Read Online The Perfect Christian by E. N. Joy - Free Book Online Page B

or not?” Mrs. Tucker offered once again.
    Doreen’s mother cut her eyes at the complete disrespect Willie’s mother was showing her. She turned her attention to her eldest daughter. “Doreen, get your stuff and let’s go—right this instant.”
    Doreen went to move, but her mother-in-law put her arm out to stop her. “The same way yous all are grown women, so is this one here.” Mrs. Tucker nodded toward Doreen. “And we were having us a nice little conversation before you all stormed up in her like yous the law or something.” She put her arm around Doreen. “We were bonding. I was teaching her a thing about how to deal with real life, in the real world. Not some make-believe world Holy Rollers have created and think that’s how life is supposed to be. Church is good for some folks. But the same way college ain’t for everybody, neither is church. You church people try to give other folks a false sense of hope and outlook on life. And don’t get me wrong—I ain’t got nothing against church, church folk, or even God Himself. Heck, I love God. The same way He’s blessed you to have a successful thriving church, He’s blessed me to have a successful thriving business.”
    Mrs. Hamilton gave off a harrumph. “Then God’s Word is true. I guess He isn’t a respecter of persons.”
    â€œYou can quote as much Bible as you want, but when church is over, honey, real life begins. And if I were you, I’d get to teaching those girls of yours about real life. That way, a wretch like me wouldn’t have to.” She looked over at her daughter-in-law. “Excuse me, baby. It’s been real good talking to you, but there are customers I need to attend to.”
    Doreen smiled at her mother-in-law, who, she had to admit, she’d had a wonderful time chatting it up with the past half hour—give or take. In just that small amount of time, Mrs. Tucker had taught her a couple of tricks on how to deal with a Tucker man.
    â€œAnd remember what I told you, now, you hear?” Mrs. Tucker winked, then walked away, but not before saying to Doreen’s mother and her armor bearers, “Good evening, women of God. God bless you.”
    One of the armor bearers whipped out some praying oil and began splashing it where Mrs. Tucker had sat and where she’d stood.
    â€œCome on, Doreen, let’s go so we can talk in a better atmosphere,” Mrs. Hamilton requested.
    Doreen was scared out of her wits. Sure she was a grown woman, but Mama was still Mama. No matter how old Doreen and her sisters got, her parents would always have some type of control and authority over their children’s lives. Maybe that right there was what the problem was Doreen surmised. Maybe what Mrs. Tucker had just said to her only moments ago was on point. Maybe she needed to cut the strings from her parents and what they expected of a preacher’s daughter and be what Willie expects of a wife.
    When Doreen tried to complain about Willie’s gallivanting with other women, her mother-in-law acted like it wasn’t nothing but a thing. That’s when Doreen whipped those high heels out of her nice-size purse to show her mother-in-law proof. Her intentions had even been to go around that entire juke joint making every broad in sight try on those shoes until she found the gal they belong to.
    â€œThen what? Then what you gon’ do, church girl?” Mrs. Tucker had asked her sarcastically. “You gon’ beat the girl up with ’em?”
    Doreen sat looking dumbfounded because, actually, she had no idea what she’d planned on doing after she found the woman. “Uh-huh, I thought so. You being the perfect little Christian girl that you are wouldn’t have done a dang on thing but been able to put a face with a pair of shoes—a face that was going to haunt you forever.”
    Doreen’s eyes began to