Authors: Nicholas Maze
“Who do we kill first”, asked Angie
“No…. Diane give me the note, so I can put it away. The question is who it belongs to.”
“Then, we can do the killing. Because, let me find out Jimmy got a woman on the side…. I’m going HAM!”
“Not so loud, Rhonda… We don’t want to make it obvious.”
“True. It’s like Marla said. We can’t let it be known, because then they’ll cover their tracks.”
“Right, Diane. Now, we need to be on the lookout.”
“Well, how do we do that? As soon as they notice us acting different, they are going to suspect something”, said Angie.
“Well, we can help one another…. We can assign each other to each other’s man.”
“Like spying?”
“Just like spying…. We each will keep an eye out for what the guy is doing…. Where does he go after work…? What is he doing on the weekend…?”
“Who he sleeping with”, said Angie.
“Okay…. Diane, we’ll switch up. It is easier for us to follow each other’s husband, because we know each of them very well. Plus, it won’t seem unusual if we happen to run into one another.”
“OK.”
“Rhonda and Stephanie, you two don’t know one another. But, that isn’t a problem. Just get each other up to speed and go from there. Plus, with me and Diane helping each other, it will help narrow down who it is. Angie, you can fill-in as need be.”
“I’m nervous” said Diane.
“Girl, please. I’m excited. I don’t get this much excitement often”, said Angie
“Di, don’t worry. They don’t know, so what is the worst that can happen?”
“Well, it’s not getting caught. It’s just discovering something you don’t want to see.”
“Well, it’s a hard pill to swallow.”
“That’s why I’m killing as soon as I find out”, informed Rhonda.
“You need a drink, baby”, said Angie
“Okay, ladies. Let’s head back to our table…. Stephanie and Rhonda, you two exchange numbers and I’ll stay in touch with everyone.”
As the women head back to their party, all of them had mischievous smiles on their faces. Michael leaned over to Stanley again.
“You see what I’m talking about? Now, they all smiles.”
“Yeah, that is odd…. and crazy.”
After the party, Marla and Michael were on their way home. Junior was worn out from the party and knocked out in his car seat.
“Michael, what do you do on your job?”
“Why do you ask?”
“I can’t know about your job?”
“Well, you’ve never asked me before, so I’m just curious.”
“Well, that’s one of the reasons I asked…. I don’t know.”
“Well baby, my work is mainly on the field handling construction. It varies from skyscrapers to local parks…. Since I supervise, my hands don’t get as dirty as they use to. You have to start from somewhere, but now I am in a much easier position.”
“Interesting.”
“I’m flattered. You’ve never ask me before. I almost feel special”, smiled Michael.
“Quit it…. Are there any women in your line of work?”
“I’m sure there probably is, but I haven’t seen any…. The most I see is a woman as the secretary.”
“How often do you have to deal with her?.... I mean being the supervisor, is there a lot of communication with the secretary?”
“Very little. I rarely see her honestly.”
Marla pulls out her cell phone and begins to text Diane.
[Marla: Michael seems clean]
“Our current secretary is a sweet girl though…. It’s funny you asked. I may not see her a lot, but when I do we’ll get to talking for hours…. A very sweet young lady.”
[Marla: I take that back. Now he’s praising the secretary.]
[Diane: I’ll make a note of it.]
[Diane: Do u have a name?]
“What’s your secretary name?.... I mean, does she have a unique name?”
“No, it’s pretty basic, Olivia.”
“Yes. That is a basic name.”
[Marla: Olivia]
[Diane: Ok]
Once Marla and Michael make it home and put Junior to bed, they go to bed themselves. Marla turns and acts as if she is asleep. Once she notices that Michael has gone off to sleep, she reaches for her cell phone on the night stand.
[Marla: Di?]
[Diane: What?]
[Marla: Anything about Stanley?]
[Diane: His firm has women galore, so I guess you just pick and choose.]
“Stanley works for an accounting firm. With so many women amongst his staff, this will take some work. Not only that, what would be my excuse for being at an accounting firm??? This is going to take some work.”
Church
As usual, Marla and her family made it to Church right on time. There was a nice crowd already in attendance, but still people to come. A young elder by the name of Juwan Andrews took the role as Pastor for Praising Baptist. Since the Founder, Nathaniel Roberts decided to step down, he felt led to turn over the leadership to his thriving Elder and son-in-law, Andrews. Being in his mid-30’s, Andrews was finding a way to connect with the youth while maintaining the respect of the elderly.
As Marla and Michael walked into the Church with Junior in tow, they could hear the choir singing the classic hymn, “GOD is trying to tell you something”. Hearing the sounds blast throughout the Church brought a smile to Marla’s face. “Tell me something GOD”, she whispered. As they entered the sanctuary, Michael had an odd look on his face as he stared at the ladies sitting on the right side of the Church. Sitting together was Diane, Stephanie, Rhonda, and Angie. After a while, Michael looked back at Marla.
“You invited them”, he asked.
“My girls?.... Like you said, it’s a weekend thing.”
The whole time, one of the ushers stood waiting for Marla and Michael to follow him.
“Look baby, take Junior with you. I’m going to go and sit with my girls.”
“We’re going to go our separate ways, today”, she told the usher.
The usher became frustrated and allowed them to split up and go wherever they wanted. Michael took a seat in the back on the left side with Junior, while Marla went and sat with the ladies. Marla scooted in and sat in between Diane and Angie.
“For a moment, I thought you weren’t coming”, said Diane.
“Now, you know I don’t miss Church…. Actually, I’m shocked everyone is here.”
“Say what? We can’t waste no time. AND, a sister had to check out the Church men…. I see y’all got a few.”
“Angie, you are a trip.”
Pastor Andrews approached the podium to begin his sermon.
“How is everyone doing this morning?.... Are y’all ready to hear from the Lord”, asked Andrews.
“Amen”, shouted the Church women in unison.
“The choir tore it up. Like they said, maybe GOD is trying to tell you something…. The only issue now is how many of y’all are listening.”
“I know I’m listening”, shouted Angie.
Some of the Church members laughed at Angie’s outburst. Two elderly women, sitting near the front, looked back at the same time and started eyeing Angie. They eventually turned back towards the Pastor with a disgruntled look on their faces. One of the elderly women leaned over, so they can whisper to one another.
“You can sho’ tell when a Negro ain’t been to a Church before.”
“Right. What type of home training did she get?”
“Girl, these new Church folk ain’t bout nothing…. No manners, no sense of time, no voices.”
“Preach. Can’t sing a lick…. And, don’t let me get started on the clothes.”
“Who you telling? Just like that woman screaming. She showing all her cleave.”
“Cleavage.”
“That’s what I said. Showing all her cleavage…. Is this a nightclub or a Church?”
Marla and her group started listening to the Pastor, but eventually went back to whispering among themselves.
“So, what’s next”, asked Diane.
“We have to just sit back and observe. By the way, where is Stanley”, asked Marla.
Diane scanned the Church.
“Right there.”
“Oh. Did you find out anything?”
“I told you I’m scared. I couldn’t really say much. I just observed his body language.”
“Girl, bodies can’t talk”, said Angie.
“Y’all wrong for talking, while the Pastor preaching”, said Stephanie.
“We trying to help you out.”
“I’m just saying.”
“Yes, Jimmy will have to do more than show body signs”, said Rhonda.
“Yes, Diane. You’re going to have to go beyond the body language…. We have to gather information. Any type of information is useful. What he eats for lunch? Does he drink coffee? Anything.”
“Does he have condoms? All that stuff”, added Angie.
“I know. I’ll try.”
One of the elderly women looked back again, looking at Angie. Angie watched the elderly lady from the corner of her eye, while looking at the Pastor. She whispered to Marla out the corner of her mouth.
“If this old woman look at me one more time.”
“You know how the old Church ladies are.”
“I know, but ain’t she supposed to be listening to the Pastor. Not watching me.”
Later
Church let out and Marla and Michael came back together to leave and go home. On their way to the vehicle, Michael questioned Marla.
“Is this the last time?”
“Last time for what?”
“That you all will be together.”
“I guess. Why?”
“You’ve been hanging with them way too much.”
“Is that a problem? It’s just one weekend, Michael.”
“I know, but you’re neglecting us.”
“How can you say that? We were all in the same place.”
“But this is family time. This isn’t a time to go and sit with your friends. A family should always be together in the Lord’s House.”
“Well, I apologize. It won’t happen again.”
As Marla and Michael left the Church’s parking lot, she noticed Angie standing outside talking to Deacon Charles. Marla turned away and laughed to herself.
“That girl needs a leash”, said Marla.
“So, you what they call a Deacon”, asked Angie.
“Yes. Do you have a title”, responded Deacon Charles.
“Single.”
“That’s different”, said Deacon Charles while laughing.
“Yes. It’s a shame too…. All this woman and no strong, handsome deacon to be by my side…. What’s your other title?”
“I’m divorced.”
“Such a shame. Look here, let me give you one of my cards. I have my cell number on there…. I think it’s good to stay in touch with a GOD-fearing man.”
“Okay. Not a problem.”
“Yes, a blessing. You make sure you use that number Mr. Deacon. And, you have a blessed day.”
Angie leaned over and kissed Deacon Charles on the cheek. She walked away, switching hard. Deacon Charles stared at her figure the entire time as she walked. He eventually caught himself and looked around to see if anybody was watching and slid the business card into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. As Angie drove by, Deacon Charles gave a nervous smile and waved goodbye. Angie kissed the inner side of her fingers and blew a kiss to Deacon Charles.
# # #
Diane and Stanley walked into their home with their kids. Diane placed her purse and keys on the decorative table by the door as Stanley followed her in.
“So, you all decided to go to Church together today”, asked Stanley.
“Yes. I hope that was not a problem.”
“No. It’s fine with me…. But, you know it’s odd to see women get along like that.”
“Yes, I’ve seen a few cat fights in my day…. Since you mentioned that, how do you get along with the women at your job?”
“How do we get along?”
“Yes. I know a lot of women at a job can be a lot of pressure.”
“Not at all. They are some great women…. Courteous, hard workers, intelligent.”
“Could you see me working there?”
“Of course not”, responded Stanley while laughing.
“What does that mean?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it in that way…. I believe your role as a wife and parent is your strongest assets. You have beautifully raised our children and you are great when it comes to being my significant other. And, I love you for that.”
“Aww. I love you too, honey.”
Diane reached for him as they hugged one another. Stanley headed upstairs to change out of his suit. Diane walked over to her purse, looked at the stairs, and searched her purse for her phone. She noticed she had a message from Marla.
[Marla: Michael wasn’t too happy about me ditching him to sit with you all.]
[Diane: Really? I tried to get some info from Stanley.]
[Marla: Anything?]
[Diane: At first, he was praising the women and then had the nerve to say he couldn’t see me working there.]
[Marla: Whoa. Red flag.]
[Diane: I thought so too, but then he said that he loved me.]
[Marla: Di you’re so gullible.]
[Diane: He meant it though.]
[Marla: u know him better than me, so I’ll take your word.]
“Are you addicted to texting”, asked Michael as he walked pass Marla.
“Huh? No. I’m just trying to keep up with technology…. This is how people communicate.”
“So to talk to you, I have to text you?”
“Ha ha. Not funny…. Anyways, I have to get dinner ready. I don’t want my hubby to go hungry.”
Michael had a seat on the couch and smiled.
###
Diane was about half-way done with her cooking. She had the whole house smelling like roast beef. As she stirred the boiling green beans, Stanley walked up behind her and kissed her on the neck.
“That’s the woman I know.”
“Quit it, crazy”, said Diane as she smiled.
Stanley walked over to the refrigerator, opened the door, and scanned the contents inside. He looked back at Diane.
“Dinner almost ready?”
“Close. You know roast takes a while, if you want it tender.”
“With my appetite right now, I could eat it raw.”
“Oh, hush. Go have a seat in the living room and I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“Yes, dear.”
Stanley grabbed a bottle of water and went into the living room. Diane flashed a smile, but deep down inside, she was worried. She was feeling mixed emotions about what Stanley had said. She tried to fight the thoughts going through her head. Maybe it was just fear of expecting the worst. She tried to gather herself as steam from the pot of green beans had started to produce sweat on her forehead. Diane couldn’t remember the last time Stanley gave her a reason to worry, but she wanted to do her part in finding out who the note belonged to. For the time being, she had to play the role as if everything was okay, while snooping around to find anything wrong. Diane backed away from the pot and grabbed one of the kitchen towels to clean her forehead.
The timer on Marla’s oven began to sound off, letting her know the rolls were ready. Although the timer kept ringing, Marla never moved. As she sat at the kitchen table with her hands clasps together, she kept thinking about the mistakes she had made in her marriage. She began to wonder if what she discovered was payback for what she had done. “In a way, how could I be mad if the note belonged to Michael”, she thought to herself. After a minute and half, Marla realized where she was and what the sound was. She quickly got out of her chair and rushed to the oven. Heat rushed out as Marla opened the oven door, revealing “extra brown” rolls. The rolls were going to accompany the smothered chicken and white rice. Hoping to mask the dark complexion, Marla rubbed a half stick of butter across the top of the rolls. As the melted butter desperately fought to enter the rolls, Michael walked into the kitchen. “Trying something new”, he asked as he walked by. Not amused, Marla gave him a look and began to fix Junior’s plate. As Michael grabbed a plate for himself, he could easily sense Marla’s long, awkward silence.
“Everything alright?”
“Still that time.”
“Okay. You keep using that a lot. Are you being honest?”
“I got a lot on my mind.”
“If you have something you need to talk about, just let me know.”
“I know. I know. I’ll go get Junior.”
Marla left out of the kitchen to find Junior, while Michael continued to fix his plate.
Later
Rhonda sat in the lounge chair, in her living room, loosely holding the television remote and flipping through channels with nothing to watch. She was in her own world, aggressively chewing her gum and thinking about the note that was discovered. A few times, she looked over at the fireplace fork with thoughts of murder running through her brain. “I wish, but I’m too cute for prison.” Suddenly, the sound of keys fighting to enter the front door’s lock was heard. Rhonda went back to watching the television and turning channels, with no concern. Jimmy managed to open the door and walk in. He looked at Rhonda and closed the door. Rhonda completely ignored his presence and kept grinding the helpless gum in her mouth. With a bag of McDonald’s in one hand and keys in the other, Jimmy walked toward the living room sofa, dropped his keys and bag of food on the living room table in front of him, and plopped down on the sofa. He stared at Rhonda’s dark, still face.