Sister Betty Says I Do (19 page)

Thurgood held out his hand to Freddie. “I normally look for a check when I counsel, but since you gonna be family soon, a handshake will do.”

“Sure. Why not?” Freddie gave Thurgood a limp handshake.

“Why the soft handshake, Freddie? Didn't I help you?”

“You helped with everything but my cancer.”

The two men stood opposite one another, watching smiles fade and concern take their place.

S
harvon's loud voice carried in her normally subdued law office atmosphere. As a partner, she now had a large office overlooking Anderson's historic Sadlers Creek State Park. She also had several staff members to aid her, but at that moment she didn't care about any of that.

“But why did you have to tell him what I did?”

Thurgood had called Sharvon as soon as he left Freddie's and was on his way around the corner to pick up Delilah. He'd recounted the conversation with the trustee. “He didn't tell me not to say anything to you, just not to Betty or my Dee Dee, but my jaw about hit my kneecap when he told me that he had cancer.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Sharvon couldn't find the right words, because the revelation was sinking in too slowly.

“You heard me right,” Thurgood snapped. “The man has cancer, and you're upset because I told him what you'd said to Sasha about him and Betty not having a wedding! The man has cancer, Sharvon.”

“I'm not trying to act like I don't care. I do care, and I'm sorry about it. But I needed to tell Cousin Betty myself about what I did which I'd planned on doing tonight.” Sharvon's eyes caught a glimpse of someone, possibly a staff member, standing in her doorway. With the phone in hand, she walked over and slammed the door shut. She heard a short yelp but didn't care. “Things have gotten out of hand,” she continued. “Don't say anything to her. I'll tell her as soon as I get home.”

“You'd better tell Betty something. She deserves to know.”

“You can't tell Delilah about the cancer, either. It needs telling in the right manner. I'll figure something out!”

“All of you have gotten me involved way beyond what I signed up for. Freddie don't want me saying nothing to Betty about his cancer. You don't want me saying nothing to Betty about you accidentally running your big mouth, and neither of you wants me to tell Dee Dee. I ain't getting on Dee Dee's bad side. Because if I don't tell Dee Dee, then I don't get no Dee Dee! No excuses, gal. You got until tonight. Around midnight I'm spilling my guts to my wife!”

“Thurgood, I'm only asking that you keep it quiet for a little while longer,” Sharvon pleaded.

The insistence in Sharvon's voice caught Thurgood off guard. “For someone who's so sure of herself, you sound scared to death. What else is going on, Sharvon?”

Sharvon put down the phone without answering Thurgood. She'd already promised Leotis several days ago that she'd tell her cousin Betty the truth. He'd promised not to say anything to Freddie until she did. Even during the two evenings this week when they had had an impromptu dinner, she'd enjoyed it so much, she hadn't given much thought to following through with her promise. They hadn't mentioned Ima, either, and that'd given her some hope that perhaps Leotis wasn't as enamored of Ima as she'd thought. The last thing she wanted was to have him distrust her or her word.

 

Thurgood had just hung up from talking to Sharvon when he pulled into Sister Betty's driveway. Delilah came running outside to meet him, waving good-bye to Sister Betty as she did.

“Thurgood,” Delilah said before getting completely inside the car and pulling on her seat belt. “You won't believe what's happening with your cousin Betty. It's worse than we thought. Your cousin Betty is clueless.”

“Tell me about it!” Thurgood snapped. He hadn't meant to be harsh, but it was too late.

“Something tells me that things didn't go any better with Freddie than they did with me and your cousin Betty. Do you wanna go first?”

Thurgood pulled out of the driveway and began slowly driving away. “No, Dee Dee,” he told her. “You go first. I've got until midnight, so take your time.”

 

Much to Sharvon's surprise, when she made it home, Sister Betty was gone. She'd left a note saying she was attending prayer and testimony service. She'd gotten a surprise visit from Leotis, and he'd convinced her to ride with him to the church. She'd also written that Sharvon was welcome to join them if she got home in time.

Sharvon's debate about going didn't last long. She checked her watch. It was almost seven o'clock, but she knew prayer meeting didn't begin until seven thirty. “So much is going on around here with all this confusion and secrecy, Father God, that I need to meet you on hallowed ground.”

Before she had a chance to change her mind, she changed from her professional work clothes into something more comfortable but still appropriate for prayer meeting. Instead of a pantsuit, which she often favored, she wore a simple peach-colored dress with buttons down the front and a hem to her knees. She tied her hair back into a ponytail and donned a pair of closed-toe sandals.

Looking in the mirror, she said, “The last thing I want to do is have some gossipy church folks talking about what Sister Betty's cousin wore to a prayer meeting.”

Sharvon grabbed her car keys and headed out the door, suddenly grinning, reminding herself that there'd still been no mention of that trashy Ima. She'd already decided that Ima had taken herself out of the running by being too loose and flirtatious.

 

One of the deacons, a short, squatty, coffee-complexioned man named Deacon Belcher, had bad acne and worse breath. He started the prayer meeting with scripture and prayer. Every time he tried to scream the Lord's name to draw the Lord nearer, several folks on the first two pews leaned back, pinching their noses.

Bea sat on the first pew, by the pulpit. She began waving her fan about. “God ain't waiting on no slackers,” Bea said aloud. “We better have some juicy, hot buttered testimonies tonight.”

“That's right,” Sasha said loudly as she entered the sanctuary. Using her cane, she tapped the sides of several pews as she walked slowly down the center aisle. Until she stopped suddenly, Sasha looked angelic in her usual all-white two-piece outfit and white orthopedic Hush Puppies. She aimed her Bible, in one hand, and her cane, in the other, at one of the members.

“Tonight's your night to come clean,” Sasha shouted at a young woman. The woman and her three children were sitting on the same pew as Bea. The young woman's children, two boys and a girl, barely looked more than nine months apart. “God knows you've been playing Jezebel, and we ain't buying no baby daddy lies tonight.”

Sasha, with her head held high, as though she'd just ordained a princess instead of beheading one, smiled. She eased into the seat left vacant by the sobbing young woman, who'd quickly gathered her small brood and fled the sanctuary. Placing her Bible on her lap, Sasha quickly turned to face those seated behind her. She nodded and glared when she heard a collective sigh throughout the sanctuary from those she hadn't called out . . . yet.

Leotis, dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a plain white short-sleeved shirt, finally entered the sanctuary. Elder Batty, Sister Betty, and two other elders followed. He scanned his members, who sat somberly, as though they were attending a funeral instead of a prayer and testimony service. No sooner had he approached the pulpit than he saw both Bea and Sasha grinning. “What have they done now?” he muttered.

Rather than address at that moment whatever Bea and Sasha had done, Leotis decided he'd let God handle it. There were other immediate concerns, because folks didn't attend prayer and testimony service because they had nothing to pray or praise God about. Leotis nodded toward the organist, who had been sitting there the entire time with his fingers poised above the keys. “Brother Cletus, let us begin with a song.”

Once they'd sung their hymns and delivered the welcome address for those attending for the first time, it was Elder Batty's turn to lead the service. He walked calmly to the microphone stand in the middle of the floor and nodded toward Leotis, as protocol demanded. “Praise Him, Reverend.”

Elder Batty was dressed in all gray, with suspenders holding up his pants and a wide belt around his fat stomach making him resemble a kangaroo. Pulling on his suspenders, he leaned into the microphone, saying, “You just do whatever the Lord lays on your heart. This ain't no beauty contest, so if you wanna cry and look ugly, that's okay. And we're not looking for professional prayer warriors or testa-lying.” The sound of giggles sprang forth. “I was just checking to see who was paying attention.” Elder Batty laughed.

Because it was toward the end of summer and people were still on vacation or otherwise occupied, there was barely one hundred people at the service that night. As the service continued, Sister Betty listened to testimonies. Many who attended wanted God's help with their finances, especially with finding a job or getting out of debt. She joined in, touching and agreeing with them, realizing how blessed she was not to have those concerns.

“Lord, I shouldn't have stayed away so long. I could've been here praying, just like I've been doing for years,” she murmured as her cheeks reddened. She hung her head for several seconds.

There were also some who'd come asking God's forgiveness. They testified about how they felt convicted because of some unspoken deed or, in a few cases, some outrageous and inappropriate act they'd committed long ago. Several of the church mothers raced over and began covering them with loud prayers and pleading for mercy on their behalf.

Sasha hadn't moved, except to slide a little closer to Bea. “Do you see Mothers Ida Clair and Bossy, who have the nerve to lay hands on someone, and they sinning just as much as them they're praying for?”

Bea sat expressionless, her Bible by her side and her arms folded. “Why do you think I didn't go up there?”

“Harrumph,” Sasha replied. “That's the same reason I stayed put. I don't want all them demons interfering with my spiritual walk.”

The service had almost ended when Leotis called on Elder Batty to extend an offer to anyone desiring to join the church. “We're a large church with a larger heart and a huge desire to see souls saved,” the elder said. “And we desire workers for the Lord. If you've any special skills,” he said, smiling, “we can always use a hand. The doors to the church are now open.”

Sister Betty felt a touch on her arm. She looked up, and a smile crept upon her face. “Sharvon,” she squealed softly. “I didn't know you were here. When did you get here?”

“I've been here for quite some time,” Sharvon whispered. “I didn't want to interrupt the service by leaving my seat in the back and coming forward when I saw you and the others first enter.”

Sister Betty looked up and mouthed, “Thank you, Jesus,” before turning back to Sharvon. “Wasn't this a wonderful service?”

“Yes,” Sharvon whispered, smiling. “I really enjoyed it.” Sharvon abruptly stopped speaking. Her amber eyes suddenly appeared cynical, and her brown complexion turned muddy as the color drained from her face.

Sister Betty's smile eased from her face when she saw Sharvon was no longer smiling. “What's wrong?” Sister Betty looked over in the same direction that Sharvon had. “Oh, Lord,” she whispered.

A few rows ahead, Sasha nudged Bea. “I knew she'd show.”

“Who are you talking about?” Bea jerked her arm away from Sasha. “If you talking about Sister Betty,” Bea replied angrily, “she's been here all the while. Didn't you see her praying with folks?”

“Who cares about Sister Betty?” Sasha whispered sharply. “I'm talking about the future first lady of our church.”

Bea lurched forward and looked down the pew. She did so just in time to see what Sasha had meant before blurting, “What the ham and cheese!”

Leotis wanted to jump out of his seat. Instead, he managed to remain calm enough to rise slowly. He looked dazed, as though he'd seen a ghost, but he knew it was anything but one.

There were almost twenty people heading toward the front of the church, answering Elder Batty's call to join Crossing Over Sanctuary. Ima was at the front.

Elder Batty, his baggy eyes now wide with wonder, glanced back at the pulpit. When he noticed Leotis hadn't budged or spoken, he quickly walked over to him and whispered, “A few Sundays ago,” he said rapidly, “didn't Ima already say she wanted to join?”

Leotis finally reacted. He looked up and whispered to Elder Batty, “Yes, she did.” With his eyes now locked on Ima, he grimaced, saying, “Pray and pray hard.”

While Leotis and Elder Batty remained in the pulpit with their heads together, whispering, Ima stepped away from the others. With her long sheer white dress covering a pair of white tights, she moved as though what she wore didn't make her stand out. She quickly glanced at her aunt Sasha. Seeing Sasha smiling back was the approval she was looking for.

“Excuse me,” Ima said as she sashayed to the front of the sanctuary and stood by Elder Batty, who'd returned to his place at the microphone before looking back at the pulpit. “I'm sorry, Pastor,” she told Leotis. “I know testimony service is over, and I hope I'm not out of place.”

Ima smiled and quickly turned, not giving Leotis a chance to respond. She looked around the sanctuary, her eyes finding several male parishioners ogling and smiling. “I want to give the Lord praise,” she told the members. As she swayed, the long white dress she wore swirled about her feet. “I can't pray like most of you. But I do have a testimony that I just can't seem to put into words.” She stopped and peeked again at Sasha, who was still wearing her angelic smile.

Ima turned back to face Leotis. His face was blank, but it didn't stop her. “Is that okay, Reverend?” Ima watched him as he waved his hand quickly, as if to tell her to get on with it or to go away. She smiled and walked over to the organist as those who'd followed her down the aisle found seats to watch the show.