Song of Praise Read online

  “Because you were right. I didn’t handle any of these men with the loving kindness that God has dealt to all of us, nor did I even consider helping them to rebuild their lives. I abandoned them… basically left them for dead.” With sadness clinging to his voice RaShawn said, “That’s not who I am, Detective. Not who I am at all.”

  Harris unfolded his arms. He stared at RaShawn for a moment and then said, “Let me clear it with my captain and then I’ll take you over there myself.” Detective Harris opened the door and escorted him to a waiting area.

  Marcus, Raven and Britney were there waiting for him. “You two got here fast. I guess you were the friends in high places Detective Harris was talking about,” RaShawn said to his sister and brother-in-law.

  Raven jumped up and hugged her brother. “I was so worried about you. And don’t be mad at me, but Mama-Carmella and Daddy are on their way here.”

  “I’m not upset with you. After the day I’ve had, I’m thankful to see friendly faces,” he assured her.

  Marcus shook his hand and then said, “I don’t think we were quite high enough to get you out of this jam. Raven and I were still arguing with the captain when the chief called in and told him to release you immediately.” Marcus pointed in Britney’s direction. “I think little Ms. Britney had something to do with that.”

  Britney stood, she walked slowly, but as she reached him, she couldn’t help herself. She threw her arms around him and burst into tears.

  RaShawn lifted her head with his index finger. He then proceeded to wipe the tears from her face. “Stop all that. All I was doing was sitting in a room talking to the detective.”

  “But they think you killed Linden.”

  “And you and I know that I didn’t.” He hugged her and then stepped back. “Have faith. God will take care of this.”

  Raven nudged her husband as she pointedly looked from RaShawn to Britney. She then whispered in his ear, “Told ya.”

  “Told him what?” RaShawn asked as he turned to his sister.

  Raven started stuttering. “I…I.”

  Detective Harris walked over to them and saved her from having to say anything further. “Okay, the captain has given his approval. But there will have to be two officers present for your little meet and greet.”

  RaShawn handed Raven the keys to his house. “Can you all wait for me at the house? I can explain everything once I’m done.”

  “Where are you going?” Raven asked.

  “I need to speak with Pastor Marson and Pastor Williams.” That was the first time he’d called either of them pastor since he’d asked them to step down. He didn’t know what that meant; either his heart was softening towards them or the Lord was trying to lead him somewhere.

  “I’ll go with you,” Britney said.

  Detective Harris shook his head. “Just the Bishop or no go.”

  Detective Harris drove him to Daniel Marson’s home first. During the drive, RaShawn just kept praying that God would give him wisdom. Which he had neglected to ask for when he’d taken on this position. But just as King Solomon had the good sense to realize he’d never be able to lead God’s people without God’s wisdom, so too, RaShawn should have realized the same thing. “Oh Lord, please forgive my folly and help me. Show me what being a battle axe for God truly means… lead me and I will follow.”

  As RaShawn lifted his head after praying, Detective Harris said, “I have often wondered how people know if they are truly following the Lord or their own selfish desires.”

  “When I figure it out, I’ll let you know,” RaShawn promised as they got out of the car.

  Harris tapped on the police car at the curb. The officer got out of the car and followed them to the door.

  When Marson opened the door his eyes flashed with surprise. “Didn’t expect to see you at my door, Bishop.” He opened the door wide. “Come on in.”

  “I would like to talk to you, if you don’t mind,” RaShawn said. There was a pleading sound to his voice.

  Looking at him, Daniel Marson’s brow arched as he asked, “What’s this all about? I mean, I’m surprised that you want to talk to me now. Because the day you came to the church and asked me to step down, you didn’t seem in the mood to hear anything I had to say.”

  “I was wrong for that.”

  Marson nodded, then pointed toward the sofa and a pair of chairs in his living room. He looked at the officers and asked jokingly, “Are you two here to make sure that the bishop doesn’t kill me or something?”

  “It’s our job to ensure your safety, so we’re just sitting in, but the two of you can go on as if we’re not even here.” Harris and the other officer sat down and kept quiet.

  Marson turned back to RaShawn. “I’m listening.”

  Sitting down, RaShawn told him. “I’m here because someone helped me to realize that the way I handled things when I asked the six of you to step down, might have been a bit heavy handed… especially in your case.”

  “Why especially my case? Do you mean the fact that I wasn’t sleeping with my members or stealing church funds? Is that what has softened your heart towards me?”

  RaShawn could understand if Marson despised him for a lifetime. He had dismissed this man not because of sinful flaws, as the other preachers had been dismissed, but because he simply couldn’t run an effective ministry if his life depended on it. “I may have been too harsh the last time we spoke. Maybe I should have partnered you with another pastor, someone who could have built you up in the skills that you lack.”

  Marson turned to the officers in the room. “Is this one of the worst apologies you’ve ever heard or what?”

  Harris and the other officer laughed. “It is pretty bad.”

  Come on, Lord Jesus, I need You. “I don’t mean to offend you,” RaShawn said quickly. “I just believe that I could have handled your situation differently. And if I had, you wouldn’t be sitting here waiting to see if some maniac is going to try to kill you.”

  “I will admit that part is a problem for me,” Marson said good naturedly. “That’s probably the only bad thing about this situation.”

  “What do you mean?” RaShawn asked, confused by the fact that Marson didn’t consider losing his ministry to be a bad thing.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Marson said, “I was very angry with you when you asked me to step down. Johnson, Brown and Hartman,” he counted off the pastors who had been fired before him, “I understood why you asked them to step down, because everyone knew how raggedy their lives were. But I hadn’t done any of those things, so I kept telling myself that there had been some kind of mistake.

  “But God doesn’t make mistakes. So, then I started praying and asking Him what He wanted from me. And do you know what I discovered?”

  RaShawn shook his head.

  “I discovered that although I loved the people in the ministry, I dreaded just about everything else about leading a ministry. God showed me that I am an evangelist. So, now I’m just waiting on Him to send me wherever there is a need.”

  RaShawn felt the Lord nudging him, bringing back to his remembrance the fact that he needed an evangelist for the revival this weekend. “I don’t know how you feel about hanging out with me, but I believe that the Lord has opened a spot for you. I happen to be in need of an evangelist for this weekend’s revival.”

  Marson steepled his hands as he closed his eyes and said a quick prayer. When he opened his eyes again, he smiled at RaShawn. “I’m in. That is, if my police detail will allow me to preach at the event.”

  “Just don’t drink any grape juice,” Detective Harris said.

  “That reminds me. I think I need to cancel the communion for this Sunday. We use the pre-made communion cups, but just to be on the safe side, I don’t think we’ll be passing that out until you catch this Avenger person.”

  After leaving Marson’s home, Detective Harris and RaShawn drove over to Marvel Williams’ house. But things did not go as well with Marvel. There would be no reconciliat
ion. RaShawn hadn’t even been able to apologize to Marvel about the harsh way in which he’d spoken to the man at their last meeting.

  Marvel opened his front door and the moment he saw RaShawn, he shouted, “Get off my porch.”

  “If you can just give me a few minutes, Marvel. I just want to speak with you about our last meeting.”

  “You and I have said everything we’re ever going to say to each other. I tried to tell you that I need to support my son, but you wouldn’t listen.”

  “I may have been a bit harsh when speaking with you that day, and I wish I could have been more respectful in the way I spoke to you, but even though I still don’t agree with what you did. I’m ready to listen.”

  Marvel’s lip curled, he almost cursed RaShawn, but instead decided to slam the door in his face.

  RaShawn lifted his hand to knock on the door, but Detective Harris stopped him. “Count your blessings, Bishop. At least Marson isn’t still holding a grudge. You really didn’t expect both of them to sing songs of praise with you tonight, did you?”

  “That would have been nice,” RaShawn admitted as he stepped off Marvel’s porch with his head held low.

  “Cheer up, Bishop, 50/50 ain’t bad,” Harris told him as they got into his car.

  This wasn’t a popularity contest. God didn’t call him to make friends. So RaShawn should have worn the fact that Marvel Williams couldn’t stand the sight of him like a badge of honor. After all, Marvel was the one who stood in his pulpit and married his son to another man, as if God would ever be okay with that.

  The fact that Marvel Williams couldn’t just admit that he was wrong and repent, was astonishing to RaShawn. He had to find a way to show Marvel the truth of God.

  Chapter Ten

  Britney was going to get answers about her mother’s weird behavior concerning Uncle Tony. Since her father and uncle were both deceased, she turned to the only person she’d be able to get the truth from.

  Aunt Carla had been married to her uncle for thirty years before she finally divorced him. She loved him and tried to stay with him. But her uncle didn’t know how to treat the woman he’d told her on many occasions was the love of his life. Now he was dead and Auntie Carla was the only one she could turn to.

  They clung to each other as any two people would who’d experienced a loss that cut deep down into their souls. “How are you doing, honey?” Carla asked as they broke apart.

  “I’ve been better, but I don’t have to tell you that.”

  “You certainly don’t.” Carla put an arm around Britney and went into the family room with her. As they sat down across from each other, Carla smiled at her as she asked, “So what brings you all this way out here?”

  “I can hardly believe that you’re living on a farm now. You always seemed like such a city girl to me.” Britney needed a moment. She didn’t know how to just come out and ask her question, so talking about the farm beat talking about the weather.

  “I never thought I’d like being more than twenty miles from the nearest mall either. But it’s so serene and peaceful out here… this place turned out to be just what I needed.”

  “I wish you and Uncle Tony had this place when I was a kid. I would have loved feeding chickens and being able to ride a horse in all this space you have out here.”

  “I wish you and my other kids could have enjoyed the peacefulness of this place when you were kids too. But Tony didn’t like country living. Everything had to be fast-paced for that husband of mine.”

  Britney smiled as she remembered the corvette and the mustang her uncle kept in his garage and constantly tinkered with. But then she backtracked, as something that Carla said took on a deeper meaning than it ever had the numerous times she’d heard her say it before. “You’ve always included me when you speak of your children, and I spent every summer with you and most holidays too. Why would you and Uncle Tony do all that for me when you didn’t have to?”

  Putting a hand on Britney’s arm, Carla said, “Because we love you, sweetheart.”

  “I know you love me. And I’m so thankful for that. I felt so unloved at home, but every time I stayed with you and Uncle Tony, I felt as if I was part of a real family, you know?”

  Carla nodded. “We prayed that you would feel that way when you were with us.”

  Getting to the reason for her visit, Britney said, “I’m just confused about a few things and I was hoping that you could help me understand some things.”

  “Are you hungry?” Carla asked popping up. “I was just about to fix some dinner when you arrived.”

  Britney grabbed hold of her aunt’s hand. “Do you mind if we eat later? I really need to talk to you.”

  Carla sat back down, fear etched across her face as she said, “Okay, ask away.”

  “I never knew my father. According to my mom, he died two weeks before I was born in a car accident. The marriage certificate shows that they were only married for three months. And I pulled my birth certificate and no father was listed. Why wouldn’t she have listed Philip Hartman as my father if he really was? It shouldn’t have mattered that he died; she was his wife, so the hospital would have allowed his name to go on my birth certificate, right?”

  “She was supposed to put Phillip’s name on your birth certificate, but after he died, your mother refused to do it.”

  “Why?” Britney asked, not understanding any of the strangeness that went on in her family.

  Closing her eyes, Carla took a deep breath and then spoke the truth. “Because Philip wasn’t your real father.”

  Britney wanted to be surprised, shocked, appalled even. But her mother had done so much to her that the knowledge that she had lied about who her father was did nothing more than cause an aha moment. “That’s why she always acts as if Tony is only my “play” uncle when she gets mad at him. She knew that he was only pretending to be my uncle because she had tricked his poor unsuspecting brother into marrying her.”

  “There’s more to it than that, I’m afraid.”

  Britney’s eyebrow arched as she stared at her “aunt.” “How can there be more than this? Don’t tell me that my real father was some serial killer… or a drug addict. But actually, I would believe it if he were a drug addict… that would explain why I had been drawn to drugs so easily.”

  “Tony came to see me about two weeks before he died. He told me that he couldn’t live with so many secrets anymore. He wanted to tell you everything. I agreed with him, so I guess the task has been left to me now.”

  “I was supposed to have breakfast with him the same week he died.” Putting her hands over her face, she admitted, “I would have been so sad if he had told me that he isn’t actually my uncle.”

  “Tony loved you so dearly. I believe he loved me too. But what you have to understand is that he didn’t love either of us more than he loved himself… he wasn’t prepared to sacrifice his ministry for you and he wouldn’t stop his womanizing so that we could be happy.”

  “What are you saying? Why would Uncle Tony need to sacrifice his ministry for me?” Britney was getting this awful feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “At the end, though, he was a changed man. Bishop Thomas asking him to step down had humbled him… made him look over the lives he’d destroyed along the way. He made amends with me and our kids and he wanted to do the same with you.”

  Tears rolled down Britney’s face as she waited for her aunt to say the words that would forever change the dynamic of her belief system. Tony had always been a hero to her, but was her aunt now telling her that he was actually nothing more than a man who willfully neglected his responsibilities?

  “Tony was your father.”

  The fact that her mother had lied to her all these years had been nothing new, and hadn’t upset Britney in the least. But to know that her beloved uncle was actually her father and that he left her in that house of horrors with only summer and holiday breaks was more than she could digest.

  Her chest heaved as a rain fores
t of tears covered her face. Britney wrapped a hand around her mouth and ran to the bathroom. She prostrated herself in front of the toilet. Carla ran up behind her and pulled back her hair as Britney heaved and released… heaved and released until the contents of her stomach had emptied.

  Carla handed her a towel to wipe her mouth. “It’s okay, hon. You have a right to be upset. But don’t you ever forget how much Tony and I loved you.”

  “Why didn’t anyone tell me? Why did he leave me with those awful people?” Sitting down on the bathroom floor, Britney tried to make sense out of everything she now knew.

  “I don’t expect you to understand, ‘cause it was complicated. Your mother thought that Tony would marry her once she told him she was pregnant. When he offered up his brother instead, she never forgave him. We rarely saw you the first few years of your life. But when Lisa became a judge, she finally relented. She had worked so hard to get that position, she didn’t want a scandal of any kind.”

  Anger boiled up in Britney. She got off the floor and dried her eyes. “You know what, Aunt Carla, I think it’s high time that my mother gets what’s coming to her. She has always treated me like I was the worst thing that ever happened to her and now I know why.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to introduce the world to the real Lisa Hartman.”

  “Be careful, honey, your mother doesn’t fight fair.”

  “Neither do I,” Britney said as she grabbed her purse and headed back to the city.

  ***

  The revival kicked off in the morning and RaShawn still wasn’t settled in his spirit. Marvel Williams was heavy on his mind. He feared that the way he’d handled the situation with Marvel might have caused the man to turn away from God and ministry altogether. He couldn’t allow that to happen, not when Marvel’s soul was in jeopardy.

  Daniel Marson and Marvel Williams had always been tight and had supported each other in ministry through the years. A thought struck RaShawn and he picked up the phone. “I hope this is coming from You, Lord, ‘cause I’m fresh out of ideas.” He dialed Marson’s number and waited until it was picked up. “Hey, Minister Marson, I don’t want to keep you; I’m sure you’re putting your sermon together for tomorrow, but I need a favor.”