When Solomon Sings (19 page)

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Authors: Kendra Norman-Bellamy

BOOK: When Solomon Sings
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EIGHTEEN
The first Sunday in February marked the second Sunday in a row that Kingdom Builders Christian Center was forced to carry out morning worship without its pastor. KBCC had a capable staff of ministers, so there was more than one qualified replacement, yet on a first Sunday—the one Sunday per month that carried the title of “pastoral Sunday”—the absence of the church's heartbroken leader and his dying first lady was even more painfully obvious than normal. KBCC members had been charged to go on and keep the faith, but doing it wasn't as simple as saying it. And while CJ sat at Theresa's bedside trying to hold on to what little hope he had left, Shaylynn played surrogate mother to the baby she simply called Li'l Miss, and tried her best not to become too attached.
“They ought to just name her Theresa,” Ella remarked. She was sitting on the loveseat, folding laundry and watching as Shaylynn changed the baby's diaper on the sofa.
“She does look just like her, doesn't she?” Shaylynn unfastened the adhesive strips that held the diaper in place and silently thanked God that what she'd smelled earlier was nothing more than gas. The diaper still needed to be changed though.
Shaylynn, Chase, and Neil had accepted the invitation to join Ella for dinner at her house after church. They had shared a full spread, where the main course was chicken and dumplings, and the dessert was fresh-baked apple pie. Chicken and dumplings was another one of those things that Shaylynn had never been introduced to before moving to Georgia. Her favorite part was the dumplings, but on a day like today, even the delicious meal lacked something. They'd tried to have regular conversation during their Sunday meal, but every time the infant known as Li'l Miss made any noise from the baby carrier where she lay, reality would hit them all over again.
Shortly after dinner, while Shaylynn helped Ella clean the kitchen, Neil said he had an errand to run, and Chase had asked to ride with him. Shaylynn didn't ask where he was going, but since Deacon Burgess was at church today, she could rule out the possibility that he was going to check up on his favorite Alzheimer's patient. The only other option was CJ. Neil was likely visiting the hospital to lend support to his best friend. Shaylynn wasn't thrilled at the thought of Neil leaving Chase in a waiting room full of strangers while he went into Theresa's restricted ICU room, but she had grown to trust Neil, and she knew he'd do whatever it took to ensure her son's safety. He wouldn't put Chase in harm's way.
“I guess we'll need to go out and get more Pampers soon,” Ella mentioned. “She goes through them like nobody's business.”
Shaylynn cleaned the baby's bottom with a powder fragrant wipe, and at the same time, wondered if Theresa had a birthmark on the cheek of her right buttock too. “No, she won't need any for a while. All the sisters at the church who were set to attend the baby shower went ahead and gave all their gifts in light of the fact that the shower had to be canceled. Li'l Miss has plenty of assorted packs of diapers in her nursery at home. Pampers, Luvs, Huggies ... She even has some of those comparable store brands.” Before zipping the baby bag shut, Shaylynn stuffed the folded soiled diaper and the resealable pack of baby wipes inside. “There you go,” she said to the baby after pulling up the ruffled bottom to the peach-colored outfit that she wore. Then she picked her up and cradled her in her arms.
“You look real comfortable doing that,” Ella observed. Then after a fleeting silence, she added, “You want more?”
Shaylynn looked across the room at Ella. Was that a trick question? Why would she ask her such a thing when she knew her son couldn't have children? Sudden reality prompted Shaylynn to sit forward in her seat.
Oh ... she doesn't know
. Ella's face was too relaxed, too sincere for there to be hidden motives behind her inquiry. Obviously Neil had never divulged that information to his mother. She probably thought that his childless marriage with Audrey had been a matter of choice. Not being able to plant the seed for a child didn't exactly give a man bragging rights, and Shaylynn could understand why that might be something that Neil wouldn't want to be common knowledge. And as far as Shaylynn was concerned, if he hadn't told Ella, she certainly wasn't going to be the one to do it.
“I wouldn't mind having more, but if I don't, I'll be okay with that too. It's not like I haven't had the experience of being a mother. Chase probably would welcome a little brother or sister, but if he doesn't have one, I don't think he'd miss it. He has a lot of friends at the school that he spends his days with.” Shaylynn looked around the room for something else to talk about, but her eyes weren't fast enough.
“He sure did have fun playing with Ty and Kee-Kee when they were here last summer.” Ella was speaking of her youngest daughter, Val's, two children, Tyrese and Keisha, who had spent a portion of their summer break with her before the new school year began last fall. Chase and Tyrese were only a few months apart and had quickly bonded upon their initial introduction, a few months before Neil and Shaylynn began dating. Ella folded a bath towel, and then added, “By the time you have another child, Chase might be too big to really want to play with his little brother or sister, but I still think you should do it. If this little one right here is any indication”—she nodded her head toward Theresa's cooing infant—“you sho' got the touch. And besides, just 'cause you've had the experience of motherhood don't mean the man you marry done already had the experience of fatherhood. In marriage you have to think of more than yourself, baby. I'm sure the man you marry will love Chase like his own, but still, he might wanna have his own flesh-and-blood child.”
Poor thing
. Shaylynn's heart went out to Ella. Although she hadn't said Neil's name, Shaylynn knew that he was the one she had in mind during her spiel. Ella was actually looking forward to more grandchildren by way of the only son of hers who hadn't yet given her any. Shaylynn looked down at the baby she held in her arms. She'd done it mainly to avoid eye contact with Ella, but the sight of the alert newborn looking back up at her captured her heart ... again. Shaylynn felt guilty. She shouldn't enjoy caring for the child like this. Not under these circumstances. Not when the reason she was caring for her was because Theresa was standing at death's door with one hand on the knob.
“I'd have more if Solomon wanted more.” As soon as the words escaped her mouth, Shaylynn's lips clamped shut and her eyes popped open. She looked up at Ella.
Oh God!
But it was much too late for her thoughts to be calling on the Lord for help. The words had already been spoken.
Ella chuckled until it turned into an all-out, belly-shaking laugh. It was the first time anyone in the house had laughed all day. Shaylynn couldn't determine whether having Neil's mother laugh at her embarrassing blunder made her feel better or worse. For now, all she knew was that it made her feel hot. Very hot. Like she had suddenly been warped into the central point of menopause.
Shaylynn didn't know what to say to get herself out of this one, but she had to say something. “I ... I ... What I meant was—”
“Oh, baby, don't be ‘shamed.” Ella used one of the washcloths from the basket of freshly cleaned laundry to dab the water from her eyes. Shaylynn wished she had one to wipe the beads of sweat from her brow. “I wouldn't want it no other way,” Ella continued. “You and Sol would make me some mighty pretty grandbabies.” Her face turned serious, and she scooted to the edge of her seat and leaned forward like she was about to share a secret. In a low voice tone, Ella asked, “Y'all been talkin' 'bout getting married?”
Shaylynn wished she had a different answer, but all she had was the truth. “No, ma'am. Not yet.” She had her eyes locked on the baby again. It was like staring at Theresa. CJ would never forget his wife as long as he had his daughter.
“I don't know what y'all waiting on.” Ella folded a towel and plopped it on the pile with the others like she was frustrated.
Shaylynn wanted to say, “I'm waiting on your son; I don't know what
he
's waiting on,” but she didn't. “Everything happens in God's own time.”
Ella shook her head. “Some things God ain't got nothing to do with. He gave you Sol, and He gave Sol you. He done did His part. The rest is up to y'all.”
“If it's meant to happen, it'll happen.” Shaylynn placed Li'l Miss back in her carrier, all the while wishing that believing her own words was as easy as saying them.
Taking a break from her laundry duties, Ella said, “Wonder where that young'un of mine run off to anyway? Did he say?”
“No, ma'am.” Shaylynn looked down at the watch on her wrist. Two hours had passed since Neil said he'd be back “shortly.” She could only hope that by the time he rejoined them, Ella would have forgotten about her slip of the tongue.
 
 
“Just have a seat over there; I'll be right back.” While Neil peeled off his jacket, he watched Chase obediently walk toward the king-sized bed. The television was already on, but before dismissing himself from the master bedroom, Neil hung his jacket on the knob of the front door and used the remote control to find the Disney Channel. “Just watch a little bit of this until I come back.” Some cartoon was on that showcased a weird-looking character with a flat nose and green hair. Neil was sure that Chase had no interest in it, but this was only going to take a few minutes, so it shouldn't have been too tortuous for him.
“Whoa ...
Phineas & Ferb
. Cool!” Chase jumped up with excitement and made a perfect landing in a seated position on the mattress.
Neil laughed as he placed the remote control back on its stand. It really took so little to make Chase happy. He looked a lot like his father, but the boy shared many of his mother's personality traits, including this one. Shaylynn wasn't hard to please either. Neil glanced over his shoulder at the boy one last time before strolling out of the room and into the long hallway that would eventually deliver him to CJ's private office. With his elbows propped on his knees and his chin resting in his hands, Chase was already engrossed. Neil knew the sight of that oversized, wall-mounted flat screen would hook Chase; that's why'd he'd taken him in CJ and Theresa's bedroom versus sitting him on the couch in the den. Neil needed Chase to be thoroughly occupied while he did what he did. If the boy wasn't absorbed in television, he might wander into the area where Neil was headed, and in a way, that would make Chase an accomplice. Neil felt bad enough as it was. The last thing he needed to do was drag Chase in on it.
The Loathers' home was at least twice the size of Neil's. Kingdom Builders paid CJ well, and their house, with its original, signed artwork and genuine African artifacts, reflected that. He used to tease CJ and Theresa for having such a large house when there were only two of them living there. CJ would tell him that they were living for the future. It wouldn't always be just two, he'd say. Someday they were going to have a family, and the extra space would be put to good use. Now here CJ was, finally having the family he'd been anxiously awaiting, and at the rate things were going, when all was said and done, there would still be only two people living there. The thought made Neil shake his head. He found himself constantly praying for CJ. They all loved Theresa, but no doubt about it, CJ's love reached much higher and dove much deeper than anyone else's. Neil had never seen his best friend so despondent. And it was going to get a whole lot worse before it got any better.
Knowing that was a harsh reality. It was difficult to believe that it could get any worse than today. When Neil left his mother's home to go to the hospital to see CJ, he'd used his cell phone to coax his friend to leave Theresa's ICU room long enough to come and meet him in the waiting room so they could talk. He couldn't take Chase in the room, and although Neil believed the eight-year-old would be fine if he left him alone in the waiting area for a little while, he didn't want to chance it.
Maybe he shouldn't have watched that special last night on the Biography Channel about Adam Walsh, the six-year-old son of John Walsh, creator of the television show
America's Most Wanted
. That poor kid's mom had walked away from him in a Sears store for only seven minutes, and the next time the Walshes saw their child, it was two weeks later, and even then, all they saw was his head, which had been found floating in some river. Just that fast ... in seven minutes ... some crazy fool had taken that boy and changed his parents' lives forever. If a fraction of something that horrendous happened to Chase while in Neil's care, he would never forgive himself ... and Shaylynn would never forgive him either. He didn't know which of those thoughts was more chilling.
He wasn't able to talk to his preacher/friend for too long, because CJ was too afraid to be away from Theresa's side for any extended period of time. When Neil looked at his friend, he appeared to be carrying around at least forty-eight hours of sleep deprivation. CJ didn't look ragged, but he looked thinner, tired, older. The two-week ordeal was taking a toll on him, and as CJ was telling Neil that the doctors were beginning to hint that he should consider disconnecting his wife from life support, CJ struggled not to fall apart. Had Chase not been sitting in view of them, he probably would have. Even with all of the other strangers who were sitting in the waiting area, Neil was certain that Chase's presence was the only reason CJ held his tears. Seeing what his best friend was dealing with made all of Neil's problems and insecurities seem futile; including this whole stupid thing with Emmett.

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