My Father's Gift (18 page)

Ten minutes later, the phone rang again.  She looked at it for a moment and started to let it ring, but resigned herself to answering questions and picked it up thinking she really wasn’t ready for this.  It was Angela.

“Has your phone been ringing off the hook?”

“How did you know?” D’Cerner asked as she slumped into a chair.

“I got a call from my pastor this morning and he wanted to know if the rumor was true.  I told him what really happened, but I’m not sure he was inclined to believe it.  Apparently, some of the pastors here got wind of it and they were questioning him about you.  He knew that we were friends so he decided to call me.”

“This is really getting out of hand.  How could that witch be so vicious?  What did I ever do to her?” she asked agitated, pacing the room.

“Well, this is not just about you any more. This is about Cal as well.  There’s more.  Were you aware that both of you were being considered for a pastoral position by the Ecumenical Pastors Council?”

“No, I wasn’t.  Was I supposed to know?”

“Well, according to my pastor, whenever they anticipate someone stepping down or getting a new church involved in the council, they start their own inquiries about people to determine who should fill the position.  You and Cal were both highly recommended by other pastors as well as other community groups.  They don’t always tell those involved until they have completed their investigation.  The way things look, since they’re not willing to make a decision based on hearsay, both of you will be given an opportunity to tell your side at a hearing.”

“This is just great.” D’Cerner plopped down dejected.  “Not only did I not know I was under a microscope, but now I’m expected to justify my actions!”

“You know the rules that the council adheres to; every candidate considered for a pastoral position must prove their worth by living according to the Word in order to be an example to a congregation.  After all, you were on the committee when they first started.  The standards apply to everyone, across the board.  Perhaps you didn’t consider that one day, you would be a candidate or did you think you would get special treatment because you’re D’Cerner Everett?”

“Angie!” she exclaimed. “That is unbelievably rude and unfair of you to suggest such a thing.  I don’t think I’m above the law or rules that apply to everyone else.  That’s one of the reasons I supported the establishment of the council.  Everyone needs to be under authority, no exceptions.  I’m surprised that you of all people would even think that of me.” By now, tears were building an argument for cruising down her cheeks.  She was angry and ready to explode.

“Good.  Glad to see you’re ready to fight instead of having a pity party,” Angela said laughing.  For a minute there I thought I was going to have to come over there and put my foot up…”

“Okay, okay, I get the message.  Yes, I’m going to fight.  But not on Pastor Thomas’ terms.  She may expect me to avenge myself by striking out against her, but I’ll wait for the hearing.  I believe there’s more to this than we know.  Anyway, thanks, Sis. I’m going to get dressed and get out of here before I get tied up on the phone all day.  I think I need to sit by the water and think.  I’ll talk to you later.”

“I got you.  See you later.”

After they hung up, D’Cerner quickly got dressed and left a note on the table for Carlos and Chantelle explaining she would be back in a couple of hours.  She knew they would wonder what she had to do so early since it was only eight fifteen.  She grabbed her purse and snatched her keys off the table and screeched out of her driveway as though her very life depended upon how fast she could get away from her house.  The water was the only thing that could induce calm in her right now and help her get back to sanity.

*****

Pastor Gibson sat at his desk strumming his fingers, watching the clock.  He was waiting until nine o’clock when he thought he would be able to reach Pastor Thomas.  She had gone too far with her rumor.  He had only wanted to keep D’Cerner at his church, not make her life miserable.  Now he was burdened with guilt about the part he had played trying to keep her away from Cal.  While he waited, he repented of his actions and prayed for all of them.  This was a bigger mess than he had anticipated, especially in light of her potential pastoral appointment.  Reflecting upon her past performance with him and how hard she worked, he knew she deserved it and he couldn’t think of a better person for the position.  He had to talk to Pastor Thomas and let her know he was no longer condoning their scheme to keep D’Cerner and Cal apart and he hoped to convince her to retract her story.  He looked at the clock again.  It was two minutes past the hour.  He picked up the telephone and dialed Pastor Thomas’ number.

Pastor Thomas answered on the third ring.  She expected the phone to be jumping off the hook and she was actually getting some perverse pleasure out of repeating her tale.  She didn’t expect it to be Pastor Gibson.  When she attempted to tell him her version of what happened, he didn’t buy the shocked and disapproving tone in her voice and before she could say too much, he stopped her.

“Pastor Thomas, let’s get one thing straight.  I know D’Cerner and the type of person she is.  I’ve already spoken with her and I know exactly what happened.  Now, I know we agreed to do what we could to keep them apart, but apparently the fate of their involvement is bigger than us.  Were you aware that D’Cerner was being considered for a pastoral position?”

“Yes,” she answered disdainfully.  “So what.  So was Brother Recinoire.  Now neither one of them will get it and we’ll still be able to build our membership without having to compete with them.”

“How long have you known about this?”

“About two weeks.  The council called me to let me know about their investigation.  I knew then that something had to be done.  I didn’t know that this opportunity would be dropped into my lap.”

“Do you realize what you’re saying?” he asked amazed at her temerity. “Do you honestly plan to try hindering something that God has apparently purposed to happen?”

“Well, if this is God’s will, then nothing I do will hinder them.  But on the other hand, I don’t need to lose any of my members.  Can you afford to lose any of yours?”

“I would rather lose all of my members than to incur the wrath of God.  I called to ask you to consider retracting your statement, but it doesn’t sound like you’re even willing to consider it.”

“No, I’m not.  Besides, I know what I saw with my own two eyes and there were others in the corridor who saw the same thing that I did.”

“What they saw was an angry woman rush out a room, fully clothed,” he fumed.

“So, she could have been angry because they were caught.”

“Pastor Thomas, I’ve repented of my actions in this scheme and asked God to forgive me.  I’m not going to play any further part in this cockeyed scheme and I will be there to support D’Cerner at her hearing, if she’ll allow me to do so after she’s heard about my part in this.”

“What would be the point in telling her?  It’s already too late.  But you do what you want to do.  I’ve got a church to run and I’ll run it my way.”

“I have a great deal of respect for all of God’s anointed ones and especially D’Cerner.  She has always been available to pick up the slack for me and now it’s my turn.  Perhaps you won’t understand it, but we really were friends.  I thought that you and Brother Recinoire were friends as well.”

“I don’t have time to be friends with people that I’m pastoring.  There’s a distinct line of authority in ministry that should not be mistaken for a blended friendship.  Neither do I have time to continue this conversation.  Have a good day.”  She hung up the phone abruptly.

Pastor Gibson stared at the phone for a few moments before returning it to its cradle.  He sighed deeply and knew he was going to have to tell D’Cerner what he had done.  He only hoped she would be able find it in her heart to forgive him for his misguided interference.

*****

Cal had awakened with a pounding headache at five o’clock.  He’d been up for awhile when his phone first rang, and then there was one call after the other.  Some of his friends had heard the story that was spreading like a drought-driven forest fire and wanted him to know he had their support.  He wasn’t in a mood to explain anything and they respected him for that.

After a couple of hours of listening to well-wishers and finding out he had possibly blown his potential appointment, he decided he had to get out of the house.  He scribbled a note for Kathy and Don and left the house.  His first inclination was to drive to the church to confront Pastor Thomas.  Thinking better of it, he decided to take a run in the park.  He needed to clear his head.

Cal and D’Cerner ended up at the same park that morning, but they never saw each other.  He was on the track running and she was sitting by a duck pond waiting for answers.  They were both so lost in their own independent thoughts, they probably wouldn’t have seen each other if they had come face to face. 

Cal left the park long before D’Cerner did, drenched in sweat and in need of a shower.  He decided that there was nothing for him to do until he was called for the hearing.  However, that wouldn’t occur for a couple of weeks.  In the meantime, he had to get ready for the visit to the prison he had worked on for months.  They were supposed to go tomorrow and he didn’t have a lot of time to waste since most of his morning was already gone.  After going home, he showered, changed clothes and then took his children out to breakfast.  Later he went to his office to check on things and from there, he went to the Dexter House, which was what needed his attention the most, right now.

*****

D’Cerner left the park about ten o’clock, determined she would not call Cal or even try to confront Pastor Thomas.  She did wonder though, if he was as miserable as she was.

When she got home, she had a message from Pastor Gibson.  She was to call him right away.  When she called him, he asked her to meet him at the church in an hour.  She agreed and changed clothes.

When she got to the church, Pastor Gibson was already there.  He met her at the door and as they were walking to his office, D’Cerner knew something was wrong.  He didn’t waste any time in telling her what he had done to help keep her away from Cal. After explaining why, he pleaded for her forgiveness. 

D’Cerner was absolutely stunned.  As she sat there looking at him, it all began to make sense.  She sat there silently, praying for God to either replay the last year or sprint her into tomorrow. Her silence finally caused Pastor Gibson to ask her if she was all right.  He knew she would be angry and he expected her to explode. The explosion didn’t come.  Instead she sat there, primed for the implosion that was bubbling.

“You did this deliberately.” D’Cerner did not raise her voice.  Her tone made him realize how ominous churning water could sound just before they becoming deadly.  “I have loved you like a father, trusted you to be the authority in my life, and this is how you repay me?” Her voice cracked, she sputtered, and finally was silent, not really knowing what else to say.

Tears streamed down her face as she sat staring at the ceiling trying to keep from falling apart, not willing to believe her pastor could betray her in such a way. 

“D’Cerner, I know I’ve hurt you and I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I need it.  Not once did I think things would turn out this way.  That was never in my plans.  I just appreciated you enough to want to keep you here.  Not to destroy you.  That was Pastor Thomas’ doing.  I will regret my involvement with her until the day I die.”

He took his handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her, but she didn’t seem to hear or see him.  She sat there thinking that all this time, she had thought Cal had not wanted to be bothered with her and now she finds out that the two of them were victims of a contrived plot to keep them apart.  She wondered if Cal knew about his pastor’s part in this, but then decided that it probably didn’t matter.  Pastor Gibson attempted to hug her, but she recoiled.  He saw her cringe, moving out of his reach.  Finally, she stopped crying and told him she forgave him.

“I do forgive you, but I will never forget what you’ve done.  I can’t and won’t discuss this any more today.  I need to leave.  Good-bye.”

She needed to go home to think.  She left him sitting at his desk staring at her retreating defeated figure, speculating about what was going to happen next.

Chapter Twenty-four

D’Cerner made it home through the shroud of tears and hurt.  Her children had left, going their separate ways, without realizing that their mother’s world had crashed and was spinning out of control.  She walked through the house dazed, barely seeing anything.  When she almost stumbled over a pair of Carlos’ shoes he had carelessly left in the hallway, she sat in the floor and cried.  She cried so loud and so long she doubled over in anguish and pain, reliving the moment when she was told her trust was betrayed.  Sobbing hysterically, she remained in that position for over an hour.  The phone rang, but she refused to answer it.   Someone was at the door ringing the bell, but she didn’t care.  As she lay crumpled in the floor, life had to wait for her to start a new chapter.

Twenty minutes later she sat up, looked around her, and decided that it was time.  It was time to roll out of the pit and get back on track with new zeal.  She was drained of emotion and fortunately, had no tears left to cry.  Using the wall to help her stand, she went into the bathroom and looked at her tear-streaked face, unpinned tangled hair and her red eyes, wondering who was staring back at her.  It wasn’t her.  That wasn’t her style.  Snatching a washcloth from the towel rack, she ran cold water in the sink and washed her face.  Pulling a hairbrush from the shelf, she brushed her hair back pulling it into a ponytail.  Satisfied she no longer looked like something the cat disdained, she started cleaning house and didn’t finish until she dusted, vacuumed, mopped, washed windows, and did the laundry. By the time Carlos and Chantelle got home, she had cooked a pot roast with vegetables and potatoes and had the table set for them to eat.  During dinner, she told her children what happened on the cruise and what could happen at the hearing.  She didn’t tell them anything about Pastor Gibson’s betrayal.  There was no need for them to know. They immediately hugged her and reassured her everything would be all right.