Soul Matters
Page 1
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Biblical quotes throughout this book come from the King James Version.
Copyright © 2005 by Yolonda T. Sanders
All rights reserved.
Warner Books
Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Visit our Web site at HachetteBookGroupUSA.com.
First eBook Edition: September 2005
ISBN: 978-0-446-50985-5
Cover design by Tracy McCutchion
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Chapter One: The Perfect Package
Chapter Two: No Ordinary Sunday
Chapter Three: What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
Chapter Four: A Christmas to Remember
Chapter Five: More Than Just a Little White Lie
Chapter Six: A Choice in the Matter
Chapter Seven: A Back-Door Blessing
Chapter Eight: The Pot and the Kettle
Chapter Nine: The Grapevine
Chapter Ten: The Young and Restless
Chapter Eleven: Soul Sistas
Chapter Twelve: Sister Sunday
Chapter Thirteen: Nuttin’ Like an Otis
Chapter Fourteen: The Uninvited Guest
Chapter Fifteen: The Familiar Stranger
Chapter Sixteen: Name Change
Chapter Seventeen: Whoop-De-Do
Chapter Eighteen: Nothing to Lose
Chapter Nineteen: Four-Letter Word
Chapter Twenty: Just Friends?
Chapter Twenty-One: Lady and the Tramp
Chapter Twenty-Two: Whooo?
Chapter Twenty-Three: Wishes Do Come True
Chapter Twenty-Four: Two Can Play That Game
Chapter Twenty-Five: A Chance Encounter
Chapter Twenty-Six: Guess Who’s Comin’ for Dinner?
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Baby-Mama Drama
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Digging a Grave
Chapter Twenty-Nine: All About You
Chapter Thirty: Can You Hear Me Now?
Chapter Thirty-One: Ditch of Lies
Chapter Thirty-Two: When Darkness Comes to Light
Chapter Thirty-Three: Romans 8:28
Chapter Thirty-Four: One of Those Faces
Chapter Thirty-Five: Something Like That
Chapter Thirty-Six: Stuck with the Bill
Chapter Thirty-Seven: In the Master’s Hands
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Only God Knows
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Not Guilty
Chapter Forty: Unconditional Love
Reading Group Guide
“I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU AT CHURCH TODAY,” WENDY SAID TO HER SISTER OVER THE TELEPHONE.
Kim had known this conversation would take place eventually. “Really.”
“What happened? When we left Soul Sistas Friday night you said you were coming . . . Are you all right? You act like something is wrong . . . You sound sort of stank.”
“Never mind how I’m feeling. What about you? How are you feeling, Sister Sunday?”
“Good,” Wendy said cautiously. She was unsure why Kim called her the same name that they had created for their grandmother. Kim was always joking about how fake Frances acted around other church members and suggested the nickname Sister Sunday—implying that the only time Frances appeared to be saved was on Sunday morning.
“You know you never did tell me what the doctor said about the baby.”
“Uhhh . . . yeah—I’m straight.” Wendy had been meaning to make up a story to tell Kim, but she forgot.
“Need a little good news in your novels? Look no further.”
—Essence
This book is dedicated to my husband, children,
and mother for their unwavering love and support.
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to give all glory and honor to God. Thank You for the continual favor, grace, and mercy that You have shown me. Without You, writing this book would have been impossible. Thank You for using an imperfect being like me to do works according to Your perfect plan.
Before I acknowledge individuals for their specific contributions, let me say that there are countless others whose thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes were with me throughout this process. Many of you continuously expressed your excitement about what God is doing in my life. For fear of inadvertently omitting any one of you, I will not list your names. However, please know that I truly appreciate your support and encouragement.
To my husband and best friend, David—I praise God for the blessing of you. You have been extremely supportive of me. Thank you doesn’t seem like enough for the sacrifices you’ve made. I love you!
To my children, Tre and Tia—you both inspire me to be better and to do better. It’s a joy being your mother. I love you both very much!
To my parents, Eddie Brown and Wilene Brown—I love you guys. Thank you for all that you deposit into my life and the lives of my children. Ma—you are such a strong woman, and I greatly admire you. Your prayers have gotten me through many hard times.
To my pastor, Bishop Timothy J. Clarke, and First Lady, Clytemnestra Clarke—I love you both. Thank you for your dynamic leadership at First Church. Bishop Clarke, it is a direct result of your teaching and preaching that causes me to be where I am today. You have planted the Word of God in my life on a continual basis, thus contributing to my spiritual growth. Thank you for being a blessing to me.
A very special thank you goes to Kim Hahn, Danella Hicks, Carla Laskey, and Janice Sanders. I cannot thank you all enough for helping me every step of the way. I appreciate your honesty by telling me when there were glitches in the storyline, giving me new ideas to explore, reading (and sometimes rereading) every chapter of the book, and most importantly, your belief in me. You all invested a lot of time in Soul Matters way before I’d been offered a contract. The fact that you were willing to work so hard without any tangible proof that I would be signed with a publisher shows the degree to which you believed in me. Thank you not only for your support but your hard work as well. Both have been invaluable.
To John Anderson, Peggy Brown, Kem Dicken, Toni DiSalvo, Calvin Harris, Lynn Henry, Sharon Lindsey, Kelly McCoy, Nevy Payton, Jennifer Schwind, Pat Shade, and Sue Tobin—each one of you helped me along this journey by giving me feedback on sample chapters and/or the synopsis, thus playing an important role in my producing the finished product. Thank you so much for your help!
I also want to thank both sides of my family members, and my husband’s family, for all of your love and support throughout the years. I love you guys! To my cousins, Mark and Tonya—thank you for being my “big brother” and “big sister.” No matter what happens in life, remember that God is able to turn things around!
To my sister/friend, Robin Thornton—I love you doesn’t even sum up how I feel. You are truly an inspiration. Your gift of faith has increased my level of faith. You believed in God’s ability to use me even before I began to believe it myself. Thank you for the many times you’ve gotten me back on track using the Word of God. We have such a wonderful divine connection. You are a blessing to me.
To my publisher, Denise Stinson—I truly believe that my signing with Walk Worthy Press was a divine arrangement. Getting a publishing contract in and of itself is a blessing, but then to have a publisher who aims to please and honor God is an abundant blessing. I greatly appreciate the times of prayer and words of encouragement you’ve spoken to me. Thank you for being a vessel and giving me the opportunity to share with others what
God is doing through me.
To my editor, Frances Jalet-Miller; my copy editor, Karen Thompson; and my production editor, Tareth Mitch—thank you all for your hard work in getting Soul Matters ready for publication. I thank God for your thoroughness, professionalism, and kindness. There are numerous others at Walk Worthy Press and Warner Books who have assisted with the publication process. I do not know your names, but I do want to thank you for all of your help as well.
To my graduate school advisor, Ruth Peterson—the lessons I learned from you while writing my thesis carried over into writing this novel. Thank you for being meticulous and always demanding my very best effort. The training I received from you was crucial to my being able to write this book.
To Michael Everhart, owner of Baby Love Studio (Columbus, OH)—thank you for the photographs. It was truly a pleasure working with you. I pray the blessings of God upon your business.
To everyone who reads this book, THANK YOU! It is my sincere desire that God’s Word comes through and that you are blessed.
Love,
Yolonda
www.yolonda.net
Chapter One
The Perfect Package
IT WAS TEN MINUTES TO THREE, and Wendy was eager to get out of work on time. “Start cleaning up now,” she said to her first-grade class. They had crayons, markers, and books all over the place. “Be sure to put everything back where it belongs. After you’re finished, line up at the door and wait there until the bell rings.”
Much to Wendy’s surprise, her instructions were followed with little resistance. A few students mumbled about not being able to finish what they were doing, but even they cooperated without her having to say anything else. Maybe they could sense that something was different about her. Toward the end of each day the children usually had exploratory time and were allowed to choose among various activities such as reading, coloring, playing educational games, or anything else Wendy deemed appropriate. She normally walked around the classroom and interacted with several students during that time. However, this entire week she had sat at her desk like a watchdog, responding only when needed.
“Just a few more days . . .” Wendy murmured to herself. Next Wednesday the school would be closed for Christmas break, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was looking forward to having some time off. Although she was only seven weeks pregnant, she was beginning to feel the effects this pregnancy was having on her body. She used to have the vitality of a three-year-old, but lately she felt like she would lose in a race against Methuselah. She was convinced that the term morning sickness was deceptive. If the feelings of nausea, vomiting, heartburn, and headaches were confined only to a few hours of the day, it would make the first trimester of her pregnancy much more bearable. Instead, she was liable to experience morning sickness at any given moment of the day.
While the children were cleaning up, Wendy was on the edge of her seat as she waited for the bell to ring. Thank God it’s Friday. She didn’t think she would be able to make it another day. She was going straight home after work. She would not leave the house until it was time to go to church Sunday morning. After service, Wendy would then go over to her parents’ house to celebrate her father’s birthday. Wendy hoped to feel better by next Friday, when she and her husband, Kevin, were scheduled to go to Philadelphia and visit his family for the holidays. The Ohio native would rather spend her Christmas vacation recuperating from her ailments in the comfort of her own home, but there was no way she could back out of the trip now. Her mother-in-law was ecstatic about the pregnancy and could not wait until they got to Philly so she could show Wendy some of the things she had already bought for the baby.
“Keep your hands to yourselves,” Wendy said to two young boys who were shoving each other.
“He started it!” David stated, pointing to Jeffrey.
“Nuh-uh, he did!” Jeffrey pointed back at him.
“It doesn’t matter who started it—both of you knock it off,” Wendy replied sternly. Secretly she knew that David probably was at fault, but she didn’t feel like investigating the issue. David was bigger than the other first-graders in both height and weight. Jeffrey was one of those children who looked like he had been born premature and his small size made him an easy target for David. Even though David was sometimes a bully, Wendy had taken a great liking to him; probably because he reminded her of herself.
Wendy had never been a bully, but she had been heavy and tall as a child. She used to feel awkward standing next to other children in her class. It irritated her when adults would ask how old she was and then say, “You look like you should be older than that.” It wasn’t until the summer before her freshman year of high school that she began to thin out. All of her adult years, Wendy managed to remain a size eight, but she had to work hard at it, contrary to her younger sister, Kim, who naturally wore a six.
When the bell rang, it was music to her ears. “Okay, let’s go.” Wendy jumped up and escorted her class to the pickup area. Once they were there, another staff member would stay with them until their bus or a parent came to get them. When they reached their destination, Wendy said good-bye to her students and headed back to her classroom.
“Attention, all teachers and staff: Mrs. Phillips, please come to the office. Wendy Phillips to the front office, please,” she heard Donna Burchett, the office secretary, announce over the PA system.
For what? Maybe I should go ahead and leave. No one would be able to say for sure that I was in the building during the announcement. Wendy was only a few doors away from her classroom, so all she had to do was grab her stuff and head home. However, she reluctantly turned around and walked toward the office at a medium pace. Her shoulder-length hair often bounced as she walked. Today it was pulled back in a ponytail. Wendy actually hated ponytails and only wore her hair in that style when she worked out. But ever since she had been experiencing morning sickness she devoted less time to her appearance. She even had her glasses on, and Wendy normally wouldn’t be caught dead in a pair of glasses.
“Wendy Phillips, please come to the office,” Ms. Burchett repeated.
Coming! she wanted to yell. I hope it is something simple like a signature needed on some paperwork I filed. She dreaded the possibility that a parent would be waiting to speak with her about his or her child’s behavior.
“Hi, you paged me?” Wendy inquired as she burst through the door into the administrative office.
“Yes, dear. You had a telephone call,” Ms. Burchett replied, exposing the gap between teeth stained from years of smoking.
“A telephone call? From who?” Wendy asked, scrunching her eyebrows. No one ever calls me at work. Her friends and family knew that she taught and was unavailable during the day. “It must be from a parent. I’ll take the message, but I’m not calling anyone back until Monday.”
“No, honey. It wasn’t from a parent. Someone called from a Dr. Korva’s office.”
“Oh,” she said nervously, trying hard to keep her composure and not panic.
“I wrote down the number.” Ms. Burchett handed Wendy a piece of paper and pointed to the phone on her desk. “You can call from here if you’d like.” She carefully studied Wendy’s response.
“That’s okay. I’ll wait and call later since I’m getting ready to leave anyhow.”
“The lady didn’t tell me why she was calling, but it sounded important.”
Wendy could tell that Ms. Burchett was fishing for information. Odds were she had already tried to gather as much as she could from the person who called. Wendy hadn’t told anyone at the school about her pregnancy yet, and now was not the time to make that announcement. “Thanks so much, Ms. Burchett, but I’m sort of in a hurry so I’ll just call back from my cell phone on my way home.”
“Okay. I just hope everything is fine,” she said with her narrow, bluish green eyes peering from the top of her glasses. “Are you sick, honey?”
“No ma’am,” Wendy said honestly. Her mind was so boggled with getting t
o a phone to return Dr. Korva’s call that the feelings of morning sickness had been temporarily suppressed.
“Then why would someone from a doctor’s office call you?”
As much as Wendy wanted to tell Ms. Burchett to mind her own business, she couldn’t. The woman was at least in her late fifties or early sixties and Wendy couldn’t strike up the nerve to tell her off. If only I was a little more like Kim, she thought. Her sister would not have wasted any time getting Ms. Burchett out of her business. Wendy and Kim did have similar characteristics, with their dark brown hair, brown eyes, and dimples. However, Wendy’s complexion was just a little lighter than Kim’s, and she was also a few inches taller than her younger sibling. Both ladies favored their mother, but it was Kim who had been blessed not only with the high metabolism but also with the ability to speak her mind audaciously. Although Wendy generally liked Ms. Burchett, this interrogation was testing her patience. “I’m not sure, but I better run so I can find out, huh? You have a good weekend, Ms. Burchett,” she said, backing toward the door.
“Okay, you too—and I’ll talk to you on Monday.”
Not if I can avoid it you won’t! Wendy walked out of the office and raced back to her classroom. She was so disturbed by the call that she rushed by several of her co-workers without speaking. Why did Dr. Korva call me at work? Wendy was desperate to find out.
When Wendy returned to her classroom, she grabbed the cell phone out of her purse only to discover that there was a message waiting. That was nothing unusual because her phone stayed on vibrate during the day. A lot of times Kim called her from the hair salon where she worked and left messages when she was between clients.
“Hi, Wendy, this is Susan, Dr. Korva’s nurse. She would like you to come into the office today, if possible, to discuss your test results. She’s leaving around four this afternoon. If you can’t make it before she leaves, then you definitely need to come sometime early next week. Please call the office and let the receptionist know what’ll work best for you. The number here is 555-3794. We hope to see you soon.”