The entire congregation was now on their feet, in heated conversations, some arguing
about the truth she let spill. Choir members hastily left their seats. A few of them managed
to tip out of the back door to the lower level before she let loose on them, too. The usher
board had closed the rear doors so no one could run out that way. One of them sprinted
down the right side aisle to get to the choir entrance to block that as well.
Reign slid her gaze to her fuming mother, who was dressed in the pristine white uniform
of the pastor’s personal nurse and was sitting in a special seat near the pulpit. “And the
only reason my mother’s on the nurse’s board,” Reign said, keeping a steely glare on her
mother. “Taking care of the pastor, getting his water and handkerchiefs, fixing all that good
food and baking those sweet potato pies especially for him, is ‘cause she’s hoping for a little
… sin of her own.”
“I knew it,” the First Lady said, waggling a finger at Thelma, wide brim hat tipping almost
off her head. She nearly climbed over the pew aiming to get to Reign’s mother. Two
women nearest her, held the stout woman back.
Reign looked toward the red-faced Pastor who was fit to be tied. “And doesn’t look like
he’s turning down nothing but his collar, so maybe I should pass the mic to him. Come to
think of it, Brother Jimmy, Brother Patrick, and Brother Russell need some time up here,
too.” She moved up the middle aisle and back toward the pulpit ignoring the three men
in question. “Each one of them offered me some money—for the baby’s sake. That’s what
they said. But they wanted a little something in return. They seemed really happy that I
was pregnant ‘cause that meant I couldn’t get knocked up again.” She swept a gaze across
the congregation as Sister Delores yanked the microphone from her hand. Reign dashed
toward the choir stand to snatch another one from where the organist played. “And they’re
not the only ones up in here who did that. I’ve got nine offers from church men alone and
close to $9,536.50.” She waggled an index finger. “And don’t forget the fifty cents. That’s
a lot of dough, especially for a sinner like me.” She shrugged as if she hadn’t set the church
on holy fire. “So let’s be fair about this sin thing.”
“That’s enough, young lady,” the pastor said from the pulpit, gesturing for someone to
grab her. Reign faked left, then moved until she was in the far left aisle blocked in by a few
folks who were grinning at her efforts and didn’t let the deacons near her.
“Oh, so I’m a young lady now?” Reign shot back, glowering angrily at him. “When you
told my mother that she needed to bring her little whore before the church to apologize.”
32 | NKLC MAGAZINE