His First Lady (6 page)

Maybe it wasn’t even necessary to do that with Leanne and Evan felt silly for even doing it in the first place but what else could an insecure wife do in her situation? Sitting at the large shiny mahogany table, she tapped it with her newly polished gel nails debating whether to call Mimi or blow the candle out and call it a night. She wasn’t ready to give up quite yet.

“Hey girl, what are you doing?” Evan asked Mimi.

“About to take a shower; what’s the matter?”

Evan sighed. It was one reason why she didn’t want to call Mimi because she knew Evan too well.

“Oh nothing much; I made a really nice dinner and,” Evan paused staring at her fingernails mindlessly, “Leon’s not home yet and he won’t pick up his phone.”

“I left the church around 5:30ish but he had been gone a good while before then.”

Evan stood up and walked toward the stove where the peppers were. She took out a fork, dug into one and shoved a large forkful of rice in her mouth.

“These peppers are so good,” Evan said. “You know he loves these things.”

Mimi was silent. Evan knew what that meant. Mimi didn’t want to hear Evan beat around the bush.

“I don’t think he had appointments at least there were none on his calendar for tonight,” Mimi chimed in.

Evan shrugged her shoulders walking out of the kitchen to the foyer to check if she had heard Leon’s Mercedes. “He could have made a stop at someone’s house, you know how he does,” Evan responded.

“Ooookay,”

“What does that mean?” Evan asked.

“It means that even if he was doing God’s work, he should have picked up your call.” Mimi huffed.

“Everybody doesn’t have their cell phones attached to their hips like you, Mimi,” Evan said feeling herself getting angry wishing she had rethought calling Mimi.

“I’m on my way over.”

“No!” Evan shouted hearing Mimi shuffling on the phone. She wasn’t in the mood to do this with Mimi. Leon was right; she needed to find more pastors wives to befriend.

“Why not?” Mimi asked with a light attitude in her voice.

“Because I trust my husband, Mimi,” Evan said wanting to just hang up the phone. “He’s a pastor and they don’t have 9 to 5 schedules, as much as I wish he did. I’m used to it.”

“You get used to things without ever questioning them.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have called you.” Evan put her head back and squeezed her eyes tightly in frustration. This must have been what it was like fighting with your sister; something she knew nothing about being an only child.

“But you did, I’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” Mimi said.

“Mimi, I called you because I needed you to just be my friend and listen. How would it look for Leon’s First lady to be riding around town looking for him?”

“You would look like all the other wives in your shoes,” Mimi replied.

“No. I don’t need you encouraging me to ride around like some ghetto teenager looking to catch my husband with somebody. I trust Leon and just wanted to let out some frustration and instead of you being a good friend, you promote my insecurity and I hate that I called you!”

There was silence on the phone as Evan tried to calm down by inhaling and exhaling deeply.

“I apologize,” Mimi said somberly. “I wasn’t trying to do that.”

Evan took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to yell at you,” Evan said. “It’s just that I made this nice dinner and lit candles and everything and he’s not home yet. I know you’re only trying to help.”

“He probably just made a home visit or something. I hope you both have a good night trying for that baby he wants.”

Evan stared at the flicker of the candle lights in front of her; mesmerized. Why was Mimi bringing up such a sensitive subject?

“Hello?”

Evan sighed. “Why is that such a big deal to everybody?”

Mimi hesitated. “It isn’t. People just love marriage and babies, that’s all. I get angry when people ask me why I’m not married. Why are you suddenly taking this so seriously?”

“I’m just tired of people bringing it up.”

“People just can’t wait to see you have some beautiful babies. Besides you’re young, married to a pastor and have a house that’s way too big for two people and it might actually make Leon a nicer guy.”

Evan groaned. “I think I hear Leon.” She lied.

“Okay,” Mimi said. “I’m going to put on some jazz and take a hot shower. Call me later if you need anything; love you,” Mimi said.

“I love you, too,” Evan responded. She stared at the phone in a daze before placing it on the table.

The longer Evan sat, the more agitated she became. She grabbed a napkin, wiped off the shiny lip gloss she had applied earlier then grabbed her keys and purse off the foyer table.

Evan was on her knees when Leon walked into the bedroom. Seeing Evan on her knees and in the middle of prayer didn’t prevent Leon from making unnecessary noise as he walked into their closet taking off his suit jacket and his shoes. She didn’t know how long she had been praying and crying out to God. But hearing the purposeful clank of Leon’s thick gold watch being tossed into his accessory box, she was sure that he didn’t care. He walked out of the closet and sighed loudly. Evan tried to continue praying but unable to concentrate, she stood up.

Evan glanced in Leon’s direction as she walked over to her vanity and sat down. She placed her hair in a ponytail while eyeing him through the mirror.

“How was your day, sweetheart?” Evan asked with her hand shaking slightly as she placed a moisturizer on her neck and elbows.

“Fine,” A scowled face Leon answered not bothering to look over at her opening the top dresser drawer.

“You must have had a really busy day.”

Without looking at her Leon removed his tie then walked back into the closet to hang it up. “Busy day at the church as usual.”

Evan took a deep breath debating in her head whether she should continue where she was going with the conversation. She wasn’t calling him a liar but she had gone to the church after getting off of the phone with Mimi. She drove around the parking lot; saw that his Mercedes was not in the pastor’s park, before parking her car behind the big maple tree adjacent to the church wanting to make certain that she wasn’t spotted. She had waited, repeatedly called his cell phone with no answer before coming back home to a still empty house.

“You were at the church all day?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He answered looking peculiarly at her.

Evan cleared her throat. “I went to the church about three hours ago and I didn’t see the Mercedes.”

Leon stopped, walked out of the closet and stared at Evan. “You came looking for me at the church?”

At one time, Leon’s piercing angry eyes might have frightened Evan. Although they still sent a chill through her, she made up her mind that he wasn’t going to scare her into backing down this time. “Yes.”

Leon stared coldly at Evan for a second. “If you must know and apparently in your mind, you must; I had a brief meeting with some contractors,” Leon said with a bewildered look on his face.

“Yeah, but you said that you were at the church.” Evan folded back the bed covers nervously treading into rocky waters in her mind. “I fixed a nice dinner and I was waiting for you. You didn’t answer your phone so I went to the church to see if you were there.”

“No, you went to the church like some insecure, immature ghetto chick,” Leon said angrily walking closer to Evan who was sitting on the bed. “…instead of acting like a First lady who waits to hear from her husband or waits until he arrives at home because you know he’s a pastor with a lot of responsibility!”

The strength that Evan thought she had when she had originally contemplated the conversation seemed to dissipate. “Leon, it’s late and you didn’t even bother to call me. I’m alone in this big house so what am I supposed to do?”

Leon stared at her angrily. “Maybe you should call your mother and ask her what she used to do when your daddy was taking care of his pastoral duties,” Leon said as he walked away from her and back inside their closet.

Evan took a deep breath. “Why didn’t you answer the phone or at least call me back?”

Leon stormed out of the closet with his heavy feet causing the floor to shake and stood over her. “I was in a meeting! I am a pastor and that sometimes means late nights. I don’t always have time to answer the phone!”

“I just don’t understand why you get so angry at me for asking where you were until late tonight,” Evan said looking up at him as he hovered over her.

“With all of your First lady duties, it would seem that you wouldn’t have time to ride around looking for me like some jealous girlfriend. Maybe you have too much time on your hands. You could always travel with the mothers of the church and pray for the sick and shut in; maybe even take some meals to the elderly. Hell, I don’t know.”

“You don’t have to talk to me like that.”

“That’s the only thing you understand!” Leon threw his arms up. “Maybe if you had some children, you wouldn’t have so much time to sneak around like you do.”

Evan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “My not having children has nothing to do with this. But some of the women at church who you are so friendly with might have something to do with this.”

All Evan remembered was the force of Leon’s hand hitting the left side of her face. It was quick and hard but slow and fierce. The blow knocked her back on the bed. She instinctively grabbed her face in horror. Leon stared at her before walking off and into the bathroom for a shower.

Evan’s mouth hung open as she held her throbbing face trying to comprehend how this alternate universe had suddenly become her home.

“God is good!” Leon’s voice shouted causing an instant uproar of unrelenting praise in the church.

“All the time,” was the congregation’s response in unison.

Hands clapped fast and loud in the congregation and the sounds of banging drums and clanging cymbals permeated the church. Hundreds stood on their feet, clapping, dancing, and shouting the praises of God. Leon smiled as he looked out on the congregation and spoke more words of God’s goodness to the people. The more he spoke, the more they shouted.

Sitting with crisp sophistication in a fitting not tight peach suit, nude heels and a smile on her pretty face, Evan gleamed in her First lady role portrayal. She clapped as expected when expected. She was often the first to stand when Leon preached but today was different, she hadn’t moved an inch except to cross and uncross her ankles. Evan was finding it difficult to continue her front. After all, she had extra concealer around her left eye and heavier make-up on her left cheek than she had ever in her life worn.

Evan listened as Leon gave verbal reverence to God, the leaders of the church, and then Leon turned to her. Their eyes met, neither blinked and neither turned away. Evan saw herself standing up from her purple cushioned chair, walking over to Leon clad in his long white and gold robe and knocking his teeth right out of his mouth; all in front of his worshipping flock. Instead, she sat in the purple cushioned chair giving the congregation exactly what they expected; exactly what they wanted.

“And to my beautiful help mate who is always by my side; the First lady,” Leon paused with his deep voice cracking; the church applauded. He put his hand up to silence them. He grabbed his handkerchief and dabbed his eye as if wiping away a tear. “Sweetheart, I thank God for you and I love you.”

The congregation broke out in thunderous applause as Leon smiled at Evan. Leon maintained his gaze at her as if waiting for her to return the smile.

“I’d like to ask the First lady to come and join me,” He said holding out his hand toward Evan.

All eyes were on Evan. She swallowed as discreetly as she could, keeping her eyes fixed on Leon who was still dabbing tears that weren’t there. She forced a smile on her delicate yet still painful face as she stood. She placed one foot in front of the other and began walking toward him. He had won. He had beaten her again; the ultimate humiliation. This was yet another purposeful fist to her face. She grabbed his outstretched hand, leaned in toward him as he placed his cold lips to the side of her cheek; the left cheek.

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Leon said as he held her hand up and held it high in the air. “You see, brothers and sisters, this woman is the blessing that God gave me. Without her, I would not and could not be the man of God that he has called me to be.”

The crowd stood to their feet and clapped for the First lady. Evan maintained a smile on her face and nodded in appreciation giving them and Leon exactly what they wanted. She looked at the congregation with a tear in her eye then back over at Leon who stood before the congregation as ruler over his empire.

Evan stood beside Leon with Greg on the other side of him; all shaking the hands of the departing congregation. There used to be a time when Evan liked this; when the church was much smaller and there were fewer hands to shake. But she maintained her smile as she hugged and cheek kissed those exiting. She didn’t know if it was all in her head or not but she seemed to sense Greg looking over at her every now and then but not making eye contact with her which made her think he was examining her eye.