Delilah (26 page)

Delilah got caught up in the crowd of people and now stood face-to-face with Elaine. “You got a lot of nerve showing up here today,” Elaine said.

“If you'll move, I'll be on my way,” Delilah responded.

“Oh no, you're coming with me.” Elaine grabbed Delilah by the arm and attempted to drag her to the side.

Delilah jerked her arm away. “We might be in church, but I'll still kick your behind.”

“Ladies, this is a house of worship,” one of the ushers interrupted.

Delilah rushed out the doors. “Now what?” she asked out loud when she saw that she had a flat tire. She had a feeling this was no accident. No one who passed bothered to ask if she needed assistance. She got in her car and sat behind the wheel. She dialed Keisha's number. “My tire's on flat. Can you and your friend come change my tire?”

Keisha asked, “Where are you?”

“At Peaceful Rest.”

“Girl, now you know better. One of the members probably put your tire on flat.”

“I wouldn't doubt it. So are you coming or not?”

“You're lucky I'm out of church. Steven just dropped me off and went to the store. As soon as he comes back, we'll be over.”

Delilah wanted to get away from Peaceful Rest as soon as she could. She retrieved her spare tire from the trunk and without success attempted to change her tire. She was leaning on the car, minding her own business, when Samson stopped his SUV near where she was.

“If I were you, I wouldn't get caught talking to me. Someone might flatten your tire too,” Delilah joked, although she was far from being in a joking mood.

“Seeing you stranded is like poetic justice. You get what you get,” Samson said as he sped out of the parking lot.”

Samson had tainted the love Delilah had for him with the way he talked to her and about her.

Calvin's car stopped by. “I would help you, but my wife would kill me. You do have someone coming, don't you?”

“I'm fine,” Delilah said.

Calvin sped away. She wasn't familiar with the next car that stopped. The tinted windows rolled down to reveal a clear view of Julia. She was sitting in the passenger side. Michelle was in the driver's seat.

“You've ruined my life,” Julia yelled.

“Save that for someone who cares,” Delilah responded.

“Don't let me catch you off church grounds,” Julia threatened.

“Does it look like I'm scared?” Delilah crossed her arms and leaned on her car.

Delilah heard Michelle say, “Come on Julia, she's not even worth it.”

Julia yelled before she left, “Watch out for karma.”

“Vengeance is mine, said the Lord,” Delilah shouted back.

The church parking lot had thinned out by the time Keisha and Steven arrived. “Delilah, this is Steven. Steven, Delilah,” Keisha said as she and Steven got out of his car.

While Steven changed Delilah's flat tire, Keisha and Delilah stood on the side of the car and talked. It didn't take Steven long to finish. “Thanks, Steven,” Delilah said. “What do I owe you?” she asked.

“Thanks is all the payment I need,” Steven assured her.

Keisha chastised Delilah right before getting in the passenger seat of Steven's car. “Next time, you'll stay your butt at home.”

“I'm headed home now,” Delilah said.

Keisha and Steven followed Delilah out of the parking lot. When they reached the main entrance, Delilah turned right. Keisha and Steven went in the opposite direction.

Delilah thought about Samson's appeal to the congregation for forgiveness as she drove home. As much as she loved going to Peaceful Rest Missionary Baptist Church, she knew this Sunday would be her last one attending. Samson wouldn't have had to resign if he hadn't pretended that she didn't matter to him. If only he would have treated her with a little more respect, Samson and Julia could have still been living the good life. As far as Delilah was concerned, Samson was the cause of his own downfall, not her.

Delilah was so busy thinking about Samson's misfortunes, she never saw the bullet coming. The driver's side glass scattered throughout the car, and Delilah's body slumped over.

Before blacking out, Delilah heard a voice recite Galatians the sixth chapter, seventh verse—“
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap
.”

Reading Group Guide

1. Delilah preferred to go by her birth name versus the nickname she had been given. Do you think there are hidden meanings in names?
   
2. Samson wanted to blame Delilah for all of his problems. Do you feel he was justified in doing so? Why or why not?
   
3. Kelly, Samson's mother, recognized Delilah was up to no good. Is there something she could have done to help Samson get rid of Delilah before the situation escalated to the point that it did?
   
4. Do you think Julia knew something was going on between Samson and Delilah before she married him? Why or why not?
   
5. Dorothy, the head of the Pastor's Aide committee, was a little bossy, so her and Delilah's personalities clashed. Do you have a Dorothy in your midst?
   
6. According to William Trusts, everybody has an Achilles' heel. Do you agree or disagree?
   
7. Samson knew how Delilah felt about him. Why do you think he didn't stop their one-on-one counseling sessions?
   
8. Do you think Delilah's past made her latch on to Samson the way she did?
   
9. Keisha tried to be the voice of reason, but Delilah wouldn't listen. If you see your friend making wrong decisions, do you discuss it with her or do you stay out of it?
   
10. In the end, Samson was the one responsible for losing his church and wife. Why do some people try to blame others for their problems?
    

Shelia M. Goss is the
Essence
magazine and Black Expressions Book Club bestselling author of
My Invisible Husband, Roses Are Thorns, Paige's Web, Double Platinum, His Invisible Wife, Hollywood Deception
and the teen series
The Lip Gloss Chronicles. Delilah
is her tenth novel and first work of Christian fiction. Goss, a freelance writer, is also the recipient of three
Shades of Romance
magazine Readers' Choice Multi-Cultural awards and was honored as a Literary Diva: The Top 100 Most Admired African American Women in Literature. To learn more, visit her Web sites:

 

www.sheliagoss.com,

www.myspace.com/sheliagoss,

or follow her on Twitter at

http://twitter.com/sheliamgoss
.