The Bride Experiment (17 page)
Read The Bride Experiment Online
Authors: Mimi Jefferson
They reached the front. It must have been where they kept the bodies, James concluded, because all of a sudden, a swarm of the biggest flies he had ever seen started to fly past their heads.
Pastor Benjy and Pastor Gonzales, his translator, walked to the makeshift podium. It was nothing more than some cardboard that marked the spot. Pastor Benjy would say a few sentences and then Pastor Gonzales would translate.
“Gentlemen, let me tell you about a man,” Pastor Benjy said. “Let's say his name is Sam. Sam committed horrible crimes. What's the worst crime you can think of? Is it murder, rape, molestation? Whatever it is, Sam is standing before a judge having been convicted of the crime. He has been given the death sentence because of the horrific crimes he has committed.
“Right before Sam is to be killed, a man comes forward. This man explains that he wants to take Sam's punishment for him. All Sam has to do is receive it. Sam receives this man's offer and walks out of jail a free man.”
The inmates were silent.
“I used that illustration to explain to each of you what Jesus Christ had done on your behalf and on my behalf. Each one of usâall of you, and all of usâis like Sam. We have committed sins that are worthy of us going to hell. The Bible says that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. âAll' means âeverybody.'
“There is a one hundred percent chance that each one of us is going to die. The only question is where we will go when we leave this earth. There are two destinations. One is heaven, and the other is hell.”
Several of the prisoners started nervously shifting from side to side.
“The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. That means we all deserve to go to hell because of our sins. But because God loves us so much, He sent someone to die in our place. Jesus Christ died and took the punishment for our sins. All we have to do is receive His death as payment for our sins. When we do this, we get to go to heaven.
“Now, what if we don't receive His death as payment for our sins? In that case, we get what we deserve. Hellâ” Pastor Benjy's sermon was interrupted.
“What's that, preacher man?” a man yelled in broken English from the back of the pack. “I didn't kill anybody. I stole a few things, but not much. So, shouldn't I go to heaven? I'm not a bad person. I'm not like them.” He pointed to a group of about ten men with wigs, makeup, and female clothes. “These are the types that deserve hell,” the man said.
“Only you don't have a hell to send them to,” Pastor Benjy replied. “God loves me, you, and them. He sent His Son to die for all of us. If they repent, turn away from their sins, and receive Jesus' death as payment for their sins, they get to go to heaven, just like the rest of us. As I said, we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, adultery, drunkenness, thievery, gossipâall of it is wrong.
“The men that stand with me, we have all lived a lifestyle full of sin. You name it, and we did it. But we turned away from that lifestyle and now we follow Jesus.” The prisoners were clearly getting agitated and were no longer listening to Pastor Benjy.
The prisoners dressed like women were whispering to each other. The prisoner who had spoken out against them was talking to the men around him. All of a sudden, he started patting his chest and yelling something in Spanish.
“It's time to go.”
James recognized the pleasing voice coming from the loudspeaker. It was their contact, Ms. Lara. James took a deep breath. Pastor Benjy looked frustrated. It was clear he wasn't ready to go.
Ms. Lara had made it clear that Pastor Benjy would only have a few minutes to speak. If things went well, they could come back. James had already decided Pastor Benjy and his boys would be on their own.
Kenneth and Pastor Gonzales helped Pastor Benjy with his things and they were back in line, only this time leaving the prison cell. They left the boxes of Bibles behind. They hoped the men would pick them up and read them.
James took his place at the very back of the line. He could feel the tension melting with each step. The prisoners watched as they walked away.
Just make it out the gate,
James silently told himself, over and over. The guards didn't open the gate until Pastor Benjy was right next to it. The
click,
which signaled the gate was opening, sounded so sweet. James wanted to sing out, only a few more steps to go.
James silently told himself, over and over. The guards didn't open the gate until Pastor Benjy was right next to it. The
click,
which signaled the gate was opening, sounded so sweet. James wanted to sing out, only a few more steps to go.
The short-staffed crew felt comfortable opening the gate and letting them out. James was relieved because they did not have to spend the night. Pastor Benjy and most of the men in the front were already safely out of the cell.
“Shut up! Shut up! Liars! Liars!” James heard a group of prisoners running toward him. He instinctively turned to look at them. The guards instantly started to shut the gate. By this time, all of the men were safeâexcept for James. He was only inches from the gate, confident he could make it out on time.
Suddenly two of the prisoners, not a part of the running mob, pushed James down. He landed on the ground. He was certain there was no way he could get up and make it through the gate before it closed.
Kenneth made an attempt to crawl underneath the closing gate. He prayed he would be able to reach James and pull him out in time.
Chapter 31
Kenneth watched the gate close, with James inside. “Why are you pulling me? Why are you pulling me?” Kenneth yelled at the guard. “I almost had him.”
The guard said nothing. He continued to pull Kenneth aggressively to the meeting room, where they had initially met Ms. Lara. He used his gun to motion to Pastor Benjy and the other men that they were to follow him as well.
Once they reached the room, the guard released Kenneth. Ms. Lara walked in; there were tears in her eyes. The guard whispered something to her that only she could hear. Ms. Lara put her head down and spoke loud enough for everyone in the room to hear her. “When it became obvious that you were not going to reach James, the guard felt he had no choice but to pull you to safety and quickly get all of you away from the cell.”
“He didn't give me a chance!” Kenneth was so loud that Ms. Lara and the guard took a step back. “You have guns. You can open that gate and get him, if you want to.” Pastor Gonzales put his hands over his face and quietly sobbed. Pastor Benjy went to a corner and started calling a number on his cell phone.
Kenneth turned around and looked at the men who had come with them. They were all standing huddled together. Frustrated, Kenneth said, “It would have been nice to have gotten some help.” Kenneth waited for a reaction. They looked at the floor. They looked at their shoes. A few of them looked at each other. None of them looked at Kenneth.
Ms. Lara spoke to the guard in Spanish. She turned to Kenneth. “I'm sorry. The gate will not be opened until the morning.” Ms. Lara and the guard walked out of the room.
Kenneth walked back and forth in the tiny room, repeatedly, until Pastor Benjy hung up the phone.
“Did you get somebody to make them open the gate?” Kenneth asked hopefully.
“No.” Pastor Benjy shook his head.
“What are we going to do?” Kenneth asked.
“We are going to pray.”
“We prayed that we would all make it out of the cell safely, but God didn't answer our prayer,” Kenneth replied.
“I know you are upset,” Pastor Benjy said as he looked around the room. “We are all upset. But getting angry isn't going to accomplish anything.”
Kenneth appeared to calm down.
Pastor Benjy pulled a small Bible out of his pocket. He sat down and motioned for the men to do the same. They quickly sat down and opened their Bibles. Pastor Benjy had taught the men always to pack a small Bible.
“Now I want all of you young men to listen to this old man.” Pastor Benjy settled into his seat. “There are going to be many times in your life, especially after you get married and start to raise your families, that you aren't going to know what to do. These are times when you will pray, but God won't seem to be listening.
“You are going to have a decision to make. Do you get mad and give up? Do you run away? Or do you stand on the promises of God? Somebody find and read Romans 8:28.”
One of the men read, “âAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purposes.'”
“What does âall' mean?” Pastor Benjy asked.
“All!”
the men shouted. Pastor Benjy often asked this question.
the men shouted. Pastor Benjy often asked this question.
“So even in our heartache, even in our distress, and right in the midst of our confusion,” Pastor Benjy said, “God is working some things out for our good, right?”
“No, Pastor,” the men replied.
“God is working a few things for our good?” Pastor Benjy questioned.
“No, Pastor,” the men said. “God is working all things for our good!”
“Somebody find and read Psalm 30:5.”
“âWeeping may stay for the night but rejoicing comes in the morning.'” Pastor Gonzales stood up and said this proudly, with tears staining his face.
“Somebody tell me what Jesus said in Mark 10:27,” Pastor Benjy continued.
Kenneth said, “âWith man this is impossible, but not with God, all things are possible with God.'”
“I was on the phone with Mother Jacquelyn,” Pastor Benjy said. “The prayer chain has started and it will continue until the gate opens in the morning.”
Mother Jacquelyn was seventy-five years old and a founding member of Miller Street Church. She was known for the prayer chain she started twenty-five years ago. First the person who needed prayer would call Mother Jacquelyn and dictate his or her prayer request. Mother Jacquelyn would hang up the phone and immediately pray. After that, she would call the next person in her prayer chain. That person would hang up the phone and pray; then he would call the next person in the prayer chain. Before the prayer chain was completed, over one thousand people, covering six continents, would have prayed for the same request.
The guard returned to the room. Ms. Lara was behind him. He said something in Spanish and she translated. “All of you might as well leave and return in the morning. At six o'clock, we will have a full staff and we will go into the cell at that point.” She looked as if she didn't want to say the next sentence. Her voice cracked as she said, “We will have an ambulance waiting, just in case . . . you know, just in case.” She could not finish her thought.
Ms. Lara put her hand on Pastor Benjy's hand. “I'm so sorry. None of this would have happened if I hadn't insisted you come. I feel terrible. What if they kill him?”
“What does James 5:16 say about prayer?” Pastor Benjy asked Ms. Lara.
She replied, “âThe prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.'”
“We will be praying all night,” Pastor Benjy said as he got down on his knees. The other men did the same. It was going to be a long night.
Chapter 32
Morning after morning, Joan was waking up and feeling more confused than the next. She felt unstable, like a building without a foundation. One moment, she was sure she wanted to forget this whole celibacy thing; the next minute, she wanted to embrace it. Then there was this whole fiasco with James Sr. and Raquel, the episode with Darren, her conversation with Minister Makita, Sonya, Sean, Tisha, and Marcus. Her mother had taken James Jr. to spend a few weeks on the beach in Galveston. Joan was glad for the reprieve. She needed time to refocus, or focus, or simply stop feeling like she was a leaf blowing in the wind.
The woman she wanted to be and the woman she was seemed as if they would never connect. Every time she finally thought she had it together, one of her ducks would get out of the row. She heard her cell phone ring. She expected it to be the bakery manager at the coffee shop. Since Joan was failing to come to work, the manager had been working for days without a break. Joan had promised to go in that afternoon. Instead of Karla's number, she saw her friend Janet's cell phone number flashing on her screen.
The last thing Joan wanted to hear was Janet's voice. Ever since Janet had gotten married, Joan didn't really feel comfortable around her, alone. Janet was constantly inviting her over to her new home, and Joan was constantly making up excuses. Surely, a visit to Janet's home would stir up a whole other degree of jealousy Joan didn't have the energy to deal with. So every time they met for a girl's lunch or a shopping spree, they did so without going near Janet's place.
Since she had several missed calls from Janet, Joan picked up the phone. She didn't need Janet and her baby bump knocking on her door. “Hey, Janet, I have been meaning to call.” Joan wished she wasn't able to lie so easily.
“Hey, lady, how are you? I was starting to get worried.”
“I'm fine. Just been a little busy, you know.”
“I understand. It gets that way sometimes.”
Joan hated her for being so darn understanding. Was it so hard to yell at her for being so inconsiderate and selfish?
“Please come and help me put this nursery together. I'm really starting to regret not finding out the sex of the baby. I can't get a color scheme that would work for a boy or a girl. I went out and purchased all these sample paint colors and I can't see any of them working. You are the one person I know with a natural sense of style, so you've got to come help your girl out.”
Joan desperately wanted to lie her way out of this situation. She had a built-in excuse: she needed to go to the bakery.
Janet would have no idea she wasn't due at the shop until that afternoon, giving her plenty of time to stop by her place and still make it to work on time. Instead, she said, “Sure, would right now work?”
She could feel Janet's enthusiasm through the phone. “Yes! Of course now would work. Oh, Joan, I didn't think you would have time to come by so soon.”
It was official; Joan was a very bad friend. She needed to get Janet's address, since she had never bothered to write it down; and she couldn't remember where it was located, since she hadn't driven there since the housewarming a few years ago. In perfect Janet fashion, she gave it to her without sounding the least bit upset.
Joan hung up the phone. She closed her eyes and picked up her journal:
I'm the friend that is so happy for you when you receive your degree that I arrive at the commencement early, so I can sit in the front row and clap really loudly when you make your walk across the stage. I'm the friend that purchases you a new designer outfit when you finally lose that last twenty pounds. I'm the friend that prays for you night and day when you want a new job or a promotion. But what I really want to be is the friend that is deliriously happy for you when your left hand adorns an engagement ring. Will I ever be that type of friend?
Joan closed her journal and stepped out of her bed. An hour later, the gated community and the beautifully landscaped streets greeted Joan as she arrived in Janet's neighborhood. There was a playground and a water park, even a place for the kids to ride horses after school. As Joan drove, she imagined she was driving through her own neighborhood on her way home to meet her husband and family.
Janet's husband, Jerome, answered the door; he had a big welcoming smile on his face. Joan smiled back at Janet's husband. She liked the way the word “husband” sounded. Joan remembered him being kind of short and chubby, but today he looked striking in his three-piece suit.
“Janet will be right down. I swear, ever since she has been expecting, she has to go pee every five minutes.” He laughed heartily.
At the housewarming party, they had yet to begin to decorate and furnish the home, but Joan could see now that it was complete, with dark wooden floors and high-end leather furniture. The walls were painted a peaceful shade of light green. Over the fireplace hung a large portrait of the two of them on their wedding day. They were on a beautiful beach, looking into each other's eyes while each clutched a white Bible. It was an absolutely breathtaking photo: husband, wife, and God. Joan couldn't take her eyes off it. It wasn't merely a picture, but a snapshot of a passionate love story.
She forgot Jerome was around, until she heard him walk over to the staircase and yell, “Joan's here. Are you okay? You need me to come up there?”
Joan peeled her eyes from the picture, hoping Jerome had not noticed her reaction to it.
“No, I'm coming!” Janet yelled.
“Okay . . . well, I'm leaving. I don't want to be late. I'll call you when I get there.” Jerome turned apologetically to Joan. “I'm sorry to leave you down here by yourself. But I have a meeting I have got to get to. Janet should be down momentarily.”
Joan watched him leave. His cologne still lingered in the air, even after she heard him drive off.
The circular living room would have been perfect for book club discussions and Bible Study meetings. But Janet had not hosted one in the three years she had been married. Suddenly Joan realized she wasn't the only one who avoided Janet's place. Tisha and Lila did the same.
They had never discussed it, but Janet's home was a reminder of what they didn't have and what they might never have. Joan looked around and sighed.
So this is what “happily ever after” looks like.
So this is what “happily ever after” looks like.
When Janet arrived downstairs, with a huge welcoming smile on her face, Joan walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and said, “I'm sorry.”
“Sorry for what?” Janet stepped back and looked around the room to see if she had missed something.
“I'm sorry for being jealous of you when you got married. I'm sorry for lying and avoiding conversations with you. I'm sorry that I had to ask you for your address today, because I haven't bothered to come by.”
Janet clutched her light blue sundress and walked to the sofa. She put her hands on her face and started to cry.
Joan went on speaking. “Minister Makita didn't allow me into the Wife Preparation class. She said I had a long way to go before I became anybody's wife. I got so angry with her that I stopped going to church and even attempted to have sex with an old friend I used to date. Thankfully, it didn't go down, but let's just say, my life has been really interesting lately.”
Janet looked up. “I've missed you. I've missed all of you. I'm so thankful for my godly husband, but I hate that it cost me my friends. My entire marriage has been so bittersweet. I even thought that maybe it was all in my head, that I was just imagining that the three of you were avoiding me.”
“No, it wasn't your imagination. My pastor always says that the true sign of jealousy is how you react when someone gets what you want. If you bought yourself a brand-new Range Rover or took a fabulous vacation, it would be easy for me to be happy for you, because I don't desire those things.” Joan looked around the room. “I want this. I want it so badly, it is blinding me.”
“So I guess telling you that everything happens in God's timing will not work.”
“No, none of that. I'm familiar with all those scriptures and I'm not going to lie to myself anymore. I'm tired of waiting for a husband. I want one
now.
I'm tired of not being touched and not knowing if I ever will be again. Those women at church scare me. I don't want to be one of them, old and with nothing to clutch but a Bible. I'm not going to pretend like I'm okay with it, because I'm not. I hate it! If that makes me an immature Christian, then so be it. From now on, I'm all about the truth. Am I wrong? Yes, I am. However, I'm going to go back to church and get back into my Word. One day, maybe I won't feel this way. But right now, it is what it is.”
now.
I'm tired of not being touched and not knowing if I ever will be again. Those women at church scare me. I don't want to be one of them, old and with nothing to clutch but a Bible. I'm not going to pretend like I'm okay with it, because I'm not. I hate it! If that makes me an immature Christian, then so be it. From now on, I'm all about the truth. Am I wrong? Yes, I am. However, I'm going to go back to church and get back into my Word. One day, maybe I won't feel this way. But right now, it is what it is.”
Janet nodded her head. “I can respect that.”
Joan clapped her hands together. “Now that we have the hard stuff out of the way, let's get started with this nursery. How about a black-and-white zebra theme?”
“What?” Janet frowned.
“Yes, let's do something modern, nothing babyish. I'm talking painting one wall black and leaving the rest white. Getting a black crib, but getting the rest of the furniture white, and we need a pop of color for the accessories. . . . Hmmm, maybe apple green!”
Joan grabbed Janet's hand as they headed upstairs to the nursery. Joan smiled. She was feeling better already.
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