Let the Church Say Amen Read Online Free PDF Page A

What’s up?” David grinned widely, his eyes still half closed.
    Simon felt a twinge of sorrow for his son. It quickly waned, however, when he peered inside and noticed the syringe lying on the coffee table.
    “So is this how you prepare for your classes?”
    Simon pushed his way past his son and into the apartment. The smell of incense clogged his nose. A woman was sitting on the tattered sofa watching Jerry Springer . Her stringy hair was matted to her head. She, too, was frail, with dazed eyes. She looked up as Simon barged in.
    “What’s up, Pops?” She giggled before turning back to her program. It was obvious she was just as high as David.
    “Dang, Mama told you about me going back to school?” David shut the door. “I told her I wanted to tell you.” He continued grinning. Simon felt himself getting sick as he looked at his son’s brown teeth.
    “Boy, don’t you lie to me. You might fool your mama with that nonsense, but I know you ain’t in nobody’s school!”
    “See, there you go again, not having any faith in me.” David laughed as he plopped down on the sofa next to the woman. “And why you being so rude? Tawny here spoke to you and you just ignored her.”
    Simon looked at the woman who was staring at the TV, but not actually watching. “David, I didn’t come here to engage in conversation with you or your lady friend. I told you a hundred times, you are not to ask me or your mother for one brown penny.”
    “But I needed the money. Don’t you want me to finish school so I can be a big hotshot like Jonathan?” David leaned back, crossed his ankles, and lifted his legs up on the coffee table.
    “David, I want a lot of things for you. But as I’ve told you before, I’ve washed my hands of you and turned you over to the Lord.”
    “Oh, yeah, that’s right. I keep forgetting. The Lord is goin’ come down here and turn me around. You hear that, Tawny?”
    He nudged her. She tried to lift her head away from the TV, but it seemed like it was too huge an effort. She finally just muttered something and turned her focus back to the screen.
    “The Lord is my savior!” David jumped up and started dancing around the living room like he had the Holy Ghost, as he sang, “My rock, my rock, my sword and shield. He’s my wheel in the middle of the field. I know he’ll never, ever let me down!”
    “Stop it! Stop it right now!” Simon hissed. “Don’t you dare mock the Lord in my presence!”
    David stopped dancing, but the smile never left his face. He leaned in toward his father. “Sorry, good reverend. Look here. Tell your God that I don’t need nothing from Him but a couple of dollars in my pocket so I can take care of myself. I don’t need no saving or nothing else.”
    Simon glared at his son. He wondered what had he done wrong in his life to deserve a child like this. He had always tried to live a good, clean Christian life. Even as a young man, he was honest, respectful, barely ever told a lie. So why was he being punished this way?
    It must be a test, Simon finally deduced. God is testing me and my strength . Simon composed himself. “Where is the money your mother gave you?”
    David pointed toward Tawny. “Sorry, Dad, looks like school’s gonna have to wait another semester. Tawny here has a bad little habit and she just took my money to feed it. Don’t worry, I done already straightened her out and she says it won’t happen again.” He wobbled as he stood there, trying to fake an apologetic look.
    Simon felt like it would be useless to argue. David was hard to talk to when he wasn’t high. Anything Simon said now would be in vain. He leaned in toward his son. “You listen to me and you listen good! You stay away from my house. You stay away from Loretta, from all of us. The devil is working through you and there is no place for you in our lives. When you have cleaned yourself up and turned your life over to God, then and only then should you darken our doorstep