“Are you done?”

Hey guys! So TNCA is going to be released within the next week or so (I gave myself a deadline of the 31st) 🤞🏾 But here’s your sample of what’s to come.

Josiah Abraham Robinson

    “We have a christening today. Will the family please come up?” I started playing softly as Bishop waited for whomever it was to walk down the aisle. Being the Minister of Music, I could see everything from my corner of the pulpit. Seeing China step into the aisle with a dress fit for the club, I rolled my eyes as she walked to the front of the church where Bishop was standing in front of the altar, with a few of her homegirls trailing behind her. I was a connoisseur of women, but China and her crew were the ones I knew to pass up. I felt sorry for the sucker that she trapped. 

    Just as Bishop was about to begin his spiel about how children were precious and a gift from God, the doors to the sanctuary opened and Jamison slipped back in. I was cordial with bruh only off the strength of Noelle. He was a snake and I ain’t like that shit for sis. She was pure like the virgin Mary. China subtly waved him to come join her. She tried to play that shit off like she was shifting the baby from one arm to the next. This nigga actually walked up to the front of the church and stood by China and took the baby from her. The entire congregation gasped in unison like the shit was planned. I stopped playing the soothing chords. I shared a look with Gabe and slid my phone out of my pocket. I sent an S.O.S. text to Rach so she could get her ass in here before Gabe and I caused a scene on her behalf. I couldn’t make this shit up if I wanted to and I was creative by nature.

    Knowing Gabe, he was recording this shit to show Ruth and Malachi later. This muhfucka Jamison had the fucking audacity to do this shit in his wife’s grandfather church and Bishop was just as fucked up if he was about to bless this shit. I’ve never wanted to get up and walk out of service so damned bad. Rachelle needed to get in here and fast.

    Bishop started his spiel about when the disciples tried to keep the children away from Jesus, but Jesus told them to let the kids through. He cued me to play some music, but I wasn’t with this shit. I knew I was on my way to hell just off the way I was living outside of the church walls, but I’ll be damned if I’m letting the nigga who supposed to be leading me to Jesus send me on a first class trip to hell with him. Just as Bishop was about to start praying, Rachelle rushed into the sanctuary. Shit got so silent that you could hear a pin drop. She looked from me to her grandfather to her husband before her face turned from panic to pure anger. 

    Knowing Rachelle Noelle like I did, she was frozen into shock. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, and she was plotting this nigga’s murder all at the same damn time. She was a product of her grandmother, and if Sis. Betty was here, shots would have been fired by now and the deacons would be restraining her before she could cause anymore damage. Although she grew up in the church and was sheltered for the better part of her life, Rachelle knew how to hold her own. She never allowed herself to get to that point, but I think that whatever actions come from this amount of anger and rage could be overlooked. At least I prayed that was how God worked. 

    Rachelle balled up her fist as she marched down the middle aisle, like the way Sophia did when she was looking for Celie after Harpo hit her. I hopped up off my stool and practically sprinted from the musician’s corner, hopping over the decorative floral arrangements to keep my heart from any more embarrassment. I’ve always had this feeling that I needed to protect her at all costs. It could’ve been because her grandfather and my pops were best friends. Her and her group of friends were the only women outside of my mother and daughters I had a superhero complex about. 

    Just as she reached her fist back and was a millisecond from releasing it, I grabbed her by the arm. It was bad enough these saints were going to have a field day spreading the gossip of her husband cheating on her with a known harlot. I couldn’t let her go out with no dignity at all. She brought her eyes to mine. Hers danced with anger and betrayal as the tears started to well at the cusp of her lower lids. I had to lighten this load before it crushed her to nothingness.

    “Noelle, not here. I know you live by the code of embarrassing people where they embarrass you, but you know you can’t beat either one of them like a dog in the streets inside this building without the deacons dragging you out. Plus, you’re too fine for jail time. You run up on them, and they hitting you with assault and child endangerment easily. And then you won’t be able to work with the kids anymore. Now I’m not gone tell you to ‘Be still and let the Lord fight your battles’. Nope, all I’ma say is you catch more flies with honey.”

    She took a deep breath and her eyes flickered with something I hadn’t seen in all of our years of friendship. Pure, unadulterated, hatred. Her eyes shifted from mine to over my shoulder to the man she stood before God and vowed her love and life to. She was killing this man with laser beams, and he was melting away like the witch in the Wizard of Oz. 

    “Are you done?” One of China’s hype girls said, which caused Rachelle to step around me. I was about to send a group text for some bail money if this shit went left.

    “Am I done?” she chuckled before swiping her nose with her thumb. She had been around the boys entirely too long. Rachelle looked like she wanted to beat this girl black and blue and then smile in her mugshot. “You stand up here, in the house of God, looking like you hung over with the scraps you wore last night to the club, and you have the unmitigated gall to ask me if I’m done? No, I’m not done. I haven’t even gotten started.” Jamison tried to reach out and grab Noelle, but she snatched her arm back and scowled at him like a disappointed mother whose child broke her favorite China set. “Don’t you dare touch me. I don’t know if I’m more furious that you had a baby on me and hid it or if it’s because you didn’t even give me a heads up about what was going on and embarrassed me. And granddaddy, you’re blessing this mess?” She was not letting the tears fall. No matter the amount of betrayal from her husband and her grandfather, she was not going to let them get the best of her at this moment. She looked between the two men before her eyes landed on China, who wore a smug expression on her face, like she’d won something other than an ass whooping on layaway. “It’s a special place in hell for all y’all.”  Rachelle scoffed, shook her head, and stormed out of the church.

    In an attempt to save face, Bishop continued on with service like it was nothing. I wanted to go after Noe, but I knew better than to smother her right now. He couldn’t finish the benediction fast enough. We were supposed to be having our monthly dinner this evening, but after what happened, I wasn’t expecting to see her for a while.