Church Chick
By Michelle S Carey
Published by Sunrai Multimedia, LLC at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Michelle S Carey
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Dedicated to my loves
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Disclaimer - This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely and purely coincidental.
This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and didn't purchase it, or it wasn't purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Cover Image: keeweeboy/bigstock.com
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CHAPTER 1
Bowie, Maryland
It was another boring Sunday, another Sunday of watching my mother suck up to the first family, another Sunday of listening to the Minister speak on what we should and should not do, and the last Sunday before the Saturday I was to get married.
Sabrina lay in her bed with the covers over her head. As her arm inched out from underneath, she fought to find the alarm clock and hit the snooze button. The clock continued to buzz as it fell to the floor near the stuffed animals. Sabrina poked her head out as the sun shone through her curtains.
Sabrina enjoyed laying in the bed for a minute or two while her thoughts drifted. She thought about her upcoming wedding and any last-minute details. The most important last minute detail was how she wanted to run away -- straight to the honeymoon -- without the groom. She smiled at the thought when her daydream was shattered from a knock on the door. I wish my mother wouldn't do that. That was Sabrina's cue; it was time to get up.
In her late twenties, Sabrina Sloan, still lived at home, and had the most beautiful almond-shaped brown eyes, smooth soft light brown skin and the darkest longest black hair most had ever seen. But she hid her good looks behind ponytails and hair buns, loose dark-colored clothing and wearing little to no makeup.
Sabrina shuffled to the bathroom, with her eyes barely open walking into a table in the hallway; crashing an old family photo to the floor breaking the glass into pieces. Sabrina was never short on having minor mishaps. As she picked up the frame and the glass, her younger sister Trisha, the glamorous, stylish hip and wild one, came from out of the bathroom dancing to the music from her iPod.
"Morning, sunshine!" Trisha yelled.
Sabrina gave Trisha half a wave. "Do you have to be so loud?"
"What?" Trisha yelled again, and removed one earplug from her ear. "What did you say?"
By the time she's an old woman she's gonna be deaf! "You're yelling."
"No I'm not." Trisha gave Sabrina the side eye.
Did she just hear my thoughts?
Sabrina and Trisha always had a loving relationship. Sabrina was four years older than Trisha. During their younger years, Trisha didn't want to be anything like Sabrina. She watched how, their mother, Helen, made Sabrina strive for perfection and the pressure she was under to deliver, especially the older they became. Trisha was more of a daddy's girl in every way - rebellious, confrontational, and tactless at times. Trisha still loved Sabrina very much, but she always found herself being more grounded and living life on her own terms - not Helen's.
Sabrina brushed off Trisha and cleaned up the mess on the floor. Sabrina tried to shoo Trisha away, but she wouldn't move; she continued to stand in the hallway watching her sister's every move.
Sabrina walked to the bathroom; the belt from her bathroom dragged on the floor. Trisha continued to look at her sister; as if she knew something funny was going to happen. Sabrina, a dragging belt and glass were a lethal combination.
"If that girl didn't know any better, I would say she needed some serious help," Trisha said to herself.
As Sabrina closed the door, her belt was caught, and the only noises Trisha heard were a thud, the shattered glass hitting the floor once again, and Sabrina's moaning.
"Bingo!" Trisha laughed at her sister's misstep.
~~~
CHAPTER 2
Helen Sloan in her early fifties, petite in stature, with reading glasses hanging around her neck, went to get the Sunday newspaper off the back porch for her husband Charles.
Helen had always been religious. Her father was heavily involved with the church. Her grandfather was a Deacon, and her great-grandfather was a pastor, when they lived in a small town in Virginia. Helen grew up in the country, were everyone knew everyone, and everyone's business. A small part of her always wanted to see to what the big city was like, just to see what the fuss was. Sometimes, she would sit on the hallway steps; eavesdropping on her mother, grandmother, and aunts talk about the latest gossip. The conversations were always centered on some woman being a whore, trying to steal their husbands.
Helen loved the church, and it was because of this love and her strong church principles that kept her stable and allowed her to be a good wife to Charles.
Charles Sloan, half way dressed for church, entered the kitchen looking for his morning coffee and newspaper. Now in his early sixties, he was bald, and chunky around the mid section.
Charles hadn't always been religious, not as much as Helen, but he believed in God. He was a good provider, husband and father to his family, but church wasn't always high on list.
He never grew up in the church. His family only went to church on the last Sunday of the month; the Sunday the Pastor gave out food and money to the needy and his family stayed in need. When he met Helen, it was during a time, he knew his life needed to change. When he lived in Brooklyn, Bedford-Stuyvesant, as a young man, he got involved with the niece of a mafia underboss. Once word got around on the streets and back to her uncle she was fooling around with a Black man, Charles knew he wasn't going to be able stay in Brooklyn. He took the first bus out of town when the underboss' soldiers came looking for him at his mother's house. He found himself in a small town in Virginia. He was able to find work in a warehouse where he worked with old man Henry Johnson, Helen's father, who introduced him to Helen at the annual company picnic. Facing death made him face God and Helen helped him. Helen never knew about his troubled past, and he kept it that way.
Charles always thought most of the things the Pastor said were rooted in common sense, and that he really didn't need a book to tell him he should not steal; he only went to church for Helen's sake.
As Helen returned from the back porch, she tossed the newspaper toward the table; she missed. The paper hit Charles in the face instead. He jumped and Helen didn't notice, as if nothing had happened. She then proceeded to fix breakfast.
"Ms. Doris told me some kind of therapist joined the church," Helen mentioned. "Wanna get into everybody's head.
Charles ignored Helen and took a sip of his coffee, when Sabrina stumbled into the kitchen.
Sabrina like her father wasn't quite dressed for church. She was dreading every second as the clocked ticked closer to ten thirty.
"Are you going to church today, Sabrina?" Charles asked, as he opened the paper and read the latest news about President Obama.
"Don't I always?" Sabrina said, with a hint of sarcasm.
Helen placed Sabrina's plate on the table and gave her a stern look - as if to say - don't ever mess with the church and the Lord's work.
"Did you get my suit from U-Wongs?" Charles directed his attention back to Helen.
She knows I don't like watery eggs! Sabrina flicked the scrambled eggs and shook her head.
"I re-steamed your pants," Helen said, with a stone face.
"What's the point of redoing work the cleaners has done?" Sabrina asked.
Helen turned her nose up. "It wasn't crisp like Mr. Smith use to do them; they should have never sold that store to them foreigners! They're taking over everything. Got the Mexicans working in the McDonald's, A-rabs took over Seven Eleven, and the Koreans think they know how to fry chicken."
"Mother! You're so stereotypical and probably a borderline racist. Was that even necessary?" Sabrina asked.
"Now black people know how to fry some chicken! What do Koreans know about frying chicken? Nothing! That's what I say!" Helen chuckled to herself.
Sabrina didn't like the fact her mother had problems with other cultures. On some days, Sabrina found herself coming very close to calling her mother out on her ignorance, but today wasn't one those days. Today she wasn't up for the fight.
Helen ignored Sabrina and continued to rant about the cleaners and frying chicken, when Trisha strutted into the kitchen dressed in a short red skirt and skintight white tank top.
"Oh no young lady, you're not wearing that to church!" Helen immediately directed her words to Trisha without missing a beat.
"Why not? It's hot!" Trisha yelled back trying not to laugh at Helen.
"That's the problem. No child of mine, that's a child of God, is going anywhere looking like she's a spawn of Satan."
Charles continued to read his newspaper, ignoring the usual Sunday morning women chatter.
Sabrina chuckled. She loved to see her mother and sister go back and forth. It was always a battle of the wills. Sometimes Helen won, but most of the time Trisha won. Helen loved Trisha, even with her worldly ways. Trisha was the young woman Helen wanted to be.
"Whatever!" Trisha yelled back.
"It does look a little whorish," Sabrina nodded her head, agreeing with Helen.
"Maybe if you'd dressed a little more like a whore you wouldn't be marrying that old man!" Trisha replied, trying to get under Sabrina's skin.
Forget you! Sabrina instantly went into her feelings. "I don't need to listen to this!" She said, pouting.
Sabrina knew she shouldn't have tried to get in between them; she never had a rapid-fire response. At that point, she was tired of hearing about her wedding and Deacon Byrd.
"Charles, do you hear Trisha's foul mouth?" Helen asked.
Charles looked over his newspaper, and watched his wife shaking the spatula at Trisha.
Of course, he heard her he's not deaf! Sabrina shoved the plate of watery eggs and burnt bacon away.
"Such a foul mouth child," Helen continued.
Sabrina knew this was her opportunity to exit, so she did.
"Sabrina, you've barely touched your breakfast," Helen said.
"It's because you really can't cook, Ma," Trisha said, getting that last little dig in, while making a bowl of cereal.
~~~
CHAPTER 3
Sabrina fumbled through her closet, looking at her dark and dreary clothes. She skimmed through a series of long black, gray, and blue skirts; tons of white shirts and blouses in two styles, high button up to the neck and long sleeve. In the back of her closet, hung a yellow sweater that longed to see the break of day. Sabrina couldn't remember how she got the sweater and why she didn't wear it more often.
As long as Sabrina could remember, she tried to be the good daughter her mother always wanted her to be. Being the oldest, Helen placed a lot of pressure on Sabrina to be perfect, to get the best grades, to be the most liked and never have her name associated with gossip with anyone at the church.
Sabrina selected a black skirt, white blouse, and pulled out the yellow sweater for good measure.
~~~
CHAPTER 4
Northeast, Washington, DC
Blair Brown, in her early thirties, a natural beauty, with olive skin, looked a lot like Jennifer Lopez. She never had to wear makeup, but her face had shown years of sadness in her hard life. Her father left her mother before she was born. Her mother, at the time her father left, didn't have a job and didn't know how to support Blair. Eventually, Blair's mother became a prostitute and a drug addict.
By the time, Blair was five; she became a ward of the court and lived in and out of different foster homes. When she was sixteen, she was kicked out of her last foster home, when she was caught trying to seduce her foster father. From that point on, Blair was on her own. She eventually found work as a bartender. She landed her job at the Double Sky Bar and Lounge in the revitalized section of southwest DC, when the owner of the last bar fired her for sleeping with her husband. She never knew what happened to her mother.
On her eighteenth birthday, she received a notice from the courts stating her mother had passed away shortly before her fourteenth birthday. The courts were not allowed to disclose the information to minors. Included in the notice was a picture of her mother standing with a man. On the back of the picture, it read, '. S. and me', but at least one of the initials was faded.
Blair stared at a sleeping Tobin Peterson, in his early thirties, laying next to her. She ran her fingers down his muscular back. He twitched, and then she ran her fingers across his face. He batted her hand away as he woke up.
Tobin came to Washington, DC from Columbus Ohio. He was a musician looking to put together a Jazz Fusion band. His mother and father were good people and encouraged their children to challenge themselves. Tobin was the oldest of eight, an all-star athlete in high school, and graduated near the top of his class. He decided not to attend college, even though he had a full football scholarship to attend Ohio State. Instead, he decided to explore the music scene of different cities. Before he knew it, he had been moving from city to city for the last seven years but hadn't found a reason to settle down in any one place.
Blair and Tobin lived together as roommates for a little over three months. Blair remembered the first day she saw Tobin. He answered the ad she put on Craigslist looking for a roommate. At the time, Blair had lost her job. She didn't know how she was going to pay her rent for her apartment, so she decided to rent out her second bedroom. Tobin was the first person to inquire about the room, and she had a gut feeling to go with him. His Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson good looks also helped. Tobin had been working two part time jobs during the day and playing different musical venues at night, but the gigs were sporadic.
"Good Sunday morning, handsome."
Tobin sat up and rubbed his light hazel eyes. He looked around the room.
"Ah..." He said.
He jumped out of bed and grabbed his clothes from the floor as Blair rolled over to his side of the bed.
"Last night was wonderful! Thanks for hookin' a girl up!" Blair continued.
Blair stretched out in the bed and wrapped the sheet around her body; she felt exhilarated. She had been waiting for this moment for a while, but she didn't want to seem too anxious.
"I know we both swore. But -- you know it goes." Blair gave him a smile.
Tobin turned to Blair and stared at her. He sighed.
"We're roommates Blair. We shouldn't have done this. We crossed the line." He put his underwear and pants on. He held on to his shirt continuing to expose his hairless chiseled muscular chest and six pack abs.
"Fall back for a sec; let's just take a minute to think about this." Blair said.
"Think about what? We had drunken sex. That's it, nothing more to it."
Tobin wasn't in the mood to listen to any more of Blair's ramblings. He looked for his shoes and remembered he left them in the living room. The night before was foggy in his mind. He knew he couldn't make this mistake again. Blair liked him and all he wanted was some ass. The ass wasn't even that great he concluded in his mind.
When Tobin reached for the door, Blair rose from the bed, while trying to keep the wrapped sheet around her body. She lunged at him and attempted to kiss him. He immediately pulled back from Blair and pushed her away.
He left, slamming the door behind him.
~~~
CHAPTER 5
Sabrina walked behind her parents and sister as they entered the packed and busy church. Trisha winked at the young cute choir director as she filed into the church sanctuary. Once inside the church, Helen rushed over to the church matriarch, Mother Byrd and gave her a hug. Helen wanted everyone to know her family was very close with the first family of the church. This would ensure her family was always cared for, and it gave her a sense of power.
As more people entered the church, Dr. Andrea Kent in her early forties walked in wearing the best Prada pants suit anyone in the church had ever seen; given the fact the majority of the elders didn't take kindly to women wearing pants to church or knew what Prada was. Dr. Kent looked as if she had stepped off the latest fashion runway, her makeup was flawless; her long dark-brown hair was flowing - not a strand out of place, and most of the men of the church could smell her sweet scent from a mile away. Dr. Kent was certainly out of her element, but she didn't mind too much; the way she swayed her hips let everyone know in the church; she was confident and didn't care what people said or thought. Dr. Kent never had plans to be a long-term churchgoer; the chairman of the Deacon board, Wallace Byrd, invited her to his church one Sunday, and after that, she started coming at least twice a month.
Helen grabbed Charles' elbow. "That's her Charles, the one in the pants," Helen said, as other female elders of the church turned their heads in disgust as Dr. Kent sashayed by them.
Helen tried hard not to point at Dr. Kent, but Charles noticed the sway of Dr. Kent's hips over his glasses. He grinned a little while eyeing the back and forth motion of her hips and the way her ass bounced with each step, she took. Noticing her father's grin, Sabrina attempted to look over his shoulders to see what he was grinning about since Helen didn't notice. She noticed the bounce too. Trisha, never to be out done by anyone, walked passed her family to catch up with Dr. Kent while pulling down her skirt.
"I told that child not to wear that mess!" Helen said, with embarrassment.
"Look at this way; at least she has on a skirt," Sabrina said referring to Dr. Kent's pants suit.
Two female elders, Sister Smith and Sister Hardaway, also got a hard look at Trisha walking behind Dr. Kent.
"Birds of a feather flock together," Sister Smith said.
"I know Sister Helen has tried her best with that girl but the devil just runs deep," Sister Hardaway said, shaking her head.
"We must continue to pray for Sister Helen."
As the two female elders take their seats, Cyrus Byrd, stopped Sabrina, a plain looking fellow, always had a crush on Sabrina, since as long as he could remember. Sabrina never paid any attention to Cyrus then and still didn't pay him any attention now.
"Sabrina?" Cyrus pulled Sabrina to the side behind a door leading to the upstairs pews, taking her hand.
"Cyrus, church is about to start and I need to be seated, so that..."
"So that Uncle Wallace can see you?"
Sabrina attempted to leave; and out reaction, he grabbed her arm and quickly jerked her around to face him.
"I think you're making a mistake." Cyrus' hands shook.
Sabrina yanked away from his grip. "Look! I have to go," Sabrina said, annoyed.
Sabrina left Cyrus standing there. He knew he shouldn't have approached her about marrying his Uncle Wallace, but he cared for her. They grew up together.
Deacon Wallace Byrd peered down at Sabrina when she took her seat close to the front pew. She was many years his junior and it bothered him to see her mingling with Cyrus or other men her age. Not that he was jealous of them. At fifty, he was still a good looking man, physically fit and never showing any signs of aging. He took care of himself - hair dyed, nails polished and wore expensive clothes. Sabrina was perfect for him. She was nice looking, but not too stunning to upstage him. However, he planned to keep an eye on Cyrus.
Soon after seeing Sabrina entering the sanctuary from the back door, Deacon Byrd witnessed Cyrus entering the sanctuary after Sabrina. What was going there between his future wife and nephew, he wondered. Even some church members looked back at Cyrus with a disapproving eye.
Deacon Byrd scanned the rows of members sitting in the pews looking for Dr. Kent. He tried to contain his excitement when he saw her, he couldn't help himself, he couldn't hold it back; he gave her a quick smile before anyone could notice.
Dr. Kent was the kind of woman Deacon Byrd always wanted, but his father, Minister Macon Byrd wouldn't approve. Dr. Kent was too worldly. It was bad enough she was coming to the church, but the Minister didn't know the Deacon invited her. Overall, Minister Byrd thought anyone was savable, including Dr. Kent, sexiness and all.
Minister Byrd had no clue how or why Dr. Kent came to know about his church, but whatever the reason he had his eye on her. Any woman commanding that kind of lustful attention deserved to be watched for any distrusting ways.
As the church service began, Sabrina looked at Minister Byrd, in his late seventies, shouting out to the congregation, as if they were all deaf. Minister Byrd was a short man, but he had a powerful voice. Sabrina always admired Minister Byrd, perhaps this why she agreed to marry his son; but father and son were nothing alike. Minister Byrd seemed to believe in what he preached to his core, while his son seemed to enjoy the benefits of being a single Deacon and a minister's son. Most of the single women of the church practically threw themselves at his feet. When it was announced, the Deacon would marry Sabrina, most of the women thought it was because she was young and beautiful, and inexperienced. He could easily take advantage of her.
It was over a year ago, Minister Byrd told his son Wallace, he needed a young beautiful wife to help him carry on the legacy of the church. Sabrina has selected over many of the other women, mostly because of her multicultural looks.
"Love is in the air my people!" Minister Byrd shouted in his Barry White baritone voice.
Ms. Doris, a close family friend also in her seventies, sat next to Sabrina. Ms. Doris was the nosiest person in the church. She tried to get into everyone's business in the church. Helen always kept Ms. Doris close, not only to keep her out of her business, but also to find out about other people's business. She had always been like a grandmother to Sabrina and Trisha, since their maternal grandmother died before they were born.
"Whew! It's hot in here," Ms. Doris said, as she fanned herself. "This sermon is for you child."
As if, I didn't know.
Sabrina tuned Minister Byrd out. Instead, she focused on Dr. Kent. She noticed she was taking notes. She wondered what the good sex doctor was writing. Maybe it was help Deacon Byrd with a sexual dysfunction before the wedding night. Maybe it was to help Minister Byrd with getting it up. Sabrina didn't know; it could have been many possibilities, but whatever it was, it made her chuckle at the thought.
Caught in her thoughts, Deacon Byrd was not pleased with the look on Sabrina's face; he shot her a stern stare as he looked on from the pulpit.
"We're going to have some love right here in our church next Saturday. Let the congregation say AMEN!" Minister Byrd continued to shout and pat the sweat from his brow.
"AMEN!" The congregation shouted back in unison.
Sabrina sunk low in the pew; she just knew everyone could see the look he gave her while Dr. Kent flashed the Deacon a flirtatious smile. Immediately, Deacon Byrd straightened up, but had to contain his excitement, as one of the elderly women caught wind of all the looks, she shook her head at Dr. Kent.
~~~
CHAPTER 6
After Minister Byrd finished his sermon, most of the members of the church went to the basement. It was a well-known fact; the Church of God in Bowie, not only gave its community the best word of God, but also fed everyone the best Sunday dinner they ever had. Minister Byrd used the church's buffet style dinners to solicit more members, even going as far as advertising it in one of those low-budget commercials on television. Hear the word and be fed was his motto.
As members filed into the basement, long tables were already filled with people eating, and more members stood in the buffet line. The mood after Minister Byrd's sermon was always happy; parents didn't have to keep a close eye on their children and people could eat as much as they wanted. There was always enough food for many of the members to take home leftovers. Each Sunday was festive.
Elated by Sabrina's decision to marry Deacon Byrd, Helen liked to spy on the faces of the single women in the church who wanted to date the Deacon. Helen thought Sabrina was lucky. It made her smile every Sunday dinner to watch her daughter have the privilege to sit at the head table with the Byrd family, the first family of the church. Sabrina didn't feel any way about it. She hated sitting next to Deacon Byrd at the head table. Every Sunday, she looked around the room; she knew all eyes were on her, and it made her feel uncomfortable.
"We need to go pick up the license tomorrow morning. I will pick you up at 9am," Deacon Byrd said.
Ms. Doris fresh from the buffet line, with her plate piled high, sat next to Sabrina. Ms. Doris was never a thin woman. She had three husbands and seven children to prove men love a thick woman any day of the week.
"Wasn't any more seats, I'm sure the Byrds don't mind me taking a rest." She sighed as she caught her breath.
Before Ms. Doris could get a fork full of food into her mouth, Dr. Kent slid into a seat in front of Sabrina, Ms. Doris, and Deacon Byrd.
"Ladies, Deacon," Dr. Kent said.
"You can't sit here," Mr. Doris, blurted out, giving her an evil eye, even the devil would be proud.
'Ms. Doris, Dr. Kent is welcomed," Deacon Byrd said. "All God's children are welcomed." He smiled.
Ms. Doris turned away from everyone at the table.
Deacon Byrd gave Dr. Kent a nod and a smile. "Please stay." He offered.
"What time are you due at the church on Saturday?" Ms. Doris asked, changing the conversation and to let Dr. Kent know Deacon Byrd was engaged to Sabrina all in one question.
Sabrina glanced at Dr. Kent trying not to stare, but she found her beauty, style and demeanor to be mesmerizing.
"Did you hear me Sabrina?" Ms. Doris continued.
"I think she hears you," Dr. Kent said.
Ms. Doris turned her chair more to Sabrina scraping it on the floor. "I wasn't speaking to you Miss High and Mighty."
Sabrina snapped out of her daze just before anyone could respond. "Please excuse me, I need some air," she said, while leaving the table.
"No need for me to stay," Ms. Doris added.
"But you haven't finished your food Ms. Doris." Deacon Byrd noticed.
"The company you keep can make anyone lose their appetite." Ms. Doris grabbed her plate and left the table.
Dr. Kent unfazed by Ms. Doris' display of disapproval, ate her piece of cake. Deacon Byrd watched Dr. Kent and imagined he was the cake.
~~~
CHAPTER 7
Every Monday morning, Ms. Doris arrived at the church at dawn. She counted, and then stacked the Sunday's offerings into piles. Ms. Doris liked to make the deposit when the bank opened, just in case a church member tried to slip in a bad check. She always made sure the church received its money.
This Monday morning Sabrina arrived to the church earlier than normal. She was the church receptionist. It wasn't glamorous work, but she had a job and that was what mattered.