CHAPTER NINE

Leonard tapped on the desk with the end of his chewed pencil. The view from his office window was a cement wall across the alley. Neighborhood kids had tagged it. Some of the words were obscene and he went out weekly for a ritual whitewash; other things, spray painted and even shaded, were works of art.

“Stupid kids. They got talent, they got guts. They got no brains, tagging walls and doors, gang-banging when they could be learning something to get them out of here. They could get paid for doing that kind of stuff for ad agencies.”

Swiveling around in his leather chair, Leonard squared himself with the heavy desk and returned the pencil to his mouth. If only that kid hadn’t been at the Thornton clinic. What kind of father takes his kid to work with him on Sunday night? Leonard knew the answer. The kind of father whose wife worked the night shift at a nursing home. He seemed like an all-right guy, talking on the late night news. He was crying.

“Killed a baby, did you boy? Broke the sixth commandment. ‘Thou shalt not kill’ Ain’t I taught you better, Leonard?”

He jumped from the chair, knocking a plant to the floor.

“Meemaw.”

“Aint I taught you better than that boy? Answer me.”

Leonard sensed the voice wasn’t real, had no substance, still…“Meemaw, that can’t be you. I buried you. . . going on four years now.”

“Ain’t I boy? Answer your Meemaw.”

“Yes. Yes, you taught me. Honest, Meemaw, I didn’t know the kid was going to be there. We were trying to save babies. That was an abortion clinic. That sixth commandment didn’t mean a lot to them.”

“Don’t make it right, now, does it boy?”

“Meemaw, please. I didn’t mean it. You never punished me for things I didn’t mean.”

“Egg’s been broke now, boy. Nothing your Meemaw can do to put it back together. You just got to take your licks. Face up to it, Leonard.”

“There’s other people in it, too. I can’t just up and quit, Meemaw Flossie. Besides, there’s still something to gain out of  it.”

“Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? Acts five. You been lying to God, not to man. You been using the Lord’s people to get your mammon. I know what you been doing honey. But you just remember what happened to old Ananaias when he tried that. Yessir, he fell dead as a doornail and the young men came and carried him out. You can’t lie to the Holy Spirit, baby. Uh-uh.”

“Meemaw, think what I can do with the money. I can help people, I can start another church.”

“Uh-uh, Baby. Not to the Holy Spirit.”

Leonard fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around his gut and rocked back and forth.