Preacher's Wifey (15 page)

A part of me felt a little jealous, but I knew I had no right to feel that way. I had grown accustomed to being the object of his affection, and hearing him speak fondly to another woman made me feel some type of way.

“You have no reason to feel jealous.” He had read my mind. “I said what needed to be said to get her to leave. She had no reason whatsoever for coming up here, other than to spy on us. I may pretend to be stupid, but I am far from it. So, even though I meant all that I said, I knew it was important that she hear the words now so she could relax.”

“So, for clarification, you said what you thought she wanted to hear at the moment so you could get her to go away?”

“Yep. That about sums it up.”

I turned and walked toward the bed. He was just like all the rest. I had to face it. I
needed
to face it. All men were pretty much the same. They were charming players, and all of them played a game of some sort. They might play on different courts, or even in different games, but they were still game players.

“You should not have played on that girl's emotions like that. I truly believe she is in love with you, and you really need to be careful how you treat her. You know, women are extremely sensitive when it comes to the men they love. There is nothing we would not do.”

“What are you saying?”

“Nothing, other than for you to be careful and choose your words wisely. Women are capable of fixating on all kinds of things in their minds. Make sure you do not lead her on or give her reason to believe that the two of you can be more than you are. I had a talk with her earlier today, and she really believes she is going to be your wife one day.”

“So you were serious earlier, when you said that? She said that? Please tell me you are joking,” he said in disbelief.

“I vacillated with telling you, but yes, she said that and a whole lot more.”

“Wow. But I have never given her any reason to believe that,” he said. “I can understand someone having a crush on a person, but to create a false reality in your mind . . . that's going a bit far.”

“Oh, I totally agree. Just be mindful that you refrain from feeding into her illusion. It could be the breeding ground for trouble.”

“I doubt that,” he said and laughed. “Whatever she feels, I am sure she will get over it once she realizes there is no chance on this side of Heaven that we will be together like that.”

“I pray so,” I said, but I had a feeling she was not the type of woman to take no for an answer without putting up a fight first.

In the pit of my stomach was a feeling.

And it was not a good one.

It was the most difficult thing I recall ever having to do. As the chopper left the ground, I felt as if I was leaving a part of me behind.

We had all gotten up at five, and at six, we had enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet with everything imaginable on it. The morning had got even better when Ms. Todd imparted more words of wisdom to me. But nothing could top the moment when Seth and I hopped on a golf cart, and he took me on a short tour of Carson Land.

We rode over the rolling hills, allowing the early morning mist to kiss our faces. The cool air filled our lungs as we went from one acre to another. We soon stopped to talk to the people who bred and fed the horses and the ones who took care of the cows. Seth called this part of the property Louvell's,as it was named after his grandfather who had a passion for beautiful horses. I watched the meticulous care the staff was giving the horses, and I developed a new fascination for them. I made Seth promise to give me horse riding lessons if I ever came back to visit.

We continued on a little farther and stopped to chat with the staff who took care of the smaller animals—the roosters, chickens, and ducks. But it was not until we headed over to what was referred to as the Willie Jo Gardens (named after Ms. Todd) that his eyes began to light up. The garden was breathtaking. In one section, there were rows and rows of beautiful cabbage, tomatoes, collard greens, corn, and peppers. In another section, there were rows of strawberries, watermelon, and cantaloupe. I even saw grapevines and peach, plum, and apple trees. In the back were pecan trees. It was like a farmers' market. The only thing he did not raise on his land was fish. It was remarkable. I would have never known that such an operation could generate so much revenue. My appreciation for Seth multiplied. That he not only had a vision of that magnitude but was also able to bring it to pass was altogether attractive and admirable.

If the morning was any indication of how the rest of the day would go, I was looking forward to it. As I rode in the chopper, I felt like a celebrity. The ivory leather seats against the hardwood panels were magnificent. Everything about this chopper screamed plush and luxury. I settled into my seat, closed my eyes, leaned my head back, and took in the moment as my chariot carried me home.

Because the night had run late and the morning had begun early, I found myself drifting off to sleep. However, no sooner had I traveled to the third realm of sleep than we landed.

“Ms. Allyson, it has been a pleasure transporting you to your destination today,” Jeff, the pilot, said. “Dr. Carson asked me to give you this.” He handed me an envelope.

I took the envelope from him and said, “Thank you.”

He helped me out of the chopper and walked me over to the waiting town car.

“Louie will transport you to the St. Regis to retrieve your car. Again, it has been a pleasure serving you. Have a good day,” he said, then turned to walk back to the chopper.

I got into the car and pulled my phone out of my purse just as it started to ring.

“Hello?”

“Thank God you answered the phone!” Byran exclaimed.

The panic in his voice instantly made me nervous. “Byran, is everything all right?” I asked hesitantly.

“No, Allyson, it is not all right.”

My stomach dropped. Had someone told him where I had spent the last couple of days, or worse, whom I had spent them with?

“What's wrong? What happened?”

Through the deafening silence I could hear the tears. Byran never cried.

“Do you remember what happened to David's child, the one he had with Bathsheba?”

“Who is David? And I don't know a Bathsheba. Is that someone at the church?”

He sighed. “No, Allyson. They are people in the Bible.”

Now, he knew I knew very little about the Bible. How was I supposed to know that David and Bathsheba were Bible story characters?

“I did not know that. What do they have to do with why you are crying? Byran, can you just please tell me what's going on?” My patience was wearing thin.

“David's child with his mistress, Bathsheba, fell sick. And no matter how hard or how much he prayed, the child still died.”

My heart began beating harder . . . faster.
Please, God, don't let it be.

He continued. “BJ . . . BJ just passed away. In my arms.”

I was speechless. I'd been upset about the child, but I did not want him to die.

“I will be there as soon as I can.”

“Please hurry, Allyson. I feel like I am going to lose it. I cannot call and tell anyone, because then I would have to explain too much. You are all I have. You are the only support system I can lean on. Baby, I need you.”

Hearing him break down broke me.

“I'm coming, honey. In the meantime, I am praying for you strength.”

“You know how to pray?”

If it were not for the gravity of the situation, I would have been offended. I let him slide.

“Yes, I am learning. I may not know how to pray like other people, but I do the best I can.”

“Oh, okay. Thank you. Allyson, I really believed he was going to be fine. He developed an infection last night, but even with that, he fought through it.” He broke down again. “Do you know what today is?”

I scanned the memory tapes of my mind. It was not his birthday, it was not our anniversary, and since I knew very little about his parents, I knew he was not referencing anything that pertained to them.

Suddenly I remembered. It was the ten-year anniversary of his brother's death. This could not get any worse.

“Yes, I know. I am so sorry, Byran. This is so unfair. But, as you say in your sermons, all things work together for the good. I know it does not look like it right now, but somehow this is going to work out to your benefit.”

If I were not the one talking I would not have believed I was just quoting a scripture. Being around Ms. Todd and Seth had impacted me greatly. More than I must have realized.

“I do not want to hear a breakdown of a sermon, Allyson. I do not want to hear anything about God right now. I just lost my son, and I am angry. I am hurt. So please keep whatever spiritual jargon you have learned to yourself right now. I just need to talk to my friend.”

“I apologize. I will be there as soon as I can. Text me the address, and I will be on my way within about twenty minutes.”

“Okay,” he said, sounding deflated.

“Oh, and, Byran? Where is BJ's mother? Is she going to have a problem with me being there?”

“Allyson, you are my wife. She understands that.”

“I will see you soon,” I said just as the car pulled up to the St. Regis. I tried to tip the driver, but of course, Seth had already taken care of it. So I rushed over to valet, gave them my claim ticket, and waited for my car.

My phone rang again.

“Hello?”

“Allyson, did you make it home okay?” Seth asked.

“Yes, I am standing here at the valet, waiting for them to bring my car around. How are you? How did the press conference go?”

“It went as planned. Answered a few questions . . . You know how it goes.” He was trying to sound like himself, but his voice indicated something was wrong.

I tried to lighten the mood. “I know you miss me and all, but you don't have to be so down about it,” I joked.

He chuckled. “You are right. I do miss you. A lot. But that isn't why I sound down.”

I knew it. Something was wrong.

“Well, spill it. What is going on?”

“The one survivor of the bombing, Helen Reese, just passed away.”

Was this the day of death?

“Oh, honey, I am so sorry. Did you know her?”

“She was a regular patient. Matter of fact, you may remember her. She was in the clinic the day you came in.”

“Wait a minute. The older lady I was talking to in the waiting area?” I remembered her and the conversation she and I had that day. She was a sweet lady who just wanted to be loved.

“She wasn't all that old. She just looked like that because life had beaten her down. It had drained her of the joy she had. She was a sweet woman. Every time she came in, I tried convincing her to keep her baby. Many days she would come in just to talk, and unlike many other doctors, I listened to her. I let her vent.”

“Why was she there?” I asked as my car came up. I tipped the driver and hopped into the driver's seat. “There is no way she could have been pregnant again that soon.”

“Of course not. She came by the clinic every single Tuesday morning to bring us a batch of her homemade blueberry muffins. She innocently walked into a death trap. My heart is so heavy right now. I feel responsible for all of this happening. Remember that day in the office when you told me I take innocent lives for a living? That very thing has come back to bite me. Innocent lives were lost yesterday at the place I took lives every day.”

I could imagine him sitting in a chair with his head lowered. I wanted to track down Louie and have him track down Jeff so I could fly to be by Seth's side. But I knew I had a responsibility to go and be with Byran.

“You cannot blame yourself.”

“Oh, but I do. If my ex-fiancée had never killed our baby, I would have never killed thousands more.”

“Seth, you have to let that go.” I connected the Bluetooth in my car and maneuvered my way onto the expressway, heading north on 75. Funny how the opposite direction, 75 South, would have taken me to where I truly wanted to be . . . Augusta.

“I know I do, babe. But right now I am harboring a lot of guilt.”

“I couldn't tell you where it is located, but somewhere in the Bible is a scripture that talks about when Jesus sets you free, you are truly free indeed.”

Did I just say that?

“John eight and thirty-six.”

“Excuse me?”

“That's where that verse is located. In John, chapter eight, verse number thirty-six. I am so proud of you, Allyson.”

“For what?”

“You may not see it, but there has been a change in you, and I want you to keep it up. Do not let anything or anyone steal this from you.”

“I am not sure I can quite define what
this
is.”

“It doesn't matter. You will understand it one day.”

That I wouldn't doubt. The happenings of the last forty-eight hours or so had been enough to set anybody on the right path.

“Well, keep me in your prayers. I am headed to Chattanooga, Tennessee. My husband lost his son.”

“My goodness. I am so sorry to hear that. I will definitely keep you, more so than him, in my prayers. You are a good woman to even go there to try to console him. Keep in touch with me, okay?”

“You don't have to worry about me doing that. To be honest, I cannot imagine you not being in my life in some way.”

“I am glad to hear you say that, because the feeling is mutual.”

We said our good-byes, and I concentrated on getting to Byran. As I drove, my thoughts turned into prayers. I prayed for Byran, his deceased son, and the child's mother. I prayed for Seth, Ms. Todd, and the families of those who had lost their lives. I was stunned by the death of Helen, the woman who had impacted my life with one conversation, and my emotions were swinging back and forth between pain and sorrow. She would never get the opportunity to experience real love again. She would never get the opportunity to know that wounded women could still win in life, and move beyond the hurt and disappointment to become something great. She would never get the life she deserved.

Thinking about her, and how short life really was, sent my thoughts in another direction. In the direction of my own life. I began to ask myself questions.

My phone rang, and I saw on the display screen in my car that it was my mother. I pushed the button from my steering wheel that enabled me to answer the phone.

“Hello, Mother.”

“Hi, darling. How are you?”

“I am fine. Headed to Tennessee to be with Byran.”

“Did something happen?”

“His son died.”

“Oh, my Lord!” she exclaimed. “I am sure he is a nervous wreck.”

“To say the least. I knew he must be desperate, because he never cries or breaks down in any way. Besides that, I am about to come face-to-face with the woman he is truly in love with, and only a tragedy such as this could have arranged this meeting.”

“Well, now is not the time to look at it from that perspective.”

“What perspective? I am looking at it from the perspective of truth. If this had never happened, I doubt very seriously I would have ever found out who she was or what she looked like. But none of that is important. I am not going to allow that negative energy into my spirit.”

“I agree with you, honey. Did you enjoy your time away?”

“I did.”

“Wonderful. I knew once you were able to take a little time to think, you would be just fine. Sometimes things that catch us off guard will make us feel as if we have been sucker punched. In those times, we must take a minute to gather ourselves and refocus.”

“That is very true, Mom. So how have you been? Are you and Ms. Sarah staying out of trouble? I hope you all are not keeping up mess down there at the senior activity center.”

“For your information, I have not been to the senior center in the past few days. As a matter of fact, I have not seen Sarah in about the same amount of time.”