Church Folk - Michele Andrea Bowen [21]
"Don't get me wrong, Theophilus. I liked your sermon. But you do know it was real different, don't you?"
His face began to light up again as he nodded his head yes.
Mother Harold sucked in her breath. She couldn't believe that girl. His sermon was scandalous and she couldn't wait until tomorrow when she was going to march right into Rev. James's office and give him a good piece of her mind about it, too. Some of these folks at Mount Nebo had babies like rabbits and didn't need to hear any foolishness about making more babies they could not afford to have. Mother Harold cleared her throat again and said "Humph" loud enough to be heard across the tiny sanctuary.
Essie, who couldn't ignore her any longer, turned around and said, "Good afternoon, Mother Harold."
She turned back to Theophilus. "Rev. Simmons, this is Mother Laticia Harold, a very important member of our church. Her husband was the late Bishop Rosemond Harold, and her granddaughter, Saphronia McComb, is finishing her master's degree at Jackson State."
Theophilus remembered Bishop Harold, whom he had met years ago when he passed through Richmond and visited his parents' church. Theophilus was a teenager then, but he would never forget how rude Bishop Harold, a light-skinned man with straight brown hair, had been to his dark-skinned father. It had come as a shock to him back then that even a bishop could be color-struck. He had almost forgotten that Bishop Harold was from the Delta.
Theophilus gave Mother Harold a polite smile and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you this morning. I know of your late husband. If my memory serves me right, he was responsible for helping several small missions groups incorporate into sizable churches in rural areas throughout Mississippi."
Mother Harold was impressed. "Rev. Simmons, I am so pleased that you know something about the Bishop," she said. "He was such a great man and you young ministers do nothing to honor his memory."
Theophilus kept the polite smile on his face. He couldn't agree that Bishop Harold had been a great man, so he turned her attention to another subject.
"Mother Harold, Sister Lane mentioned that you have a granddaughter studying at Jackson State University. What is her major?"
Mother Harold looked very proud at the mention of her granddaughter. She said in a crisp, tight-sounding voice, "She is a speech major. Since Saphronia was a young child, she has been interested in studying speech. She wants to teach our children how to speak properly. On several occasions, she has offered to teach a public speaking class here at the church. Isn't that right, Essie?"
Essie just nodded. Saphronia got on her nerves when she put on her phony airs, as if she wasn't living in a little country town just like everybody else who attended Mount Nebo.
Mother Harold wasn't satisfied with the lukewarm nod and said, "Essie, I was speaking to you. You do remember Saphronia's efforts to assist you and several other young women in this church with your speaking problems, don't you?"
Essie narrowed her eyes. "I certainly do remember Saphronia's trying to start that class. And I don't know why she thought we wanted any help from her, since we all talk just fine."
Mother Harold pressed her lips together into a tight, thin line of disapproval. She made a mental note to bring Essie's sharp remark to the attention of Rev. James—not that he would do anything about it. He was so fond of the riffraff in this church.
Theophilus coughed to stifle a laugh. In the short time he had known Essie, he had never heard her talk in such an exact-sounding voice. The social politics of church life never failed to amaze (or amuse) him. But before more sparks started flying between the two women, another one joined them, whom he figured was Mother Harold's speech-teaching granddaughter. He was right.
"Saphronia, dear, this is Rev. Theophilus Simmons. Rev. Simmons, this is my granddaughter, Saphronia Anne McComb."
Saphronia stepped in front of Essie, nudging her aside, and grabbed Theophilus's hand. She was very light-skinned with long, straight