Chapter 30

            Cheryl was asleep in bed when Aaron returned home.  It took every ounce of discipline and self-control he possessed not to wake her immediately and confront her with the evidence of the pictures.  Charles had said to wait, and wait he would; but how long was another question.

            Although he climbed into bed, sleep escaped him as his mind whirled, imagining all the possibilities of things that might have happened while he was gone.  A fitful sleep finally came in the wee hours of the morning.

            Ring . . . Ring . . . Ring . . .

            The sound of the phone ringing brought Aaron abruptly to a wakened stage.  He rolled over and grabbed for the phone on the night stand, at the same time realizing that Cheryl was already up and probably downstairs.  He lifted the receiver gently, only to hear Terry on the other end of the line and Cheryl answering.  He decided to listen in.  Something he’d never have done before, but now was a desperate time.

            “What happened last night?”  Terry asked excitedly.

            “What happened?” Cheryl snarled into the phone.  “That’s what I want to know.  Why didn’t you call me back?”

            “Uh . . . I was tied up” Terry hedged.  “What did Aaron say when he got home?” Terry asked.

            “Nothing.  I was asleep when he got home and he’s still in bed asleep now.”

            “Oh.”  Terry said.  “I’ll call you this afternoon.  I’ve gotta go.”

            Click.

            Terry had hung up, leaving Cheryl to wonder what was really going on, but unbeknownst to her, it confirmed Aaron’s suspicions that Charles was right.  Terry was manipulating things.  Still, he thought, that was no explanation for Cheryl to be with Mr. Becker.

            Aaron gloomily climbed out of bed, showered, shaved, dressed and went downstairs where he found his wife still dressed in a gown and housecoat, sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee and staring out the window.

            “Good morning” Aaron spoke dryly.

            “Morning” Cheryl responded without looking up.

            Aaron began to thumb through the mail that had come while he was away and stopped suddenly when he came to an envelope addressed to him from the church.

            “What’s this?” he asked.

            “What’s what?” Cheryl responded as she finally looked up.

            “Something from the church to me,” he said.

            Cheryl drew a deep breath before responding.  “Why don’t you open it and see,” she said, not wanting to let on that she knew what it was.

            Aaron opened it and read aloud,

            “Dear Pastor Cooper,

                        It has come to our attention that you have certain associations with a person or persons who have beliefs that are contrary to the doctrine of the church, and such could have negative repercussions to our church’s reputation and integrity.  We the board of elders demand your presence on the first Thursday of this month at 7:00 p.m. in the church conference room.  At said time you will be given the opportunity to explain or defend your actions against the allegations that have been made, after which the board will determine the best course of action to insure the future success of the church.

                                                                                                Sincerely,
                                                                                                John Becker, Chairman

             “What!? I can’t believe this!” Aaron yelled.  “They’re trying to fire me! And Becker even has the nerve to sign his name!”

             Cheryl’s eyes widened.  “What does he mean by that?”  She thought. “What does he know?” 

             She would soon find out.

             Aaron continued ranting. “Becker steals my wife and then works to get me fired too!”

             Cheryl now stood up, frightened.  She backed away from Aaron, who had fire in his eyes.  She’d never seen him this way.

             “What . . . do you mean by that?”  She mumbled, even though guilt was written all over her face.

             “What do I mean?” Aaron snarled as he took slow, small steps toward her.  He then reached into his back pocket and pulled out the pictures and flung them at her face!

             Cheryl instinctively reacted by raising her hands to cover her face as the pictures fell to the floor.  She stooped to pick them up and look at them.

             “Where . . . Where . . .” she stuttered “where did you get these?”

             “From your good buddy Terry,” Aaron spat out as he turned his back on her and moved toward the kitchen window.  He stood motionless, staring out the windows as Cheryl began a slow deep moan that began from the pit of her stomach.  Tears streamed down her face as the moan turned into a wail and then into uncontrollable sobs.

             Aaron ignored her, believing her reaction was only proof of his worst fears.  She had been unfaithful.

 ____________________________________________

            Tabitha had enrolled in the University and planned to stay on campus until five or so when Juanita was scheduled to pick her up.  With the help of several students, she had completed her enrollment and purchased the necessary books by three, so Shawanda Perkins, a grad student in her mid twenties, offered her a ride home.

             “Thank you,” Tabitha said as she climbed into the blue Toyota.

             “Sure, no problem,” Shawanda responded, “now what did you say your address is?”

             Tabitha looked in her purse and pulled out the slip of paper on which Juanita had carefully written the address, and handed it to Shawanda.

             “4702 Parkhill Way.  Hey, girl you live in the ritzy neighborhood don’t ya.”

             “Pardon me, ma’am?” Tabitha said.

             “Hey girl, don’t ma’am me, I’m just a student like you,” Shawanda began to respond before she realized that foreigners might not be familiar with some American idioms.  “Ritzy” Shawanda explained “implies rich.  It came from the Ritz Hotel, where at one time only the very rich could afford to stay.”

             “Oh,” Tabitha said.

             “But girl, tell me about Africa, my ancestors’ home land” Shawanda went on.

             She was a light brown skinned girl with long black hair that came down to the middle of her back.  She was well proportioned although not much leaner than Tabitha who was nearly three to four inches taller.

 ________________________________________________

            Aaron had left Cheryl crying in the middle of the kitchen floor, but first he had gathered the pictures from her before he left.  He just might need them again, he thought. 

             After Cheryl composed herself, she got dressed and drove to Terry’s house.  She rang the bell again and again, and then began beating the door impatiently.

             “Okay, okay, I’m coming” came the response from within.

             Terry opened the door surprised to see Cheryl standing there with eyes red and swollen from crying.

             “How could you?”  Cheryl demanded as she pushed her way into the house. 

             “How could I what?” Terry asked.  She backed up, fearful of being struck by the very angry Cheryl.

             “You took pictures without my knowing, and then you showed them to Aaron!” she screamed.

             “Well, yes, I . . . uh . . . I did take the pictures but they were to be used with Becker, just in case we needed them.”

             “What?!” Cheryl screamed.  “You expected me to be part of some blackmail plot?”

             Terry lied: “Well, no . . . uh . . . it was just leverage, in case we needed it.” 

             “I don’t believe you” Cheryl growled as she marched toward Terry with clenched fists.  Terry looked around for an object to defend herself with, but it was too late.  Cheryl grabbed her by her blouse with her left hand and slapped her across the cheek with her right.  The blow sent the smaller woman reeling backward to the floor.

             “You have purposefully tried to destroy my marriage!” Cheryl screamed.  “I don’t ever want to see you again!  Stay out of our lives!  Do you understand?”  Cheryl declared as she stood above Terry with her feet spread apart about one shoulder’s width and her left hand on her hip as she pointed with her right.

             Terry held her cheek and stayed on the floor, afraid that if she got up she’d only be hit again.

             Cheryl squinted her eyes about to say more, but thought better of it.  Pivoting around, she marched out of the door, slamming it behind her.

 ___________________________________________________

            As Shawanda drove up to the house she saw the garage door had been left open and there were baseball gloves, a softball and a bat inside.

             “Hey, Tab,” she said, “you want to play some catch?”

             “What’s catch?”  Tabitha asked.

             “You know, throw a softball back and forth.”  Shawanda explained as she pointed toward the gloves and ball in the garage.

             “Let me ask Juanita if it is alright.” Tabitha responded cautiously.

             As she went through the first door she almost ran into George, who was coming out, having heard someone driving up and not knowing who it was.

             “Oh, excuse me,” Tabitha said after almost bumping in to him.  “May my friend and I play ‘catch’ with your equipment?” she asked.

             “Sure,” George smiled.  “I don’t have anything to do right now, I’ll play with you.”

             Minutes later Shawanda was burning fastballs into George’s glove and alternately lobbed the ball to Tabitha, who was new at this strange game.

             “You’re quite an athlete, Shawanda” George said, offering a compliment to Tabitha’s new friend.

             “No offense, my man, but that doesn’t mean much coming from a white man.”  Shawanda retorted with a chuckle.

             George was shocked by the brazenness of Tabitha’s friend while he secretly admired her sleek figure as she leaped high and twisted to catch the ball he had thrown over her head.

             “Think you’re tough stuff, huh?” George playfully called back.

             “Tougher than you!”  Shawanda stated confidently as she burned another fastball into his glove.

             “Oh, Yeah” George called out.  “I’ll beat you in game of 21.”

             “Put five dollars in it and you’ve got a bet.”

             “Whoa, wait a minute, I am Christian and don’t gamble.  But I’ll tell you what, win or lose I’ll treat you to a cold Pepsi,” George offered.

             “Shawanda and walked over to George and shoved her baseball glove in his chest.  “Two Pepsi’s, she said as she winked at him.

             Shawanda and Tabitha followed George through the garage as he replaced the baseball gloves and softball and picked up the basketball.  The two then traveled through the house. 

             Shawanda whistled as she saw the luxurious interior.  “Man, you’re living large!” she exclaimed.

             “If that’s a compliment, thanks” George replied.

             They went out the back door, and immediately Shawanda pulled the ball from George and leaped high in the air, executing a perfect jump shot that hit nothing but net.  George was playing defense against the next shot, but she faked a hook and when he went up into the air she dribbled around his airborne body and made an easy layup.

             George was determined to block the next shot.  Even though he wasn’t the greatest athlete, no girl had ever gotten the best of him.  This time Shawanda did a fadeaway shot.  George leaped high and tipped the ball, which came tumbling down on top of Shawanda.  As they both toppled to the ground Shawanda yelled, “Get off me, you big oaf!”

             “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” George said very apologetically.

             “That’s OK, I’m not made of glass, so I don’t break easy.  However, that doesn’t mean you get to climb on top of me without permission” she said playfully as she lightly punched him in the stomach.

             Juanita, having heard voices, stepped out of the house and into the back yard just in time to hear George say “Hold on, I’m a lover not a fighter” as he grabbed her around the shoulders.