There’s a peace that passes all our understanding,
And it’s the kind of peace that only God can give.
Now I know that I can say, without any reservation
That I will cherish you each day that I live.
For you are the one that I choose to share my life with…
Kenneth slept. This time, his sleep wasn’t infiltrated by fang-faced demons. He was enraptured with the thoughts of Elizabeth’s love and the soft, sinuous feel of her body next to his. A few other thoughts of Elizabeth floated through his mind as sleep claimed him. They were R-rated and private.
22
Elizabeth sat in the living room reading her Bible, while Kenneth horsed around with the girls upstairs. She was reading the first chapter of Romans and finding no pleasure in it.
Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools…
For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.
Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting.
She closed the Bible, sat on her comfortable Italian leather couch, and thought about Tommy. At the age of nine, Tommy’s spirit had been broken. He spent his adult years acting out, daring anybody to challenge him. Believing that his actions were justified. God wasn’t there when he needed Him most, so why should he give a flying fig what God wanted now? She and Tommy had been friends for years, but she had not truly understood him. “Mind wired differently? Hah, it’s different all right. It’s reprobate.”
She rubbed her hands over her Bible. “Your Words, Lord, they preach judgment against Tommy. But I know that You are a merciful God. I’m asking You to take another look at my friend. Restore his soul, Lord. He has endured much pain. Show him Your love.”
She picked up the phone and dialed Tommy’s number. It rang several times. No answer. She wanted to drive over to his house and shake some sense into him. After all, friends don’t let friends live without Jesus.
It was her Christian duty to go see about Tommy. Donny McClurklin once sang, “We fall down, but we get up.” Elizabeth was a firm believer in God’s redemptive power, His ability to lift one of His children out of the depths of despair. He’d done it for her, and Tommy’s sins, although weighty, were no worse than the sins she had committed. In God’s eyes, their sins were the same, and needed the blood of Jesus to cover them.
The theology sounded great. Now to convince her husband that Tommy needed someone to preach the Word to him. She put her keys on the table in the foyer and paced back and forth. She’d be thirty-six her next birthday, so she wasn’t about to admit that she was scared to go upstairs and talk to her husband. She did, however, allow that she was a little hesitant.
So, while she cowered in the foyer, contemplating the words she would say, Kenneth whistled down the stairs. “Hey, Liz. I need to order some more of that salve. My knees are feeling better everyday.”
“I ordered the product off the web. The address was www.mudearsfinest.com.”
He smiled as he conquered the last step. “Maybe one day I’ll get rid of this cane.” He stopped smiling when he glanced at Elizabeth. “What’s wrong?”
She wrung her hands and pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. “I have to go do something.”
“Can it wait until I get back? I wanted to talk with the director at the Hope Center before he gets too busy.”
“Well,” she began cautiously, “I need to make sure that you’re okay with what I need to do.”
He gave her a tolerant smile. “What is it?”
“Kenneth, I really need you to understand,” she said quickly, holding up her hands to ward off any objection. “I need to go see about Tommy. I haven’t heard from him in weeks. I’m worried.”
The corners of his mouth tightened. “Why’d you lay in my bed last night, lullabying me, like I meant something to you – when you’re still thinking about him?”
“Kenneth, be reasonable. One has nothing to do with the other.”
“Do you even remember what you sang to me last night? You said that I was the one that you wanted to share your life with. That’s what you sang to me, Liz. What happened between now and then?”
“Kenneth, I love you. I want to be with you. Plain and simple.”
He pointed his index finger in her face. “Then act like it. Don’t think I’m going to continue to let you live under my roof.” He caught the look of surprise on her face. “That’s right, I said my roof. You can’t live here and hang out with Tommy.”
She refused to cry. He will not see how much his words hurt. “What if God wants me to help Tommy? Can you honestly live with stopping God’s work?”
“God wouldn’t ask my wife to go sleep with some other man.”
Elizabeth gasped, then, without her help; her hand flew up and smacked Kenneth’s face. “How dare you?” She stepped back. “I get it. You don’t want me, but you take exception to anyone else wanting to be with me.”
Kenneth rubbed his face and stepped back. “I never said I didn’t want you.”
Erin and Danae ran down the stairs. Elizabeth was too steamed to care.
“You don’t have to say it!” She was screaming, arms flapping in the air as she tore into him. “You refuse to sleep in our bedroom. And last night, when I laid in bed with you – did you touch me?”
He didn’t answer.
Danae hugged Elizabeth’s waist. “No, mommy. Don’t yell at Daddy.”
Erin stepped to Elizabeth like a grown woman. “Don’t you hit my Daddy. You’re messing everything up, and I’m not going to let you.”
Oh, somebody was going to get hit all right. The Underwood family was about to be news at eleven. Elizabeth reared back, getting ready to knock the taste of last night’s corn-on-the-cob and pork chops out of Erin’s mouth.
But Kenneth beat her to the punch. He grabbed Erin’s arm and swung her around. He put his finger in her face. “Little girl, don’t you ever disrespect my wife like that again.”
A day late and a dollar short. But Elizabeth would take what she could get. Go head on, boy, she inwardly screamed. Stand up for your wife.
“But Daddy-”
“Don’t you but Daddy me. As long as you live under our roof and eat our food, you better act like Elizabeth and Kenneth are the best things since sweet potato pie. You got me?”
Erin lowered her head. “Yes, Daddy.”
Elizabeth ran her hands through her hair, still wanting to reach out and touch her oldest.
Kenneth released Erin’s arm. “Go to your room. You too, Danae.”
Danae was still holding onto Elizabeth. “I didn’t do anything, Daddy.”
Kenneth pointed toward the stairs. “Go on anyway. I need to talk to your mom.”
As the kids stumped up the stairs, Kenneth turned to Elizabeth. “I’m sorry that I got all that mess started. I just see red when you talk about Tommy.”
Elizabeth’s lip twitched and her hand itched as she crossed her arms.
He scratched his head. “Can’t you understand, Liz? I just need to know that you are mine.”
“You idiot! I am yours.” She grabbed a piece of paper and pencil. “Look, I’m not going to argue with you about this. You don’t want me to go see about Tommy. Fine. You do it.” She scribbled Tommy’s address and directions on the paper and handed it to Kenneth.
Tommy could go to the devil for all he cared. He started to throw the paper on the floor. His fingers twitched, lip tightened as he looked around for the trash can.
“Kenneth,
this is important to me.” She grabbed his arm, begging him with her sad eyes. “He needs to know that someone cares about him.”
He shoved the paper in his pocket. “If I have time, I’ll swing by there.”
Kenneth walked out the door and Elizabeth walked up the stairs. The devil was running rampant through her house. Raising ruckus like his name was on the deed. Well that free loader was getting tossed out. As soon as she regained the strength to fight, she was going for the jugular. But right now, she needed to lie down and detox. Lord, my family is hurting. Please help us. Danae and Erin were in her bedroom.
Danae Stood as Erin sobbed in Elizabeth’s bed. “We’ve got to get out of here, Erin. You’re going to get us in trouble again.”
Elizabeth watched her children, then walked over to Danae and kissed her on the forehead. She sat on her bed next to Erin.
Erin lifted up. “I didn’t mean it, Mama. I – I’m just s-so scared that he’ll leave again.”
Elizabeth pulled her daughter to her bosom and softly rubbed her hair. “That’s all right, baby. I was scared for a long time too.”
Erin continued to sob as she asked, “You’re not scared anymore, Mama?”
“No, baby.” Elizabeth situated herself on the bed and rocked her child. “Why should I be afraid? I serve a God who is more than able to deal with my problems.”
Erin’s voice quivered as she said, “I-I’m so s-sorry.”
A single tear rolled down Elizabeth’s face. She looked up, and once again read the words plastered on her wall:
For this is what the Lord says: I will extend peace to her like a river.
“Thank You, Lord.”
***
“Clarence, these people need more than peanut butter sandwiches. There has to be more that I can do to help them.”
Clarence Johnson put his elbows on his well-used desk. He had been the director of the shelter for twelve years. “What do you think might help them?”
“What do you think about adding an independent living skills center onto this building?”
Clarence looked around his shoebox of an office and grinned. “Would I get a bigger office?”
“Yeah, whatever you want. I’m actually thinking of building a facility where unemployed and homeless people can learn to read, type, and any other skills that might help them get a job.”
“That sounds great, Kenneth, but you’ve got to remember there are a lot of drug addicts on the street. They might be able to pass a typing test, but can they pass a drug test?”
Kenneth put his Bible on Clarence’s desk. “That’s why we’ll offer them Jesus. He’s cleaned up a few dope heads.”
Clarence raised his hand. “I can testify to that, brother.”
Clarence and Kenneth discussed avenues for fundraising. The center would be costly. They would need to hit local businesses. Appeal to their more benevolent side.
When they were finished plotting and planning, Kenneth was preparing to drive home when he heard the voice of God.
Son, do you love Me?
Lord, You know that I love You.
Feed My sheep.
“But, Lord-”
Feed My sheep.
Kenneth turned onto Peachtree, headed toward the Aramore Apartments in Buckhead. When he parked his car in front of the building, he thought about putting the car in reverse and going home. But he couldn’t leave; not until he handled his business. He got out of his car and walked into the apartment building. Loud music hip-hopped through the halls as he made his way down the corridor. The music was coming from one apartment. The neighbors were probably calling the police.
The door to the apartment was ajar. Tommy stood in the middle of his living room floor with a do rag on his head, crust around the edges of his mouth, and from the way he was scratching, he probably had crabs. He screamed into the telephone. “No, I don’t have your money! Look, you’ll get yours when I get mine,” He was squeezing the life out of a stress ball in his right hand.
Liz must have been crazy to trust her career to this maniac.
Tommy turned and saw Kenneth looking through the door. He lowered the volume and waved him in. “Well, get in where you can fit in, dawg. I’ve got someone waiting on me. I don’t have time to argue with you.” He hung up the phone and turned to Kenneth. “Are you here for the gold candle sticks or the stereo system?”
“Excuse me?”
Tommy gave him a frustrated glare. “Which are you here to buy, man? Come on, I don’t have all day.”
“I’m not here to buy anything. Elizabeth sent me.”
Tommy eyed Kenneth, then turned up his nose as if he’d caught whiff of a stank bomb. “You look different.”
“Having a building fall on you has a tendency to change things.”
Tommy glared at Kenneth’s cane, then at his scarred face, and sucked his teeth. “Don’t come over here looking for a medal. You ain’t no war hero, just a victim, like all the rest of us. I’ve got some scars too.” He jabbed his chest with his index finger a few times. “My scars are inside though.” He plopped down on his sofa, keeping his scorn directed at Kenneth. “Can’t no plastic surgery fix me. So don’t come in here looking for sympathy.”
“Elizabeth wants to know if you’re all right,” Kenneth said, choosing not to be riled by this ignorant man.
Tommy put his feet on the coffee table, slouched down on the sofa, and smirked. “Tired of the cripple in her bed?”
Before Kenneth could respond, someone knocked on the door and let himself in. “I’m here for the candle sticks.”
Tommy pointed toward the dining room table. The newcomer pushed his Kangol down tighter on his head and did the JJ strut over to the table. “These are nice, man, real nice. How much you want for them?”
“Fifty bucks.”
JJ grabbed the candlesticks and pulled a fifty out of his back pocket. “Thanks, man.”
Tommy opened the drawer to his coffee table and pulled out a joint. He lit it, inhaled, and blew contaminated smoke out of his mouth. “You sure you don’t want to buy some of this stuff? It’s all going at low, low prices.”
He wanted to bust Tommy in the head with some of his low, low-priced merchandise. He took a step toward a crystal vase and was reminded of what God spoke into his spirit. He had been commanded to feed, not beat the sheep to within an inch of his life.
Tommy took another puff of the dragon and scratched himself. “You just gon’ stand there or what?”
Kenneth’s hands were still itching for that vase. He shook himself to get everything back under control. “Do you really think you should be smoking that?”
“It gives me something to do.”
Kenneth looked around the room. “Why are you selling your stuff?”
“I got robbed. Why do you think I’m selling my stuff? Them hookers took all the money I had. I got to pay the rent somehow,” he said while dragging on his weed.
“So, you choose to solve your problems with drugs?”
“Hey, I’m no crack-head. This ain’t nothing but a joint. Besides, I need a little pick me up since I lost the best woman I ever had.” He put his hands up. “Wait, let me back track. You can’t lose something you never had.” He looked at Kenneth and tapped the ashes from his pick-me-up stick.
“You’re one sick man. You know that?”
Tommy removed his feet from the coffee table, sat up, and focused a sneering glare on Kenneth. “You think you’re something don’t you?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me. Just because Elizabeth thinks the sun rises and sets on your behind, does not mean the rest of the world is of that opinion.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Elizabeth does not think the sun rises and sets on me.”
“Oh, pleasssse.” Tommy put his joint in the ashtray and stood. “I couldn’t touch her, man. You’re gone for over two years, and she wouldn’t let anybody near her.” His hands flew in the air. “She wigged out on me about every othe
r month. My God, I should have left her in that crazy ward the police checked her into.”
That caught Kenneth’s attention. “Why was Liz in the hospital?”
“She cracked up. No Kenneth, no stable mind for Elizabeth.” Tommy gave Kenneth another scornful look and sat back down. “You’ve got Elizabeth thinking you’re something special, but from where I sit, you’re nothing. Just get out of my house.”
Kenneth almost laughed out loud. He had despised this man, thinking that his wife was in love with him. Tommy held him in equal contempt because he couldn’t get to Liz. She was still in love with her husband. His wife was in love with him. Kenneth wanted to do a jig right in the middle of Tommy’s living room. He held himself in check and asked, “What should I tell Liz?” Kenneth looked around the apartment. Dirty socks and pants were scattered across the floor. Containers of half-eaten Chinese food covered the dining room table and floor, waiting on the roaches to finish the Asian cuisine. “She’s worried about you. How are you doing?”
“I’ll be all right. Just need to find another group to manage, that’s all.” He shook his pick-me-up stick at Kenneth. “That wife of yours told me I couldn’t manage her career unless I straightened up. Ain’t that some junk?” He chuckled. “She’s the pill popper, but I need to straighten up.”
“Do you need anything?”
“I’m in need of a lot of things. What do you have?”
Kenneth put his hand in his jacket pocket and pulled out a pocketsize King James Bible.
“Oh, now you’re trying to save me.”
“Just thought you might like to give the Lord a try.”
Tommy smirked. “Man, if I had a nickel for every time somebody told me, ‘Come to Jesus and all your troubles will be over’.”
“I never said that all your troubles would be over once you came to Jesus.” Kenneth stretched out his arms to give Tommy a full view of himself. “Look at me.”
“Okay. Well, what can Jesus do for me then? Can He get my money back from them hookers?”
Kenneth laid the Bible down on the coffee table. “When you finish your joint, why don’t you read a little. Nothing like reading God’s Word when you’re blowed, huh?”
Abundant Rain Page 14
