Unspoken Words

by Latoya Chandler

Genres: African American Urban; African American; African American Women's Fiction

Synopsis

Unspoken Words will captivate your emotions with a journey through buried memories, painful events, and
multiple tests of faith. In the end, can a legacy survive the silence?
As a pastor, nothing instills more pride than seeing your child follow in your footsteps, learning to teach, believe,
and abide by the Word. Pastor Dexter Lewis wants to see his legacy continue through his son, Zayvon. But what
happens when the only heir to the legacy that you built is born deaf? Do you question God? Do you blame your wife?
When the truth is finally discovered, Pastor Dexter Lewis’s buried past surfaces. Will he accept the inevitable or remain
in denial?

Release date: March 31, 2020

Publisher: Urban Books

Print pages: 288

Sample

God, it’s not supposed to be like this. I know I’ve made mistakes in my past, and you’ve forgiven me for them. But yet, I feel as if I am still paying for them, Naomi-Ruth mourned silently.

The rain spattering against the windowpane matched the tears trailing down Naomi-Ruth’s face. Wishing for the calm of a peaceful night, she wanted to escape the present. She turned her thoughts inward, looking for memories that could give her peace. But tranquility could not find her.

Once inside her powder room, anxiety threatened to consume her. The area was usually transformed into the setting where she meditated and sought to reach nirvana, but now, that same space was unfamiliar and unwelcoming. Naomi-Ruth’s heart was racing at an alarming rate as her stomach churned. Rubbing her sweaty palms together, she glanced in the mirror—and became blindsided by the reflection staring back at her. The image was unrecognizable and yet, so familiar. She looked as tired as she felt. Her disheveled hair, along with the dark circles beneath her blazing, golden eyes, took her by surprise.

“What happened to me? Where did I go? How did I get back here?”

Tears masked her peanut butter complexion, forcing Naomi-Ruth to reflect on everything that had transpired.

“At this point in my life, there’s no reason to cry over what would’ve, could’ve, or should’ve happened. I have to face the music,” she concluded.

Taking in a deep breath, Naomi-Ruth put down the test Dez left for her on her vanity when she diagnosed her. Hesitantly, she picked it up again and opened the box. Her heart was racing, and she was slightly nauseated. With trembling hands, she administered the test. Tears welled up in her eyes. Seconds seemed like hours as she waited. She could feel the nerves as she absentmindedly bit her nails. Unable to be still, she walked back and forth, and without notice, panic struck as the indicator changed to positive.

“N-no! H-how?” she croaked. Naomi-Ruth expected the words that slipped from her lips to be a whisper, but they resounded like a reverberation throughout her master bath.

“Ruth, are you all right? Please, unlock the door,” Dexter pleaded from the other side of the door.

As Naomi-Ruth watched, her hands struggled to open the door. Dexter was already pushing his way inside. She instantly became speechless as their eyes met. Confused by how he got inside the house crossed her mind, but she brushed it off, assuming she’d left the door unlocked. Her heart was hammering painfully in her chest as her breathing went from quick to next to nothing at all. In her state of numbness, the pregnancy test dropped from her hand as she bolted past Dexter, almost knocking him off balance.

“The essence of God has penetrated the atmosphere. Deliverance is here. If you have an infirmity, a lack, or whatever, give God the praise. Praise your way through and out. He is here. Give Him honor,” Pastor Lewis encouraged the flock.

The tone of the temple changed. The blessings of the Divine Spirit had permeated the parish, and they took off in praise.

Rising to his feet, basking in the aura, Pastor Lewis made his way down the three steps that led to the podium over to Naomi-Ruth, handing the mic to her without enunciating a sound.

Promptly as her palms caressed the mic, Naomi-Ruth sang. From the depths of her heart, the song grew and swelled, and you could understand every phrase drifting from her bee-stung lips. There was a precious anointing in the temple. He is here! He is here!

For a moment, Naomi-Ruth and the crowd were one. Her trouble was their trouble, and her joy was their joy. A slow, rolling crescendo strengthened. It spread quicker, more bountiful, and louder . . . until it plunged into the hearts of those accepting, gripping them in its rhythm.

The sounds from the hymn chanted to Naomi-Ruth’s hidden grief, prohibiting her from delivering another note. She used her free hand to erase the tears from her coffee-hued eyes before returning the mic to Pastor Lewis.

As the parishioners and Naomi-Ruth gathered themselves and took their posts, Pastor Lewis hummed.

“The Spirit has stretched through this place. The Lord brought a great Word through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Did you receive it this morning?”

“Yes, He did. God showed up and out. Amen, Pastor,” the saints chimed in.

“I will not preach behind that, but I want to leave you with a few scriptures. Sister Naomi-Ruth, please take the other mic and read a few verses of scripture for me.”

Acknowledging his request by nodding her head in agreement, Naomi-Ruth made her way to the choir stand to fetch the other mic.

“Please turn your Bibles with me to Matthew 25:10, Luke 14:8, and Revelation 19:7, and I assure you, I won’t be before you too long.”

“Matthew 25:10 says, ‘And while they . . . the bridegroom. . . to the marriage.’ Luke 14:8, ‘When . . . any man to a wedding . . . thou be bidden of him,’ and Revelation19:7‘. . . wedding of the Lamb has co—’”

“Stop right there,” Pastor Lewis interrupted, making his way closer to where Naomi-Ruth sat. “What’s the key word that sticks out for you, Sister Naomi-Ruth?”

Dropping her head down to search the passages of scriptures without realizing she was still speaking into the microphone, Naomi-Ruth mumbled under her breath, “Marriage or wedding. I have no idea.”

As the congregation erupted in laughter, Naomi-Ruth lifted her head and was instantly blinded by the tears flooding her eyes. Witnessing Pastor Lewis on bended knee in front of her with a 14-caret white gold engagement ring caught her by surprise.

Naomi-Ruth’s thoughts instantly consumed her without notice. She could not believe what was taking place right before her very eyes. They’d been seeing each other for a few months now, but their relationship was nothing serious enough to hint at or merit a marriage proposal. All of their outings had been group gatherings or get-togethers. Pastor Lewis and Naomi-Ruth barely spent any time alone. If and when there was a need to be paired up on teams, they’d be sure to partner up. Other than that, they’d only shared a few innocent episodes of flirting via text messaging. Nothing had ever signaled or hinted that he was in love with her, or he wanted anything remotely close to marriage.

Pausing for a long moment, and then adding, more hesitantly, “Are you sure this is what you want, Pastor?”

“Naomi-Ruth, I am certain God handpicked and hand-crafted you for me. It simply took one glimpse into your brown eyes for me to see your soul and know you were all mine. Your passion for God is infectious. My heart becomes tender, and I feel like a great king when you are near me or directly in my presence. And that pure, heavenly voice of yours shoots chills up my spine and bliss to my soul. So, to answer your question, yes, I am sure my life would be complete if you would take me into your heart and grant me the honor of becoming First Lady Lewis.”

Sinking into a kneeling position in front of him, Naomi-Ruth reached for his hands. As their palms joined, her tears burst forth like a flood from a dam, pouring down her face. Like a young child, her chin quivered as she responded, “Yes, I will marry you, Pastor. Yes, I will marry you.”

The observers instantly chatted.

Naomi-Ruth recognized the tears threatening to overflow from his eyes. As he cradled her in his arms, tides of tears broke loose and poured faster than his pulse.

“There isn’t a dry eye in this place, but we have a wedding to get ready for,” Mother Diane Lewis informed everyone through fresh tears as she broke their embrace.

“N-now . . . Now?” Naomi-Ruth’s eyes expanded.

“Yes, baby. It is better to wed than to burn with passion. And from that display between the two of you, the love and affection you two have for each other are clear. No worries. We will get you together so you can make my grandson an even happier man.”

With her heart pounding like a thousand drums of adrenaline surging through her frame, Naomi-Ruth followed Mother Diane and two of her assistants. Naomi-Ruth’s dear friend, Desirae, walked alongside her, glaring at her in a puzzled way. Without expressing a word, their eyes talked for them. Desirae didn’t agree with the impromptu marriage, as she has always felt Pastor Lewis was very controlling. However, she identified that Naomi-Ruth’s dream from youth had been to marry a preacher.

“Give us a moment to run back upstairs and get things situated. Sister Desirae, please help this baby get into this dress and fix her face because she done cried herself into a raccoon,” Sister Lewis directed, pointing to the soft white, off-the-shoulder, lace, floor-length wedding gown embellished with beads hanging on the door of the pastor’s study.

“Take it easy, Mother Diane. You need not be doing any running,” Desirae diverted.

Taking a step toward the door, gripping her walking stick, she threw over her shoulder, “I’m going to use wisdom and take the elevator up, baby.”

Feeling paralyzed, Naomi-Ruth stood with a mixed expression of dazed confusion and amazement on her face.

“You don’t have to do this, Nomi. If he loves you and feels you’re supposed to be his wife, he can wait and do it right,” Desirae snapped, facing her.

“Y-you . . . You didn’t help with this?”

“I had no idea.”

“But the wedding dress—”

“Yes, I will agree, the dress is gorgeous, and from the looks of it, it’s a perfect fit, but I had nothing to do with this. I was blindsided right along with you.”

“Blindsided? Yes, it was a surprise, but I wouldn’t call it blindsided. You don’t understand, Dez.”

“What is there to understand? He proposed during the service, which was cute and typical for a pastor, but I am not knocking him. Instead of allowing you to experience the joys of planning your wedding, he thought it not robbery to have a dress picked out and wedding ceremony planned? A bit extreme, wouldn’t you say?”

“Out of all of the women in the church, Dez, he chose me. Can’t you cry, be on edge with me, or just be happy for me? He’s in love with me. Why would I make him wait? I’m all right with this.”

“Look, I love you like a sister, and I want what’s best for you. I know you are the best thing to happen to him, but you cannot allow things to start off like this. He will end up taking you and your voice from you.”

“Me and my voice? What are you saying?”

“He picked out your dress and set a wedding date in place without consulting you at all. Little girls grow up envisioning the perfect wedding, and you couldn’t even take part in trying to bring part of that to reality. Not for nothing, you two weren’t even dating, for God’s sake. Naomi, you don’t even know what he’s like underneath that garb. Please don’t let him turn you into a yes-person.”

“I hear you, Dez, but the problem with most marriages in African American households is we’ve become too independent. Women don’t know what it means to be submissive.”

“Submissive and stupid are two different things.”

“I don’t want to do this right now, Dez. This is my wedding day, so can you please just be happy for me? Besides, this has to be ordained by God.”

“I am overjoyed for your engagement, but rushing to get married the same day of your proposal is a bit much for me to swallow. Also, please, keep in mind that God isn’t the author of confusion. Did you even talk to Him about this?” Raising her hand to stop Naomi-Ruth from speaking, she continued. “No, you didn’t. Why? Oh, I will answer that as well. It’s because you didn’t have time to. You, my dear friend, got engaged, and now, you’re getting married within an hour on the same day.” Uncomfortable and feeling a tad bit troubled for her friend, Desirae quickly gathered her wits. “You’re absolutely right, Nomi. This is your day. Although I may not agree with what you’re about to do, let’s try to make the best of it.”

Much to Desirae and Naomi-Ruth’s surprise, the ceremony was elegantly beautiful. It pretty much mirrored the wedding of Naomi-Ruth’s dreams. Each of the pews had white tulle garlands with lighting to accentuate the white rose petals that adorned both sides of the aisle. Towering rose arches with the same tulle and lighting were erected at the beginning and end of the aisle. Desirae struggled to control the influx of tears that stormed her face as she walked hand in hand with her childhood friend down the aisle. Because Naomi-Ruth’s parents were deceased and Desirae was the only living person close to family, she escorted her best friend down the aisle.

Naomi-Ruth’s eyes darted around as she neared the end of the aisle. Her free hand clenched into a fist at the end of her lace sleeve, pulling the fabric nervously. With trembling lips, she whispered, “Dez, w-where . . . Where is he?”

“I-I don’t—”

“I need thee, oooh, I-I need thee . . . No matter where or how far I’ve searched, the love I wanted was never in reach. When you crossed my path, Love was sent to me for you to teach,” Pastor Lewis serenaded his bride as he tearfully sauntered down the path leading him directly to her.

As Desirae gripped Naomi-Ruth’s hand, hesitating to release her, Pastor Lewis took his place to the right of them at the altar.

“Marriage is a blessing. Who presents Naomi-Ruth to wed this man, Pastor Dexter Lewis?” Elder Gerald Martin solicited.

“I-I do, but she gives herself with blessings from God,” Desirae stuttered. Pulling her in to embrace her, she whispered, “Are you sure you want to do this, Nomi?”

“I’m positive.” She kissed her on the cheek.

Releasing her, she stared at her bosom buddy wide-eyed and fearfully worried. Then Desirae broke down. “I love you, Nomi. No matter what, I will always be here for you.” She then took a seat on the first pew.

As Mother Diane sat beside her, Desirae wept with deep-body, thrashing sobs and softly moaned with sadness. Filled with emotions, she witnessed Naomi-Ruth vow to take a man she feels her friend knows nothing about from the other side of the pulpit. While Naomi-Ruth pledged to love, honor, obey, and submit from the script written by the man she’s vowing to, Desirae’s body was overtaken in a fever of misery, and nausea gripped her middle as a sick feeling swept over her. Uncomfortable with the sudden emotions that seized her, she bounded from her seat and dashed toward the doors. Stopping in her tracks before exiting, she turned to face the trail of unspoken words and emotions sitting throughout the congregation.

“I-I’m so sorry, Nomi. You know I don’t know how to pretend or be fake. I love you, my sister, and always will. Please remember, no matter what, I will be here for you when and if you need me.”

What do newlyweds do once the honeymoon is over? Still in seventh heaven, Naomi-Ruth glowed, admiring her husband from the passenger’s seat as their mini honeymoon ended.

As long as she could remember, she had desired to marry a God-fearing man and live happily ever after. She had always longed for that fairy-tale wedding and honeymoon. With a pastor as her father, Naomi-Ruth’s image of the perfect man mirrored her dad. In her eyes, Pastor Lewis couldn’t be any closer to reflect. Everything was so surreal for her. Not only had . . .