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I had an incredible time at the reunion. It was great to see that my brothers, Malcolm and Jared, had grown into strong-minded black men of excellence. It was also a blessing to say that we didn't let our pasts detour us from being husbands, fathers, and business owners. That alone made my return home all the more bearable, because I was reminded that no matter what I encountered in life, my family was always there to support me through the good times and bad. Just knowing that gave me the strength to face whatever demons I had to endure on my journey.
When I put my key in the door, I was greeted by Mariah and my children with warm welcome-home hugs and kisses. Once I got settled, Mariah grabbed me by the hand and led me into the kitchen with a look of contentment on her face. We sat down at the table and this is what she said to me. "Wes, after a day and a half of prayer and fasting, I’ve come to a place of peace within myself. With that being said, I've accepted that you have a past, and with that past, there are some skeletons in the closet. I vowed to stand by your side through the good and bad, ups and downs. I'm gonna honor my vow to God and ride this thing out with you. From the way I see it, the only logical way to resolve this is for you and I to sit down with this Allison woman as adults to get down to the bottom of things."
I can't even front; Mariah surprised the hell out of me as far as her willingness to sit down face to face with one of my ex-chicks and the fact that she was being so calm about it. You know what? I take that back. Actually, her whole disposition kind of frightened me, because this was the complete opposite of what she normally would have done. I wasn't sure what had transpired in my absence, but I was like, "okay, cool. I’ll call Allison and set up a date and time for us to meet up. Then we can..."
Before I could finish my sentence, Mariah casually cut me off. "Oh! There's no need to call her. I spoke with her this morning and invited her over today. What time is it? She should actually be on her way. In fact, she should be here any minute."
"Whoa! Whoa! Hold up! Why would you call her and invite her over before you talked to me first? What kind of inconsiderate mess is that? I mean damn! At least give me the heads up."
"What do you mean, Wes? I just did. Listen here, I’m your wife, meaning we are one, so any decision you or I make affects us both. With that being said, I felt like there was no need to procrastinate the situation. So I expedited the call so we can get this stuff squared away. Now do you have a problem with that, Mr. Thomas?" she challenged.
"Of course not, baby. I'm just saying I don't like surprises. Well, since you told her to come by, you should've told her to bring the boy with her, because I don't even think the child exists," I recommended as I sat nervously in anticipation of a knock.
"Oh! Don't worry, Wes. I'm already three steps ahead of you. I told her to bring Charlie because I wanna see for myself if he bears any resemblance to you."
"That was smart, honey bun. See, that's one of the reasons why I married you, because you’re a practical thinker and you know how to analyze out-of-the ordinary situations," I complimented her as the doorbell rang, which instantly caused my stomach to bubble.
I took baby steps toward the door in an attempt to prolong me from facing my past. I could hear their voices slightly penetrating the wood, which sounded like judgment day to my ears. My hand trembled violently as I reached for the knob, but unfortunately, this was my moment of truth. I took a deep breath, clenched the brass, twisted, and slowly pulled back the door.
When my eyes locked in on Allison, my first thought was, 'Got damn! She’s gotten thick as hell.' I mean, for her to be a combination of purebred Polish and Irish, she was built like a sister. "Hey Allison, how are you?" I asked as I gave her a hug.
"Ehhh hmmm! Hello! How are you doing? I'm Mariah. Welcome to our home," my wife promptly introduced.
I quickly released Allison from my grip, excused myself, and took two steps back. "What's up, little man? What's your name?" I asked as I analyzed the facial features and physique of the child with her.
The boy remained silent as he clutched a hold of his mother's hand and dropped his head low in an attempt to be shy. "Don't be afraid to speak. He's your daddy, Charlie."
"Wait...wait! Let's not jump the gun and start calling anybody daddy. Come in, let's talk first. I'm pretty sure, you and my husband have a lot of catching up to do," Mariah insisted as she led everyone into the living room.
Mariah, being the woman she was, decided to play hostess and made snacks for us as she sent Charlie upstairs to play video games with Wesley Jr. and Andrew. Once the tension in the air cleared, Allison then proceeded with her story. "Wes, as you may or may not recall, the last time we saw each other was the day before I moved out of my apartment on Lake Street. A few weeks after I moved back with my parents, I noticed I hadn't gotten my monthly, and after taking a home pregnancy test, I found out that I was expecting. I tried to call you, but you had changed your number, and I didn't know your last name. Anyway, a few more weeks went by, and I was wrestling with the idea of whether or not to get an abortion. You obviously see the choice that I ultimately made.
“Now my parents were very supportive in the beginning, but once I had Charlie, my dad began to detach himself from my son. He never came out and blatantly said it, but I know it's because he's partially African American. Not long after, he said that I had disgraced the family, and he put me out. So I relocated to a nearby town, where Charlie and I could have a fresh start. Everything was great in the beginning. I had found a good job; my apartment was in neighborhood with an awesome public school system. I mean, my circumstances had really changed for the better."
"Okay, if you were doing so well without me, then why are you just now reaching out after all this time?" I questioned as Mariah sat next to me, absorbing and processing the words that she spoke.
"Like I told you before, Wes, it's about my son...our son. He wants to know who his father is. Look, I've traveled a very long way to get here, and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't 100% sure. Wes, it hasn't been easy raising him by myself. I don't know the first thing about teaching him how to be a man. Charlie is at an age where he’s very impressionable and he needs guidance."
"Allison, I hear all that, and I sympathize with your hardships as a single mother. Believe me, I really do, but as you can see, I already have two boys that I'm responsible for. I never planned on having a child out of wedlock; that's why I married Mariah before we decided to have children. My wife and her family are members of the religious community. With that being said, since I have become a part of their extended family, I have embraced many of their views and beliefs.
“Having a child that was conceived outside of my marriage, whether it was before or after Mariah and I took our vows, goes against everything that this family morally stands for. My father-in-law is a very prominent minister in the local community, and if any of the members of his congregation were to get wind that his daughter's husband had a secret love child, it could potentially create a major scandal in his church. I'm sorry, but I don't think it’s God's will for me to be in your child's life. Otherwise, I would have been there when he first came into the world. But I wasn't, therefore, I don't personally think that I was ever supposed to be," I explained as I grabbed ahold of my wife's hand to signify that I was putting our family first over any outsider.
Allison gritted her teeth as her forehead wrinkled with fury and resentment. She shook her head with discontentment then exclaimed, "you know what? I'm so sick of people telling me what God's will is. The hell with what God wants for me. What about my son's will to have his dad around to teach him how to ride bike, pick him up from school, or even show him how to play sports? See, it's the hypocritical church folk who have me in this transition right now. At one point, I thought God was the answer to all my problems.
“That's why I joined a local church last year. The preacher appeared very loving and caring. The members seemed to be extremely supportive and nonjudgmental of my circumstances with Charlie. In the beginning, I enjoyed worshipping and praising with people who I thought were like minded and spiritually nurturing.
“But over time, I began to notice the inconsistencies and the contradictions in their doctrine. Eugene Evans, the pastor, only seemed to preach about money, wealth, and prosperity for two hours, and he referenced the same three or four scriptures every Sunday. I started digging for the truth and comparing the content of their sermons verses what the actual Bible says, and I found out that they don't practice what they preach. In fact, I truly believe they may be some sort of cult."
"Okay let me stop you right there, Allison. Just like Wes told you earlier, my family and I have a background in the ministry, so as you may imagine, I've seen and heard quite a bit over the years. Although there are some excellent men of God in the pulpit, there are probably more false prophets preaching for profits. And many of the shepherds are misleading the flock, but I wouldn't go as far as calling them outright cults. I think that it’s a little too presumptuous to put that label on folks’ church,” Mariah defended as she felt the need to speak on behalf of all the Christian denominations and their spiritual leaders.
"I hear what you're saying, Mariah, and I agree with you, but I know for a fact that I was unknowingly a member of a religious cult. First and foremost, the church is called the Holy Temple of Nehushtan, which I recently found out is the name of a pagan god. Eugene Evans refers to himself as the 'Supreme Light Bearer' and calls the members of his congregation the 'Children of the Eternal Lunar Light.' And get this, there’s huge statue of a golden bull with a ring in its nose and ruby red eyes in the middle of the sanctuary.
“Things really started to look strange to me when I attended my first church 'harvest'. Basically, it was just one big orgy with the single women of the congregation and Eugene Evans. He told us that once a year the spirit of God enters his body, and he has to penetrate the unwed women in order to insert the Holy Spirit into us. Then he would ejaculate into this silver flask and force us to drink his 'anointing oil' to cleanse our bodies from sin. At first, I blindly participated in these sick demonic rituals, but then one day, something inside me said it’s not right.
“That's when I decided to part ways with the church. But it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. They started sending people to my job and to Charlie's day care to ask me why I hadn't been attending. They went as far as following me around in public places and harassing my parents with phone calls in the middle of the night. I finally got fed up and decided that leaving town was the only way I was gonna escape their bullying. I thought I was safe until one of the members showed up at my hotel room last night saying I was gonna burn in hell for turning away from God."
"Wait, what? Allison, bay-bae, let me tell you something. I may be the daughter of a preacher, but one thing my father made sure he taught my sister and I is how to handle a firearm. I know the good book backwards and forwards, but I also know how to handle a forty caliber and a rifle. Girl, I wish one of those little light of mine children folk would come to my doorstep with that mess. Listen here, honey, I ain't no killer but don't push me. You hear me, girl? I can't believe the nerve of this crazy cult characters, stalking a mother and child. Bay-bae bye," Mariah instigated as she glanced over at me with that 'what kind of women were you dealing with?' look.
Allison giggled as if that was the laughter she needed in order to make it through her ordeal. “I know right! It's just been a complete nightmare, Mariah; you just don't know. That's another reason I'm here, Wes. As a mother, there is only so much I can to protect Charlie. He needs a man around to teach him how to defend himself."
"Allison, not to sound like a punk, but I don't won't no trouble with those crazy cult folk. Shoot! They ain't gonna be kidnapping and sacrificing me to no wild satanic farm animals. Forget that! I ain't with it. Besides, I don't think I would taste good if they tried to chop up my remains and throw me on the Weber Grill. You feel me, baby?" I jokingly said as I nudged Mariah in her side.
Mariah cracked a faux grin then proceeded with her initial thought. "Allison, I guess you're right. It definitely sounds like you haven't gotten yourself mixed up with some sort of dark, sadistic group of people. I pray in the name of Jesus that He covers you and your son in His blood so that you may travel being surrounded by His safety and protection. Amen! Now, I have to be honest with you. I’m still not convinced that Charlie is my husband's child. As far as I’m concerned, it's all speculation, and the only way to truly know is administer a DNA test. Otherwise, Wes won’t be taking any responsibility."
Allison gasped as if she had just heard the foulest obscenities ever spoken from a person's mouth. "With all due respect, Mariah, I didn't lay down with you and create my son. I laid down with your husband, so his input on this situation is the only thing I'm trying to hear right now."
Mariah simultaneously rolled both her eyes and her neck. "Well, excuse me, honey child! You know what, Allison? You're absolutely correct. This is between you and my husband. I've over-stepped my boundaries, and I apologize. Wes, what do you think you should be doing to rectify this situation?"
With all eyes on me, I felt like I was in the middle of a heat press machine, and either way I decided to go, I was gonna get the big smash down. At that point, I said the only thing that really made sense. "Well uh...uh I think that we should just go ahead and do the DNA test just to make sure. I mean, it can't hurt."
Allison popped her lips as she purposely knocked over the tray of snacks, which instantly rubbed Mariah the wrong way. I grabbed Mariah’s wrists to prevent her from jumping up and beating the black girl hips off of Allison as she ranted. "Really, Wes? Really? It can't hurt? Charlie's feelings have been getting hurt for a while now. Wesley, do you honestly think that I would travel over six hundred miles just to play games? Not to mention the fact that I went through the tedious trouble of calling every Wesley in the white pages until I finally located you. Don't you think I have better things to do with my life? But if getting a DNA test is the only way for you to be a part of your son's life, then so be it. Come on, Charlie, we're leaving!" she screamed as the boys came racing down the stairs to investigate the cause of all the commotion.
Mariah yanked away from my clutch and leaped up. Before I could catch her, she ran up and put her finger in Allison’s face and professed, “you are so lucky that I’m a saved woman, because if I wasn’t, you would be picking up all that food you just knocked on my floor with your mouth. But if you ever, I mean ever, come to my house and disrespect me and my family again, I promise that you will wish those children of the night light fools would have gotten to you first. Coming over here looking like ‘Adele she was singing goodbye instead of ‘Hello’. Get out my face, before I snatch that ugly burnt orange cloche hat off your head!”