The church was packed...Reverend Struthers, Deacon Larry Weatherford and Deacon Basil Robinson looked over the church...it was a virtual who's who in the pews...Some people who were regular church goers and others who hadn't been seen in awhile..
They were all here for the wedding of Mabel Beverly Jenkins and Kerry "88" Moore.
Mabel's maid of honor was her sister, Corabeth Jenkin's Hamilton...Clerow's wife...Her bridesmaids were her older sister, Victoria Jenkins Weatherford...Deacon Larry's wife who had just recently given birth to a 7 pound baby boy...Lawrence Jr., their younger sister...Anita Jenkins and their cousin, Sepia Morris, Kevin Morris's wife...
The best man was Reed Nelson, 88's band leader and best friend....Downtown Rob Brown, Meek Rollins, Bone Hampton and Symphony Sam.
In the audience was Kevin Morris, Clerow, Owen Todd, Kool Kat, Chelsea, Bernadette and Harry Charles, Paris, Blake, Cherish, Chance Howard, Cole and Nicole Butler, Meaghan and Jacques, Ralph Scallion (who catered the reception with his daughter), Chess, Rell and their two children, Chris Thompson, Donald Smooth and their dates,
Fathead Newton, Roscoe, Ralph Mole...Rollie Rollerson and his fiance... and of course ,Gus the bartender and owner of Josies, where everybody hung out and last but not least...The father of the Bride, Willie "Sweet Dick" Jenkins, from Monroe ,Louisiana with his new bride and their two children! Boys...Go figure!
Vocalist Ingrid Rhodes sung a very beautiful selection...Wasn't a dry eye in the crowd after she finished... 88 had written that song for Mabel two years ago when they first started dating. It had been a crowd favorite at Josies...a beautiful melodic song that 88 had played keyboards on while, Ingrid had soloed...
After her song was finished... Reverend Struthers began the traditional wedding ceremony...
"Dearly beloved...we are gathered here today...."
Cherry Johnson, the manager of the local Victoria's Secret stood in the back of the chapel.. Roscoe was there, but no one knew of their special arrangement (Friends with benefits) so she had to keep her distance...She hoped one day to be like Mabel, getting married..Not having to hide her relationship...
Samuel Rasulala had the nerve to be there too....and with Nadine!!!! Hadn't he just been at her place a week ago humping her brains out and screaming her name and begging her to take him back?? He had told her that he and Nadine were long over..What a lying dog...Look at him..He couldn't even look at her!!!
Clerow sat there watching Mabel get married...He allowed his mind to wander to a time when they both were young and in Monroe,Louisiana..spending many an afternoon making sweet, sweet love... before he got weak and got caught with Mabel's younger sister, Corabeth, who he had impregnated and since married... He pushed the thoughts out of his mind ...Mabel was now his sister in law....His married sister in law..
Ralph Scallion, the caterer looked at Mabel....He thought of their one night together, a booty call...88 and Mabel had broken up kind of sort of..and he being the shark that he is...lured her to his apartment...with wine and food...She was strong the first time, but the second time....she gave in..
Yesss lawd...He cherished that memory...and that's all it was now..a memory..Just like Debbie, Reed's girl...who was also there, also married and off limits... He wondered where his girl, Minay was....She was once again in London...Something was going to have to be done about that..he thought.
III-
"Ah now pronounce you...Husband and wife...you may kiss the bride you lucky mother-"
"PASTOR!!!" yelled Deacon Larry Weatherford..
"Ahhhh...Ahhh yes...Kiss the bride....Uh er..ruhh.Thank you Deacon." said Pastor Struthers..
Struthers himself thinking of how years ago, his jaw dropped the first time Mabel Jenkins walked down that aisle and joined his church...He wasn't immune to lusting after her neither, although except for a few sly words...nothing ever came of it....
Mabel Beverly Jenkins was now Mrs. Mabel Beverly Jenkins -Moore...She had come to Philly to escape heartbreak and instead had found herself a husband..and many many great friends as well as a new and good life...
Her new husband "88" whispered in her ear...
"I can't wait to get you out of here and up to that hotel room girl."
She giggled like a school girl...
"Oh 88, stop bein so nasty...You can have me all you want and more forever now..." she said..
"Yes LAWD!" he said with a raffish grin...Mabel giggled...
"Oh shut up silly" she said.
Willie "Sweet Dick" Jenkins handed Gus an envelope with $100.00 in it..
"What's this for?" asked Gus.
"Last time I was up here..you loaned me fifty dollars..That was six months ago..Man shouldn't have to wait that long for his money...That's fifty and fifty more for your wait." he said.
"I like a man who pays his debts." laughed Gus...
Outside the church Cole and Nicole Butler kissed.. People walked past them to get to the bride and groom...
2 comments:
Congratulations to Mabel...She finally found someone...She was your first charactor...Around before Kevin, Chess and Chris, Robert Foxworth...everybody!
Mabel Jenkins was indeed one of my first charactors...but I believe...Paris and Blake and Sean Jackson were my first charactors...They predate Mabel,Clerow and the gang!
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