“Trust me, I know that feeling. When I left Detroit, religion and my father were the last things I wanted to hear about, read about, or talk about. The two fathers in my life seemed to have let me down and I just cut them off. Done, no conversation.”
“But you found your way back.”
“Oh, don’t be fooled. I’m working on it, but this is a day by day journey. This sparring with Joel and DMI is constantly challenging my faith and what I think I’m hearing from God.”
“It is tough. Even with the best of intentions, we can end up following our own heart and desires as opposed to doing what we’re intended to do,” she said.
“Well, my problem is that I’m willing to do what God wants me to do, so long as I’m sure that I know what it is,” Don responded.
“Like running the company, right?”
“We’ll see.”
“Oh no, don’t even try it. There’s no room for doubt. You’ve already tossed your name in the ring and you know your mother isn’t going to let you get out. Me neither. God has called you to do this and you know it.”
“Take it easy. I’m only teasing. I’m not quite as wishy-washy on the matter as I may appear. I told you before, I’m all in.”
“Good, so long as you’re only teasing,” she said, letting the lightheartedness roll off her tongue. She wasn’t telling Don anything God hadn’t put in his heart. It was easy reassuring Don about the plans for his life, not nearly as straightforward when it came to hers. She pulled into the visitor parking slot at the church and turned off the engine. Engaging in a two-way conversation gave Abigail a jolt of renewed vigor, a simple pleasure she hadn’t experienced in a long time. The late night and early morning conversations with Joel about DMI, life, and whatever else came up were resigned to another era. “We’re here. Let’s go. I don’t want to miss a single song or a single scripture. This is a new day. I can feel it,” she said, exiting the car. The smell of spring was in the air.
“Right behind you,” Don said.
chapter
28
Inside, the church lobby was filling with worshippers. The last time Abigail had gone there with Joel, the crowd of people had flocked to him like a celebrity. The lobby buzzed with electricity.
Don entered the church without recognition, and tranquility replaced electricity. As Don helped Abigail remove her spring coat, a gentleman approached. “Good morning and welcome to Greater Faith Chapel, where God is in charge.”
“Good morning to you,” Abigail said, with Don chiming in.
“Here, let me take that coat for you,” the gentleman said, handing it to another person. “You are a visitor, right?”
“Yes,” Abigail said with hesitation. “We are visitors, but I’ve been here before.”
“Welcome back, we’re glad to have you with us again. Your coat will be in the hospitality lounge,” the gentleman said. “Let us know when you’re ready to leave and someone at the hospitality desk, right over there, will get it for you,” he said, pointing to a table halfway down the hall. “Enjoy the service and please let us know if we can do anything for you.”
Don thanked the man and was ready to enter the sanctuary when Abigail interjected. “There is one thing you can help me with. I met a lady here about a year ago named Mother Emma Walker. Is she here by any chance? I’d like to say hi and introduce her to my friend.”
“Oh, you mean Big Mama. Of course she’s here,” the gentleman said, chuckling. “She’s here when the pastor can’t make it. Rain, snow, heat, doesn’t matter.” He chuckled some more. “Why don’t you wait right here and let me find her. I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”
Abigail whispered to Don, “You have to meet this lady. There’s something about her that’s very special. I’m telling you seriously, she’s special.”
A few minutes of waiting and there she was, a tiny lady not more than five feet tall, grayish hair, simply dressed. “Mother Walker,” Abigail said, approaching her and reaching to shake her hand.
Instead, Mother extended her arms. “We give hugs around here.” The embrace was soothing, a shot of what Abigail needed, genuine love and warmth. She took an extra few seconds. “Sure is good to see you again, Ms. Gerard.”
“Abigail. Please, call me Abigail.”
Mother Walker nodded in acknowledgment. “And who do we have here?”
“Oh,” Abigail said, latching onto Don’s arm. “This is my friend Don Mitchell. He’s the oldest son of Dave Mitchell.”
“Okay, there are two sons. I met the other brother with you the last time.”
Abigail hesitated. “Yes, that was Joel.”
“How’s he doing?” Mother Walker said, hugging Don. “He’s dropped into my spirit a number of times since I last spoke with him. Usually that means that I need to pray for him. Don’t always know why God have you pray for somebody, you just do it.”
There wasn’t ample time in the day, especially not in the remaining ten minutes before service began, to lay out Joel’s challenges and why he needed prayer. Abigail took comfort in having a person like the church mother praying for him. Prayer was what he needed, and lots of it. Any extra wouldn’t hurt her, either.
“We sure are glad to have you worship with us today,” Mother Walker said to Abigail and Don while still holding his hand. “Oh, my goodness,” she said, rubbing his right hand. “There’s a peace about you.”
“Excuse me?” Don said.
“There’s a peace in your spirit. You’ve been through a journey but God has allowed you to come out on the other side.” Abigail knew what was going on but Don appeared uncertain.
“I’ve had my share of challenges, that’s for sure,” Don said.
“But God done seen you through. Now it’s time to pick up your cross and do the work He has created you to do.”
“I don’t understand?”
“You have a job to do, and you know what it is.” Abigail knew and Don did, too.
“Are you talking about the CEO role in DMI?”
“I don’t know nothing about a CEO role,” the church mother said, amused. “Baking and cooking, now you’re talking my language. Business I don’t know a thing about, but what I do know is God is true and His word is true and His spirit is true. He’s never going to call you to do a job without directing you or without equipping you. He might equip you with nothing but faith, or he might give you book smarts, whichever way it goes. However he’s prepared you, it’s time to step into your calling.” She beckoned for him to bend down to her level. “You can’t give in to fear and doubt and confusion. Those ain’t from God. Some things you have to take by force with God’s anointing. You understand me now.”
Don didn’t hesitate. “I do.”
“The Lord will be in the fight with you and he never loses, thank you, Jesus.” A small group had gathered and was crowding in, hanging on to each soft-spoken word as though they were meant for them. “I keep hearing the word ‘destiny,’ in my spirit. Does that mean anything to you?”
“Yes,” Abigail blurted out. “See, I told you.”
“You mighty feisty this morning, Ms. Abigail. I guess you’re ready to serve the Lord. No need me holding you up. We might as well get on inside.” Mother Walker clutched Don’s arm. “You’re going to be my guest today. I’m going to be like Elisha in the Bible today. With all that anointing hanging around you, I’m not letting you leave this church until I get a double portion.”
“Big Mama, you already have enough anointing to cover this entire church. Leave some of that anointing for the rest of us,” said the gentleman who had greeted them when they’d arrived. The small crowd was amused, and many laughed openly. Laughter was good. Abigail took Don’s other arm, feeling renewed. If there was extra anointing hovering around Don, which equated to the outpouring of God’s favor, then Abigail wanted to be on the receiving end, too.
chapter
29
Papers, folders, and notepads carpeted the living room floor. Don preferred the open space instea
d of his office. The floor to ceiling windows framing the condo kept him grounded and rooted in the real world. With two laptops running, a handful of mechanical pencils, a few pens here and there, and a half-eaten Reuben sandwich, he was sure two new gray hairs had materialized since yesterday—no proof, merely a suspicion. Faith in a positive outcome was the motivation keeping his eyes open for sixteen or seventeen hours a day. LTI was bursting with new clients, most of which had canceled their contracts with DMI. The abundance was overwhelming, but he couldn’t take satisfaction in Joel’s brooding defeat. There wasn’t time, interest, or a need.
He hammered through a stack of proposals. A smart CEO didn’t turn down business, but looking at the stack of work remaining for the night and the next night and the next and on and on was choking. If new LTI business was consuming every free second, there wasn’t time left to work on the DMI takeover plan. Don teetered toward fretting and each time it seemed to have a grasp of his peace, the voice of the little lady at the church rushed in. He could hear her voice like a tape recorder turned down low. There’s a peace in your spirit. You’ve been through a journey but God has allowed you to come out on the other side. Her words were crisp, the java boost he needed to keep going. He had to be patient and ready for the precise time to take action.
The moment of reflection ushered in calm to Don’s spirit, but perusing the floor and sofa didn’t help to maintain it. The ton of work and new business was undeniable. He remembered the early months in LTI, at a time when South Africa hadn’t yet become home. It was more like a rest stop from his troubles, his life, and his Mitchell name. Over the months, Cape Town had sunk in to his soul and spread throughout his heart. It was where his life was balanced and comfortable. Too bad being comfortable and fulfilling a calling didn’t appear to be coinciding. He let his head lean backward. He missed working with Naledi. She had been like an angel. She had entered his life at a time when both he and LTI were struggling for solvency. She’d been his constant source of friendship and companionship. He peered at his watch, using the few brain cells awake to do the time translation. Eight P.M. in Detroit was three in the morning for her.
“Man,” he said, followed by a sigh. He let his head lean all the way back against the couch and feel the warm summer air of Cape Town, the sweet cinnamon-flavored malva pudding, and the melody in Naledi’s voice. The smell of mountaintop air swooping down to meet the breeze of the bay ushered him away.
The phone rang, startling Don from his sleep. He didn’t immediately gain composure, taking a few gazes around the room. He answered the cellular phone half expecting the caller to have disconnected already.
“Hello, are you there?” he heard Abigail ask.
“Yes, I’m here,” he said, pulling the phone away to clear his throat.
“You sound like you’ve been sleeping. Come on, this early? It’s only nine thirty.”
Don snatched his arm, which was sprawled across the back of the couch, to confirm the time. He couldn’t afford to have wasted an hour and a half, not with the amount of work remaining for tonight. The watch confirmed nine thirty. “I’m glad you called. I don’t have time to be sleeping. I have a ton of U.S. proposals that are in the second round of negotiations and have to go out tomorrow.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“I wish, but no. This is LTI business and as a member of the executive team your knowledge or involvement would be seen as a conflict of interest.”
“You’re right,” she said, sighing. “I really wish I could help you.”
“Me, too. You have no idea how much I need the help. As a matter of fact, I wanted to call Naledi before I fell asleep.” he said, pushing the paper on the couch toward the edge so he could have a small circumference of free space. The work wasn’t gone but at least he could breathe freely for a minute.
“Do you want me to let you go so that you can call her?”
“No, it’s too late or too early, depending on how you look at it.”
“You sound disappointed. Don’t you talk to her constantly about LTI?” Abigail asked in a weird tone.
“We do, quite often, but I’m drowning with this new flood of U.S. business. Plus, you know I haven’t worked with churches in three years. I intentionally shied away from religious organizations after going through the situation with my father and God.” Don and Abigail knew the details. The point was that he was out of touch with training churches.
“Leadership training is leadership training. You’ll be back in the swing of things in no time.”
“I guess, but it would be nice to have Naledi here. She was my rock during the early days at LTI. With this backlog staring at me, she’s really the only one who can truly help me regain a piece of my sanity.” Abigail was unusually quiet, so much so that Don asked, “Are you there?”
“I’m here,” she said curtly.
“You’re so quiet. I thought you’d fallen asleep this time.”
“No, I’m here,” she said in the same tone. “I didn’t realize you relied on her so heavily.”
“Are you kidding me? She has been amazing. I couldn’t have found my way back to Detroit and to a place of forgiveness without her giving me someone to rely on.”
“I didn’t know you felt so friendless.”
“That’s a good way to put it, friendless. She was a friend and a savvy business partner when I needed one the most.”
“Funny, that’s what you used to call me, your savvy business partner.”
“Hmmm,” was all he offered in the form of a response. The rest wasn’t necessary.
“Look, I know a lot happened while you were away. I clearly wasn’t the best of friends, but now that you’re here in Detroit. I am and will always be your friend. For the record, you aren’t and never were friendless. I’m here for you. I might not be able to help with LTI business, but I can help you in other ways. You are not in this alone.”
“I know that, but thanks.”
chapter
30
The morning sunlight swept into the living room. Don glanced at the caller ID and caught a glimpse of an international sequence. The last time he recalled looking at his watch was around three A.M. before deciding to collapse on the couch for the night. Between the U.S. and existing clients in South Africa, Nigeria, and Europe, he couldn’t begin to guess who was calling, but answered anyway.
Silence was on the line. “Hello, hello,” he said, not sure if the connection was clear and his voice was heard on the other end. “Hello,” he said one more time, ready to disconnect.
“It’s me,” the soft voice spoke.
He was overcome with both joy and fear. “Tamara,” was the only coherent sound that could initially get through.
“Yes, it’s me.”
He let his heart slow to a trot and formed his words. A million thoughts were racing. “Where are you? Are you okay? Is there anything wrong?”
“Whoa, hold on, little brother. I’m just fine. I’m settled in a new place,” she said.
“You have no idea how glad I am to hear from you,” he said, eager to hear what she had to say, overjoyed that she was alive.
“Well, quite honestly, you’ve been on my mind, you, and Mother, and DMI.”
“That’s a first. You haven’t had much interest in DMI. What’s going on?”
“I really don’t know why I’ve been thinking so heavily about Detroit and DMI. Who knows? What’s important is that I want to give you my new information, only if you promise not to tell Mother.”
Don had been through this scenario many times before. He knew the routine. “But you have to admit, this time is a little different.”
“No, not really.”
“You were actually in Detroit. Mother was so close to seeing you. She’s our mother, and trust me, I know how overbearing she can be, but this is different. She’s worried sick about you.”
“It’s not that I don’t care, because I do. It might be hard to believe, but I do care.”
; “So, can I at least tell her what country you’re in without giving up the other information?”
“No, you can only tell her the continent, that’s it. I mean it, Don, you have to promise not to tell anything else and you know why. She’ll have that pit bull of an investigator hounding me.” Don was aware of Madeline’s investigator but didn’t realize Tamara was, too. Mother wasn’t as discreet as she thought. “I’m finally settled and I really don’t want to move again, that’s becoming very tiring and expensive.”
“Do you need money? I can wire whatever you need.”
“No, I’m fine with what I have. I’ll manage.”
Having a connection with Tamara was important, even if it meant not telling Mother. “Okay, but let me know if you need help.”
“Thanks for the offer. I’m in Bristol. It’s out in the English countryside. Here’s my address,” she said, reciting her information.
“Is your phone number the one that came up on my caller ID?” he asked.
“Whoa, I’m glad you said that. I have to get that fixed immediately. I can’t take any chances with Mother lurking out there.”
Don chuckled.
“What’s so funny?”
“No one would have ever imagined a girl from the big city of Detroit ending up in the English countryside trying to escape from her mother. It sounds like a tale right out of an international mystery novel.” He chuckled some more. “Between you and Mother, I don’t have a dull moment, truly, not a dull moment.”
“Keep laughing, little brother. If I remember correctly, your address is in South Africa.” He was amused. “I’m not the only one in this family driven to the outer edges of the earth in order to maintain sanity.”
“Is it working?”
“What?”
“The sanity thing?” he asked.
“I’m definitely not sure, but I have a shot at it so long as you don’t release Madeline on me.”
They both laughed. Don hadn’t felt so alive and hopeful about his family in years. His heart was warmed as he heard the joy radiating from his sister. God was still in the miracle-making seat, exactly the kind of power required if DMI was going to be wrestled from Joel’s death grip.
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