Soon After (25 page)

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Authors: Sherryle Kiser Jackson

BOOK: Soon After
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“Willie,” she hollered with grave desperation.
He bound from the kitchen with the others afoot. “Yes, baby, what's wrong?”
“I'm going to write a book,” she declared, “while I'm on bed rest.”
“
Prescriptions for an Ailing World
,” Keisha couldn't resist. “And I'm getting married November eighteenth.” Keisha winked at her fiancé standing in the doorway. The other men were so shocked and amazed by all the revelations of the evening that they were afraid fully to enter the room.
“I'm gonna need my laptop and the files from my office computer copied to a drive, and—” Vanessa said, her thoughts as free-flowing as her words.
“All right, calm down. I see you're serious about this. Luella will help compile all that you need,” Willie said.
“Luella,” Vanessa reached out for her like Celie did Nettie in
The Color Purple
when Mister threw her sister off their farm. “I need—Luella.”
Silence abounded at the audacity of her request to take the only administrative assistant away from their active ministry, but Vanessa knew she couldn't do it without her trusty sidekick.
“Hold up, I think I got the remedy,” Willie said, raising his arm in the air as if he were a superhero there to save the day. He crossed over his wife and dropped to one knee in front of her sister. “Will you be my administrative assistant and help me run the mother ship called the Pleasant Harvest Baptist Church? We'll have to work out the pay with the joint board, but you can have the joint study.”
Willie got off his knee and took a bow for his idea and dramatic presentation. It just made sense. Luella was hand chosen by Vanessa and better suited for her leadership style. Keisha was working Vanessa's nerve just looking in on her a couple times a week. Willie was almost certain if she were assigned to assist Vanessa with her book project, he'd come to find their family ties permanently severed.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Keisha said, taking the Academy Award for her acceptance. She stood as she hugged her brother-in-law and was surprised that Paul joined in on the group hug.
“Now we can have the extra money to get the horse drawn carriage for the wedding,” Keisha said. They all chuckled as they held on to one another, knowing full well she was serious.
“Good, now we can have dessert,” Miss Thelma added.
Chapter 26
Motion of Discovery
The day that Reverend Kennedy came to visit Willie, Pleasant Harvest was in transition. Luella was moving out and Keisha was moving in as the church's administrative assistant. The phones were ringing off the hook, and admittedly, Willie hadn't given the Trinity Conference a second thought.
He was so distracted watching the ever-professional Luella trying to show the ropes to the hopelessly distracted Keisha that he hadn't t seen the odd looking man come into the waiting area. The reverend was a lot shorter than he expected, capping off at a little past five feet. Every follicle of his hair had turned grey and stood straight up from his scalp. His height coupled with his extremely long and thick patches of brows gave the man an elf-like quality.
Willie introduced himself and took him on a tour of the church, ending with the cave.
“You've had an adventurous two years,” Reverend Kennedy said when they had finally settled in to Willie's office.
Willie noticed that the reverend referenced a page in a portfolio of some sort that made Willie feel like this conversation was more than mere small talk. He began thinking about where he was two years ago compared to now and all that had transpired since then. He had met his wife and married her. Together they had to endure the growing pains of shuffling people around and combining their churches. Now they were having a child and the ministry continued to change.
“I certainly have. I am good and ready for life to slow down a bit,” Willie said.
“Are you really? Well let me tell you that will not happen with a baby on the way.” Reverend Kennedy smirked.
“No?” Willie shook his head and questioned if this wiser man could possibly be wrong with his assertion.
“Most certainly not, and wait until the baby becomes a roaming toddler, and then a rebellious teenager; Lord have mercy, an independently-minded, but not independently-funded young adult.” The Reverend tapped his cane to make his point.
“No slowing down for me, huh?” Willie asked.
“No slowing down for either of you, but I believe the two of you thrive that way. Vanessa's probably at home going crazy. She always brought such energy to our meetings. I am going to miss that.”
Willie wondered if his new friend didn't possess a crystal ball inside that portfolio he kept open on his lap, he was so on point. He wanted to tell him he'd see Vanessa soon enough after the baby was born, but didn't want to admit the fact that he hadn't really thought much about the care of the child once their son was born.
“I believe you, sir, have a quality to affect people that most people, even ministers, don't naturally have,” Reverend Kennedy continued.
Willie was more than fascinated at the reverend's ability to read people that he wanted to call him on it, but the phone rang down the hall. His extension light flashed, and he ignored it.
“How can you assume that about me? We just met.”
“I observe and investigate and the rest I ask God to help me discern. Case in point, the way you're helping out your sister-in-law. You didn't just say she was in need of a job, you helped her.” He looked down at his portfolio that he must have made a note on without Willie seeing. “You said she was a ministerial student and you wanted to mentor her in the things of ministry. I also saw the first part of the news series on a Roy Jones. It was phenomenal. Here we have a homeless man who wants to share the gospel, and he sang your praises for inspiring him to do so.”
“I can't claim victory there, Reverend. If you saw the second piece you'll know he's in jail facing real time. Some of those cats they've got him tied to have several offenses. From what I understand, a lot of drugs, guns, and money were confiscated from them collectively. He'll be in there as long as they will because he never got a trial or took a plea bargain for a misdemeanor rather than a felony when he had a chance.”
“Do you believe in Roy's ability to change lives?” Reverend Kennedy questioned.
“You never know with Roy. He's got real issues that need to be addressed. I just don't know if it will happen in jail.” Willie gave up on gesturing half-way through his statement and let his hands drop to the desktop.
“I thought he was half-crazy, but do you believe in him?” Pastor Kennedy persisted, leaning forward on the hook of his cane.
“Yes.” Willie wiped his face with the flat of his hand. “It's funny; he was able to call here, and he told me he was starting a Bible study inside and asked if I could get them some Bibles.”
“Will you? Wait a minute, sure you will, 'cause you, my friend, are a true servant and have a heart for God's people.”
It took a moment for Willie to digest what was being said and accepted the compliment. “Spoken from the consummate missionary, I guess it takes one to know one. A wise man once said it goes back to your personal definition of ministry.”
The flashing light on the phone once again signaled that the main line was ringing up the hall. Willie put a finger up to Reverend Kennedy to halt their conversation while he stepped to the door of his office. He called out to whichever assistant was on duty at the time. He knew both Keisha and Luella could be in the study clearing out anything Vanessa might need to begin her project. He got a reply from his sister-in-law who reported she was still learning their telephone's operating system. She called out like a mother calling a kid in for dinner from a third floor window that if or when the attorney who called earlier should call back, she would give him Willie's cell phone number instead of trying to transfer him again.
Willie came back into the office amused and a little embarrassed. He hoped Keisha was a quick study, because they couldn't continue hollering down the hall every time he got a call.
“Speaking of Roy, my lovely assistant just informed me an attorney would be calling me. I hope you don't mind me taking the call when it comes through.”
“No, not at all. I don't need a babysitter, I am here to observe. You can even put me to work.”
“Well in that case . . .” Willie said, putting his chair in reverse to retrieve a file.
They talked extensively about foreign missions. They were able to exchange ideas that led to a few connections for the Young Missionaries program he wanted to spearhead at Pleasant Harvest. The conversation soon turned to issues facing their local community like the war on drugs and the church's answer to such societal ills.
“The church needs to do more. Set up community and drug treatment centers, set up businesses, and food co-ops. I have to be honest, I'd love to spend a couple days a week out in the field, canvassing the needs of the people, but my members got me tied to my desk.”
“I thought you like being a cave dweller.” The reverend's sense of humor was sarcastic, but endearing nonetheless.
“The cave serves its purpose, but the question is are we?”
“Brilliant. Are you normally this poetic?”
“Will the people perish if I'm not here sometimes? I think not, but you can't tell Vanessa that.” Willie ascended his soapbox. “Don't get me wrong, I adore my wife, but it's all about authority, order, and efficiency with her. I think you should get to the point where the church runs itself, the members grow up and help out so you can be about the business of helping other people.”
Keisha circumvented his next thought by barging in the door with his cell phone extended in her left hand. “You apparently left your phone up front when you helped Luella with that box earlier. Here, I can't be walking this hallway back and forth. It's that attorney again.”
Willie snatched the phone from her and turned his back, not to be rude, but because he didn't know how long she had the man waiting. To Willie's surprise, the young sounding lawyer didn't represent Roy at all, but rather was appointed to defend Charley Thompson. He explained that Charley had a highly irregular case, and despite his despondency, he managed to speak one name—his.
Willie explained to Reverend Kennedy and Keisha, when he got off the phone, that it was a shot in the dark, but his new attorney put credence in his only utterance and really thought that Willie could get Charley to open up. He had not seen Charley since arbitration and tried not to let that be the reason he refused to help. First it was Alexis and her news reports and now this. He just wasn't sure he wanted to get further involved.
“What would you typically do?” Reverend Kennedy asked to help solve his dilemma.
“I would,” Willie paused to think, “probably anger my wife by dropping everything I'm doing here to see how I'm needed there.”
He looked to his sister-in-law for her opinion and she just shooed him on. Reverend Kennedy agreed to help Keisha familiarize herself with the phone system, and she agreed to play hostess and take him to lunch in the hopes that Willie would be able to join them later.
Once again, Willie donned his superhero costume to try and save the day. Willie was a mix of emotions by the time he reached the correctional facility. He had clearance through Charley's third string defense attorney, Curtis Gibson. The newspaper article said at least two others had dropped the case because Charley refused to talk. Willie wondered if this one was hungry for justice or desperate for a case. The young man and his assistant thanked him for coming as they waited for Charley to be brought in the small conference room from holding.
Charley looked like any other inmate who had been stripped of his identity and made to wear the brand of the state. He made brief eye contact with Willie, but mainly kept his head down. He was un-cuffed and sat at the table with them without prompting.
“All right, Mr. Thompson, as you know your trial is set to begin next Monday. We haven't covered much ground, but I ask you now, like I've done each time in the past, what is your pleasure regarding your plea you want me to submit on your behalf?”
Willie had his own suspense music playing in his head, because other than that, it was silent. He wondered if Charley had heard the question, because even his face didn't register anything.
“Where is his wife?” Willie whispered as if he didn't know if he could speak directly to Charley or think he could be heard in this deafening silence.
Mr. Gibson put a finger up to halt his inquiries. “A motion of discovery was filed to have access to the evidence the state plans to use against Mr. Thompson. Sarah Rowe will be working on my team. I just got this today.” He threw a file toward Ms. Rowe who he deemed his forensics evidence expert. Ms. Rowe, a plain-Jane woman with long stringy hair in an extra plain grey suit shuffled through the mostly printed file.
“What do we have?” Gibson asked, apparently inept from interpreting the evidence himself.
“Not your best detective work, I can tell you. By in large it looked like they were grabbing at straws and came up with coffee stirrers. We have inconclusive phone records from a new pay-as-you go phone used to report the fire; don't have to worry about that. A metal lock box; I'm not sure what that is all about,” the aide said dismissively. “We got melted remnants from what they are calling a Molotov cocktail, red bottle top with an indistinguishable serial number they claim is the source of the incendiary ingredient. Sneaky dirt bags listed the active ingredients instead of the name to hide the identity of the mystery substance from us. Di-methyl-ketone, I believe it's another name for acetone. I'll look it up.” The aide showed the picture of the partially-dissolved small cap resting in a clear plastic bag.
“So I take it it's not soda,” Gibson inferred.
“Something household related, oh yikes!” She wiped her face, leaving them all in suspense. “Someone played a dangerous game trying to rig their own timing device with a soaked carpet, a cracked window and candles sticking out of the drink like a straw.”
“Nothing like a good cocktail,” Mr. Gibson said snidely.
“Apparently they were strategically placed between couch cushions and by the drapes. This puppy was lit hours before it ignited. Church had to be going on at the time.”
That little tidbit made Willie's blood run cold. They all glanced at Charley, which wasn't a good sign to Willie.
“If I were working for the prosecution, I'd push for increased charges just for the disregard of human life. A whole congregation could have succumbed,” Sarah Rowe said.
“This would be a good time to help us out, Mr. Thompson,” Mr. Gibson said with a hint of disgust.
This was like a bad episode of
Perry Mason
,
Law and Order
and
CSI
all wrapped up together, Willie thought. He felt as if he would be sick to his stomach.
“Alibi, alibi,” Curtis chanted. “Anything else, anything that will stick?”
“An identical cap was found crushed outside the back entrance of the church. Bad thing is, so were faded tire tracks that matched Mr. Thompson's car with depressed treads that they will try to say smashed the said cap. That and the metal lock box are supposed to mark him at the scene of the crime. But so was the entire congregation. Just two witnesses, of course the top of the witness list is the fire marshal,” She threw the stack aside as if her part was done.

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