Iâll think of a perfect way to melt the ladiesâ hearts.â
Lance was pleased. âThatâs great, Cheeks.â
Arykah was sure that Mother Pansie and Mother Gussie had tainted her image with the women at Freedom Temple. But come Sunday morning, Arykah would change that. Sheâd be more engaged and be more inviting. Sheâd introduce herself to the women she had yet to meet. Sheâd follow Moniqueâs advice and put on a front. Arykah would stand next to her husband with a forced smile on her face and pretend as though sheâs loving the moment like a dutiful first lady should.
Chapter 6
Saturday was upon Lance before he knew it. The morning of Justin Cartwrightâs funeral, Lance sat behind his desk at the church wondering how he would eulogize him. Lance had never met Justin, and the only thing he knew of him was that he was a drug addict that had been found dead of an apparent overdose.
With dead saints, Lance could celebrate the fact that theyâve gone on to be with the Lord in his eulogy. When Lance and Arykah visited the Cartwrights on Tuesday, Brother Cartwright had informed Lance that Justin held no interest in God whatsoever and lived the fast life earning fast money.
To Lance, it was easy to preach about a dead person when they were saved and lived the life of a saint, but what could he say about a nonbelieving drug addict? Lance would just have to wing it and talk about the happy times of Justinâs life that Brother Cartwright shared with him.
This would be a first for Lance. He had eulogized many people during his pastoral ministry, but theyâd all been church members. As he sat behind his desk, he prayed that when he stepped behind the podium, God would write on his tongue.
âItâs open,â Lance responded when he heard a soft knock on his office door.
Carlton Weeks, one of the associate ministers, poked his head inside. âBishop, may I speak with you?â
âSure, Carlton. Come on in.â
Carlton entered Lanceâs office and closed the door behind him. He sat in a chair across from Lanceâs desk with a weird expression on his face. âThereâs something funky going on downstairs in the sanctuary, Bishop.â
Lance frowned. âFunky how? Have the Cartwright family arrived?â
Carlton twitched in his seat. âUm, yeah, um, see, Bishop, thatâs what I came to talk to you about. The Cartwrights are here, but there are other people here too.â
âFriends of Justinâs?â
As if his necktie had been tied too tightly around his neck, Carlton pulled at it to loosen it up. He then pulled his handkerchief from his jacket pocket and dabbed at sweat beads that had begun to form on his forehead. âYeah, I guess you could say that. Um, Bishop, how much do you know about Justin Cartwright?â
Lance shrugged his shoulders while frowning at Carltonâs uneasiness. Carlton appeared to be on the verge of a stroke or heart attack.
âNot much. I never met him,â Lance said. âCarlton, what is the matter with you? Youâre losing all of the color in your face. Do you want me to call an ambulance?â
Carlton wiped more sweat from his forehead and neck as well. âNah, Bishop, Iâm cool. But I gotta warn you about something before we head downstairs.â
Lance was becoming impatient. âWell, spit it out.â
Carlton searched for delicate words but couldnât find any to describe the scene in the sanctuary. âThere are men dressed as women sitting on the opposite side of the Cartwright family.â He rushed the words from his lips.
Lanceâs eyebrows rose; then he frowned. Carlton had spoken so fast, Lance was sure he hadnât heard him correctly. He turned his left ear toward Carlton and connected eyes with him. âSay what?â
âApparently Brother Cartwright had kept Justinâs other life a secret. Having the drag queens in the