Read Online 2-in-1 Yada Yada by Neta Jackson - Free Book Online Page B

table and crowded everybody in.
    A chamber ensemble pouring their hearts into Mozart and Bach—hallelujah!—had replaced the worship band for the banquet. I’m not sure I could eat to the high decibels that had carried the worship sessions the last two days. Seemed like a long time before we actually got served, but at least there were carafes of hot coffee and baskets of rolls on the tables to help quell my rumbling stomach.
    When the hotel waiters finally brought our plates of food, Florida caught my eye. “Chicken!” she exclaimed with a big grin. It wasn’t deep-fried and crusty—smothered in some kind of creamy sauce, actually—but Florida seemed happy.
    Tucked in between Nony and Avis and wondering what to do with my elbows, I picked up Ruth’s voice on the other side of the table. “So I’m heading out the door, and Ben says, ‘Where’s my clean shirts?’ And I said, ‘Who do you think I am? A laundry service?’ ”
    Florida’s beads bobbed in agreement. “Uh huh. Housekeeper, fry cook, lover . . . and ATM machine.”
    Adele rolled her eyes. “Ain’t that the truth.”
    Chanda snorted. “The mon only say they got no money. Last week? Took the kids to the library, who there but my baby’s daddy. Cooin’ and cuddlin’ with his new girlfriend while they plannin’ some cruise they takin’. ’Im who always say, ‘I ain’t got no money, honey.’ So I’m ’fraid I lay down my religion for a minit and—”
    Florida and Adele started hooting with laughter.
    â€œThey off on that cruise now,” Chanda sighed. “I’m praying for a ‘spirit of boredom’ to follow them from stem to stern.” She grinned at the rest of us. “Sorry. Guess that’s not very sanctified.”
    By now our laughter was so loud we almost didn’t hear someone at the microphone saying, “—an emergency telephone call. Is there a Delores Enriques in the house? You have an emergency telephone call.”
    â€œQuiet! Quiet!” I waved the others down. “Did you hear that?” I turned to Delores, who was sitting two seats away from me. “Delores, you have an emergency phone call.”
    Immediately eleven pairs of eyes turned to the Cook County nurse. Her dark eyes suddenly filled with fear.
    â€œI’ll go with you,” Edesa said, scooting back her chair and helping Delores to her feet. The younger woman escorted her friend toward the ballroom doors.
    The rest of us looked at each other, concern passing from face to face. Avis stood up. “I’ll go see what’s happening,” she said quietly, leaving her napkin in her plate. “The rest of you—pray.”
    I watched her thread quickly toward the doors. What did Avis mean? Pray silently to ourselves? Obviously not, because at that instant Adele launched into a loud prayer for divine protection, “whatever this emergency is about.”
    Nony picked up the prayer.“O God,Your Word says that we who dwell in the secret place of the Most High will abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You are our refuge and our fortress. We trust in You. Spread Your wings over Delores; let her find refuge there.”
    The scripture was comforting. Maybe it wasn’t a real emergency. Maybe just a kid with the flu or an injured dog. Didn’t Delores say she had five kids? Could be anything.
    Hoshi reached across Avis’s empty seat and grasped my hand, and I reached out to Nony. The prayers passed around the table like a gift—Chanda . . . Florida . . . Ruth—each in turn. I noticed several women at other tables glancing at us from time to time.No wonder. One minute we were laughing uproariously, the next praying out loud.
    I don’t know how long our table had been praying—maybe only five minutes—when I felt a touch on my shoulder. I looked up at Avis. She was not