Soon After (15 page)
Authors: Sherryle Kiser Jackson
“I do need to write you an excuse note for having you out and away from church business for two days. Let me talk to Pastor Vanessa,” Alexis joked.
Although Alexis was patronizing him, he really needed that note. Lately, he didn't know why he was in the doghouse with Vanessa and what he should do to get out.
“Let me put her on speaker,” Willie said before she could laugh it off or object. He searched the receiver for the speaker button and quickly pushed it.
“Uhm, I want to thank you guys, really. Pastor Willie, I don't know what I would have done or how the piece would have turned out if I hadn't run into you on Monday. Thank you also, Pastor Vanessa. I know you were skeptical about journalists and wanted to kick me out of your house that day, but I think it was worth it.”
Vanessa looked at Willie in confusion, but answered, “You should be proud of that segment. Roy's story needed to be told.”
“Oh, and did I tell you guys that the station put Roy up in style in a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel for the rest of the week, 'cause I belly ached that Roy, who gives back so much to his community, may not even have a place to watch his own segment?”
“That's great,” Willie and Vanessa said almost simultaneously.
“The combination of meeting Roy and you all have really renewed my faith, in a lot of things,” Alexis said.
“Well, speaking on faith, since I have my husband back to focus on our church anniversary which is a week from Sunday, we expect to see you at Pleasant Harvest on our big day without the camera crew,” Vanessa said. “I mean, you can bring the crew, but not the camera. Isn't that right, Pastor Willie? We got a special seat for her right up front.”
“Amen,” Willie was happy to join in.
“I can't hear you, Sister Montgomery,” Vanessa said. “Can I get an amen?”
“You guys, I've got to ease back into this church thing,” Alexis pleaded, not ready to make a commitment.
“Pastor Willie, did we or did we not help this girl take every egg thrown in her
Easter
basket and make not one, but two tasty omelets from them?”
Easter
basket and make not one, but two tasty omelets from them?”
The old sassy and perky Vanessa was back, and Willie was prepared to back her up. “Yes Lord.”
“Okay, okay, I'm there, amen,” Alexis appeased.
Chapter 13
Dinner with Bridezilla
There was no personal fellowship dinner planned for Willie and Vanessa the Sunday before the big church anniversary, but that didn't stop Keisha and Paul from planning to show up on Willie and Vanessa's doorstep. Willie and Vanessa were sprawled across the bed by four
P.M.
with their own section of the newspaper to read. After ten minutes, it was more like the paper was reading Vanessa as Willie noticed his wife doing a nose dive into the Metro section when he heard the doorbell ring.
P.M.
with their own section of the newspaper to read. After ten minutes, it was more like the paper was reading Vanessa as Willie noticed his wife doing a nose dive into the Metro section when he heard the doorbell ring.
Willie shook Vanessa awake before making his way down the stairs to greet their uninvited guests. Keisha bounded through the door as if she lived there, followed by Paul carrying what appeared to be a glass display case that he supported from the top and bottom. Willie wondered what show-and-tell item they were in for as he mounted the first two steps off the foyer to call to Vanessa to join them.
“What you got there?” Willie asked, rejoining them in the living room.
“Oh, you got it,” Vanessa called out from her descent down the stairs as she spotted the case now resting on their wide coffee table. “I'm afraid that's not going to be big enough.”
“You sure?” Keisha said, looking down on the case then back at her sister.
“Wait, let me get the dimensions. It's written in my folder.”
Vanessa disappeared around the corner before Willie could ask, “Does anyone mind filling me in on the mystery case?”
“Sorry, Pastor.” Paul stepped around his fiancée to move closer to him. “I'm just the delivery guy. I came over to Keisha's house and she said, âHere, we've got to take this over to my sister's house.' So here we are. I take it that it has something to do with the anniversary presentation.”
Vanessa walked in with a 3X5 clip-out from a magazine with a photo attached on top of her red to-do folder. She walked past Willie and Paul and showed Keisha the advertisement.
“See, it would work length-wise, maybe height, but the width is too narrow.”
Willie was getting annoyed with their dilemma without even knowing what it was about. He felt Vanessa and Keisha were talking over them like he and Paul were invisible or there was no way they could help. “Let me see what you're looking at.”
Vanessa showed him an advertisement for a memorial bust made from some sort of casting material and polished a pewter color. The $399 price tag before taxes and shipping fees was not lost on him. They had discussed renaming the fellowship hall at church in dedication to her father who had been pastor for thirty-nine of the church's fifty year history. Vanessa was big on the symbolism. It had been a hard sale just a few months back to get her to consider re-naming the church to show the merger of their two churches into one. She had surprised him just a couple of weeks ago on Easter by acquiescing and presenting the whole church with the new name, Pleasant Harvest, which she and a committee had come up with.
“It should be here no later than this coming Wednesday. All we need is two of those pedestal thingamabobs.” Vanessa had her index finger up to her chin in a pondering gesture.
“You told me to find a case. Why do we need two?” Keisha asked.
“For Daddy's big house Bible. I figured I can part with it from my personal library if it will permanently be on display in his memory.”
“Awwwwwww,” Keisha sang in a way only a female can to show that the sentiment had touched her deeply.
“Wait; the best part is it will be set to his favorite scripture,” Vanessa added.
“Romans eight,” Keisha yelped. Her hands were raised and quaking on either side of her mouth as if she were about to holler from excitement or have an emotional breakdown. “That is going to be so nice, sis.”
They were all still standing around. Willie decided to let them have their moment and took a seat. Paul followed suit. Somehow he didn't think it was a good idea to order a product sight unseen. Willie looked over the advertisement and head-shot once more and prayed the real thing was as sturdy as the one in the advertisement and looked remotely like the picture of her father staring back at him.
“So that is why I need the display cases to be uniform and bigger all around,” Vanessa added.
“What happened to the simple lettering outside of the hall that says âJM Morton Hall'?” Willie asked.
“What happened to âyou and Keisha can make the plans?' The signboard people are coming tomorrow with the lettering. Besides, once you are in the hall, you still need a reminder that it is named after and dedicated to Daddy. Simple? C'mon now,” Vanessa smirked.
“Well, who is going back to the store to exchange this case for the two enormous ones you want?” Keisha asked, her hands poised on her hips.
Vanessa didn't quivel. “You are. Next week is hectic enough for me, since my husband and I put off some essential planning for this week. I need the cases by Wednesday afternoon, Thursday at the latest.”
“Paul,” Keisha said.
“So what's for dinner?” Paul asked, hiding the fact that at the mere mention of his name and an exchange of looks, he had been designated the task.
“I have turkey wings warming in the oven and rice on the stovetop, but I'm not sure I have enough. I wasn't expecting company,” Vanessa said.
“I know you are not even trying to be stingy with the food as many times as I have fed you when we were living together.” Keisha headed for the kitchen, and they all just naturally gravitated in there also. “Not to mention those meals you took home to feed your husband, here.”
“And I appreciate it, sis,” Willie said, still holding on to the photo of his father-in-law.
“Uh-huh, look, she's got at least two packs in here. That's enough to feed a small team. What kind of portions are you all used to eating here?” Keisha asked, looking inside the oven where the turkey wings were covered in cream of mushroom soup and baking. “These are ready. Shall I serve?”
“Move, girl.” Vanessa swatted at her sister. Willie knew she was particular about anyone disturbing her display of dishes in the cabinet. She had her plates and bowls equally stacked on either side of her honey oak peek-a-boo cabinetry. She pulled down a service for four. Keisha, being the consummate host, assisted Vanessa in pouring drinks and serving the guys before sitting down with them.
“Since you were trying to act stingy with the eats, you'll just have to listen to me rant about the wedding,” Keisha said.
“Well, that was going to happen anyway,” Paul said.
Keisha gave Paul a sharp looked that Willie noticed completely melted away from Paul's apologetic eyes and affectionate grin. She began a conversation with Vanessa about another glitch or snag in her plans.
“Do we know a date?” Willie asked Paul in their own sidebar conversation as they ate.
“Sometime in October,” Paul replied.
“I believe you have got to get more specific than that if you want people to show up.”
“I don't know what the big deal is, Pastor. We pulled out a calendar, right? She had me close my eyes and run my hand up and down along a vertical line of Saturdays and I landed on the sixth. She immediately moved my hand to the thirteenth. I was cool with the date being the thirteenth, either day was okay with me, but then she started getting indecisive. She said she'd have to see what date was open for this super high priced photographer she wants.”
“So, you're basing your wedding date on a photographer?” Willie asked.
Paul scooped up as much of the rice and mushroom gravy as he could with his fork before saying, “Sounds silly, huh?”
“To me, yes, but what do you say?”
Do you even have a say in any of it
? Willie thought.
Do you even have a say in any of it
? Willie thought.
Paul shrugged his shoulders as he took in a mouthful of his dinner. Willie thought when the two of them got engaged that his mentee would put an end to his sister-in-law's selfseeking ways, but now he saw his thickset friend was squished in Keisha's back pocket. He saw himself in Paul, and wanted desperately for Paul to assert himself so that he started off the marriage the same way he wanted it to play out for the duration.
“Excuse me,” Willie said, interrupting the ladies' private chat. “Paul tells me you are getting married in October. You know we do six months of pre-marital counseling at Pleasant Harvest to cut down on urgent shotgun weddings that have to be performed before due dates or court dates. Being the first Sunday in May, that gives you scarcely enough time to get on Vanessa's calendar for your sessions.”
“Or your calendar.” Vanessa aimed the same glare at him as her sister did to Paul earlier, except hers wasn't melting away. “TRIN-I-TY conference, remember? Plus, they can't handle my inquiries, nor can I handle hearing my own sister's intimate details.”
“There shouldn't be any intimate-intimate details yet,” Willie interjected quickly, then he turned to Paul. “Are there any intimate details?”
“No no no. NO intimate details here,” Paul declared. “I've been a perfect gentleman.”
“Gosh, bro, I can't believe you just asked us that.” Keisha blushed.
“See, you are already embarrassed, and we haven't even gotten into past partners and relationships,” Vanessa said, noticing Paul's eyes grow wide with surprise. “Oh yeah, we clean out the closet.”
“Call Luella tomorrow to set up your first appointment,” Willie said.
“Remind me, okay, honey?” Keisha said to Paul, stripping layers of turkey meat off the bone and cutting it into her rice with her fork.
“He doesn't have to remind you because your fiancé here is going to handle it,” Willie added.
“Whatever, Caveman Willie. Getting back to the wedding itself, I'm trying to figure out how you all can officiate the wedding and be attendants at the same time. I still want Vanessa to be the matron of honor.”
Vanessa laughed out loud while Willie shook his head. Next thing she'll be asking him to walk her down the aisle also, Willie thought.
“I guess you figure I should wear a bridesmaid dress under my robe too,” Vanessa chided.
“As a matter of fact, I do. I actually saw a nice coral-colored dress in a magazine that would look gorgeous with your complexion, but you have to lay off the turkey wings and rice, chicken and waffles, or whatever else you've been eating, in order to get into a decent size by October.”
Willie winced at that jab because he was not completely convinced that one of his wife's evil-eye looks could not kill somebody if aimed correctly. He heard the clang of her fork hit her plate and thought for a moment she had struck her sister. When he looked up, Vanessa was biting down on her lip with a trail of walrus-sized tears streaming. She departed the table quickly and retreated up the stairs, leaving the rest of them in stunned silence.
“Not cool, babe,” Paul said. “I know she's your sister, but she's also our pastor. You hurt her feelings.”
Willie stood, but Keisha stopped him. “I'll go talk to her. Lord knows I didn't mean anything by it, as much as we play around with one another.”
Willie put up a hand to tell her to save any further explanation for his wife. Vanessa was a lot of things, but overly sensitive was usually not one of them. He had noticed the extra pounds hugging her frame, but had thanked God then for the extra cushion and thanked God now that he never brought it to her attention if it would upset her like this.
Willie didn't sit until Keisha went the way of her older sister after taking one last bite from her plate. Then he plopped down with a perplexed huff.
“What just happened here?” Paul asked.
“Well, your future wife was being extremely rude and inconsiderate, and my wife overreacted. I guess?” Willie sighed at the futileness of trying to figure out women. “Let me tell you about Morton women.”
“Please do,” Paul said, turning his chair slightly toward Willie while continuing to eat.
“They are head strong and used to running things. Before you came along and started dating Keisha, even before the churches combined, both of them used to sit right here every Sunday and discuss everything from personal work to church business. It was as if I weren't even here. I'd try to help them with a dilemma, but couldn't get a word in edgewise. Then on the rare occasions that they listened to my opinion, they were awestruck like they never considered a man's viewpoint before.”
“I know what you mean. Keisha has clearly got some very concrete ideas as it relates to the wedding and our lives together as a married couple. Then on the other hand, she can be real indecisive, especially when it comes to her current job and decisions about her calling and career. When I try to mull over the options with her or help in the planning of something, she shifts to something else. It's as if she wants to have things totally worked out before she discusses it with me, and that's not the way things work in a relationship. I tell you, it can be both fascinating and frustrating trying to reason with her sometimes.”
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