LITMIR.BIZ

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study hall and free time in class. During lunch, she’d hold her own little Bible study, a big no-no since, like Mary’s little lamb, Missy’s lamb, Jesus Christ, wasn’t really allowed in school either. Missy and her lamb were kicked out, from the cafeteria anyway, but that didn’t stop her. She and her growing group would pack their lunches and hold their Bible study outside.

      “Jesus is the answer,” were the four words Missy said to Tamarra one day in passing. It was those four words that planted the seed that ultimately led Tamarra to her salvation. It was also the beginning of a friendship for the two girls.

      For some reason, Tamarra was led to tell Missy of the things she had endured in her young life. She shared with her the details of her brother raping her and how her parents dealt with it. Well, she didn’t outright tell Missy that the things had happened to her; she told Missy that they’d happened to a friend of hers. But Missy knew, and Missy never judged her; she only prayed for her. Not once during that school year did anything that Tamarra ever said to Missy get back to her.

      Missy was an army brat, so before the school year was even over, she and her family were off to another state. She and Tamarra never even vowed to exchange phone numbers and addresses to keep in touch. It was unsaid, but they both knew that God had placed them in each other’s lives for a mere season, and for that they were grateful.

      A smile now covered Tamarra’s lips as she stood in the party house thinking back to who she used to be, just like it was yesterday. She couldn’t help but thank God that she was no longer that person.

      “The author has arrived,” the Columbus chapter president said, sticking her head in the kitchen. “You ladies can begin serving now.” She smiled, then quickly disappeared again.

      “You all set?” Tamarra asked Unique.

      “All set,” she confirmed, then picked up a tray of barbeque meatballs and exited the kitchen.

      “I’m right behind you,” Tamarra told her.

      After Unique was out of sight, Tamarra took a long, deep breath. Thoughts of the past about high school and Missy had momentarily taken her back to a place she wished she could completely forget. She knew, though, that no matter how hard she tried, those memories would always be embedded deep in her heart.

      She picked up a relish tray and held her head high before exiting the kitchen. With the turn of events that were about to take place in her life, how long she’d be able to keep her head held high was yet to be determined.

      Chapter Seven

      “Are you sure your business in Kentucky isn’t over with yet?” Deborah asked Mother Doreen over the phone. “You sure you don’t want to come back to New Day and run the Singles’ Ministry?”

      “Is that the only reason why you want me back there? To work me?” Mother Doreen teased. “And I thought you really missed me.”

      “Now, Mother Doreen, you know I miss you something awful, but somehow I got dragged back into working with the Singles’ Ministry.”

      “Why? What happened? Sister Lorain didn’t work out?” Mother Doreen sounded concerned.

      “No, she worked out just fine, but she’s on a sabbatical. You know she had some type of accident. Fell and hit her head, lost part of her memory, and came back to church thinking Sister Unique was her daughter.”

      “Lord, have mercy. I didn’t hear about that. I haven’t really been staying in touch with my New Day family like I should,” Mother Doreen confessed. “Things here in Kentucky were just more than I thought I could bear, but God saw me through.”

      “He always does.”

      “Amen,” Mother Doreen agreed. “But go back to Sister Lorain thinking that Sister Unique was her daughter.”

      “Oh, yes. Apparently Pastor had assigned Sister Unique to help assist Sister Lorain with the Singles’ Ministry. The two had obviously grown close in working together; so close that after Sister Lorain’s accident and her coming back to church, she saw Sister Unique and thought she was her daughter. Everybody laughed it off, but I don’t know, Mother Doreen. My spirit tells me that there’s something more to it.”

      “Well, I’ll tell you what: you better get your master’s degree in Kneeology. Stay on your knees praying and stay on your face in the Lord to make sure you’re hearing clearly from Him,” Mother Doreen warned. “Don’t let Satan try to infiltrate your thoughts like I almost let him do while here in Kentucky. Had I not started to hear clearly from God when I did, I might have jeopardized my relationship with a good man of G—” Mother Doreen cut off her own words. She’d said too much. Way too much.

      There was a moment of silence while Deborah waited on Mother Doreen to finish. Mother Doreen had no intention of finishing. The cat’s tail was already wagging out of the bag; she didn’t need the whole feline creeping out.

      “Go on. You were saying, Mother Doreen,” Deborah pressed.

      Mother Doreen thought for a second, trying to find a way out of the hole she’d dug for herself. There was only one way out. “Oh, well, I might as well tell you. I met someone. A man. A man of God.”

      “My, my, my, so that’s what’s keeping you in Kentucky,” Deborah teased. “And here I thought you were down there on assignment.”

      “I was on assignment. I am on assignment. I mean I—Oh, girl, you got me all flustered and twisted up.”

      “And I bet beads of sweat are dancing all over your forehead too.” Deborah chuckled. “But don’t blame me. My spirit also tells me that it ain’t me who’s got you all flustered and twisted up.”

      “Sounds like to me, child, you better get that spirit of yours in check before it gets you in trouble. It might need a tune-up or something.”

      “Mm-hmm, whatever, Mother Doreen. I’m going to let you slide for now, but don’t think you’re off the hook.”

      “Now, wait a minute. Who’s the elder here?” Mother Doreen reminded Deborah that she was a couple of decades her senior.

      “No disrespect, Mother Doreen, but I gotta watch out for you. Black don’t crack. You lookin’ good for your age. I’m going to have to come pay you a visit in Kentucky and regulate. Let those male callers down there know who they are dealing with: a child of the King on assignment doing Kingdom work.” Deborah decided to throw in a little playful sarcasm. “And from the sounds of it, your work is never done. You’re putting in overtime.”

      “Oh, child,” Mother Doreen lightheartedly scolded, “you done came back from that sabbatical fresh and brand new. Humph! And if I remember correctly from my younger days, besides turning your life over to Christ, only one other thing makes you feel that way.”

      “Oh yeah?” Deborah baited.

      “Yeah. L-O-V-E. Love.”

      “Then I guess you would know.”

      “Listen, baby, I have to go. My nephew’s baby momma is getting an ultrasound today to find out the sex of their baby.”

      “Baby?”

      “Child, like I said: we got a lot of catching up to do. You wouldn’t believe half the stuff that happened for those three months you were away. Just pray for us.”

      “I will.”

      “And we’ll talk again. Send everyone at New Day my love.”

      “I will, considering you’ve got lots of love to go around.” Deborah threw in one last comment in reference to Mother Doreen’s male interest. “As Sister Unique’s generation would say, don’t hate, celebrate. Or even better, participate.”

      “Oh, Lord, help her.” Mother Doreen laughed.

      “Talk to you later.” Deborah ended the call with laughter on her tongue. “That Mother Doreen is something

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