CARTER CLAN
With the April weather so warm, Calvin and Louise decided to invite their children Kingston, Jamison and Chelsea over for lunch in their backyard. The green lush backyard was well manicured and decorated with various plants spread out throughout the yard. A variety of vegetables were growing off to end of the massive yard. Tile stones and bright flowers lead the path to the white gazebo where their lunch was spread across large covered table.
The family resemblance was so uncanny it was unbelievable. The men looked exactly like their salt and pepper haired father. All the chocolate colored men wore goatees and had the same gray eyes that their dad had. Not to mention they all stood a towering six feet tall. The Carter women however, had light complexions with brown eyes. Being on the short side they had to constantly look up to the men.
“I know this is not our normal Saturday thing but I have an announcement to make,” the tall thin man said as he stood at the head of the table. “I know good and well your mother and sister are not stepping foot on a boat, so I decided to have this meeting on dry land instead of going fishing today.”
“Thanks Pop,” the fair complexioned woman said while sitting next to her mother.
“The company has been doing very well. Actually better than I expected so I am going to open up another store. We are headed down to Washington DC Carter family!” The man exclaimed as applauds erupted from the table and his wife hugged and kissed him.
“That is so great Pop.” Jamison congratulated his father.
“Honey I am so proud of you,” Louise said, as she leaned up to hug her husband again. “I am proud of everyone here. We have all have done an outstanding job.”
“I would like to break ground in less than a year. So I need everyone to start scouting out possible locations and get back to me as soon as possible.” Calvin was riding on his newly found success that he knew would take DC by storm.
Even though Kingston was at the meeting with this family, his mind was far off elsewhere. He heard everything that was said, but his thoughts were miles from the suburban Severn County Maryland estate on that day. His mind was still stuck on Sinclair, the mysterious woman he met at his store. He could not get his mind off her ever since he first spotted her in the store weeks ago. Their conversation had only lasted a mere five minutes, but in just those five minutes Kingston fell for her. He couldn’t explain it or even understand it himself, but he somehow fell for this unknown woman and no matter how hard he tried to get her out of his mind he just kept seeing her in his dreams.
“Kingston did you hear anything I just said to you, son?” His father asked him seeing him in a complete daze.
“No sir. I mean yes sir,” Kingston had better answer the correct way or his veteran dad would surely have strong words for him.
“Kingston Carter what on God’s green earth is wrong with you? You have been pounding the pavement up and down those grocery aisles. You got the employees thinking you’re mad or something.” The older man asked him after hearing what Kingston had been doing lately in the store.
“Pop, I saw her.” Kingston responded halfway still in a daze.
“Is this the same her that you had to hang up on me for?” His older brother asked as he sat at the table with his family.
“Yes and I have been busy trying to find her again,” Kingston answered as everyone sat around the huge table.
“By the look on his face I know exactly who she is,” the older woman said as she passed down the bowl of salad to Chelsea.
“Calvin, take a good look at your son’s face, I mean really look at him.” His wife demanded as everyone turned to look at Kingston.
“She is beautiful and her name is Sinclair. She drove from DC to our store just to get white chocolate. I don’t know much more about her except she got a call and had to run out without me getting her number.” Kingston could have kicked himself for not running after her to at least give her his business card.
“Wow, that’s all you got? Well at least you got her name so you can look her up on the internet,” Jamison offered helpfully.
Kingston shook his head as he took a sip of his fresh lemonade. “Nope, I can’t remember if her last name is Addison or Madison or Mason. I don’t know. I was so intrigued by her I really didn’t catch her last name.”
“Let me get this straight, you hung up the phone on me and forgot to get her number?” Jamison asked. “How did you do that little brother?”
“Jamison, I have no idea, I was just enjoying my conversation with her.” Kingston said as he shook his head in disgust.
“Well man I wish you nothing, but luck but you know this is considered blackmail material so watch your step. I might use this if necessary.” Jamison said, smiling at his little brother.
“Kingston this is not something to worry about, if God means for her to be in your life He will put her back in it.” Louise said to Kingston, who was barely touching his food.
“I really hope you see her again Kingston, after your last gold digging girlfriend you deserve someone to make you happy,” Chelsea added in while she poured herself a glass of iced tea.
“Thanks Chelsea, I really appreciate that. I don’t know what is was but I just got lost while talking to her for those few minutes.” Kingston said while staring at the bright flowers sitting on the table in front of him.
“You’re welcome.” Chelsea said as she started eating her salad.
“So how are you going to find her? Pounding the aisles like you are a crazy man is not working.” Jamison asked while reaching for his glass. “You’re plan A is a bust, you need another plan.”
“I don’t know what your next move should be. It’s going to be like finding a needle in a haystack without having her last name.” Chelsea said, feeling bad for her brother.
“That’s very true without a last name it’s almost impossible to try to find her.” Jamison said trying to help Kingston.
“I can’t understand why any of you are not considering the most important plan.” Calvin said as he looked Kingston square in the eyes and said. “God’s plan. Son, wait on her. When she comes and she will come, this time get her last name and get her number.” His father said with an added chuckle.
********************
“We at Christ the Lord Fellowship Church welcome each and every one of you here today. We are so excited that you chose this church to fellowship with today.” The tall pastor said as took the podium of his large church.
Lavishly decorated with gold and purple ribbons and bows throughout all the pews, there was barely an empty pew to be found. The men had given their seats to the woman as they continued to pack the church on this day.
“Before I began I would like tell my son Kingston that he has great taste in suits.” The gentleman said while smiling at his son.
Standing to his feet he replied. “So you do you Pop.”
Sporting the same black and lavender pin-striped suit, the Carter men paired it with lavender ties and black shoes to match. With such a striking family resemblance they looked like brothers rather than father and son. The congregation, liking what they saw began applauding for the two handsome men as they smiled to each other.
“Today as you know is the third Sunday and every third Sunday I take my seat and let my son preach. But before I let him take the stand I need to tell you a story,” the older gentlemen went on as Kingston rolled his eyes because he knew what was coming.
“I love all my kids Jamison, Chelsea and Kingston, but no matter how old you get I will tell you when you did something that was not so bright.” He said as he towered over the podium.
“I know that’s right!” An usher shouted from her post in the aisle.
“We were on vacation when Kingston was about eight years old and we had gone into a store to get a few things when he asked for Fig Newton’s. We said okay and off he went racing down the aisles to find them. He was so focused on the cookies that he couldn’t remember where he was and he got lost. Years later, minus the cookies, but the story is the same, Kingston was still so focused on what he wanted that he forgot where he was and again got lost. I told my son three words, wait on her. Not only will she come to you, but God will bring her to you, which means that she is for you.”
“That’s right!” Louise shouted from her seat.
“When you wait on the Lord, He brings you blessings beyond your expectations. I know because God blessed me with my lovely wife over thirty years ago and my cup is still running over. Wait on her!” And with that said the large crowd of people started clapping as the older man took his seat and the younger man took to the podium.
“Today is Friends and Family Day here at our church. So if there are any visitors would you please stand.” Kingston waited while one by one people started to stand to their feet.
“We here at Christ the Lord Fellowship Church would like to welcome and thank you for coming to spend time with us. You could have gone to any other church, but you chose this church and for that we are grateful.” Kingston said while scanning the many faces in the crowded church. Suddenly he could have sworn he saw Sinclair.
He shook it off and kept going. “Now before I began my sermon, I need to let you know what the ground rule is here. I know some of you are looking at me like I have lost my mind talking about ground rules.” Kingston said as he placed his Bible on the podium. “This man must be crazy.” Kingston joked.
Sinclair thought he was absolutely right, he was crazy. If she wasn’t squeezed between two women both with sleeping babies on their laps, she would have surely gotten up and left.
“The ground rule is that if the person sitting next to you starts praising the Lord, you help them get their praise on. Because when one and two touch and agree, it shall be done,” Kingston explained.
“Amen.” The woman next to Sinclair yelled out, causing her sleeping baby to shift on her lap.
“Now watch how good God is. The sermon that I wrote was supposed to be about forgiveness but for some reason God is leading me here. Psalm 34: Oh taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who trusts him.” Kingston began to stutter a little bit just like his father when he was about to deliver a powerful message.
“Come on. Come on.” Kingston’s father said from his seat behind him.
“Now, now I don’t know about you but when I got my first taste of the Lord I never looked back, because when I found the joy of the Lord there was no need to look back. Can, can I get a witness up in here?” Kingston had come out of his jacket and came down off the pulpit into the pews.
“You better tell it Pastor Carter,” The organist said from his bench seat.
“I met a man at a gas station one day and he asked me if he could wash my car in exchange for five dollars so he could buy food for his kids. I just gave him the money because I didn’t have time for him to wash my car.” Kingston began.
“Well.” A deacon said out loud.
“He told me he would only take my money if I came back the next day to let him wash my car. So when I came back the next day he was waiting for me. He told me he had gone into a store to buy the groceries but was stopped as soon as he entered the store. He had put in a job application for the assistant manager’s position at the store and they had been trying to reach him to offer him the job. They not only gave him the job, but they also gave him all his groceries free of charge.” Kingston yelled as he bounced and leaped for joy.
“Amen!” The woman shouted sitting next to Sinclair.
Remembering the ground rule, Sinclair shouted. “Amen!”
“He told me had I not given him the money to go into the store in the first place he would not have had a reason to go in. He thanked me and handed me back the money I had given him the day before. Amen somebody!” Kingston shouted into the microphone. “I have never experienced what that man had to but I saw the joy in his eyes knowing he could feed his kids. I, I felt humbled because I was used to having everything and here this man only wanted to feed his kids.”
“Say so.” His brother Jamison shouted from the pews.
“That’s when I turned my life over to the Lord because He humbled me. He showed me that I could be sitting on top of the world today and begging for money tomorrow. Now I don’t know about you, but I am going to shout right now because the Lord is so good to me. Hallelujah!” Kingston began to dance up and down the aisles as other people joined him. Even his father did a two-step right next to him.
The congregation went into a frenzy and people started dancing in the aisles. Others began clapping their hands and stomping their feet and some people were even crying. Sinclair had never witnessed anything like that before. Although she had been to other churches before, she had never felt the feeling of pure joy that overcame her. She smiled so hard and she didn’t even know why. All she knew was that she was glad she accepted the invitation from Robyn and Desmond to attend. She had not felt this happy in her life since Marjorie gave her a job.
*****************
Kingston stood at the door to exit along with his father as the parishioners exited the church. He was feeling good about delivering a great sermon but he felt like he was missing something or better yet someone. He looked to his left to find his mother smiling back at him. Clearly she was happy with his sermon as well as the others who offered him congrats for it. Right after the service his father hugged him so tight he almost lost his breath.
“Thank you for….” Kingston began as he had turned around to pick up a gift bag for the visitor. When he turned back around he thought he saw a mirage. “Sinclair?” Kingston knew he had seen her in the congregation.
“Nice to see you again,” Sinclair’s heart started doing fluttery motions and she could not understand why.
“Same here. Wow. I thought I would never see you again.” Kingston was so elated to see her that he didn’t know what to do.
“Desmond and Robyn invited me here today and I had a wonderful time.” Sinclair was saying as Kingston took her hand and led her out of the receiving line. “I didn’t know you was a pastor. I don’t know what I should call you, Kingston or Pastor Carter.”
“Kingston will do just fine and I am happy they invited you and I’m also glad you had a good time.” Kingston’s mind was spinning and he didn’t know what to do. Then he remembered his father’s advice. “Sinclair, I would love to take you out to dinner,that is, if you’re not spoken for.” Kingston was not letting her get away from him this time without getting her number.
“No, I am not spoken for Kingston and I would love to go out to dinner with you.” Sinclair was definitely feeling this handsome pastor. “Besides, how can I say no to a man that has white chocolate?” Sinclair joked.
Kingston could have sworn his heart took a leap right inside his chest when Sinclair accepted his dinner date invitation. He looked over to the receiving line that had just ended to see his parents smiling at him.
“Sinclair.” Desmond called out to her. “There you are. I was worried about you for a minute. I thought you had escaped and went home. But I see that you are in good hands.” Desmond was beaming from ear to ear when he saw who Sinclair was speaking to.
“No I didn’t escape, I’m still here.” Sinclair was blushing by this point and Desmond could tell something had just happened.
“I just wanted to tell you we will be waiting at my car so you can follow us home.” Desmond said while carrying his nephew.
“And Pastor Carter, I loved your sermon today, it was great.” Desmond said as the two shook hands.
“Thanks. I’m glad you liked it.” Kingston replied while still keeping his eyes on Sinclair.
“Anyway Sinclair, I will meet you at the car. Bye Pastor Carter,” Desmond said leaving the two to finish their conversation.
“I don’t want to keep them waiting,” Sinclair went on as she reached into her purse and wrote her number for Kingston. “So here is my number, call me and we can go out.”
“And here is my number,” Kingston said as he gave Sinclair his business card. “Here, let me walk you to your car.”