Soul Matters

by Yolonda Tonette Sanders

  Chapter Twelve

  Sister Sunday

  I WAS LOOKING FOR YOU AT CHURCH TODAY,” Wendy said to her sister over the telephone.

  Kim sat flipping through the channels on the twenty-seven-inch television screen in her living room. She had known this conversation would take place eventually. As much as she tried to prepare herself, she was unable to rise above the feelings of hurt and disappointment she now had toward her sister. “Really.”

  “I was surprised when Mama told me that you weren’t there,” Wendy said without noticing Kim’s dry response. “What happened? When we left Soul Sistas Friday night, you said you were coming. Remember, we talked about going out to eat after service today, just the two of us?”

  “Yeah. Well, I changed my mind,” Kim said nonchalantly.

  “Well, thanks for calling and telling me,” Wendy said sarcastically. She was disappointed that Kim hadn’t followed through with their plans. She had been looking forward to spending that time with her. “Maybe we can go next week.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Thanks for returning my purse. I told you Friday that there was no need for you to rush out and buy a new one. You really could have kept this one if you wanted to. Why’d you give it to Mama to give to me? It’s not like I needed it.”

  “Um-hmm.” Kim had had every intention of going to church that morning and out to eat with Wendy until yesterday evening. After work, she’d gone shopping for a new purse and also bought clothes that she anticipated wearing specifically to church. Terrance even made plans to take the kids over to his parents’ house and have dinner with them. He asked her to come with them once Kim told him that she was canceling her plans today, but she declined. She wasn’t in a socializing mood and wanted to stay home by herself. She was uncertain as to what to think about Wendy in light of what she had discovered last night as she took her belongings out of Wendy’s purse and transferred them into the new one she had bought.

  “Are you all right?” Wendy asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “You act like something is wrong. I don’t mean to offend you, but you sound sort of stank.”

  “Maybe I’m just tired of people continually betraying my trust.”

  “Maybe you need to address that issue with those people and not take it out on your sister,” Wendy responded. “Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?”

  “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 they had created for their grandmother. Kim was always joking about how fake Frances acted around other church members. Although she believed that she had everyone fooled, very few people thought of Frances as anything other than a busybody and tolerated her only for Marlene’s sake. Marlene had been a faithful member of Mount Calvary Missionary Church ever since she was saved as a young adult. However, Frances hadn’t started going to that particular church until she moved in with Marlene and Michael. Prior to living with them, she had attended another church, where she made more enemies than she did friends. Kim 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,” Kim said.

  “Yes I did. I told you that my gynecologist said that she could tell me the sex of the baby now since I’m in my fifth month, but I don’t want to know. I want to be surprised.”

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. So now she thinks that you will carry the baby to term, right? Before she was afraid that you would miscarry.”

  “Uhh . . . yeah—I’m straight.” Wendy had been meaning to make up a story to tell Kim, but she forgot. She and Kim had been spending so much time together that correcting the lie she told had slipped her mind. “Girl, I’m way past that. That was in the beginning when I was feeling sick and all. The baby is fine now.”

  “Liar!” Kim said and slammed the phone down. She was even madder now than she was before Wendy called. The remote control left her hand and soared across the room. She had just given Wendy a chance to tell the truth. Instead, Wendy chose to continue lying to her, and it infuriated Kim.

  The phone rang again. Kim knew it was Wendy calling back. “What!” she answered hatefully.

  “What in the world has gotten into you? You just hung up on me for no reason at all!” Wendy was confused. The last time she was with Kim they had had fun together. She couldn’t recall saying or doing anything that night to upset her.

  “I’m starting to wonder if it was really Kevin who had the affair,” Kim lashed out. She really didn’t think for one minute that Wendy had been unfaithful; she was just being cruel.

  “What’s that supposed to mean? How could you even say something like that?”

  Kim detected the hurt in Wendy’s voice, but she didn’t care. “Silly me to think that although you were lying to Mama and Daddy, you would at least tell me the truth. After all, I thought that we were more than sisters, I thought you were my best friend.”

  “Kim, what are you talking about? I didn’t cheat on Kevin! He cheated on me!”

  “You know what? I don’t even care anymore. I have too many problems of my own to concern myself with yours. I thought you didn’t believe in abortions anyhow.”

  “I don’t. Where did that come from?”

  “Then tell me why there was a card from Pregnancy Alternative in your purse. You told me that you were at risk for losing the baby when the entire time you were planning to have an abortion.”

  When Kim mentioned Pregnancy Alternative, Wendy felt like all of her dirty laundry had been exposed. She had completely forgotten about placing the business cards from the abortion clinic in the inside pocket of her purse. She had never used that pocket before or after that day. Once Pastor Jones had gone back with her to cancel her appointment, she didn’t think twice about the clinic. “Kim . . . wait . . . you don’t understand.”

  “And I don’t want to. It’s not the fact that you considered having an abortion that bothers me. It’s the fact that you have continuously lied to me. You have taken advantage of my love and trust. Do you know how many nights I couldn’t sleep because I was concerned about you?”

  “Kim—”

  “Had you told me that you’d lost the baby, I would have blamed Kevin for stressing you out. You’ve betrayed me, Wendy. The fact that you didn’t tell me the truth proves to me that you don’t trust me.”

  “No, that’s not true—”

  “Did you think I would judge you or something? I don’t see why you would have. I have lied for you, I have looked out for you, and I have even broken plans with my fiancé to be with you. I have never lied to you about anything. You have taken advantage of my feelings for the very last time.”

  “Kim, please listen—”

  “Forget it. If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have betrayed me. I don’t care what happens to your baby or marriage from here on out.” Kim hung up once again. She was too angry to admit that she really did care about the baby and Wendy. She had been eager to become an auntie and spoil the child rotten. Everything she said to Wendy stemmed from the hurt she felt from being misled.

  Wendy sat stunned on her living room couch. She was embarrassed and angry with herself. Most of all, she was hurt by the things Kim had said to her. She thought about calling her back, but feared the rejection that was inevitable. She knew that Kim had every right to be upset with her. Why didn’t you just tell her the truth about everything when she came over after Christmas? Wendy recalled trying to avoid discussing the details about her relationship with Kevin the day Kim confronted her about not being in Philadelphia.

  As tears stormed down her face, she thought about Kim’s words. “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have betrayed me.”Ironically, that was the same thing she had said to Kevin.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nuttin’
Like an Otis

  IT WAS ABOUT TWELVE-THIRTY IN THE AFTERNOON. Kim and Marlene were sitting in Marlene’s living room watching television, talking, and looking through bridal catalogs. Kim didn’t have to work and had decided to spend the day with her mother. They didn’t have plans to do anything special. In fact, Kim would have loved a nice quiet afternoon to herself since Terrance was working, Tyler was in preschool, and Tori was in elementary school. But, from the sound of her mother’s voice yesterday evening, Kim suspected that she was in desperate need of company. Marlene had been at home with Frances the entire week by herself because Michael had gone to visit his brother in Florida who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. His brother’s prognosis was good since the doctors detected the cancer in the early stages, but Michael just wanted to spend some quality time with him because the two didn’t get to see each other much. Marlene would have gone with him, except someone needed to be home with Frances.

  Dealing with Frances was enough to drive anyone crazy. Marlene enjoyed the level of sanity Kim brought to the place. Sometimes Marlene wondered if it had been a good idea to retire from nursing after twenty-two years and move Frances in to care for her full time. Frances suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes. She used to live at the senior center. There, Michael and Marlene had paid for a nurse to check on her each day and make sure she took her medicine. They’d made the decision to move Frances in with them so Marlene could care for her when Frances complained about being mistreated.

  Although Michael didn’t quite believe Frances, he was sympathetic to his wife’s concern. The decision affected him also because he had always been a self-employed repairman and spent most of his time at home when he wasn’t out on jobs. Now that Frances was living with them, Michael found other ways to keep busy. He started volunteering at the local Boys and Girls Club. In addition to the duties that he and Marlene had serving on the deaconate board at the church, he was the repairman there and at some other properties the church owned. The church elected to pay him a salary instead of paying him per repair. As a result, the income that was lost when Marlene quit working was replaced.

  Frances would always be herself. That is, opinionated, stubborn, illogical, and judgmental. However, she got a little more outrageous when Michael wasn’t around. If Marlene said something to her, she would respond by saying “I’m the mother. Remember, I bore you—it wasn’t the other way around.” However, she couldn’t say that to Michael. Marlene tolerated Frances more than Michael did. When Frances had gotten on his last nerve she knew because he didn’t keep quiet about it—unlike Marlene, who usually ignored her or went into another room.

  “I think this dress is pretty,” Marlene said while flipping through a bridal catalog that Kim had brought over.

  Kim looked at the picture of a wedding dress with a satin top and a chiffon skirt that flared out at the end. It was nice for someone who liked the Cinderella-ball-gown look, but it wasn’t what she had in mind for herself. “It’s really not my style,” she said with a twisted look on her face.

  Marlene shook her head. “And what style is that?” She should have known better than to think she could find a wedding dress that her daughter would like. She and Kim had different ideas when it came to fashion. Marlene had never been able to buy her any type of clothing without having to return it or hang it in the closet until she donated the item to charity.

  Kim shrugged her shoulders. “Anything that doesn’t look like that,” she kidded.

  Marlene playfully folded up the magazine and hit Kim on the head. “I can tell already that you’re going to be difficult.”

  “No I’m not. I just want something nice and elegant, but not big at the bottom.”

  “Since you’re thinking about dresses, it must mean that you and Terrance have finally set a wedding date,” Marlene nudged gently. She hadn’t heard Kim say much of anything about planning the wedding.

  “No, not officially. We’ve talked about sometime next summer.”

  “Why next summer? Why didn’t y’all want to do it this summer?”

  “I don’t know. Not enough time to plan, I guess. Plus, I was gonna ask Wendy to be my matron of honor. I figured it would be better for her to wait until after the baby is born. Now it’s too late to plan anything for this summer.”

  “So does that mean you’re not going to ask Wendy to be in your wedding now?”

  “No, I may ask Gwen.”

  Marlene closed her eyes then laid her head back on the couch. Kim had a feeling she knew what her mother was about to say. “I really think that you should still consider having Wendy as your matron of honor. Although Gwen may be like a sister to you, Wendy is your sister. I love Gwen like a daughter, but at special moments in your life such as your wedding, you should never put friends before family. I think it would really hurt Wendy’s feelings if you asked Gwen to stand up for you and not her.”

  “Mama, you promised not to get in the middle.”

  Marlene opened her eyes. “I’m not.” At least she was trying not to. When Wendy called her and told her what had happened with Kim, Marlene said that she would let the girls work it out by themselves. She had never had to go through this with them before. Her daughters had always gotten along great. At first, Marlene thought the girls got along well because Wendy was five years older than Kim. However, several of her co-workers had children who weren’t close in age and, according to them, their children still fought. Wendy and Kim never did any of that, so this sibling rivalry was all new to her. It had been over two weeks since their argument. Marlene felt it was definitely time for them to make amends. The rift between them had gone on long enough. “You never did call her last week and wish her a happy birthday, did you?”

  “No, I forgot.”

  “C’mon, Kim, how could you forget your sister’s thirtieth birthday? Your dad even said he talked to you that day and reminded you to call.”

  “I know, but I started doing something and lost track of time.” Kim defended her actions. She didn’t feel like discussing Wendy any longer. She started gathering her belongings. Her intention was to leave before Marlene could continue lecturing her. “Can I have that?” she asked, referring to the catalog that rested on Marlene’s lap.

  “Oh, you gonna run out of here now that I brought up your sister, huh?” She gave Kim the bridal catalog.

  “No. It’s almost time for me to go anyhow. I’m picking up the kids today.” Kim was telling the truth. On her days off she picked up the kids. She still had some time to spare before she needed to be at their locations, but if Marlene was going to start preaching to her, it was time to go.

  “Um-hmm,” Marlene replied. She knew all too well what her daughter was up to. “Are you going to church Sunday? You haven’t been for the past couple of weeks. Why is that?”

  “I don’t know. I just haven’t felt like it.” Honestly, Kim had been enjoying the church services. After the Soul Sistas meeting she went to with Wendy, she had even considered walking up front during the altar call for salvation. Now she was having second thoughts about whether she would be able to live up to Christian standards, especially since Wendy couldn’t.

  Kim had always thought Wendy was perfect. It was Wendy who went to college and graduated summa cum laude. It was Wendy who remained a virgin despite the peer pressure from her friends. It was Wendy who got saved at a young age and remained faithful to her commitment. In Kim’s eyes, Wendy had never made a bad decision. She had even hit the jackpot by marrying Kevin. It was love Wendy was looking for, not money, but she got both. Kim had never been jealous of Wendy. Rather, she admired her and looked up to her. After constructing this image of her sister in her mind, Kim was surprised by what she had found in Wendy’s purse. If Wendy, who had basically been a good girl all of her life, had trouble doing things the Lord’s way,how could she?

  “I hope you don’t let what’s going on with Wendy prevent you from coming to church,” Marlene stated as though she knew how Kim’s mind worked. �
��It really surprised me that you didn’t come on Easter with Terrance and the kids.”

  “I told you I wasn’t feeling well that day.”

  “I know that Wendy’s actions were not appropriate. However, I want you to remember that we all have to see God for ourselves. We’re not accountable for what others do; we’re accountable for what we do. You can’t let what Wendy did prevent you from seeking a relationship with God.”

  Yeah, yeah, yeah, Kim thought. She glanced around the area to make sure she had all of her stuff.

  “You need to get over this issue with Wendy and move on,” Marlene said bluntly.

  “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one she lied to for several months.”

  “Wendy has hurt us all. She may not have lied to me about the baby, but remember she did lie to me about her trip to Philadelphia. And so did you, I might add.”

  “Yeah, but that was different.”

  “How was it different? You don’t think that hurt me?”

  “Yeah, but still—”

  “There’s no buts. You’re just being stubborn.”

  Kim sighed. So what if I’m being stubborn. She was so focused on her own hurt feelings that she didn’t even stop to think how her actions were hurting her sister or even her parents, who had to witness their children at odds with one another.

  “Do you even know the circumstances that prompted Wendy to do the things she did?”

  “She said that Kevin cheated on her and that’s why she didn’t go to Philly.”

  “Oh, so you do believe that Kevin cheated on her and not the other way around.”

  “Yeah, why do you ask that?”

  “Wendy said you implied that she had the affair.”

  Kim shook her head. “I know she didn’t cheat on Kevin, Mama. I was just mad at the time.”

  “Well, you need to call and tell her that.”

  “If Wendy wants to talk to me, she knows how to get in touch with me,” Kim replied.

  “Do you know how ridiculous that sounds? Why would she want to call you after you spoke to her the way you did?”