right now. You better get home and get down on your knees and pray for forgiveness from the one who really matters.”
“Yes, Bishop,” they replied together then headed past us, heads hung low.
“And I want to see both of you in my office after services next Sunday. We’ll be setting up some volunteer hours for you so you can spend your time in service to the Lord, not frolicking on the devil’s playground with the choir director,” I called out to them just before they shut the front door.
“This isn’t their fault. I invited them over here,” Aaron admitted.
“I haven’t begun to assess blame yet. But you think I don’t know those girls’ reputations?”
I turned back to Aaron, whose soul needed saving too. Apparently he wasn’t ready to hear the message yet, though.
“Bishop, you have to leave too,” he said.
“I’m not leaving you like this.”
He scowled at me. “Look, I can take care of myself,” he said. “Why don’t you go help those two say their prayers or something?”
“I’ll deal with those two in my own time, but right now I need to be here with you.” I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re in trouble, man. I’m worried about you.”
He shook my hand off. “I just need you to go!” he yelled.
“I’m not leaving you like this,” I said, standing my ground. “Get some clothes on. We’re going to have a talk.”
Aaron’s shoulders slumped, and I knew that he had finally accepted defeat. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee,” I told him as I headed toward the kitchen. He went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
As I waited for Aaron, I thought about what I was preparing to do. I had promised Monique that I wouldn’t betray Tia’s confidence, and I didn’t normally break my promises. This situation was anything but normal, though. Aaron was in a desperate downward spiral, and there was only one way I knew to snap him out of it.
He started to speak as he entered the room. “Bishop, you don’t under—”
“Tia saw one of her rapists. At her bachelorette party,” I blurted out.
“What?” Aaron reacted as if he’d been punched in the gut.
“That’s why she didn’t show up at the wedding. She said she was too ashamed to face you.”
“Why?” he said, collapsing onto the couch. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t she just tell me?” He dropped his head into his hands and I gave him a few minutes to process the horrendous news.
When he finally lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes were searching mine for an answer on how to proceed. “Son, you need to get up and get yourself together,” I said. “Then you need to go out there and find your woman. You understand?”
“Yes,” he said, and I could see the old Aaron returning. He stood up and started cleaning up the remnants of his party. He was ready to take action. “Thank you, Bishop. I’m going to make things right.”
I patted him on the back. “That’s just what I wanted to hear,” I said as I headed for the front door.
“Just one more thing,” I said before I exited.
“Anything.”
“If First Lady ever finds out that I told you, it will cost me my marriage.”
“That won’t happen,” Aaron assured me. I left knowing that I had done the right thing.
Ross
12
Despite the fact that the bishop had spoken to Aaron and gotten him to go back to work, he was still moody as hell. Yes, he’d stopped his hard partying, but he still didn’t seem like himself. He was distracted most of the time, and “sullen” and “brooding” had become the best words to describe my once outgoing friend. He’d gone from the good guy on the straight and narrow to Mr. I-Don’t-Give-a-Fuck in no time flat, and it had me truly worried. Not just for him personally, but for his career. It was the reason I’d arranged for us to meet with Jackson Young. I hoped that a meeting about his career would remind Aaron how much he had to lose if he didn’t shape up soon.
I was
“Yes, Bishop,” they replied together then headed past us, heads hung low.
“And I want to see both of you in my office after services next Sunday. We’ll be setting up some volunteer hours for you so you can spend your time in service to the Lord, not frolicking on the devil’s playground with the choir director,” I called out to them just before they shut the front door.
“This isn’t their fault. I invited them over here,” Aaron admitted.
“I haven’t begun to assess blame yet. But you think I don’t know those girls’ reputations?”
I turned back to Aaron, whose soul needed saving too. Apparently he wasn’t ready to hear the message yet, though.
“Bishop, you have to leave too,” he said.
“I’m not leaving you like this.”
He scowled at me. “Look, I can take care of myself,” he said. “Why don’t you go help those two say their prayers or something?”
“I’ll deal with those two in my own time, but right now I need to be here with you.” I reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re in trouble, man. I’m worried about you.”
He shook my hand off. “I just need you to go!” he yelled.
“I’m not leaving you like this,” I said, standing my ground. “Get some clothes on. We’re going to have a talk.”
Aaron’s shoulders slumped, and I knew that he had finally accepted defeat. “I’ll put on a pot of coffee,” I told him as I headed toward the kitchen. He went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him.
As I waited for Aaron, I thought about what I was preparing to do. I had promised Monique that I wouldn’t betray Tia’s confidence, and I didn’t normally break my promises. This situation was anything but normal, though. Aaron was in a desperate downward spiral, and there was only one way I knew to snap him out of it.
He started to speak as he entered the room. “Bishop, you don’t under—”
“Tia saw one of her rapists. At her bachelorette party,” I blurted out.
“What?” Aaron reacted as if he’d been punched in the gut.
“That’s why she didn’t show up at the wedding. She said she was too ashamed to face you.”
“Why?” he said, collapsing onto the couch. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t she just tell me?” He dropped his head into his hands and I gave him a few minutes to process the horrendous news.
When he finally lifted his head and looked at me, his eyes were searching mine for an answer on how to proceed. “Son, you need to get up and get yourself together,” I said. “Then you need to go out there and find your woman. You understand?”
“Yes,” he said, and I could see the old Aaron returning. He stood up and started cleaning up the remnants of his party. He was ready to take action. “Thank you, Bishop. I’m going to make things right.”
I patted him on the back. “That’s just what I wanted to hear,” I said as I headed for the front door.
“Just one more thing,” I said before I exited.
“Anything.”
“If First Lady ever finds out that I told you, it will cost me my marriage.”
“That won’t happen,” Aaron assured me. I left knowing that I had done the right thing.
Ross
12
Despite the fact that the bishop had spoken to Aaron and gotten him to go back to work, he was still moody as hell. Yes, he’d stopped his hard partying, but he still didn’t seem like himself. He was distracted most of the time, and “sullen” and “brooding” had become the best words to describe my once outgoing friend. He’d gone from the good guy on the straight and narrow to Mr. I-Don’t-Give-a-Fuck in no time flat, and it had me truly worried. Not just for him personally, but for his career. It was the reason I’d arranged for us to meet with Jackson Young. I hoped that a meeting about his career would remind Aaron how much he had to lose if he didn’t shape up soon.
I was
Similar Books
