Church Folk - Michele Andrea Bowen [81]
"Baby, you outdid yourself this time," Theophilus said as she stepped into the dress.
She stood up and adjusted the straps on her shoulders. He came around behind her to zip up her dress and planted a soft kiss on the back of her neck, saying, "I sure wish I was pulling this little number down instead of up."
Essie swatted at him and slipped on her champagne satin pumps, dropping the matching purse on the bed.
"Is my lipstick and makeup all right?" she asked.
"Um hmm. But you need to change those earrings."
"Change my earrings? I thought you said these earrings looked good with the dress. I don't have another pair of earrings to wear with this outfit."
"Yes you do," he said, retrieving a small box from his suit–case and extricating a pair of gold filigree and diamond teardrop earrings.
He placed the earrings in Essie's hand.
"I picked these up right before we left Memphis. Been saving them for something special. You like them?"
Essie's eyes filled up with tears, and she threw the earrings on the floor.
Theophilus was shocked. "Baby, what in the world is your problem? I buy you a gift and you throw it on the floor?"
Without saying a word, Essie walked over to her suitcase. She bent over it, with her back to him, so he couldn't see what she was doing until she turned around to face him wearing a pair of pink—
"Oh Jesus!"
"Don't call on Him. That's all you can say about these glasses, Theophilus?"
". . . Baby . . ."
"Shut up!" she snapped and, snatching the glasses off her face, threw them on the floor and stomped on them, crying, "Ever since I have been with you, Glodean Benson has been right there with me. Nothing I do can be done without that woman sniffing around my life with my man. And now you go and make it worse by putting . . ."
Essie was so hurt and mad that she couldn't speak for a moment. Theophilus walked over to her and was about to put his arm around her shoulder when she whipped her arm back and slapped him so hard that it made him stumble.
"You put that woman in my car," she finished.
"Baby—"
"You, Reverend Theophilus Henry Simmons, put that WOMAN IN MY CAR! . . . How could you?"
"Essie," Theophilus said in his most authoritative, preacher voice. "Sit down and let me tell you what happened. I can't stand to see you upset like this."
He rubbed his cheek, which felt like it was on fire, hoping it wouldn't look all swollen and bruised by the time they got to the banquet. He looked at Essie, wondering where she hid all that strength in her tiny hands.
When Essie refused to budge, Theophilus took her by the arms and forcibly sat her down on the edge of the bed. "Don't you move," he said. "I don't have any more patience. Don't get up off that bed."
She rolled her eyes at him but stayed where she was.
"Essie, I put Glodean in your car to take her to the hospital. I was in the office and she showed up with her lip busted, two black eyes, and a ripped dress."
Essie opened her mouth to say "Sonny Washington" when he continued, "Yeah, Sonny. Always heard he beat on his women. But didn't think he would do it to Glodean—acting like he was so crazy about her."
Essie relaxed some. She thought back to the first time she met Glodean at Mabel's Kitchen. She remembered the look on Sonny Washington's face and thought that he looked like he wanted to hit on her.
Theophilus saw her face relax and sat down