Good to Me (14 page)

Brother Hankins delegated devotional tasks to two of the intercessors. As the men joined hands, Hankins asked for prayer requests
and concerns.

“I have a prayer need,” Joseph said. “I would like to ask God for wisdom about how to handle a situation. Please pray for
God’s wisdom and His will concerning me and a minister friend of mine named Charity Phillips from Charlotte, North Carolina.”
He closed his eyes and waited to hear the next prayer request.

Joseph listened as a few others submitted concerns and needs. Brother Hankins asked if there was anything else to consider
for prayer. No one said anything. Joseph opened his eyes to observe the group. Every head was bowed and every eye closed.
Most of the brothers were still holding hands. Some were swaying from side to side, some were waiting, and some were already
praying quietly. One of Joseph’s friends, Brother Hunting, was praying in the Spirit.

“Brother Hunting,” Brother Hankins called to him. “Will you pray for us tonight?”

Brother Hunting could still be heard praying in tongues, but he acknowledged the request by nodding. “Thank you, Jesus,” he
said, beginning his prayer. “Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for being so awesome and wise. Thank You for Your righteousness,
provision, and loving kindness. Thank You for allowing us to come to You tonight by Your grace and mercy. We have requests
to lift up to You tonight, Father. We promise to trust You with the outcome of them, Lord. You are faithful and just and Your
ways are perfect. I come to You on behalf of my brother, Lord. Thank You for preserving a wife for him in Charlotte, North
Carolina…”

Joseph’s eyes popped open.
Did he say what I think he just said?
He looked over at Allen to see if he had heard him too. Allen was looking at him with the same expression. Joseph took it
as confirmation, smiled, and bowed his head to focus on the rest of the prayer.

IT WAS TUESDAY MORNING
and the Word of God wasn’t the only thing that quickened Charity’s spirit. A 5:30 telephone call from Emmitt had been just
as jolting. She was studying her daily devotional Scriptures when the ringing phone startled her.

“Hello?” she answered expecting an emergency.

“Good morning, Charity. It’s me, Emmitt.”

“Is everything all right?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to catch you before you started your day.”

“For?” She was annoyed when his voice did not sound as urgent as a phone call at this time of morning should.

He paused. “I was calling to ask you for your work address… I would like to send you something.”

“Did Xavier leave something?”

“No, this is something for you.”

“For me?” Her response was between blushing and disbelief.

“Uhm hum. Where do I send it to?”

Before she could answer she had a flashback of anger about Shawanda and their daughter Destiny. “Look Emmitt, I don’t have
time for any games. I’m not interested in receiving a wedding invitation. Nor am I interested in a family photo of you and
your new family.”

He chuckled. “Girl, you’re crazy. Didn’t I tell you I wasn’t ever getting married again?”

“Oh, don’t act like I ruined it for you.”

The tone of his voice changed. “Sweetie, I didn’t call you to fight. I called to see if I could get your work address. Are
you going to give it to me?”

There were certain things about him she couldn’t resist, little things that made her want him. Like the tone of voice he was
using; it was a decibel above a bedroom whisper. She squeezed her legs together so that she would think only with her head.
A big part of her still loved him and would do anything to have her marriage restored. What she wouldn’t give to have her
son’s father in the home with him. She softened, “Emmitt, I’m afraid to trust you. Every time I do, I get hurt. Which means
my trust is in the wrong place anyway. So, I’m going to trust God on this one.”

“That’s the way it should be anyway.”

At least they agreed on that one thing. And to Charity that was evidence that God was performing His Word concerning their
reconciliation.

“What is it that you’re sending?”

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you. Now would it?”

She praised God silently. “Is it good or bad?” she asked with a chuckle.

“I’ll let you be the judge of that.”

“I can’t wait to see this. Are you ready for the address?”

“Uhm hum.”

“It’s a long address, so I’ll give it to you slow. On the first line put Charlotte Executive Park… Present Day Office
Building.” It sounded like he gasped for air. “Emmitt, are you there?”

“Yeah, uhm. I just got the hiccups.” He made another noise but it was different from the one she heard at first.

“Oh. Did you get the first part?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“On the second line put Horizons, Suite 505… care of Charity Phillips… and lastly the zip code is 28269.”

“When should I expect the surprise?”

“What’s today?… Tuesday?… You should have it by Monday.”

“I’ll tell Iesha to look out for it.”

“Iesha?”

“Yes, she’s my admin—my secretary,” she said, remembering that Emmitt used to accuse her of relaying bigger words to intimidate
him.

“All right then. I know you gotta get ready to get Lil’ Man up and get ready for work, so I’m going to let you go.”

The throbbing between her legs started again. “Emmitt, when are we going to talk?”

“Soon. You go on and do what you have to do. Don’t be late on my account. Wrap up; the Weather Channel says that Charlotte’s
morning low is twenty-eight degrees out there. Don’t forget to lock up and drive carefully.”

She crossed her legs and pressed them together, hard. It felt good to know he still cared. “Thank you.”

He sounded like he was smiling. “No, thank you.”

She wanted to end the conversation with a confession of her love for him, but Emmitt hung up before she could. It seemed abrupt
but the way he thanked her did sound like he was saying good-bye.

She looked at the clock and noticed she was running behind, but this was worth it. She knelt and thanked God for answering
her prayers concerning her husband. “And whatever You send through him, Lord,” she confessed. “Be it flowers, a check, or
a ring. I receive it in Jesus’ name.”

By the way Iesha set up the conference room, it looked like a second open house was about to take place. She wanted their
first staff meeting to be memorable. On a purple linen cloth that she had centered on the executive meeting table, she placed
three goblets she had brought from home, a pillar candle, cheddar cheese, crackers, a fresh fruit tray, and a bottle of sparkling
white grape juice. She lit the candle and turned on the flash for the disposable camera.

“Charity’s going to be so surprised,” she announced, clapping her hands.

“It’s not good to be seen talking to yourself, young lady.”

It was one thing that Harmony’s voice annoyed her, and another that it took her forever to say whatever she had to say. Iesha
pivoted on one foot to face her. “You’ve got some nerve to be talking, Ms.-tap-into-the-potential-within.”

Harmony walked past her to put her belongings on the table. “Oh, darling. The power of quiet time can be profoundly healing.
It’s like showing up for an appointment with God.”

Iesha looked her up and down. Harmony was dressed in a lavender tie-dyed frock with black tights and brown moccasin-looking
shoes. “I’m sorry I gave you the impression that I have time to talk to you. But this conversation will take more time than
I have to give. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go get the rest of what we’ll need for this meeting.”

By the time Iesha reached her desk to retrieve the agendas she had typed, she found herself praying. “I’m sorry, God. You’re
going to have to help me with that woman. I just can’t do her. But … that doesn’t give me a right to be nasty. Forgive
me.” She untaped the paper from her computer that held a list of scriptural verses, which Charity had made for her. She read
from the paper. “I am a new creature in Christ. Old things have passed away. I am redeemed from the law of sin and death.
In all these things I am more than a conqueror. Amen.”

Harmony was reading the newspaper when Iesha returned. Iesha sat across from her. “Hey, Harmony.” Harmony lowered the paper.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the attitude I just gave you.”

“That’s okay, young lady.” Iesha cringed at the sound of her voice. “I know it’s hard when you have a lot on you.”

Iesha raised her eyebrow. “What makes you think I have a lot on me?”

“I’m a therapist, remember?”

“Oh.” Iesha felt relieved for a sensible answer.

“I guess it’s a gift. Charity has it too. Seems like she can see right through me.”

“Is that so?”

Iesha figured she didn’t have anything to lose and decided to open up to Harmony. “Yeah. I’ll never forget the time we went
to this Chinese shack on the west side for lunch. These two dudes walked in and stood behind us while we were looking at the
menu boards. I turned around to tell them they could order their food because we couldn’t make up our minds. Charity turned
around to let them know she agreed. Before they could even move forward, she nudged me and told me we needed to get out of
there. I thought she was just paranoid because we were on my side of town. But as soon as we got into the car, we heard yelling,
screaming, and a couple of gunshots. I drove like crazy while she called the police on her cell phone. Ever since then, she’s
only got to tell me something once, and it’s done… She calls it listening to the Holy Spirit.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about, tapping into the power within. All of us possess that ability.”

Iesha shrugged her shoulders. “I guess.”

“You guess? There’s a piece of God within us all. I’ve been reading this great book,
A Course in Miracles
. I’m going to have to let you borrow it because it’ll help you along your spiritual journey. I’ve learned that man is God
and God is man, and that we have so much potential within ourselves. The only thing that stands between us and God is ignorance
of who we really are.”

Iesha shook her head as if she were trying to shake water out of her ears. “Let’s change the subject, because you’re making
my head swim.”

Harmony’s face disappeared behind the newspaper again. “What’s your zodiac sign?”

Now this was a subject Iesha could relate to and have a decent conversation about with Harmony. “I’m a Leo to my heart.”

“Leo,” Harmony read from the paper. “What you neglected forty-eight hours ago commands immediate attention. Family, employment
spotlighted. Love walks in today.”

Iesha cocked her head back. “What? That’s why I don’t go by those things anymore. They don’t make any sense. Let the horoscopes
tell it, I meet a new love every day.”

Harmony bent the paper back enough to see Iesha. “What it’s saying is that whatever you did forty-eight hours ago is consuming
you, it has all of your attention. And it has to do with your family or your job, or both. And that you will meet someone
today.”

“Okay, I’ll give you the first part. That’s true. But if I meet someone I could fall in love with today, you and I are gonna
be buddies for the rest of our lives.”

Iesha watched Harmony’s mouth turn up into a grinch-like smile.

“You shouldn’t smile like that, makes you look like evil. See what Charity’s horoscope says, she’s a Capricorn.”

“Capricorn. Long-awaited news can relate to one who played an important role in the past. Spiritual values surface; you adopt
a philosophical attitude where family, loved ones are concerned. Don’t let past interfere with future success.”

“Can you translate that, please?”

“Charity is waiting for something from someone who used to be important to her. Because it’s been a long time coming, she
questions what, or whom, she believes. She’s still living her life in the past and people are concerned about her.” Harmony
lowered the paper.

“I don’t know about that one, Harmony. I don’t know anyone who is as strong in their faith as Charity. If any of us are concerned,
it’d be about her being too strong in her faith, but not because she ain’t strong enough. So I don’t know about that one.”

“It didn’t say specifically what you’d be concerned about. It just said that you would be.”

Iesha looked at the clock. It was only 9:50.
Ten o’clock, please come on
. Harmony must’ve seen her look at the clock, because she said, “Besides, it’s too early to say it’s not true. It’s just nine
fifty. The universe is still in motion, orchestrating and aligning things to push us toward being our higher selves. Only
some of us won’t go. Too afraid. Too busy holding on to hurts and pasts we can’t change. If only we knew how great we were.
How divine we are. If we’d only quit holding on to this sin-sick-soul mentality.”

“Earth to Harmony. Girl, do you ever have plain conversations? Hel-lo, we were talking about horoscopes.”

Harmony picked up the newspaper again. “I’m a Gemini, the twins. It says that I am no longer plagued by indecision. I know
what I want and what I have to do to get it. Proceed with my plans. Don’t hesitate to pull strings.”

“Yours is pretty cut and dry.”

Harmony reached into her pocket. “I know, but I got my lucky rabbit’s foot just in case.”

“Iii-uh.” Iesha cringed. “What in the world is that?”

“A rabbit’s foot. The kind they sell in the stores are not real, this one is an orig—”

“Well, well, well.” Charity strolled in. “What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful staff?” Iesha was glad that Charity’s
eyes were focused on the food on the table, because if she had caught Harmony slipping that dingy rabbit’s foot back into
her pocket, she would’ve had a fit. “Look at this spread,” she heard Charity say.

“I wanted our first staff meeting to be special.”

“Thank you, Iesha.” Charity walked over to hug her sister. “This is special.”

Harmony agreed. “It is special. May I make a toast?”

“That would be nice, Harmony,” Charity said. “But I would like to lead us in prayer.”