The Unspoken Prayer Request by GLMO LLC

THE UNSPOKEN PRAYER REQUEST

FICTION BY DANIEL WHYTE III WITH MERIQUA WHYTE FAMILY DRAMA ...And Family Drama Just Won't Stop I ...And Family Drama Just Won't Stop II ...And Family Drama Just Won't Stop III THE PRAYER TRILOGY The Unspoken Prayer Request I Need Someone to Pray With Me I Know What Prayer Can Do Charmaine The Common Prayer Not for the Righteous I'm Dreaming of a Black Christmas The Thanksgiving Letters Shaking the Gates of Hell No Time for Evil The Writer's Life All the Bishop's Children 1 All the Bishop's Children 2 TO BE A TEEN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART Zelphur GinÃ©

WITH DANIEL D.P. WHYTE IV The Prophet, the President, and the Pastor The Correction The Cover-Up (The Cover-Up, #1) The Candidate (The Cover-Up, #2) Judas Church Letters to the Supreme Court

WITH DANITA WHYTE The Great Train Ride to Liberty Mountain

WITH DANIELLA WHYTE Eden, N.C.

THE UNSPOKEN PRAYER REQUEST The Prayer Trilogy #1

DANIEL WHYTE III Essence National Bestselling Author

with MERIQUA WHYTE

The Unspoken Prayer Request (Book 1 of The Prayer Trilogy) by Daniel Whyte III with Meriqua Whyte Cover Design by Atinad Designs. ÂŠ Copyright 2013, 2017 TORCH LEGACY PUBLICATIONS: ATLANTA, GEORGIA; DALLAS, TEXAS; BROOKLYN, NEW YORK All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner, except for brief quotations included in a review of the book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

To my family, my favorite prayer partners.

EPISODE 1

CHAPTER 1 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. (Jeremiah 33:3) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father’s throne Make all my wants and wishes known. In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief And oft escaped the tempter’s snare By thy return, sweet hour of prayer! Mother Jamison sat quietly in her pew reflecting on the blessings of God upon her life. God has been very good to me. She smiled as she remembered her words to her mother as a teenager, “Oh, Mother, I want to explore the world. I’ll serve God later.” Her mother said to her 13

one evening, “Betty, decide which way you want to go, but don’t flip-flop on God. Either you serve Him or you don’t. All I know is, you had better learn to get a hold of God through prayer starting right now while you are young.” Well, Betty sowed her wild oats during her young adult years, and she had some regrets. God had to chastise her in order for her to come to her senses and to begin taking Him seriously. Now, prayer was a huge part of her life. She hummed along with the music. Prayer changes things. Yes, she could definitely sing along wholeheartedly because she knew first hand that ‘prayer changes things,’ and not just any kind of prayer, but persistent, believing prayer. She was sitting in the same pew, at the same time, listening to the same pastor– Pastor Ashton–challenge his congregation to put God to the test; to ask of God anything, and by faith trust Him to answer that request. Her thoughts were interrupted by the pastor’s voice. “I want to share with you this evening the story of the persistent widow found in Luke chapter eighteen. This widow was persistent. She was aggressive. She knew what she wanted and she was going to get it even if it meant her being seen as a pest; even if it meant being irritating to this judge; even if the judge viewed her as an unwanted insect crawling under his skin and getting on his last nerve. She knew what she wanted and she was determined to get it by any means necessary.” Mother Jamison glanced at her Bible as Pastor 14

Ashton read the first verse of Luke chapter eighteen. This Scripture passage had become dear to her. “There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man.” “This judge was well established. He sat in a place of prominence. People were at his mercy.” “And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.” “In the same city lived a widow. I’ll safely conclude that this widow was not well-off. She was probably poor, had no immediate family to call on, and maybe the bill collectors came calling. Her husband probably left her in debt. She was probably up in age and not able to go into the field and glean. We don’t know her situation exactly, but we do know that she had a problem which only the judge could solve–not her relatives and not her friends–only the judge.” Only the judge, Mother Jamison thought. “You know there are just some things that only the judge can solve. Your family and friends can give you a listening ear, but the judge can make things happen. The judge has clout. The judge has connections. The judge has power. Our concern is, will he use his power for good or evil? Will he procrastinate? Will he fall down on the job?” “And he would not for a while,” the pastor went on to say. “This judge saw this widow as bothersome. He saw her case as insignificant. She really did not contribute 15

to his cause.” “Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me.” “After a while, because of her continual coming, she broke the judge down; he had no choice but to hear her case, and not just to hear her out, but to do something about it. I will avenge her. I will hear her out. I will help her out of the dilemma she is in.” “Yes,” Mother Jamison whispered to herself. “Let me divert here a little,” Pastor Ashton said. “This one is for free. You don’t have to say ‘Amen.’ Parents, when your child asks you the same thing over and over again, they are not nagging; the thing they are asking of you is something important to them so they persist in asking. A lot of us men think our wives are nagging us (notice I said ‘us’); we think our wives are nagging us when they ask about something over and over again–when are you going to fix the closet door? It’s been hanging off its hinges for months now. The porch step is creaking; when are you going to fix it? We gonna fall through it one day. They’re not nagging; they’re just being like this widow–persistent. Something is bothering them and they want that something, that irritation, to go away, and they see you, husband, as the one to make that something go away, so they keep coming to you, the judge. (I knew I’d get you ladies on my side.) Like I said, that’s for free. Take it or leave it. A bit of advice to you men: Be wise and do like the judge and quickly avenge her; quickly solve that something, that problem, and that 16

will quickly get her from under your skin. Can somebody say Amen?” “Nagging is still the word, Pastor.” “You don’t know my wife, Pastor.” The crowd burst into laughter. “Like I said, that’s for free. But on a serious note, listen to what the judge said.” “Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” “The judge said, ‘I am going to reward her for her persistence; for her nagging, if you will. I am going to reward her for her faithfulness. I am going to take revenge for her so that she can leave me alone and let me live in peace.” Looking out into the crowd, Pastor Ashton continued, “Folks, this is what God wants us to do. He wants us to be persistent in our prayers to Him. And as I said before, prayer is simply asking expecting to receive. But you have to be persistent in your asking. God wants you to be persistent because He wants to see how serious you are about what you want. He wants to see whether or not you really believe He can deliver. He wants to see how strong your faith is. He wants you to, in a sense, wear Him out with your asking.” “Amen!” “And just as this widow wore the judge out, I want you to try to wear God out. Tonight, when it’s time to submit your prayer requests, do not hold back. Verse one says, ‘Men ought always to pray and not to faint.’ I 17

challenge you, tonight, folks, not to faint until God answers your prayers. One preacher said, ‘you need to learn how to pray through.’” Mother Jamison knew the power of prayer, but there was this one thing that kept eating at her. She was starting to get weary. She had been carrying this burden for some time now. “Folks, now is not the time to faint in prayer,” Pastor Ashton continued. “That’s what the devil would have– for you to doubt God and begin fainting. I challenge you, tonight, to spread your fleece before God even as Gideon did and watch God work. Now, mind you, God may not answer overnight as He did Gideon, but He will answer. As the old saints used to say, ‘He may not come when you think He ought to come, but He is always right on time.’ With that said, does anyone have any prayer requests tonight?” Mother Jamison made a new commitment to simply trust God. The one burden on her heart was wearing her out. Yes, she would put out her fleece before God tonight. “Yes, Mother Jamison, you had your hand up,” Pastor Ashton said. “I have an unspoken prayer request, Pastor. It’s been on my heart for some time now. Out of respect for the persons involved, I wish to leave it unspoken.” “No problem, Mother Jamison,” Pastor Ashton said. “My question to you is: Are you willing to let go of trying to work things out your way and simply let God do His thing?” 18

Mother Jamison nodded. “Are you willing to trust in the Lord with all your heart not leaning on your own understanding?” “Yes, Pastor,” Mother Jamison replied. “Most gracious heavenly Father, we come before You with an unspoken prayer request from Mother Jamison. Lord, those unspoken requests are oftentimes the most burdensome because their solution is out of our hands. No matter which way we turn for a solution to the problem, we see no way out. But thank You, God, for having a solution before we ask You to deliver us from the problem. Taking this unspoken request, Lord, as You answer, change lives, save souls, bring individuals to maturity in You, and all this for Your glory, praise, and honor, and for the expansion of Your Kingdom here on earth. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.” “Amen,” Mother Jamison whispered. “Amen.” She felt a burden lift off her shoulders. Yes, her fleece was out there. And, like Gideon, she would go to sleep for the night and not check-up on God. She had now completely turned her daughter over to the Lord. She left the services that night humming: I know, I know, I know what prayer can do.

CHAPTER 2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. (Psalm 65:2) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! The joys I feel, the bliss I share, Of those whose anxious spirits burn With strong desires for thy return! With such I hasten to the place Where God my Savior shows His face, And gladly take my station there, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! Aubrey Jamison was a vivacious, outgoing, smart young lady. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Betty Jamison. She excelled in school and at just about everything else she did. She was not a problem child, and was loved by all who knew her. Aubrey 21

remembered asking Jesus into her heart at the age of nine, but she did it more to please her parents than for her own personal convictions. Her mother somehow knew she had not yet committed her life completely to the Lord. “You cannot live off of your father’s salvation nor can you live off of mine,” Mother Jamison would often say to her and she often smiled at herself as she found herself repeating the very words her own mother had shared with her: “Decide which way you want to go, Aubrey, but don’t flip-flop on God. Either you serve Him or you don’t. All I know is, you had better learn to get a hold of God through prayer starting right now while you are young.” Aubrey moved on to college with her circle of friends. It was then that things started to go slowly downhill for her. Mr. Jamison died unexpectedly during her freshman year. The ravages of cancer took hold of his body so fast even the doctors were surprised. Aubrey missed him very much. Her college friends became more important to her and she took a special liking to Jamaal. Jamaal reminded her of her father. However, she made one mistake in her thinking and that is, that he could replace her dad, and that she had to respond to his every beck and call. “Aubrey,” her mother lovingly warned her, “you do not have to submit yourself to him; you’re not married to him. That’s a mistake many young ladies make– submitting themselves to some man they are not married to and they end up getting hurt. I don’t want that to 22

happen to you.” One night, Aubrey returned from a party more than a little tipsy. “I don’t know what else to do to prevent you from seeing Jamaal, Aubrey,” said her mother. “I just don’t feel good in my spirit about him. He seems like this secretive boyfriend. You seem to never want to talk about him. He hardly ever comes in when he picks you up, and my conversations with him are short and shallow. That’s a strange kind of relationship if you ask me. Your spirits don’t seem to match.” Aubrey remained silent. Her mother was right. She felt a kind of darkness whenever she was in Jamaal’s presence, but she could not put her finger on what it might be. He was a ‘take charge’ person and she just kind of went along with anything he wanted to do. “Do you even know anything about his family?” her mother asked her one evening. Aubrey had to admit she did not know much about his family. She met his mother once and that was by accident. “Aubrey, it’s never too late to say ‘I don’t’ before you say ‘I do,’ but it will always be too late to say ‘I don’t’ after you’ve said ‘I do’,” her mother shared with her after Aubrey announced her engagement. “Oh, Mom, you worry too much. I’ve known him for about two years now. Those who know him have never said anything negative about him. Plus, I thought a part of marriage was for you to get to know each other. We’ll be all right,” Aubrey said to her mother. 23

Shaking her head, Mother Jamison said, “I wish your father was still here.” Mother Jamison prayed earnestly for her daughter. What else could she do when her 21-year-old was set on doing her own thing. She thought of objecting to the marriage when the pastor asked if anyone saw any reason why they should not get married, but changed her mind deciding instead to leave it in God’s hands. She had laid her fleece out before the Lord. Now it was up to God to do His thing.

CHAPTER 3 “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! Thy wings shall my petition bear To Him whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless. And since He bids me seek His face, Believe His Word and trust His grace, I’ll cast on Him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer! Shortly after they exchanged vows, Aubrey began to see a rather disturbing pattern in Jamaal’s behavior towards her. He became extremely introverted, speaking only when there was a problem or a perceived problem. 25

He was always finding fault, and on top of that, he made her feel as though he did not trust her. He had a way of making her feel small and insignificant. “Aubrey, I don’t want you going out with your socalled girlfriends anymore. You’re married now, and there is nothing you all have in common now,” Jamaal said to her one evening as she was preparing to go out. “Run that by me again,” Aubrey said not believing what she had just heard. “You heard me. I do not want you going out with your so-called friends anymore. Is there something about that you don’t understand?” “I thought that was what you said,” Aubrey replied. “They have never done anything wrong, Jamaal, so why should I just drop them like that? On top of that, what explanation do you expect me to give them when they want to know why? They are supposed to be our friends.” “What do you mean our friends. They ain’t my friends; they’re your friends,” Jamaal replied. “I’m sure you’ll come up with something. Just don’t let me see you in their company again.” He grabbed the basketball out of the coat closet by the door and headed out to meet up with his basketball buddies. Aubrey flopped onto the couch and switched the television on. As she flipped through the channels, the phone rang. It was her close friend, Simone. “Hey, I’m leaving for the Cherry Blossom Cafe in thirty minutes. Just calling to make sure you’re still coming.” 26

“Aw, girl! I wish I could come, but I can’t,” Aubrey sighed. “Why not? I thought it was all set. You know you are the life of the party. If you don’t come we will all be over at your place—guaranteed,” Simone chuckled. “We haven’t come over as often because, as we told you, we don’t want to impose too much on you and Jamaal.” “I can’t, Simone. In fact, Jamaal told me today that he does not want me to meet up with you girls anymore.” “What’s up with that?” Simone asked. “He just left here with Kelvin. They’re going to hang out with the other fellows. I mean, why can’t you hang out with us anymore especially on evenings like this when you are going to be home alone?” Not waiting for Aubrey to respond, Simone continued. “From the way they were talking, it will be a late night affair for them. Come on with us. He probably was upset about something and was having a bad day. Basketball will help him to get over whatever he has on his mind. I know it does my boyfriend, Kelvin. We won’t be out late tonight, so I’ll be sure to get you home before he gets home. How about that?” Aubrey thought about it. Jamaal really has no right to tell me who I should associate with and who not to associate with especially since he’s out with his friends all of the time. I have always gone out with my girlfriends on Fridays for as long as I can recall. Like Simone said, something’s probably bothering him. “I’ll meet you at the Cherry Blossom in thirty minutes, Simone.” Aubrey cast all thoughts of her husband aside as she 27

joined her girlfriends anticipating a great evening. And they did have fun. Around 10:05 P.M., Simone texted Kelvin to see when he would be home. He texted back saying he would be out a couple more hours with the boys. “All’s safe,” she whispered to Aubrey as they parted ways. It was after twelve when Jamaal returned home. He turned on the lights in the bedroom where Aubrey was sleeping. Yanking the covers off of her, he bombarded her with numerous questions in rapid succession. “Where have you been? Where were you at eight, nine, ten? I called here at the house and you did not answer? Where were you? You were out somewhere. Where? Answer me!” “Jamaal, it’s after twelve. Can we talk in the morning?” “It’s morning now. Let’s talk now.” “Jamaal, you know I hardly answer the house phone especially in the late evenings. You know to call me on my cell phone,” Aubrey said. “Makes no difference. I know Simone and your group got together. Were you with them?” he said bending over her. Aubrey, never one to lie, scooted out the bed and pulled her robe around her. She looked her husband squarely in his face. “Yes, I was with Simone and the others. I can’t just cut myself off from them without good reason. Plus, it’s hard for me to sit in the house all alone just about every evening.” 28

“My mother has done it many times,” Jamaal said. “And I never heard her complain.” “Jamaal, lest you have forgotten, I am not your mother. I am not ever going to do things the way she does.” “You defied my orders!” Jamaal snapped. “You don’t ever do that.” “What’s so wrong with my going out with my girlfriends just like you go out with your friends? It’s a great release for both of us. It was never a problem before, so why is it a problem now? You even encouraged me to go out with them before.” Aubrey stood firm as Jamaal came around to her side of the bed. “Because I don’t want you to.” He staggered over to her almost losing his balance. “Phew,” Aubrey said covering her nose. “Jamaal, you’ve been drink…” Jamaal sent her flying on the bed before she could get the last word out. Aubrey was surprised. They had had arguments before, but he had never touched her with such force; she felt a sharp pain in her neck. “What do you think you are doing?” she shouted as she rolled out of harm’s way to the other side of the bed. Smirking, Jamaal straightened up, stared at her, then hurried out the bedroom. She heard the door to the game room slam shut. Aubrey locked the bedroom door hoping that was the end of that, and hoping to have a peaceful remainder of the early morning.

EPISODE 2

CHAPTER 4 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5) Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer! May I thy consolation share, Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height, I view my home and take my flight. This robe of flesh I’ll drop, and rise To seize the everlasting prize, And shout, while passing through the air, “Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!” The ringing of the phone awakened her around seven that morning. It was Simone. “Is everything alright? How’d it go?” Aubrey assured her all was well. She was grateful for 33

a quiet morning. Apparently Jamaal had gone to the gym as he normally did on Saturdays; then he’d wash the car at the car wash and then visit some friends. He was a restless individual who did not understand the concept of relaxing and sitting still for a while and enjoying the beauty around him. He spent a lot of time playing video games in the game room. “He will die with that thing in his hands,” she recalled her mother-in-law saying to her when he moved the games into their new home after they exchanged marital vows. “All of your money will end up in those games.” Aubrey thought she was just joking, but Jamaal “invested” so much money on electronic games the guest bedroom was now a game room. Aubrey hated for him to go into the game room. It meant hours of endless noise filtering through the house as often times he refused to shut the door. I just believe he does this to irritate me. I thought I married a man but it looks like I married a boy, she concluded one evening after an argument about the noise and after complaining to her mother about it. “All is well,” she told Simone again. They chatted for a while before she hung up and went about her Saturday chores. It was after two that afternoon when she called Jamaal to let him know she would be at her mother’s. Jamaal, rather than return her call, called Mother Jamison twice within the fifteen minutes it took for her to get there. “Jamaal called twice already, Aubrey. What’s going 34

on? Is something wrong?” her mother asked as soon as she stepped in the living room. Mother Jamison knew Jamaal was not calling out of concern for her daughter. “Oh, nothing much. Did he say what he wanted?” Aubrey made herself comfortable at the kitchen table. She couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into the German chocolate cake her mother had decided to bake once she heard she was coming over. “He called to let me know you were on your way and then to find out whether or not you had made it yet and to let him know if you did not make it here within fifteen minutes,” Mother Jamison told her. “Well, you can make it three times. He called as soon as I was pulling up in the driveway,” Aubrey said with a sigh. “He wanted to know what was taking me so long to get here and if I stopped anywhere.” Mother Jamison checked the cake. “What’s all this checking up on you all about? I don’t recall him doing that. You haven’t been lying to him have you?” “He’s never done a lot of things before,” Aubrey said. “He pushed me last night—real hard.” “What for?” Mother Jamison said not showing any signs of surprise. “I mean what did you do for him to push you ‘real hard’?” Aubrey disclosed all that took place the previous night. “He’s been drinking more and more lately.” “Well, Aubrey, since he told you not to go out with your friends, you should have respected his wishes and not gone out with them.” 35

“But, Mother, I can’t just cut my friends off like that. I’ve known them since high school. Jamaal knew them since college days. It’s not like we’re painting the town red or anything. Plus, he takes off whenever he gets ready with his crew. A couple of them turn me off, but I tolerate them.” Aubrey got herself some water from the faucet. After taking a sip she continued. “He’s gone all the time and I can’t just sit around the house. I need some outlet. Nothing has opened up yet for me job-wise so I am stuck in the house all day.” “I told you to have your outlet in Jesus,” Mother Jamison said slipping her oven mitts on. “You know, Aubrey, when your father was alive, I tried to live as a biblical wife to him before you. I know you’ve heard us argue some, but I don’t believe you’ve ever heard me or seen me outright disobey him.” Mother Jamison pulled the cake out the oven and set it before Aubrey on the table. “Just like you like it,” she said with a smile taking a few quick sniffs. Aubrey grinned as she took a deep breath. She loved the smell of cake baking. “I’ve found out,” Mother Jamison continued, “it’s best to just let him have it; just do what he wants—if for no other reason for your own protection. I bet you a thousand—no, make that a million dollars, Jamaal would not have pushed you if you had stayed home.” “Mmm, I don’t know about that,” Aubrey said defending herself. “He was drunk and drunk people have no sense of reasoning. He’s come in drunk before and 36

lost all sense of reasoning—talking crazy and acting crazy.” “I rest my case,” her mother said. Aubrey was always one to argue her point, and she did not want to get into it with her today. “Some things you just have to learn from experience.” Aubrey enjoyed a pleasant evening with her mother. She promised she would be in church somewhere that Sunday. Jamaal had not shown much interest in church after they got married and she stopped going herself after a while especially when he started complaining about her ‘always going off to church’ and not spending enough time with him. She had to admit she felt the urge to go every now and then—after all she grew up in church. She tried without success to get him to go to his mother’s church, but all she would hear was, “Less family, less conflict. The less we see of each other, the better off we will all be.” Aubrey could not understand this reasoning. She shared it with her mother who surmised that something negative may have happened in his childhood within the family circle. Aubrey vowed to find out.

CHAPTER 5 “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18) Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Savior, Did you sue for loving favor, As a shield today? On her way home from a job interview one afternoon, Aubrey stopped by her mother-in-law’s house. They rarely saw each other and they had an enjoyable time catching up on what had been happening. “You know, Aubrey, he’s still blaming me for his brother’s death,” Mrs. McIntyre shared with her. “I took both of them swimming at the creek one afternoon. We were splashing around and somehow his brother lost 39

his footing and went under. By the time I got to him he was gone.” Aubrey waited for her to continue. She was still shaken up over the tragedy. “To this day I am still trying to figure out what happened. We went swimming there many times; he was an excellent swimmer.” Aubrey reached over and patted her hand. They were sitting opposite each other at the small kitchen table. “Mrs. McIntyre, you don’t need to say any more. I understand now why Jamaal is the way he is. He keeps telling me you aren’t a good mother whenever I suggest we come by and visit. I could never understand why, but don’t you worry. I think you are the best mother-in-law.” Both ladies smiled as they reached over to hug each other. “You must visit again soon,” Mrs. McIntyre insisted. “I will,” Aubrey assured her. __________ Aubrey returned home around 5:23 that evening to find Jamaal in a more relaxed mood. “Where have you been? And don’t tell me I could have called you. I should know where you are before you even go there,” Jamaal said calmly. Aubrey was a little surprised at his unexpected calmness. I wonder how long this will last. “If you must know, I was at your mother’s,” Aubrey said using a tone of voice to match his. “We had a great time. We hardly get to speak much. She’s a gem, Jamaal.”

“I don’t believe you were at her house, and even if you were, I told you not to ever visit her unless I am with you. She’ll put trash in your mind,” Jamaal said firmly. He kept clenching and unclenching his fist. “She told me about your brother. Jamaal, you never told me you had a brother, and…” “I do not want to talk about it and don’t you ever bring it up again,” he said sliding to the edge of the couch. “As far as I am concerned she put lies in your mind about what took place. That’s why I told you not to visit her unless I am with you.” “Can we talk about it later, Jamaal?” Aubrey’s tone was much more sympathetic. Jamaal had been carrying this hurt for years now. She wished he would open up to her, but how can you help someone who clams up? “There’s nothing to talk about!” With that he was out the front door. Aubrey watched through the curtain as he jumped into his Escalade and sped off around the bend. Simone and Jennifer stopped by that evening. They were going out for a late evening shopping spree for baby clothes for their friend, Kelli. She was eight months pregnant. The baby’s father was away on military duty. Aubrey decided to go along. Shopping would take her mind off things happening at home. She left a message on her husband’s phone: I am out picking up a few things for Kelli’s baby. Aubrey sometimes wondered if he left his phone off so she could not get him or not answer at all after seeing it was her calling as a controlling 41

mechanism for her to stay home. She could not wait to get a job to get out of the house. It was after nine when she returned home to find Jamaal in the game room. The noise blaring through the door was enough to bring deafness to a person. Aubrey decided not to disturb him and went to the kitchen to grab something to eat. “I am so hungry,” she said to herself as she rummaged through the refrigerator. Shopping always made her hungry. She pushed the refrigerator door shut with her foot, placed a couple slices of frozen pizza in the microwave oven, and popped open a can of orange soda before noticing some bags on the counter. “What in the world…” she said as she opened the bags to reveal a half empty case of beer and other alcoholic beverages. No telling how much he has already consumed. She was on her way to the bedroom with her food when Jamaal stuck his head out the door. “Hell-o-o, stranger. I thought you went shopping for baby clothes,” he greeted her. “I did,” Aubrey answered stopping in the hallway. “You’re lying,” Jamaal said stepping out the door. “I was at Kelvin’s when Simone left to get you and Jennifer. Where did ya’ll go?” Jamaal took a closer step towards her. Aubrey took some steps towards the bedroom. “Like I told you, I went shopping for baby clothes for Kelli. You know her boyfriend’s still in Afghanistan on military duty. No telling when he’ll return. We just want to help 42

her out as much as we can and encourage her a little.” “That’s not my problem and it shouldn’t be yours,” Jamaal said with disdain. He staggered towards her. Just as I thought. Drinking again. Aubrey hesitated. She did not know whether or not to stand her ground or back away and lock herself in the room until the alcohol wore off. “The whole thing is you lied to me.” “Jamaal, I did not lie to you. I have never lied to you. I went shopping for baby clothes like I told you.” “Yes, but you did not say with who. I told you not to keep company with them—especially Simone.” Aubrey could sense the anger rising in him. She started to back away into the bedroom, but he was thinking ahead of her even in his drunken condition— he moved too fast for her. Hurling himself at her, he grabbed her at the shoulders with his left hand and slapped her across the face. Her pizza and drink flew out her hands as tears sprang into her eyes. “No, Jamaal. Stop!” She attempted to wiggle from his grasp. Jamaal grabbed her neck and pushed her up against the door. “Please!” “You don’t ever lie to me and don’t you talk to my mother again—ever!” “Okay,” Aubrey choked out still trying to wiggle free. They both missed their footing and sailed through the bedroom door landing on the floor with him on top of her. Her head hit the floor with such force she cried out in pain. His teeth accidentally struck her forehead leaving a gash as a line of blood spilled out. 43

“Girl, you better learn your lesson. Don’t disobey my words again.” With that, he hauled himself up and staggered out the bedroom and into the game room, slamming the door shut behind him.

CHAPTER 6 Aubrey laid still on the floor for over an hour. Her head was hurting. Her throat was hurting. When she felt some strength return to her body, she crawled over and locked the bedroom door, after which she staggered into the master bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she gasped at the deep wound on her forehead. Stitches, she immediately thought. Blood was still oozing from the wound. Her neck was badly bruised. She was still in shock, but then why should she be? This was not the first time Jamaal had been violent while he was drunk. Still in a daze, Aubrey got her Blackberry out of her bedside table drawer and took a few pictures of the bruises adding to her collection of other such pictures. What little energy she had manifested itself in the tears that poured down her face. We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t continue like this; we just canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, she thought over and over as she recalled the times he had pushed her around, slapping her across the 45

face, leaving marks and discoloration on her face, neck and arms. She thought about the lies she had told to cover for him and to cover the embarrassing situation she was in. After pulling herself together and dressing her wounds as best she could, she sprawled out on her bed. I would do anything now for some peace and quiet, she thought as the noise blasting from the game room did nothing but aggravate her pounding headache. She was awakened to the slamming of a car door, the flashing of lights across the bedroom window, and the screeching of tires going out the driveway. It was 2:02 in the morning. Thank God he’s gone, she sighed. I wish he would just stay away. After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, Aubrey fell off to sleep again. It was 10:32 A.M. when the ringing of the house phone jolted her out of a deep sleep. Jamaal answered and soon came pounding on the bedroom door. “It’s your mother. She said something about you going to church. She wants to talk to you.” “I’ll take it in here,” she told him. Her head was starting to hurt again. “Hello, Mother.” “Aubrey, don’t tell me you’re still asleep. You promised me you would be in church somewhere today.” “I know, Mother, but I had a late night last night,” Aubrey said. “You sound exhausted.” “I am.” Aubrey tried to keep a steady voice; she did 46

not want to give her mother cause for alarm especially with Jamaal there. She heard the familiar ‘click’ from the phone in the living room. Jamaal was listening in on the conversation. “Well, maybe you and Jamaal can come next Sunday with me,” her mother said cheerfully. “Yes. Maybe.” “You don’t sound too happy, Aubrey. Is everything alright?” Aubrey assured her all was well. “Okay, then. I’ve got to go or I’ll be late for the eleven o’clock service myself. I’ll be talking to you later.” “You can hang up now, Jamaal,” Aubrey quietly said after her mother had hung up. “Just open up the bedroom door. I need to get some clothes,” Jamaal said before slamming the receiver down. A few seconds later, Jamaal was banging on the bedroom door. “Open up!” “Let me go to the restroom first.” Aubrey checked her bruises in the mirror. They did not look any better. In less than five minutes, Jamaal was pounding on the door again. Quickly pulling her robe around her, Aubrey unlocked the door stepping aside to let him in. “Good morning,” she mumbled as he brushed past her. “Do something about that,” he said referring to her bruises. Aubrey left and went into the kitchen. She was very hungry. She buttered some toast, and ate that along with a cinnamon roll and cranberry juice. She sat, waiting for Jamaal to come down from the bedroom. What’s taking 47

him so long? She ate four more pieces of toast while she waited. After about fifteen minutes, Jamaal came in with his duffle bag half full. She forced herself to acknowledge him. “Where are you going?” “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be back when you see me. Like I told you, I need some time to myself too.” Great. A few days of peace and quiet, Aubrey thought as she poured herself another cup of cranberry juice.

EPISODE 3

CHAPTER 7 Pastor Ashton preached an unusual message that Sunday. Having extended the church’s ministry outreach into the community, they were becoming more involved in domestic violence and he took that Sunday to talk about it. “Today, I am going to talk about a very touchy subject — domestic violence. Let me start by saying, I do not believe a man ought to hit a woman for any reason whatsoever. Can you imagine a two hundred pound man punching, hitting, or kicking a woman half his size? They don’t even allow that kind of mismatch in the boxing arena between two men,” Pastor Ashton said. “Sometimes, and this is going to get some of you women mad at me, but sometimes the woman is at fault because she provokes her man.” “Tell the truth, Pastor!” “Ladies, once you get married, don’t disrespect your 51

husband by putting him down, and speaking badly about him, especially before others. Don’t disrespect your husband by talking back to him, by disobeying him, by flirting with other men, and by not taking care of his needs.” “Yes, Pastor.” Pastor Ashton continued, “Now there are some cases where the man is just full of bitterness and anger for whatever reason. He gets ticked off at every little thing. Sometimes he may be drinking alcohol or he may be on drugs and he temporarily loses his mind—but that’s another case. Folks, the sad thing about this domestic violence issue is, women in our society sometimes unfortunately think that they have to take it. It is not normal. Say it with me: it is not normal.” “Tell it, Pastor Ashton.” “Ladies,” continued Pastor Ashton, “let me give you some things you need to watch out for that will lessen your chances of ending up in an abusive relationship: One, check to see if he has a good, loving, respectful relationship with his mother. Does he speak well of her?” Mother Jamison remembered asking Aubrey more than once about Jamaal’s family and having them over for dinner. Aubrey admitted that she did not know much about Jamaal’s family and had only met the mother once in passing; Jamaal was not too thrilled about eating dinner at Mother Jamison’s house. “Two,” continued Pastor Ashton, “if he is aggressive and controlling before he marries you, that’s a telltale 52

sign. He is going to be even more aggressive and controlling once you get married because now he thinks you are his — he wrongly thinks he owns you.” Mother Jamison remembered noticing Aubrey jumping at Jamaal’s every beck and call while they were dating. She hardly had a life of her own. “Three, if he loves everything about you and everything you do and never expresses an opinion about anything, especially an opinion that is different from yours, I say, beware. Not only will your marriage be a boring one, but he will do the same in the marriage— never stating his likes and dislikes; never saying what ticks him off; never letting you know what things you do that irritate him until one day it all blows up. You see, he has been keeping everything bottled up inside of him, and like a soda bottle that gets shaken up, once the cap is removed, everything comes rushing out like a volcano. That kind of man keeps everything in until it all blows up one day,” Pastor Ashton said. Mother Jamison thought of Aubrey. She knew Aubrey had a tendency to talk back, and she had an inkling that Jamaal was the kind of man who would not take that. “The Bible tells us in Galatians 5:16 to ‘walk in the Spirit’,” Pastor Ashton continued. “Husbands, if you are walking in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will lead you to treat your wife with love and kindness. Wives, if you are walking in the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will lead you to treat your husband with love and respect. The Bible also tells us to love each other. First Corinthians chapter thirteen 53

tells us what true love is. True love is kind, is not easily provoked, and does not behave itself in an inappropriate fashion.” An unsettling feeling came over Mother Jamison that did not leave her for the rest of the service. She could not seem to get Aubrey out of her mind. __________ Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief after she heard Jamaal’s vehicle leave the driveway. She swallowed a couple of aspirins and went to relax on the couch. She flipped through the latest copy of Essence magazine, and then fell off to sleep. A frantic knock on the front door drew her out of her slumber. It was Mother Jamison. Aubrey hesitated to open the door. How would she explain the bruises? “Open up, Aubrey! I see your car in the driveway.” Mother Jamison sounded concerned. Aubrey slowly opened the door. “Oh, my goodness! What happened to you? Is he here? I knew something was wrong,” Mother Jamison said stepping inside. Aubrey managed a weak smile. “Something kept bothering me throughout the services,” her mother said, enveloping her daughter in her arms. “I had to come and check on you. What happened?” she asked as she led Aubrey to the couch. Aubrey reluctantly told her mother everything — how Jamaal kept getting drunk, and how that when he

was drunk, he would lose his temper and become violent. She went back to the time he first hit her. “Why didn’t you say something back then, Aubrey? We could have gotten you both into some marital counseling or something.” “Thanks, Mother, but this is my marriage and I did not want to bother you with our problems. I am an adult now and I just have to handle my own problems. Plus,” Aubrey added sheepishly, “you did warn me about getting married when I did and you did warn me about marrying Jamaal. I just could not bear to hear the words ‘I told you so’.” Aubrey tried to hold back the tears that were beginning to fall. “Aubrey,” Mother Jamison said softly, “you know I wouldn’t even think of saying that. We have to look out for your safety. Right now, you’re coming home with me. What time will Jamaal be back?” “He left with a duffle bag. I suppose he’ll be gone for a few days. I’ll be alright,” Aubrey said trying to sound convincing. “But what if he comes back and begins hitting you again. I mean, look at your neck. He could have choked you to death.” “Mother, it only happens every now and then. For the most part he is sane,” Aubrey said. “Yes, but you never know when he is going to act insane,” her mother said firmly. “This domestic violence thing keeps going round and round in a circle. Pastor Ashton even preached on it today. He’s doing a series on 55

it. It never ends until something drastic happens. Come on, let’s do something about those bruises.” Aubrey gratefully accepted her mother’s tender touch. The ice pack felt good on her neck. Although the alcohol stung, she felt relief after the antibiotic cream was applied to the cut across her forehead. Another aspirin helped with the headache. Mother Jamison made her as comfortable as possible on the couch with pillows and a blanket. “You relax and rest up while I fix us something to eat.” Mother Jamison hummed her prayer song as she prepared the simple meal of lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. She was upset, but for Aubrey’s sake, she had to remain calm. She knew Aubrey had her issues, but like the pastor said, there was no excuse for Jamaal, or any man for that matter, to hit a woman. Go outside and let off some steam; beat the trash can; tear up a pillow and pray in the process—but don’t hit your wife. Why Aubrey had not left him was beyond her. Why she kept it a secret was even more of a mystery. “Lord, show me what I can do to help my daughter,” she prayed as she put the lasagna on the plates. She had no doubt that the church was bringing her unspoken prayer request before the Lord. “Lord, just help me not to get ahead of you.”

CHAPTER 8 Aubrey and Mother Jamison enjoyed a pleasant Sunday meal together. Mother Jamison spent the night at her daughter’s house. It was around two o’ clock in the afternoon on Monday as Mother Jamison was preparing to leave when the phone rang. It was Katrina Bervoski Interior Design Company. They wanted Aubrey to begin work on Wednesday. “Yes!” Aubrey shouted. “Mother, this is the job interview I went in for over three weeks ago. I thought for sure they had hired someone else. Now, I won’t have to sit here moping all day. With the experience I’ll get there, after about a year, if not sooner, I’ll be launching out on my own.” “See, God still answers prayer,” her mother said rejoicing with her. That night Jamaal called to ‘check up on her.’ She told him the good news. “That’s good,” he replied in a 57

monotone, nonchalant voice. “Mo’ money in my pocket,” he said. Yeah, right, Aubrey thought rolling her eyes. Starting on Wednesday would give her time to heal and to find the appropriate make-up to cover any remaining scars. She called her friend, Simone, to share the good news with her. “Come with me on Tuesday to buy some make-up.” Simone knew nothing of the abuse that had been taking place. However, as they drove to the store, Aubrey felt obligated to explain the still lingering scar on her forehead. “Goodness, Aubrey, why do you stay in the marriage? I told Kelvin if he ever hits me I’d get a gun and blow his brains out. Of course we’re not married, but I served notice upfront. And I mean that thing,” Simone said without a smile. “Please do not give me any ideas,” Aubrey said with a smile. “You two are not married so it’s a different ballgame. You can both walk out on each other any time. For me, it’s not that easy. Something takes place when you get married.” “Really?” Simone asked skeptically. “Mother says some kind of bond takes place when two people take the marriage vow. I’ve thought about leaving and just getting a divorce, but it has not been easy to follow through. I walked out twice before, but something kept pulling me back. Mother says it’s that vow I made on our wedding day.” Simone nodded her head. “Plus,” continued Aubrey, “it’s just not in my heart 58

to get a divorce. I just believe marriage is for keeps.” “Yes, if you can keep your life in the process,” Simone said. “But, seriously, Aubrey, call me if you need anything. And I mean it.” ___________ Aubrey’s first day on the job went well. She enjoyed herself tremendously. Jamaal had turned up early Wednesday morning to ‘take her to work,’ even though she had her own car. “Just want to make sure you got there safely,” he told her. Yeah, right, Aubrey thought. Of course, she knew differently. ___________ That following Sunday, Aubrey was in church. She left Jamaal asleep in the game room. They hardly ever slept together anymore. He was upset when she returned even though she did let him know the previous night that she would be going to the church around the corner. In his words, he was going to “let it go,” but added, “You don’t go anywhere unless I know where you are going, what time you are going, who you are going with, and when I should expect you back—even if it is to church.” Aubrey thought of letting the whole thing go, but she quietly said, “Let’s be fair, Jamaal. Don’t you think you should give me the same respect by letting me know where you go also? I mean you take off for a whole day or

two at a time and I don’t hear from you until I see you. How can I get in touch with you if there is an emergency?” “As I told you before, I am the HNIC in here. That means…” “I know what it means,” Aubrey said. “Here, I picked up something to eat,” she said placing the 8-piece Church’s Chicken meal on the counter. “I’ll fix some vegetables to go with it.” “You could have just picked up some of their fried okra and corn on the cob to go with it,” Jamaal said digging in the bag. Can’t you be grateful for anything, Aubrey thought as she picked a thigh and a leg out of the bag. “So, how was church?” Jamaal asked. Aubrey almost choked on her food. “Fine,” she said. She did not detect any sincerity in Jamaal’s voice but gave him the benefit of the doubt. “What did the minister preach on?” asked Jamaal. “Loving others as God loves us,” Aubrey said. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to call my mother before she calls me and asks if I was in church today.” “Sure, go ahead. Just know that I love you as God loves you,” he shouted after her. “Yeah, right,” Aubrey mumbled as she headed towards the bedroom. She wondered how long this peace would last.

CHAPTER 9 Aubrey received her first pay check a week after starting work at Katrina Bervoski Interior Design Company. She called Jamaal on the way home. “Jamaal, come celebrate with me. Let’s go out to eat.” Aubrey had thought of celebrating with Simone, Jennifer and Kelli, but decided to go out with her husband instead. “I’m on my way to pick you up. We can go to Piccadilly’s or wherever you like.” “I had plans to hang out with my boys tonight, Aubrey,” Jamaal said. “Oh, come on. It’s not gonna last all night. You can go out afterwards. Plus, we don’t do this often,” Aubrey pleaded. Aubrey thought she heard giggling in the background. “Hold on,” she heard Jamaal whisper. “Are you talking to me? Sounds like you have company,” Aubrey said straining her ears to listen. 61

“No, no. Just telling you to hold on a minute so I can turn this volume down.” “Jamaal, I don’t hear any noise in the background. Are you drinking again?” “No. I’ll be ready when you get here, or I could meet you…” “No, I’ll come and pick you up. We can ride together. Isn’t that what married people are supposed to do?” Jamaal reluctantly gave in and he, surprisingly, was having a good time until one of Aubrey’s old friends approached their table. Lawrence and Aubrey had had a liking for each other during a part of their college years. Lawrence never seemed to understand the concept of one woman at a time, so she gave him up—reluctantly. He knew how to play the gentleman role to get the attention of the ladies, then show them the time of their life once he got their attention, and keep them wanting more. Lawrence was very forward and oftentimes embarrassed her, but Aubrey had loved his crazy ways. She was just not willing to share him with other women. “Aubrey, my girl,” he said as he approached their table with his winning smile. “Jamaal, my man, you don’t mind me giving my former girlfriend a hug, do you?” Not waiting for an answer, he reached down and gave Aubrey a hug—too long a hug for Jamaal. Aubrey shrugged her shoulders, raised her eyebrows and gave her husband a ‘don’t ask me’ look. She could see the jealousy and anger raging in Jamaal’s eyes. “Okay, brother, that’s my wife now,” he said trying 62

to make light of it. “What’s been happening, Lawrence?” “I’ve been around, man. I’ve been around.” Lawrence still had not accepted that Aubrey had ‘run off’ and married Jamaal. In Lawrence’s words to Simone, “Aubrey is wife material, and that is what I want.” He and Jamaal had a few ‘run-ins’ because Lawrence refused to leave Aubrey alone especially after she and Jamaal announced their engagement, and even after they got married. This had caused no small stir in their marriage. In a tone of voice that Aubrey knew not to argue with, Jamaal had told her shortly after they got married, “I want you to change your cell number. I do not want him calling you.” Lawrence was the last person Aubrey wanted to see on a night like this. “Who’s your lady friend?” Aubrey asked glancing over at a table whose lone occupant was a rather stunning-looking young woman. Aubrey assumed they were together because surely Lawrence would not be here alone. She also hoped her statement would cut his visit short. “She seems kind of lonely,” Jamaal piped in looking in the direction Aubrey indicated. The young lady was looking across at them. Aubrey waved and signaled for her to come join them. “She’s just a friend,” Lawrence said a little annoyed that he had lost control of the situation. “Hi!” Aubrey said once the young lady got to their table. “My name is Aubrey. This is my husband, Jamaal. We’re friends of Lawrence.” 63

Lisa, as she introduced herself, had a friendly disposition. They chatted for a few minutes before Lawrence and Lisa went back to their table. “So what do you plan on doing with your money?” Jamaal asked Aubrey on the way home. “I am going to put it in savings towards starting my own interior design business. Remember I shared that with you,” Aubrey said. “I have no need for it now. But first I’ll give my ten percent in church like Mother reminded me to do.” “What? You really don’t believe all that stuff, do you?” Jamaal exclaimed. “God does not really need your little ten percent. I mean, He’s letting you have ninety percent already, so what’s a measly ten percent? I keep all of it and I ain’t hurtin’ for nothing. Plus God never came through for me when I needed Him the most.” It took a while for Aubrey to figure out what he meant. “Are you referring to your brother’s death?” “I told you never to bring that up, didn’t I? My mother put lying thoughts in your mind; she did not do her part either.” Aubrey decided to leave it alone and wait until Jamaal got ready to talk. She was not surprised at his words though. God and church had never been on his mind, neither in his vocabulary, since shortly after they got married. “I’m going to let you keep it, but understand that all the money that comes in my house is mine—technically speaking,” Jamaal said firmly. 64

Aubrey looked at him. She sensed there was something else he had on his mind. “Go ahead, Jamaal. What else is on your mind?” “Who says anything is on my mind?” Aubrey smiled. “You’re clenching and unclenching your fists. You always do that when something is bothering you.” “What’s with you and Lawrence?” Jamaal blurted out. “He was hugging you tighter than even you and I hug.” You and I don’t even hug, Aubrey thought to herself. She sensed Jamaal’s jealousy rising again. “You could have pushed him off you,” he said. “How was I supposed to know he was going to hug me? Jamaal, I have not had any contact with Lawrence since we’ve been married. That’s almost two years now. His being at the restaurant is just as surprising to me as it is to you,” Aubrey retorted. “You act as though I knew he was going to be there.” “Do you really expect me to believe all that mumblejumble?” Jamaal snapped at her. “You knew he was going to be there. After all, you chose the time and place.” “Jamaal!” “Jamaal nothing. I saw the way he looked at you and the way he hugged you.” Aubrey pulled into their driveway. Jamaal was out of the car and in the house before she had time to lock the car door. He did not even bother to leave the front door open for her. Aubrey sighed. How can a great day turn out like this? This is why I hate going out with him. He’s 65

always reading into everything. If a man looked at her, Jamaal took it to mean that the man was sending some kind of signal to her. If a man said ‘hello,’ even to both of them in passing and she responded with a friendly ‘hello,’ he swore she knew the man and this was some signal between the two of them. I could have gone out with Simone and the girls tonight and ended the night on a better note than this, Aubrey thought. Well, I may as well go on to bed. Jamaal was in the game room, as usual, drowning out, or perhaps feeding his jealousy with noise. She would find out later which he was doing. Aubrey was getting ready to shower when she heard the front door slam. He was gone. She breathed a sigh of relief.

EPISODE 4

CHAPTER 10 Jamaal pulled out his cell phone and pushed the speed-dial button for Destinee. “Hello, Jamaal. How’d it go? I’ve been awaiting your call.” “Messed up as usual, Destinee. My wife is as stupid as can be. She does not know how to have a good time. Can you believe she used us going out to eat, to so-called celebrate, to cover up her meeting some old boyfriend?” “You don’t say,” Destinee answered. “What did she do? You sound upset.” “Upset is not the word. I don’t know why I waste my time with her,” Jamaal said. “Here we are at the restaurant and her old boyfriend comes up to our table and gives her this long hug, rubbing her back to send some kind of signal, hardly paying me any attention. That’s the height of disrespect,” Jamaal complained. “It sure is. If I were married to you,” Destinee said, “I 69

would never do that. You may want to check her cell phone and e-mail to see if they’ve been communicating.” “You’re smart, you know that?” Jamaal said. “Well, enough of her. I come to you because you know how to take care of a man.” “Are you on your way over because I got something for you tonight,” Destinee said in a soft sweet voice. “Only if you put on your two piece pink see-through negligee; you know the one I bought you when we went on that trip together.” Jamaal’s voice had quieted down. “I am already prepared,” Destinee said. “Can you bring a bottle of my favorite wine?” “Nothing like a little wine to help set the right mood,” Jamaal said. “Girl, you are something else.” Quite unlike Aubrey, he thought. Once over at Destinee’s place, Jamaal made himself comfortable as he and Destinee reclined on the couch. The question came up again: “So when are you going to leave your wife? You’re already frustrated with her, so why stay with her?” “In time. Right now, I would not worry about her. Here, take a sip.” Jamaal held his glass to her lips. Destinee took a long sip of wine, and then kissed Jamaal. “Your mouth is most sweet,” she whispered. “Tell me more,” Jamaal said taking a sip of wine himself. “You can tell your wife I know some Bible too. And I believe what Barry White says in his song, you have to practice what you preach.” Destinee placed some kisses 70

on his cheeks. “Your cheeks are as a bed of spices,” she said. “That’s from the Song of Solomon in the Bible.” Running her hands across his thighs, she continued, “Your legs are as pillars of marble.” “You certainly know how to build up a man’s ego,” Jamaal chuckled. Jamaal’s kisses set off the untamed passion they had been expressing to each other for a couple months. “Your love is certainly better than wine,” Jamaal whispered to her.

CHAPTER 11 Pampering herself for the next two hours, Aubrey took an hour-long bubble bath. Her forehead had cleared up. She relaxed in bed with a couple of interior design magazines. She was not sleepy although she should have been. Her adrenaline was a little elevated as she did not know what to expect of Jamaal, nor when to expect him. She must have fallen off to sleep because she was awakened to a bright light shining in her face, and someone yanking her out the bed. The smell of alcohol coupled with the smell of cigarette smoke almost overpowered her. A slap across her face made her wide awake. “He just left, didn’t he? I saw his car pulling out of the driveway.” “Jamaal, what in the world are you talking about?” Aubrey tried to pull away from his grasp. “You know who I am talking about. Lawrence! I saw 73

him backing his car out of the driveway just as I turned the corner. You two-timer!” He smacked her across her mouth. Aubrey felt the blood rush into her mouth. Tears filled her eyes as another blow stung her over the left eye. She grabbed a pillow to use as a shield. Jamaal dragged her off the bed and on to the floor. He kicked her. Aubrey winced in pain. His second attempt at kicking her was interrupted by the ringing of the house phone. He paused long enough for her to slide into her walk-in closet and slam the door shut. Using all of her strength, she pushed against it. “Open this door! You’re going to pay,” Jamaal yelled, a string of obscenities following his words. “Please, Jamaal, I have not seen Lawrence. He has not been over here. That’s probably someone using our driveway to turn their car around. We do that all the time!” Aubrey pleaded. “Oh, God,” she prayed, “Please don’t let him break the door down.” “Open up this door right now or you’ll be sorry!” Jamaal was banging on the door and turning the knob at the same time. The phone was ringing non-stop. “I’m gonna break this door down.” “Jamaal, just go! Go somewhere, anywhere. Leave me alone! You’re drunk!…” “Why? So Lawrence can comfort you? So Lawrence can take you to church to give your ten percent? Over my dead body,” Jamaal retorted. After minutes that seemed to drag on forever, the 74

pounding on the door stopped. Aubrey soon heard the television blasting from the other room. She timidly exited the walk-in closet and rushed to lock the bedroom door and barricade it with the dresser and the desk chair that was in the room. Her make-up and other personal items she kept on the dresser were in disarray on the floor. The contents of one of her drawers was strewn all over the floor. What was he looking for? Pulling herself together, Aubrey looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was not shocked, but she did not like what she saw. Taking her BlackBerry out, she took pictures of her bleeding lip, her red puffy face, as well as the things thrown around on the floor. Remembering the phone had rung, she checked the caller ID. It was her mother. Thinking something was wrong, she immediately returned her call. “Oh, thank goodness you called back,” Mother Jamison said. “The Lord woke me up and told me to call you to check on you. Is everything all right?” Aubrey tried to put up a brave front, but was unsuccessful. Her quivering voice gave her away. “Mother, he did it again,” Aubrey sobbed. “I’m coming over right now, even though it is 3:51 in the morning,” Mother Jamison insisted. “Is he there?” “I think he’s crashed out in the other room—drunk. Mother, I told him to stop drinking. I am locked in the bedroom so I couldn’t unlock the front door even if you came over.” Aubrey knew she was not coming completely clean, but did not have the energy to go into any details. 75

Plus, why bother her mother with her problems? She chose to marry Jamaal; she just had to live with it. “I am sending the police over, right now, Aubrey. This is ridiculous!” her mother said. “And then I am coming over.” Mother Jamison hung up the phone before Aubrey could protest. Aubrey let the tears flow freely not knowing what else to do. Less than a minute later, Mother Jamison called back. “I forgot to pray with you.” Aubrey was grateful for her mother’s short but powerful prayer. Somehow she always felt better whenever her mother prayed with her. In about five minutes the police were banging on the door. Jamaal got to the door first. “No, sir, there is no disturbance here,” Jamaal calmly told them. “Is your wife in so we can speak with her?” one of the officers asked. Aubrey was in the hallway listening. She was confused as to what to do. She felt ashamed to let others know her husband beat her and that her marriage was becoming more and more like a nightmare. “Well, she’s sound asleep. She had a late night and I’d rather not disturb her.” The police decided to take his word. There was nothing they could do when everything seemed so calm.

CHAPTER 12 “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1) Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray? In the name of Christ our Savior, Did you sue for loving favor, As a shield today? Thirty minutes after the police left, Jamaal was in the kitchen getting a drink when Mother Jamison rang the doorbell. He reluctantly answered the door. “Hello, Jamaal. Sorry to come by so early,” Mother Jamison said with a smile, “but I called and no one answered the phone. I thought the house was on fire or something.” 77

“It is a little early to answer the phone on a Saturday, but as you can see all is well,” Jamaal said impatiently. “Well, since I’m here, I may as well visit. You don’t mind, do you?” Mother Jamison took a step forward into the living room. “Is Aubrey still asleep? She’s going to be surprised to see me.” “She’s still asleep. You may want to come back later. She normally sleeps in on Saturdays,” Jamaal said hoping she would leave. “That’s no problem. I’ll just relax on the couch until she gets up.” Just then, Aubrey walked down the stairs. “You don’t have to, Mother. I’m awake,” she said. “Come on in.” “Guess I’ll leave you two alone,” Jamaal said hastily as he hurried towards the bedroom. He glared at Aubrey as he walked by her. “Aubrey, don’t tell me you fell off the ladder again,” Mother Jamison said winking at her. “You need to stop being so independent and let Jamaal help you put things up. You might want to reconsider your career and pursue a safer one.” Jamaal smiled after overhearing those words. He returned minutes later with another set of clothes on. Giving Aubrey a kiss on the cheek, he said to his motherin-law, “Mother, she fell off a ladder trying to re-decorate some room. I keep telling her not to climb up that ladder in case she misses her step and falls and breaks her neck, but she won’t listen. Anyway, I want her to get some rest today. I’ll be back soon.” 78

Mother Jamison nodded as she thought, Liar. Liar. She helped Aubrey take care of her wounds and decided to spend the weekend with her. Simone and Jennifer stopped by later that day. They were shocked at Aubrey’s condition. While they were visiting, Mother Jamison left to pick up her Sunday clothes from the cleaners. “Aubrey, you ought to file charges. Why didn’t you show yourself to the police when they stopped by?” Simone asked. “They would have locked him up for sure then.” “Do you know what I would do?” Jennifer said, clearly upset. “I would get me a gun and dare him to hit me again. In fact, I am going down to the gun shop next week to buy one for myself. Why don’t you come with me?” “I appreciate your concern, but it is not easy to just walk out of a marriage,” Aubrey said. Simone said, “You ought to consider learning how to defend yourself. Maybe you could take karate lessons or something.” Aubrey later shared her girlfriends’ suggestions with her mother. “That’s interesting,” Mother Jamison said, “but I don’t know about a gun, Aubrey. What if he gets a hold of it and shoots you instead. I’d be devastated.” “You know what?” Simone said as she bit into the ham and cheese sandwiches Mother Jamison had made. “I’d collect whatever evidence I could and nail him with it—file charges, get a restraining order, divorce him, and that would be the end of all this.” 79

Mother Jamison smiled. “I am all for marriages staying intact but not like this. You both need to go in for counseling. Pastor Ashton would be more than willing to counsel both of you. He keeps asking me about you, Aubrey.” Jamaal stayed away for the entire weekend. Aubrey had learned to just accept that about him—going and coming whenever he pleased without letting her know his whereabouts. “He’s a strange individual,” her mother shared with her. “I’m just glad for the peace and quiet whenever he’s gone,” Aubrey said.

EPISODE 5

CHAPTER 13 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.” (Acts 1:14) When you met with great temptation, Did you think to pray? By His dying love and merit, Did you claim the Holy Spirit As your guide and stay? Mother Jamison was at prayer meeting on Wednesday night. She was burdened for her daughter. Only God can help that situation, she thought as she listened to the pianist play a few hymns on the piano. Pastor Ashton delivered another encouraging lesson on being persistent in prayer. “God does not operate on our timetable,” he said. “I 83

know many of you wish He did, but if that was the case we would have no need for faith, would we? Just as the man kept knocking on his neighbor’s door late in the night and would not stop knocking until the neighbor opened up the door, likewise, God wants us to keep knocking. God wants us to keep praying. God wants us to keep asking.” Mother Jamison had heard many sermons on prayer, but prayer was beginning to take on a new meaning especially since her daughter had gotten married. She felt that she needed to keep some distance from the married couple, and so she leaned on prayer to allow her to reach out and touch that situation. She turned her attention back to the lesson being taught. “The neighbor said a few times, ‘Go away. Me, my wife and my children are in bed right now. Do not bother us. Come back in the morning.’ But the man wanted some bread right then to feed his friend who had stopped by at this late hour. Importunity! Persistence! A won’tleave-till-I-get-what-I-want mentality with action to back it up. We need some prayer warriors like that. We need some people to just believe God. We need some people to just step out by faith. We need some people who will just cast their cares upon the Lord and leave them there.” “Yes,” Mother Jamison said raising her hand. “Like the song writer says,” Pastor Ashton continued, “I know, I know, I know what prayer can do. Prayer changes things! Prayer fixes things. Prayer is going to be the only way out for many of you. Faithful 84

Hannah prayed for a son and would not let up until God answered her prayer. In fact, she prayed so hard that Eli thought she was drunk. Isn’t that something? In the second book of Kings, we see that King Hezekiah was sick unto death and the prophet Isaiah delivered a message from God to him. ‘Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.’ What did Hezekiah do? He did not pitch a fit nor did he have a pity party. He ‘turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord saying, I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight.’ Hezekiah lived an obedient life before the Lord and when you live an obedient life before the Lord, the Lord will bless you. God heard Hezekiah’s prayer and blessed him with fifteen more years. Now, isn’t that an answer to prayer. Second Kings twenty and verses five and six says…now this is God giving Isaiah a message to deliver to Hezekiah: ‘Turn again and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord. And I will add unto thy days fifteen years.’ Fifteen years!” Mother Jamison had shed many tears for her daughter, but now she whispered, “I will shed more prayers than tears.” Pastor Ashton went on: “King David consulted the Lord in prayer each time he set out to fight a battle, and 85

because he sought God first, God gave him victory after victory after victory. God is waiting to answer your prayers and give you victory as well.” “Yes!” shouted the congregation. “Are there any prayer requests tonight?” Pastor Ashton asked. Mother Jamison raised her hand. “Yes, Mother Jamison.” “Pastor, my request is still an unspoken one.” “Everyone, please continue to hold Mother Jamison and her unspoken prayer request up before the Lord,” Pastor Ashton said. Mother Jamison called Aubrey as soon as she got home and prayed with her.

CHAPTER 14 “Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.” (1 Chronicles 16:11) When your heart was filled with anger, Did you think to pray? Did you plead for grace, my brother, That you might forgive another Who had crossed your way? Aubrey sat on her bed examining her latest purchase. Holding the Smith & Wesson revolver she recalled the crash course in self defense she had taken with Jennifer at the indoor gun range. She had no real desire to use the gun, but Jennifer would not stop pressuring her until she did something to ensure her own safety. The phone rang. “Hello, Jennifer, have you had to use it yet?” Aubrey 87

asked her friend jokingly. “Nope, not yet,” Jennifer said. “I feel safe now. I won’t worry about a thing now. I hope I never have to use it though.” “Yeah, me too,” Aubrey said. “Are you going to tell Jamaal? You know, kind of put him on notice,” Jennifer asked. “Are you crazy?” Aubrey said. “He may just use it on me in a fit of anger. He gets crazy enough to do that.” “I really hope you two can work things out,” Jennifer said before saying goodbye. “Don’t be afraid to use it in self-defense—not to kill, only to stop him from hurting you. As I told you before, you are welcome to come over to my place anytime,” Jennifer said. “Thanks a lot, Jennifer. I thank God for you,” Aubrey said. Aubrey told her mother about the can of Mace she had bought, but not the gun. She and Jennifer had been going to the shooting range for the past three weeks. Only Simone knew about it. Mother Jamison chuckled. “I can just picture you aiming and spraying. On a serious note though, Aubrey,” her mother said, “you know the Bible says ‘safety is of the Lord’. The Lord wants us to be wise and prepared for unexpected negative situations, and He wants us to take the necessary precautions, but He wants us, more importantly, to put our trust in Him. I am really praying for you and Jamaal and I have the church family still praying for you all also. Don’t worry, I have not put your 88

business out in the street. I presented it as an unspoken prayer request. Remember, Aubrey—prayer changes things.” __________ After a few days of peace in the marriage, Jamaal’s drinking and out-of-control behavior picked up again. His anger and jealousy seemed to have increased. Things took a turn for the worse one evening when he started accusing Aubrey of flirting with one of her male clients. The client came in to Katrina Bervoski’s one morning seeking help in turning a spare-room in his home into a home office for his wife. It was to be his anniversary gift to her. Aubrey was sent to take a look at the room and to offer suggestions for the best furniture, color scheme, carpet and curtains. Jamaal, who had been driving by Aubrey’s job site to keep tabs on her, happened to pass by the moment she was leaving to visit the client’s house. He ended up seeing her leaving the house with the client before driving back to her job. Once he saw that she was back at work, he headed to the bar. Aubrey got home half an hour later than normal having stopped to pick up a large pizza, salad, and iced tea. She placed her portfolio and purse on the kitchen table and went to find Jamaal. Jamaal was in his usual spot—seated in the leather recliner in the game room. Aubrey pushed the door open and stuck her head in the

room. The television was blasting and Jamaal was sound asleep. “It’s a miracle you’re not deaf yet,” she muttered as she put the television on mute. Jamaal stirred. “Jamaal, I’m home. Your phone must be off because I could not get in touch with you. Want to join me for pizza? I made another room sale today.” Jamaal barely opened his eyes. “Don’t worry ‘bout me. I’ll be eating soon.” Aubrey noticed three empty cans of Schlitz Malt Liquor Bull laying on the floor as well as a half-finished bottle of MD 20/20, also known as Mad Dog 20/20, resting on the side table. She decided to leave him alone hoping he would just stay there and sleep off his drunkenness. Back in the kitchen she called Jennifer, Simone and her mother in sequence to share the good news with them, while enjoying her pizza. “I know how to pull those customers in,” she bragged. “I am so happy for you,” her mother said. “I’ve been praying for your success.” “Well, God is answering your prayers,” Aubrey said. “He can answer yours, too, if you’ll pray to Him,” said Mother Jamison. Aubrey did not hear Jamaal enter the kitchen until he staggered over to her, snatched the phone from her hand, and said loud enough for Mother Jamison to hear, “Who are you talking to? Your new boyfriend this time, huh?” Jamaal slammed the phone onto the receiver and 90

put her in a headlock. Caught off guard and struggling to free herself Aubrey yelled, “Jamaal, what are you doing? What is the problem now?” “Oh, you don’t know! I saw you leaving the man’s house. I followed both of you back to your office. You’re using this job as an excuse to fool around with other men behind my back.” Aubrey was shocked to find out that Jamaal had been following her. She knew that trying to explain the situation to him was useless. Right now it was survival time. Jamaal’s grip around her neck tightened. “You’re choking me!” Aubrey gagged. “That’s my plan,” he sneered. Aubrey clawed at his arm as best she could. She got a few good scratches in, but not enough to make him release her. Mace. Where’s my Mace? As they struggled, the open box of pizza and the open bottle of iced tea were knocked to the floor. Aubrey managed to sink her teeth into the fold of Jamaal’s elbow. Jamaal groaned in pain. He loosened his grip around Aubrey’s neck just enough for her to grab for her open purse which was sitting on the table. She managed to tip the purse over and catch the can of Mace as it rolled out. Jamaal swung her around towards him intending to deliver a few blows to her face. Aubrey sprayed frantically. Jamaal’s grip loosened as he clutched his face. She swung out of his grasp and spun around to the other side of the table using it as a shield. Jamaal rubbed his left eye with one hand while grabbing aimlessly with the 91

other in an attempt to regain his hold on her. “You gonna pay for cheating on me,” he yelled. Aubrey sprayed furiously while backing away, but he staggered towards her using his arm to shield his face. Aubrey ran around the corner of the table to grab her gun which had fallen on the floor when she grabbed the Mace. She held the gun with both hands, the barrel pointed towards Jamaal. “If you don’t stop right there, I am going to shoot, Jamaal!” she said. “A gun, huh? You don’t have the guts to pull the trigger,” Jamaal scoffed still approaching her. “Where did you get the gun anyway? Did your new boyfriend give it to you? Huh?” “I’m warning you, Jamaal. If you don’t stop right there, I am going to shoot.” Jamaal hesitated and then lunged for her. Aubrey tightened her grip on the gun and slipped her finger over the trigger. God, please make him stop. I don’t want to do this, she prayed. She closed her eyes, preparing to shoot. Suddenly she heard a sickening crack and her eyes flew open in time to see Jamaal’s head bouncing off of the corner of the dining room table, a piece of pepperoni pizza flying out from underneath his foot. Jamaal grasped the air with his fingers desperately attempting to regain his balance, but he fell backwards with a heavy thud, his head striking the ceramic tile floor. ____________

Mother Jamison had heard Jamaal’s last words before he hung up: Who are you talking to? Your new boyfriend? She spent the next few minutes dialing and redialing their house number as well as Aubrey’s cell number. “Come on, pick up. Oh, God, let her be alright,” she prayed over and over. Seeing that she was having no success in reaching her daughter by phone, she jumped in her car and sped to her daughter’s home. As she drove, she dialed 9-1-1 and gave them her daughter’s address. “We’ll send a couple of officers over immediately,” the dispatcher assured her. “I’m on my way over there myself,” Mother Jamison said. _____________ Aubrey was exhausted and terrified at what took place. She tossed the gun aside and ran to where her husband was lying motionless on the kitchen floor. Her heart pounded in her chest when she saw the fastgrowing pool of blood surrounding Jamaal’s head. Aubrey wrapped her arms around his torso. “Oh, no! Jamaal,” she cried shaking him. “Jamaal, Jamaal. Wake up!”

CHAPTER 15 Aubrey screamed for Jamaal to get up. He lay motionless on the floor, blood splattered all around his head. When Jamaal didn’t move, Aubrey staggered into the living room to call for an ambulance. Before she reached the phone, however, a banging on the front door made her jump in surprise. “Open up! Police,” a gruff voice sounded. Dazed by what had transpired, Aubrey opened the door. The rush of cold wind made her feel light-headed. She wavered on her feet, and one of the police officers stepped in to catch her before she fell. Aubrey blacked out in his arms. When Aubrey revived she was laying on the couch with her head resting on her mother’s lap. Police officers and crime scene investigators were taking photos and collecting evidence in the kitchen and the living room. “Jamaal,” Aubrey rasped, her voice dry with 95

exhaustion. “He’s on the floor in the kitchen. He’s bleeding.” “Yes, we know,” Mother Jamison said gently rocking her in her arms. She hesitated before she continued. “The ambulance left with him, but they called and said he had been declared dead on the way to the hospital.” Tears flowed down Aubrey’s cheeks. “What? How?” she asked, her voice choking. “He hit his head,” Mother Jamison said. “The police said it was blunt force trauma. You just rest now. We’ll lean on the Lord.” “I need to call his mother,” Aubrey murmured. “She will want to know.” Mother Jamison wrapped her arms around her daughter tightly. “I’ll take care of it. Right now, you need to rest.” She squeezed Aubrey once again and then got up to make the phone call. A few minutes later, she came back to the couch. “She’ll be right over,” she said. “I don’t want her to see me like this,” Aubrey said. “Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ve already told her what to expect.” Aubrey was too worn out to protest. She had a headache. When the police came in to question her about Jamaal’s death, Aubrey answered as best she could. The events of the past evening still seemed like a blur. She remembered eating pizza while talking to her girlfriends, and then her fight with Jamaal. She had pulled out the gun Jennifer had recommended she buy when Jamaal 96

wouldn’t stop hitting her. But she knew she hadn’t fired a shot. The police informed her that they would be in contact with her. With the help of an officer, Mother Jamison moved Aubrey to the bedroom and soon she was sound asleep. Mrs. McIntyre arrived thirty minutes later in an anguished state. “Where is my son? What happened to him?” she demanded. Mother Jamison attempted to lead her to the couch but Mrs. McIntyre insisted on standing. “Where is Aubrey? I want to know what happened,” she demanded. “Aubrey just went off to sleep,” Mother Jamison answered firmly. “It has been a long, tough night for my daughter and she has gone through a lot lately. It is true they were fighting and your son, Jamaal, hit his head. He was declared dead.” Mrs. McIntyre buried her face in her hands as sobs shook her body. Mother Jamison wrapped her in a tight hug. A few hours later, the two women were both seated in the den as Mrs. McIntyre opened up to Mother Jamison about her son. “I loved Jamal so much, but I just could never really understand him after he entered his teenage years. He was so bitter and angry over his brother’s death. He blamed his father, he blamed himself, and he blamed me. As much as I apologized and did everything I could to make it up to him…for some reason, he never got over it. I think his obsession with video games was him trying to relive those fun memories he had when he and his 97

brother played together. His alcohol problems started in college. It was like an escape for him. He was trying to escape the pain. I told him many times it would lead to his death if he didn’t stop.” Mrs. McIntyre said with a faraway look in her eyes. “Now look what he’s done to himself…and to Aubrey.” “Don’t beat up on yourself,” Mother Jamison said. “I had an uneasy feeling about their marriage from the jump. This is not to say my daughter was perfectly innocent in all this. I had to speak with her a few times about her behavior as well.” Mother Jamison shook her head with some regret. “I had a mind to stop the wedding. But I didn’t go through with it. Now I wish I had, but then they would have probably run off and gotten married. I could not risk that.” “He hardly contacted me after the marriage,” Mrs. McIntyre told her. Mother Jamison nodded. “It’s so sad how his life ended—so young and with so much potential.” After a few moments of silence, Mrs. McIntyre asked, “I don’t want to impose my belief on you, but are you a Christian, Mother Jamison?” “Oh, yes. I have been saved for some twenty-five years now. My faith is what carries me through times like this.” “Well, praise the Lord! I asked because I hate to say this, but I am beginning to believe that God took my son early because he was not living in a way that was pleasing to God. He accepted the Lord into his life at eleven. He knew better. But, after his brother’s death, he hooked 98

up with the bad crowd in high school and he refused to act better.” A far away look came into Mrs. McIntyre’s eyes. “My husband and I made sure that he and his brother were in church every Sunday. After his father died, it was as though I did not exist anymore. He disrespected me in every way possible. I lovingly shared with him his need to give up his hurt and anger and allow God to heal him, but he would not listen.” “I feel for you,” Mother Jamison said, giving Mrs. McIntyre another hug. “Let’s go check on Aubrey. She should be ready to eat something, and I am sure you are hungry as well, Mrs. McIntyre.” “Please, call me Angelina.” If Mrs. McIntyre was shocked at Aubrey’s bruised appearance, she showed no signs of it and patted her on the shoulder.

EPISODE 6

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CHAPTER 16 Shortly after Mrs. McIntyre left to begin making funeral arrangements for her son, Mother Jamison insisted on Aubrey resting more while she gathered some things for Aubrey to return home with her. “You’re coming home permanently,” she said. “You’d be crazy to want to stay here alone. We’ll decide what to do with your furniture and things later.” While her mother was in the bathroom gathering her toiletries, Aubrey’s cell phone rang. It was Simone. “Hey, Aubrey. What’s up? Jennifer and I wanted to stop by. Kelvin wants to come too and spend some time with Jamaal. Jamaal has been telling him about this new game he bought. Kelvin’s in the competing mood today. He swears he’s going to beat Jamaal at this game,” Simone chuckled. “Oh, a lot has happened,” said Aubrey wearily. “I don’t think now would be a good time to visit.” 103

“You sound beat. What’s been happening?” Simone asked sharply. “Jamaal and I were at it again. This time it got serious. I had to pull my gun out.” Aubrey couldn’t bring herself to mention Jamaal’s death. “Say what!” “Yes, he was drunk and fell, hitting his head on the kitchen table.” Aubrey was crying now, and she spoke through her sobs. “He died. Don’t worry about me, though. Mother is here and I am going back to her house.” Simone was silent for a few moments as she registered all that Aubrey was saying. “Are you–are you– going to be alright?” she asked quietly. “Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Aubrey mumbled. “Tell you what, we’ll stop by your mother’s house on Sunday after church.” Simone, Kelvin, Jennifer, Kelli and her newborn son were knocking on Mother Jamison’s door at about four on Sunday evening. They each were shocked to hear what had taken place on Friday night. “I am so sorry to hear that,” Jennifer said. “I feel this is my fault. I should have never encouraged you to get a gun. I am so sorry, Aubrey.” Jennifer was almost in tears. “It’s not your fault,” Aubrey said. “I did not use the gun anyway. We had been fighting since shortly after we got married. Things just got out of hand on Friday.” “Why didn’t you come to us, Aubrey?” Kelvin asked. “Me and the guys could have put him in his place. We 104

don’t go for that kind of stuff.” “Thank you, Kelvin,” Aubrey said. “I know you would have tried to do something. But he’s dead now, so it’s all over with.” “Not quite,” Kelli said. “You mentioned something about maybe having to go to court.” “Yeah, that’s what one of the police officers said. I’m just hoping it all turns out well,” Aubrey said. “It was an accident. I didn’t do anything to make him fall.” “Well, whatever happens, I am more than willing to testify on your behalf,” Jennifer said, as her friends nodded in agreement. “You should get a lawyer,” Kelvin said. Aubrey nodded. “I just feel so bad about this.” “Don’t feel bad,” Jennifer tried to comfort her. “You didn’t pull the trigger, so we know it’s not your fault.” “Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Simone said. “We’re glad you’re safe. Just know that we are here for you.” “Thanks,” Aubrey said. Kelvin, Simone, Jennifer and Kelli were wrapped up in their own thoughts on their way home. I don’t know if I want to get married at all lest I end up in a similar situation, Jennifer thought. I am crazy enough to shoot to kill. How low can a man go? thought Kelvin. Beating up on a woman and then laughing and carrying on with me and the guys as though all was well at home. Kelvin reached over and squeezed Simone’s hand. He knew she was hurting 105

for her friend. This is just crazy, Simone thought flicking a tear away. I don’t know why she covered for him. I’m glad he’s gone. Now she can go on with her life. Kelli looked across at her sleeping son. I hope when your father returns we won’t have a similar situation, she thought.

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CHAPTER 17 Aubrey settled in her mother’s home. She was glad to be in familiar surroundings. She felt relieved she did not have to deal with Jamaal. But at the same time, she regretted the way things ended. After taking a week off, she continued her job at Katrina Bervoski Interior Design. She was a little anxious when the police stopped by on Tuesday to follow-up on the events that had taken place. “I don’t know what I am going to do, Mother,” Aubrey said. “I remember pulling out the gun, but I was too scared to shoot.” “I know what we can do,” Mother Jamison said. “We can pray about it each day. Thank God this situation has not reached the newspaper. I pray it stays that way.” Aubrey tried to go on with her life as though the events of that evening had never happened. Her Friday evening rendezvous with her girlfriends now took place 107

at her mother’s house. She appreciated their friendship and encouraging words. “You need a good Christian lawyer,” Mother said thumbing through the Yellow Pages. “Mother, with all due respect,” Aubrey said, “people don’t use the Yellow Pages anymore. Come on, let’s find a lawyer on the internet. You need to become familiar with the computer anyway.” Aubrey gave her mother a crash course in navigating the web as they searched for a competent lawyer. Aubrey pointed to one who had been in practice for fifteen years. “Nope, too old,” Mother Jamison said. Aubrey pointed out a few more. “Nope, I do not like the look in his eyes.” “That one does not look stable.” Mother Jamison finally settled on a young lawyer about twenty-nine years old. “He has only been in practice for five years, Mother. We need someone with years of experience,” Aubrey said furrowing her brow. “Something tells me that we should at least ask if he would take your case.” Mother Jamison patted Aubrey’s arm as she picked up the phone to dial the lawyer’s number. “I have been praying about this, you know.” “Well, if you insist,” Aubrey agreed. Mother Jamison and Aubrey made their first appointment with the lawyer, Quintin Rodney, later that week. He listened to the details without interrupting, jotting things down on his legal pad every now and then. Aubrey was sure her mother had made a good decision after she noticed the confidence that seemed to emanate 108

from Quintin. She was impressed that he took the time to pray with them before they parted ways. “I must admit, Mother, I am very impressed,” Aubrey said as they drove home. “Mother knows best,” Mother Jamison said with a smile. “Along with myself, Simone, Jennifer, and Kelli, you should notify anybody who would be willing to speak on your behalf. Like Mr. Rodney said, since no one else witnessed what happened in the house, the testimony of other people in your favor will be crucial in any kind of trial.” Mr. Rodney wanted to visit Aubrey’s home where the tragedy had taken place. Mother Jamison was unable to take him there due to a previous engagement. Mr. Rodney and a private investigator followed Aubrey to the location. As they moved from the living room to the game room, Aubrey shared with the two men what had taken place in their marriage as it related to the case. It was difficult for her to relive the unpleasant event that had taken place. “I know this is a difficult time for you,” Mr. Rodney said with genuine concern. “Just take your time and don’t leave anything out,” said Mitch Mitchell, the private investigator. “Tell us what happened in as much detail as you can and we won’t have to go over it again.” Mr. Mitchell took pictures of the game room. There were empty bottles of alcohol laying around—just as 109

Jamaal had left it. Slipping on a pair of gloves, Mr. Mitchell picked up Jamaal’s cell phone and scrolled through the recent text messages. Some of the messages were to Aubrey. They read: “I’m watching you.” “Who’s that man you were talking to?” “I’ll deal with you when I see you.” “You’re coming home late. What’s up with that?” It also revealed messages to and from a woman named Destinee. Mr. Mitchell noticed Aubrey’s surprised reaction as she read the messages over his shoulder. “I take it you do not know this Destinee?” Mr. Rodney asked. “No,” sighed Aubrey. “I guess he was cheating on me. That explains why he would disappear for several days without contacting me and without telling me where he was.” “We will need to keep this as possible evidence.” Mr. Mitchell took out a small, clear plastic bag and dropped the phone into it. Leaving the game room, they went into the kitchen. As Mr. Mitchell inspected the area, Aubrey stood by the entrance. She broke down as she recalled the events of that Friday night. Laying a hand on her shoulder, Mr. Rodney led her to the living room. “Have a seat and take your time. If you need some fresh air, you can step outside for a few minutes.” “No. I’ll be alright,” Aubrey said amidst sniffles. “It’s just being back here and seeing the kitchen for the first time since that night that is making everything so 110

difficult.” Mr. Rodney nodded understandingly. Mr. Mitchell took a few pictures and jotted down some notes. Jamaal’s phone rang inside the plastic bag. “I’ll answer it,” Mr. Rodney said. It was Destinee. “No, this is not Jamaal, but this is his number,” he said. “I won’t be able to give him a message. He had an accident that led to his death…Yes…Hello? Hello?” He pressed the End Call button on the phone. “She hung up,” he said to Aubrey. As they were preparing to leave the house, Aubrey exclaimed, “Hold on a minute! I just remembered something. Here,” she said reaching into her pocket and handing Mr. Mitchell her Blackberry. “This might help you further.” Mr. Mitchell flipped through the pictures on the phone. “What made you take these pictures, Aubrey? Were you planning on going to the authorities about your husband?” “I don’t know. Something just told me to,” Aubrey said. Later that afternoon, as Mr. Rodney was organizing the evidence that Mr. Mitchell had given to him, he thought more about Aubrey. Even though she was grieving over the loss of her husband, he could not help but notice that she was young, beautiful, and from what she had shared with him, had big plans for her life. This was just one negative chapter of her life, and he wanted to help her close it on a positive note. 111

Being an honest man, he had to admit that he would not mind getting to know her more personally. “Lord,” he silently prayed, “help me to keep things in perspective. She is my client. Help me to see her as nothing more than that.” Then he added, “at least until everything is cleared up.”

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CHAPTER 18 Although Aubrey was back home with her mother, she did not attend her mother’s church. “There’s just going to be too many questions,” she said as she logged on to a live internet church service. “I know I won’t be able to handle all the questions right now. People are going to want to know where’s my husband, and then I will have to tell them he died, and then they are going to want to find out how he died and then the whole story—the abuse and all that—is bound to come up. I’m just not ready to talk about all of that yet.” Looking up at her mother, Aubrey said, “To tell you the truth, it’s a little embarrassing.” “No problem. You just stay here until I return. And don’t worry, I have not said a word to anyone about anything,” her mother assured her. “Like I told you, I asked the church family to pray for you—but I did not tell them specifically what it was about. It was an 113

unspoken prayer request.” “Thanks for understanding, Mother. I think I’ll invite Simone, Jennifer, and Kelli to join me here for church on the internet. I know they don’t go to church anywhere. Kelli may visit the chapel on base, but she’s not really committed to attending church regularly.” Shortly after Mother Jamison left for church, Simone, Jennifer and Kelli knocked on the door. Simone had a German chocolate cake in her hand. “To chase away the blues,” she said handing the cake to Aubrey. “Thanks, guys. There’s nothing like German chocolate loaded with coconut to lift your spirits,” Aubrey said. “This should go well with Mother’s roast that’s in the slow cooker. You do plan on eating with us, right?” They all nodded. “Just in time for services at the Greater Deliverance Chapel,” Aubrey said as they settled down on the couch with glasses of orange juice in their hands. “I’ve been surfing the internet this weekend looking for a church to worship with. I found several, but I think we will all enjoy this service.” Taking a sip of her orange juice she continued, “I listened to this preacher once this week. He’s dynamic.” She clicked the ‘play’ button to start the live services. Pastor Hilburt began to preach. “God loves to hear His children pray to Him,” he said. “There are some things you are not going to get as a child of God unless you pray. I believe God is sitting on the edge of His throne 114

in Heaven waiting to hear and answer the prayers of His children. But many of us are not giving Him the honor of doing so. Why? It may be because we really do not believe God answers prayer. It may also be because we don’t have faith in Him to answer our prayers. And it could be because you are not truly saved and so prayer has never really been a part of your life.” The four friends listened attentively as the pastor preached. “Some of you may be wondering, ‘Well, I’ve heard about prayer. How can I tap into the power of prayer?’ If you are a Christian, you can tap into the power of prayer by simply praying. Prayer is just talking to God. Ask God to help you pray. Ask Him to teach you how to pray. And ask Him to hear and answer your prayers. Just pray. Just do it. I can’t make it any plainer than that.” Just pray, Aubrey thought. “Some things will hinder your prayer life,” the pastor continued. “Things like having sin in your life. Things like not getting along with others. Things like not having a forgiving spirit.” Simone cleared her throat as she took a sip of her orange juice. “If you are not a Christian, you need to accept Christ as your Saviour so you can have a personal relationship with God. That will make it much easier for you to pray. You say, ‘Pastor, how do I become a Christian?’ Here’s how: first, understand that you are a sinner, as the Bible says in Romans 3:23: ‘For all have sinned and come short 115

of the glory of God.’ Next, understand that the only way you can be delivered from your sins is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, as we are told in John 3:16 and 17: ‘For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.’ Third, Romans 10:9 and 13 tells us, ‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” Aubrey didn’t take her eyes off the computer screen. The preacher had her attention. But why shouldn’t he? As far back as she could remember, her parents had placed a priority on prayer, and even after her father died, her mother still kept emphasizing the importance of prayer. Somehow Aubrey never adopted the importance of prayer in her own life. “If you want to be saved,” the preacher continued, “believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose again. And then call upon the Lord right where you are. Whether you are in your living room or on the job, if you are serious about becoming a Christian, just pray this prayer with me right now: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that 116

Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today and forever. Amen.” “Amen,” the four friends said together. “I have never heard the Gospel put that simply before,” Jennifer said excitedly. “I felt something when I prayed that prayer.” “Good for you,” said Kelli. “You won’t regret that decision.” “The message spoke to my heart,” Aubrey said. “Mother always told me to pray every day, but I never took her seriously on that.” And then she added quietly, “I wonder if Jamaal would be alive today and if my marriage would have worked out if I had prayed faithfully like my mother taught me.” Simone and Kelli looked at her with sympathy. When Mother Jamison returned, Aubrey shared with her about Jennifer getting saved and about how the pastor’s message had made her determined to make prayer a regular part of her life. “Praise the Lord!” Mother Jamison beamed. “And to think it all took place right in my living room.” The roast in the slow cooker was already done and smelling good. By the time they fixed the macaroni and cheese and added the collard greens, they were ready to sit down and enjoy a great meal together, and to top it off with that German chocolate cake. Conversation turned to the court hearing surrounding Jamaal’s death. “Don’t worry, Aubrey, we’ll 117

be there to support you,” her friends assured her. As Aubrey’s friends departed later that evening, Mother Jamison said, “Girls, I want to encourage you to pray daily and to pray often. You have to pray on purpose. It sounds like an easy task—just talking to God, and it is easy, but the devil will make it seem difficult. He will send every obstacle your way to prevent you from praying. Kelli, sometimes your baby will start crying seemingly for no reason just as you get ready to pray. Pray anyway. The telephone will ring just as you get ready to pray, or a friend will come visiting. You will suddenly feel tired or have a headache. Just pray anyway.” Just pray, thought Aubrey remembering the same words from Pastor Hilburt’s sermon. “Also,” continued Mother Jamison, “read a passage from the Bible each day and, of course, go to church.” “We can meet here for church next Sunday again,” Aubrey suggested. “No way!” Simone protested. “Next Sunday it’s my place.”

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EPISODE 7

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CHAPTER 19 Quintin Rodney called Mother Jamison’s residence early on Monday. “Hello, Mother Jamison, this is Quintin Rodney. Good morning to you.” “Good morning, Mr. Rodney. This is Aubrey. Mother is out taking care of some church business. Is there something I can do for you?” “As a matter of fact, you’re the one I really needed to talk with,” he replied. “The court informed me today that someone being represented by Attorney Charles McGuinness has decided to press charges, accusing you of killing your husband.” “What!” Aubrey sat down as her knees suddenly felt weak. “Do you know who this person is?” “Yes. It’s Destinee Roberts, the woman we saw on Jamaal’s cell phone the day the private investigator came to your house to make sure we did not overlook anything.

Remember, I answered your husband’s cell phone when it rang.” “What exactly is she saying?” Aubrey asked. “She is saying that you caused your husband’s death. Even though we know that the gun you purchased had nothing to do with Jamaal’s death, Ms. Roberts is saying that you bought the gun specifically to use on him. She says your husband told her that you had threatened several times to shoot him.” “Oh, no, no, no. That’s not true.” “Stay calm, Aubrey. You have got to understand that from the court’s perspective there were no witnesses,” Mr. Rodney kindly reminded her. “Let me ask you this: Honestly, why did you buy a gun?” Mr. Rodney asked. Aubrey took a deep breath. “One of my friends mentioned that she was going to buy a gun to protect herself. She mentioned that I needed to protect myself from my husband after I told her how crazy he could get if he had been drinking. But I only intended to use it to scare him. Mr. Rodney, I never pulled the trigger on my husband even during our last altercation.” “Did you ever tell Jamaal that you would get a gun?” “No, I never did,” Aubrey said. “It never once entered into my mind to shoot my husband. I only purchased the gun to use in self-defense, and that is why I pulled it out that night. He was choking me and I was hoping that when he saw the gun he would stop. But I did not pull the trigger.” “I believe you, Aubrey, because according to my 122

investigators, you bought the gun new and it has never been discharged at all in its history. Right now, we’re waiting for the autopsy report. That will prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you did not shoot your husband and that his death was completely accidental based upon his own actions.” “What do you want me to do in the meantime?” Aubrey asked. “The best thing you can do is pray,” Mr. Rodney said. “Because charges have been filed, the initial court date has been moved back a few weeks so that we can prepare our case.” Before hanging up the phone, Mr. Rodney secured the names of those who would be testifying on behalf of Aubrey. Aubrey sighed. “Be honest with me, Mr. Rodney, how are things looking? What are my chances of putting all of this behind me? I don’t want to spend the next five or ten years of my life dealing with this.” “Like I told you, my faith is in God, and I am very confident He will see us through,” Mr. Rodney said. “From what we have gathered and from what you have shared with me, you should be cleared. Aubrey, I strongly believe prayer changes things. You need someone to pray with you during this time.” “I do,” Aubrey agreed. “Whatever my clients go through, I always encourage them to not only learn from that experience, but to use it to help others who may be in a similar 123

situation.” “Thank you, Mr. Rodney, and you are right. I will be praying about the case.” As soon as they hung up, Aubrey looked up Charles McGuinness on the internet. The picture on his law firm site showed an elderly white gentleman with a stern expression on his face. He sure looks tough, Aubrey thought. ____________ Jamaal’s funeral was set for one o’clock that Wednesday afternoon at the All Saints United Methodist Church where Jamaal had been a member as a child. Even though he had not attended church services there, or anywhere else for that matter, since the beginning of high school, Pastor Givens still remembered him as a child. “Jamaal McIntyre was a pleasure to have in our church. I remember when he was born. He was a feisty little fellow. He was always doing things to make people laugh. He told me he was going to be a comedian. I remember once, Jamaal’s mother invited me and my wife over for dinner. Jamaal and his brother decided to play a trick on me. After I parked my car and was going around to open the door for my wife, I heard them shouting, ‘Pastor Givens, there is a snake getting ready to bite you!’ A snake! I made a beeline for the house and left my poor wife in the car. I thought for sure I saw a snake because

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I saw something moving in the flower bed. It turned out Jamaal and his brother were moving the garden hose back and forth in the grass. They ended up walking my wife into the house. We all had a laugh over it. But that’s the kind of person Jamaal was.” Aubrey, who was sitting in the fourth row with Mother Jamison and Jamaal’s mother, smiled as she remembered their dating days. They were filled with fun because Jamaal was a bad boy who made her laugh and kept the excitement going. But she had to admit that Jamaal had changed after they got married. “Some of you may be wondering if Jamaal is in Heaven today,” Pastor Givens said. “I can assure you that he is. How do I know? I led Jamaal and his brother to the Lord myself. I remember it was an overcast Sunday, but ten-year-old Jamaal came bounding into the auditorium with his sunshiny smile. ‘Hey, Pastor Givens,’ he said.” Aubrey smiled. “The Sunday he got saved, the title of my message was ‘Are You Ready for Death?’ And I gave examples of people who died but who were not ready for death. I remember ending my sermon with this statement: if you cannot remember a time when you asked Jesus to be your Saviour then you are not ready for death. I also told the congregation—and some of you were in the audience— that if you want to be ready for death then you must ask Jesus to be your Saviour and begin living for Him. When I asked those who wanted to be saved to come to the front, little ten-year-old Jamaal, followed closely by his 125

brother, were the first to come up. I made sure that they believed in their hearts that Jesus Christ died on the cross for their sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day by the power of God. And, according to Romans 10:9, 13, I prayed with him and his brother as they both asked Jesus Christ to save them so that they could be ready for death. I could see the sincerity in Jamaal’s face and I saw the tears flow from his eyes. I know that he is in Heaven with the Lord right now.” “Amens” rippled through the audience. It was very comforting for Aubrey to know that even though her husband died a tragic death, he was in Heaven. “Now I ask you the same question and I believe Jamaal would have me to ask you the same question: Are you ready for death? If you want to be sure that you are ready, please believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose again on the third day by the power of God. If you believe that, please pray with me this prayer and mean it from your heart: “Almighty and most merciful Father, I am not ready for death; I am not ready to meet You. So now, Lord, I ask You to prepare me for death—for eternity. I do believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and I now trust Him as my Saviour. I ask You to come live in my heart and change my life today and forever. Amen.” Aubrey’s friends, Jennifer, Kelli, and Simone, attended the funeral to support her. Kelvin, Simone’s fiance, and half a dozen of Jamaal’s basketball buddies attended as well as many others. Jamaal’s family and 126

friends, many of whom Aubrey had never met (except for briefly at their wedding), were also present and all of them bowed their heads and prayed the prayer of salvation to make sure that they were ready for death. So, Jamaal’s tragic death was used by God to bring over one hundred people to the Lord. Jamaal’s family members spoke good words about him. The Jamaal Aubrey knew before they got married fit most of their description of him, and even though there were some smiles and laughter, it was a somber day: a mother was burying her son, and a wife was burying her husband far too early than they should have When Aubrey and her mother went up to view the body in the casket, she could no longer hold her composure—the tears flowed freely. Even though her marriage had not worked out the way she thought it would, Aubrey still loved her husband. How she wished things had turned out differently. Jamaal’s mother joined them as they viewed the body. She loved her son deeply despite the bad choices he had made, and even though it would have been easy to blame Aubrey for his death, she tried her best to keep thoughts of that nature out of her mind. This is no time to get angry and bitter. That’s not going to help anybody. To Aubrey, the scene felt like an unpleasant dream— one she wished she could walk out of. She could not believe she was actually viewing Jamaal’s dead body. God, I wanted to get out of that bad situation, but not like this. Why did it have to end this way? As Aubrey returned 127

to her seat, a young brunette wearing a black pantsuit was walking down the aisle to pay her last respects. Aubrey thought it must have been one of Jamaal’s family members and she looked up to offer a smile. The woman’s gaze shot daggers into Aubrey. A look of pure hate was written across her face. Aubrey suddenly realized that she had seen that face before. The casket was taken out of the church to the church’s cemetery half a mile away. The sun which had been out earlier was now hidden behind gray clouds. At the gravesite, the small crowd watched solemnly as the casket was lowered into the ground. After Aubrey watched the men toss dirt onto the casket, she reached for her mother’s hand indicating that it was time for them to leave. Mother Jamison, placing her arms around Aubrey’s shoulders, walked with her to the car. Simone, Jennifer, Kelli, Kelvin, and others followed close behind. As Aubrey opened the passenger’s side door to her mother’s car, the same young woman she had exchanged glances with in the church crossed her path. She stopped and looked directly at Aubrey, the same look of hatred came from her face. “You caused his death,” the woman hissed wagging her finger at Aubrey. “And you’re going to pay.”

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CHAPTER 20 That Wednesday night’s prayer meeting was powerful and meant a lot to Mother Jamison. She had invited Aubrey to go with her. “It will do you good and it will uplift your spirit,” she had said as a final effort to get Aubrey to change her mind about staying home once more. However, Aubrey felt she still was not ready to attend services with her mother at her home church. Shortly after Mother Jamison left, the lawyer called to give her an update on the case. “Forgive me for calling so far into the evening, but I tried calling you earlier and the phone kept ringing,” Mr. Rodney said. “We were at Jamaal’s funeral today,” Aubrey told him. “I hope that everything went well.” “Yes, everything did go well except for one thing.” She told him about the young woman who had approached her and accused her of causing her husband’s 129

death. After thinking for a few seconds, Mr. Rodney said, “I bet you that was Destinee. You said she had brown hair?” “Yes,” Aubrey said, now remembering the picture on her husband’s cell phone. “Thank you for letting me know. Anything else I should know about?” “No, nothing else,” Aubrey said. “Well, if you have any more encounters with her, we may have to get a restraining order. Now, I’m going to let you go so you can make it in time for prayer meeting at your church,” Mr. Rodney said. “Well, I’m sitting it out tonight. I told Mother to go on ahead without me,” Aubrey said to him. “I can pray by myself right here.” “Aubrey, it’s quite all right to pray by yourself, but at a time like this, you really need someone to pray with you.” Aubrey was silent on the other end. “Well, let me pray with you before I hang up…” Mr. Rodney said. ____________ That evening, Mother Jamison reminded the church family of her unspoken prayer request. “One part of my unspoken prayer request has already been answered, although it was not answered in the way that I thought it would be. But, as you know, God works

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in mysterious ways. I thank you all for joining me in prayer,” she said. “However, things are not complete yet, so please continue to pray with and for me and my family regarding that unspoken prayer request.” “That’s what I am talking about, folks,” Pastor Ashton said. “Praying it through. Mother Jamison has prayed it through for some months now—about a year, now. Is that right, Mother Jamison?” “Yes, Pastor Ashton,” Mother Jamison nodded. “Now, she sees the light at the end of the tunnel. God is coming through in her situation. That’s what I call persevering in prayer, folks,” Pastor Ashton said. “Now, let’s join Mother Jamison in prayer for her strength as she continues on her prayer journey. And,” added Pastor Ashton, “let’s pray for souls to be saved in the process.” “Oh, souls have already been saved,” Mother Jamison said. She eagerly shared with the church family that many of her daughter’s friends had accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior recently. After a prayer of thanksgiving, Pastor Ashton encouraged all present to read First Samuel chapter one about Hannah. “Hannah prayed within her heart; she had an unspoken request,” he said. “How do we know that? In verse thirteen of this passage we see where Hannah’s prayer request was unspoken: ‘Now Hannah, she spake [or prayed] in her heart, only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.’ Oftentimes those unspoken prayer requests come out of an anguished soul. These 131

prayers can cause you to shed some tears at night.” “Oh, yes, they do,” Mother Jamison whispered. “After Eli, the priest, asked her if she had been drinking because of her seemingly strange behavior, here is what Hannah said to him: ‘I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit…but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.’ Sometimes you have to pour out your soul to the Lord— only to the Lord and no one else. Sometimes you have to come to God with tears. Sometimes you have to plead with God. Sometimes you have to pour out your soul to God.” “Pour out your soul,” another mother of the church said. “Sometimes tears will say it all.” “But listen up,” Pastor Ashton continued. “Hannah was rewarded for her persistence in prayer. After years of praying, the Bible tells us ‘she bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, because I have asked him of the Lord.’ God showed up and showed out because Hannah persisted in her unspoken prayer request.” “No matter what happens, folks, remember that God will answer your prayers, if you pray through. And if you pray through, He will see you through.”

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CHAPTER 21 A stronger bond formed between Mother Jamison, Aubrey, and Mrs. McIntyre after Jamaal’s death. Friday afternoon after Mother Jamison returned home and after Aubrey returned from her job assignment at Katrina’s which lasted a half day, they both stopped by Mrs. McIntyre’s home for a short visit. “We were concerned about you,” Mother Jamison said, giving her a hug. “We just wanted to stop by and fellowship and pray with you.” “Thank you so much. By God’s grace and strength I am making it,” Mrs. McIntyre said as they seated themselves around her kitchen table. Chuckling she said, “My mother always told me nothing makes for great fellowship like sitting in a warm kitchen around the kitchen table with a cup of mint tea or coffee and a homemade Danish. Tea or coffee anyone?” Mother Jamison and Aubrey agreed to coffee. All 133

three had coffee sweetened with maple syrup and they used condensed milk as a creamer. Mrs. McIntyre served Danishes. “How have you been doing, Aubrey?” Mrs. McIntyre asked as she poured the coffee. “I have been doing quite well,” Aubrey replied with a smile. “I’ve heard my pastor, Pastor Givens, say more than once something like this: that sometimes in death we are drawn closer to one another,” Mrs. McIntyre said. “It’s strange, but I somehow feel closer to my son even though he’s dead and I know his death has drawn us closer together.” “Yes, Sister, I know exactly what you mean,” Mother Jamison said. “You know, I have no doubt that Jamaal was saved, but he allowed that root of bitterness and anger over his brother’s death to eat him up. He started consuming lots of alcohol after his father’s death. I believe he was sneaking and drinking before that. Anyway, I kept warning him that if he did not change his ways, and that if he continued in his sins, God was going to either cause some tragedy to come upon him, or God was going to take him home early. My husband warned him constantly about his disrespect towards me after his brother’s death and how that God was not going to take it lightly. He did not take us seriously. We earnestly tried to warn him that he would reap what he sowed.” Mrs. McIntyre took a sip of her coffee before continuing. “He almost lost his 134

life once drinking and driving. He lost control of his car. The police found the car wrapped around a telephone pole and were amazed he came out of it alive and with hardly any scratches. I told him that that was God showing mercy towards him and warning him at the same time, but he only scoffed at that.” “Jamaal’s not the only one to go that route,” Mother Jamison said. “Some of the young people now-a-days think they have years ahead of them, and like Samson, they play around with sin, taking God for granted, thinking God is not going to chastise them and they will live on for ever, and then without notice they die an early death. Their philosophy of life is serve the devil and myself, party hard while I am young, and then when I am old and decrepit begin serving God. I say to them, what a wasted life. Why take God for granted? The Bible says today is the day of salvation because no man knows when death will come upon them.” “A very wasted life,” Mrs. McIntyre agreed. “If they just follow what the preacher says in Ecclesiastes 12:1 and 13 they will be alright. Quote it with me, Aubrey. Your Daddy and I taught it to you.” Aubrey quoted the verses as best she could remember them. “‘Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them…Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.’” Aubrey stumbled a little because she had not really 135

applied those verses to her life over the years. “That is all we have to do,” Mother Jamison said. “Fear God and keep his commandments.” “And His commandments are not grievous,” Mrs. McIntyre added. “No, Sister, they are not.” Aubrey enjoyed listening to the older women expound on the Word of God. She realize how much she missed kitchen table discussion of the Word of God. Mrs. McIntyre continued, “Many think because they are a Christian that God is going to let them get away with their sin. They forget that God is like a father. Your father warns you and warns you and gives you time to get yourself together; but then after so many warnings he pulls out the switch. Me and my siblings got so many whippings,” she chuckled. “It was not pretty then, but it sure kept us in line and out of a lot of trouble.” Aubrey listened intently while eating her danish. Mrs. McIntyre excused herself to answer the doorbell. It was her pastor, Pastor Givens and his wife. “Hello, my sister, we came by to check on you and to pray with you,” Pastor Givens said. “But if you have visitors we’ll come back another time.” “Come on in,” Mrs. McIntyre said after giving Sister Givens a hug. “You won’t be disturbing us at all. This is Jamaal’s wife, Aubrey, and Aubrey’s mother, Mother Jamison. I don’t know if you remember them from the funeral.” “Yes, I remember you both,” Pastor Givens said 136

reaching out to shake their hands. “If there is anything we can do for you don’t hesitate to call us.” “Have a seat, Pastor and Sister Givens. Let me pour you both some coffee,” Mrs. McIntyre said reaching for the coffee cups out the cupboard. “We were just here fellowshipping and talking about how God cuts short a Christian person’s life if that person refuses to live for Him.” After pouring the coffee, she reached into a desk drawer set off in the right corner of the kitchen and pulled out a Bible. “I was reading and meditating on this just last week when I was searching for an answer as to why my son died so early in life. Here in Hebrews chapter twelve and verses five and six in particular, it says, ‘My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.’ God is going to discipline all who claim to be His.” “That’s right, Sister McIntyre,” Pastor Givens said. “Let me borrow your Bible, Sister, I feel a sermon coming on,” he said with a smile. “It goes on to say in verse nine how that ‘we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us…’” “The old school way,” Sister Givens said. “That’s right,” Mother Jamison agreed. “You know, Aubrey, my Daddy would say ‘whipping’; he said chastisement was too soft and fanciful a word,” Mrs. McIntyre said smiling. “He’d say, ‘Girl, if you don’t 137

get your act together I am going to give you the whipping of your life.’ Every whipping was the whipping of my life.” “But after they corrected us, we gave them reverence; we obeyed them.” Pastor Givens turned back to the Bible. “And that is all our heavenly Father is doing with us. A lot of Christians don’t understand why they are having problems and things don’t seem to be working out, but it’s just God chastising them for their disobedience. Why? So that ‘we might be partakers of His holiness.’” Turning to Aubrey, Pastor Givens said, “Sister Aubrey, God was chastising Jamaal; God was whipping him to get him back to the place of obedience, to get him back in church, to get him back to serving God. From what Sister McIntyre shared with me he stopped going to church, he was rude to her and he was mistreating you. God warned him by delivering him from a near-death car accident, by allowing him to lose his job; you all almost lost your home from what I understand; and even by his mother and others talking with him. I even sent a letter to him sharing these same verses with him. Apparently he did not take heed to any of these warnings.” “Was this a few months back?” Aubrey asked him. “Yes,” Pastor Givens answered. “Mmm, I remember seeing him reading a letter and I asked him what it was about, but he took it into the kitchen and burned it up and told me not to worry about it. To this day, I am still wondering what that letter was 138

about. I wonder if that was it,” Aubrey said thoughtfully. “You know,” Mother Jamison said, “I ran into him at the gas station one day; he tried to act as though he did not see me. I managed to get a few words in to him before he pulled off. Anyway, I told him he needed to get back to going to church, to stop the drinking, and to go in for counseling, and that he needed to get his anger under control before something terrible happened to him. I told him to take my words as a warning from God.” “Mother, I did not know you talked with him,” Aubrey said surprised. “I sure did. I had to say something to him because I know what God can do to you if you continue in disobedience,” Mother Jamison replied. They all nodded their heads as Sister Givens continued the conversation. “You know, it says here in Ephesians chapter six, verses two and three, that children should obey their parents. It says, ‘Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.’ That is a promise, and I believe the breaking of that commandment by disrespecting one’s parents is what is leading many young Christians to an early grave.” “What comforts me is the thought that I will see him again some day,” Mrs. McIntyre said. “Aubrey, don’t let your life get to that point. Always respect your mother, and always fear God, be obedient to God, love God, and serve God and be sensitive to His Holy Spirit as He speaks 139

to your heart.” Mother Jamison appreciated Mrs. McIntyre’s words to Aubrey. She was glad for the open conversation they had and she hoped that Aubrey would take heed to all she heard. The conversation shifted to the upcoming court date. With getting ready for the funeral and the numerous phone calls that keep coming in from family and friends and people visiting and everything I almost forgot, a lawyer by the name of Charles McGuinness, called me early Wednesday morning asking me to testify in court on behalf of my son. He’s a friend of Quintin Rodney. He said some female friend of Jamaal by the name of Destinee Roberts was filing murder charges against Aubrey. He says she is stating emphatically that Aubrey murdered Jamaal,” Mrs. McIntyre said. “The lawyer wants me to testify on behalf of my son as to the kind of son he was and his mental state and all that. I was going to remain neutral at first, but I think I need to take the witness stand.” “We understand, Mrs. McIntyre,” Aubrey said. “Mr. Rodney did tell us on yesterday that Destinee Roberts was filing charges claiming I killed him and that it was a planned murder. We’re just praying for God to bring the truth to light.” “Whatever happens, Aubrey and Mother Jamison, I want you to know I love you both,” Mrs. McIntyre said. She closed her eyes for a few seconds as she attempted to stop her lips from trembling. 140

Mother Jamison reached across the table and laid a hand on Mrs. McIntyreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arm as tears slipped through her closed eyes. Aubrey felt a few of her own tears fall as she reached for the napkins handing some to Mrs. McIntyre. Pastor Givens was right: Nothing can draw people together like shared tragedy.

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EPISODE 8

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CHAPTER 22 Everyone was present at the court house at 9:00 a.m. sharp on Tuesday. Mr. Rodney greeted them, and then went over a few preliminaries. “If any of you have done jury duty as a service to your community, you know what to expect. You’ll all sit until you are called. Just answer the questions put to you truthfully. If there are no questions, I’ll pray with you and you can enter the court room and take your seat over on the left side.” Mr. Rodney prayed with them that God’s will would be done and then went into the courtroom. Aubrey’s party filed into the room behind him and as they quietly took their seats close to the front on the left side, Mrs. McIntyre who was already seated off to the right smiled and nodded at them. She was sitting with Pastor Givens. Two rows in front of Mrs. McIntyre sat Destinee Roberts. She was conversing with another 145

woman but turned around when Aubrey and the others entered the room. Their eyes met. Aubrey managed a faint smile. If looks could kill, Aubrey certainly would be dead. Destinee elbowed her friend and said a few words to her as the friend looked across the room at Aubrey. Aubrey could feel their piercing gazes as she slipped into a seat next to Mr. Rodney. Mr. Rodney and Mr. McGuinness were quietly conversing. The jury filed into their seats. “All rise,” the bailiff said as Judge Dennis walked into the room. Judge Dennis exchanged a few words with the lawyers after which he opened up the case. Charles McGuinness called Mrs. McIntyre to the witness stand first. “Mrs. McIntyre could you please tell us about your son, the deceased, Jamaal McIntyre, and especially as it may pertain to his death?” Mr. McGuinness asked her. “The Lord blessed me with two sons. My husband and I trained them in the right way. Jamaal was the older of the two and he adored his baby brother. Anyway a tragedy struck our family. I took my sons swimming at the creek; we used to go swimming there all the time. This day, however, my youngest son somehow lost his footing and by the time I got to him it was too late. He drowned. Jamaal never forgave me; he blamed me for his brother’s death.” She stopped for a few minutes unable to continue while trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears. Mr. McGuinness tapped his finger on the table impatiently. 146

“They were very close brothers,” Mrs. McIntyre continued. “After his brother’s death, Jamaal became very bitter and full of anger. Then after my husband died, Jamaal started to drink heavily. I warned him not to go that route. I apologized to him over and over for his brother’s death. I told him to get rid of his anger because it would eat him up. He would not listen. When he told me he was getting married I tried to get him to change his mind because I knew it would not be wise of him to take his anger into the marriage. Well, he did not listen to me and his anger led to abuse…abuse of his sweet wife and now…to his death because of his own disobedience and foolishness and because he didn’t listen to wise counsel.” Her voice trembled as she spoke, but she bravely continued. No one could deny the love she had for her son. “Your Honor, I know that my daughter-in-law did not shoot the gun at him and she definitely did not shoot him. I have no doubt that my daughter-in-law only had the gun for self defense against his abusive behavior towards her. She took it for months without saying anything to anyone because she wanted their marriage to work; she did not want to see him hurt. She did what she felt she had to do. And even though I love my son who is dead today, I love my daughter-in-law too, and I believe she is one-hundred percent innocent. This woman, Destinee, is bringing false charges against my sweet daughter-in-law. She couldn’t shoot anybody if you paid her a million dollars.” 147

“Mrs. McIntyre, were you aware of the abusive relationship between your son and daughter-in-law?” Attorney McGuinness asked. “No. The few times my daughter-in-law and I talked she did not say anything.” Destinee felt sure Jamaal’s mother would speak in his favor and was shocked when she didn’t. What kind of mother is she not wanting to get revenge for her son’s death? she thought. Destinee’s friend, Kay Karmichael, was called next to the witness stand: “Your Honor, I can’t say that I knew Jamaal McIntyre for a long time, but what I do know of him I can confidently say he is incapable of hurting anyone. When I heard that he had been murdered in cold-blood by his wife I did not doubt it for a minute. Why? I do know that she is the jealous type and wanted her husband to stay home and tend to her every beck and call. From what I understand she did not want him to have an outside life. That is reason enough for her to kill him; she was trying to control him.” Aubrey bristled as she listened to the lies these two had concocted. Mr. Rodney had no questions for Ms. Karmichael. A young man, Peter Willings, testified on behalf of Jamaal. He seemed out of it. All he kept repeating was that Jamaal was a “good brother.” Destinee Roberts was called next to the witness stand: “Ms. Roberts, could you please state for us your 148

relationship with the deceased, Jamaal McIntyre, and why you filed murder charges against his wife?” Mr. McGuinness asked. “Your Honor, Jamaal and I were very good friends, and have been for some years now. After he got married, he shared with me often how controlling his wife was and before his death he shared with me how she threatened to hurt him with a gun if he kept leaving her at home alone. Well, her threat turned out not to be an idle one.” Destinee looked at Aubrey as she said this. “Jamaal McIntyre is a softie who is incapable of hurting anyone. He was not abusive at all. It was just not in him. His wife had to have really provoked him for him to hurt her.” “So you are saying, the defendant, Aubrey McIntyre, provoked her husband to anger on the evening of Friday, June 20th,” Mr. McGuinness asked. “Yes. Definitely.” “Ms. Roberts, was your relationship with Jamaal McIntyre just a purely platonic one, or were you the other woman in his life?” Mr. Rodney asked when he crossexamined the witness. “Objection,” Mr. McGuinness said. “Objection overruled,” Judge Dennis said. Destinee shifted uncomfortably. “We…we were just friends.” “Ms. Roberts, you swore to tell the truth. Are you telling us that your relationship with Jamaal McIntyre was a casual friendship relationship?” Mr. Rodney asked 149

again. “Yes…it was,” Destinee said in a shaky voice. “Your Honor, I present as evidence against Ms. Roberts’ answer the deceased’s cellphone with text messages to her and from her, showing that they did have a relationship beyond the point of being friends,” Mr. Rodney said. The bailiff placed a clear plastic bag containing Jamaal’s cellphone on the evidence table and then handed Judge Dennis a few sheets of paper with the contents of the text messages including the dates and times they were sent. He also handed a copy to each of the jury members. “Ms. Roberts, my client, Aubrey McIntyre reported to me that you obstructed her path twice during the funeral and once you threatened her with these words and I quote: ‘You caused his death. You’re going to pay.’ Did you say those threatening words to the defendant, Mrs. Aubrey McIntyre, and exactly what did you mean by those words ‘You are going to pay’?” Destinee became more uneasy. “I…I don’t know where she got that from. She must have made it up because of the stress of her husband’s death.” “Did you or did you not say those threatening words to her, Ms. Roberts?” Destinee finally nodded, yes. “No further questions, Your Honor,” Mr. Rodney said. Quintin Rodney was asked to call his witnesses to 150

the stand. The two police officers who answered the 91-1 call on the night of Friday, June 20th, took the stand. The first officer testified: “She was badly beaten up. When she opened the door, she collapsed in our arms. When we moved into the kitchen we saw clear evidence that there had been a fight. There was an empty can of MACE on the floor. There were some pizza slices on the floor. A large bottle of iced tea and broken glass were on the floor. A chair was also overturned. There was a gun laying on the floor.” “Me and my partner answered the dispatcher’s call one night a few weeks back,” the second officer said, “for domestic abuse, but there was no evidence. The husband answered the door then and he told us that all was well. We asked to speak with his wife, but he said she was sleeping. We did not enter the house.” Simone was called next to the witness stand. She told of taking Aubrey on one occasion to purchase make-up to cover her scars. “She never said a word to us, Your Honor. I found out about it when she asked me to go with her to purchase some make-up as she was beginning her new job at Katrina’s Interior Designs. I saw the scar on her face. She did not want to tell me how she got it but she eventually did. She was buying make-up to cover her scars.” Simone’s testimony paralleled Jennifer’s and Kelli’s who both told of stopping by on the Sunday after Friday, June 20th, and noticing her bruises. Attorney McGuinness only had one question for them: “Is Mrs. Aubrey McIntyre capable of putting those 151

scars on herself to get her husband’s attention and to cause a problem for her husband? After all Ms. Roberts said that the deceased mentioned to her that the defendant would provoke him to anger.” All three answered in the negative. Mother Jamison gave her testimony after being called to the witness stand. “Tell us what condition you found your daughter in on the evening of Friday, June 20th, and whether or not this was the first time you saw your daughter in that condition,” Mr. Rodney said. “We were on the phone rejoicing because she had secured another customer for her interior design job. Apparently her husband snatched the phone from her and I overheard him say ‘Who are you talking to? Not your boyfriend, is it?’ before he hung up the phone. I tried calling back, but no one answered. That was when I called 9-1-1 and explained to them what I thought was happening. I got in my car and drove over to my daughter’s house. That’s when I saw the ambulance and police cars. She was badly beaten when I saw her. That was not the first time I have seen her in that condition.” “Mrs. Jamison, you said you overheard the words, ‘Who are you talking to? Not your new boyfriend, is it?’ Apparently Mr. Jamaal McIntyre knew something about his wife that you did not know and that is, that she was cheating on him,” Mr. McGuinness stated. Mother Jamison reacted quickly. “That is not a truthful statement. My daughter shared with me later 152

that she had stopped by a customer’s house to look at the room he wanted redecorated for his wife as a gift to her. She wanted to have a better idea of what the room looked like. The company does this on all their projects. You cannot redecorate a room that you have no idea how it looks like, now can you?” Aubrey smiled. She knew her mother could let you have it whenever the situation demanded it. She noticed Mr. Rodney scribbling something on his notepad. He leaned over to whisper to her: “Will you be able to get in touch with the gentleman whose room you redesigned? It would be great if we could get him to testify for you. Mr. McGuinness is going to try to use that against you when you testify.” Aubrey nodded. “I am sure I can.” “Anyway,” Mother Jamison continued, “Jamaal must have driven by and seen her leaving the customer’s house. My daughter works for Katrina Bervosky’s Interior Design Company.” “Why do you think your daughter remained in the marriage given the level of abuse she sustained?” Mr. McGuinness asked. “She wanted to see it work; she kept hoping it would work, and because she loved her husband. I do not know of any married couple who does not want their marriage to work. Don’t you want your marriage to work, Mr. McGuinness?” “Let me ask the questions, Mrs. Jamison,” Mr. McGuinness frowned. 153

Others in the court room chuckled. “Don’t you think your daughter may have provoked her husband’s negative reaction by her responding negatively to him?” “Objection,” Mr. Rodney said. “Mr. McGuinness is going on mere speculation.” “That’s okay, Mr. Rodney, I’ll answer the question,” Mother Jamison said. “Mr. McGuinness, my daughter is not perfect; she may talk a little too much, but she knows when to hold her tongue. Her father and I have trained her not to be foolish. Be that as it may, there is no excuse for a man to take his fist and beat on a woman, to choke her, to kick her, to react in an out-of-control manner towards her…” Mother Jamison continued even though the tears came. Mitch Mitchell, the private investigator who had gone to the house with Mr. Rodney also testified: “All evidences point to self defense, Your Honor,” he said. “There were empty bottles of alcohol in what Mrs. McIntyre calls her husband’s game room. If he consumed all that we saw when we went there, her husband would have been stone drunk and would not have known what he was doing. We have pictures as evidence. We also have the cellphone of the deceased containing threatening text messages he sent to his wife as evidence that he was stalking her and was watching her every move, and also that he was having an affair with someone else.” The pictures and the text messages were put on display. After Mitch Mitchell gave his testimony the court 154

adjourned. They would meet again on the following Thursday at ten. The silence on the drive home was broken when Mother Jamison said, “I smell victory. With all that evidence in your favor, it seems to me that it is a done deal. As I said before, Mr. Rodney may be young, but he knows his stuff.” Aubrey nodded her head. At her request, Mother Jamison stopped by Katrina’s so Aubrey could retrieve her customer’s phone number for Mr. Rodney. She placed a call to him and explained her situation and said that her lawyer, Quintin Rodney, would like for him to testify on her behalf as this would help clear things up. Mr. Pickett counted it an honor to be of help, but said that he may not be able to make it there by ten as he would be out of town on a business trip and would not return until that morning. “Come on in anyway,” Mr. Rodney said. “If you run late, we’ll just schedule another day.” ____________ “Everything is looking great,” Mother Jamison shared with the church family. “Just keep on praying.” “Just keep on praying,” Pastor Ashton repeated, “so you can rejoice with Mother Jamison when victory comes. Father, God, we claim that victory now!”

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CHAPTER 23 The coroner, Mr. Moody, was the first to take the witness stand when the trial resumed on Thursday. “Mr. Moody, could you please share with us your findings from the autopsy you performed on Mr. Jamaal McIntyre?” Quintin Rodney asked. “Your Honor, the deceased did not die from a gun shot wound. No bullet hit his body. Due to his excessive drinking over such a long period of time, he was suffering from severe cirrhosis of the liver and severe stomach ulcers. I have never seen it that bad. A combination of these things are what actually brought about Mr. McIntyre’s death. The alcohol was eating through his body at such a rapid rate he really did not stand a chance of recovering even if he stopped his drinking now. There was also evidence of marijuana in his blood stream. To add to that, the severe concussion he received from hitting his head on the kitchen counter when he slipped 157

and then on the ceramic tile floor contributed to his death. He did not stand a chance.” “So,” Quintin Rodney asked, “the deceased did not die from a gun shot wound as was presumed?” “No, Sir. The evidence is clear. Mr. Jamaal McIntyre caused his own death.” Whispers floated throughout the court room. Destinee was troubled. Mr. Pickett had not made it there yet, so Aubrey was called to the stand. She bravely gave a moving testimony of the abuse. “Our marriage started out well and, like all wives, I wanted my marriage to work, but that was not to be. I loved my husband. He had some problems: pent up anger, bitterness, drinking, and I had no idea he was mixing drugs with the alcohol. He refused to go in for counseling as I asked him to several times, but his only response was that I was the one with the problems and not him. He would disappear for several days at a time without letting me know where he was. I found out after his death that he was spending time with Destinee Roberts.” Destinee looked away. “Mrs. McIntyre, please tell us what happened on the evening of Friday, June 20th,” Mr. Rodney asked. “Well, I had cut a great deal with a customer and I picked up a pizza and something to drink hoping my husband and I could celebrate together. I arrived home to find him in his game room; he was drunk so I left him in there. I was on the phone sharing the good news with 158

my mother when Jamaal came in, snatched the phone from my hand…” Aubrey tried not to shed tears as she relayed everything that took place that evening. “Did you use the MACE on your husband?” “Yes, I did while we were struggling.” “And did he retreat, Mrs. McIntyre?” “No. He kept coming at me.” “At what point did you pull out your gun?” “When I saw that the MACE did not stop him.” “Tell us what happened then.” “I kept telling him to stop choking me, to go away, and that I would shoot if he kept choking me.” “What was his response?” “He said I did not have the heart to pull the trigger. He kept coming at me. I remember closing my eyes, I heard a bang and then I heard him cry out. When I opened my eyes he was laying on the floor in blood. The gun was laying on the floor. I fell to the ground. I remember crawling over to him and shaking him, calling him…he didn’t move.” The court room was quiet. “There was a sharp knock on the door. I remember opening the door and then I fell into the police officer’s arms. That’s the last I remember of anything.” “Mrs. McIntyre, do you remember acting in any way that would have provoked your husband to respond to you in such a negative way?” Mr. Rodney asked. “No, sir.” “So, Mrs. McIntyre, you did not shoot the gun that 159

may have led to your husband’s death?” “No, sir. I was too scared. I had no intention on actually using it. The gun fell out of my hands.” “Your Honor, I have no further questions for Mrs. McIntyre,” Mr. Rodney said. “But before Mr. McGuinness comes to question her, I would like to present our last piece of evidence—the photos found on Mrs. McIntyre’s Blackberry. These pictures will speak for Mrs. McIntyre, Your Honor.” After Judge Dennis and the jury viewed the pictures as they were displayed on a monitor, Attorney McGuinness proceeded to cross-examine Aubrey. “Mrs. McIntyre, why did you purchase a gun in the first place? Wasn’t it to actually use on your husband?” “The gun was for my protection. It was just to scare him off. I had no intentions on shooting my husband. I love my husband and I stayed because I kept hoping things would get better…” “Wasn’t the can of MACE enough? You just had to go further…” “Objection, Your Honor,” Mr. Rodney said. “From my client’s testimony, she finished the can of MACE defending herself, but her husband kept coming at her. She had no choice.” “Objection sustained.” Mr. Rodney looked at his watch. Mr. McGuinness asked his next question. “Your husband thought you were having an affair with someone you identified as one of your customers. Could 160

your husband be right that you were indeed having an affair and you got caught, and to keep him from revealing your infidelity, you purchased a gun to shoot him? Everything was planned, wasn’t it, Mrs. McIntyre?” Aubrey looked at Mr. Rodney, her eyes wide. He nodded at her. Where is Mr. Pickett? “As my mother told you, he was a customer. That’s all,” Aubrey bravely stated. “She’s right, Your Honor,” a voice said from the back of the court room. “Who is this?” Judge Dennis asked. Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief. Rising from his seat, Mr. Rodney quickly said, “Your Honor, this is Mr. Pickett, my client’s customer. He told me he would be late coming in. If Mr. McGuinness has no further questions for my client, I would like to call Mr. Pickett to the stand.” “Mr. Pickett, can you please tell us what kind of relationship you and my client, Mrs. Aubrey McIntyre had?” Mr. Rodney asked. “We had a purely business relationship. I only met her once. I hired the company she worked for to redecorate a room in our house that I presented to my wife as a gift. My wife could testify to that, if you want her to. Yes, she did come to my house to take a look at the room while my wife was away; it was to be a surprise so obviously Mrs. McIntyre could not come while she was there. All interaction between Mrs. McIntyre and myself has been purely business. We have had no contact 161

with each other since they completed the job.” “I rest my case,” Mr. McGuinness reluctantly said when given the opportunity to cross-examine the witness. Mr. Rodney gave a closing statement: “Marriage can and should be a beautiful thing in a couple’s life, but unfortunately because of our sinful nature, that is not always the case. Sometimes, anger and bitterness overshadow the love spouses feel for each other, and can lead the husband or the wife to react negatively towards the other, producing undesirable behavior even to the point of hurting the one they claim they love. Such was the case of Aubrey and Jamaal McIntyre. I believe they both truly loved each other and deep down wanted their marriage to work, but sadly, things did not turn out that way. Sometimes in relationships people have to protect themselves even from the ones they love. My client, Aubrey McIntyre, had to protect herself from further physical harm and she acted in self-defense. If she did not, we could very well be in here, today, with a role reversal; that is, with Mr. McIntyre being tried for murder instead of Mrs. McIntyre. Anyone can see from the evidence presented that, as the coroner said, Mr. McIntyre brought about his own death, and my client, Mrs. Aubrey McIntyre, is innocent of all charges brought against her.”

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CHAPTER 24 Cries of joy and sighs of relief came from Aubrey’s side of the courtroom as the jury’s foreman read the not guilty verdict. “Good job,” Charles McGuinness said as he shook Quintin Rodney’s hand. “Are you up for another debate at our lawyer’s conference on next week?” “You bet,” Mr. Rodney said. Destinee Roberts and her friends stormed out of the courtroom. Mrs. McIntyre hurried over to hug Aubrey. “Let’s keep in touch, Aubrey. Remember to keep your eyes on the Lord and He’ll see you through everything.” Mr. Rodney shook everyone’s hand, but Mother Jamison gave him a motherly hug of appreciation. “Thank you so much, Mr. Rodney. Thank you so much. We know that prayer changes things.” “You are more than welcome, Mother Jamison. Prayer 163

sure changes things.”Turning to Aubrey he said with a smile and a firm handshake, “May God be with you. Now you go get some much needed rest and I hope our paths will cross again, but not like this.” Aubrey could only offer a smile of appreciation as she returned his handshake while blinking back tears of joy. Looking back at Mother Jamison, Quintin Rodney said, “I know what prayer can do.” He picked up his suitcase and exited the room. _____________ The following week at Wednesday night prayer meeting, Mother Jamison and Aubrey sat quietly in their pew reflecting on the blessings of God on their lives. God has been good to us—very good to us despite a difficult situation. The church family rejoiced with Mother Jamison as she shared her original unspoken prayer request that her daughter would come back to the Lord, start attending church again, and get back to serving God, and how God brought it about. “It’s somewhat unfortunate how God answered this prayer, but we can rejoice because my daughter is back in church tonight, two of her friends got saved in the process, and even though her husband died, we know that he is in Heaven right now.” “Praise the Lord!” Pastor Ashton said. “Welcome home, Sister Aubrey. God truly answers prayers.” A round of applause with ‘Amens’ and ‘Praise the 164

Lord’ followed as Mother Jamison gave her daughter a hug. “I am here as a witness that I know what prayer can do. My brothers and sisters, don’t faint in prayer, don’t give up on God because God is still in the business of answering prayers. His business is slowed down when we don’t bring our prayers to Him and leave it with him.” “Yes, folks,” Pastor Ashton said supporting her statement. “We know what prayer can do, don’t we, Mother Jamison?” Amens could be heard all over the auditorium as the choir struck up the tune. “I know what prayer can do; I know what prayer can do; I know, I know, I know what prayer can do.” THE END

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DO YOU KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR? A note from the publisher: Our goal in publishing inspirational fiction is two-fold: (1) To help those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior live more faithful Christian lives, and (2) To show those who do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior how they can get to know Him in the course of life circumstances that many people face. That being said, if you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, here is how you can get to know Him today: First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7: 20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for

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sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible also says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Fourth, accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Fifth, accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (Jesus Christ, John 3:16). Sixth, with these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That 168

if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Seventh, if you are willing to trust Christ as your Saviour, please pray with me the following prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner. For Jesus Christ’s sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life. Amen. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to GospelLightSociety.com and read What To Do After You Enter Through the Door. Please e-mail us at gls@gospellightsociety.com so that we can send you free material that will help you grow in your walk with Christ.

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