THE LADY IN MY PEW

 I had been home and streaming church online since the pandemic. It felt good to be back in church. I was happy to see the members of my cell group physically. The Zoom meetings were great, but group hugs and cheek kisses were greater.

Naomi, a lady I had the biggest crush was heavily pregnant and had gotten married during the pandemic. I should have made the move, but I did not. She smiled nervously at me when she saw me. I nodded. We both understood. The usher who looked dapper in a black suit ushered me into a seat in one of the pews close to me. I sat down and observed what was going on around me.

There was an excited chatter around me. Most of the members were happy to see each other, giving hugs, excited shrieks at how tall children had grown, the newlyweds, the expectant mothers.

Nothing new had happened in my life, so there was not much to celebrate or share. I got promoted at work, my girlfriend Shelby left me during the pandemic. She began to morph into a completely different person from the vivacious and caring girlfriend I knew her to be. My cousin suspected that there was someone else. She gave no explanation. She packed up her things one morning and was gone by the time I came back. She left a note on the kitchen counter letting me know she left my key under the mat. I felt empty for a few days. We were together for two years, I felt like spending the rest of my life with her. She seemed to be the perfect one.

The choir stepped onto the podium which signaled that it was time for service. Some people began to scramble into their seats. The music began to play and the lyrics to the song flashed along the big screen. A woman with two young children came and sat in the pew with me. She smiled at me, and I nodded in acknowledgement. The whole church stood up in their various pews and sang along with the choir. The ladies in their emerald green choir robes sang and danced excitedly on the podium. They were most definitely excited to be in church and sing. They rendered a few songs and a short prayer, and we sat down.

As I sat, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, I had a message from James, he was running late to church. I responded telling him it was okay, and I would save him a seat beside me. I pressed the “send” button. A few minutes later, the head pastor stepped on the podium, we all clapped excitedly. He smiled. The usher appeared on my pew with a breathtakingly gorgeous woman. She had on a white, lace blouse and a high-waisted black skirt. Her full figure was highlighted. She looked like she wore a C cup bra, she had a twenty-four-inch waist and thirty-six-inch hip. She made eye contact with me, I smiled nervously, and she placed her iPad and Gucci purse on the chair and then proceeded to sit. The scent of her fragrance hit me in the nose. She was a magnet. Attractive in every single way.

The sermon lasted thirty-five minutes, we shared the grace and we had to greet the people who sat around us and wish them a great week.

The lady with the two children held onto my hand as she wished me a blessed week. I wanted her greeting to end quickly. The young, bald man sitting in the next pew was talking to who I wanted to shake hands with and greet. His eyes and locked with hers and I did not want him serenading the beautiful girl with the interesting fragrance. I pulled out a two ten-dollar bills from my wallet and handed them to the children. The mother thanked me.

I turned to face the lady who sat to my left, she looked at me and smiled. She told me her name. Erica. She was a first-time visitor and wanted to come back again next Sunday. I told her it would be a great idea. I brought out my phone to give her my number when two little boys ran towards us screaming “Mommy”. She turned round and let them run into her arms. My heart dropped. She had kids, but no ring. They were twins. She handed me a business card and asked me to call her. I took the card. If she wanted me to call her, I would. She had an air of mystery about her that made me curious. Before I could say anything, my friend James tapped me on the shoulder.