Chapter 36

              “Is she the one?”  Juanita asked as they retired for the evening. 

             “Who?” George asked.

             “Oh, you know, Shawanda,”  Juanita replied, irritated that George insisted on playing this game.  “They both knew who and what she was talking about.” She thought.

             “Is Shawanda the one what?” George retorted.

             “Is she the one that is going to become your second wife?” Juanita clarified.

             “What?! Don’t be ridiculous.  The girl obviously likes that jerk Jesse, whoever he is.” George replied.

             “Does that bother you?” Juanita asked.

             “Yes, I guess it does.” He muttered.  “I hate to see a nice girl like her hooked up with some racist with a chip on his shoulder.”

             “What is it to you unless you care about her?” Juanita questioned further.

             “I care about her as a person, a fellow human being, that’s all.” George replied.

             “No, there’s more to it than that,” Juanita mumbled as she turned her back to him.  “I can tell.”

             “They slept, and George dreamed.  He dreamed of dancing with Shawanda – not that he was a great dancer, but in the dream that he dreamed he danced around in the air.  He enjoyed the smell of her perfume, the softness of her body against his.  They laughed, they played, until he was awakened by a nudge in the side.

             “Hey, wake up!” Juanita said as she poked him again. 

            “You were laughing and talking in your sleep.” She said.

            “Huh?  I was?  What did I say?” George asked.

            “I couldn’t make it out, but you were mumbling something about that Shawanda chick, and you were laughing and giggling,” Juanita reported.

            “Sorry, go back to sleep” George suggested.

             The rest of the night was uneventful, but George suspected what would be the topic of conversation when they were alone. 

             After they had awakened and dressed and groomed themselves, they made their way downstairs where Tabitha had a full breakfast waiting.  Judy was already finishing her coffee and toast in a rush to get off to an early job interview.

             “Thanks again for taking care of the boys.” She said to Juanita.

             “The daycare is so expensive!  I’m hoping to get this job.  It should pay well, and if so, I’ll be out of your hair real soon” she said apologetically.

             “Think nothing of it . . .” Juanita began her reply when she was interrupted by the booming sound of the oldest boy running down the hallway and jumping part way down the stairs.

             George wondered how it was that the children in Kenya could be so disciplined while the children in America ran amuck.  “Maybe it’s the sugar,” he thought.  But he also was determined to ask Charles if he had an answer.

             “I hope everything is okay.” Tabitha said.  “I have an early class, but I’ll do the dishes at lunchtime.”

             “Don’t worry about them,” Juanita said as she waved her hand.  “I’ll just put them in the dishwasher.”

             Finally everyone was gone, and the kids were in the backyard playing where George and Juanita could watch them through the plateglass patio door.  George got himself a second cup of coffee and began to sip the hot liquid when Juanita spoke again.

             “George,” she paused, “if . . . you really believe God wants you to have her as a wife, you can pursue her.”

             “What?!” George said as he spilled some of his coffee.  He was surprised by the statement.

             “I . . . uh . . . I don’t know what God wants yet.  I . . . just don’t want her hooked up with the wrong guy.”

             “Pray about it.” Juanita suggested.  “I’ll pray about it too.”

             She had mixed emotions.  On the one hand, she liked Shawanda, but she still felt that twinge of jealousy knowing that George was attracted to her.  She had been the only one for some time now.  To share him was . . . was . . . different.  Yet she had seen Charles’ wives – Rachel and Elizabeth – get along well.  Her question was, could she do it herself.

             “I’ve got a house showing at 10 AM.  I’d better get out of here” George said as he broke his wife’s train of thought.

             He bent down to kiss her on the lips before calling out to her “I love you, honey” as he made his exit.

             Later that evening George stopped by Charles’ apartment catching him just as he was coming in.’

             “Hey Charles, how are you doing?”

             “I’m blessed” came the familiar reply.

             “I want to talk to you about a couple of different things” George began.

             “Sure, go ahead” Charles encouraged.

             “How is it that the children in Kenya are so well disciplined?”

             “We use biblical methods,” Charles said.  ‘We whip them when they are naughty.  They soon learn obedience.”

             “Wow, they’d call that child abuse here in the U.S.A.”

             “Yes, I know” Charles said.  “It’s sad what a downhill spiral the United States is in.  Ever since it began to leave out God and the Bible and exalted science and research, it has been in decline.”

             George put his hands in his pockets and shook his head as the two men walked along the street.  “I’ve been thinking about how to help Judy get her kids under control.”

 “Thou shalt beat him with a rod and not spare for his crying, for he shall not die, and thou shalt deliver his soul from hell” Charles quoted the Scripture from Proverbs.

             “Man, that sounds drastic” George replied.

             “It only sounds drastic because so called  professors, who are liberals of the worst sort, at major universities and the media have fed the public the lie that to whip a child is child abuse.  Now look at the results.  Kids are going around shooting teachers and other students, kids are in rebellion against parents and all other authorities.  God’s way is the only right way,” Charles preached.

             “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” George acquiesced.

             “I know I’m right, because the Bible is always right.” Charles stated confidently.

             Next George wanted to talk about Shawanda, but Charles’ answer to that one would be far different than he expected.