The Preachers Son

by Carl Weber

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” I asked with mock insult.

  He smiled. “You’re starting to like her, aren’t you?”

  I gave him a half smile then looked in the opposite direction. “I might be changing my opinion of her just as long as she doesn’t try and stop you from going to seminary. People are entitled to change their opinions, aren’t they?”

  “Yes, they are.” He continued to stare at me. “It’s just that I’m not used to seeing you do it. It’s weird enough to see you accepting Shorty, but now to hear that you’re changing your opinion of Tanisha, I’m not sure what’s going on. You’re not drunk, are you? How much champagne have you had tonight, anyway?” he teased.

  “Be quiet, boy.” I pushed him away from me playfully then smoothed my skirt and put on my best first lady face. “Stop teasing your mother and go to the bathroom so you can find your date. Tomorrow at church I don’t wanna hear about her being seen spending time with someone else. That would probably change my opinion of her again.”

  “Okay, Ma, but don’t forget to save me a dance. I’ll be back.” He kissed me again and left.

  I watched him cross the room. He glanced at Shorty and Donna, and I was happy to see his face didn’t fold into a frown. Ever since he had found out that Shorty was the father of Donna’s baby, he hadn’t been able to even be in the same room with him. I guess he had felt as betrayed as I had felt disappointed. Perhaps he was seeing the same thing I was now—Shorty’s devotion to Donna.

  I noticed that I wasn’t the only one whose eyes were on my handsome son as he went toward the lobby. Quiet a few of the young ladies in attendance were watching him, too. Dante had always been popular among the young women of the church, and even many of their mothers, who would be more than happy to marry their daughters off to the son of the bishop. But there was one woman in particular watching him who had no business staring at my son at all. Anita Emerson was a married woman, yet she was eyeing Dante like he was a glass of cool water and she’d been lost in the desert and needed a drink. When she got up from the table and gave her husband a peck on the cheek before making her own way to the lobby, I had seen enough.

  I crossed the reception hall and went straight to the lobby to check on things myself. There were several guests standing around in the lobby, but I didn’t see Dante, Tanisha, or Anita anywhere. I decided to check outside. Some of the guests were stepping out to enjoy the cool evening air. Maybe Dante had gone out there to look for Tanisha.

  When I exited the hotel, I didn’t see Dante, but I spotted Tanisha right away. She was standing at the other end of the building, and it looked like she was in a heated conversation with Anita. I wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, but it wasn’t hard to read their body language and know that this was no polite banter between my son’s girlfriend and the deacon’s wife. I headed toward them.

  As I got closer, I heard Anita saying, “You better think about what I’m saying. Don’t nobody want you here. I heard the first lady tell the bishop she wanted your ass outta here, so if I was you, I would get to steppin’ before you embarrass yourself and Dante.”

  Oh no, she didn’t, I thought. Nobody speaks for me but me, and I was about to let her know it.

  “I’m not going anywhe—” I placed my hand on Tanisha’s shoulder, greeting her with a smile.

  “Excuse me, Tanisha. Do you think I could speak to Sister Emerson alone for a minute? It’s church business.”

  Both of them looked shocked to see me, but I also saw a look of relief pass across Tanisha’s face.

  “No problem, First Lady Wilson. Anita and I were just finishing our conversation. Weren’t we, Anita?” Anita didn’t say a word.

  “Oh, by the way, Tanisha, you don’t have a problem with Dante going to seminary, do you?”

  “No, ma’am, that’s between him and God.”

  “Good, I think Dante’s looking for you. He said something about wanting to dance.”

  “Oh, okay, thanks. I’ll go find him right away.” She smirked at Anita. “Have…a nice night, Anita. I know I will.”

  Once Tanisha was far enough away, I said, “Why don’t we step over here around the corner, Sister Emerson?”

  “Actually, First Lady, it’s getting a little breezy out here. Maybe we should talk inside?” She couldn’t hide the fear in her eyes, and I wanted to laugh. She knew I had heard her threatening Tanisha, and she knew there was no way out now. She tried to walk past me. I put my arm up to stop her.

  “No, I think you’ll prefer to be out here where no one can hear us.”

  She looked toward the entrance as if someone might be there to rescue her, but we were alone. She sighed and followed me around the side of the building. I wasted no time putting her in her place.

  “Anita, I’m going to say something I should have told you a long time ago.” I delivered the words slowly and clearly, so there would be no mistaking the seriousness of my message. “Stay away from my son and his girlfriend.”

  She still had the nerve to try to play dumb.

  “I don’t understand, First Lady. We were just talking.” She gave a nervous laugh.

  “What’s not to understand? I said stay away from my son and his girlfriend.” I took a step closer and got in her face. “Do you understand now?”

  “Yes, First Lady, but I’m not the one you should be concerned with. That girl is. You don’t know her background. She’s not good for Dante and she’s not good for the church.” I’m sure the second she mentioned the church, she expected me to back off.

  “And I guess you and him are better for the church?”

  “Well, yes…I mean no…I mean…I’m a married woman. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. Me and Dante, we’re just good friends. I don’t wanna see him get hurt.”

  “Is that right? So, were you just good friends all those times you were in his office with the door locked? What about those times before he had a car and you used to drop him off at the house at three and four o’clock in the morning?”

  “I…” Her mouth opened and she tried to speak, but after the first word she froze.

  “That’s right, Anita. I know about you and Dante, so don’t bother to try and lie your way out of this one. Did you really think that you could have an affair with my son for two years and I wouldn’t know about it? I’m the first lady, Anita. You of all people should have known that nothing happens inside that church without my knowledge. And I mean nothing.”

  “You knew?” she asked, sounding both embarrassed and horrified.

  “Of course I knew. I also knew that Dante was becoming a man, and I wasn’t going to be able to stop him from sowing his oats. I figured that at least with you I wouldn’t have to worry as much. Some of these young girls out here will get pregnant in a heartbeat to trap a man, but I figured you wouldn’t do that. You had too much to lose, seeing as how you were the bishop’s secretary and so much older than Dante. You would have been thrown out of the church in the blink of an eye.”

  She still had nothing to say, so I continued.

  “You do know I pushed the deacon to ask you to marry him, don’t you? And you were so predictable. I just knew you wouldn’t be able to resist his money and you couldn’t, could you? You don’t know how relieved I was when you got married and moved to Florida, putting an end to your little fling with Dante.”

  I must have struck a nerve, because she finally spoke, sounding indignant. “It wasn’t just a fling!”

  “Wasn’t it? What else would you call something you had to hide? But it doesn’t matter now anyway, does it, because you’re going to leave him alone. My son isn’t interested in you anymore, Anita. He’s moved on, and I suggest you do the same.”

  “Oh, please,” she spat. “You can’t possibly approve of that, that…relationship.”

  “Whether I do or not, it’s none of your business, Anita.”

  “Oh, I think you might be happy that I made it my business when I tell you what I found out
about that girl. The girl’s a tramp. Don’t let that cheap suit fool you. That little hood rat is a—”

  I put my hand up to stop her. “You let me worry about Tanisha. She’s my problem, not yours. But let’s put it this way: Whatever she is, I approve of her a lot more than I approve of you. Besides, you’ve got bigger things to worry about, like what you’re going to do if I tell Deacon Emerson about your obsession with my son. Did you know he still keeps your naked pictures with his old baseball cards? Wouldn’t Deacon Emerson love to see them?”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” she said angrily.

  “I wouldn’t? Actually, Anita, you have no idea what I’m capable of, do you? I’ve ruined much better people’s lives than yours. But I will tell you this—I will do whatever it takes to protect my son, and that includes whipping your ass with my own two hands if necessary. Do I make myself clear?” I reached up and took off one earring then the other. The look of shock followed by the look of defeat on her face was just what I had intended.

  “You’re making a big mistake. When you find out the truth about Tanisha, you’ll wish Dante had stayed with me,” she said before storming off.

  I put my earrings back on before I came around the side of the building and headed back to the reception. I didn’t want to be seen walking back into the hotel anywhere near Anita. The look on her face was enough to get even the most pious church members gossiping.

  I was satisfied that Anita had gotten my message when I entered the lobby and saw Deacon Emerson waiting at the coat check area.

  “Deacon,” I said as I approached him. “Leaving already?”

  “Yes, I’m afraid Anita isn’t feeling well. Once she comes out of the ladies’ room, I’m taking her home.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.” I gave him a sympathetic gaze, though I wanted to laugh. “Well, thank you so much for coming. I’ll see you tomorrow at church.”

  “I sure hope so. It all depends on how well Anita feels in the morning.”

  “Of course,” I answered as I patted his hand. “You take care now, Deacon.” I waited until I turned my back to him before I allowed myself to smile. I was sure Anita would not be feeling well enough to attend services in the morning. And she’d be feeling even worse once I figured out a way to convince T.K. that she needed to be removed from her job as his secretary. Like I said, I would do anything for my son.

  34

  Shorty

  It was almost one o’clock in the morning when I struggled to carry Donna over the threshold of our honeymoon suite at the Long Island Marriott. Somehow we had gotten through the two weeks since she’d announced our engagement, and we’d made it to the wedding. Poor Donna had been so stressed that at times I wondered if she was really going to meet me at the altar, but she kept reassuring me that she was fine. She told me that her mood swings were related to the pregnancy, and the nervousness was just because of the pressure she was feeling to get married so quickly.

  At the time I worried that she was really still harboring feelings for Reverend Reynolds. After all, it wasn’t even a month ago that she was in my house telling me how certain she was that he would marry her once he found out about the baby. Again, she was reassuring, telling me that she was over him and ready to move on. All I could do was hope she was telling me the truth and show her in as many ways as possible that I loved her with all my heart. Apparently she was starting to believe it, because she held my arm tightly and rolled her eyes at that piece of shit Reverend Reynolds when he and his wife came up to congratulate us at the reception. He really had some nerve showing up at all.

  Now that the stress of the ceremony and the reception was over, I was happy to get back to the room with Donna. As strange as the circumstances of our marriage were, I couldn’t wait to spend a lifetime with her. Tonight was our first night together as husband and wife, and I was hoping that Donna would be more relaxed now that the wedding was behind us. Of course, I was also looking forward to consummating the marriage. Ooh, I couldn’t wait. I figured I wouldn’t have to use a condom since she was already pregnant, and we were both HIV negative when we did the blood tests for the marriage license.

  After I carried Donna across the threshold, she sat on the bed and started to slip her wedding gown off her shoulders. She seemed limp with exhaustion. I was pretty darn tired, too. Getting married was a lot more stressful than you would think. I had already ordered a bottle of sparkling cider instead of champagne for the room since Donna couldn’t have alcohol while she was pregnant. I wanted to share a toast to our wedding night before we made love for the very first time.

  I was a little funky from all the dancing, so I decided to jump in the shower real quick before we got down to business. I soaped my body down in the shower, whistling the whole time. This had to be the happiest day of my life. After years of wanting her, I was finally going to make love to Donna. I knew I had to be careful with her being pregnant and all, so I decided I would take it slow. That was going to be hard, seeing as how I’d fantasized about this moment since we were teens.

  I dried off with the thick towels the hotel provided, then eased into the bedroom part of our suite, the towel wrapped around my waist. Donna was stretched out across the silk comforter, snoring loudly. I noticed she was still wearing her slip. The little bulge beneath her navel warmed my heart. “Our baby,” I said out loud to get used to the sound, then I nudged her gently.

  “Baby, wake up.”

  Donna mumbled sleepily, “Ten more minutes, Ma. I promise I’ll get up in ten more minutes.”

  “Honey, it’s me. Shorty.”

  She opened her eyes halfway. “Shorty, what you want? I’m tired.”

  “I want you. Wake up. It’s our wedding night.” I ran my hand across her body.

  “Stop.” She slapped my hand away.

  “Come on, Donna. Wake up. I’ll be gentle.”

  “No, Shorty, I’m pooped. This has been a long day.”

  “I know. I’ll make it quick.” I was reduced to pleading. This wasn’t exactly the romantic wedding night I had imagined.

  “No, I’m tired.” She rolled over.

  “Donna, you promised.”

  “Let’s do it tomorrow,” she whined, half asleep.

  I shook my head and smiled at my bride. “Okay, slide under the covers.”

  I tucked her in, and she was back to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. I smiled at my sleeping beauty, then kissed her on the forehead. As much as I hated to wait one more day to make love to Donna, I was elated at the thought that I had the rest of my life to be with her.

  Tomorrow, it was on. Only what was I gonna do now? After a shower and the anticipation of getting some, I was now wide awake. I decided I would go down to the hotel lounge and have a drink by myself. As soon as I entered the lounge, I spotted Dante. I hesitated to greet him at first, seeing as how we had just fought a couple of days before the wedding. I must admit, though, he did act cordial all throughout the wedding events. I headed for the bar, thinking maybe I would speak to him after a while. To my surprise, he rose, strolled over, and met me at the bar.

  “I think we should talk,” he said.

  “Look, Dante, I’m not trying to fight with you. It’s my wedding day. Last time you wanted to talk, you punched me in the eye.”

  “I’m sorry, Shorty. Things got a little out of hand. Let me buy you a drink and make it up to you.”

  “Aw’ight,” I said tentatively. I wasn’t sure what he was up to. After last week I’d learned not to assume Dante would control himself, even if we were in a public place.

  “Man, I really hated you at first, but after seeing how happy you were today, I think I was wrong. You really love my sister, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I really do, man.”

  “You know, I’m starting to believe you.” We did the brother handshake followed by a hug. “You’re not just my friend anymore, Shorty. You’re my brother now.”

  “D, man, I feel the same way.”

 
I couldn’t find the words to tell him how thankful I was that we were friends again, but I could tell by the look on his face that he already knew.

  I felt relieved to know I now had Dante’s blessings. I ordered a shot of cognac.

  “Where’s Donna, man?”

  “She’s upstairs ’sleep. With the baby and everything, she’s exhausted. I tucked her in and she was calling the hogs before I could leave the room. I thought I’d just come down and have a drink before I go to bed.”

  Dante stood to leave. “Yeah, I probably should get upstairs myself. My parents think I brought Tanisha home, but she’s up in my room waiting for me. I better get up there before she falls asleep. Yo, I’m in Room 1206. Come check me in the morning. We can all have breakfast.”

  “Aw’ight. I’m right down the hall in 1276, the honeymoon suite.” He started to walk away. “Hey, Dante, you really like her, don’t you?”

  I had been wrestling with my conscience ever since I’d met Tanisha at the rehearsal dinner. Dante obviously cared a lot about this woman, and I didn’t know if it was my place to tell him what I knew about her. On the one hand, I knew she wasn’t exactly the kind of woman his parents would approve of. Maybe it would be best for me to tell him so he could decide what to do about it before the news somehow got to his parents. On the other hand, maybe he wouldn’t care what his parents thought. After all, he had remained a true friend to me no matter how many times his mother tried to convince him how bad I was. Maybe I was better off staying out of it, especially since our friendship was more than a little fragile right now. Unfortunately, he must have sensed something in my body language or the way I asked my question, because now he knew something was wrong.

  “Yeah, I do. Why?” he asked with suspicion.

  It felt too late to turn back now. I had to tell him and just hope that I wasn’t breaking the very fine threads that were holding together our friendship at the moment.

  “As your brother, I have something I think you need to know.”

  The grimace that came across his face told me that he was thinking the worst. He asked, “You slept with her, didn’t you?”