Authors: Faith
“One more time,
One more time.
He allowed us to come together,
One more time…?
The Blanks joined in perfect harmony, and Madear’s alto voice blended right in:
“One more time,
One more time.
He allowed us to come together,
One more time…”
The spirit filled the house as the family sang one of Senior’s favorite songs. After everything that they had been through, this song held so much more meaning to all of them. Tears fell from their eyes as they praised the Lord and ushered His presence in.
“Hallelujah!” Mama Eloise hollered as she did her spiritual two-step. Seeing all her family standing around the table singing again did something to her. “Thank you! Thank you, Father! Thank you, God!” She and Madear started clapping and speaking in tongues.
Then, to everyone’s surprise when the spirit of the Lord fell on Mud, he went into a full blown praise. Junior looked at Edem; Edem looked at Eddie; and everyone else just watched. Mud had never been caught up in the spirit like that before.
“Look at God!” Madear shouted when she turned her face up like she smelled something funky and waved her hands.” Praise Him, son! Praise Him!
After the impromptu praise and worship session as only the Blanks knew how to do, they all sat down to devour the cold but oh so healthy meal that Lacey and Felicia had prepared. They enjoyed each other’s company, and sat around and talked. They all felt blessed to be together as a family.
After dinner everyone settled around in the living room just bonding and talking amongst each other when the doorbell rang.
Eddie went to the door and was greeted by Rudy Cheek, who was one of the members of the church and also worked at the fire department. “What’s up, Cheek? Come on in, man.” They gave each other dap. “Everyone’s in the living room.”
“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!” Rudy Cheek greeted.
They all busted out laughing because that’s how he greeted everyone all the time.
“What’s up, Cheek?” Junior greeted him.
“I just had to come and check on everybody. I was away on vacation, and I came back and found out what happened. Man, that was crazy shi—” He covered his mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m so glad everybody is okay. I know they said six people died, but I had to come check on everybody.” Rudy walked over to Mama Eloise and Madear and kissed them both on the cheek.
“Hey, Rudy. It’s good to see you,” Mama Eloise said. “I haven’t seen you at church lately. Where you been hiding?”
“Oh, for the last few months I’ve been working extra shifts. But you’re doing okay though, Mama Eloise?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m fine. You know I’m a tough old bird,” she replied.
“Yeah she is!” Madear cosigned. “Now, do I have to call the fire chief and let him know that you need some Sundays off so you can come to church?”
“No. I’ll be there Sunday. I promise.”
“You know I’ma hold you to it. Do you want something to eat? We got plenty,” Mama Eloise asked him.
“Nah, I’m good. It smells good though.”
“I bet you want some of that little green monster!” Mud said laughing.
“Nah, nah. See, I’ve been trying to lay off of that, you know. I got to keep my body right. I got to make sure I bring sexy back!” He busted out laughing, and everybody else did too because his laughter was contagious.
“Hush your mouth, boy! You so silly! You got to bring sexy back!” Madear laughed. “Rudy I sure do miss your mama. I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since she’s been gone.”
“I know. I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I tell you what though. Can’t nobody fry some chicken like your mama did,” Madear said.
“I know that’s right, Madear! That woman knew she could so sho’ nuff outcook anybody in the kitchen,” Mama Eloise added.
“Yeah, she could. I miss her pig feet and her oxtails too,” Rudy said.
“So, everybody’s doing okay? The family is okay? “Madear asked him.
“Yeah, we’re hanging in there.”
“That’s good. Eh, Cheek, come on in the den with us,” Junior said, stepping in because Madear would be asking a million questions.
“I know y’all bet’ not be in there drinking on that little green monster!” Mama Eloise joked.
When the men were out of earshot, she looked over at Lizzie and asked, “What’s a little green monster?”
The ladies busted out laughing.
“Mama, you don’t want to know!” Lizzie cracked up at the look on her mother’s face.
________
“Thanks for the save. Madear will talk your ear off,” Rudy said.
“Don’t we know it!” Junior laughed. “So, what’s the latest? What can you tell us? Do they have any idea on who did it? I mean, we have an idea, but do you know what’s going on?” Edem asked him.
“Man, this is a high profile case so everybody’s on it. But trust and believe, they’re going to get behind who did this. Who do you think it is?”
“Like we told them, you know we do have some enemies. But it’s no coincidence that us getting shot at, Mud actually getting shot, and now this, that somebody’s out to get us,” Junior said to him.
“I don’t mean any harm, but what the hell did y’all do? Which one of y’all slept with somebody’s wife or something?”
All in the Blanks brothers looked at each other.
“You know how it is. People just be out to get you sometimes,” Edem chimed in.
“Haters is one thing, but somebody’s trying to kill you, so this is more than haters. Y’all need to make sure your security is amped all the way up, because what if they had set fire to the sanctuary? I mean the Pavilion is bad enough. I don’t know why, but I suggest y’all need to be careful. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I feel you. Trust me, we know,” Junior told him.
“Well, I just wanted to stop by and check on the family. I got to get home, but first I gotta stop at Bojangles’ and get us something to eat.”
Cheek said his goodbyes, and Junior walked him out to his truck.
Junior’s tone became serious once they stepped outside. “Real talk, Cheek, you got to stay on them, man, down at the firehouse. A bunch of innocent people got hurt over some foolishness. Somebody tried to wipe out my entire family, and we can’t let that ride.”
“Oh, I’m gonna do my job. Y’all just make sure y’all stop whatever it is y’all are doing,” Cheek assured him.
Junior stood on the steps and watched Cheek leave as a black Impala approached. His security was all over the car until Junior recognized the driver. “He’s alright. Let him go,” he said.
The driver got out of the car and extended his hand to greet Junior. They shook hands, and he followed Junior into the house and into the living room.
“Who in the hell left the gate open again?” Madear yelled.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Madear!” Junior loved Madear, but she got on his nerves.
“I didn’t come to start confusion,” Poe said.
“Have a seat, young man,” Mama Eloise said calmly. “Junior, go get your brothers.”
Junior exited the room and did as he was told while Poe took a seat and waited without saying another word. Junior returned with his brothers in tow. They almost looked like a gang the way they walked in.
“So, what is it you have to say?” Mama Eloise asked.
“First, I wanted to apologize. I’m sure you read the DNA test results, and I really did think that your husband, your father,” he looked at the Blanks clan, “Was my father. Lilith has some explaining to do.”
“She has a lot of explaining to do,” Mama Eloise told him. “Look, son. I know how crazy your mama is, so I can’t blame you for believing her. All you knew was what she told you. But you disrupted our service, threw dirt on my late husband’s name, and as the kids say, that wasn’t cool.”
“I am really sorry. Lilith had me all riled up and I just reacted. I know she’s insane, but she’s still my mother,” Poe said, and dropped his head.
“Look, man. It is what it is, but you need to tell us what you know about the fire,” Edem stated.
“I don’t know anything about the fire. I saw it on the news along with everyone else.”
Everyone was staring at him, and it made Poe uncomfortable. “I swear I don’t know anything. I haven’t even talked to Lilith. I’ve been calling, but she’s been sending me straight to voicemail.”
“So, let me ask you this. Do you think she started the fire?” Junior threw a test question at him to see where his head was.
“Did she do it herself? I doubt it. Did she get someone to do her dirty work? Probably so. She probably talked Damien into doing it,” Poe told them.
“So, you think they did it?” Edem asked.
“I’m pretty sure they did. I wouldn’t put it past them.” Poe was being completely honest with them. “I was wrong, and I’m man enough to admit that,” he explained.
“We can respect that. But that still doesn’t help you in finding out who your father is.” Junior felt a little sorry for him.
Madear was staring a hole into him the entire time. “Son, there’s something familiar about you. I can’t put my finger on it though.”
Maria started to cough uncontrollably so Felicia got up to get her some water.
“Are you okay over there?” Mama Eloise asked her.
“Here you go,” Felicia said, handing Maria a glass of water.
Maria took a few small sips before clearing her throat. She looked over at Denard, who was rubbing her back. “Isn’t there something you should tell them, Denard?”
“What is going on now? I don’t like secrets,” Madear snapped.
Denard cleared his throat. “Um, I think there’s a possibility that I could be your father.”
“Sweet Lord Jesus!” Madear hollered.
“Denard!” Mama Eloise yelled.
“Mama Elouise, after you beat the living daylights out of Lilly—she was Lilly then—Senior sent me over there to talk her out of pressing charges on you. She was upset so I tried to comfort her, and one thing led to another. We snuck around for months because I didn’t want Senior to be angry with me. I mean, he was my best friend.”
“One day I asked her if she was pregnant because she was getting thick in the waist you know. She flew into a rage, and the next morning I went by her house and her aunt said she was gone and wasn’t coming back. I never saw her again until now. I always wondered if she was pregnant, but I figured she would let me know. So, when you made your announcement at church, I got to thinking.”
“Show him the picture, hon,” Maria said.
Denard went in his wallet and pulled out an old picture of himself, and handed it to Poe.
Poe’s eyes widened, because it was as if he was looking at a picture of himself. “Wow!” was the only word he could utter.
“Let me see,” Mama Eloise demanded and put her hand out. Poe handed her the picture, and she said, “Oh my God!”
Then Madear snatched the picture from her hands. “Well Father! I knew there was something familiar about you. It was the eyes.” She shook her head. “Well, son, looks like you found what you were looking for after all.” She handed the picture back to Denard.
“Would you be willing to take a DNA test? I need to know for sure.” Poe caught himself staring at Denard as he spoke.
“Oh course.” Denard dug through his wallet looking for one of his cards.” Set it up and I’ll be there.”
“I appreciate it,” Poe said and stood up to leave. He needed to get out of there. He hastily walked out of the house without saying another word.
“Mm, mm, mm! Poor thing,” Madear said, shaking her head.
“Well, I guess we should be going too.” Denard and Maria stood up to leave.
“Denard, you gonna have to love that boy through all of his pain. That woman did a number on him. So just try being his friend first. You’re a decent man, and you’re probably just what that boy needs,” Mama Eloise said trying to reassure him.
Denard hugged them all before leaving.
Chapter 6
Poe was discombobulated as he drove off. His thoughts were all over the place. All of his life he thought that Edwin Blanks Sr. was his father. His anger for his mother had him seething.
How much am I supposed to take?
He shook his head in disbelief.
Maybe Denard Watkins could be a blessing in my life. He seems like a decent man.
His phone going off interrupted Poe’s thoughts. “Hello?” he answered.
“Poe?”
“Yeah, who is this?”
“It’s Jezebel.”
“Where have y’all been? I’ve been worried.”
“Are you with Mother?”
“Hell no!” Poe responded angrily.
“Can we meet up?”
“Yeah. Where are you?”
“Hampton Inn off of Mount Hope Church Road.”
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
Poe turned on some trap music to clear his mind as he drove to meet up with his sisters. Although he didn’t grow up in the same house with them, he loved them dearly. No matter what was going on with Lilith, his sisters always kept in contact with him.
Ten minutes later he pulled up to the Hampton Inn. As soon as he walked up, he saw Delilah outside smoking a black.
“Poe!” Delilah squealed, running over to him and giving him a big hug.
“Hey, Dee! It’s been a long time.”
“I’ve missed you!” Delilah said, and ground the tip of her black on the side of the building.
“So, what’s going on?” Poe asked suspiciously.
“We’ll explain. Come on.” She locked arms with her brother and they headed to the girls’ room.
When Delilah and Poe entered the room, Tamar and Jezebel attacked Poe with sisterly hugs. He was overcome, because other than his grandmother, he grew up feeling unloved and neglected by most of his family. Poe sat down in the chair and asked, “So, where is your crazy mother?”
“We were hoping that you knew so we would know where we shouldn’t be,” Jezebel said.
Poe shrugged. “I don’t have a clue where she is, and if I did I would turn her in.”
Tamar was shocked. “Are you serious, Poe?”
Poe, just like the rest of them, always had a sick loyalty towards Lilith. “I’m dead serious. I am done with her!” His anger was growing as he spoke.
The sisters looked at each other, then back at Poe.
“Poe, I’m with you. I’ve been trying to make them understand,” Jezebel pointed towards her sisters. “That I just can’t be with her anymore.” Jezebel teared up.” I can’t let Mother get her hands on this baby!” she said, rubbing her belly. “This baby deserves a chance. We never had a chance.”
Poe’s heart went out to Jezebel, and he had a revelation. All this time he thought that he was the one missing out because his mother abandoned him as a baby, but in all actuality, it was a blessing in disguise because his sister was right. They never had a chance.
“Poe, you were the lucky one,” Tamar added.
“That’s for sure,” Delilah co-signed.
“I never thought of it like that,” Poe admitted.
“Poe, what is wrong with the woman? I mean, what happened to her to make her so vindictive?” Jezebel asked.
“Yeah. Something had to happen, because she doesn’t deal with any of her family,” Delilah said.
Poe leaned back in his chair and sighed. It was time to tell his sisters who their mother really was. “Grandma Mae always said that Mother was a bad seed. She said she’d always been trouble. Grandma Mae had her and Leitha at age thirteen.”
“Thirteen? Are you serious?” Delilah gasped.
“Yeah, but back then it was different. She got married to Joe, and Grandma said he was a good man. He wasn’t much older than she was. He was sixteen I think, but he stepped up to the plate. Papa Joe started preaching at like age eighteen or so, and by nineteen they started a small church. Grandma said life was good and they were happy. Evidently, Papa Joe was an activist, fighting for equality. Being a black man in the south at that time put a target on his back.”
“One night after Bible study they heard a commotion, and when they went outside there was a cross burning on lawn of the church. Grandma said Papa Joe went off. He screamed at the men in sheets and promised to pay them back for disrespecting his church. Back then they knew who was behind those white sheets, you know what I’m saying? And a black man confronting the Klan was a big no–no. So, he and his boys got together and burned down one of their stores. She said she tried to talk him out of it, but from what she said, Papa Joe didn’t play.”
“Two days after the store was burnt down, Papa Joe didn’t make it home. She said she knew he was gone long before they notified her. She said she felt it in her spirit.”
“Well, what happened to him?” Tamar asked.
“They lynched him.” Poe dug into his pocket, opened up his wallet and pulled out an old battered picture and handed it to Tamar.
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at a picture of her grandfather hanging from a tree. She passed the picture to Delilah. There was complete silence as each sister’s heart broke for a man they never knew. It was their first time laying eyes on their grandfather, and seeing him hanging from a tree was devastating to them. Jezebel handed the picture back to her brother, who continued the story:
“Anyway, Grandma said that when they stood at the tree that Papa Joe was hanging from, she thinks something snapped in Mother. She was only six when he was killed. She said her twins had always been like night and day. Mother was always getting in trouble, and Aunt Leitha usually just followed her lead.”
“Grandma remarried Clifford a year later, and with him she had five other kids. She admitted that she didn’t marry for love, but for security, and she said she did grow to love him.”
“She said that each year mother got worse. She was uncontrollable, no matter how many beatings she got. Grandma said she had the devil in her. The final straw for her was when she came home early one day and caught her husband in bed with Mother. She said when she opened the door Mother was on top of her husband doing her thing. She yanked Mother off of him and threw her to the floor, and beat the mess out of her husband. She put them both out that day. She said that mother laughed in her face and taunted her that she had her husband. Grandma said that Clifford begged and pleaded with her, and claimed Mother seduced him, and that she had a root on him or something. Grandma wasn’t having it, and Clifford eventually killed himself because he felt so guilty.”
“Grandma’s sister felt bad for Mother and took her in, but Leitha stayed with Grandma. Grandma and Mother never spoke again. Aunt Tina hand delivered me to Grandma. Growing up, if Mother visited me, it was at Aunt Tina’s. When she left the city, Leitha soon followed.”
“Mother always had it out for preachers, so she and Leitha began sleeping with them, blackmailing them, and just disrupting church after church. That was their hustle until Leitha fell in love with her mark. She married him and settled down, and started a family. That’s when she started coming back around the family. Mother just never made peace with Grandma. And y’all know the rest. She got married a few times had all of y’all, but she’s still a bad seed as Grandma said.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this years ago?” Delilah asked.
“You never asked. Hell, y’all lived with her, so how was I supposed to know you didn’t know her history?”
“And still you kept her in your life?” Tamar couldn’t understand.
Poe shrugged. “Grandma was a good woman. She taught me that I was to love her, and just because she wouldn’t let her in her life, it didn’t mean that I shouldn’t.”
“Wow! I wish we could have met her,” Jezebel said and sighed in disappointment.
“I kind of feel sorry for Mother. That had to be some kind of painful, seeing your daddy hanging from a tree,” Delilah admitted.
“Yeah, I did too, and I always tried to see the best in her. But she’s a liar. I always tried to give her the, benefit of the doubt, so when she called all upset saying that the Blanks had been abusing her, my instincts to protect my mother kicked in. I showed my ass in that church, talking about how I was going to take my rightful place. Man, I looked like an idiot! That man is not my father.”
“Damn, Poe! I’m sorry,” Jezebel said, expressing her sympathy towards him.
“So, what are you going to do now? Do you think she’ll tell you who your real father is?” Tamar asked.
“That’s if she even knows,” Jezebel smirked.
“Oh, I think I found him.”
“Who is it?” Jezebel asked.
Poe replayed what happened over at the Blanks, and Denard Watkins’ admission.
Delilah covered her face. In all the excitement she had completely forgotten all about Denard. As her guilt overwhelmed her, she told Poe how she hoped that Denard is his father, because he’s a nice man. But she had to come clean and tell her brother what she did to Denard.
Poe was speechless. He wasn’t angry at his sister and he felt sorry for her. He sat and talked with his sisters for hours.
________
“…There’s a miracle in this room with my name on it.
There’s a healing in this room, and it’s here for me…”
Elisea Banks walked through the congregation belting out the lyrics to a Tasha Cobb’s song. Her voice was so anointed that it put the church on their feet. The praise and worship was a little different this morning, but the congregation didn’t mind.
When she reached the front she said, “As you all know, our church family has been hit hard. Six people perished in the Pavilion. My brothers, sister and my mother were trapped inside the fire. We thank you all for your love and concern. We didn’t know if we would make it out, but
Jesus did it
!” she screamed at the top of her lungs.
The church erupted in praise.
“The enemy thought he had us, but
Jesus did it
! I don’t care what the situation looks like, how bleak the outcome seems, but I’m a living witness that
Jesus did it!”
Everyone was clapping, and Elisea got caught up in the spirit.
“The Lord just gave me a revelation. Sometimes God will allow things to occur to change the direction of your life. We all fall short to His glory, but God will turn your test into a testimony. Today after service, I want to meet with all of the teenage girls in the church. I am living witness that you can be ‘churched up’ all of your life, but that still does not kill the desires of the flesh. God just touched my heart to reach out to the youth in this church, to help through this time, and to help stay on the right path. I’m on a mission, not to just save souls, but to save hearts.”
Mama Eloise smiled on as she watched her baby make peace with what she had gone through and come into her own.
Elisea looked over at the choir director, Michelle Dawn. She immediately jumped up and the choir stood up. Under her direction the choir began singing an old classic:
“If you confess the Lord,
Call Him up.
If you confess the Lord,
Call Him up.
If you believe in the Father, the Son, and
Holy Ghost,
Call Him up and tell Him what you want…”
________
Elisea had disappeared during service to work in her office. The “Queen I Am” program ideas came flooding to her, and she had to get all of her ideas down on paper. The program would meet weekly with the girls where they could talk about what is going on with their bodies and discuss how they feel about themselves. Elisea was on a roll and was filled with determination. She would not let losing her baby be in vain. She was meant to make a difference, and she was now more determined than ever to do so.
As she became engrossed into what she was doing—creating packages for the young ladies—something hit her. She was at peace. She wasn’t angry anymore. The sadness that had been weighing down her heart felt lighter.
Lizzie knocked on the door of her office. “Can I come in?” she asked.
“Yeah, duh!”
Lizzie came in and took a seat across from her sister’s desk. “I was just checking on you because you disappeared.”
“Yeah, I wanted to get this done so that when I meet with the girls I can give them welcome packages.”
“I see.” Lizzie looked around at all the different papers on the desk.
“Yeah, the printer has been put to good use this morning.”
Lizzie picked up some of the papers and read them. “I want to help. The Queen I Am. I like that.” She continued reading. “E, this is some good stuff. It really is. I think you can really make a difference with this.”
Brandy, Elisea’s assistant came in with bags full of leather-bound journals and blank gift bags. “I got every last one in the store,” she said, and set the bags down.
“Thank you so much, Brandy. Um, you said you wanted to help right?” Elisea smiled at Lizzie.
“Yeah. What do you need me to do?”
“Did you get everything on the list?” Elisea asked Brandy while looking through the bags.