Reverend Feelgood (19 page)

“Hey now, Nettie. What you know good?” Mama Max waltzed around the kitchen preparing homemade rolls, tickled to pieces she could both cook and talk on the phone with the hands-free device her grandson had both bought and showed her how to use.

“Know quite a bit. Don’t know how good that is. I just got off the phone with Destiny, and the you-know-what is about to hit the fan.”

“What is it, problems at school?”

“No, she whizzed through her finals and except for walking across the stage, this coming May, she’s all through with college. Got her degree, with honors.”

“Business administration, right?”

“Something like that,” Nettie said. “Anyway, she has decided to come home, to move back to Palestine, praise the Lord. Nate is crazy over the thought of losing her.”

“Isn’t that good news? What’s gonna hit the fan behind news like that?”

“She’s moving back, but not in with Nate. She asked if she could stay with me. And I said yes.”

“Whew, Lawd have mercy, and Joseph say grace. I can smell the stink all the way up here in Kansas! Ooh, and I’m about to smell some burning rolls.” Mama Max was silent as she hurried over to a drawer, pulled out an oven mitt, and quickly removed the perfectly done rolls from the oven. “Nate is not going to like that news, not one bit! But tell me this. Why is she staying with you, Nettie? Why not Katherine?”

“I think you know the answer to that question, Mama Max. It’s gonna take all the discipline that child’s got to hold her ground with Nate. Now I love my son, but you know how forceful and persuasive he can be. Over at Katherine’s, I think she’d feel vulnerable. But here, she knows I’ve got her back.”

“She bringing the baby with her?”

“Not right away. Benjamin is going to stay with the nanny in Louisiana. Simone is busy helping her husband win that election but has promised to help watch him. Destiny will go back as often as she can, and once they get married, which will hopefully be sooner rather than later, they’ll bring Benjamin into their household, ask the church’s forgiveness for the sins of omission and commission, and hopefully move toward a happily ever after, if there is such a thing.”

“Well, I for one don’t think Nate should have a problem with what she’s asking,” Mama Max said. “Word get out that the preacher is shacking up, be all kinds of trouble. And she’s right about wanting him to stop all this cavorting with other women. Shouldn’t be too hard to do with a gorgeous girl like her lying right next to him, there for the taking. Men sure can make a mess of thangs sometimes.”

“Well, that’s the other thing. She wants to abstain from being with Nate again until they get married.”

“What did you just say? Are you sure that girl’s a Noble? I didn’t know any of them could spell abstain, let alone practice it.”

“Destiny’s got a mind of her own, and a pretty good one, if you ask me. She loves her grandmother, but she doesn’t want to be like her, doesn’t want to share her husband. I’m encouraging her to stick to her guns.”

“Your son’s not going to be too happy with you. You know that, don’t you?”

Nettie sighed. “Yes, I know. But right is right, Mama Max, and while I kept my mouth shut, I never agreed with what old man Elijah started, all the Thicke ministers spreading themselves across the congregation. And even though I looked the other way knowing Daniel was with Katherine, telling myself it was just as well since I didn’t want it no way, it hurt to know he was fooling around. I saw the sly looks from the women he covered, felt their smug attitudes as they watched me walk to the front row as the wife of the pastor. I had the title and the prestige that goes with it, and I took my rightful place on Sunday mornings. But the rest of the week belonged to other women, especially Katherine. If Daniel hadn’t died, I strongly suspect he would have divorced me and married her.”

“Now, Nettie, you don’t know that.”

“I know he loved her something fierce. And I know she would have been more than happy to take my place in the front row. I shed many a tear behind the fact that I knew Daniel didn’t love me like he did her. And if I can keep Destiny from feeling that kind of sorrow, and at the hands of Daniel’s son no less, then I’m going to try and do it. It might be time to write a new chapter at Gospel Truth. Katherine’s granddaughter just might be holding the pen.”

Mama Max and Nettie were silent a moment, contemplating the winds of change that were always blowing from church to church. “Wonder what Katherine’s going to have to say about this? Have you talked to her?”

“No, and don’t plan to. Destiny’s a grown woman, and can live where she wants. Katherine ain’t had much to say to me for the past couple months anyway, ever since Destiny asked her to stop sleeping with her fiancé! Can you even imagine having to ask your
grandmother
a question like that? Katherine called and accused me of influencing the girl. I told her I’d done no such thing, and when she kept flapping her jaws I told her she needed to take six months to tend to her business, and use the other six months to leave mine alone.”

“Ha! I can imagine Miss High and Mighty didn’t like that.”

“Didn’t matter to me whether she liked it or not. I meant every word.” Nettie looked at her caller ID. “Oh, Lord, this is Nate calling. Might as well get this conversation over with.”

“Just remember you’re the mama. And a child never gets too old or too tall to whup.”

Nettie was laughing when she clicked over to the other line. “Hey, Nate.”

“Hey, Mama! What’s so funny?”

“Just got off the phone with Mama Max. How are you doing, son? You sound happy.”

“Are you kidding? My baby’s coming home. I’m ecstatic!”

“I bet she’s pretty happy too. Have you talked to her today?”

“No, I just landed and saw that you’d called. I’ll call her next. Have you talked to her?”

“Yes, she called me this morning.”

“You know, I want the two of you to spend some time together when she gets here, Mama. I need you to show her how to make those apple cobblers.”

Nettie laughed. “I’ll be more than happy to, son. As a matter of fact, your wife asked me this morning if the two of us could spend time together, so it looks like you two are already on the same page.”

“I think that’s great! She’ll be traveling with me, of course, but when I’m in town, you’re welcome to stop by the house anytime.”

“That’s why I left that message for you to call me, Nate. Because there’s been a change of plans for when Destiny returns to Palestine.”

“What do you mean a change in plans? She’s still coming in December, right?”

“Oh, yeah, she’ll be here December nineteenth, in time for the church’s first holiday ball. But when she arrives, she’ll be moving in with me.”

“What?” Nate was sure he’d heard incorrectly.

“Destiny asked me if she could stay here until the two of you get married, and I agreed.”

“Mama, I don’t like this. Sounds like you’re trying to get in my business. You don’t belong in between me and Destiny.”

“I’m not between anybody, son. I was here in my house minding my own business. Destiny called me. She voiced her concern at how it would look to Gospel Truth members for her to be living with you before you married. I’m surprised this wasn’t your concern, you being the senior pastor and all. But she asked if she could stay here, and I said yes. I’m going to fix up your old room, and you can visit here…as often as you’d like.”

Nate raised the privacy petition in the limo. “How much have you been talking to Destiny? Are you the reason why she’s so fixated with…my duties as pastor?”

“Anything Destiny is fixated on is your doing, son, not mine.”

“Because you know my responsibilities, Mama. I am the shepherd of this flock and being the spiritual covering for my members—”

“I brought you into this world, boy. Don’t preach to me. And don’t try and tell me about the Thicke tradition. I could tell you a thing or two.”

“What you need to do is tell Destiny that her place is beside me. I can’t believe you’re interfering like this, Mama. You never interfered with Daddy’s affairs.”

“You don’t know what I did and didn’t do where your father was concerned. And this isn’t just your business, Nathaniel. My name is on the membership roll at Gospel Truth, and I live in this town. What you do affects me and a whole lot of other folk.”

Nate took a deep breath and tried another approach. “You know what, Mama? Destiny spending time with you might be a good thing. You’ve been a first lady, and from what I remember, always handled yourself with style and grace, even though I know you knew that Daddy was…what Daddy’s responsibilities were to the flock. You can teach Destiny how to be like that.”

“Destiny doesn’t need me to teach her anything. But it looks as if she could teach you a thing or two, starting with the decorum of not shacking up with your wife-to-be while leading a congregation!”

“That’s it, Mama. This conversation is over. I’m going to call Destiny and try and get her to see reason. She’s moving in with me, period. And then I’ll call you back. In the meantime, Mama, you need to think about everything I’ve said.”

“And you need to think about what
I’ve
said. I’ve been a silent observer to the Thicke goings on for over forty years, and all the time held my tongue. But no more. Destiny is welcome to stay with me. That is, if she’s still interested in being your wife after the foolishness you’re getting ready to talk to her.”

Nate looked at the phone and then did something he’d never before done in his life. He hung up on his mother.

“Hey, D, you there?” King had placed Nate on hold shortly after finding out the nature of his call, to get his best friend and fellow counselor on the line.

“I’m here and at your service, brothah.”

“Good, good. I’ve got Nate on the line. He called for my advice on a situation he’s dealing with, and I thought he’d benefit from your counsel as well.”

“I’ll do what I can. How are you, Nate?” Derrick took a seat in his home office and said a silent prayer as he waited for the conversation to continue.

“Honestly, Derrick, I’ve been better. And I really appreciate both of you taking the time to talk with me. I know how busy your schedules are.”

“That’s part of our mission in Total Truth,” King said. “To be here for each other, mentor each other, especially when there’s a need. Why don’t you fill Derrick in on what you just told me.”

Nate gave a very brief recounting of his conversation with Nettie: basically that he wanted Destiny in his home and his mother out of their business. “We’re already married in the eyes of God,” Nate concluded. “Besides, I’m moving to an exclusive community with live guards twenty-four hours a day. No one who doesn’t live in the community will be able to get in to see me without my permission. So the members most likely won’t even know she’s there.”

“God will know she’s there,” Derrick countered. “And now so will King, myself, your mother, her family. Nate, there is absolutely no way I can condone your living with Destiny before the two of you are married—not as a pastor, a member of Total Truth, or a man. That woman is deserving of your respect, which includes having her best interest in mind, not yours.”

“Wait a minute, Derrick—”

“No, you hold on. You called for my advice and I have to give it to you straight. Your mother is right, Nate. Now I know this isn’t what you want to hear, maybe not what you expected. But you are the high profile minister of an up-and-coming megachurch. You’re a best-selling author soon to have a television broadcast. All eyes will be on you, and what they see needs to be holy.

“When you finally told King about Destiny having your child, and he subsequently told the board members, there were some who felt you’d betrayed them, because you hadn’t been totally forthcoming during your confirmation. But because of your plans to marry the mother, they allowed your membership to stand. Folks are watching, some of whom would like nothing better than to see you fall. Don’t give them that chance, Nate. Move up the wedding if you have to, but make sure when Destiny moves her things into your new home, that she enters the right way: as Mrs. Nathaniel Thicke.”

Nate was silent so long both King and Derrick thought maybe he’d hung up. But he hadn’t. He respected these two men on the phone to the utmost, and would heed their counsel. Perhaps begrudgingly, and only temporarily, but he would listen to their instruction. “What do you think, King?” he finally asked.

“I agree with Derrick, man. Moving Destiny in before the two of you marry isn’t wise, especially right now, at such a crucial time for the ministry. And believe me, I understand your wanting her by your side, in your home,
and
in your bed.”

“Speak to it!” Derrick said.

Nate laughed. “Well, my brothahs, I’m not going to lie about that.”

“You might as well not,” King said. “I’ve been there. I know. Destiny is a beautiful woman and if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to get the ring on fast enough to hit that fine—”

“Uh, yeah, King,” Derrick interrupted. “I think Nate gets the picture. But there is one other thing, Reverend Thicke. And if you thought your mother was in your business, then that shoe is going to fit me in about two seconds. We’ve been dealing with a particular topic in our men-only meetings that I need to bring up here. It’s about abstinence outside marriage.”

“Derrick, I’m telling you now…that’s not going to happen. I’ve been active since I was thirteen, man. Ain’t no way I’m going six months without it, especially with my woman ten minutes away.”

“And there’s the matter of any other woman who might be, uh, enjoying your favors. She needs to go, too. Destiny deserves to have all of you, man.”

“Y’all are putting a hurting on a brothah! But there’s something you two might not understand. At Gospel Truth, I have some spiritual relationships that are a part of tending my flock.”

“Man, don’t even try it,” King countered. “The only spiritual relationship is the one between you and your wife, Nate. All of the other ones are just pussy.”

King and Derrick shared what they knew of other ministers who maintained “spiritual relationships.” They offered scriptural viewpoints to the contrary regarding these beliefs, even as King empathized with Nate, and shared times when he’d been unfaithful.

“If you want your marriage with Destiny to not only last but be an exciting, productive, loving union,” King concluded, “you are going to have to commit to her and only her one hundred and fifty percent, every day, for the rest of your life.”

The three men talked for over two hours, holding nothing back of what they felt about Nate and Destiny, and what they expected of him as a fellow minister and member of the association. Nate argued his points, but Derrick and King were unrelenting in their position. By the end of the conversation, Nate had agreed to abide by the rules of Total Truth, and to six months of marital counseling from Derrick, King, and their wives.

“It’s for your own good,” Derrick said finally.

“It’s because we love you,” King added. “So what do you think, man? Do you think you’ll be able to make it until the wedding in June?”

“What I’m thinking,” Nate answered seriously, “is that we need to move the wedding up to Valentine’s Day.”