Chapter 31
Misha’s dreams had come true. She sat back at her parents’ home, watching her mother throw commands at Justin. It was Thanksgiving and she was thirty weeks pregnant and growing larger every day. Her mother did not want her to do any work, including the multiple trips to the store she always sent her on. This year was Justin’s turn and Misha was enjoying every minute of it.
Justin returned, singing, from his third trip to the only grocery store that was open on Thanksgiving Day. He placed the bags on the table, pulled a Jet magazine out of the bag, and sat down at the table beside Misha. “You know, Mama, there are people in our family that love to keep secrets from us,” he said as he flipped through the pages of the magazine.
“What you talking about, Justin?” his mother asked.
“I’m only saying someone in here has been keeping a secret from us.”
Misha looked up from a magazine of her own that she was reading. “What are you talking about, Justin?”
“Well, I was standing in that long line at the store when I picked up this Jet magazine to kill some time. Lo and behold there was a very interesting picture in it. So I bought the magazine.”
“Let me see.” Misha snatched the magazine from him. She flipped the pages. “What picture are you talking about?”
Justin leaned back in his chair with a big smile on his face. “Keep looking. You’ll know the one I’m talking about when you see it.”
Misha continued flipping the pages and stopped at a picture of her and Bernard Taylor. The caption read: “Bernard Taylor and his gal pal Misha Holloway at the Atlanta Empowerment Day Parade.” Misha’s mouth flew open. She stared at the picture of the two of them hugging each other around the waist, smiling and waving to the crowd. She briefly remembered the moment and smiled. Then, she noticed Justin looking at her.
“Well, do you have something to tell us?”
“Oh, this is nothing. I met him and we took a picture at the parade.” She couldn’t tell them she knew him personally and had been spending time with him. She knew how her mother would act. Her daughter knew Bernard Taylor. She would be asking him to do programs at her church for the next fifty years. She couldn’t tell them they were friends and spoke to each other almost every day, sometimes two or three times a day. She definitely could not tell them she was attracted to him.
“You met who?” Her mother walked over, wiping her hands on her apron. She lifted the magazine and looked at the picture. “You know Bernard Taylor? Why didn’t you tell us? It’s just like you to keep this a secret from us.”
“Mom, I met him. That’s all.”
“The book says you’re his gal pal. Look at what you’re wearing. You couldn’t find anything better to wear for a picture in Jet? Oh my goodness, I’m going to have to call Mama.” She wiped her hands on her apron.
“Mom, think how upset Aunt Mattie is going to be when she finds out your little girl is in Jet magazine with Bernard Taylor,” Misha said with a crooked smile. “We can wait until she gets here with Uncle Paul or we can call her now and tell her.”
Her mother raced to the phone on the wall. Misha laughed when she heard her mother telling Aunt Mattie about the picture. She had never seen her mother so excited about anything she did.
“So how long have you known him?” Justin asked Misha.
“A little while. Listen to Mama. By the end of the day, all of Atlanta will know about the picture in Jet.”
“You don’t tell anybody anything do you? You could have told me.”
“I didn’t want anybody to know. Besides, Bernard is very private.”
“You two dating?”
“Naw, it’s not like that. We’re only friends. That’s all.” Misha returned to her magazine.
Misha forced herself up from the chair just as Pam and the children walked into the house. After greeting them, she stepped into the carport and punched in Bernard’s number. A loud scream came from the house. Apparently someone showed Pam the picture.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” Bernard said when he answered the phone.
“‘Gal pal,’ Bernard?” Misha walked out into the yard.
“Aren’t you going to wish me a happy Thanksgiving?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about the picture?”
“I wondered how long it was going to take you to find out. Who told you?”
“My brother saw it. Now my mother is telling everybody who will listen about it. I’m sure she’s going to send Justin to the store to get more copies.”
Bernard laughed.
“What are you laughing about? It’s not funny. You should have told me.”
“You’re right. I should have. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Please don’t do that again. If I had known, I would have worn something else. That outfit made me look fat.”
“You looked like a beautiful pregnant lady. They asked me if your baby was mine and when she was due.”
Justin walked out of the house, putting on his coat. “Misha, Mama’s sending me to the store to get some more copies of the magazine. Do you want one?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Who are you talking to?” he asked, noticing the phone to her ear.
“None of your business.”
“You’re talking to him aren’t you?” He ran to the door leading into the kitchen, telling Pam and his mother that Misha was talking to Bernard Taylor. Her mother and Pam ran out of the house, screaming and smiling.
“See what you did?” Misha returned to her phone call.
“Is that Bernard Taylor? Let me speak to him.” Pam reached for the phone and Misha twisted away from her.
“Bernard, my mother and sister-in-law want to speak to you.”
He laughed. “It’s okay. Put them on the phone.”
She handed the phone to her mother and listened while she interrogated him. Misha knew he was enjoying every minute of the conversation without hearing his voice.
“Mama, you better check on your food,” Misha reminded her.
Her mother handed the phone to Pam, who tried to act as if she spoke to celebrities every day. Speaking to him briefly, she handed the phone back to Misha and walked into the house.
“See what you did? You should have warned me.”
He continued laughing. He seemed so thrilled about the picture. Misha was excited too but she did not want him to know. They looked good together, like a couple in love. She sighed. He was not Matthew. God, if this is not what you ordained, please stop it now. This guy is too good to be true. Misha was falling hard. She had to stop it and trust God that Matthew would be with her soon.
“I’m getting ready to go to my parents’ for dinner,” Bernard said. “Call me when you get home this evening. I should be home about eight.”
“Do your parents know?”
“I told my parents about you before we were ever introduced.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Misha, I’ve got to go. Call me this evening.” That was one thing she did not like about him: he had a way of avoiding questions. She stared at the phone in her hand. What did he mean by telling his parents before they met? The question would have to wait; Miracle was hungry.
This Thanksgiving, Misha was the center of attention. Not because she was pregnant, but because she knew Bernard Taylor. Her family wanted to know every detail. Her mother asked her if he could do a concert for her church.
Misha rushed home from her parents’ house to call Bernard. She wanted to set him straight and make sure he knew not to do that again. Thinking about the parade, she realized Bernard had arranged the picture the day of the parade when he asked the photographer to take the shot. But when she heard his voice on the phone, she forgot what she was going to say. He apologized for not telling her about the picture and promised not to do it again.
They continued their conversation until Misha became too tired to talk. They had so much in common. She could talk to him, unlike Roger. He wanted to know her dreams and vision. No one had ever asked her that before. She told him every detail of her completing her master’s degree and probably opening up a private tutorial school. She shared with him that God told her she would be moving to Washington. She did not know when or how. All she knew was God sent her places to minister and she did what He said. She talked until she had nothing more to say.
The following day, she decided to call Judy to tell her about the picture. She did not want Judy to find out like her family. To her surprise, Judy already knew about the picture and said she was wondering when Misha would tell her. Her husband stopped her from calling several times to ask her about Bernard. She could not convince Judy they were only friends. Judy insisted there was chemistry between them that showed up in the picture.
“You’re putting too much into that picture,” Misha said.
“I know what I see. There’s something going on between you two.”
“I’m in my third trimester. I could deliver any day. No man in his right mind would be interested in me.”
“A man in love is not in his right mind.”
“Bernard doesn’t love me. Besides, you know my husband’s name is Matthew.”
“I know what I see. The two of you were glowing.”
“You have a vivid imagination. I’ve got to go.”
She hung up the phone. Glowing? We were not glowing. She was in total disagreement with what Judy said. Everybody was reading too much into the picture. As she lifted the magazine, she could see it too. How could she be so obvious? He was such a nice guy; she would have to tell him about Matthew soon. Then it will be left to God. She hated to lose him as a friend.