“Take the first
step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take
the first step.”
M. L. King
Fancy surveyed her new surroundings. She’d just closed on the house earlier that week and now she was waiting on the movers to deliver her furniture. The furniture she removed from her old house, she decided not to keep. Initially, she was going to keep it for her new digs, then she decided she would offer it for sale on Craigslist, but after giving it more thought, she made the final decision to practically give it all away for pennies at Holy Rock’s annual flea market. The flea market brought in hundreds of people looking for the best bargains. Though the furniture cost a pretty penny of Hezekiah’s money, she pulled a Bernadine Harris move and sold most of the items for as little as fifty cents. Bernadine Harris was the character Angela Bassett played in the 1995 classic hit, “Waiting to Exhale.” When the last piece was sold, she exhaled deeply, smiled in satisfaction, and strutted to her car. Two can play this game, she thought.
She walked through her empty new house and prayed in each room, anointing the frames of the rooms with blessed oil. Her heart was overcome with a mixture of sadness and joy. Sadness because moving into this house meant her life as she’d known it with Hezekiah had come to an end. It signified that things were about to take on a newness she was not sure if she was prepared for. She had lived her life with Hezekiah, the man of her dreams, her support, her stabilizer, her husband, lover, and even her minister and pastor. Now all of that was gone, no more, and she didn’t know how she would handle it. Sure, Hezekiah had been gone physically for at least a year. It had been that long since his stroke, but in the beginning, she thought things would go back to normal and his recovery would be complete. He would take his reign in the pulpit of Holy Rock once again and their life as the First Couple would resume. None of that happened. Everything she planned, dreamed, and hoped was gone. She was left in this empty new house with a broken, hurting heart, and only God to rely on. That’s where her joy came from—God. The joy was what she would rely on to see her through this transition, this new phase of her life. Joy in God was what would keep her on her feet, keep her standing, and keep her mind strong. Joy was something that no one, not even Hezekiah, or herself, could take away because it wasn’t man who gave it to her—it was God. The doorbell rang as she anointed the doorframe of the last room.
She closed the top on the oil, put it inside her fashionable wide leg pant pocket, and hurried to the door.
“Hi, Ma,” each one of her sons said when she opened the door.
“I thought you were the movers,” she said to her sons as she opened the door wider, stepped aside, and allowed them to come inside the house.
“They haven’t been here yet?” Xavier asked.
“No, but they should be here soon. They said between noon and four. You know how that goes.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. How are you doing, Ma?” Khalil continued to walk inside the house, looking around the empty space as he spoke.
“I’m good.”
“You sure you’re okay, Ma?” Xavier followed up.
“Yes, thank you for asking. I’m so glad the two of you came over.”
“We told you we would,” Khalil said.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m just saying… it’s good to see the two of you. Sometimes it feels like I don’t get the chance to spend time with you outside of Holy Rock.”
“That’s because that’s where the three of us spend a majority of our time,” Khalil said. “Mind if I go upstairs and take a look around?”
“No, of course not. You’ve seen everything, but help yourself. It’ll all come together once the furniture is delivered.
“Mind if I say a blessing over it?” Khalil asked.
“That would be wonderful.” She didn’t mention she had already anointed the rooms. She welcomed the idea that her son even offered. He had grown so much in his ministry and his faith in God. She was overjoyed and overwhelmed at the same time.
“Do you two want to follow me? I’m going to say a prayer over each room, anoint it with this oil I bought.” He pulled a vial of oil out of his pocket and held it up for Fancy and Xavier to see.
“Yes, we’ll follow you. Where two or more are gathered, we know our God is in the midst,” Fancy added, smiling broadly.
She took hold of Xavier’s hand and the two of them followed Khalil to each room. As he prayed, Fancy began to cry softly. She thanked God inwardly for all he was doing in the lives of her sons. Xavier and Khalil were proving to be outstanding young men and she couldn’t be happier.
When he was finished blessing the rooms upstairs, they returned downstairs and Khalil repeated the same.
“Thank you, son,” she said and hugged Khalil. “Thank you, too, Xavier.”
“You’re welcome, Ma. Keep the faith, things are turning around for the three of us. Good things are about to explode in our lives. You wait and see.”
“Yeah, Ma, Khalil is right. I believe things are looking up for us. We all are starting new paths but we’re still a family. I know it’s hard living without Dad, but you’re going to make it. You have me and Khalil. Don’t you ever forget that. We’ll always be here for you.”
Fancy released the tears this time. “You two are so amazing.” She walked into the kitchen. “Come on, I may not have furniture yet, but I do have a refrigerator full of food, and I brought some paper plates, plasticware, and cups to have something to eat with. I can make you some sandwiches while we wait on the movers.”
“Sounds good,” Xavier chimed in first.
“Yeah, your sandwiches are the best,” Khalil said, reminding Fancy of when they were little boys. Dem McCoy boys, people in the neighborhood would call them when the boys were growing up in Chicago. They were always into something, keeping Fancy and Hezekiah on their toes.
Fancy opened the fridge and removed several items and began making turkey and cheese sandwiches for her sons.
“Look in the cabinet to the right, Khalil and, get the paper plates and cups. Look in the pantry over there, Xavier.” She pointed. “I think that’s where I put the plastic forks and spoons.”
“Yes, ma’am,” they each replied.
When she was done, she walked over to the stocked pantry and removed two types of chips, corn chips and plain potato chips. She put them on the kitchen island next to the plate that held several sandwiches and then ordered her sons to sit at the island and help themselves.
“Aren’t you going to eat?” Xavier asked.
“No, I’m good. I’ll eat something later. I was thinking about going out this evening after the furniture arrives. A couple ladies from the Women’s Ministry invited me to go with them to celebrate Sista Mavis’ 60th birthday. Several women from the ministry will be there.”
“Good for you,” Khalil said. “I know Sista Mavis will get a kick out of having you there. She may not be able to hold water, but she’s still a faithful member.”
“Yes, she is. She may be the church gossip but she has a heart of gold. Really she does,” affirmed Fancy.
“I like Sista Mavis,” Xavier said, “as long as her lips aren’t moving.”
They laughed at Xavier’s joke.
“Seriously, I hope you do go, Ma.”
“I’m going. I need a break from all of this.”
“Yeah, you do,” Xavier agreed. The doorbell chimed. “I’ll get it. It’s probably the movers.”
“I sure hope so,” Fancy countered.
Khalil took a huge bite of his sandwich followed by picking up a handful of potato chips and stuffing his mouth.
“Take your time, Khalil. The food isn’t going anywhere.” She laughed as she thought how Khalil always stuffed his mouth from the time he was a little boy.
“Good afternoon, come in,” she and Khalil heard Xavier say.
Fancy and Khalil walked out of the kitchen and went into the foyer where they saw Xavier talking to one of the movers.
“We wanted to make sure someone was here. Give us a few minutes to start unloading, and we’ll be inside.”
“Sure, no problem,” Xavier said.
“Oh, while my men are unloading, can me and Jim come inside so you can tell us where you want the furniture placed?”
“Yes, of course. My mom is right there,” he said, looking back and pointing to Fancy. “She’ll show you where everything goes.”
The lead man looked at the guy standing next to him. “Come on, Jim.” They walked inside, following Xavier.
Fancy took the lead and showed the two men where she wanted everything placed. It took several hours but finally everything was put together and in its perfect place. The house finally looked like a home.
“Ma, this place looks straight,” said Xavier. “It looks like a house that would be in one of those home magazines.”
“Yeah, you have real good taste, Ma. Xavier’s right, this place looks like it should be showcased in a magazine or on DIY.”
“I don’t know about all of that, but I must admit everything came together nicely. The movers did a great job. Everything is just as I wanted. Praise God.”
“They put everything up, too, including hanging your clothes in the closet, putting up all those hundred pairs of shoes you have, putting linen in the closets…”
“Yeah, they did it all. Wow, all you have to do is sit back and relax.”
“I hope you’re going to have them do the same when you move,” Fancy said, looking through each of the rooms.
“Yea, I am. I don’t know if those same men will come, but I know it’s the same company. Holy Rock, from what some of the older members told me, has been using this company for a minute now.”
“Yes, they’re the same company that moved your father and me into our house. They did an excellent job back then, too.” She felt herself tearing up again as she thought about how happy she and Hezekiah were back then, but she forced herself not to cry. She wanted this day, though bittersweet, to be a good one.
“We’re going to get out of here so you can get ready to go hang out with Sista Mavis and the other ladies.”
“Let me pack the rest of those sandwiches. It’s enough for both of you.”
“You sure?” Xavier asked.
“Yes, I’m not going to eat them.”
“Cool.”
“Nothing but a word,” Khalil said, and they retreated to the kitchen.