| Nov 1, 2005 |
| 11/1/05, 1:00PM, 1,144 Words |
Mac wished he had his Carl Thomas, “Emotional” CD. That CD always made him feel better. He didn’t, so he just laid his head back on the head rest of his aunt’s Mercedes. Her car always smelled cleaned, his uncle made sure that the car stayed cleaned. It was probably easy for his aunt and uncle to have a clean car and a clean house, since they had no children. Thinking about his aunt and uncle made him feel better; even if it was for a brief moment. MaClandon looked up and Sabrina was leaning up against a black Altima, kissing on that tall skinny guy. Mac was appalled. I mean, this was a religious based function, and there she was acting as if they were in Sodom and Gomorrah. Mac shook his head. How much more of this day would he have to take? Hadn’t he been tortured enough? He wanted to blow the horn, but he resisted for fear that Sabrina would act a bigger fool if she knew he was watching her and her new friend. Mac hoped that one of the women from By Example Ministries would walk by and see the two of them, which would surely be a wonderful scene, especially if Sis. Katie Niles would have seen them. Sis. Niles would have held an altar call out in the parking lot. He silently prayed that Sis. Niles would magically appear before his eyes and see this scene and reign down her terror on the two whoremongers, but she never did.
Mac made himself not look at the scene in front of him. He looked in his aunt’s backseat. Her Bible was lying on the seat. Mac picked it up. The bible fell open to Psalms chapter 3. Mac read the whole passage of scripture.
1: LORD, how are they increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me.
2: Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah.
3: But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.
4: I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
5: I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
6: I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
7: Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8: Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: thy blessing is upon thy people. Selah.
He almost began to cry. He knew that God would get him through this situation. Mac felt better.
Mac got out of the car and walked back to the picnic area after he locked the car. He walked right by Sabrina and her friend and cleared his throat so that she would know that someone from the picnic had seen her. She didn’t seem to care.
Mac reached the picnic area. Everyone was sitting down eating. He looked for his aunt; he figured that she would be somewhere talking to someone. He found her, and she was talking to someone. Mac looked for the woman in green. He couldn’t find her right away. He hoped that she hadn’t left yet. He needed something to make him feel better. He knew that seeing the vision of beauty would help him out. He walked around talking to people at the various tables. Everyone knew him, so it was not like anyone would be suspicious.
Mac walked the whole picnic area, without success, disheartened a bit, he walked over to where his aunt was. As he neared his aunt, he saw the woman that he was looking for. The woman in green was sitting with his aunt. His aunt had shielded her from his view. Mac smiled as he hugged his aunt, “Hey, aunnie. What are you doing? Trying to make sure everyone is having a good time?” Dr. Adkins-Garnett smacked Mac on his shoulder, “Why would you ask me a question and then answer the question yourself? That doesn’t make any sense. Where did you go earlier?” Mac let his arm hang on his aunt’s shoulder, “I went to check on the cars and make sure that no one had messed with them.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett smiled, “Uhh huh. Who is that guy that Sabrina walked off with?” Mac let his arm slide off his aunt’s shoulder. Mac thought, “Must she be so messy and in front of company.” His aunt tapped him on the shoulder, “Didn’t I ask you a question?” Mac leaned his head close to his aunt’s ear, “I will tell you later. I’m a go get something to eat.” He walked off.
Dr. Adkins-Garnett could tell that something was wrong. She felt bad because it was obvious that she had upset her nephew. Dr. Adkins-Garnett touched Dianne’s shoulder, “I will be back in a second. I gotta go take care of something.” Dianne smiled as Dr. Adkins-Garnett walked off. Dr. Adkins-Garnett walked up to Mac in the line. She grabbed his arm, “What is going on with you and Sabrina?” Mac huffed and walked off from his aunt. She followed his to the uninhabited area. Mac said, “Apparently, we no longer go together.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett looked puzzled, “Since when?” Mac shrugged his shoulders, “Your guess is as good as mine. I just found out today from her mother. Bree is a whore anyway; I don’t need her in my life.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett slapped Mac on his shoulder, “Don’t talk about women like that boy. You know better.” Mac rubbed the spot that his aunt had just hit, “What do you want me to do, lie? She is a whore! I am glad that she wasn’t getting a purity award because I would have objected right here in front of everyone. She is out there hugged up next to a car with that fool slobbering him down. She’s a whore!” Dr. Adkins-Garnett stared at her nephew. She had never heard him talk about a girl like that. She discerned that some of his words were out of anger, but they were true. She hugged him and apologized for mentioning Sabrina to him. Mac walked off from her.
Mac went back to the table where the food was. He started to finish fixing his plate, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have an appetite. He hated to waste the food on his plate, so he walked over to an empty table and sat down. He tried to eat the food on the plate, but he had no appetite. He just stared at the food hoping that it and the day would vanish as if it had never happened. |
|
|
|
|
| 11/1/05, 9:00AM, 2,163 Words |
MaClandon took a deep breath and smelled the clean air. It wasn’t too hot. This would have been a great day to be at the park, but MaClandon didn’t want to be here for the reason that he was here.
MaClandon watched the butterfly fly by his head. He wondered how he had let his aunt talk him into coming to the picnic. It was the same every year at this time. MaClandon vowed to not let his aunt talk him into coming to her yearly picnic and every year, MaClandon ended up coming to the picnic. His twin brother MeClendon was no where in sight. Mec (as he is called) wasn’t going to come to the picnic. Mec made that clear to his aunt after the first picnic that By Example Ministries held in 1998.
Every year since 1998, By Example Ministries held a picnic in the summer to honor the young ladies who had accomplished the goals that they had set for themselves the previous year. By Example Ministries was a ministry that focused on young ladies and taught them to be better ladies through mentorship, love, and nurturing by older women. The ministry had grown over the year and each year, it seemed like more young ladies were joining.
MaClandon, better known as Mac, watched as each young lady walked across the front of the audience and received either a certificate or a trophy, some for maintaining their purity, some for graduating high school, some for getting straight A's. Mac had to admit that it was a beautiful sight to see so many young ladies basking in their accomplishments as their family and friends watched.
One of the young ladies receiving an award was Sabrina Norman, Mac’s current girlfriend. Mac knew that she wasn't receiving a trophy for maintaining her purity because she constantly tried to get him to go all the way with her. He was tired of it, too. Two nights earlier, he contemplated breaking up with Sabrina, but he thought it best to at least wait until after the picnic. Mac continued to watch the young ladies receive their awards.
Dianne stepped out of her 2004 Honda Accord. She smoothed out the wrinkles of her shorts. She hoped they weren’t too short. She had joined By Example Ministries six-months earlier. It was good for her, having her background. She wondered why she had met Dr. Adkins-Garnett in a lingerie shop. It was funny to her as she walked towards the place where the picnic was being held. Dr. Adkins-Garnett seemed to make it her life’s work to get Dianne to come to Christ. It had only taken a month of bugging. Dianne was glad that she had given her life to Christ.
By Example Ministries was a big help to Dianne. She was much older than most of the young ladies going through the program, but her mentor, Monica Caldwell, had been a big help as well as a nuisance. Monica called Dianne everyday. She prayed with Dianne everyday. Monica also made Dianne go to a Bible study with her. Dianne was glad that the 60 year-old woman had been there to help her. Dianne stopped reminiscing and hurried towards the picnic area. She was already an hour late.
Dianne reached the picnic area. The awards ceremony was already underway. She was hoping that she would miss the ceremony. She had no desire to walk in front of all of those people and receive her reward. Dr. Adkins-Garnett had tried to talk Dianne into accepting her award, but Dianne felt out of place since she was older than the other young ladies. Dr. Adkins-Garnett told Dianne, “Girl, reading the Bible in a full year isn’t an easy task. I haven’t even done that. You should accept your award in front of the people.” Dianne responded, “If they never know that I did what I did, does that diminish my accomplishment?” Dr. Adkins-Garnett shook her head at Dianne before she walked off.
Dr. Adkins-Garnett spotted Dianne as she walked over to a table and sat down. Dr. Adkins-Garnett smiled at Dianne and continued calling the young ladies names and their accomplishments. Dr. Adkins-Garnett contemplated calling Dianne’s name despite the request not to. Dr. Adkins-Garnett understood, though. She didn’t want to make Dianne feel self-conscious.
Mac looked up and saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had on a green short set that matched perfectly. Her sandals matched her outfit perfectly. Her gold jewelry shined as the sun hit it. Mac watched the woman walk over to a table and sit down. She sat down so elegantly that you would have thought she was a queen. Mac stared at the woman until her eyes met his. When she looked at him, Mac turned away.
Dianne sat down on the bench. She hated being in the park. She hated getting her clothes dirty. She wondered how she went from a tomboy to such a prissy girl. She knew how she had turned into who she was, but she refused to let that name enter her thoughts. Dianne looked around the picnic area to see who was there. She was really looking for Monica Caldwell, but Dianne didn’t see her. As Dianne looked around the area, she saw this young looking guy staring at her. When he noticed that she was looking at him, he turned his head away from her. She twisted her lips as she thought, “Young joker. Please.” She had to admit that he was cute though. She shook her head and turned her attention to Dr. Adkins-Garnett.
Mac looked quickly to see if the woman was still looking at him. He felt bad that she had caught him staring at her. He had a thing for older women who knew how to dress and were refined. He could tell that the woman in green was exactly that, even though he had yet to meet her. He studied her outfit. It was starched as if it had just come from the cleaners. The creases could cut bread. Her make-up was flawless, just the right amount for a day at the park. He bet that she smelled just as good as she looked. Mac tried to think about what kind of cologne she was wearing, probably something sweet and flowery. He knew it would probably be subtle, real women didn’t wear a lot of perfume; they wore just enough to be noticed as they walked by. You could not smell them a mile away. He hated when women did that, which was another thing he disliked about Sabrina. Mac wondered why he had even started dating Sabrina. She was much younger than he last girlfriend. Sabrina was his age. His last girlfriend had been 4 years older than him. His mother hated the idea of him dating older women; that’s probably why he had dated Sabrina.
Mac looked up at the young ladies standing behind his aunt, Dr. Adkins-Garnett. He spotted Sabrina. He smiled at her. She just stared at him with this blank look on her face. He smiled again, but Sabrina didn’t react. She turned her face away from him. Mac followed her eyes. Her eyes rested on a talk, skinny guy that was sitting with Sabrina’s mother. Mac hadn’t noticed him before. Sabrina smiled at the guy, then looked at Mac and grinned an evil grin. Mac looked back at the guy and then back at Sabrina. She twisted her lips and rolled her head at Mac. Mac knew something was up at that moment. He was mad, but he knew that he could not cause a scene at the picnic. Mac uttered an expletive filled phrase and looked at his aunt as she finished speaking.
Dianne almost wished she had been standing behind Dr. Adkins-Garnett as she talked about the young ladies. “These young ladies set a goal and accomplished them. They put in the hard work and commitment to complete the work set before them. I am very proud of them, as you should be. Hug them, kiss them, and let them know that you are proud of them,” Dr. Adkins-Garnett said. For a brief moment Dianne felt bad because she hadn’t told anyone about what she had done, not even her best friend, which was unusual. Dianne had no one to hug, kiss, or anything else. She had made her decision and she would have to live with it.
The girls walked back to their families showing off their awards. Dr. Adkins-Garnett walked over to Dianne. Dr. Adkins-Garnett hugged Dianne, “Glad that you could make it, even though you were late. I see that you were determined to miss the awards ceremony.” Dianne smiled, “I didn’t want to take a chance that you would call me up there.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett grimaced, “I said that I wouldn’t call you and I was not going to call you.” Dianne tilted her head, “I know you thought about calling me.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett laughed, “Yea, I did think about it.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett hugged Dianne again before she walked off.
Sabrina walked over to the table where her family and friends were sitting. Mac watched her closely. He wanted to see how she acted towards the tall skinny guy. Sabrina hugged her mother and then looked at Mac. Sabrina walked over to the tall skinny guy and hugged him much too tightly for Mac’s taste. Mac dropped his head. He didn’t matter if he dumped Sabrina or not, it looked like she had dumped him. He was sad for a moment, and then his sadness turned to madness. How dare she invite him to the awards ceremony only to be all hugged up with some other idiot?
Mac stood up and walked towards Sabrina. When he reached her, he hugged her mother, “Hello, Mrs. Norman. How are you?” Mrs. Norman responded, “I am fine sweetie. I didn’t know you were going to be here, since you and Sabrina had broken up.” Mac stared at Sabrina, who had her arms wrapped around the waist of the tall skinny guy, “My aunt invited me, so I came to be with her.” Mac could feel his face getting red. He wondered how long had he and Sabrina been broken up. They were together two nights ago. She was all up in his face kissing on him and rubbing on him. Mac turned and walked off. He had to get out of there before he went off.
Mac had no idea where he was going. He was just walking. He was so mad that he wanted to hit something, better yet someone. He had walked to a bench in the park. He sat down on the bench. He had is head in his hands. He was fighting the urge to cry. Who finds out that they have been dumped by hearing about it from their ex-girlfriend’s mother? This was the worst day of his life.
“Mac, I guess you aren’t going to say anything to me, huh.” Mac looked up and saw Sabrina standing in front of him.
“Girl, you need to walk off from me before I hit you.”
“You ain’t going to hit anyone.”
“Bree, you are shady. You didn’t even have the decency to say anything to me two days ago when you were slobbering all over me. What kind of crap is that? You shady.”
“Whatever MaClandon. You just won’t give me what I want. I ain’t got time to be fooling with a boy. I need a man.”
Mac stood up. Everything in him wanted to hit the girl standing before him. He stared at her, “I hope he gives you what you want, because you are right. I cannot give you what you want. I ain’t a whore, like some people.” He ran off before she could respond.
Mac ran to his aunt’s car. He still had her keys from when he had helped her unload it. He opened the door, sat down in the driver’s seat, laid his head on the steering wheel, and cried.
Dr. Adkins-Garnett had seen Mac walk off from Sabrina and then disappear. Dr. Adkins-Garnett wondered what had happened. She never liked Mac dating Sabrina. Something was not right about that girl. Sabrina was fast. Dr. Adkins-Garnett could tell, having worked with females for over 15 years. Dr. Adkins-Garnett never interfered with her nieces and nephews relationships. She felt that it was best. All she said to Mac was, “Make sure that this girl is the kind of girl you want to be with. Hold fast to the commitment you have made to the Lord.” Mac had smiled at her and said, “Auntie, you tell me that all the time. I ain’t going to let you down.” Dr. Adkins-Garnett wanted to go see about her nephew, but people were walking to her and trying to talk to her. She hoped that her nephew would be okay for awhile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
