by Pat Simmons
“After.”
“Ah man.” Rossi gritted his teeth. “We may have to scratch everything I just said. Okay, let’s start from square one. What did Karyn share with you about herself?”
“Not much.” Levi shrugged. “She’s twenty-seven, has a younger sister, works full time, goes to school part time. I guess I was doing all the talking. I know she likes white kittens and flashy cars.”
“Cats, huh?”
“Kittens. There is a difference.”
“Kittens grow up, man. Is that all? You could’ve gotten that off Facebook. Was she not talking, or was it you weren’t listening?”
“She attends Crowns for Christ Church.” Levi smirked.
Rossi whistled. “Every church leader in the Metro-East is acquainted with Crowns for Christ’s work in the community. If she belongs there, it says a lot about her walk with the Lord. The congregation is known for its Holy Ghost busybodies for the Lord. The members focus on outreach and its prison ministry. They put mega churches to shame.
“I think Karyn’s church routinely collects and stocks food pantries year round. Last year I read they sponsored youths to summer camps, and their prison ministry is a proven model for reducing recidivism—”
“Humph. As far as I’m concerned, murderers, thieves, drug users, sex freaks, gangsters and every other low scrum of the earth should never be released. Those are hard-core sinners. They can never be trusted. Two of the men who gunned down Diane and the others had already served time in prison…”
“Wait a minute, Levi. We’re talking about this wonderful woman name Karyn, remember? Like I was saying before you listed your grievances, Karyn’s out on the battlefield, getting her hands dirty for the Lord. If that is the case, I doubt if you shocked her. Maybe she’s God’s healing balm for you. My word of advice is get rid of the ’tude because you don’t want to chase your blessing away. Understand?”
Levi mulled over what Rossi was saying. Sitting up, Levi slipped off his jacket and rubbed his stomach. “Good point, minister. Hey, what ya cooking me? I’m a guest.”
“Cheerios.”
They laughed. His cousins had indeed walked Levi through another type of crisis. He stayed for breakfast and lunch. Rossi finally kicked him out of his condo before dinner.
“Okay, that’s fifteen times Karyn’s name has popped up. Go home. Have some quiet time with God while Dori is away. Karyn sounds like a sweet lady. There’s no rush in getting to know her. You’re already old and about to get your AARP card in the mail.”
Levi barked out a laugh. “Right, considering you’re two years older than me, you would have to activate yours first.” He left, feeling the world was his to conquer.
CHAPTER 9
On Saturday, Buttercup’s pep talk, which felt more like a scolding, helped Karyn get through her studying, but not without distraction. She couldn’t stop thinking about the unimaginable horrific torture Levi and his family had undergone. Karyn actually chided herself for judging the offenders as if she hadn’t been one herself.
Sunday morning couldn’t come fast enough as far as Karyn was concerned. She thrived on the much-needed hugs coming from the saints: prayer warriors, children, and mothers. They treated former prisoners with dignity, respect, and shameless love. She wanted to breathe in God’s Word that was preached from her pastor’s lips.
The Crowns for Christ’s church van pulled up in front of New Beginnings. Buttercup and Karyn were ready before the driver parked. It was the only time the roommates could associate with each other outside their shared suite in a halfway house.
To do so would violate the conditions of their parole. If an ex-felon was trying to remain an ex, the person had to distance herself from temptation, including kin, if they were ex-offenders too. In that case, approval would be required. Parole was one foot away from prison and two steps from freedom and rules were enforced to the letter. If there was ever any doubt she could be penalized, Karyn recalled one line in Romans 14:16: Let not then your good be evil spoken of. It seemed to fit every situation.
They were welcomed on board with the customary good mornings, praise the Lords and how you doin’s. The Sunday chauffeur drove off once they were seated.
“Stop thinking over there,” Buttercup warned. “You’re hurting my head.” She massaged her forehead then adjusted her white faux fur headband.
“I’m not talking to you. How am I giving you a headache?” Karyn faced her, then shook her head before returning to gaze out the windows.
“You always talk to me, and when you don’t, scenarios are running through my mind until they become a blur. They start screaming until my head starts pounding for you to clarify, but there are no answers in my brain.”
“Are you having a breakdown?” Karyn asked dryly.
“Humph. You know God gave me a sound mind.” She wiggled in her seat, nudging Karyn. “Are you still bummed out over Levi?”
“No… Maybe…” Karyn sighed, then the Holy Ghost forced the truth. “Okay, yes, a little.”
“Reality check. Again, you didn’t commit that crime that killed Levi’s wife. Jesus saved us from being Satan’s regular puppeteers. Our job is to pray he and his cronies remain bound. We no longer have a rap sheet.”
Karyn didn’t respond. Her roommate’s accusation made her reflect on 1 Timothy 2 about intercessions. What would have happened the day of the shooting if a mass number of God’s people were praying to bind the demons sent to kill Levi’s wife and the others? Their lives might have been spared, she mused.
More than once, Karyn wished someone had been praying for her during her crisis, but there had been no one. Her mother had died of cancer the previous year. Her father’s grief overwhelmed him. Her only sister, who was almost five years younger, held it together. When Karyn was sentenced for manslaughter, Nalani broke through security detail and hugged her until the bailiff pulled her off.
“I’ll always love you, no matter what.” That declaration was made more than four years ago. Yet Nalani’s words stayed with Karyn every day. She missed her family.
Despite Karyn’s wrongdoing, Nalani had reached out to her. Their father, Senator Nathaniel Wallace, harshly scolded Nalani after he intercepted a letter from prison. From that moment on, he restricted her from ever communicating with a convicted felon again, even if it was her sister. Strong-willed, Nalani risked one last contact.
Karyn,
Please don’t write back ever! Daddy went ballistic when I got your letter. I thought he was going to kill me. Actually, I’m afraid he will if he finds out I wrote you again. He threatened to change our phone number if you call here collect again. I love you very much and I wish we could talk. I don’t know when you’re supposed to get out, but I’ll be there. Promise.
Love you always,
Nalani
P.S. I’ll pray real hard for you.
She had memorized every word of that letter. Eventually, Nalani’s letters slowed then stopped the last year of her incarceration. Karyn figured her dad made good on his promise about any contact. Her eyes misted. The worst thing in prison wasn’t getting raped or assaulted. The biggest punishment was being forgotten by everyone in the world, except the victims, and hopefully not God. For so many, incarceration meant a repeat of the day before, the month before, and the year before. There was no future.
Even in prison, Karyn had to earn her keep, a mockery of her previous lifestyle where her housekeeper earned more per hour than she made in one month. For forty cents a day, Karyn cleaned up after meals, wiped off tables, and washed dishes under heavy security. Her productivity could yield her $12.
Nalani must have prayed for her because Karyn entered the penal system at security level three. Level five was maximum security. Good behavior and time served elevated her to minimum security until finally, the parole board approved an early release with the stipulation Karyn live in supervised living quarters for seventeen months.
Closing her eyes, Karyn didn’t even want to think about that
dark period in her life. The Blood of Jesus had redeemed her. Once she had saved up enough money and her caseworker gave her permission, Karyn would take a train to Joliet, Illinois, to visit her sister. She had no idea of what kind of reception her father would give her. She sniffed. An elbow in the side caused Karyn to shut off the memories.
“What is your problem today?” Karyn gritted her teeth.
Buttercup started massaging her temples. “My head is hurting again.”
“I’ve got some aspirins in my purse,” Mother Caldwell offered, sitting a few rows in front of them. Karyn heard the woman unzip compartments in her purse.
“No, no. That’s okay. I’m sure it will go away once Karyn and I start praying over some things,” Buttercup sweetly replied while squinting at Karyn.
“Okay, I’ll pray too,” Mother Caldwell said. “When I was you two’s age, my mother always told me to pray without ceasing whenever I was in doubt about something. I often wondered how a person can pray without stopping. As I grew older, I learned it isn’t a marathon. It’s all about keeping your mind on Jesus.”
“I heard ya, Mother Caldwell,” Deacon Deacon echoed from behind the wheel of the fifteen-passenger van. Regardless of how loud the gospel music or how muffled the conversations, the sixty-nine-year-old whose birth first name was Deacon, heard everything. He boasted that he strived in his salvation walk, so that he could become a deacon in somebody’s church and the Lord sent him to Crowns for Christ.
As the two friends fussed, Mother Caldwell changed seats. Other riders chimed in, testifying about things God had revealed to them.
“Who’s Levi?” Mother Caldwell asked. “That’s a good Jewish name. You know, one of the twelve tribes of Judah. God set the Levites aside to serve in the Holy Temple because they refused to bow down to idols.” Mother Caldwell nodded. “That’s right.”
Buttercup grinned. “See, he’s a winner.”
“But…” Mother Caldwell frowned in thought, tapping her lip. “Levi had a dark side. He was ruthless when it came to his sister, Dinah. He and his brother Shechem took down a family because their sister was raped. They also sold a brother into slave—”
“Ah, okay, Mother Caldwell. Karyn and I will go back and read the story ourselves.”
“Of course, baby. The Book of Exodus is some serious studin’.” She patted her hat and moved her mouth as if she was adjusting her dentures. “Sister Buttercup, you need to focus on one subject and stop going off in another direction. Listen to me, Sister Karyn. You’re such a sweet girl. I can tell you’re doing right by God, but you can add some sanctified spice in your life. You need more than work, church, and school. Even a puppy has gourmet treats every once in a while.”
Deacon Deacon burst out laughing as he shrieked to a halt at a stop sign. “You can’t compare people to pets.”
They held onto their seats when the deacon made his whiplash turn, then came to another stop to pick up more churchgoers. Mother Caldwell tapped her cane. “Karyn, if any young man has a problem with you, tell him to come see me.”
“Who has a problem with Karyn?” Hanson “Halo” Ramos’s booming voice announced his presence as he took center stage down the aisle, heading toward them.
Like Buttercup, Halo’s angelic nickname was another mystery that would confound anybody. Six feet three and bulging tattooed-covered biceps, the Puerto Rican pretty boy was anything but sweet. After violating an earlier probation sentence for a gang-organized shoplifting spree, the judge sent him to prison for two years after Halo was caught with less than one hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise in his possession.
He was not a sweet and kind person before he came to Christ. Halo was a hit man—highly paid. Crowns for Christ ministered to the young men behind bars and made a commitment to help them once released. Halo had become a changed man, receiving the water and spirit baptisms in the name of Jesus with evidence of speaking in tongues. Today, he represented Christ, even if he was the one who had to do the dying this time.
Halo was serious about preaching the saving grace of God. He refused to return to hell on earth inside the prison walls or the hell waiting for sinners—the fire and brimstone stuff. He also was Buttercup and Karyn’s unsolicited bodyguard. Together the trio formed a pact to encourage one another.
He kissed all three of them on the cheek and sat across the aisle and stretched out. The clean-cut look was the best makeover Karyn had seen on a man since she was released. Although Karyn, Buttercup, and Halo couldn’t socialize outside the church walls for fear of parole violation, they enjoyed the time together on Sundays, which was an all-day-experience that started with Sunday school, followed by morning worship. The church provided dinner before the evening testimony service.
Since Halo was the last pickup, the van was less than ten minutes from church. Once inside, Karyn could breathe in some liberty where she wasn’t a woman on parole, but another member of the body of Christ who was saved by grace.
“Praise the Lord, ladies. I repeat, who has a problem with Karyn?” Halo asked.
Karyn loved Halo. He was like the brother she never had, the ideal boyfriend, and the father figure in a younger version.
“No one,” Karyn answered.
“That’s not exactly true,” Deacon Deacon said over his shoulder. “There’s some guy who likes Karyn, but knows what she did.”
Buttercup and Mother Caldwell laughed, clapping their hands. Karyn wondered exactly how much the man had heard.
“Deacon, you know that’s not what was said,” Karyn said defensively.
Halo yawned. “Why don’t you tell me what was said? I can read between the lines?”
The bus was quiet.
“Do you like him?” Halo asked softly after Karyn gave him a recap of her dinner date with Levi.
Mother Caldwell blurted, “She may have a love connection.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that,” Karyn said with a lifted chin.
“Humph. That means yes,” Buttercup teased.
“Karyn, you have to decide if you want to be with this guy. Personally…never mind.” Halo tugged on his mustache. “Remember Jesus paid the price for all our sins—past, present and unfortunately, future. You’ve cleaned your house, legally and spiritually, therefore, there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ—”
The van came to a screeching halt again. Deacon Deacon shouted over his shoulder. “That’s right, Brother Halo. There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
“Now, Deacon, please drive this van and get us to church with our hats on our heads,” Mother Caldwell scolded, referring to herself, the sole hat wearer.
“Yes, madam. I’m just quoting Romans 8:1.”
While the others chuckled, Karyn wondered if she was making a big deal out of nothing. Levi said he was attracted to her. She liked the sound of it. But she had better tread carefully and listen to God because she hadn’t planned for personal entanglements.
“I am a new creature in Christ,” Karyn whispered to herself.
“You better not forget it,” Buttercup reminded her.
Karyn frowned at her lack of private thoughts. Did the van have amplified speakers with mini-microphones embedded in the seats or what?
CHAPTER 10
“There are benefits to those who overcome adversities. You have to work at getting past your fears to move on.” Rev. Tillman Nance, pastor of Levi’s church, Living for Jesus Fellowship preached as he laid his handheld mike down and paced the pulpit. “I’m just going to tell you like it is. If I don’t, I’ll be in trouble. The Lord demands that I feed His flock in 1 Peter 5. So when it’s test time, if you earn an A, then that’s my score.”
Dressed in all black, Rev. Nance grinned, displaying white teeth that matched his white collar, the preacher folded his arms with a nod. “Verse four says, And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that doesn’t fade away. You
can do it. Make yourselves teachable because God wants us to pass. The Lord resists proud, stubborn, and downright foolish hearts. Don’t be high spiritual maintenance. Reread the passage this week. Be an overachiever for the Lord. Be an overcomer.”
At the conclusion of the sermon, Levi, along with his younger twin brother, stood for the altar call. The pastor’s appeal for souls to repent was never rushed. He would not close the call for discipleship unless someone willingly walked to the front for prayer or a desire to be baptized.
The words cast your cares revolved in Levi’s head. “Lord, that’s so much easier said than done, but I’m going to trust you with this new situation in my life. I believe whatever you have started between Karyn and me, you’re going to finish,” he mumbled.
On the other side of the sanctuary, two young women made their way to the altar. Neither appeared dressed for church, but their hunger for salvation was apparent. They lifted their hands in the air as Rossi, who was posted in the front with the other ministers, prayed for her. One released a tormented scream, yelling without censure, “Lord, have mercy on me! Jesus...” she dropped to her knees, overcome with emotion.
The Spirit of the Lord began to move. Levi strained his ear. He thought he heard what sounded like the engine of a train. The next thing he knew, a loud thunder seemed to vibrate across the sanctuary until it landed. It was as if there was a zap and the power caused an undisputable explosion of unknown tongues.
I save who I will. Man looks at the outward appearance. I look at the heart, God spoke 1 Samuel 16:7.
Levi chided himself for judging the women’s hearts based on their attire. A missionary worker came to assist the tear-stricken lady to her feet. Once they requested to be baptized, they were led away to change into white garments. When he glanced at the baptismal pool, others had repented and joined the women as candidates.
From swimming caps to thick socks, everyone was adorned in white as they entered the pool to the waiting ministers, who instructed them to cross their arms over their chests.
