The Veil Read Free Page A

made her grandmother look frail and weak. Her stare caught Misha’s attention and she waved at her. Misha smiled and slightly waved back. She was glad her grandmother was able to make it to the program. At eighty-two years old, she didn’t get out much, especially at night. It was beginning to get dark outside and the darkness made her nervous. She liked to be at home when it got dark. But today, she made an exception.
    Misha looked at her grandmother’s face that had the perfect makeup on it. Always the elegant woman when she went out of the house. At home, she only wore housedresses, winter, spring, summer, and fall, without fail. Her hair was silver and rolled into tight curls that looked like she just took out the pink hair rollers Misha was so used to seeing her wear around the house.
    Looking farther into the crowd she eyed the deacons sitting in the front row. She used to think they were nodding in agreement with Bishop. Now she could see some of them were only asleep. How could they be asleep at the beginning of the program? Other people in the crowd were already nodding off too. She shook her head as she began to focus on other people in the church. It was like she could see the joy, peace, hurt, and fear of the people who had gathered to hear her speak. She felt the weight of their pain in her heart. She placed her hand on her chest and continued to breathe deeply. Closing her eyes, she prayed silently to herself for strength to get through this day.
    The lyrical voices of the choir singing brought Misha out of her prayer. Her hands were clammy, damp, as they connected with every clap to the music. Bishop stood again to introduce Roger. He seemed so formal to her. She knew this was serious, no time for joking.
    â€œI don’t know about y’all, but tonight, I’m nervous. This is one of my own. I’m not going to introduce her. Minister Williams knows her best. But I do want to say she is one of us. She got saved right here in this church and I have watched her grow as a person, a Christian. I love her like my own child. I love all my sons and daughters in the ministry,” he said, turning to look at Misha. “Your family here?” he asked.
    Misha stretched her finger toward her family. Bishop asked them to stand as the congregation applauded.
    â€œI know y’all love her. We have adopted her here. We love the work she does here with the junior missionaries and the youth choir. I’m not going to get into all that. I’m sure Minister Williams will tell you all about it. I want y’all to know we love her and are looking forward to hearing her preach.” He turned to look at Misha again. “Are you nervous?” he asked, smiling at her.
    Trying not to look nervous, she lifted her hands and over-exaggerated them shaking; and the laughter that followed removed the tension in the pulpit.
    â€œMinister Williams, come on up here.” Bishop walked to Misha and embraced her. “You’ll be all right. Take your time and let the Lord use you,” he whispered in her ear. Misha nodded, hugging him tightly.
    As Roger stood at the podium introducing her and telling the congregation how much he loved her, Misha sat back in disbelief of where her life had taken her. She was the same girl who used to come into this church with a hangover and only a couple of hours of sleep when Roger would come to pick her up and take her to church. She only came because of him. She did like the preaching, but she loved the party.
    As Roger stood at the podium going through her list of accomplishments, including her nomination for rookie teacher of the year last year, flashbacks of how she met him quickly breezed through her mind. It was a cold October day and she was leaving a sorority rush meeting when she met him: standing outside, protesting fraternities and sororities. He walked up to her and called her a beautiful woman of God and began talking to her. She didn’t care