered brick archway that opened out onto a large outdoor room facing the ocean.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Lily said, blown away. “Would you look at the view!”

  The water was as blue as a jewel, and the white sails of ships could be seen off in the distance. It was so quiet you could hear the breeze.

  “Main reason I purchased this land,” Tina confessed. “Told the architect, if she couldn’t build me a house on this bluff, then find me someone who could.” Tina then went silent for a few moments before adding, “Lots of peace here.”

  “It is beautiful,” Bernadine replied.

  Lily agreed. She imagined standing arm in arm with Trent and looking out at the view while surrounded by the beauty and silence. If Bernadine could find a place like this for the honeymoon, Lily would gladly let her foot the bill.

  When Lily came back to the present, Tina was directing Bernadine over to a table that held a full-scale model of a sprawling, Vegas-style hotel and apartment complex. Curious, she strolled over to join them.

  “This is nice,” Bernadine declared, slowly walking around the rendering to get a full view. “Very nice. How much are we throwing in apiece?”

  Tina quoted a number that made Lily’s eyes roll back in her head, but Bernadine didn’t even blink.

  “The city has already purchased the property,” Tina told her. “Soon as all the legal beagles are done barking at each other, we just have to sign the contract and transfer our funds to the developer’s account.”

  Bernadine looked up from the model and asked quietly, “So why do I get the impression that something’s not quite right?”

  “You are good, B,” Tina declared, smiling.

  Bernadine inclined her head as if acknowledging the fact. “So what’s up?”

  Before answering, Tina gestured them to take seats and then poured three glasses of ice-cold sangria from a chilled glass pitcher sitting on top of a tea cart. She passed them their drinks and sat down with her own. “Everybody knows that profit is my middle name. Always has been.”

  “True,” Bernadine replied.

  “But the older I get, the more I wonder if maybe pursuing profit with a lowercase p instead of a capital P is better for my soul.” She looked Bernadine’s way and asked, “Do you know what I mean?”

  “I do. It’s sort of what I’m doing with Henry Adams.”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “So what is it about this development that has you second-guessing yourself?”

  “One of the places the city will be demolishing is an old church. Can’t be good karma in that,” she noted sagely before taking a sip from her glass.

  “Is the church closed or occupied?” Lily asked.

  “Services every Sunday.”

  Bernadine looked to Lily, who simply shrugged in reply, but Lily had to agree with Tina. Bulldozing a church so that a bunch of developers could put up a luxury hotel just didn’t seem right.

  “Have you talked to whoever the pastor is?” Bernadine wanted to know.

  “No, but I did talk to the head bishop.”

  “He going to fight the city over the plan?”

  Tina shook her head. “No. He said the diocese, I think he called it, thought they were given a fair price for the land, and that they looked forward to doing good things with the payment.”

  “Sounds reasonable, but I understand what you’re feeling. I’m willing to let you make the call on this. If you want to take our money elsewhere, that’s fine with me.”

  “That’s what the other members said, too.”

  “Then take some time and think it over. All this peace here—you’ll make the right choice.”

  “Thanks, Bernadine.”

  “No problem. Maybe I’ll have our driver take us by the church so I can get a look at it, too.”

  “It was probably gorgeous in its prime, but time hasn’t been kind. You’ll see why the bishop was so willing to sell.”

  They spent a few more minutes talking about the model’s potential and catching each other up on some of the organization’s doings and gossip, and then it was time for Lily and Bernadine to leave.

  Tina shared a long tight hug with Bernadine and gave Lily a hug as well.

  “I hear you’re getting married, Lily.”

  Lily shot Bernadine a questioning look.

  “Guilty as charged.”

  Tina said, “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you. He’s a very special man.”

  “You’ve been a godsend to Bernadine, so if there is anything I can do to help make your wedding-day dreams come true, just let me know.”

  All Lily could think was now she had two got-rocks women wanting to help, but aloud, she said genuinely, “I will, Tina. Thank you.”

  Tina walked them to the car and waved until they were out of sight.

  Bernadine gave the driver the church’s address and said to Lily, “Let’s do that first, and we’ll tackle Mission Zoey next.”

  Lily agreed, but she didn’t hold out much hope for getting answers on Zoey. On the flight down, they’d talked to Roni in New York, and she was sending them lots of luck and love. Lily promised her she’d call right away if anything turned up.

  They settled in for the ride, and Bernadine glanced her way. “Tina meant what she said about the wedding.”

  “I know, and I’m not sure who scares me most, her or you.”

  When the driver pulled up in front of the church, Lily looked out at the crumbling old building and the desolate neighborhood its weathered spires rose above. She agreed with Tina that it probably had been grand in its heyday, but now the Gothic carved doors looked to welcome only the tired and poor.

  “It is in pretty bad shape,” Bernadine remarked solemnly.

  “Yes, it is. What do you want to do?”

  “Not sure, but let’s go in and see if we can find somebody to talk to about the sale.” She asked the driver, “Is there a parking lot?”

  “Yep.”

  “Pull in, then. We’re going to run in.”

  “Not the best neighborhood.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Bernadine agreed.

  They could see young men lounging in doorways. They and everyone else moving along the trash-cluttered street were eyeing the big fine car.

  Lily asked the driver. “Will you be okay?”

  “Ladies, I am armed and dangerous. You two go on in. I’ll be fine here until you get back.”

  With those words of assurance, Lily and Bernadine left the car and walked across the lot to the nearest door. Due to the questionable neighborhood, Lily expected to find the steel door locked, but it opened easily.

  Inside they were met by an echoing silence that seemed to resonate to the soul. To their left lay the sanctuary with its dark wood pews, but instead of rows of pews leading to the altar and the pulpit, there were only five pews, and none were near any of the others.

  “Look at the cross, Lily.”

  Bernadine’s soft voice drew her eyes up to the large cross hanging on the wall high above the simple altar. It appeared to be made from two old pieces of wood that might have come from an alley or from someone’s garage. “Found wood” is what Trent would have probably called it. The sight of it was both moving and heartbreaking.

  “Whoever is in charge here has been making a way out of no way, Bernadine.”

  “Amen.”

  From somewhere within the building came the sound of a woman’s voice singing Yolanda Adams’s “I’m Gonna Be Ready.”

  “Nice voice. Alto.”

  Bernadine nodded with agreement before calling out, “Hello!”

  The singing stopped, followed by, “Hold on. I’ll be right there.”

  While they waited, Lily looked around the sanctuary again and to
ok in the peeling plaster, the three boarded-up windows, and the two intact ones guarded by security bars. Tina said there was a service held every Sunday, but Lily couldn’t help but wonder how many people attended.

  Around the corner came a fast-walking, short, thin, brown-skinned woman. She was wearing a ball cap, a black short-sleeved shirt topped by a white clerical collar, dust-covered jeans, and red cowboy boots. She appeared to be in her forties, but women of color aged so gracefully that it was hard to determine if the estimate was true or not.

  The woman glanced curiously between Lily and Bernadine. “Good afternoon. Can I help you?”

  “Are you the pastor?” Bernadine asked.

  “Yes. I’m Reverend Paula Grant.”

  Bernadine introduced herself and then Lily. “Would it be okay if Lily and I talked to you about the sale of the church?”

  The women studied Bernadine for a long moment. “May I ask why?”

  “I’m one of the potential investors in the development going up, and I want to make sure my friends and I are doing the right thing.”

  The priest seemed to evaluate them and the request. She finally gestured. “This way. We’ll talk in my office.”

  It was a tiny, cramped space filled with old furniture and a large number of open, half-packed boxes. Dark wood that matched the wood of the pews in the sanctuary made up the office’s built-in bookcases. From the open spaces on the shelves and what Lily could see of the contents in the boxes, the books were being packed away.

  The reverend moved some of the boxes to reveal the chairs hidden beneath. Bernadine and Lily took seats, and she went behind her desk to an old leather recliner. “So what would you like to know?”

  “Are you okay with the sale?”

  “No, but my bishop made a strong case for why he wouldn’t be opposing it, so I’m packing up. Not much else I can do.”

  “How long before you have to leave?”

  “Officially, the church will be padlocked in less than thirty days.”

  Lily could tell that she was deeply saddened by the news. “Where do you go from here?”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. The bishop has no other church for me, so I’ll have to wait and see where the Spirit leads me next.” She studied Bernadine for a moment before adding, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a Black woman having the cash to invest at the level the city is asking from the developers.”