The Beginning of Eve's Time

The man’s standard-issue semiautomatic pistol was only inches from her face. Although Eve was less than 5’2”, without heels, and the man was much taller than she, the pistol was at eye level and so close that she could make out the infamous Smith and Wesson insignia on the grip. How had she gotten herself into this
situation again? Eve hated courtrooms. She hated the light-heartedness between the court clerk and court reporter as they discussed what they’d have for lunch and laughed way too loud. She hated the way she was sure she could tell which attorneys were private or state-appointed by their grooming and quality of clothing and shoes. She hated using one of her highly coveted vacation days from work for this mess. Most of all, she hated the 50-something year-old officer, standing nearby before court began, looking down her shirt. Eve looked past the gun and straight into the eyes of the officer standing above her and simply said, “For real?” as she rolled her eyes and closed her coat around her. Goodness, did men ever think? She could’ve been a plaintiff, defendant, witness, or there to support a friend but anyone sitting in Room 407 at 10 A.M. on a brisk winter day in Chicago was no doubt caught up in some drama. Clearly whatever inner turmoil she was facing was irrelevant to the officer who was only interested in protecting and serving her voluptuous physique.

She began to slowly close her eyes to take her mind off of her surroundings but quickly changed her mind as she remembered the creepy cop nearby. Although he was an officer of the law and they were surrounded by people, he was still a man and she didn’t trust him. Just then another male officer, younger and more attractive than the first, strolled into the courtroom.  He was tall and the color of a Caramel Frappuccino with a little extra milk, just how she liked her men and her Starbucks. She allowed her coat to casually open to give him the slightest view of the goods if he wanted to check her out. He was walking in her direction! She forgot about her headache and made some serious eye contact with the handsome officer who smiled back at her. Okay, now we’re getting somewhere. Maybe this day off work wouldn’t be a complete loss after all. Perhaps they were destined to meet this way and her day from hell could turn out to be a night from heaven. As he continued to make his way down the aisle, she could read his badge - Officer Tariq Pierre. She wondered if, with a last name like Pierre, he was from some island. She tried her new potential last name out – Eve Pierre. She decided that it was suitable to only have his last name and that a hyphenated Hart-Pierre wouldn’t be necessary. Yes, Eve gleamed, Pierre was acceptable. She flashed Officer Pierre her winning smile and a seductive look as he abruptly stopped right next to her and knelt down. Her heart practically stopped. He was even more handsome from this angle.

“Excuse me, Miss,” he said in a voice even deeper than she’d expected.

“Yes, sir,” Eve playfully replied.

“Please turn off your cell phone or you will be asked to leave the courtroom; court is almost in session.”

Eve was so caught up with flirting that she hadn’t realized that her cell phone was ringing loudly in her purse. She angrily dug through her favorite Cognac-colored leather purse as her ringtone, “Brick House” by the Commodores, urged its listeners to shake it down. Two quick swipes of her manicured index finger sent the caller to voicemail and silenced her phone. When she set her sights on Officer Pierre once more, he was walking with the older creepy officer toward the female court clerk and reporter grinning like Cheshire cats. “C’est la vie,” she said under her breath. She didn’t speak much French, but she knew all too well that meant such is life. Eve pulled her coat around her once more and came back to reality: why she was really sitting in the courtroom wasn’t for some far-fetched, destined love connection. On the contrary, she was there to sever ties to a former lover…again.

The wooden bench was hard and uncomfortable against her body much like the pews at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church where she used to sit with Granny, her maternal grandmother, when she was little. Much like her opinion of God, she sat on the pew waiting to be judged. She felt a single sliver of pain shooting from the base of her neck, through her ears, and to her temples. She knew the feeling all too well. Most of the time a nap or a pill could solve what ailed her; but when she was this stressed nothing could ease the physical pains she was feeling as a result of her emotional distress – except forcing herself to calm down.

Eve suddenly heard the echo of Granny’s voice in her mind, “Baby, pray about everything.” Eve wanted to pray. She knew that she probably needed to pray. Her life was so far from what she’d hoped for. Granny was probably in heaven right now shaking her head. She felt so lost, so lonely. She took a slow, deep inhale then exhaled the name, "Jesus," quietly to herself. A warmth started at her head and coursed through the rest of her body. She was surprised that she remembered the name. She didn’t hang out with the church types as an adult. She’d learned her lesson as a child after the quick slap Granny had given her across her mouth when she’d used the Lord’s name in vain once when she was 5-years-old and the long talking to that followed. Eve didn’t talk or think about Jesus since Granny passed; Granny always said the name of Jesus. She talked about Him all the time like He was a real person. Jesus was her answer for everything and she didn’t care who knew it. She wondered if Granny was exaggerating, was Jesus really the answer for everything? Eve heard a faint voice inside say, “Yes” then felt something like a warm hand on her left shoulder. Her eyes darted open and she quickly spun around on the bench to give whoever had invaded her space a piece of her mind, but there was no one behind her. She settled once more in her seat after taking a second glance over her shoulder for good measure. She was sure she’d felt a hand, and the familiar warmth, and that faint voice. She couldn’t forget that voice. Had she really heard a response?

Granny talked to Jesus all the time and she said that He spoke back to her. Granny confidently did whatever Jesus told her to do. She remembered her Granny cooking a Thanksgiving-style feast with all the trimmings one day in July. Eve’s smile and appetite grew larger each time she ran in and out of the house while playing with her neighborhood friends as Granny cooked. Every time she came indoors, Granny was seasoning another dish or pulling something out of the oven. Granny hummed and sang songs about Jesus as she cooked. She stood in the kitchen cooking, sweating, and singing about Jesus until the sun went down. Eve bragged to the kids in the neighborhood about the list of Granny’s dishes that she knew must have been ready by now. Granny didn’t have to tell Eve to wash up and change clothes before dinner like she normally did. Eve sat down at the dinner table and put her napkin on her lap. Imagine Eve’s surprise when she saw Granny wrapping up all of the food in foil and containers and putting them in plastic bags. Eve didn’t understand – had Granny lost her mind? Eve sometimes heard people in the neighborhood call her Granny crazy and for the first time Eve almost agreed. Eve walked into the kitchen with great concern for her grandmother. Granny looked normal and although it was a warm evening in July, Eve felt a different warmth in the kitchen that seemed to stir straight from Granny’s soul. Granny stopped singing and Eve strained to hear what sounded like whispered prayers flowing from Granny’s lips. Eve wondered why Granny was praying over the food when it wasn’t even on their table yet. Granny prayed and packed as if Eve wasn’t standing there. Eve decided to break the silence, “Granny, I just love your cookin’! Can I set the table for dinner by myself this time?” “Little Eve,” Granny said, “Put on your shoes so we can take this food down to the Pattersons' house.” Eve’s mouth dropped open. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she knew better than to defy Granny. She reluctantly put on her shoes and came back into the kitchen where Granny asked her to help pack the food to take to their neighbor. Eve didn’t understand what was happening. Eve packed chicken. Granny prayed. Eve packed string beans with potatoes. Granny sang. Eve saw the pan of Granny’s peach cobbler, Eve’s favorite dish, when she cried out, “No, Granny, not the peach cobbler!!” Eve fell to her knees and held on to the bottom of Granny’s apron. Eve had looked forward to those southern style delectables all day long, she’d bragged about it to the entire neighborhood, and even complied when Granny told her to pack every dish – but expecting Eve to give over the cobbler was just too much to bear! Eve, although labeled as a bit of a drama queen by some, cried and pleaded with Granny but this time it was no act. 

Granny told Eve to get up. The packing was done and it was time to walk to the Pattersons' house. Eve carried a few bags while Granny loaded up her rolling cart with the bags of food. Eve sat on the Pattersons' stoop with her hands on both sides of her cheeks as Granny walked to their door and rang the bell. Eve couldn’t stand to see the departure of so much good food. As Eve wondered what, if anything, Granny had prepared for them to eat, Eve heard a loud, “Thank you, Jesus!” behind her. She didn’t turn around, it was just Granny thanking Jesus for something else again. She heard the same voice thank Jesus again and begin to sob very loudly. Eve turned around that time. She was confused about why Granny gave them the food but she certainly didn’t want to see her Granny crying. Eve turned around and saw that it was Mrs. Patterson making all of the noise. Through her sobs, she shared with Granny that Mr. Patterson had lost his job, they’d cut her time at the diner to less than 20 hours a week, and she’s just found out that she was pregnant with their sixth child. She’d just warmed up the last meal in their pantry, a large can of pork and beans, for the children to share. There wasn’t enough food for the adults and children to eat dinner and she’d had no idea where their next meal was coming from. The family had just said grace when the doorbell rang and it was Granny with more than enough food to sustain this growing family for the next week. Mrs. Patterson thanked Jesus and Granny repeatedly.

When Granny stepped off the porch to head back toward the house, Eve quickly grabbed her hand to head home. She wasn’t sure what’d just happened. How did Granny know that the Pattersons were eating the last meal in the house? Granny didn’t associate with many people and she was never one for gossip. She was direct and honest and stopped people dead in their tracks if they wanted to share news about what was going on in someone else’s household. Granny always said that, if someone wanted her to know something, they’d tell her themselves and anyone who would tell another person’s business would surely tell hers as well. Eve and Granny quietly walked back into their house.

Eve wasn’t upset about the peach cobbler anymore. In fact, she felt bad for the Pattersons. She played with the youngest Patterson kids every day and had no idea that their family was going through such hard times. Eve sat at the table slowly and contemplatively eating dinner as she thought over the day’s events. Eve waited on Granny to talk about what’d happened but since she didn’t volunteer any information Eve decided to ask, “Granny, how did you know that the Pattersons needed food?” Granny looked directly into Eve’s eyes and said one name, “Jesus.” Warmth she'd never experienced before flowed through little Eve’s body that time when Granny said Jesus’ name.

Long after Granny said bedtime prayers with her only granddaughter, Eve lay in bed feeling warm and loved. Granny talked about Jesus, sang about Jesus, and prayed to Jesus but now Eve knew for herself that Jesus was real. Jesus was taking care of the Pattersons and he was taking care of her and Granny too.

The next morning she went into Granny’s room to hear more about Jesus, she never thought she’d feel that way but she was excited! The house felt cold for a summer day but Eve was eager to talk and sing and pray to Jesus with Granny. It was Sunday morning so she’d get to sing with Granny and dozens of others that day at Mount Carmel, and Eve was sure she’d be the loudest one. Maybe if she practiced every day, her voice would get to be as loud as Granny’s when she sang. Did Jesus make her voice boom so loudly? Granny didn’t need a microphone when she sang at church and her Mahalia Jackson style voice made saints and sinners cry. Eve didn’t smell bacon or hear Granny humming in the kitchen as she usually did when she woke up. She wasn’t sure what time Granny woke up in the mornings, she wondered if Granny slept at all, but she was always up before Eve. Granny probably needed some extra rest after cooking so long yesterday. Eve wondered how early she’d awakened if she was out of bed before Granny. Jesus sure made Eve do strange stuff like wake up early on a summer’s day and get excited about church instead of cringing at the thought of Granny pressing her hair before Sunday school. She hopped into bed with Granny who lay on her back with a peaceful smile and dark brown eyes pointed at the ceiling. Eve sputtered out every question she’d thought of about Jesus the night before and made up a few more right there on the spot for good measure.  By the time she finished talking, she was out of breath. As an only child, Eve didn’t need too much extra participation in a conversation – she could talk and talk all by herself. She knew Granny loved to talk about Jesus and wondered why she hadn’t gotten started yet! Maybe there was just so much to say about Jesus, so much that Eve needed to learn, that Granny wasn’t sure where to start. She may have just been amused by her overly eager, bubbly only granddaughter. Eve smiled and looked deep into her Granny’s almond-shaped eyes. Eve stared at her a great while. Granny did not blink. Eve let out a shrill cry that could be heard all the way to the Pattersons’ house.
          “All rise, court is now in session – the Honorable Judge Thompson presiding!” said the bailiff loudly. Eve wiped away the tears that had begun to fall uncontrollably from her eyes. “Jesus, yeah, right,” she said under her breath.