Stiles opened the door and the aroma of a home-cooked meal slipped underneath his nose. He sniffed lightly and oohed as the aroma drew him inside the house like a magnet.
“Rena,” he called. No answer. Stiles walked slowly through the kitchen but halted momentarily to inhale the tantalizing aroma of food again. None. “Rena.” No answer. He went to the living room and was in awe when he saw the table set for two with some of the never before used china they had received wedding gifts. Candles lit the otherwise darkened room and Stiles witnessed a spread of food fit for a king.
Dropping his coat where he stood, he unloosened his tie and walked slowly pass the table, drooling over the array of delicious items.
“How do you like it?” Rena asked, stepping from behind the wall that divided the living room from the entrance into the hallway.
His mouth dropped open when he saw her posed seductively, each hand strategically placed on her hips. The sexy red cocktail dress clung to every inch of her curvaceous frame, like glue. Stiles couldn’t help it; he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He rubbed them again, harder this time, just to be sure.
Rena inched a smidgen closer to him, and the scent of Chanel excited him. He was ravenous, but not for food.
“Hi,” she finally greeted him. “I know you must be hungry after such a long day.” Her voice sounded melodious, soft, and eager to please.
He managed to speak. “What? What’s…”
She silenced him by placing her hands against his lips. With his tie already loosened, Rena unbuttoned the first couple of buttons on his shirt and teasingly rubbed his chest. She took hold of his hand, and led him to the table.
“Baby, everything is, well, I can’t explain it,” he stuttered aimlessly.
“I wanted to do something special for you, sweetheart. I love you so much, and I know you’ve been dealing with a lot lately. It’s time for you to relax a little.”
The two of them talked like they hadn’t done in a long time. Stiles not only savored every bite of food, but he looked at his wife like he was photographing her with his eyes. When they finished eating, Rena rose from the chair slowly, slightly bending over so he could get the perfect view of her cleavage.
“Where are you going?” he asked, as if afraid he would wake up and discover he had been dreaming all along.
“You’ll see. Follow me,” she ordered, and grabbed his neck tie and led him behind her like a dog on a short leash. He didn’t protest but watched her behind as she moved slowly up the hallway like a stealth cat. His excitement and desire grew with each step he took. Once they were in the bedroom, Rena stopped, turned and kissed him passionately. His hands lightly traced a path over her skin while she explored his body like she’d longed to do for so long. He smothered her lips with demanding mastery.
Backing away from him, Stiles froze, expecting to here the dreaded words, “I’m sorry, I just can’t.” He dropped his hands, but she grabbed hold of them before they landed by his side.
Leading him further inside the bedroom, she whispered enticingly in his ear, “Time for dessert.”
26
The enthusiasm of a woman's love is even beyond the biographer's. Jane Austin
Audrey sat in the chair next to Pastor’s bed and read the Bible out loud to him. Today she read the twenty-ninth chapter of Psalms, one of his favorite chapters. Afterward, she gingerly placed his hands inside of hers and prayed. Do you want to get in your chair, honey?” she asked tenderly.
He nodded his head, yes.
Audrey helped him to the chair. “The remote is right here by your left hand. I’m going to fix myself a cup of coffee and I’ll be back in a minute.” Audrey kissed him on his forehead.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
Rena was about to hang up when Audrey picked up the phone. Out of breath, she answered, “Hello.”
“Good morning, Audrey. Why are you breathing so heavy?”
“I was trying to find the phone. Pastor and I just finished our morning devotion when I heard it. It was in the family room. How are you this morning?”
“Fine. I just thought I’d call before Stiles and I left for church. We’ll be praying for you and Pastor. When church is over, we’ll stop by Piccadilly’s and bring you both some dinner.”
“You’re such an angel, Rena. My son is blessed to have you.” The animosity she directed toward Rena after Pastor’s stroke had basically disappeared. Audrey reasoned if anyone was to blame, it was Frankie. Frankie’s lifestyle, the car accident, drugs and her refusal to turn her life over to God wore heavily on Pastor’s mind and heart constantly. His bouts of depression and emotional outbursts since his stroke were truly taking a toll on Audrey, but she was determined to stand by her man. Pastor rescued her and Stiles from a life of mediocrity and opened her heart to love again. She was devoted to him completely, and if she had to, for the rest of her life, she would take care of Pastor.
“Audrey, you and Pastor are my family. I love you. Oh, hold on a minute. Stiles wants to say something.” Rena passed the phone to Stiles.
“Good morning, Mother. How’s my favorite girl?” he asked, winking at Rena while talking into the receiver.
“Don’t you let your wife hear you say that,” Audrey laughed.
“Don’t worry, she isn’t listening.” Stiles chuckled while Rena stood smiling next to him with her hands positioned on her waist. Changing to a serious tone, Stiles inquired, “How’s Pastor?”
“He had a pretty rough night. Sometimes he has quite a bit of pain on his weak side, and it makes it hard for him to sleep well. He ate a good breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and French toast.”
“Good. I’m glad his appetite is still strong. Is he awake? I want to have a word or two with him.”
“Sure, sweetheart. Hold on a minute.” Audrey walked down the hallway and into the bedroom where Pastor sat in his chair at the window. He watched the birds like he did every morning, even before he had the stroke. Something about the birds soothed his spirit.
“Stiles is on the phone.”
A faint smile formed on his twisted face. Audrey placed the receiver up to his left ear and Pastor managed to hold the phone in place between his head and shoulder.
“Uhh,” Pastor grunted into the receiver.
“Morning, Pastor,” Stiles said happily. “I’m on my way to church. And just like you taught me, I’m going to be there early rather than late.”
Pastor grunted his approval into the phone again.
“This morning I’m preaching from the New International Version. I know you prefer King James, but I want to make sure every one understands where I’m coming from. My text comes from Psalms 101 verse 7.
Pastor slowly mumbled, struggling to speak, he finally mouthed the words, “Good choice.”
“I know you know the verse. I don’t think there’s a passage in the Bible that you don’t know. Anyway, here goes. No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.”
Rena jumped away like an arrow was headed for her heart. Deceit? She didn’t know if she could listen to the message. She felt like she was more than deceitful. She felt like a hypocrite.
“I’ll bring my typed sermon notes over with me when I come over there after church. How is that?” Stiles asked Pastor.
Pastor grunted his approval.
Stiles prayed with him. Afterward, Audrey gently removed the phone from his ear. “Stiles, you and Rena have a good time at church. Tell everyone that Pastor sends his loves and we thank every one for their prayers, gifts, visits, cards and telephone calls.”
“I’ll tell them, Mother. We’ll see you this afternoon.” Stiles hung up the phone, turned around and didn’t see Rena. “Honey, where are you?
“In the kitchen,” Rena answered.
Stiles grabbed his Bible and suit jacket from off the bed and walked out of the bedroom.
One look at her and Stiles asked, “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”
“Yes, of course. My stomach is a little queasy. It’s nothing, just a bout of gas.”
“Gas? Ooh, wee. Let it all out now, First Lady. I don’t want Holy Rock to know that the first lady is a pootie lady,” Stiles teased and squeezed his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
Rena laughed along and jokingly hit Stiles on the shoulder with her handbag before they walked out to the garage.
Listening to Stiles’s sermon, Rena was captivated by Stiles’s powerful message. At that moment, he sounded so much like Pastor. His words were dynamic, and Rena felt like the hand of God was guiding her husband’s life.
“There are times in life when we face moments of weakness. David faced a moment of weakness, yet he was a man after God’s own heart. He broke God’s law. He intentionally set out to steal Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. He went so far as to have Uriah killed in order to get the woman he lusted after and keep himself clear from the adultery he had committed with her.”
“Preach, Pastor, preach,” someone in the congregation shouted.
“Deceit is dangerous, my people. Deceit is a deadly game that the devil loves to play. But the only way the devil wins is if we let him. Remember, there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Whatever sin you have committed, God is faithful and just to forgive you and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Not some unrighteousness, but all unrighteousness,” Stiles stressed. But, my people, you have to ask and seek His forgiveness. If you’re living a life of shame, deceit, or fear, God wants you to know that there is no problem, no situation, and no sinful act that is too hard for Him to turn around. Nothing you’ve done is so terrible that he won’t forgive you. The devil wants to mislead you. He wants you to believe that you’re unworthy. He wants you to believe that the sin you’ve committed is too bad to ever seek God’s mercy.”
Rena hung her head down when she saw Stiles look in her direction.
“If we stand at the door of God and knock, He promises to hear us and answer us. He’ll open wide the door of forgiveness. He’ll extend a hand of mercy and His grace never runs out.”
Stiles’s words convicted Rena’s spirit. As he opened the doors of the church, she wanted to stand up and walk down to the front of the sanctuary and submit her life back over to Jesus. She wanted to so badly, but her feet felt like they were glued to the floor of the sanctuary. The weight of her past sins held her back. Before she realized it, the new members’ ministry had taken those who had come down the aisle to the counseling area. She remained on the pew and slowly wiped the tears from her red cheeks.
27
Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. Jeremiah 9:5 NIV
“I’m glad they had Pastor’s favorite, cornbread and dressing today,” Stiles remarked.
“Yeah, they used to have it everyday, but they’ve stopped. I’m not sure why,” commented Rena.
“How did you enjoy today’s sermon?” Stiles asked, seeking his wife’s approval. He couldn’t explain how great he felt since the night Rena showed him how much she wanted their marriage to work. A new lease on life is what he felt like he’d been given. He thanked God every day for healing his broken marriage.
Rena inhaled, and then exhaled slightly, to keep herself from bursting into tears. “It was powerful, Stiles. I don’t know how to explain it, but I could see the favor of God on your life when you were in that pulpit. No matter what, please don’t let the devil distinguish that fire in you.”
Stiles took his eyes off the road for a second and looked at his wife. “Honey, thank you for that. I love you.”
“I love you too. And I want you to know that I would never do anything, and I mean anything to hurt you.”
“Woe, what do you mean by that?”
“Your message hit home in so many ways. It made me realize how important it is to forgive and to seek God in all that we do in life. That’s all, baby.”
“Praise God, praise God,” Stiles said. The couple parked the car, retrieved the Piccadilly bags and went up the walkway.
As soon as they walked inside the house, Rena almost dropped the bag of food when she heard Audrey and Frankie exchanging what came across as powerfully heated words.
“You’re no daughter of mine,” Audrey yelled.
Stiles placed his bag on the table, in the foyer, before he sprinted toward the sound of the voices emitting from Pastor’s study.
“Hey, hey, what’s going on in here?” Stiles asked with Rena now standing behind him.
“I want your sister out of here. I want her out of this house for good. I mean it. Get her out of here,” Audrey yelled, pointing at the doorway.
“Come on, you two. What’s this all about?” asked Stiles.
“I’ll tell you what it’s all about,” Frankie yelled. Her piercing brown eyes locked with Rena’s. “Better yet, why don’t you tell him, Rena?”
Stiles’s eyes quickly darted from Rena and then back to his sister. “What has Rena got to do with any of this? Honey, do you know what Frankie is talking about?”
Stuttering, Rena sat the drinks down on the desk so she wouldn’t drop them. “No, I don’t know what any of this is about,” she replied nervously.
“So, it’s like that, huh? You want to keep on lying, huh?” Frankie screamed again.
Audrey jerked her head around and looked at Rena too. “What on earth could she possibly have to do with any of this?”
“Frankie, don’t do this. Now is not the time.” Rena pleaded.
“Not the time for what? Will somebody please tell me what’s going on?” demanded Stiles.
“Yes, I want to know too,” Audrey yelled. “But if I know Frankie, she has another far-fetched lie up her sleeve. You come in my house high, letting one sleazy, nasty woman after another up in this house. You don’t do a darn thing to help with Pastor. The man that’s been good to you all of your life; who loves you even though you don’t care about him, or anyone else, but yourself,” Audrey accused as she moved closer to Frankie.
“Don’t try to turn this around and put the blame on me. It’s your fault that I’m the way I am,” Frankie lashed out. For the first time in a long time, Frankie cried. “I’m sick of you and your fakeness, Audrey. You want everybody to think that you’re so good. Well, you’re not. You’re nothing but a phony and I hate you.” The venomous words spewed from her mouth like a geyser.
“Don’t you talk to Mother like that. What’s wrong with you?” Stiles’s jaws flexed and he pointed angrily at Frankie
Pastor slowly rolled up in his scooter to the entrance of his study and grunted. Everyone turned around.
“Now look what you’ve done. You’ve gotten Pastor all upset,” Audrey accused Frankie and pointed her finger inches away from her face.
Rena wanted to disappear, to get away from the madness and what she knew was about to happen.
“Pastor doesn’t know the half of it.” Frankie looked at Pastor.
Pastor slowly forced words to come forward. “I…” he struggled to say trying to form the words with his mouth. “I.”
Audrey went to her husband and kneeled down beside him. “Don’t try to talk, Pastor. Everything is all right. We just had a minor disagreement.”
Pastor continued with his struggle. “I…know.” he paused and tried to regain the wind that had gone out of him. “I… heard.”
Rena grabbed her chest when she realized what he said. As if on automatic cruise control her head diverted in the direction of Frankie.
“You know? You heard?” Audrey asked. “Honey, I know you heard us arguing, but believe me, sweetheart, everything is fine.”
Pastor appeared agitated. His grunts escalated. Stiles moved closer to his father like a realm of protection.
“Pastor, Mother is right. Everything is fine. Right everybody?” he asked looking at Frankie, Audrey and Rena.
They each remarked, “Yes.”
Pastor slowly raised his left arm. “I hea
rd,” he said again, “Fran, Rena.”
Audrey turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Rena. “What on earth is he talking about?”
Frankie stepped up in front of Pastor then glared over her shoulder at Rena. “Are you ready to tell my brotha the truth?”
“The truth? The truth about what?” Stiles focused his eyes on his wife.
Frankie spoke out again, and looked vehemently at Rena, “That you were involved with someone else before you married him? Someone that you were in love with?”
Stiles’s jaw tightened and he gnashed his teeth. He looked at his sister for the first time with disdain. He turned his fuming, questioning gaze toward Rena. “What is she talking about?”
Rena walked up and took hold of her husband’s arm. “Stiles, now is not the time. We’ll talk when we get home.”
He jerked away from her and Rena quickly moved back. “No, I want to know what Frankie is talking about. And I want to know now.” Stiles shot her a cold look and yelled. His voice echoed throughout the house.
“Stiles, I was young and naïve.” Rena looked at Frankie and at that moment she hated her.
“Why do you keep looking at her, Rena? Tell me,” he replied with contempt that forbade any further argument. He demanded as he moved in closer to Rena.
He was frightening her. She’d never seen Stiles behave in such a manner.
“We were best friends, Stiles. Two young kids who didn’t know what we were doing. One thing led to another and, and, it kept on happening over and over again.”
“Yeah, Stiles, over and over again up until you moved back to Memphis,” Frankie added.
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