Chapter 5
As she stepped out of her silver SUV, Leah tucked her powder blue leather clutch under her arm, her matching blue heels accented with animal print ankle straps announcing her presence. As she walked up to the doors of the Sweet Deliverance Baptist Church, a tiny smile played on her lips. She used to dread spending time in the place, now Leah saw it for what it was. Entertainment. Her father still led the flock of this now megachurch, but as Leah looked at the large campus that engulfed the entire block, she remembered when the church consisted of only two buildings, the small three-room brick church and the parsonage that sat next door.
Crossing the threshold, a rush of cool air met her as she stepped into the large vestibule. A dozen or so people milled throughout the large space, and she could feel several pairs of eyes skimming her frame. As a child, the weight of those stares used to be one of the many causes of her shrinking into the background, hoping to avoid the looks of judgment. She was living, breathing proof that the ‘man of God’ had fallen victim to temptation. “Hey, Lea-Lea!”
She turned to find her youngest brother Joshua walking towards her wearing his Sunday best. “Hey, Josh,” she said, wrapping his slim frame in an embrace. The fifteen-year-old was the spitting image of her father as was she, except she’d been blessed with her mother’s deep brown skin while her brother was as fair as the good reverend. “What are you doing out here? Aren’t you supposed to be on stage this morning?” Leah, as well as all of her siblings had been encouraged to develop any musical talents they possessed. While all four of the Vines’ children could sing, she and Joshua also played instruments. She spent years learning piano while the youngest Vines played the drums.
“I’m going,” he sighed. “But I knew you were coming today and wanted to see you before mom did.”
Leah fought the smirk that tried to rise to the surface. First Lady Theresa Vines liked things to be just so. Optics were everything to her father’s wife and Leah tended not to give two fucks what the woman thought. “What is your mother on the warpath about now?”
“She’s pi- upset that dad is letting me spend the first few days of Spring Break week with you.”
Leah would have thought the woman would appreciate the break. That way she could spend her unoccupied time trying to keep her philandering husband away from whichever woman he was seeing at present.
The double doors of the vestibule opened, allowing the music she could only previously feel, pour out at them. Dressed in purple and white robes, the large choir sang, “I Came to Magnify.” As she and Josh walked down the long center aisle, Leah gave a little wave to her younger sister Damaris, one of the three ‘Outlaws’, the cute name that the outside children of Pastor Vines started calling themselves a few years ago. Their youngest sister, Miriam even created screenprint t-shirts and distributed them at their monthly dinner a few weeks ago. After slipping them on and snapping a pic, Miriam promptly uploaded it to social media. That was probably one of the causes of her father’s wife’s pissy mood. Miriam had practically no contact with their father and his entire family but that didn’t stop her from reveling in her black sheep status.
“Behave, Lea-Lea,” Josh said, motioning with his head to the empty space in the front row next to his mother.
“Of course,” she agreed. Taking a seat, Leah smiled over at First Lady Theresa Vines, who looked ever the part. Yellow was her choice of color for the day which meant her father had accents of yellow in whatever tailored suit he wore under his robe. “Good morning, Mrs. Vines.” Leah crossed her legs, smoothing her hem over her knees. Channeling Audrey Hepburn in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” her pretty blue sheath dress was considered front row appropriate. Had she not made plans with her brother, she would have worn something sure to send the lap cloth committee into a tizzy.
“Good morning, Leah. It”s nice to see you.” Leah knew the smile didn’t reach the eyes, even as they were shielded by the wide brim of the canary-colored hat she wore.
“You too,” Leah lied politely. She caught sight of her younger sister, Rachel, the only daughter that was the product of Pastor Vines’ marriage, in the choir stand. Laying on the pew next to Theresa was her sleeping infant. Leah knew for a fact as soon as Robbie Jr. woke from his nap, he’d squirm his way into her arms. She was surprised that Rachel’s oldest, Tiffanie, hadn’t spotted her and toddled her way across the church, all the while calling for her Tee-Tee. Being the kids” favorite was Leah”s biggest joy, and part of that joy stemmed from the fact that it seemed to irritate First Lady Vines to no end. Truthfully, everything she did seemed to disturb the prickly woman. It was as if her mere existence was a thorn in Theresa’s side.
Studying the pulpit, finding her oldest sibling, Malachi sitting in the assigned chair of the associate pastor, singing along with the swaying bodies in the choir loft just behind him. Mal was the mirror image of their father. Tall, lean frame, clear light brown skin and features that looked as if they had been carved carefully by the Lord above. It was obvious why Malcolm Vines was the object of several women”s desires. It didn’t explain why he couldn’t be faithful.
Leah could easily have been sitting where Theresa now sat, dressed to the nines in first lady finest. Most of her life it was what was drilled into her head as her God given duty to become the wife to an upstanding, Christian man and mother to his children. Theresa’s youngest brother, who was at least a decade older than Leah had been propped up as a more than suitable husband for her. Leah visibly bristled at the thought even though it had been more than fifteen years since her father and his wife informed her of their idea. She knew, even at the age of seventeen, that she would be sentencing herself to a lifetime of misery if she’d conceded.
Wallace wasn’t an unattractive man, he was quite handsome as Leah thought on it now with the eyes of an adult with a fully matured frontal lobe. But the man had always seemed too anxious to have a “traditional family.” When Leah moved out of her father’s home, adamant on attending college, Wallace quickly lost interest, stating that she was becoming too worldly and in short order, married a girl that was a couple of years older than her. They now had a brood of five, ranging from fifteen to three, and it was rumored that she was expecting again. Leah saw the woman in question in the midst of the choir, but she was unable to tell do to the camouflage provided by the robe. It wasn”t her business anyway. If she likes it, I love it.
The song faded to an end and what she called the preacher procession began. Whenever her father preached, he entered the sanctuary to “Total Praise.” She’d sung the song countless times growing up yet no matter how many times she heard it, the song never lost its power to move her. The withering gaze she felt from Theresa would have cut her to bleeding as a child. The gift of song had missed none of Malcolm Vines’ children, legitimate or otherwise, and Leah’s warm alto blended in seamlessly with the choir. She watched as her father made his way into the pulpit, then knelt before his chair, bowing his head in silent prayer before he took his seat.
The rising crescendo of ”amens” at the end of the song reverberated throughout the large room, the feeling of reverence palpable. While Leah loved the song and the emotion it evoked, she often wondered if the song was chosen as a manipulation tactic used by her charismatic father. The beautiful song naturally pulled at the heartstrings, and she was sure that many of his faithful flock saw the man of God as infallible, putting him on an undeserved pedestal.
After the benediction, the congregation slowly filed out of the church, but Leah maintained her seat, holding her nephew who found his way into her lap near the end of her father’s sermon. Robbie’s chubby fingers toyed with her bangles, baby giggles punctuating the clinking. Theresa had abandoned her spot, moving to join her husband as he prepared to shake hands at the entrance of the church. They liked to pose a united front, always presenting the best possible image to the outside world.
“Leah, I saw you playing nice with Dad’s wife,” Damaris said, walking over and taking the empty space next to her. The cute dark green A-line dress she wore fell to her calves and when she crossed her legs, she showed off black slingback peep toe heels. With their hair pulled away from their faces, Leah’s highlighted curls secured in a sleek bun, a holdover from her date last night and Damaris’ thick twists held by a black headwrap, their similar facial features were even more evident.
“Girl, Josh is spending a couple of days with me and you know she looks for any reason to keep him away from one of the black sheep, so I’m playing the game.”
“Oh, so he’s managed to get out of going to Little Shepherds for Spring Break?”
She’d forgotten about the yearly sabbatical. That explained why Josh wanted her to be saccharine sweet. One false move and he would be on his way up north for the week. “Looks like. He better enjoy this reprieve because next year he’ll be expected to be a counselor.”
“We never got to get out of camp,” Damaris said.
“You know the youngest always gets away with murder,” Leah said as she bounced the happy baby on her knee.
“Even I couldn’t get out of it when I had the chance to go to art camp. For free.”
“‘Christ before everything’,” they said in unison, the statement paired with twin eye rolls.
They watched as their sister walked over, probably to reclaim her baby. “How long before she asks us if we have a man?”
“She might surprise us.” Damaris giggled, giving her a little shoulder nudge.
“Hasn’t yet.” Leah’s gaze swung up to Rachel, who’d shed her choir robe and had the garment now slung over her arm.
“Hey, sissies. I see Robbie has you hostage.”
“I was waiting for his sister to tag team me. She must be in the nursery.”
“She’s with my mother-in-law.” Leah fought the giggle that bubbled up in her chest, picking up on the air of superiority in her sister’s tone. Rachel had been married since the age of twenty and had never failed to remind her sisters how happy she was. “Daddy tells me Josh is going home with you.”
‘Yep. He’s gonna spend a couple of days with me.” Additional details wouldn’t be offered. It didn’t take much to put Theresa in a sour mood. She knew the woman was itching to snatch the visit back and her younger sister had no problem mining for information to take back to her mother.
“You know mom’s peeved.”
Leah said nothing, only smiling as she continued to play with the infant in her lap. “The choir sounded good today,” Damaris said, deciding to break the stalemate.
“Are you joining again?” Rachel asked.
Leah watched as her sister shook her head. “I wish I could but I’m still traveling too much for work to consistently make practice.”
“You’re not gonna meet a man if you spend all that time working,” Rachel chided. “That goes for you too, Leah. You need a good man.”
Of course I do cuz I can’t be whole without a man and his Christian dick. Leah continued to hold her tongue, her inner thoughts and emotions carefully concealed behind a facade of composure. With practiced ease, Leah plastered on a sweet smile. It was a skill she had honed over the years, a necessary survival tactic she’d developed growing up in the Vines’ household.
“Are you coming to dinner?” Rachel asked.
“No, I have plans with Josh.” Those plans consisted of ordering pizzas and watching whatever trash movies he wanted. She limited breaking bread with her family to one meal a quarter, usually on a holiday and she wouldn’t run the risk today. One slick word from a relative and she would hurt someone’s feelings. Best to save that for Easter.
“You look so comfortable with that baby in your arms.”
“You know I love being an auntie, Dad.” Leah gazed up at the man who wore the same smile that graced her lips. Malcolm Vines cut a dashing figure in his tailored three-piece suit. And just as she suspected, under his robe his dark gray suit was accented with a soft yellow silk tie and pocket square. This was one of the few times Theresa wasn”t glued to her husband’s side when he was out of the pulpit. Because he was in the company of his daughters, there was no need to hover, trying to ward off suitors.
Leah watched as he turned his attention to the youngest daughter. “I was glad to see you in the congregation today, Maris, although I miss you directing the choir.”
“Yeah, like I was telling Rachel, work is keeping me too busy. I literally just got back from Spain yesterday.”
“You’re gonna have to settle down sometime. You’re getting older every day.”
“True, but that’s a byproduct of living. And it beats the alternative,” Damaris said.
Josh walked over to the group, his stuffed backpack slung over one shoulder. “I got my stuff out of your office, Dad.”
Leah sent up a silent word of thanks, glad she was almost home free. “I can’t believe Mom is allowing him to miss out on camp next week. I used to look forward to spending time there.”
She knew she was being tested. She had to be, because unless her sister was in the vicinity of males, Rachel complained nearly every second they were at Little Shepherds. Leah was glad Miriam wasn’t here to call Rachel out on her bullshit. The four sisters had spent several summers together at camp and the stories they could tell…
“Your brother asked to spend a couple of days with his sister and we decided to indulge him.” Malcolm laid a heavy hand on his son’s shoulder. “He will have all summer to spend up north. Missing this one time won’t cause any harm. Just have him back Wednesday so he can attend Bible Study. You might want to stay too, Leah. You know Rachel is teaching one of the women’s classes.”
If he knew about Josh fucking off in school, he’d be on the first thing smoking to Michigan. “I’ll have to pass, Dad. Wednesday is a very busy day for me.”
“You should always make time to study the word.”
Leah barely stopped herself from reminding her father that along with her business degree she also had a degree in religion. “Just like you, I have a responsibility to my business, so I’ll have to decline. The Bible says, ‘Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds.’ That’s what I’ll be doing Wednesday evening.”
Minutes later, Leah and Josh were making their way across the large parking lot. She was pretty proud of herself. Operation Josh went off without a hitch. When he climbed into the SUV and closed the door, they simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought Mom would find a way to renege on this visit.” He slumped against the tan leather seat, his eyes closing as he lay back against the headrest.
“If she knew you were acting a whole fool in Mr. Benjamin’s Biology class your ass would be on the way to Michigan.”
Her brother sat up ramrod straight, his dark eyes wide as saucers. “Huh?”
“Yeah, you thought you were getting away with putting on a show at that expensive ass prep school Daddy sends you to?” Leah kept her eyes on the road as she continued. “Sanderson is a small place, Josh.”
Her brother let out an exasperated sigh. “Mr. Benjamin is a dick.”
“Paxton is tough but fair. He told me you’re a bright kid and sees the potential that you have.” When she came to a stop light, she let her eyes fall on her brother, who had the decency to look contrite. “In the words of my Nigerian grandmother, “why are you so afraid of wisdom? You run from it as if it were a hungry lion.” Her Uncle Dayo often said her Nigerian accent was damn near spot on.
“Why does he care?” Josh folded his arms across his narrow chest. “I’m not failing his class.”
“What would have happened if he called Dad or Theresa instead of talking to me last night? I saved your ass and you know it.”
“I guess.”
“Since you ‘guess’, how ‘bout I just turn this car around and we run your behavior and “D” average by Pastor and First Lady Vines and see how the rest of your school year turns out.”
She could see the look of abject fear on her youngest sibling’s face. Josh had a bit more freedom than she and the rest of the Vines children had, probably due to the large age gap, but he knew that expectations were still high. “Lea-Lea, I promise I’ll do what I need to do.”
“Don’t make me regret keeping this from your parents.”
“I won’t,” was his barely audible reply.
“I promise you, the punishment from them will be nothing compared to the wrath I rain down.”
“I understand.”
“Good.” She gave his leg a playful tap. With her expectations now set, she was able to move on to enjoying her time with Josh. “Are you deejaying Monday night or running the concession?”
“Concession. That way I can listen to whatever music I like.”
“And I have a lot of orders that need to be processed.”
“I wish I could work for you this summer instead of going to camp. You think you could…”
“I think the fuck not.” She would put an end to this line of begging right now. “The way I would have to grovel to even get your mother to consider it makes me nauseated. And she would still say no. You just take these opportunities as they arise and enjoy them.” Not for the first time, she stopped herself from offering to mentor him for his senior year of high school. Again, her father’s wife would definitely not approve, and Leah also thought he would be better suited having a male mentor and someone not related to him. Someone who would have a little more objectivity when it came to him. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Pizza and chili cheese fries.”
“Oh, to be young and have a cast iron stomach.”