“All the Bishop’s Children 2” — Episode 1

Chapter 1

It was noon when Bishop Dwight Kensington Jacobs, overseer of the Love & Peace Apostolic Holiness Church checked into the hotel in Louisiana for the first of a two-day Gospel concert at the Blessed Hope Community Church in the center of town. Dubbed the “Song Bird of the South” for the past twelve years, he was still being called on to minister to hundreds of people across the region. After getting five hours of undisturbed sleep, he gave his wife of thirteen years, Rosalind Kezia Randall-Jacobs, a call before heading out to the Blessed Hope Community Church.

“I made it in safely. Pray that God would anoint me and that His presence would be felt,” Dwight said to his wife.

“I will,” Rosalind said.

“How are the boys doing? DJ didn’t seem too pleased when I told him I could not take him with me because his leg had not healed yet,” Dwight said.

The Lord had blessed Dwight and Rosalind’s marriage with four children: Dwight (DJ) Joseph Jacobs now thirteen years old; Rachel Beatrice, eleven years old; Kennedy Ryan, nine years old; and Jessica Katylee, seven years old.

“Oh, he’s doing fine. If he’s sad about not being able to go with you then he’s certainly not showing it. He’s trying to be the man of the house ordering his sisters and brother around and threatening them with his walking stick,” Rosalind said with a laugh.

Dwight laughed. “That’s my boy. He’s taking my words seriously. I told him to be the man of the house while I was gone. Anyway, I have to go. I don’t want to be late on this first night.”

“When will you be back?” Rosalind asked. “I want to have a great meal ready for you when you come in.”

“It’s a two-day concert, so hopefully I’ll be back the day after tomorrow,” Dwight said. “As for what time, I’m not exactly sure.” After talking with the children Dwight said goodbye and headed to the church.

After dinner, with the help of her two daughters, Rosalind made enough buttered popcorn topped with peanuts for them to snack on before going to bed. While they were watching television, the phone rang.

“Hello, Rev. Dorsett. Hold on a minute,” Rosalind said. She untangled the phone cord and stretched it as far as it could go toward her bedroom. DJ strained to listen to the phone call. Rev. Michael Dorsett was the pastor of Pleasant Hope Missionary Baptist Church up in Mobile. He and Dwight had preached in each other’s churches and their two families had gone out to dinner together.

“Yes…he made it in…day after tomorrow…alright,” Rosalind said. “Around ten or ten-thirty is fine…just beep your horn once…the side door is open…Bye now.”

Rosalind hung up the phone and joined her children in the living room but this time she had a more serious tone. “Okay, children, wrap it up now. It’s already nine o’clock. You all have to be in bed and asleep by nine thirty. Eat up. I’ve let you play as long as I can. Remember you have school tomorrow.”

“Awww, Mom,” Jessica and Rachel said.

“Dad would let us stay up longer if he was here,” Kennedy said.

“None of that. You won’t want to get up in the morning,” Rosalind said. “Like your father said, waking you up is like waking you out of a coma.”

“Oh, I always want to get up,” Jessica said.

“Wanting to get up and getting up are two different things,” DJ said shaking his walking stick.

After the girls were in bed and after helping DJ hobble to his room and making sure that both boys were in bed, Rosalind went to her room and shut the door.

Disturbed by the weird phone call from Rev. Dorsett, DJ lay awake long after his brother had fallen off to sleep. He was watching his black and white television on mute — thinking and listening. Ten or ten-thirty is fine. The side door is open.

He thought he heard a car pull into the driveway. Thinking someone was using their driveway to make a u-turn he thought nothing of it until he heard a single car horn blow. Just beep your horn once. He heard his mother open her bedroom dhyoor and go to the side door which led into the hallway running between the bedrooms and bathroom ending in the living and dining room. DJ thought he heard a car door close softly. Shortly after, he thought he heard whispering as someone walked past his bedroom door. He heard his mother close her bedroom door again.

Curiosity drew him to his bedroom window. He peeked through the curtain. There was no mistake. Rev. Dorsett’s car was parked out front. That’s strange. Dad’s not here, so what’s he doing here at this time of the night? Disturbed, he climbed back into bed.

Rev. Dorsett stopped by around the same time the following night. DJ was greatly concerned as he turned things over in his mind.

Chapter 2

Instead of staying the night in his hotel and pulling out for home the following day as he had originally planned, Dwight was so energized from the meeting that he decided to drive on home after the second and last night of the Gospel concert. He drove right on to Fairhope stopping only once to stretch his legs and to refill the gas tank.

It was after three in the morning when he pulled into town. He drove by the church just to check on things. He swung by the radio station and chatted with Mr. Cunningham for a short while. He then hurried on home hoping to surprise his wife. As he turned onto the street his house was on, he saw a car backing out of his driveway. He stepped on his accelerator.

That car looks like Rev. Dorsett’s car. It sure is. What is he doing here this time of night especially since he knew I was going out of town?

Dwight drove past his house and followed the suspicious vehicle. It pulled into a gas station about a mile away. Dwight made a U-turn in the parking lot and waited for the driver to get out. It was Rev. Dorsett.

With questions arising in his mind, Dwight drove back to his house and went inside.

When he entered his bedroom, his wife was asleep. She did not seem too pleased nor too surprised when he awakened her.

“Rosalind, I’m home,” Dwight said.

“Home?” Rosalind said sleepily. “I wasn’t expecting you until in the morning. What happened? Did they cancel the last night of the meeting? Did they cut it short?” she said yawning.

“No. The meeting went so well and I was so pumped up from it, I just came on home,” Dwight said.

“Too bad. I was looking forward to having a hot meal ready for you. You spoiled my surprise,” Rosalind said.

“I’m sure I did,” Dwight said in a low voice. “I’m sure I did.”

Rosalind looked at him askance.

“I thought I saw Rev. Dorsett leaving here,” Dwight said.

“Rev. Dorsett? At this time of the morning? What time is it anyway?” Rosalind said turning to look at the clock. “At 3:40 in the morning? What would Rev. Dorsett be doing here at this time of the morning? Your eyes were playing tricks on you. You should have stayed over at the hotel and gotten yourself a good night’s sleep and driven home later today. What was the rush anyway? But that’s you. Always trying to be a hero. Anyway, you get some rest. You’ll be thinking and talking differently in the morning.”

Dwight looked at his wife as he tried not to react to the situation. He tried to quiet down his increased heart beat. Rosalind turned away from him onto her side and closed her eyes. She breathed a sigh of relief after he left the room to check on the children. When he checked in on his sons, Dwight awakened DJ. “I just wanted to let you know I made it in safely. Your mother told me you handled things like a man. I’m proud of you, son,” he said.

“You’re welcome, Dad. There was nothing to it,” DJ said. He reached over and pulled his walking stick which had not left his side since he hurt his ankle, closer to him as he rolled over to go back to sleep.

Dwight turned to leave but turned back and sat down on DJ’s bed. He gently shook DJ by the shoulder. “Just one more thing, DJ. By any chance was Rev. Dorsett over here tonight?”

“Yes,” DJ said. “And he was over here last night as well.”

“Oh, he was? What time did he come?”

“After Mom put us to bed.”

“So you actually didn’t see him come into the house?”

“I heard his car drive up and looked out the window and saw it was him,” DJ said.

“Do you know what time he left?”

“No, sir. I fell asleep.”

“Okay, son, you go back to sleep,” Dwight said. “I’ll tell you all about the concert tomorrow.”

DJ fell asleep wondering why his father had such a serious look on his face and such a serious tone in his voice.

Chapter 3

DJ had just fallen asleep when he was awakened to his brother shaking him.

“DJ, DJ, wake up! It’s Dad and Mom. They’re arguing,” Kennedy said.

“This isn’t the first time,” DJ moaned. “If it’s still dark outside, then please leave me alone and go back to bed.” He pulled his blanket tighter around him, but Kennedy persisted in trying to get him up.

“Yeah. But this time it’s serious,” Kennedy said. “I heard Mom cry out as if he was hurting her.”

“Dad would never hurt Mom,” DJ said. “You know they don’t want you listening to them. Go back to sleep.”

Kennedy yanked the covers off his brother.

“Hey!” DJ said getting up with a start. “I’ll be glad when you get your own room.” He sat up in his bed and listened. “I only hear muffled sounds. Doesn’t sound like arguing to me. Give me my blanket and go back to sleep.”

“Well, they were arguing,” Kennedy said tossing DJ’s blanket at him. “I got up to go to the bathroom and when I opened the door I heard them. I heard Mom cry out and say something about hurting me. And Dad was saying something about Rev. Dorsett being over here while he was gone. I haven’t seen Rev. Dorsett over here. And I thought Dad was supposed to return later this evening.”

“Oh, yeah,” DJ said remembering his father awakening him. “Dad came back early. He checked in on us but you were as dad would say in a ‘coma.’ Did you hear anything else?”

“I heard a door open and I climbed back into bed and waited for things to die down. That’s when I woke you up,” Kennedy said.

They both listened.

All was silent.

* * * * *

Dwight closed DJ and Kennedy’s bedroom door. He sighed as he made his way into the kitchen. He absentmindedly opened the refrigerator, looked in but then closed it. He peered into a few of the cupboards looking for nothing in particular. Without turning the light on in the living room he sat in his easy chair. There was nothing on the television at that time of the morning so he just sat in the dark — thinking. How could such a wonderful past two days end up like this? Disappointment flooded his soul as he thought of his wife and Rev. Dorsett being together. His heartbeat began to increase. He returned to his bedroom after a few minutes.

Dwight flipped the light on in the bedroom after pushing the door shut. He yanked the sheet and blanket off his wife.

“Get up! Get up right now!” he said shaking his wife.

“Mmmm,” Rosalind moaned.

“Stop that faking because I have no time for games. You lied to me. It took our son to tell me the truth,” Dwight said.

“What are you talking about?” Rosalind said sitting up in the bed. She looked at the clock. “Dwight, it’s 4:30 in the morning. Have you lost your mind?”

“Have I lost my mind? No. I should be the one asking you that question. Have you lost your mind? What was Rev. Dorsett doing over here at three in the morning? And don’t tell me he wasn’t because I know what I saw and DJ verified it.”

“DJ verified it? When did DJ see Rev. Dorsett over here? And at three in the morning when he’s asleep? I believe he was dreaming, so you might want to ask him again,” Rosalind said swinging both legs over the edge of the bed. She pulled the string of her robe tight around her.

“Where do you think you are going?” Dwight asked.

“To the bathroom to give you time to calm down because you’re going out of your mind.”

“Oh, no you’re not,” Dwight said grabbing her arm. “You are going to stay right here until we get to the bottom of this. I saw Rev. Dorsett pulling out of my driveway at three in the morning. DJ told me about him coming over the two nights I’ve been away and that you let him in through the side door. Here I am ministering to God’s people and you are here whoring around with Rev. Dorsett and yet you parade yourself like you’re a faithful godly wife and first lady.”

“You have no proof of that,” Rosalind said. “And let go of my arm; you’re hurting me.”

“So now you’re calling me a liar,” Dwight said tightening his grip on her arm.

“Ow! You’re hurting me.” She twisted her arm from his grasp. “You’re calling yourself a liar. Not me. Like I said, your eyes are playing tricks on you. You need to get some sleep.” Massaging her arm, she marched past him to the bathroom. Dwight followed closely behind.

“You’re a lying, whorish woman. What kind of a wife are you? What kind of a Christian are you? How could you do this to me? To the family? To the ministry? I can’t believe I married someone as treacherous as you,” he said.

“I’ve done nothing to you and the family or to the ministry,” Rosalind said. “And can you keep it down; the children are asleep. And you don’t need to follow me into the bathroom.”

Rosalind proceeded to close the door but Dwight shoved it open and grabbed Rosalind by the arm. “I’ll teach you never to do that again. No man is supposed to be in my house at three in the morning without me being here, with my children asleep, and my wife awake. You don’t see anything wrong with that picture?”

Dwight swung Rosalind around to face him. She slipped and bashed her head against the mirror on the wall. Rosalind cried out as the glass shattered and blood trickled down her forehead.