by Carl Weber
“Please continue, First Lady Wilson,” Deacon Black said. “Reverend Reynolds, I must ask you to hold your comments until the first lady has completed her statements.”
Reverend Reynolds leaned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, undoubtedly thinking of a speech of his own to deliver after I finished.
“Thank you, Deacon Black,” I said. I took a deep breath and held my head high as I prepared to reveal secrets that had stayed buried for over twenty years. It was time to tell the truth. I owed this much to T.K.
“As I was saying, I have a story to tell you about a young man living a tragic life in Virginia. This man was not a member of any church. The only thing he worshipped was crack cocaine. He and his woman were totally addicted.
“One day, the woman had a reaction to some bad crack. She slipped into unconsciousness and the young man didn’t know what to do. He ran for help and found himself at a church, where he met a visiting minister who offered his assistance. The minister took the man back to his home and together they got the woman to a hospital, barely in time to save her life.
“The woman remained in a coma for two weeks. During that time, the minister visited the young man at the hospital daily. Together, they prayed for the woman, begging God to spare her life. The minister also prayed over the man as he fought his own battle against the demons that controlled him. By the end of two weeks, the young man had successfully survived his painful withdrawal from crack, and had found a new reason to live. He found the Lord. He vowed to devote his life to God, because he had much to be thankful for. God had delivered him from his addiction, and his woman came out of her coma and would soon be coming home.
“The minister who had helped the young man was only visiting, to relieve a fellow minister during a month-long sabbatical. The time had come for him to return to his own church. Having found a new life in God and being saved, the young man asked the minister if he could go to New York with him. When the minister agreed, the young man went home to his woman and told her the good news. He was eager for her to experience the freedom he felt now that he had rejected drugs and found the Lord.
“The woman, however, was not ready. She’d had people sneaking drugs into the hospital ever since she had woke up from her coma. She told this young man she would not go to New York and that she liked her life just the way it was. He begged and pleaded with her for days, but it was no use. The drugs still controlled her. She was still using, and trying to convince him to join her again.
“Knowing he’d be in danger of losing his battle with drugs if he stayed with her, the young man left Richmond, Virginia, without her.”
At this point, I noticed Reverend Reynolds squirming in his seat, probably trying to distract me. Everyone else in the room, though, was silent and still. With a determined glare at Reverend Reynolds, I continued.
“In New York, the young man joined the minister’s fledgling church and stayed true to his vows to the Lord. He stayed off drugs, and even started going to seminary. For two years the minister watched him grow into a fine, devoted Christian, and he knew that someday this young man could achieve great things. The young man became part of his family, almost like a son to him.”
Now came the part that I hated to reveal. This was a story I had hoped to be able to keep in the past. This was the reason T.K. had refused to answer any questions. He had been protecting me.
“The minister did have a child, but she was not living up to his high hopes. She was wild and promiscuous. It was only a matter of time before her immoral and fast lifestyle caught up to her and of course it did. The minister was devastated when he learned that his daughter was pregnant, and even worse, that she had no idea who had fathered the baby.”
I paused and held tightly to the podium to stop my hands from shaking. The time had come to open the door to my own closet full of skeletons.
“As I’m sure many of you have already figured out, that young man was the man you now know as Bishop T.K. Wilson. The visiting minister was my own father, the Reverend Dr. Charles Jackson, and the pregnant daughter was me.”
I heard gasps from several people in the room, including my good friend Deaconess Wright. I was afraid to look at Donna, but I held fast to the belief that God would somehow bring my family through this trial. I struggled to continue.
“My father was lost when he learned of my pregnancy, and it was T.K. who came to him with a solution. You see, T.K. had professed his love to me long before this time, but I was too wild and too troubled to even give him the time of day. Knowing that my pregnancy would destroy my father’s career and quite possibly the young church he had started, T.K. offered to claim the child as his and marry me. My father accepted this plan, though of course I protested loudly. In the end, T.K. and I were married, and twenty-two years later, I can tell you that it was the best thing that could ever have happened to me.
“This man, who some of you would like to see removed from his position, pulled himself out of the grasp of addiction and then saved me from continuing down the path of moral self-destruction I had been on. For the past two decades, he has thanked the Lord daily for his salvation. He has been devoted to this church, and I know many of you must admit he came to your aid during your own times of trouble.”
My eyes traveled around the room as I looked at each person who had come to T.K. at some time with their own stories of personal failings. In every case, he had helped these people with generosity, and always without judgment. This included Reverend Reynolds, but he obviously felt no gratitude to my husband.
“That’s a very nice story, First Lady,” he began with ice in his tone, “but it still does not forgive the fact that he had a child out of wedlock. A child he abandoned.”
“Reverend Reynolds, that is where you are wrong. The bishop only learned of his daughter’s existence on the same day that all of you did. The young woman that he left in Virginia was indeed Marlene Jones, but after he came to New York, they never again had contact. He had no idea that she was pregnant when he left. I can tell you that had he known, he would never have abandoned that child. And you can see for yourself that he will not deny her now. With God’s help, he is prepared to forge a relationship with his daughter and do what he can to help Marlene stay free from drugs. And I plan to be by his side.
“So, to you and anyone else who would still insist on removing the bishop from his position, I would remind you that none of us is without sin. Bishop Wilson has sinned, as we all have, but he has proven time and time again that he is devoted to the Lord, willing to right his mistakes, and he is more than worthy of the respect of all of us in this room. He does not deserve to be fired.”
The members of the board remained speechless as I left the podium and headed for my seat. I stopped in my tracks when I spotted Dante standing off to the side of the room by one of the doors. The tears streaming down his face told me that he had heard the whole story. I hadn’t wanted him to hear the truth about his biological father this way. My heart ached for him, but when we made eye contact, he gave me a small smile and I knew we would be okay. They could do what they wanted with the information they had just been given. As long as I still had my husband and the love of my children, I knew we would be all right.
43
Dante
I wiped the tears from my eyes as I watched Donna stand and embrace my mother. Ma was holding back tears, not willing to give Reverend Reynolds and his cronies the satisfaction of seeing her cry. I was tempted to walk down to where they were seated but decided against it. I needed a minute or two to digest the bombshell I had just heard. Once again, things weren’t what they seemed in the Wilson family, and now I had to adjust to the realization that the bishop was not my biological father and that Tanisha was not my half-sister. Ma was right, though; he would always be my father and he would always have my respect. I don’t think I’d have the heart to do what he’d done and keep it a secret all these years.
“I would like a chance to speak now,”
Reverend Reynolds demanded.
Donna released my mother and turned to Reverend Reynolds, who was about to get up. I could almost feel her entire body cringe as he spoke. Talk about a Judas. I wanted to walk down to where he was standing and smack the shit out of him.
“Members of the board, First Lady Wilson has delivered a very impassioned speech in support of her husband. But the fact still remains, though, that the bishop’s secret past has caused irreparable damage to the reputation of this church. The media have branded us as a church with an adulterous leader, and no matter what story First Lady Wilson has just told us, it is too late to reverse the negative opinions formed in the minds of the public. What are we to say to the media now? Do you really think it will make a difference to the public that our leader supposedly had no knowledge of his illegitimate child? The point is, we simply cannot support a bishop who had a child out of wedlock. That is not something a man of God would do. It’s just—”
“Stop, Terrance! Just stop!”
Reverend Reynolds’s mouth snapped shut as he turned in the direction of the shout. His eyes were wide as he stared, along with everyone else in the room, at my pregnant sister, who stood with tears streaming down her face.
“I can’t let you do this,” she cried.
“What are you talking about?” Reverend Reynolds asked nervously. “It’s your father who has done something wrong.”
“You are so full of it. And I’m not going to let you get away with this any longer.” Donna looked at Shorty, who was now standing beside her.
“It’s okay, baby,” Shorty said as he held her hand. “Go ’head and tell them.”
Donna reached for my mother’s hand, and as she leaned against her husband for support, she made an announcement that would leave every person in the room thunderstruck, including me.
“You stand here yelling about how my father should be removed because he had a child out of wedlock, but there is one more thing I think they should know before any decisions are made.”
Reverend Reynolds opened his mouth as if he had something to say, but no words came out.
“Why don’t you tell them who the father of my baby is, Terrance?”
I felt faint as Donna’s words registered. Was she saying what I thought she was? I turned my attention to Reverend Reynolds, who was suddenly looking a lot less confident than he had throughout the meeting. His eyes went from Donna to his wife and then back to Donna. As I watched him squirm, I realized that this was the look of a guilty man.
“Ah, Donna, what are you saying? Everyone knows your husband is the father of your baby, right?” He sounded as if he was begging her not to go any further.
“Don’t play stupid, Terrance. My husband is man enough to take responsibility for this child, but you know he’s not the biological father of my baby.”
His wife jumped up and demanded to know, “What is she talking about, Terrance?”
“Nothing, she’s lying,” he insisted with a wild look in his eyes.
Donna, who had started out leaning on Shorty for support, now seemed to regain her strength. She stood tall and proud and announced to the room full of deacons and deaconesses, “Shorty is not the father of my child, though my child will be blessed to be able to call him Daddy. Reverend Reynolds is the father of this baby.”
“That’s a lie! That’s a bald-faced lie!” he shouted, glancing around the room as if he was looking for someone to believe him. “I’m not her child’s father.”
“Terrance, you can deny it all you want, but when this child is born in two weeks, you can be sure I will seek a DNA test and hold you responsible for child support.”
I looked at Shorty, who was gazing lovingly at Donna, with a newfound respect. He had known all along that this child was not his. He had married my sister for the same reasons the bishop had married my mother. I was stunned and humbled by the knowledge that Shorty was actually a man as honorable as the bishop.
Reverend Reynolds was looking ashen, though still proclaiming his innocence. “This…this is ridiculous!” he sputtered. “This is obviously a feeble attempt to save her father’s position as bishop. Ms. Wilson, you should be ashamed of yourself for lying to these good people.”
He turned to Deacon Black. “She is obviously using the birth of her child as a ploy to manipulate the board and delay your decision. Does she really think that another two weeks will change your opinions? Bishop Wilson is bad for this church, and I demand that the board make its decision here and now!”
As Reverend Reynolds was ranting, Donna had left my mother’s side and headed to where his wife was seated. I watched as his wife examined what Donna had handed her. It appeared to be a photograph, and whatever was on it caused his wife’s face to crease with anger. She jumped from her seat before the deacons could respond to Reverend Reynolds’s tirade.
“Terrance!” she shouted. “Why are you kissing her in this picture?”
“Darling, I…I—”
“Don’t even try to explain, Terrance. The date on this picture is printed right here on the front. You were in some restaurant all hugged up on her a month after I went shopping for my damn wedding gown! How could you?”
Donna headed back in Ma’s direction looking tired but vindicated. It wasn’t my mother she was heading to, though. Shorty held out his arms and she went to him. Their loving embrace spoke volumes about how much we had all been through, and gave me faith that, in the end, love would prevail. That’s when I decided to walk over and join my family. I walked up behind my mother and hugged her tightly.
While his wife stood by her seat and cried, Reverend Reynolds refused to give up. “Deacon Black, I am not the person you came here to discuss today. Bishop Wil—”
“Reverend Reynolds,” Deacon Black said to him with obvious disdain, “the board has heard more than enough from you today. Now, perhaps the best thing for you to do is attend to your distraught wife, and I suggest you do it outside of this room.”
Reverend Reynolds finally slumped his shoulders in defeat and left his spot near the podium. He went to his wife, but when he reached for her arm to escort her out of the room, she shouted, “Don’t touch me! Don’t you dare touch me!” and left on her own. Reverend Reynolds looked crushed as he followed her out.
“Well,” Deacon Black announced as the door closed behind the reverend and his wife, “this meeting has certainly brought quite a few issues before the board. Obviously the issue of Reverend Reynolds will need to be dealt with, but the fact still remains that we need to make a decision about Bishop Wilson. I, for one, am still very concerned about the negative media attention that he has brought to our doorstep.”
“Excuse me, Deacon. I’d like to speak,” I announced as I left my mother’s side and headed for the podium.
“Well, Dante, I appreciate that, but I think the board has heard all we need to hear today.”
“No, I don’t think you have, sir. This church is my father’s life, and as his son, I don’t think any of you here should feel comfortable about deciding his fate until you have heard what I have to say. Besides, if I remember correctly, church bylaws say that you must hear what everyone has to say before you vote.”
Deacon Black looked worn, but he agreed to let me speak. “Very well, son. Speak your mind.”
I stood at the podium and looked out at the room full of people, many of whom had been in our home over the years and had come to feel like members of our extended family.
“First of all, I would like all of you who are long-standing members to recall just how much you have seen this church grow under my father’s leadership. First Jamaica Ministries wouldn’t be half of what it is today without his guidance. He has done much good for this church, needy members of this community, and even personally for many of the people in this room today.
“Now, in the last month and again here today, I have heard many people worrying that the media attention will destroy this church that my father helped build. Well, I say damn the media. The
y weren’t able to destroy Jesse Jackson, and his indiscretions were far greater than my father’s ever were. His followers didn’t desert him; they stood by him. They refused to let the media shape their opinions, and we as members of a strong black church should do the same.
“I don’t think there is one person in this room who could honestly say that they didn’t admire and respect my father before this all started. Bishop T.K. Wilson is still that same man, and if you can’t see that, then I don’t hold out much hope for the future of this church, media or no media. I say hold your vote now, and allow my family and this church to get on with our lives.” Almost everyone in attendance began to rise to their feet, then it seemed like every voice in the crowd was chanting, “Let the bishop stay…Let the bishop stay…Let the bishop stay!”
When he recovered from the impact of the crowd, Deacon Black said, “Thank you, Dante. I would like to second your suggestion. If there are no objections, I think that we should go ahead and hold a vote right now.”
The board agreed to hold their vote, and I returned to my mother’s side. When it was all said and done, only one board member was still set on removing my father from the church. That one vote came from Deacon Emerson, and I was sure that Anita had had something to do with it, but in the end it didn’t matter. My father would be reinstated as bishop to continue his good work in the church and in the community.
My mother, Donna, Shorty, and I left to find the bishop so we could celebrate a moral victory and start healing our family. After that I was going to find Tanisha.
Epilogue
“You sure you wanna do this?” Tanisha asked as we stood holding hands outside the main entrance to Howard University’s School of Divinity. It was late January and the new semester was about to begin. Tanisha and I had been standing out there in silence for a good four or five minutes before she finally spoke. There was no need for anything to be said until then because we both knew that if we entered the building, there was no turning back. Our lives would be changed forever.
