The Future of My Past

by Veronica Faye

  Entering the building, she could hear the members of the choir practicing for Sunday’s worship services. There was an 8am and an 11am service, as well as an evening service for those who worked or felt the need to worship twice on Sunday. Tabitha enjoyed the choir; they were very good. She had even arranged for them to be signed with a record company. Their CDs were doing well, and, of course, the church received a percentage from their sales. Thanks to her business savvy, money poured in from various business ventures. This was why, when she made it known that she should oversee the church funds along with the bookkeeper, the accountant, and the attorney, her husband agreed. He didn’t want his name on church money or property; his desire was to be the spiritual leader of the church. His devotion to his calling could be sincere to some people, but to her it showed just how naïve he really was, and how easily people could be led. His devotion to the church was to her advantage, as were his love and devotion to her. He trusted her unconditionally. Like her father used to say, “there’s a sucker born every minute.”

  Tabitha entered the office that she and her husband shared. He was preparing his sermon on the computer. She finally convinced him to use a computer rather than handwrite his sermons. He resisted for a long time, saying that he really enjoyed writing them by hand. It made him feel closer to God when he wrote his thoughts down on paper. The words seemed to flow, he’d said to her. Especially when he put on gospel music as he wrote.

  The church secretary was seated in front of his desk, going over the church bulletin and newsletter. She looked up when Tabitha entered and smiled. She loved her first lady as much as she loved the pastor. Tabitha loved her because she worked for minimum wage and gave most of it back in the offering. Her family benefited from the services the church had to offer. Two of her children had gotten their GEDs through the church, and her daughter had gotten a two-year degree in nursing and oversaw the nursing staff for Sunday service. Her son had gotten a culinary degree and was now working in the church catering business and helping with the coffee and bakery shop, which was located in the strip mall diagonally across the street from the church.

  Pastor Day looked up and smiled at his wife. He loved her more and more every day and always thanked God for bringing a woman like her into his life. With her business sense, he was able to reach more souls through their television and radio shows. The other programs they offered hadn’t been her idea. She was concerned that they weren’t making money, but she had relented and let him have his way. That was what he loved about her—always putting the security of the church first.

  “I’m almost finished with my sermon for Sunday, honey,” the Pastor said. “Would you like to hear it?”

  Hell no, Tabitha thought, but said, “Not now, Pastor. I’m still a bit under the weather. Just came in to go over some church business. Why don’t you bring the sermon home with you tonight and we can go over it together? I’m sure Sister Chaney won’t mind listening, would you Sis Chaney?”

  Sister Chaney stated that she would be delighted to listen to the sermon and give her suggestions. This freed Tabitha to enter her office and transfer money from one church account to the one she shared with her lover. He had informed her that he had been a little short trying to pay for the weekend they’d planned and wanted to know if she would finish paying for it. To be with him, she would have paid for the whole trip. She transferred the amount he asked for into the account and then called him on the phone she had purchased for him. She wanted to be able to call him without his wife knowing. She told him that the money had been deposited in the account and stayed on the phone while he told her all the things he’d plan to do to her once they were together. The fact that her husband was in the next room made the call more exciting.

  As she sat at her desk enjoying her lover’s explicit conversation, she didn’t realize that she was being overheard by someone in the room adjacent to her office. Her every move was being watched and it would prove to be her undoing.

  ---

  Gemini

  I stood there staring at the woman who I believed was Bookie’s lover.

  “Gemini Jones, Nobel Cummings.” It was Antoinette making the introductions.

  She reached out her hand and some unknown force made me extend mine. That same force prevented me from snatching her and beating her unconscious.

  “I guess we didn’t have to wait until the meeting to be introduced,” Nobel said to me. “I have heard so much about you. Your reputation as an attorney is legendary. That is one of the reasons I jumped at the chance to join this firm.”

  “Some of the biggest African American firms in the country tried to hire her, but she chose Lyman, Strain and Webber,” Antoinette said. “We’re damn lucky to have her.”

  You’re lucky I don’t snatch that hair off your head, I said to myself.

  Antoinette has been with me long enough to know what I’m thinking, and her smile is a little uneasy. She knows I’m pissed with her.

  “Good seeing you, Gemini. We’ll talk later, but you two have a meeting to attend,” Antoinette said. “We’ll talk later, okay?”

  That was her way of saying, I know you’re pissed with me; I’ll explain later.

  Nobel and I walked to Quinn’s office together. Nobel made small talk while that unknown force continued to do its work. She is taller than I am, skin the color of a paper bag. She has beautiful eyes; they are about the same color as Antoinette’s. She wears her hair in a ponytail, but you can tell it runs down her back. She has small facial features except for her eyes. I must admit she has a nice smile, and for some reason my resentment starts to wane. She is closer to Bookie’s age, I say to myself, and I do want him to be happy. I also wonder if she is the reason for his leaving the firm. I will find out soon in the meeting with Quinn. There is something about her that makes me think that getting to know her isn’t going to be so bad. I am drawn to her, but I have no idea why. Maybe it is the way she finds it so easy to talk to people. She does seem genuine, but that may be a pretense. Yet, there is something about her….

  We get to Quinn’s office and his secretary, who is also his niece, lets us know he and Donald Webber are in the conference room. I enter the room first and notice that Quinn and Donald are talking quietly. They looked up at the same time and I notice the frown on Donald’s face. It quickly changes to a schoolboy smile when he sees Nobel. It is obvious that he is smitten with her.

  “Good to see you, Gemini,” Quinn says as he stands up and walks over to give me a hug. “The time away has been good for you. And I see you have met our new associate. Nobel was our first and only choice. First in her class at Thurgood Marshall. Glad to have another alumnus on board.”

  “Yes, we have met,” I responded, “and yes, I am feeling better.” Then I turned to my nemesis and said, “Hello.”

  He nodded his head and mumbled something under his breath. It sounded like “hello.” He then turned to Nobel and said, “So you have met the famous Gemini Jones. What is your impression of her?”

  What the hell was he trying to say, I wondered. Then my better, saner mind said, you’re reading too much into his statement; stay cool.

  “I think her reserve is a good thing for an attorney. She has to get a feel for people. I think we’ll get along just fine.”

  I found myself agreeing with her, and I was surprised that I meant it. But why? She was the woman wearing my robe, and she was obviously the person who meant a great deal to Bookie. There was no reason for Nobel to stay since we had already been introduced, so Quinn excused her from the meeting. Donald excused himself and walked out with her, grinning like a love-struck boy in puberty.

  That left Quinn and I alone to talk. I sat in my usual spot around the table, and that caused the adrenalin to rush though my veins. I must admit it felt good being back, but I didn’t think I was ready for the stressful demands of practicing law.

  We exchanged a few minutes of
idle chit chat, and I told him about my meeting with Dr. Rodney and recommending Sydney Ingram to represent him. I let him know that I was seeing my therapist and following her instructions on my treatment. He was pleased to hear that I was feeling better and asked if I was ready to come back. The number of clients had increased, and I was really needed, but if I wasn’t ready, I should take more time. That was very generous of Quinn and I felt blessed to be in a firm where you were valued not just for the clients you brought in, and not just the cases you won. Here you were valued as a person, and it felt like family. On impulse, I told him I would be back the first of next month, which was in three weeks. He seemed pleased about my return date and the subject switched to Bookie.

  “Phillip has left to join INTERSEC as part of their management team. We hate to lose him, but that is an excellent career move for him,” Quinn said.

  INTERSEC is a worldwide security firm with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. They also have offices in London, Berlin, and Paris. Quinn informed me that Bookie would head the department that does background checks on executives and other high-profile people. I was happy for him, but hated that he was leaving. I guess it was better for him and for me in the long run. I always knew that our relationship wouldn’t go any further, and I’d always wanted the best life for him. I knew that better life didn’t include me. I wondered what this move would mean for him and Nobel. It was obvious that he cared for her, but was she worthy of him?

  I would make it my mission to find out, although I would never tell him if I felt she was not for him. I needed to know for myself. That made my impromptu decision to come back sooner than I’d expect easier. I had another incentive to come back. Somehow, I convinced myself in that moment that I was coming back for the man that I loved.

  My meeting with Quinn was over, and I headed back to my office to speak to Antoinette. I had gotten over my being angry with her, and I wanted to let her know. I found her at her desk, typing away on her computer. She looked up, stopped typing, and turned to face me.

  “Okay, I’m ready, let her rip,” she said.

  “I’m not angry with you anymore. I guess I was surprised to see the new associate was the woman I saw in the pictures with Bookie.”

  “Look, Gemini, I know it hurts, and I’m sorry if you think that I have somehow betrayed you because I like her. But Gemini, I have always been up front with you. I like her and we are damn lucky to have her.”

  “So everyone keeps telling me. Donald is walking around like a schoolboy; I don’t think I’ve ever seen all of his teeth.” We both laugh at my statement.

  I walk past her and enter my office; she instinctively rises from her chair and follows me in. Quinn allowed her to redecorate while I was out. I like the new décor. I like the soft colors, and the desk in pearl and glass. The whole office has a calming effect on me immediately, and as I survey the room, I let her know that I am pleased with the new look. I looked at the new computer on my desk and laughed when I saw she’d replaced my phone.

  “We have a new phone system now; it is connected to the computer. You can see you have headphones.”

  “Was I the inspiration for the new system being installed?” I said smiling.

  “Not really. Quinn and Harold the IT man thought it was time, but throwing the phone at Bookie didn’t hurt.”

  I sat at my desk and Antoinette sat at her spot in front. “Have you talked with him since he left? How is he doing?”

  “He’s good, and he’s very excited about his new position. Just so you know, he doesn’t want to be called Bookie anymore. It makes sense with his new position.”

  “What do you think about his friendship with the new associate?”

  “Gemini, her name is Nobel. You have got to call her by her name. And to be honest, I think she’s good for him. I used to think that you two were meant for each other, but Gemini, you said so yourself that you had too much baggage. She’s smart, funny and genuine. And I can tell you this: she wants your approval.”

  “My approval for what? I have nothing to say about the two of them.”

  “You don’t understand, Gemini. She wants your approval because she admires you. She has the deepest respect for you.”

  “She doesn’t know me, only what the press has said. That I’m crazy and a good attorney.”

  “Take my word for it. She wants you to like her. Give her a chance.”

  “I’m not a difficult person, Antoinette, I’ll work with her.”

  “I want you to get to know her, not just as an attorney, but as a person. You will not regret it. If you won’t do it for her or yourself, do it for Phillip.”

  “Okay, okay, I’ll give it that ‘Jones family’ try,” I said, rising from my chair and preparing to leave.

  “You better do better than that. You know all you Joneses are crazy and mean!”

  We both laughed, and minutes later when I got to the front door of the firm, we hugged. It was good seeing her, and I was beginning to feel better about my decision to come back the first of next month. I had three weeks left, and in the time remaining, I could spend more time with Dr. Rodney. I would attend the council meeting next week to show my support.

  “Have you had a chance to speak with Dr. Rodney?” I asked.

  “Yes, I spoke with him yesterday. I told him I would be at the council meeting next week,” Antoinette replied. “I owe him that much and more. I want to be there to observe First Lady Day. I don’t trust her. I know she and her husband are well-loved in the city, but I personally don’t like her.”

  I asked her to explain.

  “A couple of years ago, I was looking for a church home and a friend of mine suggested I try Fishers of Men Church. Well, I attended the following Sunday and was impressed with Pastor Day. He seems very sincere. I don’t really know what it means to have an anointing, but I do know he has a deep love for God and for the church. I decided after a few visits to place my membership there. The first few months were fine; I really enjoyed his sermons, and they have so many activities there, and I wanted to be an active member. Don’t look at me like that…yes, I wanted to be active, so I joined one of the committees.

  “I had a lot of interaction with First Lady Day, but I just didn’t like her. She didn’t appear as sincere as her husband, and I didn’t warm up to her as the other sisters did. It was the way she was always asking me legal questions, as if she were trying to get free legal advice. She asked me once if Quinn had a church home, and suggested that I invite him to attend. I told her I was your secretary, and she sort of frowned and said, ‘Well, I hear she has problems.’ She mentioned the fact that you were once a member of Dr. Rodney’s group and I responded by telling her that I knew, because I’d met you when I was a child, and that Dr. Rodney practically raised me. She was very distant after that, and then a week later, I got a call from one of the committee members asking if I would like to join the outreach committee…that it would be a better fit for me. I said to hell with that church, and I haven’t set foot inside since that day.”

  “Sounds as if Tabitha Day didn’t like the fact that you were close to Dr. Rodney,” I said. “She appears to hate him. He told me he broke things off with her.”

  “I believe it Gemini; she acts like a scorned woman. That’s why I’d like to be there to support him. As a matter of fact, swing by and pick me up; we’ll go together.”

  I agreed, and she watched me as I walked to my car. I thought about our conversation about the Days and decided that I would not mention it to Dr. Rodney. He had a lot on his plate and didn’t need another helping of suspicion and doubt. I also thought about my meeting with Nobel Cummings today, and the hurt and anger I’d felt when I first saw her was a distant memory. I would take Antoinette’s advice and get to know her. It was time to move on, and returning to work and practicing law again was what I really needed. My mental health was better, I would co
ntinue to see my therapist, do my meditation exercises, and continue to get better together. I also decided that I would give “Puppy” a name. He was part of the family now. And most importantly, my son was here, and I wanted to be at my best for him.

  ---

  I got home expecting to have a message from Enoch, but there were no messages. I started to become anxious, then I remembered that Griff was with him. Griff would watch over my son, although after our conversation, I was convinced he could take care of himself. He had endured a childhood with Mamie and had come out fine. He was cultured, smart, self-educated, compassionate, and more importantly, held no grudges against me. I thanked God for that.

  Charlie and “Puppy” met me at the door. Both were fussing at me and wagging their tails at the same time. It was time for dinner, and they were hungry. First, I let them outside to take care of business, and by the time they barked demanding to come inside, dinner was served. After dinner, the two of them came and sat at my feet as I watched television. I realize that we are a pack now, although I’m not sure where I am in the pecking order.

  Looking down at “Puppy” I said, “Well, I guess I’m going to have to give you a name.”

  He looked up at me as if he understood.

  “I like the name Marley. How does that sound to you?”

  He wagged his tail as if he approved.

  “Charlie, meet Marley; Marley meet Charlie,” I said, waving my hand between the two of them.

  They both got up and jumped on the couch, each one vying for my attention. I sat on the couch watching TV, patting my two best friends, until it was time to go to bed.

  chapter five

  Gemini

  Today is the day of the meeting, I thought to myself as I prepared Charlie and Marley’s food. I decided that I would place a call to Dr. Rodney to see how he was doing. I wondered if Dr. Rodney had gotten a chance to retain Sydney Ingram as his attorney. I called Dr. Rodney’s number and got a pleasant surprise when I heard the voice on the other end. It was Miss Aurelia.