Preacher's Wifey (11 page)

That was the same line I gave all the visitors.

She, however, did not like the impersonal treatment. “Look, you can save all of that for someone else. I don't need a speech,” she said and moved out of the way to let me come in. “Ms. Todd, your ride is here.”

“Well, she will have to wait a minute, because I ain't quite through getting my things together. Come on in here and have a seat, honey. It's gone be a minute,” a short, dark skinned, petite woman said. “Don't just stand there. Go on and sit down.”

I did as she asked me to do. She was a darker version of Seth and did not look sick at all. She appeared to be as healthy as me.

“Ms. Todd usually likes to have a warning before Dr. Carson comes or sends someone for her. But in light of everything going on, she understands he wasn't able to do that,” Suzanne said, not knowing I had already been warned that it would take a while.

Ms. Todd stopped packing to ask, “Where is my grandson? Is he all right?”

“He is at the clinic, and yes, ma'am, he is fine. At least it seems that way to me.”

I wanted to add that I was really worried and had been concerned about leaving him there alone, but I did not want to give the wrong impression—especially in front of Suzanne.

“Uh-huh. Now, who are you? You work for him, or you one of his patients?” Ms. Todd asked.

Before I could get a response out, Suzanne beat me to it.

“Ms. Todd, this is Pastor Byran Ward's wife. Remember me telling you about the church I was visiting before I moved here? Well, it's such a small world, because this lady is that pastor's wife. Strange, isn't it?”

Suzanne was messy, just like the other folks around this place. I could tell she was hinting at something, but I refused to give her any satisfaction. My mother had always taught me if you cannot prevent yourself from being exposed, expose yourself before anyone else has the opportunity to do it.

“She is right, Ms. Todd. I am a friend of your grandson, and he and I happened to be at the same place when the news broke on CNN. He was visibly shaken, and I was very concerned about him driving all this way alone, so I came with him.”

“I see,” Ms. Todd said and resumed packing. I looked at what was in her bag, and it seemed as if she was planning to stay at Seth's forever. She had enough clothes in there to last a couple of months.

“Do you need help with anything?” I offered.

“She doesn't like for anyone to bother her personal things. She will manage just fine,” Suzanne said. I could have been reading into it, but I gathered that for some reason Suzanne didn't too much care for me.

“That's fine. I was just offering,” I said as nicely as I could. She needed to back down, because I was definitely not the one she wanted to start a war with.

Ms. Todd suddenly stopped packing and fixed her eyes on the flat panel that was hanging on the wall across from her bed. “Suzanne, turn that up,” she snapped.

We all turned our attention to the TV.

“We are back on location at the abortion clinic that was bombed late this morning. We are standing here with Dr. Seth Carson, owner of the clinic. Dr. Carson, thank you for taking the time to speak to us. First of all, how are you holding up?” the CNN correspondent asked.

“As anyone would feel, I guess. To go out of town on business, only to get back in town to find out that something terrible like this has happened, is unbelievable.”

“I cannot imagine what must be going through your head right now. Outside of the destruction, you lost your entire staff in this horrendous crime.”

Seth dropped his head, and I could see that he was fighting back tears. Sadness swept over me as I recalled the day I had met Cindy, his receptionist, as well as his nurse. Although Cindy was not as friendly as his nurse, no one deserved to have their life snatched away from them.

“Those girls were like family to me. I have had the same staff since I opened the clinic. I feel terrible, because I perform procedures only Wednesday through Friday. I allowed them to come in Monday and Tuesday to give them more hours. They were all single mothers trying to make a living to support their kids.” This time Seth allowed the tears to fall.

The correspondent took a moment to allow him to pull himself together before she continued. “We are deeply sorry for your loss. We talked to a few people who are familiar with you and your staff, and everyone has good things to say about you. When you opened your clinic, I am sure you had heard about other bombings that had taken place at various abortion clinics across the country. Did you ever think you might be the victim of such a crime?”

“Not at all. I still maintain my stance. Women come and utilize our services because they choose to. We do not force anything on anyone. We have had a few peaceful protesters in the past, doing nothing more than waving signs and shouting. This . . . this is shocking.”

“Just a couple more questions. What do you plan to do now? Are you going to try to rebuild? We interviewed some of the locals, and we are told you had one of the most, if not
the
most, professional and nicest facilities in the area.”

“I have not thought about what I will do tomorrow or the next day. I am still trying to get through this day.”

“I understand. Before I let you go, have you heard any updates concerning the woman who was severely injured as she was walking into the clinic? I am told her name is Helen Reese.”

“No, I have not heard any updates.”

“Okay, thank you for speaking with us, Dr. Carson. We wish you the best of luck in the days to come, and again, you have our deepest sympathy.”

“Thank you.”

Seth turned to walk away as the correspondent ended her special report. My heart broke for him, and it was difficult holding back the tears I wanted to release on his behalf. His life had turned upside down in a matter of hours, and I could only imagine how he felt.

“Suzanne,” Ms. Todd said, “get my cosmetic bag for me out of the bathroom. I am ready to go and get to my grandson.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Suzanne said, then went and got her bag.

“Are you ready to go, Mrs. Ward?” Ms. Todd asked.

“Please . . . call me Allyson. And, yes, I am ready when you are.”

“I am ready.”

She grabbed her purse and sweater and laid the sweater over her arm. She walked toward the door, grabbing her walking cane from the corner. Suzanne followed behind her with her bags, and I followed behind Suzanne. On my way out, I noticed several pictures of her and Seth sitting on the kitchen countertop. I wanted to lag behind a little to get a good look at them but decided against it.

As we walked to the elevator, Ms. Todd took slow, deliberate steps. She might look and act younger and healthier than she was, but her movements were that of a tired, sickly woman. We finally got to the elevator and rode back down to the first floor.

“Willie Jo, I am praying for your boy. I just saw him on the news. He will pull through this just fine. With the help of the good Lawd, things will work out,” an older, gray-haired woman said.

“Charlie Mae, I sure do 'preciate the prayers. Keep him lifted up. We will get through this like we have gotten through everything else,” Ms. Todd replied.

“I know you will. Just wanted you to know that you both are in my prayers,” the old lady said.

“Mine too,” a tall, slender man chimed in. “You know I love you, Willie Jo. I'd do anything I could to help you. You take care of Seth. He will need you.”

“I love you too, old man,” Ms. Todd teased. “And you don't have to worry about Seth. I am going to take care of him through this, just as I always have.”

“How long you gonna be gone?” the man asked.

“I reckon just a few days. I can't really say right now. Got to see how long my baby gon' need me.”

“You take it easy, now.” The man walked over to Ms. Todd and hugged her. “Gon' miss you round here.”

“Jimmy, I'll be back,” she said, pushing him off. “You act like I'm gon' be gone forever.”

“A day without you being round here seems like forever to me,” this Jimmy person said.

“Oh, Jimmy, stop,” she said, waving him off.

Suzanne pushed her big butt into the conversation. “Ms. Todd, everybody here knows that Mr. Jimmy is sweet on you,” she said, laughing.

“That ain't none of your business if he is,” Ms. Todd shot back.

Suzanne quickly got rid of that grin on her face. I loved it. So much so, I almost laughed out loud.

“Jimmy,” Ms. Todd continued, “I will see y'all when I get back. Now, you make sure you don't forget to watch
American Idol
tomorrow night. I'll be watching it from Seth's place.”

“I won't forget, Willie Jo,” he said.

“All right. I'll see y'all later,” she said and then turned to me. “I'm ready.”

Everyone else who had gathered to express their concern said their good-byes as we walked out to the car. Suzanne, without a word, put Ms. Todd's bags in the car and went back inside. Ms. Todd climbed in the car, and I made sure her seat belt was securely fastened before I got in. The valet guy gave me the keys, and we were off to the next address written on the piece of paper.

Seth's house.

The winding road seemed to be everlasting, especially with the deafening silence in the car. Seth gave a new meaning to living the country life. We were so far off the beaten path, I was beginning to wonder if I had somehow made a wrong turn.

“I bet you have never been this far back in the woods, have you?” Ms. Todd asked. Those were the first words she had spoken since we left her building more than twenty minutes ago. Neither of us had anything to say—our minds were on the same thing. Or person . . . Seth.

“No, ma'am, I cannot say that I have. I was just wondering if maybe I had taken a wrong turn somewhere.”

She chuckled. “We are almost there. Seth was raised in the country, on a farm, and so he duplicated his childhood habitat back out here in these sticks.”

“I see.”

“The only reason I do not live back out here with him is because I have to be closer to town in case I get sick.”

“Ms. Todd, you appear to be as healthy as any twenty-year-old I know.”

“You are too kind, dear, but Ms. Todd is a sick woman,” she said, referring to herself. “I have renal failure.”

“I am so sorry to hear that. Is it hereditary?”

“Well, my parents and one of my brothers died from it. After seven years, I am still holding on.”

“How often do you go to dialysis?”

“Twice a week. Supposed to be three times, but ain't no sense in going that much. There's nothing they can do in that extra day that they can't do in two.”

I nodded my head. “When you come back here to stay with Seth, what do you do about dialysis?”

“Seth calls a nurse in for me when I come here. There is an area set up in the house for me to take my dialysis.”

Wow.
Seth was becoming more attractive to me than he knew. To go to the extreme of setting up a room designated for his grandmother's treatment was honorable and admirable.

“Back at my apartment, Suzanne mentioned you are married to a pastor.”

“That is correct. I am.”

“You must not be too happy.”

“I'm fine. Why do you say that?”

“I'm an old woman, sweetie. You can't too much fool an old lady. I have been around for a long time, and I have pretty much seen it all. And by the look on your face anytime Seth's name is mentioned, I would say you are a little sweet on my grandson. Now, if you were happily married, I would be able to see that on your face too.”

She looked at me sneakily. But I was going to stand my ground for right now. I decided I would work harder at not showing any emotions. Besides, what would this woman think of me having feelings for her grandson, knowing I am married?

“Seth is a good man, Ms. Todd. I will not deny that. But I am married.”

“Chile, I already know you married. I asked if you were happily married. But you ain't got to answer, because I already know you are sweet on my Seth. I also know you married, but you ain't happy.”

You really couldn't fool old people.

“It's a challenge, but I am hanging in there.”

“Honey, all I can tell you is life is too short to live one second of it unhappy. I do understand that sometimes you have to fight for your marriage, but in order to do that, there has to be a marriage to fight for.”

Truer words had never been spoken.

“Here's your turn, baby. Welcome to Carson Land.”

I pulled into the stone driveway, and as far as I could see were acres and acres of green grass and rolling hills. A black wrought-iron fence outlined the property, and in the far distance I could see cows grazing in the field. I pulled up to the security gate.

“Dr. Carson, why are you . . .” The guard's voice trailed off as the window went farther down. “You are not Dr. Carson. Why are you driving his car?” he asked.

“Orlando, I'm in here,” Ms. Todd said.

He stooped down so he could get a better look inside the car. “Oh, Ms. Todd, I didn't see you. How are you doing today?” he said, smiling.

“I fair well to be an old lady. How are those kids of yours doing?”

“They are fine. Getting bigger by the day.”

“Good to hear it. Kinda in a hurry, son. Can you let us through?”

“Oh, yes, ma'am. Y'all take care. And please tell Dr. Carson he's in my prayers. I just got here, but I heard on the news what happened down there at the clinic. I suspect it won't be long before the media is tipped off and they find this place. But don't you worry. We will be prepared if they show up.”

“I know you will. And keep on praying. We need all the prayer we can get.”

He stepped back inside and pressed the button to open the gate. I drove for about half a mile before the most beautiful mansion I had ever seen came into plain view. It had seemed like the longest ride here, but now looking at this house made it worth it. Did performing abortions pay that well?

I was awestruck at what I saw. There was a lawn team working on his flower beds and shrubs, and no sooner could I open my door and get out than someone appeared.

“Mama Todd, it is so wonderful to see you, as always. We are so glad you are here,” a flamboyant woman said. She was pretty, with light brown eyes. Her hair was as long as mine but wavy. “When Suzanne called to say you were on the way, I was relieved. We have all been watching the news and are so concerned about Seth. At least we have you here. You are the closest thing to him we have until he comes himself. Your presence will be soothing.”

“Thank you, baby. I want you to meet, Allyson. She is one of Seth's friends,” Ms. Todd said, pointing to me. “Allyson, this is Melanie. She runs Carson Land for us.”

I walked over to her and extended my hand. I could have sworn I detected something strange about her, but I dismissed it. “Pleasure to meet you, Melanie.”

“Thanks,” she said briefly and turned back to Ms. Todd. “You must be exhausted with everything that has transpired today, and the drive here must have you fatigued as well. I know you had your dialysis this morning. I'm sure you want to rest.”

“I am tired, but I refuse to put my head to the pillow before I find out how Seth is doing. I need to hear from him before I can relax.”

“I know. We have all been sitting by the phone, waiting on a call. I have my phone right here,” she said, waving it, “because I am sure he is going to call me as soon as he gets a minute. I am usually the first person he calls when anything happens.”

“Help me in the house, baby. I want to at least rest these weary feet of mine. They don't have the same traveling ability they once had,” Ms. Todd said.

Melanie nodded. “Of course.”

We walked into the house, and straight ahead in the sitting room was a glass wall. Without even walking up to it, I could see the beautiful, sparkling pool that ran off into a gorgeous saltwater lake. This estate was breathtaking, to say the least. I thought I lived in luxury. Where I lived was nothing compared to this.

“Allyson, darling, have a seat,” Ms. Todd said, taking a seat herself on the cranberry Victorian couch. I sat across from her in a Queen Anne chair. This entire room had an antique theme. From the Roman column candlestick phone to the vintage record player, everything about the room was a time warp, but it was superbly done.

“Allyson, do I need to call a car service for you?” Melanie asked. The tone of her voice suggested her comment was more a statement than a question. She was trying to find out how much longer I would be staying. What was with this chick?

“No, Seth asked me to wait here for him.”

“I am sure he understands you cannot wait for him all night. You have a husband to get home to, right? Suzanne told me you were married.”

I wished I could slap Suzanne dead in the mouth. I knew she was trouble from the beginning. And whoever this Melanie woman was, she was about to learn what it meant to stay in her place. I was tired and did not feel like verbally sparring. But speaking of Byran, I knew he had to have called by now. With so much going on, I had honestly forgotten about my troubles back home. Just as I pulled my phone out of my purse to check and see if I had missed anything, it started ringing. So instead of answering Melanie, I flashed her a devilish grin and answered my phone instead.

“Hi, Seth. We have all been so worried. Are you okay?” I glared at Melanie and secretly hoped the saliva she was gulping down tasted a little like acid.

“Yes, baby, I am fine. Did you and Nana make it to the house yet? I know how long it can take her to get ready sometimes. I was trying to wait until I thought maybe you guys had gotten there,” he said.

“We are here. We arrived a few minutes ago.”

“Good. At least that is one thing off of my mind.”

“Where are you? When will you be here?”

“I am down at the police station right now. They are going over some details about the bombing. They have reason to believe that the protestors just happened to be there at the time of the bombing but were not actually responsible for it.”

“Are you serious?”

I looked over at Ms. Todd, who had a serious look on her face. Melanie, on the other hand, was furious. She was breathing hell's flames and could probably tear Mount Everest into pieces with her bare hands.

“Yes, a bystander was filming something else on his camera phone, but he captured something that looks interesting. The fire department is still developing a report, but it appears that maybe the bombs were placed inside rather than thrown inside. The detonators were found in three different locations. One of them was in my office.”

“You have got to be kidding me!” I exclaimed. “Who would be trying to kill you?”

That statement caused Ms. Todd to rise up from her seat. She was eager to speak with Seth, but she waited patiently for me to get done.

“Well, like the police said, it could have been done by one of the protesters. But there is no way Cindy would have let anyone past that reception desk, unless she was forced or unless it was someone she knew and felt I would be comfortable with going into my office.”

“I am at a loss for words. I thought by now an arrest would have been made.”

“Me too. This day has turned from bad to worse. It appears someone might want me dead, and if I had not been in Atlanta with you, I would have been. I had planned to get up early, before dawn, so I could make it to the office by nine. I guess I should thank you for saving my life.”

I smiled but quickly cleared my face of the smile. I stole a glance at Melanie, and her anger now appeared to have turned into rage.

“I don't know if I can take that credit. So how long before you get here? Your grandmother is so worried about you.” Melanie cleared her throat. “As is everyone else here.”

“We will be leaving . . .”

Melanie started talking, and it took my attention away from what he was saying.

“Can I please speak to Seth?”

“Seth, Melanie would like to speak to you. I am sure Ms. Todd would like to also,” I informed him.

“Let me speak to my grandmother. Tell Melanie I will speak to her when I get there.”

I handed Ms. Todd the phone. “Seth wants to speak to you.” I turned to Melanie. “He said he will speak to you when he gets here.”

If looks could kill, I would be a dead woman. She stomped out of the room like a mad kid whose favorite toy had been taken. Childish. However, it was beginning to make sense to me. The cold air that passed between us outside was her way of marking her territory. She wanted Seth, and even though she knew I was married, I still posed a threat.

Ms. Todd spoke to Seth briefly before handing the phone back to me.

“Here you are,” she said, shaking her head. “He hung up. He said he will see us soon. I just don't know who would want to kill my baby.” She sat back down in the chair she had been sitting in. “I know there are some mean and vicious people in this here world, but Seth is one of the few people I know who is genuine, has a good heart, and will give anybody the shirt off his back. This is just so baffling to me.”

“From what I know about him, I agree. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to hurt him.”

“What in God's name is this world coming to? Innocent people lost their lives today. And if Seth had not been in Atlanta, he would very well be gone too. It gets to be too much for my little heart to take.”

I moved to sit beside her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and silently said a prayer for Seth and for the families of the ones who lost their lives in the bombing. I did not know much about praying, but my time as a first lady had taught me a thing or two about faking the funk. I couldn't pray like others, but I did the best I could do.

“Excuse me, Mama Todd. Claudia wants to know if you would like to have dinner,” Melanie said, reappearing, with a composed demeanor.

“No, I will wait for Seth.”

“Okay, well, at least go to your room and kick your feet up,” Melanie replied.

“I done told you I ain't going to bed until Seth gets here. Slide that ottoman over here, and let me put my feet on that,” she said, pointing to a foot stool.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Melanie, do you mind telling me where the restroom is?” I said.

Before she could respond, Ms. Todd answered. “Melanie, show her to the guest room on the third floor.”

“But, Mama Todd, do you think Seth will be comfortable with her being on the third floor, where his master bedroom is? I don't even have a room on the third floor.” Melanie's anger was returning, and her eyes shot more hate daggers at me.