The Bride Experiment (18 page)
Read The Bride Experiment Online
Authors: Mimi Jefferson
Chapter 33
There was complete silence in the room. It was six in the morning, time to open the gate. Pastor Benjy and the other men had closed their Bibles. All of them, except Pastor Gonzales, were in their seats, with their eyes closed and their heads bowed. Throughout the night, the men and Ms. Lara had prayed in various positions. They spent some time on their knees. Then they switched to standing. They held hands, sang, and even walked around the room. But Pastor Gonzales never left his knees.
Pastor Benjy asked the guards if he could be near the gate when they opened it. They denied his request and instructed him to stay in the meeting room until further notice. Right after that, Ms. Lara left, explaining she would get back to Pastor Benjy as soon as she could.
Thirty minutes later, they had not heard anything. Quietly Pastor Benjy started to sing “It Is Well with My Soul” by Horatio Spafford. As a teenager, he had heard the story about the conditions in which the song was written, and from that moment, it had become one of the pastor's favorites. Horatio Spafford was a Christian businessman who lost his four daughters in a shipwreck. Shortly after learning of their fate, he sat down and wrote a hymn that didn't focus on his grief but rather on the fact that one day he would see Jesus, face-to-face.
The song reminded Pastor Benjy that one day all of the pain that is experienced on earth would be gone in an instant. When he was facing something difficult, he would think about Horatio Spafford and the powerful lyrics to that song.
Pastor Benjy recalled singing the song in the waiting room at the age of twenty-five when he lost his first child to a miscarriage. He sang it again four years later when his only brother was killed in a car accident. When he and Minister Makita watched their first church burn down because of an electrical problem, they sang it to each other.
Through the years, Pastor Benjy had seen more grief than he could have imagined. When parents discovered that their wayward child was dead, he was one of the first people to be summoned. He couldn't recount how many times he had heard one of the members of his church mouth the painful words “I have cancer.”
Each week was filled with new baby blessings, anniversary celebrations, and a myriad of other praise reports. Each week was also filled with heart attacks, strokes, and emergency surgeries. Pastor Benjy had seen miraculous healings, but he was also there when the healing didn't come. He had spoken at funerals with caskets that didn't hold eighty-year-old men but school-age children.
Pastor Benjy was beginning the third verse when James walked in the room. Kenneth was the first to notice him. He stood up and tried to speak, but he couldn't find the words. Pastor Gonzales was next. He jumped to his feet and tried to move, but his legs felt like lead.
Pastor Benjy was still singing, with his eyes closed and his head bowed, when James tapped him on his shoulder. Startled, Pastor Benjy opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize that it was James. Once he did, he jumped up and hugged him. Then he put his hands in the air and silently thanked Jesus.
By this time, the rest of the ministers had opened their eyes. They jumped around the room like their favorite player had just made a touchdown to win the Super Bowl in overtime. Soon all the men were hugging each other, and James, while looking at the ceiling and saying, “Thank you, Jesus. We know you didn't have to do it, but you did!”
James seemed confused by the excitement. He shrugged his shoulders repeatedly, trying to understand why Pastor Benjy and the rest of the men felt the need to act this way.
It was a full fifteen minutes before things started to calm down. Pastor Gonzales was the first person to notice the expression on James's face. He got the men to be quiet; then he asked James to sit down. “So what happened? How did God rescue you?” Pastor Gonzales asked.
“What?” James looked around the room at the smiling faces. “Rescued?” James shook his head back and forth. “Why would I need rescuing?”
Ms. Lara walked in the room, with a bright smile on her face. James looked at her, and then looked back at Pastor Benjy and the other men.
“You didn't tell them?” James questioned.
“We didn't tell them what?” Ms. Lara asked.
James was starting to think everybody in the room had gone crazy. Frustrated, he said, “That you had three armed guards in the cell all night to protect me.”
Ms. Lara started to walk backward. Her mouth dropped.
Pastor Gonzales walked up to Ms. Lara. “Did you have armed guards in the cell the entire time?”
“Of course not,” she shot back. “There were no guards in that cell last night. We couldn't pay anybody to go into that cell last night.”
James got out of his seat. “Well, who were the men with guns that stood over me last night? They told me everything was going to be okay. I just needed to go to sleep and wait until the morning.” James looked at the assembled men for an answer. They looked back at him blankly.
Ms. Lara took the seat James had been sitting in. “A few years ago, I was in a car accident with my two nieces,” she said. “We were sideswiped on a one-way road. The other driver kept going. I was fine, but both of my nieces were bleeding and screaming.
“I got the first one out of the car. When I went back to get the other girl, she was already out. A man was standing next to the car with her in his arms. He was wiping her tears and talking to her calmly. He comforted her, while I comforted my other niece. Eventually the paramedics came. I turned around to thank him, but he was gone. There wasn't a trace of him. There was no way he could have walked off that quickly or even driven away, for that matter.”
“My sister was the primary care provider for my father in his last days,” Kenneth said. “Both of his legs were pretty bad off and he had to have a wheelchair to get long distances. Every morning, my sister would pick up the wheelchair and put it in the car without a second thought. Well, after my dad passed, we decided to sell the house.
“My sister went to pick up the wheelchair and put it in the moving truck, only it was too heavy,” Kenneth continued. “I told her to roll it into the moving van, but she wouldn't listen. She kept trying to pick it up, like she had so many days prior, but she couldn't do it at all.”
Ms. Lara smiled and said, “God gave her supernatural strength to pick up that chair. But after your dad passed, she didn't need it anymore.”
“Yes, and God sent an angel to help you and your nieces after the car accident,” Kenneth said. “When the paramedics came, the angel left.”
“James, where are the armed men now that protected you all night?” Ms. Lara asked.
James scratched his head. “I don't know. One of them woke me up this morning and told me they were about to open the gate. He walked me up to the gate, but there was so much going on by that point.” James struggled to remember all the details. “When I thought to turn around and thank them, the gate was closed. I looked around, but I didn't see them.”
The men started jumping up and down and praising God all over again. James watched them, but he couldn't say another word. He was too overwhelmed by what he just heard.
Did God really send angels to protect me last night?
Chapter 34
Joan knocked on Minister Makita's closed door. She knew that Makita kept her door opened, unless she had someone in her office. But Joan got up the nerve to come to see her and apologize, and she wasn't leaving until she had the opportunity.
Makita looked somber when she opened the door. Joan instantly wanted to turn around, but Makita grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, quickly locking the door behind them.
Joan saw a familiar-looking silhouette of a woman from the back facing Makita's desk.
“Look who just arrived!” Makita sat behind her desk.
The woman turned around. It was Tisha.
Joan had been avoiding Tisha for almost a month. It felt weird to be looking at her, especially since Joan could see the tears in her eyes.
“I'm glad you are here. Now I can tell the both of you the bad news together,” Tisha said.
“Why do I feel like I should be scared?” Joan sat in the seat next to Tisha.
“Well, I'll just spit it out.” Tisha paused. “I had sex with Marcus.” She exhaled deeply. “No, that was a lie. I have been having sex with Marcus for the last week.”
Joan looked puzzled. “What? Is this some kind of a joke, Tisha? Okay . . . it's funny... funny.” Joan let out a laugh. “Girl, why do you feel the need to get my blood pressure up? I'm too old for you to be playing with me like this.”
Makita said nothing.
Tisha's voice started to crack. “No, Joan, this isn't one of my jokes.”
“But it wasn't that long ago that he came over and you kicked him out,” Joan said.
“What a difference a little time makes,” Tisha responded. “Well, a few weeks after that happened, I stopped off at the Home Place to get some stuff for my new apartment. You know, blinds, curtains, pictures, and a bookshelf. Right when I was trying to figure out how I was going to get everything out of the car, Marcus drove up and offered to help. I thought about it briefly. It felt kinda stupid to refuse his help when I clearly needed it.”
Tisha started fidgeting back and forth in her seat. “Well, he kept complimenting me and telling me how proud he was of me for finally getting my stuff together, paying my own bills, and getting a stable job. The things I never did while we were together.
“As soon as we walked into the apartment, he started putting up my blinds and curtains, and then nailing pictures to the wall. When he was done with that, he put the bookcase together. It took him a few hours to do what would have taken me a few weeks to accomplish.”
Joan aimlessly looked around Makita's office. She still didn't fully believe Tisha.
“Joan, it felt so good to have a man around. Girl, until I had him there, walking around, breathing, looking into my eyes, I just didn't know how much I missed that.”
Joan nodded in agreement and looked at Makita. Joan couldn't read what Makita was thinking.
“Well, he left around eight and called me on the phone at ten that night,” Tisha continued. “He told me how good it was to see me and that he wanted to be friends, not enemies. We stayed on the phone for hours. Mostly, I just listened to him talk about his business and all the interesting things that occur when he's traveling.
“When I hung up the phone that night, I knew I was in trouble. I couldn't stop thinking about him the whole night. The next morning when I left for work, there was a bouquet of yellow roses on my doorstep. When I walked downstairs to my car, I saw a card on my windshield. He wanted to know if I would meet him at Geneva's pizzeria for lunch. That used to be our favorite pizza spot.” Tisha's hands started to tremble.
“I met him at the restaurant. When we walked in, the owner recognized us, and for whatever reason, she assumed we were married by now. I waited for Marcus to correct her, but when he didn't, neither did I. The following day, he picked me up after work. He said he had something he wanted to show me. An hour later, we arrived at a lakefront cottage in Conroeâ”
Joan interrupted Tisha. “Is that where it happened?”
Tisha hesitated, and then took a deep breath. “We walked around the lake. We laughed. We played cards and dominoes, just like we used to. The whole time, I was getting calls from Lila, and from some other ladies from the church. I just ignored them. I told myself, I wasn't going to allow anything to happen. I was only enjoying some time with a male friend.”
Makita rolled her eyes.
“About nine at night, we were sitting on the porch, overlooking the lake, when a boat pulled up. I was having so much fun, I hadn't realized I had missed dinner. He told me we were going to have dinner on the boat. By this time, I could hear the Spirit screaming at me not to get on that boat.
“But get on the boat, I did. At the bottom, there was a single beautifully decorated table. We were the only people on the boat, with the exception of a few workers. We sat down and the waitress brought us the most delicious seafood dinner.” Tisha got a faraway look in her eyes.
“Afterward, she led us to the upstairs area. There was what looked like a hotel room up there. It had walls for privacy, but there was no ceiling, unless, of course, you count the sky and stars. Did you know you could see stars in Conroe?”
Joan and Makita didn't answer.
“Had you even talked about going to a room before you arrived upstairs?” Joan asked.
“Not once,” Tisha said. “He never even alluded to sex. I guess that's why I felt so comfortable. Well, the lady showed us all the amenities in the room; then she left, saying, âI'll see you in the morning.'”
“So what did you do, Tisha? He certainly went all out.”
“When he reached for me, I didn't resist. We rocked as the boat rocked all night long. It was so intense, so passionate. It was like I was breathing for the first time.”
Joan felt uneasy. She wished Tisha had left out that last sentence.
“The next morning, while we were in the midst of another session, his blaring cell phone interrupted us. He looked at the number, jumped out of my arms, and went to the bathroom so he could talk. He might as well have stayed, because I heard every word he said.” Tisha sighed. “The next thing I know, the boat is docking and he is rushing me back to the car.”
“What happened?” Joan asked.
“He was having so much fun with me that he didn't get the text from his girlfriend that said she was coming home a day early from her trip and he needed to pick her up from the airport.”
“Tisha, I'm so sorry.”
“Wait, I'm not finished. I didn't hear from him until the day after, when he arrived back at my place. Joan, I was mad, devastated, hurt, and confused. But you know what? I slept with him again, and a few days later, he came by and I did it again. I knew he wasn't telling me the truth about her. I knew they were more than just friends. I knew that things were going nowhere with us, but I just couldn't help myself. I craved his touch. Even if . . .”
“Even if what?” Joan asked.
“Even if I knew it was a lie. Even if I knew I was going to get my heart broken. Even if I knew he was going to walk out of my bedroom and into her bedroom.” Tisha turned to look at Makita, who still had a blank expression on her face. “It's like you always say, âQueen for the night, and a slave for life.'”
Tisha was crying now. “I feel so hurt and hollow inside.” Makita grabbed Tisha's hand from across the desk and handed her a box of tissues. “This is what God was trying to keep me from. Not just diseases and unplanned pregnancies, but the emotional pain of giving myself so deeply to another person. It was just sex to him, but it was so much more for me.” Tisha paused. “Minister Makita, does God still love me?”
“Of course, He does.”
“But why? I went and gave myself away like that, and disregarded His Word so easily. I was so quick to give Marcus all of me, even though he offered me nothing in return.
“Minister Makita, I want Joan to do the class I was supposed to teach next week. How can I get in front of the singles in the state I'm in?”
Joan grabbed Tisha's other hand and looked at Makita. Makita nodded, and then Joan said, “Because we serve a forgiving God. Remember 1 John 1:9? âIf we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us.'” Then Joan turned to Makita. “I've already spoken to God, but now I'm here to speak with you. Please forgive me for my selfishness, pride, and plain ugly attitude. You were right. I am jealous of Lila and Kenneth, and of any woman who marries a godly man. I understand why you didn't allow me in the marriage class, and I hope your offer to meet with me privately still standsâ”
“Wait a minute,” Tisha interrupted. “You didn't get into the wife preparation class? How is that possible?”
Joan was about to speak, but Makita cut her off. “Joan didn't get into the wife preparation class until today. She just told me everything I needed to hear.”
“Oh . . . okay,” Tisha said. “But who's going to coordinate the singles meeting next week? We have had so many people RSVP. I think it is going to be the biggest singles event ever. But there's no way I'm standing in front of them, looking and feeling like a hypocrite.”
“What is the meeting about?” Joan asked.
Tisha handed Joan a bunch of index cards. “Well, if you would come to church, you would know,” she said as she patted Joan on the leg, and smiled.
Joan looked embarrassed but smiled back.
“Well, you know how when we have our singles meeting, the same things come up over and over. But it's like we just don't get to the real root of the issues,” Tisha stated.
“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” Joan responded. “It's like everybody is afraid to talk about the real issues.”
“Exactly. We are all trying to pretend like we have it together,” Tisha said. “Well, I heard about this church. I believe it is called New Faith. Well, somebody came up with the idea of getting all the singles to place questions anonymously in a box. What would they ask in church if nobody knew they had asked it? I think we should try it at our church.”
“Oh my,” Joan said as she thumbed through the cards. “This is going to be a singles meeting like no other. I've never heard anybody talk about this in church. Tisha, there's no way you can't continue with this meeting. This meeting is what I need, and I know it's what a lot of other singles need. I'm so sick and tired of pretending.”
“I'll do it on one condition,” Tisha said.
“What's that?”
“I'll do it if my best friend is right beside me.”
Joan looked at Minister Makita and saw that wide smile she so desperately missed. “Tisha, I would be honored to stand with you,” Joan replied.
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