Church Folk - Michele Andrea Bowen [56]
Coral Thomas reveled in the sight of Theophilus and Essie together, seeming so deeply in love. She knew that there was nothing more exhilarating than knowing you have found the one that God intended for you, and she truly believed that Essie was her young pastor's other half, the side of himself he was only beginning to discover. Having spotted Glodean at church, Coral only hoped that she had witnessed the romantic gesture Theophilus had just made. Maybe that would convince her that it was time to give him up and leave Greater Hope, taking all of her crazy, pink mess with her.
Glodean had seen the hug, as well as the delight on the faces of her own church members, and it hurt her down to the bone. But she steeled herself against that pain and strategized, hiding out in the stall in the ladies' room. When she finally emerged, she knew what to do.
Glodean hovered in the doorway of the dining room, waiting till the timing was just right. Then she strutted into the room, with her head held high, moving like a queen, enjoying the way the conversations ebbed as all eyes turned to her. She was especially gratified by the panicky expression on Theophilus's face when he realized that she was homing in on the head table. He was right to worry, she thought with a secret smile. She was about to turn this little anniversary party all the way out.
She stepped up onto the platform where the pastor's table stood and approached Theophilus from behind. Then, abruptly, she bent down and threw her arms around him, pressing herself into him and rubbing her breasts across the back of his neck.
"Hello, baby," she said in a husky stage whisper.
Theophilus was so shocked he couldn't move or say a word. Nor could the rest of the congregation, sitting there aghast at her flagrant display. No one could believe that even Glodean Benson would do something this crazy at their church anniversary celebration.
Coral Thomas was outraged. "What the hell is wrong with that crazy, butt-swaying heifer?" she said to D.S. "I'm going up there to tell that hussy a thing a two about herself."
But D.S. caught her by the wrist. "No, Coral, sit down. You can look all you want to but you ain't going up to that table."
"Why not?" she hissed. "Let me go!"
"You got to let Essie stand up to that woman by herself. She the one need to get Glodean straight. 'Cause if she lets Glodean get away with this mess, every fool who gets an inkling for the pastor gone think she got a chance."
Coral saw the wisdom of what D.S. was saying and sat down. "I sure hope that baby girl got it in her," she said.
By now Glodean had shifted her embrace to block out Essie, swinging her hips around so that her behind was staring Essie square in the face.
When Essie had seen Glodean that morning, she vowed that nothing would provoke her into an ugly scene. But this was too much. She thought to herself, "Who does this thang think she is, sticking her big butt all up in my face?"
Ignoring Essie's vibes, Glodean decided to add insult to injury by giving her behind a little self-satisfied wiggle.
"Aww, naw. No way," Essie said under her breath. "That's it!"
Yanking a long, blue topaz pin from her hat, she jabbed it deep into Glodean's behind, so hard that Glodean toppled forward onto the table.
The church members, who had been sitting stunned by the drama playing out at the pastor's table, now burst out laughing at Essie's surprise retaliation. The assistant pastor's wife was so tickled that she got bright red-orange lipstick all over her brand-new yellow gloves as she tried to cover her mouth to stop her discreet little chuckles from deteriorating into flat-out, wide-mouth guffaws.
The shock rushed out of Theophilus, and he sprang into action, catching Essie's arm just as she swung it back to stab Glodean's butt one more time.
"Essie!" he barked.
"Essie, the First Lady of Greater Hope cannot go sticking