The Veil (28 page)

He felt alone. He never had anyone to talk to until he met Misha. He could tell her how it felt having to wrestle with being too dark to be white and too light to be black and not being accepted by either, even some members of his own family. But she did not look at him that way. He released years of pent-up emotions, thoughts, and feelings.

“Look at the time. I've been talking over three hours,” Bernard said, looking at his watch.

“What? Really? It didn't seem like it. Can I get you some more water?” Misha said, noticing his empty water bottle.

“No. May I use your bathroom?”

“It's down the hall—first door on the right.”

Misha stood to stretch her legs and tossed the empty bottle into the recycling bin. She thought about all she had heard from him. How could someone hold in so much pain and, yet, try so hard to please people all around him?

Misha stood at her door, rubbing her stomach, as Bernard prepared to leave. Thanking her for listening to him, he asked her for a hug. He reached for her. She felt the connection. The heat spread from his touch throughout her body. Apparently Miracle felt it too because she began moving wildly inside her. Bernard stepped back, still embracing her shoulders with his hands. He looked at Misha's stomach.

“Hey, I felt the baby move.” He smiled. “Can I feel it again?”

“Sure. Thanks for asking. Most people put their hands on me without asking.”

He placed his hands on her pregnant belly and Miracle moved again. He looked up at Misha, his smile widened. “Wow. That's something.”

“It is isn't it?”

“Well, I guess I've taken up enough of your time. I better go.”

“Hey, if you need me you know where to find me.”

“Thanks for everything.” He turned and walked out the door.

Misha closed the door and leaned on it. She could feel the intensity of the conversation and the embrace. She began to pray and ask God to cover him and heal the broken pieces of his life. She also thanked God for all he said. He had ministered to her too. She had a better understanding of what Miracle may experience, and prayed her child didn't suffer the abuse Bernard had.

Bernard showed up at Bible Study the following week, surprising Misha. She laughed as everybody flipped out seeing him at the church. Their eyes connected and they smiled at each other. Misha could hardly focus on the lesson because Bernard kept making faces at her and making her laugh. After Bible Study, he tried to push past the crowd of people who wanted to meet him. Misha pretended to not see him walking toward her, and headed for the door.

“Hey, Misha, wait,” he shouted over the crowd. He excused himself from them and walked over to her and greeted her with a hug. “Look at the beautiful pregnant lady.”

“Hey, Pastor. I didn't expect you here. Don't you have your own church?”

“My assistant pastor is teaching tonight. I still have some work I need to finish up here. I'll be back home by Sunday.” A young boy interrupted them and asked for an autograph. Misha watched as he autographed the back of an old church program for the child. The little boy thanked him and rushed off to show his friends his trophy signature. Bernard laughed with delight.

“I see you aren't wearing the contacts again.”

“I decided not to wear them anymore.”

“Are you here with Sherrell? I've got to catch up with her to get my ticket to the play on Saturday. The singles group is going together and we got a discount rate on our tickets for buying them as a group.”

“Oh, I forgot. I have your ticket. She gave it to me to give to you. She had a brief meeting after Bible Study tonight.” He handed her the ticket and she placed it in her purse.

“Thank you, Pastor.”

“Please, call me Bernard.”

“Okay. Well, it's late and I've got a test in class tomorrow. I'll talk to you later.”

“I'll walk with you to your car.”

They walked toward the door when a group of ladies ran to meet him. He stopped to chat with them. Misha watched as he put on his game face and began to flirt with them, all of them at the same time. They giggled with delight. She shook her head at the sight and laughed. He was always the entertainer. Misha looked at him being the Bernard Taylor she saw at the Fox. She caught his attention and waved good-bye to him and left him standing with the women.

While driving, her cell phone rang. She looked at the number. It was a 202 area code. She wondered who was calling her from DC. She answered the phone and was happy to hear Bernard's voice on the other end.

“Hey, why did you leave?”

“You were entertaining your fans. Miracle's hungry. I've got to get home to feed her.”

“You wanna go somewhere and get something to eat?”

“I can't tonight. I have a test. I need to study and eat at the same time.”

“Oh. Well, you have a good night.”

“You too.” Misha hung up the phone.
He has a Washington phone number. He lives in Washington? I know he said his parents went to college in DC. I wonder if they still live up there.

Misha was looking forward to going to the new gospel play. She needed a good laugh. At twenty-six weeks, she no longer cared about wearing something that made her look pregnant. Everything made her look pregnant. She was at a stage where she could not hide it. But she was sick of people rubbing her belly like a good-luck charm. She hoped no one did it at the theatre.

She arrived at the theatre and waited for the rest of the singles group. She spotted Sherrell and other members waiting outside. An usher looked at Sherrell's tickets and escorted them to a row of seats. Misha sat down with the group. Then a couple came and told her she was in one of their seats.

“There must be some mistake. We're all together.” She handed her ticket to the usher.

“Miss, your seat is way down there. I'll escort you.”

“There must be some mistake. We got our tickets at the same time. We're a group.”

“I don't know what happened, but you're in the front row.”

“The front row? I want to sit with my friends,” Misha said, looking back at the singles group she was with.

“Miss, I'm sorry. The show is sold out. You'll have to sit in your reserved seat.”

“Misha, it's okay. We'll meet up after the show,” Sherrell told her.

Something's up.
Sherrell was smiling a little too hard.

Misha picked up her purse and jacket and followed the usher to the front row and sat down. Staring at her ticket stub, she was unaware of Bernard walking up to her with two men.

“Hey, Misha, you look terrific.” He hugged her. “Let me introduce you to my associates. This is Antonio and Bruce.” Misha shook their hands. They walked to the row behind her and sat down. Bernard sat in the seat beside Misha.

“You planned this didn't you?”

“Planned what?” Bernard said, smiling and doing a poor job playing innocent.

“You purchased this ticket. That's why I'm not with the group.”

“I didn't like those seats way back there. These are better seats.”

Why am I always ending up in the front now? First at the Rock, then the concert, now the play. God, what are you up to?
Misha prayed to herself.

“You look really nice tonight.”

“Thank you, Pastor. You look nice tonight too.”

“I thought I told you to call me Bernard.”

“You did.” Misha felt awkward. She wanted to get comfortable but she couldn't with Bernard sitting beside her and his two associates sitting behind them.

She quickly forgot about them as lights dimmed and the play began. Misha had tears in her eyes as she watched the antics of actors on the stage. She hated to see the play end. After the cast exited the stage, Bernard was swarmed by people. Antonio and Bruce quickly jumped into action, making sure the crowd of people did not crush Bernard. They made a path for him. He reached out and took Misha by the arm. “Come on. I'll introduce you to the cast.”

“You can do that?”

“My lady, there are some benefits to being Bernard Taylor.” They walked the path cleared by his associates and went backstage, where Bernard introduced Misha to the cast members. Misha remembered the group and excused herself to call Sherrell to ask where they were meeting to eat. Sherrell gave her the name of the restaurant and Misha agreed to meet them there.

Bernard and his associates walked her to her car and stood by it until she drove off. When she arrived at the restaurant she did not see the rest of the group. She waited until she saw Bernard walking toward her.

“You and Sherrell planned this whole night didn't you? Why didn't you just ask me to attend the play with you tonight?”

“Because I knew you wouldn't accept my invitation.”

“Where are your associates?”

“They went home I think. Come on. They have a table waiting for us.”

They were escorted to a table in the back of the restaurant. Misha watched and listened as people whispered, recognizing him, as they walked between the tables in the restaurant. They sat down at their table and ordered something to drink.

“You didn't have to go to all this trouble. I would have considered it, if you asked.”

“Considered isn't the same as accepting. I enjoyed talking to you the other day and I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“Excuse me. Aren't you Bernard Taylor?” A lady interrupted them. She seemed so happy as she smiled at him.

“Yes, I am.”

“I'm one of your biggest fans. I have all your CDs . . .” she said rapidly.

Misha smiled at her excitement.

She waved to her friends to come over. Misha watched as the entire table of people got up and headed in their direction.

“Can't you see we're trying to have dinner here? We would like to be alone if you don't mind,” Bernard rudely said.

Misha was surprised he would speak to a fan in such a manner. She had not seen him like this before. He was always the entertainer. She watched the smile go away from the lady's face just as her friends arrived.

“Come on. Let's go back to our table,” she told her friends, and they began to whisper to her, asking her what happened.

Misha called the waiter over to the table. She asked him to bring them the check from the table where the lady sat with her friends. She could tell they were talking about them because some of them turned around and looked at them.

“You're going to pay for their meal?” Bernard asked.

“No, you are. You were rude to that lady. It was uncalled for,” Misha whispered.

“Don't you think she was rude interrupting us?”

“She's a fan. Tell me something. Are you absolutely sure you are in the will of God when you sing and minister to people all around the world?”

“I know I am.” Bernard adjusted his napkin in his lap.

“So you're obedient in doing what God has told you to do?”

“Yes.”

“The Word of God says if you're obedient in what He tells you to do, God will send men to your bosom to bless you. That lady, her friends, and all the people who buy your CDs and attend your concerts are walking in obedience to what God sent them to do. The same as when you are standing on that stage.”

He stared at Misha as she spoke firmly to him. Misha did not hold back anything she was feeling.

“Now, what you're going to do is pay their check and go over there and apologize for your behavior. Make up some excuse if you have to about what you said. But apologize to her. Sign autographs, take pictures, or whatever. Because at any moment, God can command those very same people to stop blessing you. You need to be grateful for their obedience to God.”

The waiter handed her the check and she gave it to Bernard. He got up from the table and walked over to the group. Misha could tell he turned on the charm. She watched as he motioned for a waiter. People began taking pictures of them with their cell phones. Before he left, Misha could hear the people laughing and talking loudly, breaking the silent atmosphere of the restaurant. He waved good-bye to them and headed back to the table and sat down.

“Now where were we?” Misha asked.

“I think we were about to order.” Bernard lifted his menu in front of his face.

Bernard was silent the rest of the evening. As they walked down the sidewalk toward her car she had enough of his silence.

“Are you mad with me?” Misha asked.

“No. It's just that . . . well . . . I never looked at it that way. You were right.”

“Right about what?”

“Everything. Well here's your car.” They stopped next to the driver's side door. Good night, Misha.”

He stood by the car until she drove off. Misha figured that was the last time she would see him. She began to question if she had done the right thing. She knew he had issues and was sensitive about them. He must have been really upset with her. Why did she even care?

The next morning, Bernard called her to thank her for her honesty and told her he was boarding a plane so he could get home in time for Sunday service. She hung up the phone glad he called, but concerned he sounded down.

Maybe she should not have spoken to him so harshly. After all, he was an international celebrity. He had his pick of people he could hang out with. Yet, he chose Misha.
Why?
Misha pondered. Did he feel sorry for her? She could afford her own ticket to the play. She had already paid for it. She even had money for her meal. No, that wasn't it.

Did he have any real friends, people he could depend on even if he was not famous? Or was everyone around him a hanger-on depending on him for a living? Was he now feeling the pressure of being a pastor and entertainer at the same time? Both careers could be very trying. Being a pastor alone was enough to drive anyone nuts if God was not protecting them.

What's wrong with him? What's wrong with me,
Misha wondered. God sent a saved, handsome, independently wealthy, straight man to her and all she could think about was how to minister to him.

Maybe it was her and not him. She always had to minister. Just once, she would like to be the woman God placed her on this earth to be: feminine and sweet and able to hold a conversation without preaching.
No one likes to be preached to all the time. Sometimes it's just good to have a pleasant conversation.

Misha searched for answers as she dressed for church and the baby inside her kicked.