The Love of You, A Novel
"Tracey, are you there?” asked Mya as she looks at her cell phone to check to see if it is on. “Yeah, I can hear you.” Tracey responded. “Guess what? I think I am in love.” said Mya. “What? Who is he? Girl, spill it.” said Tracey as she gets out of her car to meet Simone for lunch. “His name is Jay Walbush and he is an account executive for Homebound Mortgage. He is so fine. He has a smile that could light up Iceland on the coldest night.” answered Mya. Mya hold on. Tracey answers the call on the other line. “Girl, I see you Simone. I‘ll be at the table in five seconds. I have to call you back and hear about this Jay.” responded Tracey before hanging up her phone. She leans over to hug Simone before taking her seat. “I have to call Mya back, she is in love.” said Tracey. “Who is he? shouted Simone. “I’ll let her tell you.” Tracey responded. Tracey calls Mya back and puts her on speaker phone. “Hey, it’s Tracey, girl. I am going to put you on speaker phone so Simone can hear.” Tracey said to Mya. “Hi, My-. What’s going on?” said Simone. “I met a man and his name is Jay Walbush. We’ve been seeing each other for over a month now. I’m in love.” Mya shouted through her cell phone. “O-o-o-o-h” Tracey and Simone said in unison. “Tracey asked Mya. “My- is he the one?” With a deep breath Mya said respond, “Yes, he is the one. Everything is not perfect but he is the one.” ‘How, where did you meet him?” ask Simone. “He is one of the wholesale account executives that service the broker shop.” Mya replied. “Anyway, I have to tell you more about it at prayer next Thursday. Gotta go, the meeting is about to start.” she said before hanging up the phone. Tracey, said, “Isn’t that great?” to Simone. “Yeah, it’s wonderful. I am glad she has finally found someone before her dress went out season.” respond Simone. “What?” “Never mind. Tell me why you wanted to meet today.” said Simone. “Well, I need a job. I really don’t have any experience that I can think of but I thought you could help me with my computer skills.” said Tracey. “Sure, that’s what I am here for.” “Tracey, how are you and Nelson doing?” Tracey put her head down slightly before replying, ‘We’re okay.” “Really.” ask, Simone. “No. I think Nelson is having an affair.” said Tracey. “Girl, please the way that man is by your side in church. Are you sure?” asked Simone. “Well he hasn’t tried to touch me in a few months now. He just comes home, eats, plays with the kids and goes to bed. We don’t talk anymore.” she replied. The waiter comes to the table and they stop their conversation long enough to order a drink, salad and sandwich. “Tracey, have your tried talking to him? Tell him what you are feeling.” “I can’t. He will not want me anymore.” Tracey replied. “What could you say that will possibly cause that man to walk out on you.” asked Simone. “I don’t like sex. I hate it.”, said Tracey. “Girl, I’ll admit it can be a little routine from time to time after you’ve been married a while but you don’t hate it, do you?” ask Simone. “Maybe you and Nelson need to get away for the weekend. Why don’t you bring the kids to my house so you and Nelson can spend some time alone? You know, try something new…strike a match to start the flames again. Why don’t you like sex? ”Simone continued. “When I was growing up, my uncle sexually abused me.” said Tracey. She’s relieved she can finally talk about it without exploding into tears. “Okay. I can see why you hate it. Have you tried counseling? Have you talked to Pastor Earl?” ask Simone. “No and you are the only one I’ve told so don’t say anything to anyone, please!” replied Tracey. “Of, course not. This stays with us but Tracey you have to talk to someone before you lose your marriage. You have to tell Nelson. He will not leave you, that man loves you. The two of you can get through this. He’s been maintaining all these years. He needs to know what’s going on with you. Don’t shut him out. Do it for the love you have for him. Do it for the love of you.” “I tried counseling and it was a waste of time.” said Tracey. “That’s probably because you went to the world instead of going to a believer that can show you how to apply the word of God to your problem. Go to Pastor and asked him to lead you to someone that can talk this out with you.” The waiter returns with their order. They both say thank you. Simone reached for Tracey’s hands and begins to grace the food.
Heavenly Father, thank you for providing for us as the Good Sheppard. I come before you lifting up my sister, Tracey. God you heal the broken hearted and you bind up their wounds. You are the great physician and the balm in Gilead. Your Word says, you will make us whole according to our faith. Father, I know you can give her beauty for ashes and turn her morning into dancing. Help her to forgive her uncle, her aunt and herself, Lord. Help her to release the pain and shame she experienced in her past. Your Word says, she shall hear the truth and the truth shall set her free. Give her husband the wisdom to wash his wife with the watering of the word. I speak restoration in to her now. She shall stand steadfast in the liberty that Christ has given her and she shall not be entangled again in the yoke of bondage. I declare that she is free. She is free to love her husband in all areas and she is free to receive his love for her in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Tracey looks up at Simone after she completes her prayer. Simone is glowing with the light of God. “God is stirring up the gifts in you when you pray now. You use more of God’s word and less of your own.” she said to Simone. “We hang around Mother Rich enough; we’ll all be praying the word, laying hands on the sick and seeing them recover. You can’t help but to connect to the anointing inside that woman.” said Simone. “I thank God for you.” replied Tracey. “I’m going to pray about it so God can lead me in the direction I need to go. I really love Nelson. He’s my best friend.” “I know you do and God loves both of you” “How did the dinner with your boss go?” ask Tracey. “It went.” answer Simone. “Oh, that bad, huh?” said Tracey. “No, it was that good…too good. I felt like I didn’t want it to end.” said Simone. “Oh.”, replied Tracey. “Girl, he really did all he could to take my mind off of Byron and Rowland. I haven’t been treated like that in a while. A girl could get use to that quickly.” said Simone as she sipped her tea. “Yeah, a single girl could get use to that very quickly, Mrs. Benson.”, responded Tracey. “Awhh- don’t remind me. I can’t wait until this divorce is final. I would love to throw Byron’s name back in his face.” said Simone. “Tracey, I’ve got to get back to work. “Will I see at prayer this Thursday?” she asks. “You know I’ll be there. I haven’t missed a week yet. It has been such a blessing.” Tracey replied. “Okay, you be blessed and I’ll see you then.” said Simone as she gathers her things to head back to the office.
Will The Real Mrs.McQueen Be Seated?
Sister Wilson, has Sister Todd made it to the airport yet? If so, tell her to come here instead of my home. “Yes Sir.” I almost forgot about my appointment. I’d much rather have this meeting off of church grounds but I guess everyone would find out sooner or later. I must admit I was very excited. This is something I’ve been looking forward to for the past two weeks. I heard over the phone intercom once more, "Pastor." "Yes Sister Wilson." "They are here." I stood to button my suit jacket and to check myself in the mirror on my wall before going to the door. "Good afternoon Pastor McQueen." "Sister Anita. Welcome. Come on in my office." She nodded and left. Prophet and Deacon walked past me with the trashcans to give them to the maintenance men. We walked in and I closed the door behind us. After offering Sister Anita a seat, I walked to my desk and paged Sister Wilson on the phone. “Hold all my calls please.” We were finally passed all the formalities. "Ezra, look at you. You have grown into your calling." "You look well yourself Anita. What has it been…two years?" "Yeah, it’s good to be back in the States." "You were in the Philippines right?" "No, Puerto Rico." "Puerto Rico? I thought you were on the mission field and all this time you were on vacation." “People in paradise need salvation, too. It was hard work. “ she replied. Yeah, right. Sure it was hard work. I said in a gesture and we both laughed. Seriously, we spent a lot of time undoing the damage of various religious beliefs mingled with witchcraft. Some of the natives were praying to the Virgin Mary Statue while sprinkling salt and pepper at it. “What was that suppose to do?”, I asked. Anita rhetorically replied. “Who knows the answer to that question? It’s amazing what was passed down from generation to generation and nobody really knows why. They just do it because of tradition. Our team spent the first eighteen months preaching on the salvation and applying the Blood of Jesus to every adversary of the gospel. “That’s the only message to preach to unbelievers. That’s the gospel. Well, I am glad you are back. I missed my friend. Hey, remember we were eight years old and how we use to pretend your tree house was a ship? , she asked me. We would sail from place to place telling everybody about Jesus? Are you kidding? How could I forget? That ship must have traveled the entire world at least seven times. We use to go in my father’s office to find places on the globe we could dock . We went from Haiti to Russia, to India and then China. What was the name of the ship? “Oh, umm, The Anointed Arc.”, she answered while shifting in her seat. That’s right. It was The Anointed Arc. “Oh, remember the time we decided that we needed to get from Kenya to Iceland in a day?” Anita continued, “We ignored the calls of our parents to come to dinner. “Don’t remind me.” I said while shaking my head. They came looking for us so you convince me to climb on the roof of the tree house so we could finish our voyage. You had the nerve to back it up with scripture. I then used the most sarcastic female voice I could muster to mimic Anita. “Jesus said who is my mother! “ That’s when I fell from the tree house roof to the ground and my dad backed up that whipping he laid on me with the scripture…spoil the rod and spare the child. After thirty years, I can still feel the belt smacking my backside. “Tell me about it. The switch my momma pulled from the hydrainia bush left quite an impression on my legs.” , she laughingly replied. “ I know everybody in the neighborhood could hear you crying, screaming and hollering. “ Please Momma. Momma, I won’t do it again. Please Momma. I won’t do it again Momma.” I said mimicking Anita once more. Please, you were on the other side of the yard trying to be brave and trying not to shed a tear. That’s why your whipping was prolonged for an extra five minutes. I replied, “You are right about that. I figured Jesus didn’t open his mouth when he was being whipped so I wasn’t going to open mine. Soon, I reached a point where I couldn’t take it anymore so I cried out, Lord why did you leave me? “And your daddy replied, He left you because you forgot the commandment to obey your mother and father.” We both laughed from the gut. “I think that comment insured me of another three minutes. “Now look at you…you’re traveling all over the country, preaching and teaching. You’ve hosted The Pastor’s Study on GBN. I leave to host the show again this week. To God be the glory.”, Anita commented. Yes, to God be the glory. Are you hungry? “Yes, I can eat something. We can go to the Inner Harbor and grab a bite. “ That sounds good. The Inner Harbor is one of my favorite places in Baltimore.” Great! Let’s go. We got up to leave my office for lunch and continue to catch up. Sister Wilson, I’m going out for a while and I will be back later this afternoon. Okay, Pastor.