“Well, I was sort of wondering if you might consider letting me do the early service on Sundays.”
“When you say, ‘do the early service,’ I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“Deliver the message.”
“Oh. That would likely be fine, except the congregation expects me to give all sermons, regardless of which service they attend.”
Minister Simmons seemed disappointed. “I guess I’m just trying to figure out ways I can grow as a minister.”
“You will, but it takes time. The good news, too, though, is that you’re definitely on the right track.”
“Maybe, but I do a lot more than Minister Morgan does, yet he earns more.”
Now Curtis understood better what this conversation was about. Curtis also no longer thought Minister Simmons was out to betray him the way Charlotte had sort of believed and that his ambition was all about making more money.
“I understand what you’re saying,” Curtis said, “but Minister Morgan has a lot more experience than you do as a minister. He was also hired a year before you.”
“But everyone talks about the fact that I’m a lot more knowledgeable than he is and a better speaker. I don’t mean any disrespect toward him, but I’m just sayin’.”
Curtis wanted to ask him who “everyone” was, but he didn’t want to sound combative. “We all have gifts, abilities, and talents in various areas, so it’s hard to compare apples to oranges.”
Minister Simmons clasped his hands together on his lap. “But even you say I’m a dynamic speaker.”
“Because it’s true, but that still doesn’t take away from Minister Morgan. He’s twenty-five years older than you, and he’s extremely wise. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but sometimes wisdom supersedes book knowledge.”
Minister Simmons showed a look of defeat. He seemed sad even. “I’m not sure what to do then.”
“The same thing you’ve been doing. Reading and studying the Word daily, fulfilling all the responsibilities you have here at Deliverance, and giving sermons when the opportunity presents itself. I have a lot of travel dates coming up this fall, so you’ll be giving a number of messages then. You and Minister Morgan.”
“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful,” he said, “but I just wanna keep climbing. I don’t wanna become stagnant, and I want you to be proud of me.”
“I’m very proud of you. And it’s like I told you, moving higher in the ministry takes time. It did for me and every other minister I know. Having your own congregation doesn’t happen overnight. But this is also why you see so many congregations with less than thirty members. Not all of them, but most of them were started because an assistant pastor wanted to be in control and wanted to lead his own church.”
“I really appreciate you talking to me and listening,” he said.
“Come see me anytime, and I hope you’ll hang in there.”
He scooted his chair back and laughed slightly. “Where else am I gonna go?”
“There are always other options, but I’m hoping you’ll stay here. I think this is a good fit for you, and down the road you’ll have your own church. At some point, we’ll likely start a satellite location, and since Minister Morgan has made it clear that he’s happy being an assistant until he retires, you’d certainly be a top candidate.”
Minister Simmons’s face brightened. “That’s encouraging, and thanks for believing in me as much as you do, Pastor.”
“You’re quite welcome. Sometimes it helps just talking about it.”
Chapter 26
It was hard to believe two weeks had passed, but Charlotte had accomplished everything on her to-do list, including revamping little MJ’s nursery. She stood inside the doorway with her arms folded, admiring all the changes, and just thinking about how perfect these new colors were for her little grandson gave her a warm feeling. After sitting and consulting with her decorator, she’d decided to go with baby blue, mint green, and white. Even the blankets, the sheets, the stuffed animals, the washcloths, the new clothing, and the plush pad on the seat of the rocking chair all contained hues of this particular color scheme. Some items were solid in pattern and some not, but everything down to the wallpaper, blinds, and carpet was coordinated appropriately.
She couldn’t wait to introduce little MJ to his new surroundings. Surprisingly, he’d just visited three days ago, but the final touches of the new design hadn’t been completed until yesterday. Charlotte hadn’t seen it coming, but without warning Racquel had called her to see if she wanted to keep MJ for a few hours, and Charlotte had been thrilled. She’d known it was a result of that visit she’d paid to Racquel and Vanessa, though. Still, it had been the first time she’d gotten to spend time alone with him, and it had felt like heaven. They’d bonded in such a touching way, and after a couple of hours had passed, he hadn’t seemed to cry as much. She’d held him a lot, though, even when he’d fallen asleep, so she was sure this had given him comfort. Vanessa had claimed that little MJ was spoiled, and that this was the reason he whined as much as he did, but as far as Charlotte was concerned, there was no such thing as spoiling a baby you loved. You simply held them and gave them whatever they needed, because you cared and wanted the best for them.
Charlotte thought she heard her cell phone ringing, so she hurried down the long hallway and into the master bedroom. Sure enough, it was Matthew calling.
“Hey sweetie,” she said, smiling.
“Hey Mom. What’s goin’ on?”
“Well, actually, I was just checking out your son’s nursery. I made a few changes to it.”
“You crack me up.”
Charlotte was glad she and Matthew were finally on good terms again. “I know you think I’m fussing over him too much, but I can’t help it. Plus, now that he gets to spend some time over here, I want his room to be comfortable for him.”
“I’m really proud of you for doing what you did, Mom. I’ve wanted to tell you that ever since you went over to visit Racquel and her mom, but I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
“I was wrong, Matt, and it was time I owned up to it and made amends. You and your dad had been right all along. All the drama between Vanessa and me was my fault.”
“Racquel is so much happier now and so relieved. She’s a good person, Mom, and she’s always wanted to have a relationship with you. From the very beginning.”
Charlotte almost felt guilty about the storm that was coming, but she had to remember that everything she’d done had been for her grandson. There would certainly be a few people hurt in the process, but eventually everything would settle and all would understand.
“I’m glad we were able to work things out.”
“So am I,” he said, “because the whole thing was really stressing me out. It took a toll on my studies—and I might as well tell you now, I got a B on my biology test and a B on the calculus.”
Charlotte remembered the day he’d been trying to study—the day she and Janine had gone to the Tuxson for lunch and had run into Racquel, Vanessa, and MJ. The afternoon had gone horribly, and, of course, Racquel had called Matthew with an exaggerated story.
“Honey, I’m really sorry I caused you so many problems that week. There was no excuse for it.”
“It’s in the past, but I just wanted to let you know because I know how you feel about Bs.”
“I know you’re doing the best you can, and you can still get As for your final grades.”
“We’ll see. Harvard is no joke. I think I can handle it, but it takes a lot of study time. Now I’m glad I passed on playing football.”
“You’ll be fine. These four years will be over before you know it.”
“I guess I’d better get going. Just wanted to check in and to thank you for making things right with Racquel and her mom. That was really important to me, Mom.”
“I know, honey. You have a good day, okay?”
“You, too, Mom. Love you.”
Charlotte ended the call and sat dow
n on the side of the bed. She felt bad about ruining Matthew’s study time and causing him to not do as well on his tests as he could have. Maybe if Racquel hadn’t called him whining and complaining the way she had, things might’ve turned out differently. But there was no sense backtracking and trying to figure things out, because what was done was done and there was no changing it. The goal and plan now was to move ahead and on to better days. It was true that life in the Black household was about to shift pretty drastically, but Charlotte believed that when you did things for the right reasons, even if others didn’t understand it, it all worked out in the end. So, again, she reminded herself that she was doing this necessary deed for little MJ.
Charlotte closed her bedroom door, just in case Agnes came upstairs to do some cleaning. Then she called her mother. “Hey, Mom.”
“Hey, sweetie. Any news yet?”
“Not so far, but I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.”
“You sound a little hesitant,” Noreen said.
“More nervous than anything,” Charlotte admitted.
“I can imagine, but it’s not like you had any other options. Racquel and her mother made it pretty clear that you really didn’t count when it came to MJ. I know they’re treating you a little better now, but you’re still doing the right thing.”
“I agree, but I’ll just be glad when all this passes.”
“So will I, and I’m here for you if you need me.”
“I’m so glad you have my back with this, Mom, because there’s no one else I can share this with.”
“This will always be our little secret.”
Charlotte thanked God for her mother, because only a mother could love and stand by her daughter the way Noreen was doing. Not even Charlotte’s father would be okay with what was about to happen, and Curtis would likely divorce her. Actually, he wouldn’t likely do anything—he would definitely end their marriage. It was the reason he could never find out the truth; the reason no one except her mother and the parties who were carrying out her plan could know that Charlotte was behind everything. She’d plotted the initial idea, made the right call to the right person, and then allowed that person to take it from there. That person was Meredith Connolly Christiansen, the same trusted friend who’d paid a DNA technician to fudge the test results for Curtis and Marissa. Because of the affair she’d been having with Curtis’s best friend, Aaron, Charlotte had known that there was a chance Marissa might not be Curtis’s daughter, but she hadn’t wanted to take a chance on losing Curtis and had called Meredith for help. Now Meredith, a woman in her early eighties and who was still the wealthiest woman in Mitchell, had come to her rescue again, and Charlotte couldn’t be more grateful. The only difference this time was that Charlotte had her own money and was able to pay for services rendered. She hadn’t paid the four individuals who were directly involved, but she’d gone to the bank, gotten a cashier’s check, and given it to Meredith. Meredith had deposited it into her account and then taken care of the final payments.
Now Charlotte waited. Meredith had told her that because this was such a delicate situation, they had to think things through, take their time, and be extra careful. Falsifying DNA results was one thing, but the task Charlotte needed handled now was in a different category. If something went even slightly wrong, people could lose their jobs and get jail time, and Meredith didn’t want that. So again, Charlotte waited to hear from her and tried to go on with business as usual. She went about her daily routine with no one suspecting anything, and she planned to keep it that way. When the grand finale commenced, Charlotte would seem more shocked than anyone. She would act as though she was in the dark about everything.
Chapter 27
Curtis scanned the upcoming itinerary that Lana had just given him. “I knew I had a lot of travel coming in the fall, but it looks like I said yes to a lot more speaking engagements than I realized.”
Lana chuckled. “That you did, but what else is new?”
“It never feels like I’m taking on too much when things are booked months ahead, but this is going to be a grueling schedule. I’ll have to take a vacation after this.”
“That’s a good idea, anyway, because you and Charlotte haven’t been anywhere for a while.”
“Not since our trip to the Caribbean last Thanksgiving. And it’s not like I don’t have someone dying to fill in for me while I’m gone.”
“Who?”
“Minister Simmons. I’ve been meaning to tell you about the conversation we had. He wants more responsibilities, and he asked if he could take over our first service on Sundays.”
“Really?”
“I explained to him that the members expect me to deliver both messages, but that he’ll get lots of opportunity while I’m traveling. Then, he mentioned that Minister Morgan earns more money.”
“Well, of course, he does. He’s been in the ministry for years, long before he came to us.”
“That’s what I told him, but I’m not sure he thought it was fair.”
Lana shook her head. “Minister Simmons is a nice young man who has a lot of potential, so I hope he doesn’t jump ship. It wasn’t long ago that he asked about starting a teen Bible study. But he needs to take things slowly and get more experience.”
“I told him that, too, so we’ll see. Charlotte has always thought he was a bit too motivated.”
Lana crossed her legs. “I think he means well, and I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
Curtis wasn’t sure why the thought had just hit him, but suddenly he wished he could tell Lana about those letters he’d received. It was hard walking around with this kind of information and not being able to share it with anyone, but maybe it was best to keep it to himself. He’d done so thus far, and actually, over the last two weeks he hadn’t heard a thing. He wasn’t sure what to think, but he hoped this was a good sign and that maybe God had answered his prayers.
“Oh and by the way,” Lana said, “we now have a date for the meeting with the architects.”
“When?”
“Next Thursday.”
Lana leaned forward and passed him his mini calendar, the one she updated for him every few days.
Curtis read through the document. “That gives our staff a week to pull together any questions. We need to have a brainstorming session.”
“I was thinking we could do it at our normal meeting on Tuesday, but we may have to reschedule it for Wednesday. Elder Jamison, Elder Dixon, and some of the others will just be returning from a leadership conference.”
“That’s right, so, yes, go ahead and make the change. But let everyone know that the meeting is mandatory and that our entire focus will be on the expansion project.”
Curtis and Lana discussed a few other items until his phone rang.
Lana moved to the edge of her seat. “I’ll bet that’s Shelia. I asked her to call you when Dillon arrived. At least I hope so, because he’s called and changed his appointment three times.”
“Pastor Black,” Curtis said.
“Hi, Pastor. Dillon is here to see you.”
“Thanks. I’ll be with him shortly.”
Lana got up. “I have a few more updates for your schedule, but that’s pretty much it. Is there anything else you need this afternoon?”
“No, and if I can, I’m gonna head out of here early so Charlotte, Curtina, and I can go out for pizza. Normally, we try to do it on Friday, but Curtina begged us to go tonight.”
“It sounds like she loves pizza as much as Matt always did.”
“Matt still loves it now. Probably eating it every chance he can get out in Boston.”
“Make sure you tell him I said hello.”
“I will. I’m sure he’ll be home again in a couple of weeks.”
“He must be thrilled about Charlotte and Racquel becoming closer.”
“We’re all glad about that. There’s been so much peace in the house lately.”
“Okay, I’m outta here,” she said. “I’ll send Dillon
in.”
Curtis sipped some of his bottled water and moved his travel itinerary to the side of his desk.
“Hey, Pastor,” Dillon said, walking in.
Curtis stood and shook his hand. “Well, it’s about time.”
“I know, and I apologize,” he said, sitting down. “I wanted to meet with you, but I just couldn’t seem to pull it together.”
“How have things been going?”
“Worse than ever.”
“Have you been going to meetings?”
“I tried it again the day after Melissa and I met with you, but I just don’t see myself doing that on a regular basis. Felt too outta place.”
“What about the scriptures I gave you?”
“Sometimes I read them, and sometimes I don’t. Even when I pray, that doesn’t seem to help, either.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’m totally at a loss, and now Melissa wants to call off the wedding”
“That’s what I was afraid of. She wasn’t too happy the last time she was here, but you have to understand her point.”
“I do, but I also can’t get a handle on this thing. My urges and desires are getting worse.”
“How so?”
“The other night I almost took a stripper home with me.”
“That’s the worst thing you can do.”
“I know, but I could barely control myself.”
Curtis hated hearing this. Dillon’s addiction was in full force, and unless he truly wanted to quit, he was doomed. He also needed to attend those Sex Addicts Anonymous meetings.
“If you don’t mind,” Curtis said, realizing there was only one thing he could do for him, “I’d like to pray for you.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Curtis got up, walked around his desk, and rested his hand on the top of Dillon’s head. Then he closed his eyes. “Father God, we come right now, asking You to remove all lustful desires from Dillon’s spirit. We ask that you give him the kind of peace he needs and to fill whatever void he is struggling with. Lord, we ask that You would give him the will and determination to do whatever necessary to beat the enemy and to eliminate all association with porn videos, strip clubs, and the women who are connected to them. Father God, we ask that You bless and protect Dillon from all harm and danger and that You would guide his every thought and footstep, and all decisions. Be with him, Father, at all times, during every waking moment and even when he is sleeping. Lord, we lay every ounce of this problem before You and ask that You would remove it from Dillon’s life completely. Then, Lord, we ask that You would give Melissa the strength and understanding she needs at this time. Please comfort her and guide her decisions as well. Father God, we ask these and all other blessings in your precious son Jesus’ name. Amen…amen…praise God…amen.”
A House Divided Page 13
