Former Rain-Forsaken Box Set

by Vanessa Miller

  She hunched her shoulders. “Nowhere, I guess.”

  Isaac kissed Donavan on the nose, then handed him back to his mother. He turned to Deanna. His eyes were cold and deadly. “Then I suggest you keep your mouth shut.”

  Deanna put her hands on her hips. “Now just wait one minute…”

  Isaac took a step forward, grabbed Deanna’s arm and squeezed. With his index finger in her face he said, “Nobody messes with my family. You got that?”

  Deanna twisted her arm, trying to loosen Isaac’s hold. It was unrelenting. “Let go of me!”

  He released her with a shove.

  Deanna stumbled, righted herself, then looked at Isaac with a surprised expression on her face. Without saying a word, she turned, and strutted out of the laundromat.

  He turned his attention to Nina. “If Keith shows up, tell him to meet me at the house,” Isaac told her, then left without a backward glance.

  Nina sat down behind the counter with a heavy heart. She closed her eyes and silently prayed. Oh Lord, will Isaac ever learn how women should be treated? I pray for him constantly, I tell him about You every chance I get, but nothing seems to work.

  “Praying for me?”

  Startled, Nina opened her eyes and looked up. Keith was leaning on the counter, smiling, looking just as happy and carefree as ever. Nina stood up and shifted Donavan from one hip to the other. “You snuck up on me, Keith. I’m going to have to put a bell on that door. I didn’t hear you come in.”

  “Let me see my Godson.” Keith grabbed Donavan and started bouncing him up and down. Donavan cooed and giggled. “You were praying, weren’t you, Nina? Isaac says you pray all the time.”

  “Yes, Keith, I was praying.” Nina came from behind the counter, picking up trash and checking the dryers for lint build up.

  Keith walked behind her, still bouncing Donavan up and down. “Do you ever pray for me?” he whispered.

  Nina was pulling an abundance of lint out of one of the dryers. She threw it in the trash, and looked up at Keith. “Not a day goes by that I don’t pray for the peace of God to rule in your life.” She softly touched his arm. “Every time I see you, you’re smiling, but something, I don’t know what, but something has hurt you. God will take the pain away.”

  Keith looked away, unable to respond.

  “Miss Nina, Miss Nina, tell us a story.” Four little girls ran toward Nina and Keith. “Please… come on, you tell the best stories.”

  “Donavan isn’t sleep yet. Let me get him situated…”

  Keith pushed her toward the children. “Go ahead, Nina. I’ll hold Donavan while you entertain them.”

  She looked at Keith, trying to make sure he was okay with holding Donavan, while she told the children a story. He didn’t seem to mind. “Okay, gather around.” Four little girls eagerly sat down, as two boys and another girl joined the circle. Nina put her hand on her chin. “Let me think for a minute.” Her fingers tapped her cheeks a couple times. “Yes. Okay, I’ve got one,” she told the kids, then paused for effect before beginning.

  “There was a woman who was a sinner. When she heard that Jesus sat down to eat at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster box filled with fragrant oil and stood at His feet crying. In fact, she cried so much that she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair on her head. She kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, ‘This Man, if He were truly a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching Him. She is a sinner.’”

  “What type of woman was she?” one of the kids asked.

  “Yeah, what’d she do?” another asked.

  “She was a prostitute. But that doesn’t matter. There are many sins committed by man that would cause people to think they are not worthy of forgiveness.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, like murder for example.” Keith shifted in his seat, but kept playing with Donavan as if he was not the slightest bit interested in the story that was masterfully keeping six, seven, and nine year olds engaged while their parents washed, dried, and folded their clothes.

  “Anyway, Jesus knew what the Pharisee was thinking, so He said, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ Simon said, ‘Teacher, say it.’

  “Jesus told him, ‘there was a certain man who loaned money to two men. One owed several thousand dollars, and the other only ten bucks. Neither of them could pay back his debt, so he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, Simon, which of them will love him more?’

  “Simon answered and said, ‘I suppose the one that he forgave the most.’ Jesus said to him, You got that right. Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman? I came to your house. You did not give Me water to clean My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You did not kiss Me, but this woman has not stopped kissing My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, because she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.’

  “Jesus then said to the woman, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’ And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, ‘Who is this Man who even forgives sins?’

  “Jesus didn’t pay them any attention. He looked at the woman and said, ‘Your faith has saved you. Go, and sin no more.’”

  Keith handed Nina the baby without so much as a goodbye or good riddance. He expeditiously moved toward departure.

  “Oh, Keith, Isaac wants you to meet him at his house,” Nina asked as she watched his swift exit.

  “Thanks,” he said without looking at her.

  “Keith, what’s wrong?”

  “Nothing!” Keith yelled, already out the door. “I’ve got to catch up with Isaac.”

  Nina didn’t see Keith again until a month later. She was in the office, kneeling in prayer before beginning her day, when the door to the office was yanked open. Isaac walked in, laughing and talking nonstop. Nina heard someone say, “Shhh.”

  “Man, if I had to be quiet every time she started praying, I’d never be able to talk,” Isaac said.

  Nina raised up and greeted Keith and Isaac. Donavan was asleep. She left him in the office as she went into the common area of the laundromat to give Isaac some privacy.

  She turned on the neon ‘open’ sign, got a rag and a bucket of soapy water and started washing down the washers and dryers. By day’s end, they would look dusty and grimy again, but that didn’t stop her from freshening up the equipment for today’s users. She was diligent about her work, never wondering if anyone appreciated the love and care she put into making this laundromat a clean and safe environment. It was just her reasonable service.

  Nina looked up as a woman in her late thirties walked into the laundromat. Her clothes were tattered and worn, her eyes hollow and lifeless. One look and Nina knew this was a woman acquainted with grief. And for a brief moment, when their eyes locked, Nina felt the pain this woman carried.

  “Excuse me,” the woman said as she approached.

  “Yes?”

  She tried to move a little closer to Nina but stumbled. Too weak to stand, she sat down on the bench next to a group of dryers. “I’m real hungry. Can you spare some change so I can get something to eat?”

  Isaac and Keith walked out of the office, tossing Donavan back and forth between them.

  “Of course I can.” Nina pulled some money out of her pants pocket and counted fifteen dollars. She hoped this money would last until she got paid on Friday. There were a few things she needed from the grocery store, but this was a much better cause than hoarding it for herself. “All I have is fifteen dollars, but you’re welcome to it.”

  “Oh no you don’t!” Isaac yelled as he grabbed the money out of Nina’s hand before she could give it away. “Can’t you read?” H
e snapped at the woman, then pointed at the sign on the door. “No panhandling!”

  Nina was mortified. “Isaac, give me back that money!”

  “No, I’m sick of this.” He held the money out of her reach. “You’re a sucka’ for a hard luck story, ain’t cha? You won’t let me give you nothing, but you’re about to give away money that I know you need.”

  “You don’t understand, Isaac.” Her eyes filled with water. “God would want me to do this.”

  “And I’m telling you that you won’t throw your money away like this.”

  The woman stood up and started to walk out of the laundromat. “Wait… please, wait.” Nina turned back to Isaac. “I will not obey you over God, Isaac. He is Lord, not you.” She turned back to the woman and told her, “I don’t have much food at my house, but all that I have is yours.”

  “Over my dead body!” Isaac exclaimed, then handed the money back to Nina. “Give her all your money if you want, but she will not enter the place my son lays his head.”

  “What’s your name?” Nina asked the woman when she handed her the money.

  “Theresa.”

  “Well. Theresa, if you stop back here tomorrow, you and I can have lunch together – my treat.”

  Theresa hesitated, then asked, “Will he be here?”

  Nina looked at Isaac. He was fuming. “No. He’s never here during lunch time.”

  “Then I’ll be back.”

  “See you tomorrow.”

  Donavan started to squirm in Keith’s arms. Isaac grabbed his son, then stood in Nina’s way as she tried to resume her cleaning. “Have you lost your mind? Why did you tell that derelict to come back here tomorrow?” Nina didn’t answer, she just kept scrubbing the dirt and grime off the washing machines. “Answer me!”

  She looked Isaac in the face. She matched his anger with compassion as she told him, “She needs my help.”

  “She’s taking advantage of your kind heart.”

  Nina shook her head. “You’re wrong. No one can take advantage of what I do in the name of the Lord.”

  He stepped back, moving away from her. “I want you to stop all this God-Lord-Jesus, nonsense. Do you hear me?” He waved his hand in the air. “God is not sitting in the sky just waiting to do you a favor. Okay?” He handed her the baby, then told an awestruck Keith that they were leaving. Before leaving, Isaac turned back to Nina and said, “There’s no reward for being a good Samaritan, Nina. In this world, you get what you take.

  29

  Isaac couldn’t sleep.

  His subconscious mind kept going over that awful night when Valerie was shot. To make matters worse, Cynda was in his bed. She took all the appeal out of ‘loving the one you’re with.’ He threw back the covers and got out of bed. He went over to the window of the high rise apartment and stood there looking down at the city. Here he was, back in the windy city, his old stomping grounds. He loved coming home. He would round up his boys and whatever woman lucky enough to be on his arm that night, and they would get their party on.

  But for the past two nights he had been with Cynda, and as usual, she found a way to get on his last nerve. This was his second trip to Chicago in a month. The first trip with Cynda wasn’t so bad. She was still in her grateful mode; Happy that Isaac took her broke butt back, after she got fired from that technical consulting firm.

  He wanted to get out of Chicago, head back to Dayton, but he still had unfinished business. One more night and all would be done. One more night and he would be able to see his son again. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the windowsill. Who was he kidding? There was someone else he couldn’t wait to see again. Nina, the Jesus freak.

  Just thinking about the situation caused Isaac to shake with frustration. He burned for Nina, but she burned for Jesus. She spent all her spare time with a dead man, and His friend the Holy Ghost. To hear her tell it, this Holy Ghost lives inside of her. And if that ain’t freaky enough, her Holy Ghost is supposed to help her commune with this dead man, who, according to Nina, is not dead at all. He’s alive. “Hmm, show Him to me,” Isaac mumbled.

  Cynda rolled over in bed, stretched her arms out and squinted. “Huh?”

  Isaac turned around. “Nothing, go back to sleep.”

  Cynda rolled back over and quickly obeyed. Isaac moved away from the window and flopped down in a wing-back chair. Depression overwhelmed him at times when he least expected it. Right now, he was in one of the sourest moods he’d known in a long time. He just couldn’t understand why Nina had fallen in love with this God she couldn’t see or touch. He used to be her god! He used to be the center, but now everything was about this God in the sky.

  Last week, Keith had asked him if he thought all that stuff Nina was yapping about was true, as if he had some kind of truth meter or something. Besides, if he did have some kind of truth detector, he wouldn’t have to use it. He knew Nina wasn’t trying to run a scam. No, she believed every word she said. But Isaac didn’t believe it. Not a word of it.

  For one thing, if this God of hers did exist, He wasn’t the forgiving God Nina was always going on and on about. He was a God that repaid evil with evil. If not, then what were cancer, AIDS, and a fast bullet to the head all about? What was his Mama’s death about?

  Cynda stirred.

  Isaac let out an exasperated sigh. Now I’m going to have to deal with this conceited heffa, Isaac thought as he walked over to the closet and pulled out an off white velour-jogging suit.

  “What time is it?” Cynda asked as she rubbed her eyes.

  Isaac threw the jogging suit over the wing-back chair. He didn’t look Cynda’s way as he strolled into the bathroom to take a shower.

  ***

  “You ain’t ready yet?”

  “I’m coming, just give me a minute. I need to finish putting on my makeup.”

  Isaac sat on the bed in a huff. If he didn’t need Cynda to drive his shipment home, he’d leave her slow behind.

  Cynda walked out of the bathroom with a smile on her face. “Perfection takes time, baby.” She twirled around so he could view the snug fit of her red stretch pants, and her low cut straight-off-Manhattan-Street-costing-him-a-fortune drawstring top to match.

  He pictured Nina in her hand-me-downs. He couldn’t explain it, but she made those rags look elegant.

  This tack head, with her three-inch high heels, made the best look a mess. “Let’s go.”

  There was a chill in the air as they stepped out of the hotel. The bellhops scurried to get their cars. Two others brought down their bags. Limousines filled the entryway parking area. Isaac was once again struck by the beautiful landscape that graced the entrance of the hotel. A flowerbed surrounded four well manicured trees. He turned to check out the landscape on the side of the hotel and caught a glimpse of a bum leaning against the building, bottle in hand. The bell pulled Isaac’s Cadillac and his Benz in front of them.

  Isaac stepped away from the car, and walked over to the man leaning against the building. The closer he got, the more he wished for a gas mask. “Whew, dog, you stank!” Isaac told him.

  The man put the bottle to his lips and took a swig. He wiped his mouth with the back of his dirty hand. “What’s it to you?”

  Isaac pulled a wad of money out of his jogging pants, took the clip off, and counted out five one hundred-dollar bills. He threw the money at him. “That ain’t for booze. Go get yourself cleaned up, and get some food in your stomach.”

  Cynda’s mouth opened and closed several times.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Isaac asked.

  She pointed at the bum. “You just threw all that money away. Do you know what I could have bought with that?”

  He looked her up and down, and smirked. “Don’t you have enough three-inch heels and skin tights?”

  She put her hands on her hips. “If you don’t like how I dress Isaac, just say so. You don’t have to go throwing good money away on every bum in the street.”

  “Maybe it’ll bring me
luck.” He watched the bum walk away with a little pep in his step. “Let’s go.”

  Isaac jumped in the Cadillac. Cynda got in the Benz and followed him from Chicago’s glamour to the ghetto. South of downtown along State Street used to be called the Black Belt. It was the ghetto he grew up in, and it was the place Spoony conducted his business transactions.

  Every time Isaac drove through this place he got a bad taste in his mouth. He might be able to roll up to this city and sleep in just about any hotel he wanted to now, but he had not forgotten what his grandmother told him about the racial riots of 1919 and the restrictive covenants of 1923 that locked his people down in the ghetto with no hope of getting out. That restrictive covenant wasn’t lifted until 1947, but Isaac knew that some landlords were still living by those old rules. “This place is worse than the South,” he said as he pulled up to Spoony’s small frame house.

  “Spoony Davison, my man.”

  “What’s up, player?” They clasped hands, but Spoony’s snake eyes studied Cynda from top to bottom. “That you?” he asked Isaac, while nodding his head in Cynda’s direction.

  Isaac looked over at Cynda, but directed his comment to Spoony. “I see your woman hasn’t settled you down yet. Still chasing every skirt in sight.”

  He lifted his hands and shrugged. “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”

  Isaac laughed. “So, you gon’ let us in so we can get down to business or what? I don’t have all day.”

  Spoony opened the door and did a dramatic sweep with his arms. They went down to the basement where Spoony conducted business and sat down on Spoony’s black leather sofa and relaxed.

  “Heard about the drama that went down. I was real sorry to hear about Valerie,” Spoony said.

  Isaac stretched out his feet. “Yeah. I still wish I could change what happened. But it is what it is.”

  “She hung in there with you for some years.”

  Cynda twisted in her seat. Spoony’s wife brought three glasses of iced tea. Isaac looked up at her as he took his drink off the tray. Her face was sunken in. She looked like she had been through sixty years of trauma. “Linda, why you still with this thug?” Isaac asked her, and meant it.