The Keepsake (Love at the Crossroads) (6 page)

Desi refused to glance Michael’s way. She didn’t care that he was wearing her favorite cologne. Where it would normally have aroused her to be near her husband, it did the reverse. It stirred emotions of anger and betrayal after learning of Michael’s affair.

Pastor Reed got her attention. “Before we get started, let us pray. Father, in the name of Jesus, we thank You for the cross and the victory in every situation…,” he petitioned the Lord on their behalf with depth and fervor before finally saying amen.

Inhaling deeply, Desi slowly released her air. She linked her fingers in hope of restraining her hands from shaking.
Lord, help me to get through this—please.

“Sister Bishop, let’s begin with you, since you called and requested this meeting.”

Nodding, Desi cut her eyes at her husband. Despite his handsome features, she was no longer attracted to him. “Pastor, I don’t know this man. He’s contaminated our marriage and defiled our bed. Honestly, I don’t know why I’m here because we’ve both made our decision.”
Don’t cry, don’t cry,
she coaxed herself.

“He chose who he wanted to sleep with and I choose to sleep alone. Although I said my vows until death do we part with all my love in my heart for
him
, I’ve already filed a petition for a divorce and sued his mistress for criminal conversation, having sex with a married man.” Her heart ached to even whisper such offense. “I didn’t get married as a prerequisite to file for a divorce…”

She didn’t realize a tear dropped until Pastor Reed gathered a few tissues and handed them to her. Desi sniffed and thanked him, and choked out, “But God knew that
man
didn’t love me and would disrespect our marriage and gave me an exit clause—”

“Now, wait a minute,” Michael cut her off.

Whipping her neck, Desi practically snarled at him, causing Michael to shift his muscular body in the chair. He rubbed his head, a clear sign that he was at a loss for words. She folded her arms, prepared to wait him out.

“First of all, I love my wife…”

“Ha! Don’t ever say that again,” Desi snapped. “I guarantee that you didn’t remember my name when you were having sex with that whoremonger, Brenda Johnson.” Her outburst shut him down, but she didn’t feel victorious about it.

“Desi, you have no idea how sorry I am.”

“No, I don’t.” She was fuming as she balled her fists.

Pastor Reed intervened. “Sister Bishop, I sympathize with your feelings of betrayal and hurt.” He turned to Michael. “Brother Bishop, are these accusations your wife has made against you true?”

“Yes,” Michael said in a low voice.

That one word brought back memories of the moment of truth when she confronted him and that simple three-letter word complicated her life.

“How did the affair start?”

Desi had seen the pictures the investigator had taken of him and the home wrecker hugging, kissing and undressing as they closed her front door. She was feeling nauseous just thinking about it.

“First, let me say that I meant my vows and I love my wife.”

Humph.
Desi folded her arms and stared him down. Ooh, how she wanted to step out of her Holy Ghost and go ghetto on him.

Michael gave his version of what happened. “Did you hear warnings from the Holy Ghost?” Pastor Reed asked.

Michael bowed his head. “If God whispered, I ignored it. While waiting for our food, she asked if I was married and I said yes. I bragged on my wife as a signal that I loved my wife.” His brown eyes pleaded with her. “She returned one more time and then was waiting for me one night when I closed the store.”

“Unless you’re color blind, you should have seen red flags all over this woman. I can’t believe you were that gullible, weak and stu—”

As she was about to unload her ammunition, Pastor Reed asked her to let him finish. “When did you have sex with this woman?”

“The night she was waiting in the parking lot. I was about to get in my car. She called my name. Surprised and suspicious, I asked her what she wanted. I don’t remember what she answered, but the next thing I knew she kissed me.”

“And you didn’t know how to push her away?” Desi gritted her teeth in disgust.

“Sister Bishop, please,” the pastor said calmly, “please allow Brother Bishop to finish.”

Michael cleared his throat. “This is so embarrassing, but the kiss seemed to overpower my will to say no and before I could protest, she began to undress me. I unlocked my door and I had sex with her in the back seat.” He looked at her for a reaction. “That wasn’t planned, Desi. I didn’t deliberately set out to cheat on you.”

She threw her arms up in defeat. There was no way she could ever trust this man again. “You broke your vow, had unprotected sex with a woman who wasn’t your wife, and you love me. Tell me how all three are connected?”

“Brother Bishop, what happened after that?”

“She dressed, got out and left.” Michael slumped over in the chair and stared at his hands. “I don’t know how long I sat in that parking lot, stunned about what happened and what I had just done. I guess Desi got worried about me and called. I told her I had the most miserable day in my life. When I got home…” Michael was silent.  “I showered and made love to my wife to erase what I had just done.”

Desi gasped and before she knew it, she was out of her chair and slapped Michael so fast and hard, it shocked him and the pastor. “You’re disgusting. You could have given me a life-threatening disease.” She shivered at the thought.

“Sister Bishop, please. I know you’re upset inside, but you have to let Brother Bishop confess this if you two are to ever reconcile.”

“Pastor Reed, I’m sorry that you had to witness my behavior, but reconciliation is not an option. I’ve heard enough. Michael Bishop is lower than low. If he cheated on me that easily, then what’s to stop him from doing it again? Praise God that He spared me of any sexually transmitted diseases; I know because I got checked out.” She gathered her things. “Thank you, pastor, for your time.”

Without another word, she walked out on unsteady legs. Desi hurried to her car as if a dog were chasing her. Once she was behind the wheel and her doors locked, she cried harder than she did the first time she learned of Michael’s betrayal. “Lord, what’s in this for me?” She swiped at the tears as she started her engine and sped off, daring her soon-to-be ex-husband to cross her path.

CHAPTER ~8~

Michael’s face stung. He didn’t fault Desi for the smack. He deserved it. The air was still as the hurried click of Desi’s heels faded down the hall. When he was about to go after her, Pastor Reed waved him to remain seated.

“I’m sorry I caused her so much pain.”

“Your wife is hurting and she has to work through this. I don’t condone violence, but I’m not surprised by her actions. Those were  pretty graphic details for a wife to hear coming from her husband. The only one that can help her get through this is Jesus.”

“Right. Despite my actions, I really do love my wife.” He rubbed his face in frustration and stood. “Thanks for your time.”

“Not yet, Brother Bishop. Not only is your marriage in need of repair, so is your spiritual commitment to God. If you repent, the Bible says in 1 John 1:9 that the Lord Jesus is just and faithful to forgive. Have you done that?”

“Countless times.”

“I haven’t seen you in church in a while.”

“I was too ashamed to come.” Michael looked away.

“But you’re here now.” Pastor Reed reached for his Bible and flipped through the pages.  “Proverbs 22:1 talks about a good name. Your father passed on a great name to you, which is commonly used as
the title of great men who serve God. Just like we hold on to the name of Jesus that is above all names, your name stands for something.”

Michael didn’t need to be reminded of how he
had failed God with a name like Bishop.

“But it’s verse three of that chapter I want you to meditate on:
A prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.
”

“The red flags.” Michael nodded. “I thought I was serving the devil notice when I boasted about my wife. I thought that was a loud signal.”

“But you didn’t back it up. The devil knows the Word, too, and many times saints don’t back up their words with the Word. What does Psalm 119:11 say?
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Jesus rebuked Satan with the Word. You should have so much Word in your heart so that when Satan used that other woman to tempt you, you would have rebuked her with the Word instead of submitting to your body’s lust. How long did the affair last?”

“About a month.”

Pastor Reed replied, “I see. That’s a long time to be unfaithful. The longer you continue in sin and ignore God’s warning signals, Jesus will turn you over to your own lusts. You eventually are going to have to tell your wife everything and hold nothing back, no secrets regardless of how painful it is. If you hold anything back, Brother Bishop, it could come back to steal whatever headway you two make.”

“It doesn’t look good. She hates me.” Michael waited for the man of God to dispute his assessment, but the pastor didn’t.

“Sister Bishop’s devastated. She needs time to completely trust you again if you want your marriage restored.” He paused and frowned. “Women are emotional creatures. Expect a wide range of temperaments as she comes to grips with your affair. Pray for her as you pray for yourself.”

“Do you think she will forgive me so we can get past this?”

Pastor Reed was slow in responding. “I don’t know, son. God promised us salvation. Anything else we get in life is incidental.”

Michael groaned. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Thanking the pastor, he stood ready to leave, but Pastor Reed stopped him.

“I expect to see your presence regularly at Bible class from now on, with or without your wife.”

“Yes, sir.” He walked away, thinking there was nothing incidental about his marriage to Desi. He had to get his wife back at any cost.

***

“I can’t do this.” Desi said to Solae as they met for lunch a few days later.

“Do what?” Her friend frowned. “Go through with the divorce?”

Shaking her head, Desi stirred her French fry in a dab of ketchup. “No, go through any more counseling sessions with Michael. It’s too much. I’d rather see him once in court, cut the strings and move on.”

Solae leaned across the table and lowered her voice, “Was the counseling session that bad?”

Desi dropped her fry and covered her face. Hiding behind her hands, she tried to get the images of Michael’s descriptions out of her mind. After she faced Solae again, she swallowed. “
When he told me about how and where they had sex—” Suddenly, Granny’s words to keep others out of her marriage stopped her from saying more. “Enough about me. What’s going on with you? Are you still thinking about moving?”

If Solae was surprised by the sudden subject change, she hid it well.
“Yep, I’m thinking Chicago. I can go back to school, further my education and maybe as I get closer to social security age, my inability to have children won’t matter to a man.”

Without a doubt, they both were hurting because of men they loved.
Pushing her drama-filled life aside, Desi’s heart bled for her friend. Solae had never been married and wanted to so badly. But maybe God was sparing Solae from the heartache that Desi was going through now. “Well, we’re prayer partners, right?”

Solae sniffed. “
We’ll keep praying for each other to grow stronger in the Lord. I believe we’ll both get through this. I know life doesn’t seem fair to you or me in our situations, but I’ve got to trust God.” She blinked and looked away.

Desi studied Solae’s beautiful facial features. She had the prettiest eyes and long hair. Desi’s assets were her long shapely legs, but she had her hair cut in a short sassy style. Maybe, if she had kept her hair long, then Michael might not have strayed.
Stop it!

She refused to make excuses for her husband’s unfaithfulness. Once the divorce was settled, maybe she would relocate to another city, too, and start her life over. She
definitely would revert back to her maiden name. She wanted Michael Bishop to be a faded memory.

Checking her watch, Desi sighed. She had to get back to work. Solae paid the tab as a treat and the two hugged their goodbyes. Desi was in a better mood as she headed to work. She just needed to vent, but she
’d almost said too much to her friend.

Ten minutes later, she pulled into her parking space at Johnson & Lansdowne. Her phone rang. She scowled, hoping it wasn’t Michael again. It was a good thing she had missed his text, apologizing again and asking if she was all right. That was a joke. She would never be all right after the
heartache he put her through. Desi was relieved that her grandmother was the caller.

“So, what did your pastor say?”