Lyfe Changing

by Desirae Williams

  9

  Come on in

  Derrick

  “Come on in Brother Derrick…we are happy to have you.” Pastor Wallace said as he led me into the Church of Revelations. The week had begun for me to start my community service and to tell you the truth I was still dreading it. When I met with my probation officer earlier that day we did the regular routine, he laid down the rules I had to follow, occasional drug test, and regular payments. He discussed a service where I could work so that the hours I had would count towards my probation since they were so long. I figured what the hell the less drama the better. I would have never guessed he would have signed me over to a church…a church of all places.

  Pastor Wallace and I walked into the sanctuary. Just looking at all those crosses and Jesus pictures already had me sweating in fear. “Thank you…Pastor…I’m happy to be here.” I said nervously eying all the nearby crosses jumping out at me. Pastor Wallace must have picked up on my discomfort and laughed. “Brother Derrick I’m here to help you, not throw you into the hell fire.” I nodded and smiled but still kept a safe distance. I had heard of Pastor Wallace around the way, my grandmother attended his church when she could and brought me along with her in my younger years. He was of medium brown skin, height, weight and had salty colored balding hair. Pastor Wallace was a funny old man who wore the most elaborate suits every Sunday…and I mean elaborate, neon green, hot pink, lemon yellow, I could go on and on. “Well Pastor…” I said still eying all of the crosses. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be doing here?”

  I said confusingly. My probation officer didn’t really go into great detail explaining my position nor did he care to either. I was told to just show up and they would explain the rest when I got there. So I put on a white tank shirt, some jeans, my work boots and came on down. The pastor cleared his throat and nodded. “Well brother Derrick I have gathered up some much needed workers here today… to help fix up the sanctuary and expand it on … build it up...create more space to teach God’s word.” I looked at him puzzled, not knowing whether he was talking to me or practicing his preaching for Sunday. He continued to talk.

  “Now your Grandmother tells me that you pretty good with your hands “Yeah I can fix a few things.”

  “That’s good to know, I figured you wouldn’t mind helping out with the church…during your time of probation.”

  He said looking away from me throwing a little shade my way. I just shook it off ready to go ahead and get to work. “So where is the crew?” I asked looking around. “Oh they are all out back… come on and let me introduce you.” I followed him past the kitchen into the back yard. I saw an assembly of young guys armed with work gloves and boards. They all looked so young; I didn’t know whether this was a work crew or a nursery.

  “What’s going on Pastor?” one of them asked glancing at me. Pastor Wallace put a hand on my shoulder and smiled. “Everybody this is Brother Derrick and he’s going to be joining the team on rebuilding the church…so come on over and welcome him.” They all rose to their feet and came to greet me. “What’s up man I’m Clay.” He said shaking my hand. He stood about 6’2, strongly built with dark skin…I noticed a gang sign tattooed on his right forearm but decided against asking about it. He pointed out the other guys to me…some more young cats who looked fresh out the joint and were trying to avoid going back. “Brother Derrick, Brother Clay here will give you the low down about what you’ll be doing from now on… I’m going to be getting on out ya’ll way cause Pastor can’t fix a piece of paper with tape or super glue…don’t work too hard ya hear?” They all laughed as he exited the back but I glanced around the building seeing everything that needed to be done. I saw some old wood on the roof that looked like it could fall in at any moment, the paint around the outside of the building was thinning, and a much needed floor plan would be necessary to expand the church ground along with some costly material.

  It wasn’t as bad as the Pastor was making it sound but it did need some work. Clay noticed me scoping out the area and chuckled. “Yeah man it’s pretty rough looking…but we got plenty of helping hands.” I nodded and glanced at all of them. They all looked like babies that weren’t even out of high school yet, but found themselves in the legal system and didn’t know where to go from here. “Well no time like the present, so what are the plans for today?” I asked not caring to waste any more time conversing about nothing.

  Clay motioned for me to follow him making his way to the nearby picnic table covered in papers. “Pastor Wallace gave us a list of what we needed to do concerning the church.” He picked up some sheets and handed them to me. “Now concerning expanding the back area none of us have a clue, so we figured we get some advice from contractor or something.” I looked over the maintenance papers and down at the floor plans. “Well we need to take out that back wall first, get some ply wood to get the shape of the expanded area modeled, and then we just go from there.” He looked at me in disbelief like I was speaking a foreign language or something. “You know how to do all this stuff?” He asked in shock. I shook my head and smiled, I guess I did have an advantage over the group being that I was older and was taught to fix a little something here and there.

  “Keep living boy you’ll pick up a few things yourself…now I need about five of y’all to start painting the church walls…the other five can start working on the inside fixing the pews, the door handles, and bathrooms…everybody else can help me with the roof for today.” They looked at me as if they were lost. Then it dawned on me that I was the rookie on the field trying to give orders…but then again I am the old head here in on this block. If anything these little jokers needed to be listening to me. “What’s the problem? Ya’ll hard of hearing? Are your legs broke?” I asked them sternly. Clay finally spoke up.

  “Naw everything good but um…”

  “What?”

  “We aint got no paint or equipment and stuff like that?”

  He admitted looking at me like a deer in headlights. I stepped back and looked at them like they were crazy. “So were y’all planning on super gluing everything together?” I chuckled. Clay smiled in embarrassment. “No…Pastor gave us some money from the building fund but we didn’t know what to get specifically. We have been trying to come up with a legitimate plan or something.” I shook my head; I figured they would be a little lost as to how to properly go about doing something like this especially at their age. I guess it was time I took things into my own hands. “Well… everybody follow me?” They looked at each other confusingly…Clay finally spoke up. “Where we going?”

  “We need tools and stuff to work right…we can ride into town and get what we can.” Clay nodded but still looked confused. “But how do we know what to buy.” I looked at him pityingly and sighed. “I will tell what to buy, you guys just follow my lead then we will go from there ok?” “Ok…well I got my pops truck so I’ll follow you” He said digging in pockets for his keys. “Good…lets head out.” I said leading the way. Like a little line of ducks they followed me out of the church.

  It was a good thing my grandmother still kept Grandpa Jacob’s truck, she let me ride in it being that I was out of a vehicle. It still hurt my heart today knowing that them damn feds took my Lamborghini…shit. You just don’t know how badly having my expensive and beautiful whip taken away from me wounded soul, hell it damn near felt like losing a child…well almost. For now I would have to do with old blue, he wasn’t much but he was reliable. I carried half the crew to the hard ware store while Clay followed behind me with the other half. We parked in a nearby vacant lot and met up at the corner. “All right boys….five of y’all go get the paint….other five go get the patches for the roof and everybody else come with me to get the tools.”

  As I sent everybody off to their destination, I took my crew to the hardware store. We made our way inside and were greeted by an older white man with a floral shirt and John Deer hat. “Hello there sir, how may I help you?” I nodded at him and looked around. “Yea
h, I need some good quality tools to help me and my friends out.” I said slapping some money down on the counter.

  The store owner dang near jumped for joy when he saw the hundred dollar bills and snatched them right up. “Oh yes sir, let’s see what I can do for you…” He scurried off to the back while some of the boys browsed around. Little Luther managed to stay close to me; he had been talking my ear ever since I walked in to the church yard.

  “So how much money did you rack up before the feds gotcha?” He asked nonchalantly about my personal business. I looked down at the small framed brown skinned boy and shook my head. He was no older than fourteen, not much older than Danton, but from what I heard he couldn’t stay out of trouble. “Why you all in my business young in?” I asked him, slightly punching him in the chest. He fell back a bit, even from the soft punch I gave him. “I want to know where a smooth criminal like yourself went wrong so I won’t get caught.” He laughed. Kids these days, I thought. “Look little boy the last thing you need to be worrying about is not getting caught, you need to be worrying about school, getting an education and since you asking me all this questions why don’t I ask you one?” “Shoot.” Luther nodded. “When the last time you little ass read a book?” “I read all the time…” He protested. “The Source, Vibe, Playboy.” I couldn’t help the smile that spread on my face laughing at this little joker. “I rest my case.” While the cashier rounded up all our stuff, I felt a large hand touch my shoulder. I jumped back to see De and Ray standing in front of me.

  “Damn boy…what’s good?” De asked. I looked at both of them like they were crazy.

  “Well… you tell me?”

  “Nothing on this side? What about you? How have you been?”

  “Half dead.” I answered sternly. Ray stepped back not understanding my anger but De nodded. “Look I know what you thinking and I can explain…in private.” He said glancing at little Luther and the other kids behind me. I motioned for them to follow me to the back of the store while the boys stayed up front. “So what’s up?” I asked looking for a reason as to why these muthafuckas had been MIA for the past weeks. De and Ray looked around for prying ears before speaking. “We heard about the accident and we wanted to come see about you, we did but….” I cut him off. “But you decided to be incog-negro for past month.” “No Julio was getting suspicious…” De explained. “He knows all about your accident…that it was on the same night he got jacked and started putting two and two together.” Damn, I thought. I forgot all about that fool. I didn’t think to realize I may have been all over the local news and shit. I shook my head. “Did he say anything?” “He didn’t have too…” Ray jumped in. “He has been watching the news on your accident consistently, he knows his security cams were shut down and knows you had the codes to all of his shit…which you left behind.”

  Shit...Now this fool might be coming after me, what a great predicament I done found myself in. I smoothed my hair back and looked at them. “Does he suspect you two?” They looked at each other then looked away. “I know the thought has ran across his mind but he aint said nothing yet…that’s why we have been laying low for a while.” De revealed. I nodded. “It’s cool I understand.” I said giving them pounds. Ray leaned in near me. “Look I don’t know what this fool planning but I need you to keep your eyes open.” Ray said looking at me dead ass serious. “Also I heard the feds gotcha?” I nodded. “Yeah they ripped me…” I shamelessly admitted. “Well if you need anything you know we’ll take care of you.”

  “Thanks good looking out.”

  “Well we better head back…but we will keep in touch aight.”

  “Aight.”

  We began to walk back to the front when Ray abruptly stopped. “Quick question…what’s with these little muthfuckas?” He said pointing to the boys who were eying them suspiciously ready to jump off at any moment. I laughed. “Community service…I’m mentoring.”

  They chuckled. “Well they got the wrong damn mentor.” I watched them head outside and throwed up a deuce. “Who was them clowns D…?” Little Luther spoke up like Mr. Get Bad. “Nobody yo lil ass can handle…” I laughed at the simple thought of his little small ass trying to fight somebody. He nodded. “Just checking…don’t want to have to hurt one of them fools.” I smiled shaking my head knowing this little youngster couldn’t hurt a grape in Welch’s backyard. “Ok.”

  In the midst of all this confusion I glanced out the window and something tasty caught my eye taking me all out of the element of what I was talking about. “Listen…Uh why don’t y’all go get a snack or something?” I said handing them a few dollars to get them out the way for a while. “Ok…you don’t have to tell me twice.” Little Luther quickly took the bills out of my hand. “What you gonna get?” “Oh I’m going to go get a different type of treat.” I said looking at the pretty lady in the gallery window across the street.

  Destiny

  “Yes, Mrs. McCray…I have the painting ready to go right now…would you like to come in and be sure….that’s fine…ok I’ll see you soon…have a nice day.” I hung my office phone up and rested back in my chair. Today was a busy day and getting busier. I had been working like crazy all week, getting orders ready, making shipments, and hosting galas. It was starting to feel like an actually job. I took a deep breath and began putting in my files for this morning. I was a little chipper than usual today, maybe it was from the morning coffee, or the business profit, or because I saw Derrick at the supermarket earlier this week. I couldn’t believe how fast my heart was beating just thinking about that day. I saw him in the gardening aisle of the super center and debated going up to him.

  He looked even better than I remembered with his long dark hair pulled back away from his handsome face. I knew I had to say something to him although I was nervous due to our last encounter. Never the less my feet still moved in his direction causing my cart to bump into him. He smiled at me like he had been waiting for me all his life. He was very charming and sweet and I could feel myself getting more carried away in my conversation with him. I felt uneasy in my chair still feeling his eyes roaming my body.

  I could totally tell what he was doing but I didn’t seem to mind….in fact I seemed to enjoy him looking at me because I was looking at him. I tried to shake these thoughts away but I couldn’t help it. It felt good, seeing him again, talking with him, it was enjoyable and the thoughts of it kept a smile on my face. I looked up when I heard a familiar knock on my door. “Hey Marisol what’s up?” I asked. Marisol stood in the middle of the doorway and had a weird look on her face. Like she was excited and nervous at the same time causing me to wonder what was going on.

  “Umm…Destiny, there is a gentleman outside asking to see you.” I eyed her suspiciously as I rose from my seat. “Who James?” I asked. James Ryan instantly came to my mind, we had talked here and there but had never gotten around to second date, so I figured that maybe he came to surprise me. Marisol shook her head to my question leaving me clueless. “Who is it a costumer?” “Oh he is interested in getting something.” She said walking out. I followed her to the front area and stopped dead in my tracks. Oh my God, I thought. Derrick was standing right in front of me looking just as good as usual. I stared at him helplessly in a thin white tank top with his large muscular arms showing as clear as day. His jeans were barely restraining those thick thighs of his while his work boots managed to cover those boats for feet he had. He reminded me of a construction themed porn film…or maybe that’s just how I saw him in my own little dirty mind. I fought off my nervousness and dirty thoughts and finally spoke. “Hey…how are you?”

  I asked pathetically. That sexy smile of his spread across his lips and damn near made me melt to the floor. “I’m fine.” “Yes you are.” I heard Marisol mumble while staring at Derrick like a hungry wolf eying a great big steak. I looked at her completely forgetting that she was even there. “Ummm…Marisol, don’t you have some work to do?” She looked up at me breaking away from her own personal thoughts. �
�Huh…uh no I’m on break.” I nodded seeing she wasn’t catching the hint. “Good… then your free to get me some coffee.”

  She looked at me like a sad puppy as she walked out of the store. She stopped directly behind Derrick and gave me a huge thumbs up. I shook my head and pretended not to notice. With everything going on I picked up on Derrick gaze, he had not once taken his eyes off me since he had been here. It was that same penetrating stare he gave me at the super center that made me hot and bothered. I gulped and folded my arms across my chest feeling a little uneasy and stimulated at the same time. “So what brings you here?” I asked breaking the sexual tension in the room. “I was in the area and I saw you through the window…I figured I drop in and say hi.” I nodded trying to avoid his eyes while mine fell on his wide chest and trailed down his stomach.

  Everything on him looked perfectly fit and hard, I was finding it difficult to keep it together. “So you own an art gallery…that’s interesting.” His voice broke me away from my trance. “Huh? Oh yes um I have had it for a while now…I always had a thing for art and nice things.” I laughed nervously; he picked up on it and chuckled himself. “Well do you mind showing what you got up in here?” “Oh…yes. Of course follow me.” Damn Destiny, I thought. What’s with you? You’re acting like a preteen get it together. I guided him through the gallery showing him the entire space and some of my favorite pieces. Occasionally I would feel a pair of eyes staring me down but could never quite catch him in the act…he was a slick one.