Everybody Say Amen (21 page)

R
achel pulled onto Interstate 10, still stunned by what Shante had told her. She had set Lester up. But did that really change anything? The bottom line was like Bobby said: Even if it was a setup, Lester still fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

Rachel’s cell phone vibrated softly. Bobby had been calling her since she’d left his home but she wouldn’t answer his call. She was about to press Ignore again when she noticed Twyla’s number. She pressed the Talk button.

“What’s going on, Twyla?”

“You tell me, Rachel,” Twyla responded. “Bobby has called over here three times, something about you being over there and Shante setting up Lester. What’s going on?”

Rachel sighed. “It’s a long story.”

“I got time,” Twyla said. “First question, why were you over at Bobby’s in the first place?” She waited on Rachel to reply. “Please tell me you did not sleep with him,” she said when Rachel didn’t say anything.

“No, I didn’t sleep with him.”

“Thank God.”

“But I was going to.”

“Rachel, how could you?” Rachel could hear the disappointment in Twyla’s voice. She could no longer help it, the tears started falling.

“How could Lester do this? How could he do this to me?” Rachel cried after filling Twyla in on all the details about Shante setting Lester up. “Even if it was a setup, how could he do it?”

“But getting him back by sleeping with someone yourself isn’t the answer.”

“Then what is, Twyla, huh? I’m so sick of these women at the church throwing themselves at him. He’s supposed to be strong. He’s supposed to be like my daddy and tell these women where they can go.”

“One minute you don’t want him to be like your father, the next you do? The bottom line is Lester is not your father. Just like you aren’t your mother.”

“And then, to find out it was all a setup.”

“Yeah, that’s wild. I can’t believe Shante would do that.”

“I mean I know I did some pretty foul stuff to her, but that was years ago.”

“They say you reap what you sow. Maybe it just took yours a little while to come back to you.”

“Gee, thanks, Twyla.”

“I’m just keeping it real with you.” Twyla hesitated. “Where are you?”

“I had to stop and get some gas. But I’m on my way home now.”

“Is Lester there?”

“I guess.”

“Why don’t you go try to put your marriage back together? I know how much you loved Bobby, but not everything we want is good for us. Lester is good for you. Whether you want to admit it or not, he’s made you a better woman. You have to ask yourself what role you played in pushing him away.”

“Now you sound like my daddy. It’s not my fault Lester cheated.”

“I’m not saying it is. But a man can only go so long without being made to feel like a man.”

“What are you trying to say?”

Twyla let out a deep breath. “It’s not what I’m trying to say. It’s what I’m saying. You know you treat Lester like crap. He tries to treat you like a queen and you constantly beat him down. What he did wasn’t right, but you know his heart.”

Rachel wiped her eyes. “When did you get so wise?”

“Girl, years of dealing with James has taught me a thing or two. I know what I did to get him, I know what I have to do to keep him. Now get off this phone and go talk to your husband.”

Rachel thanked her friend, then hung up. She flipped down her sun visor and surveyed herself in the mirror. She was pushing the visor back up when a loud crash sent her jerking forward.

“What in the—?”

Rachel looked up in the rearview mirror. All she could see was the bright headlights gunning toward her. The driver rammed her car again, almost causing Rachel to lose control.

Rachel’s heart started racing. She firmly grabbed the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator, trying to speed away from the maniac behind her. She took one hand off the steering wheel and reached for her cell phone. She didn’t know how she did it, but she managed to call 911.

“Help! Somebody is behind me trying to kill me!” she screamed in the phone.

“Where are you?” the dispatcher asked.

Rachel looked up at the sign, just as the driver hit her car again. This time, she swerved into oncoming traffic, just missing an eighteen-wheeler.

“Oh, my God!” Rachel cried.

“Ma’am, where are you?”

Rachel tried to catch her breath as she pulled the car back into her lane. “I’m on I-10, coming up on Beltway 8,” she cried. “Please help me!”

“Ma’am, try to stay calm. I have an officer en route.”

Tears started pouring down Rachel’s face as she envisioned being run off the road, flying over an embankment or worse, having everything end in a fiery crash. She started imagining never getting a chance to say good-bye to her children, or even letting Lester know he’d been set up. Her life couldn’t end like this.

Rachel looked in her rearview mirror and her tears turned to tears of joy when she saw the flashing red lights fastly approaching. The maniac must’ve saw it, too, because he sped up and passed Rachel.

Rachel looked over at the car. It was a black Buick with a dent in the back fender, but other than that, she couldn’t make out the driver, except for the fact that it was a woman.

Rachel pulled off to the side of the freeway, shaking uncontrollably, as a police car stopped behind her. The other police car continued after the black Buick.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” the officer asked as he approached her.

Rachel continued shaking. “Somebody just tried to kill me.” It suddenly dawned on her that the person who had fired at them at Johnny Carrino’s wasn’t aiming for her brother. They were trying to kill her. “Oh, my God.”

“Ma’am, can we call someone for you?” the officer asked.

Rachel tried to shake herself out of her daze. “My husband.” She handed him her cell phone. “Speed dial one. Please call my husband.”

The officer called Lester. “He’s on his way.” He pulled out a notepad. “Now, do you have any idea who would try to run you off the road?’

Rachel took a deep breath. “I know exactly who it is. Her name is Shante Clark.”

R
achel had never been so happy to see her husband. He must’ve broken every speed law under the sun because it seemed like he arrived in less than ten minutes.

They had pulled off to the service road as the officer took her statement. Lester barely gave the car time to slow down before he jumped out and came running to Rachel. “Baby! Are you okay?”

She fell into his arms, never having felt safer. “Oh, Lester, it was so terrifying.”

He pulled himself from her embrace and nervously looked her up and down. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah. Just shaken up. I just want to go home. I want to hold my children.”

Lester looked at the officer. “What happened?”

“Well, sir, it appears someone tried to run your wife off the road tonight.” The officer snapped his notepad closed and looked at Rachel’s beat-up Benz. “And from the way that Benz is battered, seems like they didn’t plan on stopping until they caused some major damage.”

“Why in God’s name would someone want to hurt my wife?” Lester asked.

“Your wife here seems to know who it was,” the officer said. “Excuse me, please. I need to go talk to someone.” The officer walked away as Lester turned back to Rachel.

“Who tried to run you off the road?”

“Shante.”

“Shante? As in Bobby’s wife?”

“Yeah, I’m sure of it.”

Lester looked confused. “Rachel, that’s not possible.”

Rachel shook her head. “Why not? You think she’s too good to stoop to murder? You don’t—”

Lester stopped her. “No, Shante couldn’t be the one who tried to hurt you tonight because she was at our house when the officer called.”

Rachel looked at her husband, stunned. “What? Why was she at our house?”

Lester shrugged. “She showed up there about fifteen minutes before the officer called me.” Lester lowered his head. “She wanted to let me know that you were with Bobby and how much you’d hurt her. She wanted me to know,” he solemnly said, “that you were most likely going to get back with Bobby, where you should’ve been in the first place. I had decided that she was right until the officer called and told me what happened. My heart dropped at the thought that something could’ve happened to you.”

Rachel looked at her husband and wanted to cry. He took her hands. “Baby, I can’t make you love me like you love him, but I can love you more than he can. I’m so sorry. Please give me another chance. I will spend my life making this up to you,” he cried as he hugged her tightly.

Rachel pulled herself from his embrace and stared him in the eyes. Lester had loved her from the beginning. Back when she was the bad girl doing things she didn’t have any business doing. Lester had been there for her when no one else had. He had loved her and her children unconditionally. And if she was honest with herself, she had to admit that she had been a less than stellar wife. She didn’t know if she could make it work, but she knew she was going to try.

Rachel leaned in and kissed him. Tears began to trickle down his face revealing just how happy he was.

She began to tell him about the whole setup when it dawned on her: if it wasn’t Shante who had tried to kill her, who was it?

As if on cue, a patrol car pulled up next to them. The officer parked and stepped out.

“We got a live one here,” he said, motioning toward the backseat. “Caught her bailing out of the black Buick, complete with the dents in the front and white paint everywhere.”

Rachel looked toward the backseat.

“It wasn’t me! It was a setup! This is a conspiracy! Y’all just messing with me ’cause I’m black!”

“Tawny?”

“What, ho?” Tawny reared up and kicked the window. “What you looking at? Stank tramp. Like a freakin’ cat or something with nine lives!” she yelled, and spat onto the window. “Gon’ try to set me up? I got somethin’ for ya! Next time, I ain’t gon’ miss!”

Rachel stared in disbelief.

“Come on, baby,” Lester said, trying to move Rachel away.

Rachel didn’t move and turned to the officer. “I thought she was in jail.”

He looked at his computer screen. “It looks like she got out on a paperwork mix-up. We’ve been looking for her.”

“Is she high?”

“As a kite,” the officer replied, shaking his head. “I don’t see how she was even able to drive.”

“What?” Tawny kicked the window again. “Like Madea says, I ain’t scared of the po-po!” Tawny started screaming at Rachel. “Watch your back. Tryin’ ta set me up. I got something for ya!”

Rachel shook her head as she started to walk away. “Hey!” Tawny screamed. “Tell David to come see me on lockdown. Let him know I couldn’t kill him because he my boo.”

Rachel looked at Tawny, not believing this woman was for real. “Come on, Lester, let’s go.”

“Hey,” Tawny yelled again. “Gimme a cigarette ’fo you go.”

“That,” Rachel said, as she and Lester walked to his car, “is your brain on drugs.”

Lester smiled for the first time that evening. “Come on, baby. Let me get you home. The kids are next door at Miss Lewis’s. The wrecker will take care of your car. I’m just going to run and give him the address to the body shop.” He opened the passenger-side door for her and she got in.

Rachel leaned back in the seat, closed her eyes, and said a little prayer—and this time really listened as God told her she was doing the right thing by giving her husband another chance.

L
ord, give me strength
. Rachel watched Mary sashay out of the sanctuary in a skimpy little dress, trying her best to be seen.

Rachel had to take a deep breath. This woman was trying to get under her skin, plain and simple. That was all she was doing; and as Sister Morgan said, for Rachel to give in and stoop to Mary’s level was simply fueling Mary’s fire. Besides, after everything she’d been through the last three weeks, the last thing she needed was to let this woman get to her.

“Why is she here?” Twyla leaned in and whispered. Rachel had finally gotten Twyla to come to church more. They were standing in the church foyer mixing and mingling with other members.

“Why else? To send me over the edge.” Rachel shook her head as Twyla pulled her off to the side.

“Girl, don’t do it. You’ve been doing so good.”

She
had
been doing good. She and Lester were the happiest they’d ever been. They’d been praying together, something they’d stopped doing months ago as they led their separate lives. They’d also been seeing a counselor and even though there were still many difficult days, Rachel really and truly was trying to make her marriage work. She and Lester had even taken a mini vacation to Padre Island last weekend.

“Her being here reminds me of what Lester did.” Rachel sighed deeply.

“That’s what she wants. You said yourself, you and Lester prayed over it and turned it over to God. Well, the devil didn’t like that and he sent that Jezebel to church today.”

Rachel smiled at her friend. “You sound like somebody’s evangelist now.”

“Girl, please. I’m just trying to tell you.” She looked over at Mary, who was now standing in the line of people waiting to greet the pastor on their way out. “Do you trust Lester?”

Rachel watched Mary reach in her purse, pull out her compact, and powder her nose.

“It’s hard, but I’m trying,” Rachel replied.

“Don’t let her set you back.” Twyla frowned up at Mary, who was standing there trying to look innocent while she waited in line. “Skank.”

Rachel giggled. “Excuse me, weren’t you just evangelizing to me?”

Twyla rolled her eyes. “So? She’s still a skank.”

Rachel couldn’t help it. She didn’t move because she had to see how Lester would react when Mary approached him. There were two people in front of her and Mary seemed to be getting excited as a sexy smile crossed her face. Just before it was her turn, Lester motioned for the associate minister, whispered something in his ear, then quickly made an exit. The associate minister took over greeting duties for Lester and shook Mary’s hand.

Rachel couldn’t help but smile at the way her husband handled the situation. She was especially thrilled by the priceless look of surprise on Mary’s face as she watched Lester walk off.

“Go on, Lester.” Twyla laughed. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

Rachel was just about to respond when she looked over and saw Birdie Mae and her cohorts standing in a circle whispering as they stared back and forth between her and Mary.

She inhaled deeply. It was bad enough she had to deal with her husband’s mistress; she was in no mood to deal with Birdie Mae and her crew as well, who—thanks to Layla’s gossiping behind—now knew all the details about Mary and Lester’s affair.

Rachel was about to make her own quick getaway when the group came stomping toward her as if they were on a mission.

“Sister Adams, may we talk to you?” Birdie Mae asked.

Normally, Rachel would’ve immediately gone on the defensive, but she was trying to change her attitude. So she said, “Sure.”

“Well, you know everybody is talking,” Birdie Mae announced. “And instead of whispering behind your back, I’m a firm believer in going straight to the source.” She looked over at Mary again, who was standing around looking agitated as her eyes darted through the small crowd, no doubt looking for Lester.

“Stop beating around the bush and ask her,” Norma Jean urged.

Birdie Mae shot Norma Jean a look as if to say, “I got this.”

“Is it true that a certain someone”—she glanced at Mary again—“who had us praying for her, tried to mess with your husband, our beloved pastor?”

“You know, Birdie Mae, that’s a personal matter that I would really rather not discuss,” Rachel said, in the most sincere voice she could muster. They were probably relishing the thought that Lester had cheated on her.

“Just tell us, is that the woman you scuffled with in Lester’s office?” Norma Jean blurted out.

“Yes, it is,” Mary said, stepping into their conversation. “Lester and I were seeing each other. And if your
beloved
pastor thinks he can just throw me away like some piece of trash, he’d better think again.”

Birdie Mae and her little group all stared Mary up and down. Rachel sighed. Why couldn’t she lead a drama-free life? Rachel was just about to say something to try and squash this whole situation and get everyone out of her business, when Birdie Mae stepped toward Mary. “Look, you skinny heifer. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing, but you picked the wrong first lady to mess with.”

Mary’s mouth dropped open, as did Rachel’s.

“You might have been able to seduce my pastor once but the devil is a liar and now that we know, Pastor’s got a prayer team that’s gon’ keep you at bay,” Birdie Mae threatened.

“Amen to that,” Norma Jean said as she stepped in closer.

“Don’t nobody mess with our first lady,” Gladys Washington added as she and Ida Hicks stepped up.

They had formed a circle around Mary and although she stood taller than all of them, the mean looks on their faces must’ve had her thinking twice, because her earlier confidence was gone.

“I don’t believe this,” Mary said. “Y’all don’t even like her.”

“We ain’t gotta like her to love her,” Birdie Mae snapped. “Bottom line is, she’s family. Our church family. And you mess with a member of our family, there’s gon’ be hell to pay.”

“And while we’re all Christian women who would never dream of doing anything against God’s will,” Norma Jean said, balling up her pudgy little fists, “let’s just say, every now and then we stray from our walk with God.”

“And when we do, it ain’t pretty,” Gladys added.

Mary actually looked scared.

“So I would advise you to go find another church family to break up, because we here at Zion Hill don’t play that,” Birdie Mae growled.

Mary glanced around at all the women, before spinning around and racing out of the church.

Rachel was still in shock as Birdie Mae turned back to her. “All of us will be watching out for her. You ain’t got nothing to worry about.”

Rachel didn’t know what to say. “Th…thank you.”

“Anytime, baby,” Birdie Mae said. “Now you go on home and whip it on Pastor so he don’t be tempted by no skinny heifers like that.”

Rachel’s eyes widened in shock. Birdie Mae didn’t give her time to respond. She turned to her friends. “Come on, y’all. Let’s go to Family Café. I sure could use some pig’s feet.” She walked off muttering to her friends, “That girl is crazy if she think she gon’ come in here messing with our first lady.”

“Done lost her mind,” Ida added as they walked out of the church.

Twyla looked at Rachel. “Are those the old women you said didn’t like you?”

Rachel nodded. “That’s them.”

“Hmph. Those are the kind of enemies I need.”

Rachel couldn’t help but smile. She could have never imagined in her wildest dreams what had just happened. Maybe she could get rid of the drama in her life after all.