I Left My Back Door Open Read Online Free

Amen!”
    â€œYou build a marriage on faith in God.”
    â€œPreach, Reverend, preach!”
    â€œBecause, through God, all things are possible!” Reverend Stewart saluted with his fist.
    â€œYes, Lawd!”
    â€œHallelujah now!”
    â€œLet the church say amen!”
    â€œAmen!!!!!!!!”
    The organist pounded away and a soloist stepped forward and belted out, “Jesus Is All the Man I Need.” I scouted the room for husband material, just the same. But after you eliminated the probable gays in the choir, the elderly, the married and the ones too homely for words, there wasn’t much to choose from. I turned my attention back to the service.
    When visitors were asked to stand, I made the mistake of introducing myself as an ex-member of the church. I didn’t think twice about it, until another woman described herself as a former member, a minute later. I cringed with embarrassment. I was convinced that the parishioners were thinking that I must really be doing the devil’s work, calling myself an ex -member, making it sound like they were a cult or something and I’d been deprogrammed.
    What made it worse, Sarita told me that last Sunday, when they asked if anyone had somebody that they wanted the church to pray for, her son Jason had jumped up. And to her astonishment, he’d said in a loud, clear voice, “I’d like the church to pray for my play auntie, Daphne Joy Dupree.”
    Sarita said that Phil whispered loudly, “What’s wrong with Dee Dee?” She said that people who knew me shot her concerned looks. They probably figured that it must really be hush-hush, if the child was the only one who had the nerve to speak out.
    Jason refused to give an explanation for his strange request. I felt it behooved me to be in attendance this Sunday so that at least people could see that I looked healthy and had a smile on my face. But on some level, it made me nervous, having a child asking the church to pray for me. I hoped that it was childhood innocence and not some psychic intuition of Jason’s.
    Other than worrying about looking happy and healthy, my mind was pretty much at peace. There was a feeling of reverence in the church that I’d grown to appreciate. Especially these days, it felt good to be surrounded by people who purposed right. The singing alone was reason enough to come to church more often. But I was especially moved by the testifying. Folks told their stories before the congregation and I felt a sense of community that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I was all the way home.
    After church, back at Sarita’s house, Jason asked me to retrieve a ball that had gotten lost in the tall weeds next door. Neither his father nor his mother would be bothered with such a task. But I agreed, because that was what play aunties were for. However, I did wonder why Jason didn’t just go over and get the ball himself. I knew the house was abandoned and the weeds were waist-high, but I didn’t think there were snakes in the grass.
    Sarita and I sat on her plastic-covered sofa, sipping cold lemonade. Phil was draped across one of the chairs. Jason was upstairs, changing out of his church clothes. This living room was so different from mine: full of white, overstuffed furniture, fake marble tables and gaudy art pieces.
    â€œSo, Dee Dee, what you driving these days?” Phil asked, standing up. Even though he was past forty, people still mistook him for a basketball player. In actuality, Phil was a barber and Sarita was a dental hygienist. They’d married right after high school. They had two grown daughters who were working and going to college in Atlanta.
    â€œYou know, my Honda Accord,” I answered.
    â€œShe bought it last summer, remember?” Sarita added,
    â€œWell, if I don’t see it out there, I’ll come back in and let you know,” Phil teased, his eyes twinkling.
    â€œIt’s five years old, I