Let the Church Say Amen (15 page)

T
HIS WAS
S
IMON’S
favorite part of each service, standing outside and greeting the congregation as they left church. It gave him a chance to interact with his members.

“Pastor, you sho’ spread the word of God today,” said a lady in a big yellow hat with fruit on it.

Simon leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Sister Perkins. I’m just a vessel for the Lord. You tell that husband of yours we’ll be looking for him next Sunday.”

Constance Perkins nodded. “He’s been a little under the weather. But I’m going to drag him here next Sunday. If he ain’t here, it’s ’cause he died.” She laughed.

She moved on and shook the hand of Rachel, who was standing next to Loretta. Simon looked down at his daughter. Jonathan was standing on the other side of her. Simon could tell Rachel didn’t want to be here, but having the family greet the congregation was a tradition that had been going on at Zion Hill since he took over.

Rachel shot her father a look saying, “Can I go now?” When he made sure everyone was just about out, he turned to his daughter and whispered, “Just say hello to Lester, then you can go.”

Rachel rolled her eyes as Lester made his way out of the church.

“Good sermon, Reverend Jackson.”

“Thank you, Lester.”

“And Mrs. Jackson, you sure look lovely today. Is that a new dress?”

“It sure is, Lester. Thank you for noticing,” Loretta responded, fluffing up the shoulders of the bright purple silk dress she was wearing.

“I think I’m going to be sick,” Rachel mumbled.

“Did you say you’re sick?” Lester asked.

“Huh? Uh, no. I’m fine,” Rachel responded, irritated. “How are you, Lester?”

“Better now that I got a chance to see you.” He grinned widely, showing off the spacious gap in his two front teeth.

Rachel didn’t respond.

“Rachel, I was wondering … well … Grandmother cooked her special fried chicken today and she always cooks too much … and well … I was just wondering … if maybe you and the kids … would like to …” Lester stopped mumbling when he saw the man in a sheriff’s uniform walk toward them. Everyone turned and stared at the officer.

“May I help you?” Simon asked.

“I’m looking for Rachel Jackson.”

Rachel froze. This couldn’t be about those grapes she ate in the grocery store the other day. They wouldn’t arrest her for that, would they? Simon pointed toward his daughter. “This is Rachel. I’m her father. What is this about?”

The officer ignored Simon and pulled an envelope out of his pocket. “Rachel Jackson, you’ve been served.” He handed Rachel the envelope, then turned and walked away.

Rachel stared at the envelope in her hand.

“Well, open it!”

Simon’s voice snapped her out of her daze. Rachel tore open the envelope.

“I don’t believe this,” she said as her eyes scanned the legal document.

“What is it, baby?” Loretta asked.

“It’s Bobby. He’s suing me for joint custody of Jordan.” Rachel didn’t remember much after that. Her whole world turned black.

Rachel inhaled deeply as she stood outside the door of Simon’s office. She and her father hadn’t had a civil conversation in years, but now she needed him. For a change, she needed his influence as pastor of Zion Hill. Having him testify on her behalf would surely speak volumes with the judge. She refused to share custody of Jordan with Bobby and Shante, and if that meant sucking up to her father, then so be it.

After a few minutes of waiting, she realized her father wasn’t there.

She made her way back into the hall to search for him. At the conference room she stopped and decided to check inside. The door was closed and she was just about to knock when she heard someone shout.

Rachel leaned in closer to make out what they were saying.

“I don’t care how, I just want him out!”

“Keep your voice down. Simon is still in the church.”

Rachel’s interest was piqued. She always was one for a piece of good gossip. The first voice sounded like Deacon Jacobs, the chairman of the church board. Rachel couldn’t make out the other voice. She put her ear to the door.

“Y’all know I don’t particularly care for Simon anyway,” Deacon Jacobs said. “If I had my druthers, we would’ve gotten rid of him long ago. Now, my nephew needs his own church, and Zion Hill is just the place for him. So, I don’t care how we do it, we just need to get Simon out!”

“How?” the other person asked.

“I don’t care! Catch him embezzling some money, set him up having an affair—it doesn’t matter.”

Rachel raised her eyebrows. Were they trying to kick her father out of Zion Hill? Granted, nothing would make her happier than seeing him give up this church, but Rachel wasn’t quite sure about him being set up.

“I’m going to push to get Simon Jackson out of here so that my nephew can take his rightful place as pastor of this church! Besides, he should’ve had the job when they hired Simon in the first place.”

Rachel turned to go find her father and bumped right into him.

“Were you eavesdropping at that door, Rachel?” Simon asked.

“No, I was looking for you.”

“I saw you. You were eavesdropping. Then you goin’ stand right in the church and lie about it.”

“But, Daddy, I need to tell you—” Simon cut her off. “I don’t believe you, Rachel. Have you no shame? No, of course not. What was I thinking? You fornicate, you lie, and you’re disrespectful, so what’s a little eavesdropping to the list? You know, I am so disappointed in you.

You really need to get yourself together.”

Rachel glared at her father. She couldn’t win for losing with him. Simon ignored her icy stare. “Come away from that door,” he snapped. “What are you doing up here anyway?”

Rachel debated whether she should go ahead and tell her father what she’d overheard, but his look of contempt made her decide against it. Let them kick her father out. It would serve him right.

Rachel let out a long sigh. “I came by to make sure you were going to be at the court hearing. It’s at two o’clock.”

Simon looked at his watch, then blew his breath. “I need to finish up some paperwork here, but I guess I’ll be there.”

“No guessing. You have to be there.”

“Fine, although I think you ought to do right by that boy and let him see his son. Maybe Jordan would be better off in a more stable environment anyway.”

Nobody asked you what you thought, Rachel wanted to say, but she also wanted him to show up in court. Instead she said, “We’ll just let the courts decide that.”

The conference room doors opened and Deacon Jacobs walked out. He was followed by Deacon Joseph Riley, who had to be the other person talking. Both of the deacons smiled at Simon.

“Afternoon, Pastor,” Deacon Jacobs said.

Simon nodded. “Gentlemen.”

“That was a wonderful sermon you preached last Sunday,” Deacon Riley said.

“Yeah,” Deacon Jacobs added. “It sure hit home for a lot of people.”

Simon smiled appreciatively as they walked away. Rachel smiled, too. They were playing her father for a fool. Grinning in his face, then plotting behind his back.

Good. Losing his church would knock her father off his self-righteous pedestal. Rachel couldn’t wait to see how this all would turn out.

“What are you standing there grinning at?” Simon asked. “I hope you’re not plotting some other way to try and mess up things for Bobby and Shante.”

“No, Daddy. I have to go. Just please don’t be late to court.”

“I’m always on time! It’s you who has the tardiness problem.”

Simon spun on his heels and returned to his office.

“I’ll say a prayer that Deacon Jacobs gets his wish,” Rachel muttered as she watched her father walk away.

R
ACHEL SAT AT
the large table next to the stocky attorney her parents had hired. She still couldn’t believe they were in court. It had been only two weeks since she was served. She’d quickly learned that Shante used to work for a judge—that had to be the only reason they were in court this fast.

As the attorney scanned the documents in front of him, Rachel fidgeted with everything within her reach. First, twirling the pen, then swishing the water around in the small glass that sat on their table. After getting bored with that, she turned to look at her parents in the front row. Her father refused to make eye contact with her, shaking his head like he was mad at her for wasting his time. Her mother gave her a reassuring smile. Jon and Angela sat next to her. Jon gave Rachel a “thumbs up,” then poked at a dozing David and whispered something in his ear. David looked up, smiled, then gave Rachel a “thumbs up,” too. Sitting at the end of the row was Lester. He looked as scared as Rachel felt. Lester mouthed “I love you” to her. That threw Rachel for a loop and she quickly turned back around. She always knew Lester was crazy about her, but love? He’d invited himself to the hearing, but Rachel couldn’t complain; right now, she was thankful to have as many people in her corner as possible.

“Rachel, I think you should try to give just a little,” the attorney said, leaning in and snapping Rachel back to the present.

Rachel huffed. They had been down this road a thousand times in the last week. She was not budging. She refused to give Bobby and Shante joint custody. She refused to let Shante be around Jordan, period. Her parents had told her she was being ridiculous, adding that Bobby had rights. The attorney had preached that same sermon, but Rachel wasn’t trying to hear it.

Rachel looked over her shoulder as Bobby and Shante walked into the courtroom. Their hands were gripped tightly together. She noticed the rock glistening brightly on Shante’s hand. Rachel struggled to fight back the tears. That should have been her ring. That should have been her all hugged up with Bobby. Shante glared at Rachel with a smirk on her face. She was eating this all up.

It seemed like Bobby’s whole family had accompanied him to the hearing. His parents, all five of his sisters and his two brothers, none of whom ever liked Rachel, were gathered in a circle, taking up the entire aisle. Bobby’s oldest sister leaned in and whispered something in Shante’s ear. They both looked at Rachel and burst out laughing. Rachel was just about to get up and give them a piece of her mind when the bailiff entered the courtroom. Bobby squeezed Shante’s hand, released it, then shuttled to the table on the other side of the room. His attorney, a distinguished-looking black man, smiled as he approached the table. Shante and the rest of Bobby’s family took up two rows behind Bobby and his attorney.

“All rise,” the bailiff said. “The honorable Patrice Russell presiding.”

Everyone stood up as the blond-haired judge made her way onto the bench. Rachel grinned. She was happy to have a female judge. Hopefully, a woman would be more sympathetic to her case.

“You may be seated,” the judge said. “This is a matter of Bobby Jordan Clark versus Rachel Nichelle Jackson, over the custody of the minor child, Jordan Kobe Clark. Are both parties present?”

Both attorneys stood up and simultaneously spoke. “They are.”

The judge briefly studied Bobby and Rachel before looking over the documents.

“Am I correct that the child is in the custody of his mother?”

“That’s correct, Your Honor,” said Rachel’s attorney.

“Have you advised your client how I take into account both parties’ willingness, or unwillingness, to reach a resolution prior to court?”

The attorney straightened his back and shot Rachel an “I told you so” look. “Yes, I have, Your Honor.”

“Very well, then. You may proceed.”

Rachel’s attorney glanced over his papers briefly before stepping out from behind the table. “Your honor, my client feels the hostile environment created by the presence of Miss Shante Wilson is—”

“The name is Clark. Shante Clark,” Shante stood up and yelled out.

Bobby turned around and threw a hostile look at Shante. Several people started laughing. Bobby’s sister grabbed Shante’s arm and pulled her back down into the seat. The judge slammed her gavel down. “Order! There will be no outbursts in my court or you will be asked to leave.”

Shante leaned back and crossed her arms defiantly. “It’s Clark,” she muttered.

“As I was saying, Your Honor, my client feels it is in the best interest of the child if he be allowed only supervised visits with his father, Bobby Clark.” He turned and pointed toward Shante. “That is indicative of the reason my client doesn’t want joint custody. She feels her son would be subjected to outbursts like that by Mr. Clark’s wife.”

Rachel smiled as she looked over and saw the frustration on Bobby’s face. She told him not to mess with her. Now he’d be lucky to see Jordan at all.

Rachel’s attorney continued presenting his case, calling on Loretta and Simon to talk about the role they played in Jordan’s life. Rachel was proud. She knew her mother would deliver, but her father had actually described her as a loving, doting mother. Those words had to be some of the nicest things he’d ever said about her. For once, her father had come through.

Rachel’s attorney took just over an hour presenting her side. By the time he was through, Rachel was certain that she would emerge victorious. She knew if it boiled down to Bobby choosing between Shante and Jordan, he’d choose Jordan. And since she and Jordan were a package deal, they’d end up together after all.

Rachel sat back confidently as Bobby’s attorney made his way to the front of the judge. Her smile slowly faded as she listened to him describe how she became “impregnated” by another man while in a committed relationship with Bobby. He talked about her inconsistency in jobs, even pulling out her employment records to show how she always left within eight months.

How could he have gotten his hands on that?
Rachel wondered.

The attorney ran down every despicable thing she had ever done. He talked about the arrest after she had come to their home and physically assaulted both Bobby and Shante. He even had Shante take the stand and recap the incident where Rachel had Jordan knock on her door.

“Your Honor,” the attorney said, after Shante had returned to her seat, “we’re not asking for anything out of the ordinary. Just the God-given rights due to Bobby Clark, Jordan’s biological father. We’re not asking to take the child from his mother, even though my client believes the child would be better off in the stable environment he and his wife could provide.” Shante smirked at that comment. “We just want little Jordan to know his father loves him and wants to take part in raising him.”

Rachel was near tears by the time the attorney finished. He had made her sound like a horrible, vengeful mother. Loretta leaned forward in her seat and gently rubbed Rachel’s back.

Judge Russell took a few moments to look through her papers. Both sides sat in silence. Bobby nervously fiddled with his cufflinks. Rachel tried desperately to ward off the tears.

Finally, the judge raised her head. “This case is pretty cut and dried.” She turned toward Rachel. “Miss Jackson, your behavior is childish, petty, and downright vindictive. I believe if Mr. Clark had chosen you instead of his current wife, you wouldn’t have had any problems with him spending time with his son. Your motives are purely personal and not in the best interest of the child. With that in mind, I am awarding the petitioner’s request for joint custody.”

Bobby and his entire family clapped and began loudly congratulating each other. Rachel lowered her head and began sobbing.

The judge pounded her gavel for order, then turned her attention back to Rachel. “Miss Jackson?” Rachel lifted her head and tried to stifle her tears. “Consider yourself lucky that Mr. Clark did not seek sole custody because, based on the information presented here today, I would have had to award it to him. I genuinely believe he does not want to separate you from your son. For that you should be grateful; now get yourself together. Court is adjourned.” She pounded her gavel one last time, then exited the bench.