Chapter 17

              Lamais's pov

   All I want is just to keep myself pure, maybe I will never find love and I have no desire to settle for less. Seeing Cushane in spirit the night before and Shanty giving me the full details this morning was truly surprising. I had hoped he was the one for me, now I need to leave him alone and allow him to live his life.

  My brother apologising was so lame, I did not want to read him but I didn't regret it afterwards. I gave him the read-ing bluntly and wanted to laugh at his awful crying, serves him right for thinking he can put his hand on a woman, he will have to pay out a great sum of money to his ex-wife or spend some time in jail. I wish him a safe journey back to Canada and told him to take our mom and sister home, I was tired and I did not want them in my home and until I see that they have changed their ways that is how it's going to be.

  That night after service I spoke with Cushane with Shanty present nearby, I wanted to believe him and resisted with all my might to not read him. He begged me to give us a chance and I told him to give me some space while I consider about it. When he was gone Shanty told me that a man was showing interest in her, she showed me his picture and said she told him that he would have to marry her first. He was a brother from one of our sister church and he looked okay.

  "Mi tell him sey him affi talk to my bishop fi date me, say him get three children and him wife died recently. Mi fraid fi ask any body from him church if a true, him seem a'right but him children dem young- dem did dey dey last night," she told me.

  I smile she was already worried about the finance, I don't blame her though afterall bruk and hungry ain't no joke. "I would definitely like to meet him," I had told her.

  Sis. Roper came for the dinner I had cooked for our out of town visitors who came for meeting and was staying on for tonight's service. I was glad I had remodeled and extend the church to how it is now, the guest hall at the back is sufficient enough for church guests and I did not have my privacy invaded by having to invite them into my home.

  I ate and drink a glass of carrot juice, then went to lounge on the couch. Everyone was looking forward to tonight's service which is dubbed as dancehall night and I still haven't come up with a dynamic way to deliver the sermon. On that thought I dozed off and was awakened by the loud blaring of a vehicle horn, one glance at the clock on the wall had me up and running upstairs.

  One glance through the upstairs living room window shows me the car park and the sides of the road already filled with vehicles, no one wanted to be late and can't find any seat. I smile on seeing a brother pushing a large clothes rack filled with red and gold gowns into the church yard, the large choir from pastor Griffiths church has arrived.

  I was glad Shanty came the moment I step out from the bathroom, she helped me to but on my girth and then took my special robe to carry for me. She smiled and I smile, it was a newly made robe with a similarity to one of my grandma's famous ones and she was excited for me to wear it. I tied the lace of my flat red desert clarks an unusual and beautiful design, then we lock up and walk over to the church.

  I had to be ushered in by the police officers who were there, the church yard was jam packed with people and so was the inside of the church. Glad I was on time to enter after the choir I gave Shanty my hand bag and the office keys to go and put with my robe inside the office. It was then that I spot Brandon off to the side and waved him over as an idea struck through my mind, after telling him and seeing him chuckle in agreement I told him to find Bro. Kirkland and tell him, then walk in with the ushers when the moderator calls for me to enter.

  I told the ushers that they looked magnificent in their red and gold attire and ask them to allow some of the people who were on the outside and had children to the extra seating upstairs, they goshed at my gold and red stripe skirt suit and my red shoes before I got away to go back up on the rostrum.

  The choir was on fire and so was the church, I locked the safe after Shanty and Sis. Roper empties the four large filled baskets of the offering and gave Shanty the office key. I slipped down from the rostrum and told her to go for my robe and went out to the back of the church. Brandon started the bike as she helped me into my robe and switched my church hat for a headwrap, then she hurried away to signal to the moderator to call me.

  Bro. Kirkland appeared with the piece of board and set it at the steps for Brandon to ride on, the people hardly wanted to give way until they saw me. A big roar went up as Brandon revved the bike and the moderator said.

  "Stand on your feet everywhere and welcome the preacher for dancehall night, bishop Lamais Heavens...."

  Brandon road up the steps and inside of the church, right up to the pew. I hopped off the bike back and thanked him while the church clapped and roared. I took my microphone from Shanty and nodded at her, switching it on I place my left hand on my side and took on a ghetto speaking attitude.

  "Hear mi a sey, to some people wey feel like sey when yuh tun christian yuh fi carry yuhself old and boring, hear mi good now- gwey. Guwey! All a who come fi watch wey people have on, lif' up now now now. If yuh only come fi chat and watch and criticize si di gate out dey suh, mi a beg unuh gwane through it- cause yuh si tonight if yuh nuh like how me preach, yuh might get a holy ghost drop."

  There was a lot of chuckling and I was barely keeping in my laughter. "Yah hear mi selector, just run somn mek di people dem enjoy di dance," I said beckoning to the three female drummers who was sitting around the kette drums.

  The start of the drums boost my confidence to continue. "From Monday the preachers have been preaching about the convention topic in standard english, mi a gi uno it differently tonight. No boring christian round here, if yuh married and yuh husband or wife a guh a road because yuh nah wine and shake a your fault, people uno must enjoy uno life a one uno have and stop be lame and boring and behave like life a drop dung pon uno."

  There was a bit of applause and laughing, I motion to the drummers to stop and walk up onto the rostrum. I had the moderator direct the reading of the convention scripture while I dry my face and discreetly apply some lip balm unto my lips. Then I went to the pulpit lead the church in prayer and begin to preach.

            Cushane's pov

  I was a bit confused at first by Lamais's little talk, but when she stood in the pulpit and began to exalt and preach on the scripture I was left in awe. Her words were touching me and I could relate to what she was saying.

"Same God a mawnin' a di same God a evening, don't just sidung an' sey God know mi heart. Get up! Try somn and if there is nothing to do, gwane a knee city... God hears you the minute you open your mouth to him in prayer, I am a testimony. Holy ghost fire, send up those praises and the blessings will come down. Push and God will pull you, faith without works is death. Hey, tonight a dancehall night uno nuh si how mi look nice," she preached then said the latter while coming down from the rostrum.

  The church erupted in laughter like I did, her facial expression was so innocent. "Rock my soul..... won't you rock my soul... rock my soul... Jesus rock my soul..." Lamais sang and the band's began to play.

  She began to sing in another language and the people in the congregation, on the choir and ministers on the rostrum stood and began to dance like she was. I rocked to the band playing it was so nice, she was bouncing off of the ground as if she was jumping and the choir joined in singing with her.

  "Yes Zion!" A woman shouted out a short distance away from me.

  I didn't understand a word of the song but it was clearly African and I loved it. An evangelist came down off the rostrum and began to dance leaning her head against Lamais's shoulder, it was a spectacular sight to see as they moved in unison until they parted.

  "Time waits on no man... wether yuh great or simple... times waits on no man... we're moving on..." Lamais's voice was unbelievably intoxicating.

"Lay yuh hand on my hear Lord... I don't mind," the church was on fire as she sang chorus after chorus and she was literally on fire as she ran down to the back of the church and was dancing up and down.

  People were in spirit and I did not know church could feel this good or be so lively. "Lord a love it when yuh touch mi, touch mi Jesus, a love it when yuh touch mi, touch mi Lord... I love it when yuh just touch mi, a don't mind a don't mind a don't mind... Lord Jesus lay yuh hand all over mi, I don't mind, lay yuh hand all over mi, I don't mind lay yuh hand all over mi, I don't mind just touch mi, I don't mind a don't mind I don't mind..."

  I swear I have never seen one woman move in the spirit as Lamais, I was taken in and began to dance as I felt fire began burning from my bones.

To be continued....