Let the Church Say Amen Read Online Free PDF Page B

goes out with somebody she knows! “Thanks, Twyla, I gotta go.”
    “Rachel, don’t do anything stupid.”
    “Yeah, whatever. I’ll talk to you later.”
    “Rachel?”
    “What?”
    “Jordan’s not really sick, is he?”
    Rachel didn’t respond.
    “Rachel?”
    “What, Twyla? I gotta go.”
    “I don’t have no bail money.”
    “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’ll see you later.” Rachel threw the phone across the room and fell to the floor. “That bastard!” she screamed. “How could he do this to me?” Rachel buried her head in her hands and began sobbing. A tiny touch on her shoulder caused her to raise her head.
    “Mommy, why are you crying?” Jordan asked.
    Rachel reached up and pulled her son into her embrace. He looked so much like Bobby it wasn’t even funny. The same little cleft chin and sandy brown hair. Their eyes were even the same gray color. “Oh, sweetie. Daddy made Mommy cry again,” Rachel said as she held Jordan to her chest.
    Jordan snuggled up close to his mother. “Daddy is always making you cry. I hate him!”
    Rachel sat sniffling and rocking Jordan back and forth. She jumped up after a few minutes, releasing Jordan, then racing to the hall closet where she pulled out a phone book. She flipped to the W section, then ran her fingers along the list of names under Wilson. “Come on!” She raced into the back bedroom and scooped Nia up in a blanket. She slipped into her house shoes as she headed toward the door.
    “Where are we going, Mommy?” Jordan asked.
    “Just come on.”
    “But, Mommy, I have my pj’s on.”
    “Boy, it don’t matter, just come on.”
    Nia was still sleeping as Rachel snapped her into her car seat. Jordan scooted in the backseat next to his sister. Rachel climbed in the driver’s side of her Ford Escort, started it up, and backed out of the driveway.
    Twenty minutes later, she was pulling up to Shante’s condo on 51st Street. There had been two Shante Wilsons in the phone book, but one of them was in Pearland, a suburb of Houston. Luckily, Rachel remembered hearing Shante’s parents talk about some property they owned not too far from the church. That had to be the place where Shante was staying.
    Rachel threw the car in park and looked in the backseat. Jordan was knocked out. She reached back and grabbed him by the shoulder. “Honey,” she said, shaking him. “Pumpkin, Mama needs you to wake up.”
    “Huh???” Jordan pulled his head up and rubbed his eyes. “Mommy, I’m sleepy.”
    “I know, baby. I’ll take you home to sleep in a minute. But we have to go see Daddy.”
    “But he made you cry.”
    “I know, but we still need to go see him so he can apologize to me. You want him to apologize, don’t you?” Jordan nodded. “Well then, do this for Mommy. You see that door with the big two and the five on the front.” Rachel pointed to the condo just in front of them. “I need you to go up and keep ringing the doorbell until somebody answers.”
    Jordan looked confused. “But, Mommy, I don’t wanna.”
    “Look, Jordan, Mommy needs you to do this, okay? Just go up there and ask for your daddy. I’ll take you to get ice cream tomorrow if you do it, okay?”
    Jordan looked at his mother. “Can I get chocolate with sprinkles?”
    “Two scoops.”
    Jordan smiled at the prospect of ice cream. “Okay.” He opened the back door and climbed out the car.
    “Mommy’s right here waiting on you.” Rachel rolled down the window so she could hear. They were right in front of Shante’s door. Luckily, her condo didn’t sit too far from the curb.
    Jordan grinned with a determined look and walked toward the condo. Rachel watched as he stood on his tiptoes and rang the doorbell.
    After a few minutes, a tall, heavyset woman wearing nothing but a T-shirt opened the door. Rachel frowned at the sight of Shante. That’s who Bobby was talking to the other night.
    Shante looked at Jordan with surprise. “Yes?”
    “Is my daddy here?” Jordan stood with his