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Authors: Dijorn Moss

BOOK: Men After God's Own Heart
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Jamal climbed in the car, and twenty minutes later they arrived at Clay's parents' house to find Clay's father, Gerald Atkins, standing outside the house with Jamir, who stood beside him with his Elmo backpack on. There was a clear contrast between Jamal's sun-kissed skin and Jamir's darker skin. Jamal's round cheekbones, which enhanced his smile, were quite different from Jamir's straight cheekbones.
To this day, Mr. Atkins had not taken the news well that his son was a victim of a foolish love triangle. He ushered Jamir along, and once Jamir reached Jamal's Honda, Mr. Atkins gave an about-face. He climbed up the short flight of steps that led from his walkway to his front porch and closed the front door behind him, giving every indication that he did not want to be bothered.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chauncey
Since the dinner at Nicole's house, Chauncey and Rachel had not only talked over the phone, but had also chatted online on Facebook. Long phone conversations and online chats increased their anticipation of their first date.
“Two tickets for
Just Wright,
” Chauncey said.
The young lady at the box office of the two-dollar movie theater handed him both his tickets and his change. Chauncey did not go to the movies often, because many of the movies that came out lacked substance and were vehicles for filth. Rachel had promised him that this movie was a quality black film and that he wouldn't have to worry about his salvation being in jeopardy. Chauncey trusted Rachel's judgment. There was something different about Rachel, and Chauncey couldn't figure out why he was drawn to her. It was more than the fact that Rachel was a natural beauty with skin as smooth and shiny as rich chocolate.
“You ready?” Chauncey asked.
“Ready.” Rachel took Chauncey by the arm, and the whiff he got of her perfume sent a jolt of energy through his veins. “Ooh, popcorn! I got to have popcorn. It would be a sin not to have any popcorn.”
Chauncey could not resist Rachel's childish joy as they strolled toward the concession stand, and he bought her a large popcorn and a Diet Coke. They made their way into a small theater, which was empty, and after securing their seats, Chauncey snatched a handful of popcorn and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Hey!” Rachel protested.
“Finder's fee,” Chauncey said with a laugh.
“I used to love to go to the movies,” Rachel said.
“I don't!” Chauncey had a sour look on his face.
“You don't go out much, do you? When was the last time you've been to the movies?”
“I saw the first
Matrix,
” Chauncey replied
“Oh, that was my movie. When homegirl jumped and paused in the air? And Laurence Fishburne was a bad brother.”
“Yeah, when that movie came out, that was the last time I went to the movies, because I knew that the Antichrist had arrived.”
“Oh, I can't wait to hear this. Go ahead. Explain!” Rachel stuffed some popcorn in her mouth.
“You've got Neo pretending to be the Savior, rescuing people from slavery while doing kung fu.”
“Did Jesus know kung fu?” Rachel asked.
“Of course He did. He's the Savior. He knows everything. He just didn't need to kick anybody in the face to prove it.”
Rachel burst out into laughter and almost choked on her popcorn when she finished clearing her throat. She placed her hand on top of Chauncey's, and Chauncey felt the electricity flow from one hand to the other. Just then the previews started.
“You got to loosen up, Deacon. It's bad enough you're in a movie theater dressed like you're about to go to church.”
Chauncey gave his beige suit with the orange collared shirt a once-over. He knew he was going to the movies, which was the reason why he didn't wear a tie. “Let me ask you something?”
“Shoot!” Rachel said in between bites of popcorn.
“Why don't you go to church?” Chauncey asked.
“It just seems like everybody is having a good time and is being entertained, and it feels like they already got their miracle. I never felt like God cared about me, which isn't hard, since I'm only one of six billion.”
“But God does love you, and you're not insignificant.”
“But sometimes I wake up and I feel so empty. I mean, I've had a lot of people who said they loved me, including God, and sometimes I feel like they've abandoned me.”
“The devil is a liar! You're uniquely and wonderfully made. There are good people who would treat you with the respect you deserve.”
“Yeah, but there's a shortage of good men available, and I figured my best chances were to meet a good churchgoing man.”
Rachel's worldly mind-set baffled Chauncey. He gained a new level of understanding about the infamous proverb that urged him not to lean on his own understandings.
“Do you believe in God?” Chauncey asked.
“I do. I just don't think He's as picky as everyone makes Him out to be.” Rachel stuffed more popcorn in her mouth.
“There's is only one God, and He's a jealous God.”
“That's your interpretation. I went to a church where every week they made people go down to the altar and confess their sins. Everything you wore was a sin, and I got filled up with a lot of bad doctrine, to the point where I just stopped going. I figured if I was going to go to hell, I might as well have a little fun.”
“There's nothing in hell you want,” Chauncey said.
“Look, I've had a lot of disappointments in my life, and I don't believe a loving God would allow so much suffering.”
Chauncey saw a beautiful young woman in front of him who was sweet and caring, but the trials of life had hardened her heart. While normally such statements as Rachel's would launch Chauncey into full evangelistic mode, he couldn't muster up the gumption to try and get Rachel saved.
“God loves you, Rachel, and I know that He desires for you to have a relationship with Him.”
“You are really sweet, Chauncey. I'm glad that I'm here with you.” Rachel nudged Chauncey with her elbow.
“So am I,” Chauncey said, and to his surprise, that was not a lie. He did enjoy being in the presence of Rachel.
They sat in the movie theater, and despite Chauncey's initial resistance, he actually enjoyed the movie. He loosened up and realized that some movies were pretty good and entertaining, but Rachel's point of view on God was still disturbing.
Chapter Thirty
Jamal
Chantel laid the plates on top of the dining room table at a frantic pace. “God, we still got the lasagna in the oven, and I still have to get dressed.”
“Don't worry. We still have time,” Jamal said.
“That's easy for you to say. You men have it easy. It only takes you a minute to get ready.” Chantel started to rub her head, searching her mind for anything that she might have forgotten to do. “This dinner thing was a bad idea.”
“We're about to get married in a few short months. It's important for us to hang out with other married couples.”
“Then why is Chauncey coming over?”
“Aren't you curious to see what Chauncey's girlfriend looks like?” Chantel shrugged her shoulders, and Jamal walked over and took the silverware that was in her hands. “Go ahead and get ready. I got this.” It was a simple gesture that went a long way. Jamal had learned that the key to a woman's heart dwelled in being able to do the simple things that made her world easier.
“Thank you.” Chantel wrapped her arms around Jamal and gave him a kiss. She made her way to the bedroom as Jamal continued to place silverware on the table.
A half an hour later, Quincy and Karen were the first to arrive. The women congregated in the kitchen, while Quincy and Jamal sat in front of the TV, watching the movie
Juice
on BET.
“Have you seen Chauncey's girl?” Quincy asked.
“Now, that's what I'm interested in seeing. Who can stand to date him? I love him, but your boy can be a bit much.”
“You need to let go of what happened at the men's retreat,” Quincy said. “You know how Chauncey is. He can be a little judgmental at times, but his heart is in the right place.”
“I'm trying to, but what I don't need is any more judgment. I did the right thing. I moved out, and I'm trying to work things out with Chantel before the wedding.”
Quincy nodded his understanding.
The doorbell rang, and Jamal knew that it was the moment of truth. Jamal and Quincy got up and made their way to the door. When they opened the door, they saw Chauncey with a Kool-Aid smile on his face and a woman of the same height next to him. The woman had a heart-shaped face and beautiful hazel eyes. Jamal was a little taken aback because he did not expect her to be so pretty, being she was interested in plain old Chauncey.
“You're too cute to be with an L-seven like this one,” Quincy said and pointed at Chauncey.
“Brother Page, stop being a fool and move out of the way,” Chauncey said, shaking his head.
Quincy moved out of the way and extended his hand like an usher. “All right, now, Deacon. I'll be darn.”
Quincy and Jamal exchanged surprised looks before they chuckled to themselves.
After dinner, the couples decided to play a game. What started out as a friendly game that would provide light exercise turned into an all-out war.
“Start it over,” Quincy said, out of breath.
“Come on, Q. That was the tiebreaker,” Jamal said, also out of breath.
“Baby, just let it go,” Karen said while sitting on the couch next to Chantel. Both women had sweat on their face, and they clung to their bottles of water.
“Naw, naw, naw. The Page family does not lose. Now, start it over one more time.”
“Brother Page, maybe we should do something that is more wholesome,” Chauncey suggested. He and Rachel were the only ones that were not out of breath and sweating.
“Quiet. This doesn't concern you. Now, let's go. Bring it!” Quincy insisted.
Karen and Chantel got up and took their positions next to the men in their lives. Jamal handed everyone a Nintendo Wii remote and cued up the Michael Jackson game. All of a sudden the two couples were engaged in an intense battle over the song “Thriller.”
Jamal tried to nail every move from the famous song with a perfect score, and he knew that he and Chantel were in sequence, which was how their marriage should unfold.
“Lord, have mercy,” Chauncey said as he looked on.
Chapter Thirty-one
Chauncey
After the dinner, Rachel was quiet all the way home. Chauncey tried to figure out what he could have done wrong to offend Rachel, but he drew a blank. He pulled up to Rachel's home and turned off the car. He noticed that Rachel sat there as if she was unaware of the fact that they were parked outside of her home.
“Let me ask you something. What was the purpose of dinner tonight?” Rachel asked.
“I just wanted you to meet my friends.”
“For what? I'm not saved, so in a minute you will probably dump me.”
“I didn't say anything about dumping you.” Chauncey was somewhat excited that Rachel was really concerned about the fate of their relationship.
“So you're willing to keep dating me even if I don't get saved?” Rachel rolled her neck.
“No. Don't get me wrong. I want you to get saved, but that was not the point of the evening.”
“What was the point? Why can't we just be how we are? Having me meet your friends was not fair.” Rachel leaned her head against the window in frustration.
“You didn't have a great time?” Chauncey asked.
“I had a great time. I really like your friends, and I want to spend more time with them. But if I'm not saved, then what's the point?”
“There is a point. I think we have something special, and I don't want it to end,” Chauncey replied.
Rachel's eyes grew large, as if she had just won the lottery. “You don't even know me. We've dated only for a few weeks.”
“That's why it's so frustrating. It's that I don't really know you, but I know that I would trade in everything but my salvation for you, a woman who makes me feel like you do inside.”
“I wish I could believe blindly like you. But I can't. I have seen too much and have had a lot of bad stuff happen to me. There's a lot about me that you don't know about. You live in your little bubble at church, and you're closed off to a real world, where little girls get beaten and molested.”
The way Rachel said that last statement, Chauncey did not have to guess who that little girl was. Chauncey searched for words that could convey empathy. “You can't go through life, Rachel, thinking that you're not worthy of being in love. I don't pity you. I pity your soul, because you have experienced so much pain and have not allowed God to heal you.”
“It's a lot easier to deal with life when you feel numb in the heart. I'm sorry, but I don't need your charity and I don't need your pity. All I need is to get out of this car.”
“Rachel . . .”
Rachel waved him off as she got out of the car.
Rachel was done talking, but Chauncey was not. He got out of the car and stood on the driver's side. “You're a hypocrite.”
Rachel stopped and turned around, as if Chauncey had just called her out of her name. “Excuse me? What are you talking about?”
Chauncey wasn't sure what he was talking about. He had just wanted to stop Rachel in her tracks, and he'd succeeded.
“I said you're a hypocrite.” Chauncey closed the door and walked to the front of the car.
“You got your nerves!” Rachel said.
“You want to talk about how you can't find a good man, and here I stand. Now, because I have a set of principles of what I expect from a woman, you want to criticize me? You're a hypocrite!”
“How can I ever measure up to the mighty Deacon Chauncey McClendon?” Rachel asked.
Chauncey could not explain what came over him. It was the way that Rachel's lips moved to form her words. Chauncey took a leap of faith and kissed Rachel. Chauncey imploded with desire, and Rachel did not pull back. She pulled Chauncey closer, and then he felt her replace her lips with her finger. He opened his eyes to see tears in Rachel's eyes. She removed her finger from his lips, turned, and walked away.
“Rachel.” Chauncey couldn't muster up enough strength to say her name louder.
Chauncey did not know what had just transpired, but he knew that he needed to repent.

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