Been There Prayed That (9781622860845) (2 page)

“He's blessed me once. He's blessed me twice. God has blessed me every day of my life. And if God don't do nothing else, He's done enough.”

Tamarra couldn't believe that after all the time she'd known Paige, that Paige could sing the way she was singing today. Just a few weeks ago, when Paige had mentioned to her that she was going to join New Day's praise and worship team, she thought about that white girl, Kim, on the reality show,
The Real Housewives of Atlanta
. Tamarra had never heard her best friend sing, hum, or even mention a desire to sing. So she didn't know what to expect when just last week Paige informed her that she'd be singing her very first solo, and on Easter Sunday no less, when the sanctuary would be full for sure. Would Tamarra pretend that Paige really could sing like Sheree did with Kim on the television show, or would she keep it real like Ne Ne did? From the way Paige was hitting them notes and allowing the Lord to use her to bless His name, she knew she'd be able to keep it real.

Tamarra just couldn't take sitting down any longer, so she rose to her feet. She'd been in awe while sitting; feet frozen to the ground. The persons on either side of her had been standing since the praise and worship team hit the first note. Not one to stand just because everybody else was standing, or even because her best friend was doing a solo, Tamarra had remained sitting. She preferred to sit, close her eyes, and allow the sweet song of the praise and worship team to summons the Spirit of the Lord into the sanctuary. Then she stood to show reverence to God.

For Tamarra, when the Holy Spirit showed up, sitting on that pew was no longer an option. Sitting on that pew was like sitting on God. It didn't take someone yelling at her from the pulpit not to sit on God either. She didn't stand for man, she stood for God. And at this very moment, the Lord had definitely showed up, and He'd used the voice of her best friend to invite Him there.

By the time Paige finished her song, the church was in a state of worship. The atmosphere had been set for New Day's pastor to bring the Word forth, and a mighty Word it was. The pastor's message was so powerful, that church went overtime by a half hour.

“I know we're running a little late,” Pastor stated, “but don't worry, I'm sure the buffet line at your favorite restaurant will shorten, and God has angels watching over that roast in the oven and food in the crock pot in your homes.”

The congregation let out a few chuckles and laughter at their pastor's humor.

“But I can't take it for granted that everyone in this place knows Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior,” Pastor continued, “so I can't end service without first making an altar call.”

The pastor nodded to Maeyl in the sound booth, which was his signal to put on music conducive for altar call. After doing so, Maeyl exited the sound booth and stood in the aisle. Most of the ministers and leaders at New Day were women. Just in case some additional male assistance was needed during altar call, Maeyl always made sure he was close by, especially if Sister Perrin went up for prayer. She always seemed to fall out in the Spirit if Pastor just looked at her, let alone prayed for her.

Sister Perrin weighed all of three hundred pounds dry. So if she'd danced in the spirit and worked up a sweat, no telling how much she weighed. And Lord have mercy on the poor saints assigned to catch her before she hit the ground.

Tamarra had once overheard a couple of teens in the bathroom laughing and comparing Sister Perrin falling out in the Spirit to a bowling ball rolling down the aisle, hitting every last pin for a strike. After reminding the two teens that God didn't like ugly, and once the girls were out of earshot, Tamarra had to muffle a few chuckles of her own.

Tamarra, knowing Maeyl's regimen, looked over her shoulder and smiled at him, while trying not to admire his smooth bronze skin. But it was hard to ignore the features of the six foot tall, bald, goatee sporting man. Afterward, she thanked God for putting such a wonderful man in her life. They'd been through a lot in the time they'd been a couple, including a couple of break ups and make ups. They had faith that as long as they kept God first in their relationship, He would see them through a holy matrimony and a happily ever after. After all, He was in the process of doing it for Paige and her fiancé, Blake, so surely He'd do it for them.

“If there is anyone under the sound of my voice who wants to be saved today, who needs to be saved today, please make your way down to the altar,” the pastor requested as a hand-holding couple made their way down to the altar. “Praise God. Do we have anyone else? Don't be embarrassed. This is not the time nor the season to be embarrassed. Planes are falling out of the sky. Boats are sinking. Animals are attacking. Fires are burning. Lightning is striking folks down. Tomorrow is not promised. Will you be ready? Come now. Come get ready.”

The pastor looked around to see if anyone else was making their way down to the altar. When no one stood, Pastor looked among the congregation and said, “Pray, saints. This is a matter of life and death. Intercessors, intercede. Pray, for the Spirit tells me that there is someone else who needs to be down at this altar giving their life to the Lord. Pray, saints, pray.”

Prayers, chants, mumbling, and foreign tongues could be heard about the sanctuary as Pastor made one final call. “Make today the day you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Don't put it off until you
get right
. You can't get right without Him. So won't you come?” Once again, Pastor looked amongst the sanctuary, then suddenly a smile spread across Pastor's face. “Praise God. We have another.”

Clapping filled the sanctuary as prayers were answered and one last woman, tears streaming down her face, stood and began to walk forward. Tamarra smiled with joy and looked to Maeyl. His eyes were still closed from praying that the Spirit would touch someone's heart and lead them down to the altar. Once again, Tamarra couldn't help but thank God for giving her such a wonderful man, a praying man, a God fearing man.

Tamarra's own eyes began to get moist as she looked at Maeyl. As if he could feel her eyes watching him, he opened his to see her smiling face. He smiled at her, then turned his head to see the soul that his prayers would help save.

Tamarra noticed that just as quickly as the smile had spread across Maeyl's face, it had disappeared. His jaws tightened and beads of sweat began to two-step on his forehead. Any minute now it looked as though he would puke right there in the middle of the aisle. He was frozen stiff. His eyes were frozen stiff; set on something. Set on someone.

Tamarra followed Maeyl's frozen stare down to the altar. Her eyes landed on the woman who'd just gone down to the altar to turn her life over to Christ. She then allowed her eyes to settle back onto Maeyl. She blinked, then decided to once again follow his eyes, praying that they landed on something different. Someone different. Anything other than that woman. God was definitely into answering prayers today, as indeed, Maeyl's eyes were no longer set on the woman. Instead, they were set on the owner of the little hand that was cupped inside the woman's hand. When Tamarra's eyes fell upon the child, her legs felt limp, and she let out a loud gasp that drew the attention of the two women next to her.

“Are you all right, Sister Tamarra?” one of the women asked, holding onto Tamarra's arm to balance her.

“Do you need some water or something?” The other woman fanned Tamarra vigorously as both women gently aided her in sitting back down on the pew.

“No, I'm fine,” Tamarra told them, still trying to look at the little girl in between the persons sitting and standing in front of her.

Why, today of all days, had she been running late for church and had to sit farther back than normal? Had she made it to church on time, she'd have been much closer and able to get a better look at the child. But she didn't need a better look. She knew what she'd seen. She'd seen that child's eyes, dark brown, almond shaped eyes that she'd, without a doubt, seen before. She'd seen that complexion before as well, and that nose and those lips. She'd seen them before, only not on the little girl. She'd seen them on Maeyl.

“Excuse me, Sister Unique, do you have a moment so that I can talk to you?”

After giving Lorain the once over, Unique reluctantly agr-eed. “Sure, but only a second because I have to get my kids from Children's Church.”

Sister Lorain turned toward her mother, whom she'd invited to church with her that Easter Sunday. “Mama, they've got coffee and donuts in the Welcome Center.” Sister Lorain pointed. “Why don't you go help yourself while I talk to Sister Unique for a minute, then I'll be right in?”

The sixty-year-old woman, who didn't look a day over forty-five, happily obliged. “Okay.” She peeked into the room referred to as the Welcome Center. “Sounds fine with me. And take your time,” she said to Lorain as she admired a couple of gentlemen entering the room, “'cause I see some sugar that will go mighty fine in my coffee, if you know what I mean.” She playfully elbowed her daughter and walked off.

Lorain shook her head and turned her attention back to Unique. She ran her hand down the back of her hair that was tapered down her neck. The short, edgy, spiky looking style was very becoming on Lorain's long, thin face. The golden, honey tint complemented her mocha brown skin. “You'll have to excuse my mother. She just lost one hundred and fifty pounds on that Bariatric surgery and can't nobody tell her she ain't fine. She's been trying to get a man ever since.”

“Like mother, like daughter,” Unique tried to say as if it were a compliment, even though her obvious tone said otherwise.

“Pardon me?” Lorain was taken back by Unique's blatant rudeness, which was all the more reason she knew she needed to talk to the girl.

“No disrespect intended. I just meant with you being the new leader of the Single's Ministry, you must be trying to get a man too.” Unique looked Lorain up and down. She turned her nose up at the snug fitting button up white blouse Lorain was wearing. Her 38-D's were barely contained. Unique thought if Lorain sneezed, one of those buttons would fly off and take her eye out.

“Actually, my purpose for joining the ministry wasn't to get a man.” Lorain decided to play fair game. “After all, look at me.” She ran her hands down her voluptuous size twelve figure. “Does it look like I have a problem with getting a man?” Not waiting for Unique to respond, she stated, “But you wouldn't know anything about that.” Giving Unique a taste of her own medicine, Lorain looked the young, petite girl, thirteen years her junior, up and down.

“So what are you trying to say?” Unique was in full sister-girl mode by now. Her hands were on her hips and her head was bobbing.

Lorain noticed that Unique's stance was drawing attention. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene. All she'd wanted to do was to confront the girl. She'd heard about some of the little comments Unique had been making about her during the Single's Ministry meetings. She'd even heard some of them herself, but chose to ignore them. But after learning from one of the sisters at New Day that Unique had gone as far as calling her a Jezebel, Lorain felt it was time to call her on her actions.

She had no intentions of having any type of altercation with Unique. In fact, she thought herself the bigger person by coming to Unique. She simply wanted to clear the air between them. Lorain felt that maybe if Unique got to know her better, then she'd realize that all those things she thought about her weren't true. Perhaps the two might even have been able to become friends. Lorain had few of those nowadays, so she thought that being friends might benefit both of them. But from the looks of it, there would be an ice storm warning in hell before the two of them would ever be friends.

“Never mind,” Lorain said with a sway of her hand as if she were dismissing Unique. “No need in me wasting my breath or your time. I know you have to go get
all
of those kids of yours.”

“Look, if you got something to say, then I suggest you come on with it,” Unique said.

“And I can say the same to you with all the whispering you've been doing about me,” Lorain shot back.

“Whispering? Who's whispering around this piece? Everything I've said I've said loud enough for you to hear, or at least I thought I was.”

Lorain shook her head. “I don't even know why I bothered. I should have known I couldn't come at someone as ghetto as you and expect any other results but something ghetto.”

“Ghetto?” Unique said as she began unsnapping her large, hoop earrings from her ear.

“Yes, ghetto, and you're proving my point now by removing your earrings like you want to fight me right here in God's house.” She looked down at the large knock-off designer bag that rested on Unique's arm. “And let me guess, I bet next you're going to pull out a jar of Vaseline, huh? And you're shocked that I called you ghetto. What else would you call a girl with four kids by four different daddies living in a house with ten people?”

“See, that's why you don't know what you're talking about. I don't live with no ten people, and I only have three kids,” Unique corrected her.

By now, both women were speaking loud enough for anyone walking by to hear. Even those who couldn't hear could tell a heated and indignant conversation was going on between the two by the way they were both bobbing heads, snapping necks, hand hipping, and pointing.

“Oh, I stand corrected, three kids with three different daddies. Either way it goes, I'm sure that on Father's Day you have to install a revolving door in your front room.”

Rage rushed through Unique like a flowing river as she balled her fist.

“There you are, Unique. Your kids were looking for you.”

Thank goodness the Children's Church teacher's assistant in training came around the corner when she did. She had Unique's three children in tow. Had her timing not been perfect, Unique probably would have caught a case for assault as her fist was balled and ready to swing on Lorain. As wrong as she would have been for doing it, Unique wanted to knock Lorain's block off, but, she didn't want her kids to witness such a thing. Although things got rough sometimes, she always tried to be the best mother she could be by setting an example in front of her kids, which was why they were none the wiser about her drinking, smoking, and partying. She certainly didn't want them to know she was a fighter and would beat a chick down in a heartbeat like she used to do back in the projects.

“Mommy!” Unique's children, ages three, four, and five, said as they ran toward her with open arms.

“We thought you left us, Mommy. Gave us away. Where were you?” her oldest of three boys said to her.

“Oh, sweetie, I would never give you away. Never.” Unique kneeled down and basked in the hugs and kisses her children covered her in.

Witnessing such genuine affection, Lorain suddenly felt awful. She wished she could take back all the things she'd just said to those beautiful children's mother. How had she allowed herself to stoop to such a level? And here she was calling herself the bigger person. She was the bigger fool. She knew better. She was older than this girl, so if anything, she should be setting an example. Instead, she was about to take her earrings off too and pull out her lip gloss, since she didn't have any Vaseline.

“We still going to McDonald's after church today?” Unique's middle child asked her.

“Didn't I promise you we would?” Unique asked, standing.

All her children replied in unison. “Yes!”

“Then let's go. We'll walk to the bus stop that's closest to the McDonald's restaurant.” Unique looked to the Children's Church assistant. “Thank you, Sister Helen.”

“Not a problem,” Helen replied, staring at Unique's interaction with her children in admiration. She couldn't help think about what it would have been like had she had children. But ever since she started facing the demon of an abortion she had years ago, she didn't feel worthy of ever becoming a mother and having children of her own. Being an assistant in the Children's Church was part of her healing process that the pastor had suggested. Maybe caring for other people's children would eventually prove to her that she was not only capable, but worthy.

“We'll see you next Sunday, Sister Helen.” Unique walked away with her children, but not before cutting a look at Lorain that read, “My children saved you from a butt whooping, but this ain't over yet by far.”

Letting out a deep sigh, Lorain headed toward the Welcome Center, preparing in her head an excuse for her actions once confronted by the pastor about it. “You ready to go already?” Lorain asked her mother who came waltzing out of the Welcome Center.

“Child, yes! My work in this place is done,” her mother said excitedly. “I got me a phone number!”