Sex in the Sanctuary (12 page)

“White woman! Did I hear you say…White woman!” Sistah Maxine was wearing out a trail in the living room carpet, from the fireplace to the window and back to the couch. “Don’t tell me my son was wallowing in some peepee!”

Tai’s head shot up. Mama Max was always hard to follow when she was angry. And Tai hadn’t seen her this angry in quite some time. She’d waited a week to tell her what happened, until she herself had calmed down enough to get the words out without choking.

“Peepee?” Tai asked, a quizzical look accompanying the question.

“Yes. Pee. Pee. Pink pussy.”

“Mama Max!”

“Yes, I said it. Those hussies are always after our Black men. They got everything else, now they want them, too!” Mama Max sat down on the couch briefly, only to jump back up and start pacing again. “Triflin’ heifa! I bet she looks like a mangy dog!”

“No, Mama, she’s actually very attractive,” Tai stated matter-of-factly. “You know King only likes the best.”

“Humph,” Mama Max said, crossing the floor and sitting down with a thud. “Attractive. Yeah, like the AIDS virus.” Both ladies became silent, deep in their own worlds, their own thoughts. After several moments, Tai stood up.

“You know, this isn’t King’s first affair. And all of the other women were Black. I admit, at first it really bothered me, too, that she was White. But wrong is wrong, no matter what the color. I’m not pissed anymore because the woman is White. I’m pissed because she’s with my husband.” Tai paused, scowled. “And he’s with her.” She headed to the kitchen. “You want some coffee, Mama Max?”

“Yeah, baby,” Mama said distractedly. “With a shot of hundred proof!” she added, smiling.

“I do have some Bailey’s if you want.”

“Bailey? Who’s that?”

“It’s a liqueur that tastes like that Irish-flavored creamer you like so much. I’ll let you try some of mine and see if you like it.”

Mama Max said nothing as she sat staring into space, squinting her eyes as she peered far beyond the natural realm. Tai went to the kitchen and returned carrying a tray with a coffee urn, two cups, a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Cream and a few mini-croissants. She eyed Mama Max as she set the tray down and began pouring the coffee. Mama Max had not changed positions.

“What are you thinking, Mama?” Tai asked quietly, placing a croissant in front of her mother-in-law and friend. She opened the Bailey’s and poured a generous amount into one of the steaming cups, then grabbed a spoon and stirred slowly, still looking at a frowning Maxine. “Here, taste this.”

“What? Oh, uh, thank you, baby.” Mama Max reached for the cup, smelling the contents. “Hum, it smells good.” She
took a tentative taste, blowing on the coffee as she did so. She swallowed, pondered the taste and took another sip, a bit larger this time. “Ooh, yes, this is delicious! What did you say it is?” she asked, reaching for the bottle.

“Bailey’s Irish Cream,” Tai said, pouring another cup of the mixture and grabbing a croissant before seating herself on the couch next to Mama Max. “Sandy, a friend from my Sprint days, introduced me to it. I wonder what she’s doing these days?”

“It ain’t gon’ happen,” Mama Max stated quietly. She hadn’t even heard Tai’s last comment.

“What ain’t gonna happen?”

“This little peepee thinking she’s gon’ ruin your marriage.” Mama Max looked at Tai with narrowed eyes. “Ain’t gon’ happen.”

“Oh, Mama Max,” Tai began, and now it was her turn to pace. “She may not have been the only one, just the one I know about. This marriage was in trouble before she came along.”

Mama Max was silent.

“It’s not just King, Mama. I don’t know if
I
want to go on anymore with this life, this marriage. I don’t know if I have the energy to forgive and forget, to put yet another woman behind us and be the strong, supportive wife. This affair has destroyed every ounce of trust I’d built back up from the last affair, the last one I’ve known about, that is. You know I’ve had nagging feelings about King’s fidelity for a while now. I didn’t have proof, but these feelings have been here for a long time.

“I’m tired,” Tai continued, returning to the couch. “I want out.”

Mama Max looked at her, but didn’t reply immediately. Finally she grabbed Tai’s hand and stroked it gently. “I know you’re tired, baby.” Tai began to cry. Mama Max spoke again, softer this time. “I’d be tired, too.” She reached over to refill her cup, then put it down instead and looked out the window.

“I don’t know what my son is thinking. He’s got a great wife, wonderful children, this beautiful home and a church that’s boomin’. I can’t even believe he’s risking the loss of everything behind some little hussy who probably can’t even spell first lady, let alone be one.”

Tai finished her croissant and reached for a napkin. “Nobody said adultery made sense.”

Mama Max continued. “You’ve been with him since the beginning, taken his crap, covered his sins while he acted like a plum fool.”

Tai got ready to interject. Mama Max raised her hand.

“No, no, you know I’m speaking the truth. Now, he’s my son and I love him, but wrong is wrong. God don’t like ugly and neither do I, and I’m going to tell him so just as soon as he gets home!”

“Mama, I don’t even know what good talking will do at this point.”

“Well, I know what it will do. Bring my blood pressure down for one thang. I’ve got some thangs on my chest and I’ma get ’em off! Ain’t no son of mine gon’ disgrace his family like this. And with a White girl, too?” Mama Max crossed her arms, rocking back and forth. “Not on my watch!”

“Mama, adultery is adultery. Like I said, the color of her skin doesn’t matter.”

“It
does
in my book,” Mama Max insisted. “What is that saying about me as a Black woman? No, honey, I didn’t raise my son like this, and if he think he’s just gon’ ride off in the sunset with his little cracka’ and not think his mother is gon’ have anything to say, then he’s got another think coming!”

Tai appreciated her mother-in-law’s indignation, but offered her own perspective. “Before, no matter how hurt I felt at King’s betrayals, there was always a part of me that believed in him and his love for me. I couldn’t imagine life without him, without the church, our family being together.” She paused. “Well, I’m beginning to imagine it now. And it
doesn’t look as scary or feel as bad as I thought it would.” She placed her coffee cup down as the phone rang. Reaching for the cordless, she looked at the caller ID and pushed the talk button.

“Hey, neighbor.”

“Hey, Tai, how are you?”

“Okay.”

“Well, I just called to tell you I could pick up your kids when I pick up Brandon if you’d like. I saw your mother-in-law’s car in the driveway and thought you might be busy.”

“That would be nice, Jan. And it would give Mama Max and me time to finish our discussion.”

“Would you mind if I took the kids to the mall with me? I was planning on getting something for my little one. And you won’t have to worry about their dinner ’cause we’ll grab something to eat, too.”

Tai whispered a silent prayer to God for His act of kindness. She knew how perceptive the twins were, and today she didn’t have the energy to put on a happy face. “That would be wonderful. You’re a blessing, Jan.”

“That’s what neighbors are for,” Jan said cheerfully, and then added a bit more somberly, “Are you sure you’re all right? I don’t mean to pry, but I’ve been worried about you.”

Tai smiled again. This was just like Jan. She probed enough to let Tai know she cared, but not enough to be too nosy. The fact that Jan was White underscored her reasoning in not placing undue emphasis on the color of King’s latest conquest. Women, Black or White, weren’t all alike. “I’m a bit tired. Just pray for me, okay?”

“Well, if I can help in any way, with the kids or anything, just let me know.”

“I’ll do that, thanks again. Oh, wait! Let me bring over some money for the twins.”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Are you sure?”

“Look, Tai, I clip coupons. I think I can handle an evening at the mall, okay?”

“Okay,” Tai said, laughing out loud. “Thanks again.”

Having cleared the tray and other items from the coffee table, Mama Max returned to the couch. “Anybody important?” she asked.

“Just my neighbor, Jan, volunteering to pick up the kids. She’s gonna take them to the mall. Bless her heart.”

“You talking about that woman next door in the brick house?” Mama Max asked with thinly veiled suspicion.

“Oh, come on, Mama Max, Jan is a wonderful person who has no interest in my husband. I trust her.”

“Uh-huh, I trust her, too,” Mama Max countered smoothly. “As far as I can throw her.”

Tai was about to reply when the phone rang again. She picked it up and looked at the ID. It was Vivian.

“Hey, girl.”

“Hey, yourself. I’m just checking in. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Mama Max is here.”

Vivian relaxed immediately. “Ooh, that’s good. What about King?”

“Gone to a revival in Cleveland. Talk about God’s timing.”

“What? You wish he hadn’t left?”

“Oh, no, this is a blessing. I probably would have killed him had he stayed.”

Vivian smiled, and you could hear it in her voice. “Great. Anger. That’s a good sign.”

“Whatever. I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Sure, girl. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Tai punched the off button and threw the phone on the couch between her and Mama Max. “That was Vivian.”

“Hum. What are her feelings on the matter?”

“You know Vivian, the pillar of support. She said she was
with me no matter what happens. You know how close all of us are. Both she and Derrick are praying for us.”

“I wonder if Derrick is faithful,” Mama Max queried.

“As far as I know,” Tai replied. “Not that Vivian hasn’t had to do major battles with women all too eager to unseat her from her position as Mrs. Montgomery. But Derrick is totally committed to their marriage, always has been.

“I remember this one story she told me about this woman who was after Derrick, practically stalking him. She was at the church whenever the doors opened, just blatant. Derrick had told Vivian immediately, which was good since Vivian had peeped girlfriend’s hand from the moment she stepped foot in the church. Finally she and Derrick came up with a plan.”

“What was that?” Mama asked.

“Well, the woman had been calling the church almost every day insisting on a counseling session with Derrick. Although they tried to set her up with one of the associate ministers, she adamantly refused to see anyone but him. So he finally agreed to see her.”

“Umph, just like a man. The dog.”

Tai, sensing Mama Max getting ready to add Derrick to her you-know-what list, hurried on. “Let me finish. When she got to the church and was ushered into Derrick’s office, who do you think was waiting there?”

“Who? Oh, I see…Vivian,” Mama Max exclaimed, mentally putting Derrick back in her good graces.

“You got it, and if you think the woman was surprised to see Vivian, imagine Vivian’s surprise when after grabbing the woman to prevent her from running out the door like she tried to, she discovered the woman was buck naked underneath her all-weather coat.”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“That no-good hussy! Women will do anything!”

“Vivian had the last laugh. She called the police and had the woman arrested for indecent exposure.”

“Good for her.”

“Well, the charges were dropped because Vivian didn’t pursue it, but the woman got the message and never showed her face at the church again.”

“I can’t believe the trollop had that much decency.”

“Well, she had a little help. Before the police arrived, Vivian led the woman to believe there were security cameras in the office and hinted that these telling pictures might get accidentally handed out to the congregation if the woman didn’t find another church home.”

Mama Max howled. Soon Tai joined in. The laughter felt good to Tai. She’d been doing entirely too little of it lately.

By the time Mama Max left a couple hours later, Tai felt better. Better and stronger. She was determined not to be a victim. For the first time since she said, “I do,” she decided to get in the driver’s seat where her marriage was concerned. In the ensuing quiet surrounding her with Mama and the children gone, she made some clear decisions. The first was to move out of the master bedroom and into the guest room immediately. She’d wanted to move out of the house, but that would have been too disruptive for the children. As it was, they were bound to be curious about the new living arrangements, but she’d think of something. One thing was for sure—she wouldn’t keep sleeping with the enemy.

Second, she decided to get a life. She would call Vivian and become more involved and active with the upcoming S.O.S. Summit. Although she wasn’t much of a speaker, she felt there was something she could impart to the women in the body of Christ. The more she thought of it, the better she liked the idea. It would be therapeutic, a catharsis. She hoped it wasn’t too late to add another topic to the agenda. That naturally led to another idea she’d thought of a couple months ago. She would take a computer class at the local commu
nity college and brush up on her skills. A life without King might mean a return to the workplace, and while she didn’t relish the thought of not being able to be as hands-on with her children, she felt the sacrifice would be worth it to have peace of mind.

Third, and she didn’t know how she was going to do this, but she could no longer support King in the ministry. True, she loved Mount Zion Progressive and considered the members to be like family, but she could no longer live a lie. She would continue most of her first lady responsibilities, including presiding over the women’s fellowship and the program for unwed mothers. And she would continue the traveling prayer ministry for the sick and shut-in. But she wouldn’t be standing by King’s side every time he mounted the pulpit. She’d do it on Sundays for appearances, but that was all. And she wouldn’t travel with him when he was invited to other churches. From this day forward, Tai vowed to be first lady in the eyes of God only, and not in the eyes of King. With that in mind she reached for her Amplified Bible, turned to Isaiah 54 and began to read aloud: “
For the Maker is thine Husband, the Lord of hosts…I will have compassion and mercy on you, says the Lord your Redeemer…”