Free Where I Wanna Be by Vera Roberts Page A

within the next several weeks. Amen
     
    ****
     
    The parishioners of First Baptist Church were nothing like anything Eli had seen before. Women, in all shades of brown, were dressed to the nines. It seemed the older women wore extravagant hats that coordinated with their entire outfit down to the shoes. The men wore the sharpest suits and were models out of Ebony Man.
     
    The church itself was quite large, two stories tall, and almost rivaling the size of the cathedral by his mom’s house. Eli and his family made themselves a place in the back of the church and sat down. Nicola made small talk with her co-worker and waited for the festivities to start. Eli just hoped he wouldn’t fall asleep like he did every Sunday in mass.
     
    “ Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to celebrate the church’s anniversary on this fine Sunday,” The deacon spoke into the microphone. “We know you all have other responsibilities and things you have to do, so for you to come here to celebrate the church is just a gift from God. Thank you! Now without further ado, please welcome your First family—Pastor and Lady Sheppard and their daughter, Faith!”
     
    The parishioners stood up and applauded the family entering the church, walking down the long center aisle. Pastor David was a muscular and tall Black man, standing over six feet tall with a bald head and goatee. His wife, First Lady of the church, Amy, was on the pastor’s right. She was a petite Black female, with black hair just over shoulder-length and a hazelnut skin tone.
     
    On the pastor’s left, was their only daughter, Faith. While Eli stood up and applauded with the rest of the parishioners, he only focused on Faith. She was petite, probably just a few inches over five feet and yet her bearing made her seem statuesque. The pastel blue gown contrasted with her dark chocolate skin tone. Faith had her long black hair up in a ponytail and wore light makeup that complemented her. She smiled and waved at every person she interacted with. When her eyes landed on Eli, she winked at him before she moved on to another parishioner.
     
    It seemed like there was a glow, an aura that surrounded Faith as she moved down the aisle. If Eli thought he was going to marry Faith before, he definitely knew it when he saw her in church.
     
    Throughout the ceremony, Eli was focused on Faith. The way she interacted with people, how polite she was, how enthusiastic she was during some songs. When she got up to speak about her parents and being raised in the church, he hung on her every word. She had such class and dignity, being full of confidence and intelligence.
     
    Eli was used to the hood-rats; the type female who wanted to have sex without even knowing what his last name was. He easily accommodated the women and quickly moved on to the next one whenever he got bored.
     
    But Faith, though… Ms. Faith Sheppard, as she was introduced to the congregation… she was different.
     
    Once the service was over, Eli hurriedly made his way to Faith and waited for her to finish meeting with other church members. The moment she was free, Eli found his opportunity and seized upon it. He casually walked up to her and smiled. “That was a beautiful speech you gave about your parents.”
     
    “ Thank you.” Faith smiled. “I didn’t know you were a parishioner here as well.”
     
    “ Normally, I’m not. I came here because my mother was invited by one of her co-workers.” Eli replied. “So this is your dad’s church, huh?”
     
    “ I was born and raised here.” Faith looked around at the church. It started small, in a shopping center, and eventually grew to mega-church status. Her father was already televising on local cable TV for a broader audience. It was a matter of time before he made the rounds of the international religious networks.
     
    “ I was wondering if I could take you out, sometime. I promise to have you home before your curfew.”
     
    “ I don’t have a