“Where else would I be headed at this hour on a Sunday?” I asked wryly as I stepped into my slippers. I hadn’t forgotten his nasty accusations from last night. He gave an affronted reaction. I walked out of the room to head to the shower.
I’m checking myself out in the full body mirror in the walk-in closet of the master suite. I have to be sure I’m not revealing too much for church. It’s not about what others may perceive of me so much as it is what I’m putting out. I don’t need to stick out in church in terms of appearance. My mother constantly pounded that into my head as a child. As I headed for the door, I saw Azmir coming in from walking Azna. He closely observes me with a flexing jaw, but I ignore him and give Azna a playful massage before walking out the door.
During my ride to church, I realize that Azmir has once again broken a piece of my heart. I know there’s no such thing as a perfect relationship and the people involved hurt each other from time to time. This was one of those times for Azmir and me. He didn’t believe that I wasn’t the woman on camera giving a total stranger head. He also showed no comfort for my heartache of seeing my dear friend joining in. How insensitive can the most endearing man on the face of the planet be? As I’m pulling into the church’s parking lot I force the frontal section of my mind clear. I needed to cleanse spiritually. I could think of Azmir later.
Just after the benediction, Pastor Edmondson gets up to make his announcements and acknowledges special guests, a Pastor Green and his family, visiting from a church in Anaheim. I was surprised that a pastor would dip out on his own Sunday morning worship to attend another’s but then Pastor Edmondson mentions today’s his birthday and he was honored that Pastor Green and family will be joining him and his family for dinner to celebrate. That was nice, I thought.
I could tell Pastor Edmondson was in a rather sentimental mood. He even announced the recent engagement of Pastor Green’s son. The church went up in applause. Pastor Edmondson turned around where Pastor Green and other dignitaries were seated on the altar and asked Pastor Green the name of his soon to be daughter-in-law. This was a rare display of their personal lives considering this is a fifteen thousand member church. Our services were televised so there was little time to go off the program like this. I thought it was a refreshing change. It seemed like a personal moment for Pastor Edmondson and because I had grown so fond of him I didn’t mind sharing in the moment.
Pastor Green says the name of the young lady who will be marrying his son, but because he wasn’t mic’d most couldn’t hear him. Pastor Edmondson turns back to the crowd and says, “April Miller...April Miller, would you mind standing?”
My head started spinning at the possibility of seeing another April Miller this morning. As did the other parishioners, I twisted and turned in my seat to locate the woman. She was actually two rows in front of me. She stood, wearing a bright green two piece suit with a matching wide brim hat that had ivory stripes encircling it. She faced straight ahead at first to address Pastor Edmondson before turning around to wave to those of us behind her. When she did, my body flashed cold when I realized it was April Miller! The church was still clapping as she implemented her pageant wave to them. I was surprised when her eyes locked with mine. She gave me a surprised and enthused wave. I seriously doubt if my reaction and excitement mirrored hers.
After service was over, she quickly makes her way to me.
“Hey, girl! What are you doing here?” she says as if church was the last place she would expect to see me.
“I attend this church. And I see you’re an advent goer as well,” I say sarcastically.
She catches on to my attitude quickly. “Can we talk outside?” she asks. But before I can agree, we’re interrupted.
“Ap, we can exit in the rear,” a light-skinned brother with sandy brown hair says as he approaches her.