When it All Falls Down

I remember the first time I saw her in church, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her long brown and blond hair flowed loosely down her back and her green eyes sparkled as she stared up at her husband adoringly. On the outside looking in, she seemed to have what some might consider "the picture perfect life." Her husband was then an up and coming preacher who everyone in Charm city loved and respected. Although he already had a child from a previous relationship, she loved the girl like her own and put her all into building her new family.


During the next 4 years her husband grew to nationwide fame, with his church services on television, radio shows, the building of new ministries, schools, etc. They were [well he was] living out their dreams. They lived in a beautiful water front home, drove a Bentley, and quickly grew to be every one's "favorite" couple. Although some were jealous, she paid them no mine, she went on about her happy life. Within four years she had one baby girl and a set of twins, she was a mother, a wife, a woman of God, she was the Preachers wife.


Everything was right until one faithful day it all fell apart. Many people in the church begin to whisper that her husband had been cheating for years on his beloved wife. She dismissed it as jealously and those close to him denied that he would ever do anything like that and then it happened.


As everyone sat listening to him preach on one particular Sunday, a young woman bust through the door carrying a small child in her hands. Her eyes were blood shot red from crying and she was breathing heavily as she stood in the middle of the sanctuary staring up at the preacher. He looked down at her nervously and kept preaching as people begin to whisper, wondering who she was and why she was interrupting services.

"Tell them Pastor," she said with hate in her eyes.

Security immediately begin to run toward the young woman to carry her away.

The preacher was quiet.

"Tell them she said, tell them how you've been sleeping with me, tell them I have your child, tell them you got me pregnant when I was only 17 years old," she yelled as the sanctuary doors closed behind them.


His wife immediately grabbed her then one child, held onto her pregnant belly, and walked out of the sanctuary fighting back tears. The preacher assured the congregation that there was just some sort of misunderstanding and went on with his service because it was still all about him.


One Year Later...

The cities biggest paper covered the story in detail and exposed that the "perfect" couple had indeed filed for divorce. The preacher wanted a limited divorce, meaning separation. However, the wife wanted an absolute divorce, she was hurt, and forgiving him was not an option. She stopped going to church and kept a somewhat cordial relationship with him for the kids, but she was scorned, he had ruined her picture perfect life.



1 year 6 months later...

I headed out to one of the most popular venues in my city to celebrate the beautiful politicians, celebrities, and educated people who were partying for a week straight. We danced the night away on the clubs rooftop, jamming to old school jams, and laughing about absolutely nothing. I turned around to tell my abc [ace boon coon] something and was shocked to see her talking to the preachers wife.


I clearly wasn't the only one surprised as many people stared, and loudly whispered "isn't that so and so's wife?" It occurred to me that she really had to pick herself up and start over. She had been at the top and now here she was back in the club, partying with 20 somethings, starting from scratch.


She smoothed down her hair, gave me a nod, and put on a brave face as she headed back out into the crowd.