and into the bathroom for a shower.
Evan’s mouth hung open as she held her throbbing face trying to comprehend how this alternate universe had suddenly become her home.
Chapter 11
“God is good!” Leon’s voice shouted causing an instant uproar of unrelenting praise in the church.
“All the time,” was the congregation’s response in unison.
Hands clapped fast and loud in the congregation and the sounds of banging drums and clanging cymbals permeated the church. Hundreds stood on their feet, clapping, dancing, and shouting the praises of God. Leon smiled as he looked out on the congregation and spoke more words of God’s goodness to the people. The more he spoke, the more they shouted.
Sitting with crisp sophistication in a fitting not tight peach suit, nude heels and a smile on her pretty face, Evan gleamed in her First lady role portrayal. She clapped as expected when expected. She was often the first to stand when Leon preached but today was different, she hadn’t moved an inch except to cross and uncross her ankles. Evan was finding it difficult to continue her front. After all, she had extra concealer around her left eye and heavier make-up on her left cheek than she had ever in her life worn.
Evan listened as Leon gave verbal reverence to God, the leaders of the church, and then Leon turned to her. Their eyes met, neither blinked and neither turned away. Evan saw herself standing up from her purple cushioned chair, walking over to Leon clad in his long white and gold robe and knocking his teeth right out of his mouth; all in front of his worshipping flock. Instead, she sat in the purple cushioned chair giving the congregation exactly what they expected; exactly what they wanted.
“And to my beautiful help mate who is always by my side; the First lady,” Leon paused with his deep voice cracking; the church applauded. He put his hand up to silence them. He grabbed his handkerchief and dabbed his eye as if wiping away a tear. “Sweetheart, I thank God for you and I love you.”
The congregation broke out in thunderous applause as Leon smiled at Evan. Leon maintained his gaze at her as if waiting for her to return the smile.
“I’d like to ask the First lady to come and join me,” He said holding out his hand toward Evan.
All eyes were on Evan. She swallowed as discreetly as she could, keeping her eyes fixed on Leon who was still dabbing tears that weren’t there. She forced a smile on her delicate yet still painful face as she stood. She placed one foot in front of the other and began walking toward him. He had won. He had beaten her again; the ultimate humiliation. This was yet another purposeful fist to her face. She grabbed his outstretched hand, leaned in toward him as he placed his cold lips to the side of her cheek; the left cheek.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Leon said as he held her hand up and held it high in the air. “You see, brothers and sisters, this woman is the blessing that God gave me. Without her, I would not and could not be the man of God that he has called me to be.”
The crowd stood to their feet and clapped for the First lady. Evan maintained a smile on her face and nodded in appreciation giving them and Leon exactly what they wanted. She looked at the congregation with a tear in her eye then back over at Leon who stood before the congregation as ruler over his empire.
Evan stood beside Leon with Greg on the other side of him; all shaking the hands of the departing congregation. There used to be a time when Evan liked this; when the church was much smaller and there were fewer hands to shake. But she maintained her smile as she hugged and cheek kissed those exiting. She didn’t know if it was all in her head or not but she seemed to sense Greg looking over at her every now and then but not making eye contact with her which made her think he was examining her eye.
Leon on the other hand stood remorseless wearing his famous smile revealing
Evan’s mouth hung open as she held her throbbing face trying to comprehend how this alternate universe had suddenly become her home.
Chapter 11
“God is good!” Leon’s voice shouted causing an instant uproar of unrelenting praise in the church.
“All the time,” was the congregation’s response in unison.
Hands clapped fast and loud in the congregation and the sounds of banging drums and clanging cymbals permeated the church. Hundreds stood on their feet, clapping, dancing, and shouting the praises of God. Leon smiled as he looked out on the congregation and spoke more words of God’s goodness to the people. The more he spoke, the more they shouted.
Sitting with crisp sophistication in a fitting not tight peach suit, nude heels and a smile on her pretty face, Evan gleamed in her First lady role portrayal. She clapped as expected when expected. She was often the first to stand when Leon preached but today was different, she hadn’t moved an inch except to cross and uncross her ankles. Evan was finding it difficult to continue her front. After all, she had extra concealer around her left eye and heavier make-up on her left cheek than she had ever in her life worn.
Evan listened as Leon gave verbal reverence to God, the leaders of the church, and then Leon turned to her. Their eyes met, neither blinked and neither turned away. Evan saw herself standing up from her purple cushioned chair, walking over to Leon clad in his long white and gold robe and knocking his teeth right out of his mouth; all in front of his worshipping flock. Instead, she sat in the purple cushioned chair giving the congregation exactly what they expected; exactly what they wanted.
“And to my beautiful help mate who is always by my side; the First lady,” Leon paused with his deep voice cracking; the church applauded. He put his hand up to silence them. He grabbed his handkerchief and dabbed his eye as if wiping away a tear. “Sweetheart, I thank God for you and I love you.”
The congregation broke out in thunderous applause as Leon smiled at Evan. Leon maintained his gaze at her as if waiting for her to return the smile.
“I’d like to ask the First lady to come and join me,” He said holding out his hand toward Evan.
All eyes were on Evan. She swallowed as discreetly as she could, keeping her eyes fixed on Leon who was still dabbing tears that weren’t there. She forced a smile on her delicate yet still painful face as she stood. She placed one foot in front of the other and began walking toward him. He had won. He had beaten her again; the ultimate humiliation. This was yet another purposeful fist to her face. She grabbed his outstretched hand, leaned in toward him as he placed his cold lips to the side of her cheek; the left cheek.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” Leon said as he held her hand up and held it high in the air. “You see, brothers and sisters, this woman is the blessing that God gave me. Without her, I would not and could not be the man of God that he has called me to be.”
The crowd stood to their feet and clapped for the First lady. Evan maintained a smile on her face and nodded in appreciation giving them and Leon exactly what they wanted. She looked at the congregation with a tear in her eye then back over at Leon who stood before the congregation as ruler over his empire.
Evan stood beside Leon with Greg on the other side of him; all shaking the hands of the departing congregation. There used to be a time when Evan liked this; when the church was much smaller and there were fewer hands to shake. But she maintained her smile as she hugged and cheek kissed those exiting. She didn’t know if it was all in her head or not but she seemed to sense Greg looking over at her every now and then but not making eye contact with her which made her think he was examining her eye.
Leon on the other hand stood remorseless wearing his famous smile revealing
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