Saved Folk in the House (17 page)

“That’s for sure. Our TV pretty much stays on the Disney Channel or TV Land. They’re the safest things I’ve found for the kids to watch. The videos are scary,” Nikki said.

“I hear you, sis,” Erica agreed. She laughed with the children at
I Love Lucy. “
You guys want to hang out tomorrow? Maybe ride to the mall or something?” she asked.

“Yes,” Shay said.

“Sure,” Nikki answered, ready to do something.

“How about if I come to get you about the same time?” Erica suggested.

“Cool. We’ll be ready,” Nikki said. “And I can’t wait to get involved at the church. I picked up the class schedule from the receptionist’s desk.”

“You will learn so much from those classes if you take them seriously. Some people take them lightly and don’t pass the test,” Erica said.

“What test?”

“Oh, I didn’t tell you. Yeah, girl, a test that you must pass to graduate,” Erica explained.

“Graduate?”

“I’m telling you, it’s serious. It’s a big deal. Pastor imparts the vision to you during a special ceremony. Then there’s a reception afterward where all the ministries try to recruit you. It’s blessed,” Erica explained.

“Oh wow, I’m real excited now!”

“You’re in for a treat. A lot of work, but it’s all good,” Erica said, getting up and stretching. “I’ll call you tomorrow, make sure everything is still on. After that good meal, I’m ready to get comfortable and get in my bed, know what I mean?”

“Yes, ma’am. Hope you enjoyed it,” Nikki said.

“Oh girl, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt this wonderful, ate this good, relaxed and laughed this much. I have thoroughly enjoyed my evening. Thanks for inviting me, and I just love the kids,” Erica said, walking to the door.

“Thank you so much for coming. We have really enjoyed your company. I thank God for you.”

“See you later, kids!” Erica called to them.

Each of them came and gave her a hug good-bye.

Nikki walked Erica to her car. Kevin was parking as they were coming down the steps.

“God has surrounded me with good people. That guy getting out of the car is my neighbor and Taj’s new barber. He makes house calls and is inexpensive. Real nice, him and his roommate,” Nikki said.

“He’s kind of cute,” Erica said.

“That’s what I thought. He’s young with a son. He and his roommate teach high school and coach football.”

“Impressive,” Erica said.

“Evening, ladies,” Kevin spoke as he approached them.

“Good evening, Kevin. This is Sister Erica, my friend from Way Maker Ministries. Sister Erica, this is my neighbor Kevin,” Nikki said.

They shook hands.

“Nice to meet you,” Erica said.

“Same here,” he said.

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Nikki. Good night,” Erica said.

“Bye. Get home safe.”

Kevin was still standing there as Nikki watched Erica get in her car and pull off.

Aware of his presence, she turned to him. “So how was your day?”

“Good, and yours?” he responded.

“Wonderful. I made a new friend, Sister Erica, who just so happens to work at the church.”

“Yeah?” Kevin said.

“Yeah. And she’s the personnel director. Remember I told you just yesterday that I wanted to work at the church? Well, that had to be God hooking us up. I met her today, and we hit it right off. Nobody but God.”

“Hey, I believe you, Nikki, and I’m happy for you. It’s good to have friends in high places. Look, I was wondering if I could share something with you,” he said.

“What?”

“It’s a business opportunity. Something you can do while you’re waiting for your job to come through,” he explained.

Nikki had tried many of the networking businesses. While in Virginia she explored the entrepreneurial route and had become familiar with most of the independent business opportunities available.

“Kevin, what are you selling?”

Being the open, honest, not-to-beat-around-the-bush type, he said, “Knives.”

“Kutright?” she asked.

“How did you know that?” he asked, surprised.

“Got some. They have a lifetime warranty, right?”

“Right.”

“Then I won’t be needing any more in this lifetime.”

“Well, could you do me a favor when you have some time and just listen to my presentation? I’m trying to perfect it, and that only comes from doing it. I can do it in front of the mirror, but I need some constructive criticism, some feedback. If you could be my audience one day this week, that would be great.”

“How long does your presentation take?” she asked.

“No more than thirty minutes with all the demonstrations, but I can make it shorter,” he said.

“What’s a good time for you during the week?” Nikki asked.

“Around four-thirty, five o’clock,” he answered. “I teach summer school in the afternoon.”

“How’s tomorrow as soon as you get home?”

“That’s fine. Look, I really appreciate this.”

“No problem. Hey, Kevin, when are you going to let your son play with Taj?”

“Son? I don’t have a son,” Kevin said.

Oops. That’s what you get for jumping to conclusions,
she thought.
You are going to have to work on that, girl. Get the facts straight before you open your big mouth. The kids just told you that you talk all the time,
“Oh, I’m sorry. I saw a boy about Taj’s age with you the other day and just assumed he was your son. I should know better than to jump to conclusions.”

“That was my nephew, Rashad. Yeah, I get him from time to time to give my sister a break,” Kevin clarified.

“Oh,” she said.
Well, that explains that. I even gave that misinformation to Erica. I need to mind my own business for real . . . I wonder where his girlfriend is. I haven’t seen her since that first day.

Chapter Twenty-five

N
ikki was just getting up when the phone rang.

“Good morning, sis,” Erica said.

“What a pleasant surprise. How are you?” Nikki responded.

“Great. Just calling to say hey. I’m on my way to a meeting. I really have a good feeling about this one. I might be calling you with some good news later.”

“Oh wow! I can’t wait,” Nikki said.

“Well, pray for favor during the meeting beginning at ten o’clock.”

“Oh yes. Amen. I will be praying.”

Nikki spent the morning around the house, waiting to hear from Erica. When the phone finally rang, she said a quick prayer before answering.

“Girl, your Daddy loves you,” Erica said.

“What? What?”

“I just got out of the meeting, and I have been instructed to advertise for several new jobs, and guess what one of them is?”

“What? What?”

“Accountant.”

“Accountant. Are you serious?”

“But, girl, you are completely on your own. I have to remain unbiased and fair as I screen the applications,” Erica said.

“Girl, I got this. God did not bring me this far to leave me,” Nikki said.

“I will submit the strongest résumés and applications to the controller. Pray that yours is in there. I can tell you this: You’re looking good so far. I mean, I haven’t advertised yet, but as far as résumés go, yours is very strong. It’s going to take quite a bit to top what you submitted. I got your back in prayer,” Erica said.

“How long have you known about this position?” Nikki asked.

“I knew some changes were coming, but Pastor just made the official announcement this morning. Do you see God in this?” Erica asked.

“Clear as day. His timing is perfect. What do I need to do?”

“Nothing. I have your paperwork, and the job hasn’t even been advertised. Just wait for your interview. You might want to go on and knock those new-members classes out ASAP,” Erica said.

“Glory be to God! Thanks, sis. Are we still on for this evening?” Nikki asked.

“Absolutely.”

“Good. See you then. Now I have to go pray,” Nikki said.

“Good. Talk to you later.”

When Nikki hung up the phone, she called the children. “We have to pray. God has created a position for me at the church. Pray that I have the new accountant position because I am the only one called, anointed, and appointed to that position in Jesus’ name.”

They prayed pretty much all day as they went about their normal routine until the girls went outside to play.

Around four-thirty, there was a knock at the door. Nikki looked through the peephole. It was Kevin. She opened the door.

“Hey. Are you busy?” he asked.

“Busy praying. Come in. I’ve got to tell you this and get you to stand in agreement with us,” she said.

He followed her into the apartment.

“Didn’t I tell you I was going to work at the church?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said.

“Well, when I went up there and submitted my résumé, there wasn’t anything that matched my qualifications, but now a newly created position is being advertised. My job. Accountant. God brought me here for that job. Now I need you to stand in agreement with me that that is my job until I start working. It has to be advertised, and others have to be given the opportunity to apply, but when it’s all said and done, we shall see who ends up in that position,” a confident, faithful Nikki said.

“Will that be you?” Kevin asked.

“That will be me,” she answered.

“You know it, huh?”

“Like I know my name. It’s called faith. Do you agree with me?”

“Heck yeah. With all those positive vibes coming off you, if it were up to me, I’d give it to you right now,” Kevin said, setting himself in agreement.

“It’s a done deal. So did you come up to do your presentation?” she asked.

“Do you have time now?”

“Sure. Erica won’t be here till around six-thirty.”

“Cool. I’m going to run down and get my material. Be right back.”

“Just come on in. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”

“Okay.”

“Taj! Come in here,” Nikki called.

Shay and Mia were still outside playing with some neighborhood children. Nikki could see them from her living room window.

“Kevin wants to do a presentation, and he needs an audience. Would you mind listening to him with me?”

“Okay,” Taj said.

Taj and his mother sat on the sofa. Kevin came right in without knocking.

He sure follows directions well,
Nikki thought.

He looked at them sitting on the sofa.

“Great. A real live audience. Hope I don’t get stage fright.”

They laughed.

Kevin set up his materials neatly on the coffee table. Nikki and Taj paid close attention as Kevin described how wonderful the knives were, then he demonstrated their effectiveness. He cut a penny in half with the shears.

“Don’t try this with your regular scissors. It won’t work,” he said, smiling.

Nikki and Taj couldn’t help but smile back. Kevin’s personality and charm were drawing them in and holding their attention.

“Can your knives do this?” he asked as he cut through a Coke can.

“Yes, they can, because I have those same knives,” Nikki yelled from the audience.

“Really, Mommy?” Taj asked jokingly, knowing perfectly well she did.

“No way. These same, identical, exact knives?” Kevin said, playing along.

They all laughed. At the end of the presentation, they clapped and Kevin bowed.

“May I go outside?” Taj asked.

“Yes, you may,” Nikki said, watching him bolt for the door. Then she turned her attention back to Kevin.

“That was so good that if I didn’t already have the knives, I would definitely be tempted to buy them.”

“Thanks,” Kevin said. “Now let me really have it.”

“No, that was great. You weren’t nervous. You have knowledge of the product. You answered our questions—even the ones you weren’t sure about—with intelligent, honest responses. I like when you took the time to look in the book to verify your answer. Lets ’em know you don’t mind showing that you don’t know everything and that you are willing to do the work to find out. It was really good, and I wouldn’t say that if it weren’t true. You’re ready.”

“Well, I do appreciate that.”

“No problem,” Nikki said.

Nikki got up and turned on the radio. As Kevin packed up his materials, he sang along. Nikki noticed his beautiful voice.
He really loosens up when he gets to know you,
she thought.

“Do you sing in a choir?” she asked.

“Not now. I did in college.”

“What college was that?” she asked.

“Randy and I both went to Atlanta State University on football scholarships. And you?”

“Manna State University.”

“In Maryland?”

“That’s the one.”

“We used to play you guys.”

“Who won?”

“We did, of course,” Kevin said, chuckling.

“Well, you have skills off the field too. When you finally get to Way Maker and become a member—and I’m sure you will—you should join the choir. You have the voice of a soloist.”

“Yeah, right.” Kevin shrugged.

“I’m serious, and I’m a hard critic. Nobody ever told you that before?”

“I’ve been told. Now, I know some people who can really sing, and I can’t touch them,” he said.

His modesty was very attractive. The phone rang. Nikki went over and grabbed it. It was Erica.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“I will be when you get here. Are you coming now?”

“On my way.”

“Right on time,” she said, looking at Kevin.

“See you in a few,” Erica said.

As Nikki hung up, Kevin said, “Well, I’ll catch you later,” and headed toward the door.

“I’ll walk down with you,” she said, and went outside to see if the children looked presentable. When she saw Mia, she decided she needed freshening up.

“Stay here and tell Erica I’ll be right out so she won’t have to get out of the car,” she told Taj and Shay, then took Mia back up to the apartment.

“You look like you had a good time, baby. We’re going to have to wipe your face and brush that hair. Let me see your clothes,” she said, standing back to look at her daughter, not noticing any dirt, but her shirt was hanging out.

“I didn’t play in the dirt, Mommy. We just sat on the picnic table and played with Barbie dolls.”

“No, you’re not dirty, just a little sweaty from sitting in the heat,” Nikki said, tucking her daughter’s shirt back inside her shorts. She washed Mia’s face and brushed her hair back into a neat ponytail, then they went downstairs. Taj and Shay were in Erica’s car. Mia got in the backseat with them, and Nikki got up front.