His First Lady (35 page)

Evan nodded as she wiped her tears.

“Did I fail to give you anything Evan?”

“No daddy, never.”

“Then why would you settle?”

Tears flowed down Evan’s face. “I don’t know.”

“There were so many days that I wanted to come get you but God wouldn’t let me. He was teaching you something.”

“I just wanted what you and mommy have.”

Her daddy sighed. “Baby girl, that doesn’t come easy. God putting two imperfect and flawed people together in a perfect union. It’s hard work for us humans.”

“You and mommy make it look easy,” Evan said wiping her eyes.

Her daddy stopped and looked at her then laughed. “Your mother is hard headed and stubborn as a mule. And I’m worse than that, just ask her. It only looks easy because we love God most and each other next. Although you should have never married this man, you did and I know you made mistakes in the marriage too.”

Evan nodded. “I wanted to make you proud by marrying a pastor.”

Her daddy looked up at her then back down again. “I was proud of you the day that the Lord gave you to me. There’s nothing you can do to change that.”

“He’s nothing at all like you. I never knew momma was so blessed.”

“I will say that your momma is a blessed woman.” Her daddy laughed.

Evan laughed with him as she patted her wet cheeks with the back of her hands.

“No baby. Seriously though; I’m the blessed one. I just want to be who the Father wants me to be. Your momma will tell you that I get on her nerves plenty but she’s a forgiving woman and I know she is one of God’s gifts to me.”

Evan dropped her head. She knew that she hadn’t fared as well as her parents. She tried but she’d failed and the guilt of the failure was eating her up.

“God gives us only the best and that’s why he gave his son. When you fall, he picks you up, dusts you off and you go on. He’s a loving God and you’ll find peace because God is peace. You need to listen to God and hear what he wants to tell you baby girl.”

Evan watched as her dad continued digging through the dirt nonchalantly. She never understood how he did it but he never reacted with facial expressions even when situations were dire. He just listened and responded in his calming tone which she loved.

“I don’t think I ever want to be married again.”

“Ahh, it’s too early to think about that but don’t give up on God.”

“I don’t think good marriages exist anymore, daddy.”

“Now, don’t you go believe the devil’s lies. God created marriage and he created it to be beautiful. The devil wants you to think that Godly marriages don’t exist but there are plenty of ‘em. It’s just hard to get the world to celebrate anything that God does but that don’t mean that he doesn’t keep doing ‘em.”

The screened door opened. They turned around to see Evelyn standing on the porch with her hands on her slight hips.

“Lunch is ready when y’all are ready,” Evelyn shouted out to them.

“Yes, ma’am,” Evan replied.

Evan’s dad waved Evelyn away. “Gone now Evelyn; I’m talking to my baby girl. Be there in a minute.”

Evelyn made a face and mumbled something before turning back and walking inside the screened door. Evan and her daddy laughed.

“Daddy,” Evan said looking at the man’s smooth brown and aged yet always handsome face. “I’m so sorry.”

“What for baby girl?”

“I’m sorry for disappointing you and disobeying you. You warned me.”

Her daddy looked up at the sky then Evan as he took off his gloves. “Help your old man up baby girl,” her dad said as he struggled to get up from the ground. Evan quickly stood up and grabbed under his arm and helped him up.

“I love you baby girl and that won’t ever change. My joy is that you know the Father and that you seek his face. Nothing else can I ask for in this life.”

Evan held on to her father tighter. “We better get in before momma comes back out.”

“Yes ma’am. I love that ol’ mean woman though.”

“I know you do daddy.”

Evan placed her arm inside her daddy’s arm as they walked back toward the house. Her mother was standing inside the screened porch with two glasses of lemonade watching the two of them with a large smile on her face.

Rob sat on the chair in their bedroom with his head down. He had been speechless since Daniela told him what happened last night. Daniela sat on their bed, her body shaking and fiddling with her hands waiting for Rob’s response.

“Rob, can you say something?”

Rob kept his head down, refusing to look up at her. Daniela had never cried so much in her life and the fear that her life had changed forever last night shook her very core.

Rob finally looked up at her with red watery eyes that glared at her as if he didn’t know who he was looking at.

“What were you thinking? You put our lives on the line for something that you didn’t even do? Now you’re an accessory to a murder. You’re a mother, you’re a First lady and you’re a medical professional. What were you thinking Dani?” Rob yelled out at her.

“I don’t know!” Daniela screamed back. “I don’t know.”

“Have you spoken to her?”

“I tried calling but there’s no answer.”

There was a knock on the door. Rob put his finger up to Daniela. “I don’t want our kids to see you like this.”

Daniela got out of their bed and walked to the bathroom to wash her face.

“Yes, who is it?” Rob asked walking up to their bedroom door.

In the bathroom, Daniela took a cloth, wet it, and laid it on her face. Her eyes were swollen clearly showing the very little sleep and the great amount of worry that she was carrying. She began walking out of their bathroom when she heard RJ’s small voice. She stood in the bathroom doorway unable to move listening to Rob speak to RJ. Her heart ached regretting that she contributed to something that could separate her from her children forever. She couldn’t live without them.

She heard RJ ask to give mommy a hug. She wanted to run to him but she couldn’t. She heard Rob explain to him that he and mommy were talking adult talk. He told him to go back downstairs and have a snack. Rob then yelled downstairs for Dani to start cartoons for RJ and fix him a snack. Rob closed the door and looked over at Daniela with a grimace on his face. He grabbed the phone.

“What are you doing?” Daniela asked frantically.

“I’m calling the police.”

Daniela walked over to him and tried to stop him. Rob turned away from her. “What are you doing Daniela?”

“You can’t call the police. I need to speak to Candy. We have to know what she did last night after I left.”

“What she did? They found that woman in a landfill. We are going to the police and we’re going today. The devil already has too much power in this.”

“Please let me talk to her first. Maybe she went to the police already.”

“Stop with the maybe’s; I don’t care what she might have done. She killed that girl and then put her body in a landfill. Stop and think Daniela!”

Daniela put her hands on her head in total confusion. “I’m trying!” Daniela sobbed.

Rob stopped then threw the phone on the bed.

“I don’t know what you expected me to do but we have to do the right thing. I’m a pastor. We have to get the authorities involved or it’s going to get worse.”

“I know,” Daniela cried.

Rob took a deep breath then looked at Daniela as if feeling sorry for her. “Then call her and tell her that we’re meeting her and her husband today and if she doesn’t agree then we’re going to the police.”

Daniela’s hands shook as she walked over to the bed and picked up the phone. Daniela stared at the phone but she was so afraid of hearing the truth from Candy even though she already knew it.

“Remember who you are. You are a First lady and you have a family.” Rob stood over her with his arms crossed.

Daniela wiped her eyes with her arm.

“I’m so scared. I don’t want to go to jail and I can’t lose my children,” Daniela said.

“I don’t know what to say to you,” Rob said throwing his hands up. “I don’t know what to say.”

Daniela looked at him then back down at the phone. She sat on the bed. “I don’t want to be alone through this.”

She saw on Rob’s face that he was struggling. He looked at her then walked over and knelt down in front of her. It wasn’t often that Daniela saw Rob so fragile. She depended on his strength but she could tell in his eyes that he was scared which made her even more frightened.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen but I’m not going anywhere.” Rob’s eyes welled up. “I love you.”

Daniela nodded as tears continually ran down her face. Rob took tissue from the tissue box and wiped her face.

“The word says that you shall not have fear of sudden bad news because your heart is steadfast trusting in the Lord.” Rob kissed her hand and placed his head in her lap.

Evan loved long runs at her parent’s house. The long stretches of land allowed her to run for hours without ever repeating her path. It was peaceful; no traffic just the smell of fresh country air and her music. She hadn’t been at her parent’s house long but she could tell the difference in how she felt. She was at peace. She was able to pray, relax, read her bible, and sleep.

She had lain down in her old bed and as if she hadn’t slept in ages she had slept twelve hours straight. Her parents didn’t even attempt to disturb her allowing her to rest. She had awakened feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. She didn’t know how long she would be there but she knew that she’d leave when it was time.

Running down the long country road, she pulled her sunglasses down a little and glimpsed up at the sky; it was so clear and shockingly blue. The glimpse caused her to stop running and focus on the splendor and peace of it. She took the ear buds out of her ears and just admired God’s handiwork. She had missed it. In all of her misery and defeat, she had missed it. She began talking with God and the weight of the world seemed to be lifted off of her. A smile swept across her face as sweat trickled down her forehead. She felt such peace.

She began running again and placed her ear buds back in her ears and sunglasses on her face. As she listened to songs of worship, a call came through causing the music in her ears to cut out. She looked at the phone to see that it was Mimi. She would call her back. Her friend probably wondered where she had disappeared to seeing that she told no one when she left town. She kept running attempting to ignore the constant cut outs of music due to the back to back calls. She looked at her phone again and saw that it was Pastor Greg. She stopped running and without thinking answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hello First lady? This is Pastor Greg.”

Evan’s heart pounded from the sound of Greg’s voice. She felt like an awkward school girl whenever she spoke to him. She didn’t know why but she did.

“Pastor Greg, hi, how are you?”

“I’m fine, how are you, First lady?”

Evan looked around and took a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air. “I’m doing great. I’m at my parent’s house.” Evan began kicking the dirt beneath her feet mindlessly. “I am really doing well, thank you.”

“I didn’t know you were gone. I went by your office a few times at the church but you weren’t there. I’m glad to hear that you’re doing well.”

Evan nodded looking at her surroundings. “Um, have you heard anything more about Sundi and Katie?”

Greg seemed to pause with a sigh. “First lady, I haven’t been able to reach Katie and Sundi. I made a report but since they can’t be located, it may be awhile.”

Evan let out a loud sigh. She had been praying for them and this was not what she expected to hear.

“First lady?”

“I’m still here.”

“I don’t know if anyone told you yet but Deacon Rick’s wife’s body was found in a landfill last night. She was murdered.”

Rendered speechless, Evan gasped and her heart seemed to drop in the pit of her stomach. She wasn’t prepared for anymore death or bad news. She dropped to her knees. “Ariel?”

“Yes,” Greg answered.

Evan sat on the dirt road in a state of silent shock unable to move or respond.

“First lady, are you there?”

Evan nodded. “I am.”

“I apologize for calling you on your cell phone and delivering such bad news but no one has heard from or seen you and I wanted to make sure that you knew.”

Evan covered her mouth feeling completely helpless.

“First lady? Are you alright?” Greg asked.

“I...I don’t know what to say. What happened?”

“I don’t have a lot of information at this time but the investigators are keeping us posted. Rick had reported her missing the night before because she never returned home after a night out with some ladies. Then a report came in the next morning that a body had been found and it was identified as Ariel’s.”

“How are Rick and the children?” Evan asked realizing that it was such a stupid question in the scope of such tragedy.

“Not doing well.”

“Um,” Evan said trying to find words. “When’s the funeral?

“I’m not certain of the specifics but within the week.”

“I…I’ll be home for her funeral.”

“Thank you First lady.” Greg paused. “Again, I’m sorry to call you under these circumstances.”

“No, no. Thank you very much.” Evan’s voice quivered as she looked around the open area but feeling closed in.

“I’ll see you when you get back then,” Greg said.

Evan ended the call without saying goodbye. She sat on the ground and dropped her head. It was time to go back.

When the picture of Ariel’s face appeared on television, it was as if a thousand needles had pierced Leon’s skin all at once. Leon remembered that his stomach knotted up and his head began to spin which had knocked him slightly off balance. Leon had grabbed onto the side of the table in the governor’s library then made his way around it to the chair where he sat and stared at the television in total dismay.

“Pastor Leon, are you alright?” The governor asked before looking at Paul and instructing him to hurriedly get Leon a glass of water.