Church Folk - Michele Andrea Bowen [23]
In his heyday, Bishop Harold was as bad and bold with his skirt chasing as Rev. Ernest Brown up in Detroit. Funny thing, though. All of Bishop Harold's women ranged from chocolate to ebony, and most of them didn't go to church— at least not on a regular basis. She knew that had to hurt Mother Harold. She was so light-skinned she almost looked white, stayed up in church, and was proper and tight to the hilt. A shame. But the greater shame was the woman's determination to put the same burden on her granddaughter's shoulders.
Lee Allie was about to walk into the sanctuary when Rev. James stopped her to say, "Sister Lane, just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you asked Rev. Simmons to be our Missions Day speaker. He did a fine job and gave us something to think about."
"Well, Rev. James, I'm glad you approved the request to invite him. Had a feeling when I met Rev. Simmons there was something special about him."
Rev. James nodded his head in agreement and added, "Yeah, you right. He is special. And glad he met Miss Essie. You know that boy gettin' real sweet on your baby girl."
Lee Allie laughed. "Yes, Lord. Kind of thinking that myself. And quiet as it's kept, Miss Essie sweet on him, too. Just too stubborn to admit it."
Rev. James rubbed his chin and grinned. "Well, well, seems like there a little ole love bug runnin' up and down the highway between Memphis and Mississippi."
Lee Allie laughed and pushed at the door leading into the sanctuary.
"Sister Lane, just one more thing."
"And what's that, Rev. James?"
"Where your missionary group putting Rev. Simmons up for the night? I was expectin' to hear from y'all about that a couple of days ago but haven't heard so much as a peep from you ladies."
"He told us he wanted to stay at Rose Neese's place. That's why we haven't bothered you and Mrs. James about accommodations for the Reverend. Plus, Rose lettin' him stay there for free."
Rev. James scratched at the back of his head for a second.
"You know, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference sending some folks in this week to talk with me and some of the other Negro ministers around Charleston about what we're going to do to support the movement in this area. Rev. Simmons helped us out by calling to tell everybody about the meeting. I asked him to because I thought it was too risky to have those calls coming from anywhere around Charleston.
"One of those meetings will be at Rose Neese's, and we'll be having several of our lunches there, too. Might not be the best idea for him to stay there tonight. A few of my preachin' brothers got big mouths and just love to talk about our business with the upstanding white folk who'll listen to them. So I was thinking that Rev. Simmons should stay at Mother Harold's. She has a good reputation with the white folks in this town. They wouldn't expect her to have someone like Rev. Simmons at her house—which is just about true most of the time."
Lee Allie nodded, agreeing with what he was saying. "Then you come with me to talk to Mother Harold. She don't care too much for me and Essie and wouldn't agree to anything coming from me."
But Lee Allie almost changed her mind about asking Mother Harold to help when she saw how Saphronia had wedged herself between Essie and Rev. Simmons. She frowned, thinking to herself, "That sly-cat is just determined some preacher gone up and marry her with that white woman look on her face, clashin' with her big black behind."
She walked up to where they were standing and said more pleasantly than she felt, "Rev. Simmons, everyone is waiting for you to come on downstairs and bless the food so we can eat."
Before Theophilus