The Preachers Son

by Carl Weber

  “No, it’s not that, Ma. Believe it or not, Shorty and I made up last night. I don’t have no beef with him. I have some other things on my mind.” He rubbed his eyes.

  “Well, maybe I have some news that’ll cheer you up.” I sat down in the chair next to him.

  “I doubt it,” he answered.

  “Oh, just listen for a second. You might just get a kick out of what I have to tell you.” I put down my coffee mug and smiled.

  He sighed as if nothing I could say would cheer him up. “Go ahead, Ma.”

  “I had a little talk with Anita Emerson last night,” I said, waiting for his response.

  His eyes became dark and serious. I had his attention now. Anita must have been more of a pain in his ass than I thought. “About what?”

  “About you. I don’t think she’ll be bothering you or Tanisha anymore.”

  He tilted his head and stared at me silently, probably unsure how to respond.

  “Dante? Did you hear me? She not going to bother you anymore.”

  “What do you mean, bother me?”

  I gave him a patronizing smile. “It’s okay, son. You don’t have to pretend anymore. I know all about you and Anita.”

  He almost dropped his cup of coffee. “You knew?”

  “Don’t look so surprised.” I grinned. “A mother’s supposed to know these things.”

  “Mom—I…” He couldn’t even finish his sentence. I don’t think that in a million years he would have thought I knew about him and Anita. Like Anita, he must have thought they were so thorough. “How long did you know?”

  “Long enough to know you two were pretty serious for a while.”

  “If you knew, why didn’t you say something?”

  I hesitated for a second. “What, and drive you into her arms further? No, thank you. You thought you were in love, Dante, but I knew it was only a matter of time before you’d split up, especially with Deacon Emerson around, so I just sat back and waited.”

  “What do you mean? How’d you know she’d choose Deacon Emerson over me? I thought she loved me.”

  “I think she did. But you were missing one key element that a woman like Anita needs—security. When faced with love or security, an older woman will take security every time. She wants to feel like she’s being taken care of, and you were a young college student. You couldn’t give her that, Dante.”

  “So you’re saying that her marrying Deacon Emerson had absolutely nothing to do with love?”

  I knew my words were hurting him, but he had to hear the truth.

  “Yes, that’s what I’m saying. She chose him for security. Maybe she figured she could learn to love him later. And from what I can see, she has.”

  “So why is she after me now?”

  “Plain and simple—sex. Anita is thirty-five years old. She’s in her sexual prime. Ain’t no way old-behind Deacon Emerson can compete with a twenty-two-year-old man, even with Viagra. She wants the best of both worlds. But believe me, she’s not leaving him.”

  Dante shook his head. “You know, Ma, maybe you’re a better judge of character than I thought, because that is all she seemed to want. Did the bishop know?”

  “No, that’s one of the few things I’ve kept from him over the years. Why don’t we keep this as our little secret, huh?”

  “Sure, Ma…I still can’t believe you knew. You’re a lot cooler than I thought, you know that?” He smiled for the first time.

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “You should,” he said. “I’m also glad you let things run their natural course with Anita. If you had interfered, I would have never known that woman has some real issues. I mean, can you imagine if I had ended up marrying her?”

  “Let’s not even go there, Dante. Just be happy that now she won’t be bothering you with those issues. Not after the conversation we had last night. I’m certain she’ll leave you alone so that you and Tanisha can be together.”

  A frown took over Dante’s face at the mention of Tanisha’s name. Something was obviously wrong between them.

  “Me and Tanisha?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Me and Tanisha are as over as me and Anita.”

  “What are you talking about? I thought you really cared about her.” I gave him a curt look. “Besides, I’m just starting to like her, and you know your father does too.”

  “I did care for her. I do care for her. Ma, I was gonna ask her to marry me,” he admitted, which stunned me, “but I just found out she’s a…” He turned his face away from me as he said, “She was a stripper.”

  “Is a stripper or was a stripper? I was told she stopped.”

  He turned his head quickly toward me. “What did you say?”

  I’d paid a lot of money to have Tanisha checked out, and all my sources said she had stopped stripping. Of course, Dante didn’t need to know I’d “researched” his girlfriend, so I conveniently avoided that information. His expression told me he already understood that I had done it, so I decided there was no reason to discuss it. “I said, is she still stripping?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  I let out a sigh. “Then what’s the problem?”

  “What did you say?” He raised his eyebrows and asked again in utter amazement. “Ma, are you saying you knew about Tanisha’s job and you’re still telling me to be with her?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m telling you, Dante. Believe it or not, I’ve learned a few things lately. Better yet, I’ve remembered some things I’d forgotten.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, I’ve spent a lot of years worrying about keeping up appearances for myself and this family. That’s why when Donna got pregnant, it was so hard for me to forgive her. Your father was able to forgive her right away, but I was too busy worrying about what people would think. Then yesterday at the wedding I saw just how much Shorty adores her, flaws and all, and I saw how many other people at that wedding were happy for the two of them. Sure, some people will still gossip when Donna’s baby comes sooner than nine months, but in the end, as long as she and Shorty are a loving couple and good parents, people will eventually forget mistakes they made in the past.”

  “I hope you’re right, Momma. But what does that have to do with Tanisha? Aren’t you worried that my dating her would wreck the bishop’s chances in the election?”

  “You did say that she used to work in that place, right?”

  “Yeah. She stopped when she got custody of her brother, but—”

  I cut him off. “Don’t worry about the election. We’ll find some way to spin it in our favor if her background comes out. I can see the headline now: ‘Bishop Wilson’s Son Dates Ex-Stripper Who Reformed Her Life.’”

  “But what about me? I just don’t know if I can forget that she was working there.”

  I reached out and placed my hand on his. “Dante, we all make mistakes. I’ve made some of the biggest. What she did in the past isn’t all she is. What really matters is what she plans to do with her life from this day forward. If you really love Tanisha, then I think you should work this out.”

  “Momma, I don’t even know what to say right now. You were always telling me to choose my friends more wisely. You hated Shorty because he didn’t come from the same background as us. Now all of a sudden you’re telling me to forget Tanisha’s past and stay with her. It just doesn’t make sense.”

  “Like I said, Dante, I remembered some things that were important, and it may seem a little late to you, but I still want you to learn from my mistakes. Don’t do what I’ve done for so many years. Don’t worry about what other people might think. Let your heart guide you.”

  “You know, Momma,” he finally said, “I think you might be right. But I want you to tell me something, and be completely honest.”

  “What is it?”

  “If Tanisha and I can get through this, I want to ask her to marry me. I know you’re saying you’ve turned over a new leaf or whatever, but are you sure—I mean really sure—that yo
u aren’t gonna all of a sudden freak out about the bishop’s campaign and change your mind about her?”

  I laughed and looked at him affectionately. “You know, Dante, I might actually enjoy planning another wedding. I’m pretty good at it, if I do say so myself.”

  He hugged me. “You know, Ma, I’m starting to like the kinder and gentler you.”

  When he released me, I looked at my son as a man for the first time. “Well, I should be getting ready to get to church. Before I go, though, I’d like to give you something.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  “It’s a ring. It belonged to my great-aunt Elizabeth, and I’ve been keeping it for years, hoping to give it to one of my children someday. Shorty insisted on buying Donna’s ring, so I couldn’t give it to her. I want you to have it, so that when the time is right, you can give it to Tanisha or some other girl.”

  “Ma, you really have changed.”

  “No, son, I’ve just realized that you and your sister have grown up and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. So I might as well accept it. I guess it’s time for me to stop thinking about being a mother and start thinking about being a grandmother.”

  38

  Dante

  My mother left the room to get the ring. I sat at the table and wondered about what had just happened. It wasn’t easy to digest the fact that my mother was so different from what I had thought my whole life. As a matter of fact, as I looked back, she wasn’t the only one who had surprised me. Anita had turned out to be borderline psycho, Shorty had amazed me with the depth of his love for Donna, and Tanisha turned out to have a secret I would never have expected. All of these people who I thought I knew had turned out to be much more than what I saw. When it came right down to it, I had learned a very valuable life lesson. I’d heard it a million times before, but now I really understood what it meant when they said don’t judge a book by its cover.

  As I waited for my mother to return, the phone rang. I paused to see if my mother or the bishop was going to answer it. When it continued to ring, I picked up the phone. “Hello?”

  “Dante!” It was Shorty, and he sounded frantic.

  “Yo, dude, what’s up? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s your sister, man. She started bleeding, Dante. She might lose the baby.”

  I jumped out of my chair. “Oh my God. What happened? Where is she now?” I questioned rapidly.

  “They’re taking her to the hospital—”

  I cut him off.

  “They? Who’s taking her to the hospital?”

  “The paramedics. I’m right behind them.”

  “Why aren’t you with her?”

  “Because Tanisha’s with her.”

  “Tanisha? What the hell is she doing with her?”

  “When I found out Donna was bleeding, I went down to your room to get you but you were already gone. Man, I was freaking out, bro, but Tanisha was so cool, calm, and collected, Dante. If it wasn’t for her keeping Donna calm until the paramedics got there, I don’t know what might have happened. Yo, I think she might have saved your sister’s life.”

  “Did they say anything? Is she all right? Is the baby all right?”

  “The paramedics couldn’t tell. She was crying, but she said she wasn’t in any pain. There was just blood everywhere.”

  I said a quick, silent prayer. “What hospital did they take her to?”

  “Nassau County Medical Center.”

  “Don’t let anything happen to my sister, Shorty. We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  “I won’t, man. I love that girl.”

  I hung up the phone and ran to tell my parents.

  By the time we made it from Queens to the hospital on Long Island, Shorty had already spoken to Donna’s doctor, so he explained what he had been told. It was good news. It turned out that Donna was only spotting blood because of all the stress of her wedding day. She had been in the shower when it happened, so the water on her skin had mixed with the blood to make it appear like much more blood than it really was. The doctors examined her internally and did an ultrasound, and the baby was fine. The doctor wanted to put Donna on bed rest until she made it to her last trimester, but we were all relieved that she and the baby were going to be okay.

  Shorty filled my parents in on the drama that had unfolded at the hotel once Donna came out of the shower. While they listened, I went into the triage area, where Donna was being held for observation. Hopefully she would be released in a few hours.

  “Hey, little sister. You okay? You really had us all scared there for a while.” I kissed her forehead.

  “You were scared? How do you think I felt?” she answered, her hand cradling her stomach.

  “I know, but the doctor says everything looks good, right?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be on bed rest, I guess. I might be bored out of my mind, but I’ll do whatever it takes to keep this baby.”

  I smiled at her and placed a hand on her stomach. My little niece or nephew was going to be fine.

  “Where’s Tanisha?” she asked. “And where were you this morning, anyway?”

  “Donna, I don’t know if you need to hear about all that right now. You don’t need anything stressing you out. But trust me, as soon as I know you’re feeling better and the baby’s safe, I have some stories to tell you about Tanisha that you’re not gonna believe.”

  She glared at me. “You mean about her being a stripper?”

  “Yeah. How’d you know?” First Shorty, then my mother, and now Donna; was I the only one who didn’t know about Tanisha?

  “She told me on the way over here. You should have seen her this morning, Dante. I don’t know what I would have done if she wasn’t there to keep me calm. Poor Shorty was running around like a chicken with his head cut off, but Tanisha was there for me. You need to stay with that girl, Dante. I need someone like Tanisha to help me out with you two fools.”

  I laughed at the image of Shorty in a panic, but my smile quickly faded. “I guess she told you about our fight, huh? I don’t know what to do about her, Donna. Even if I try, I don’t know if she’ll wanna talk to me after how I was last night.”

  “Dante, trust me. That girl loves you. Whatever you did, she’ll forgive you. You just have to talk to her.”

  My parents and Shorty came into the room just as Donna finished speaking.

  “Shorty, where’s Tanisha?” Donna asked.

  “She left. She said she didn’t wanna be here when Dante got here, and that she had a lot of things to think about.” The way he answered sounded like an apology.

  “Dante, you better go find that girl,” Donna ordered.

  “I will. I know where to find her,” I said, knowing exactly where Tanisha would go when she had things on her mind. I kissed Donna once more then turned to leave.

  My mother called after me. “Dante, wait.”

  I stopped and looked at my mother. She came closer and slipped something into my hand. I looked down at the small box then back at my mother, who was smiling. “Just follow your heart, Dante. Whatever you do, we’ll all support you.” She kissed me on the cheek then nudged me toward the door. “Now go find Tanisha.”

  I found Tanisha exactly where I had expected—the observation deck of the Empire State Building. She was standing by herself in a corner, gazing out the window, looking every bit as exhausted as I felt. I wondered if she had slept at all last night. I knew I hadn’t.

  “Pretty view, huh?” I asked quietly as I approached her.

  “Dante…” Her eyes were wet with tears. She quickly tried to wipe them.

  I didn’t know where to start, so I just held out my hand to her. She took my hand, and I hugged her. She cried on my shoulder for a long time before either one of us spoke. When she finally stepped back, wiping her eyes, she said, “I’m sorry.”

  I placed my finger on her lips. “Shhh. I’m the one who should be sorry. I shouldn’t have treated you like I did last night. I just got jealous and I felt betrayed.”
<
br />   “Dante, I wanted to tell you…I was so scared you wouldn’t want to be with me if you knew. I just didn’t wanna mess things up.”

  “It’s okay, baby. I shouldn’t have gone off the way I did. I didn’t even give you a chance to explain anything. I love you, Tanisha. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love you.”

  “I love you, Dante, and I want this to work.”

  “Do you love me enough to marry me?” I pulled out the ring my mother had given me. I hadn’t planned on giving her the ring then but it just seemed like the right time.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I’m serious.”

  “But what about your mother? Your father’s election?”

  “My mother’s the one who gave me the ring. She wants me to marry you.”

  She stared at me in disbelief for a few seconds then said, “Then yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  She jumped up in the air and wrapped her arms around my neck. Our kiss left no question about the feelings that we shared for each other. I wrapped her in my arms and held her tightly, thinking I would never let her go. I had faith that we would be able to work through everything. It was only a matter of time before we’d be walking down the aisle.

  39

  Tanisha

  When I was growing up, I was never sure I would get married, but if I did, I wanted it to be on a warm summer day. On this Saturday at the end of August, the sun was shining and the sky was blue, and it was the happiest day of my life—the day I was to become Mrs. Dante Wilson. My wedding was like a fairy tale, kind of like the marriage of Princess Diana to Prince Charles, only ghetto style. First Lady Wilson even rented a gold and white carriage to be driven from the church down Merrick Boulevard to Antun’s catering hall.

  I was standing in the bridal chamber, admiring myself in the full-length mirror. My dress was simple yet chic, and although not too revealing, it showed my figure well. I was shocked when Dante’s mother told me at the dress shop that she approved. Then again, she did pick it out. I hate to say this, but my wedding was bigger than Donna’s. Much bigger. She said there were almost six hundred people invited to our wedding. Most of them I didn’t know, but I guess that’s what happens when you give the first lady time to plan.