Chapter 15 - In Bloom
June, 1956
It's never gonna be 50/50 in a relationship, so we must allow love to make up the difference.
Elizabeth Patterson was born into chaos, but she never accepted that it had to be so. Born during the Great Depression, she grew up in an era when those around her lived and preached “survive at all costs.” Elizabeth had her doubts about the family theology. She would often see her big brother perform petty crimes. He always gave the same set of explanations. If he took a loaf of bread from a window sill, he would rationalize “Well, someone would have taken it, so why not me?” Or, if a cashier happened to leave her register open and unattended, he would snatch the cash and say, “Who leaves a register open like that and walks away? She was practically asking me to take the money. I’m doing her a favor by teaching her a lesson.”
As a little girl, Elizabeth would take much of what her brother gave her and share it with other kids in the neighborhood who were hungry. Since these acts of kindness angered her brother, she learned to be discreet. Elizabeth’s father once owned a farm, but had it taken from him when he was arrested and accused of being draft-dodger. He’d never received the draft notice, but it was not uncommon back then for postal workers to withhold draft cards from black property owners for the purpose of disenfranchising them. After his arrest, not only did he lose his farm, but he was shipped to Europe anyway to defend the same system that had betrayed him. When he returned to the States, he also fought the bottle. Elizabeth’s mother was a simple woman who often just let things happen. Her husband was seldom around and she allowed her children to do as they pleased. Of the five of them, Elizabeth was the only one who took schooling seriously and completed high school. She also completed a year at Dillard College, before the money ran out. Years later, Elizabeth would realize that her mother was probably clinically depressed. But, back then, black folks didn’t acknowledge mental illness. Nor could they afford to pay for treatment.
Elizabeth loved music, but her mother discouraged it. Instead, she steered young Elizabeth towards becoming a beautician. However, the choir director at their church encouraged Elizabeth to pursue music. He seemed to see something in Elizabeth that no one in her family did. Eventually, Elizabeth acquiesced to her mother’s wishes and went to work as a beautician. Music remained her passion, that is, until the Civil Rights movement hit the Mississippi Delta.
Growing up in a family of petty thieves, Elizabeth had dated hoodlums and even fell in love with a couple of them. In her heart she knew that such a life, or even affiliating with such a life, would only lead to sadness one day. But what else was there for her? The answer came on a cool December day in 1955 in the form a newspaper article about the arrest of Rosa Parks. The next day after church, Elizabeth attended the meeting after service. A meeting of leaders from the community churches was held in the back room of one of the local black-owned restaurants. When Elizabeth stepped into the room, all eyes fell upon her. She felt completely out of place.
Then, her choir director stood up and said in a loud voice, “This is Elizabeth Patterson, the best musician and singer in all of New Orleans you’ve never heard. I’ve been hiding her at my church to keep any of you thieves from stealing her away from me!”
One of Dr. King’s lieutenants shouted from the front, “Have a seat and join us.”
Elizabeth took a seat next to an Episcopal priest. At first, because of his collar, she thought that he was a Catholic priest, but then he introduced himself. “Hello, my name is Hosea Johnson. I’m the priest at the Episcopal Church around the corner. Welcome.”
There, at twenty-five years of age, Elizabeth found her life’s purpose. She got involved in the movement and, the very next Sunday, visited Hosea’s church for the first time. While she didn’t leave her home church right away, she was increasingly drawn to Hosea’s church and their work in the community. She often marched alongside the goatee-wearing minister. The salt and pepper on his chin told her that he was at least ten years older than she was. But, she found herself attracted to the wisdom he displayed and his constant acts of kindness. Elizabeth actually looked forward to being bailed out of jail for civil disobedience by the handsome priest.
When Elizabeth met Hosea, he had two baby girls, Cil and Deborah. One day, as Elizabeth and Hosea were driving to a planning meeting for an upcoming march, they passed a very pregnant woman standing on the side of the road in the 9th ward. She looked wild and stood screaming and yelling at no one. Hosea immediately pulled over and got out of the car. Elizabeth did likewise and began to follow him down the street towards the woman.
Hosea glanced back at Elizabeth as they walked and said, “That woman is my wife, Lola.”
The words and the context froze Elizabeth in her tracks for a moment.
She couldn’t help but release an, “Oh, my….”
Hosea motioned for Elizabeth to stand back a bit and calmly walked up to Lola. He tried his best to catch her eye so that she would see and recognize him.
Hosea called out, “Darling? Lola? It’s me, Hosea. Can you hear me?”
Lola cried angrily, “Of course, I can hear you. I hear everything!”
Her clothes were raggedy so Hosea offered her his jacket, but she pulled away screaming. Elizabeth had been around long enough to know that Lola was on a bad trip, but there seemed to be something else going on as well. Elizabeth edged up slowly towards the screaming woman. Lola was having a conversation at the top of her lungs with persons unseen.
“How dare you judge me!” Lola accused as she pointed her finger towards a vacant lot.
Her eyes were silvery blue and appeared to glow, but Elizabeth supposed that it must be the light reflecting in her eyes. It was then that Elizabeth noticed the huge wet stain on Lola’s skirt.
When she looked at Hosea, he nodded and said, “I know. I know. We need to get her to a hospital.”
Hosea reached for Lola’s right arm and motioned for Elizabeth to do the same on her left side. The contractions were coming now. The pain made Lola yield enough for them to move her back towards the car. They managed to get her into the back seat. Elizabeth sat in the back with Lola as Hosea jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off towards the hospital. Elizabeth peered under Lola’s skirt. She gasped as she saw the crown of the baby’s head.
She called out to Hosea, “She’s not going to make it to the hospital. We’re gonna have to do this here. Pull over!”
Elizabeth delivered Ruth Ann Johnson right there on a side street in New Orleans. She proceeded to present the baby to Lola whose eyes were now brown. Elizabeth initially brushed off the inconsistency as being her own imagination. She looked into the front seat at a relieved Hosea and smiled. Not quite a year later, Elizabeth was also present at the birth of Sarah Jane Johnson although she didn’t perform that delivery.
It was with the birth of Ruth Ann that the trouble escalated in the church for Hosea. Lola’s erratic behavior and increasing drug use became more and more of an issue for Hosea in his role as rector. Lola and Hosea weren’t together when Deborah was born, but most folks gave the couple the benefit of the doubt that Hosea had fathered the child before the break up, especially since the child was dark-skinned like Hosea. Still, people whispered. With the birth of Ruth Ann, few in the congregation could understand why Hosea took the child in and, worse, refused to divorce Lola. They began to lose respect for him. A movement to remove him as rector truly took root. Sarah’s birth a year later only served to ease the consciences of those who rose against Hosea; they were sure that they’d made the right decision. Some even said that they were doing him a favor by offering him a chance to get his own house in order.
Elizabeth stood by Hosea through it all. She’d seen the reflection of God in all he did and she could not forget that the way so many others had. He’d fed the hungry, clothed the naked, healed the sick, and comforted the dying without ceasing. Hosea even bailed Elizabeth’s criminally-minded brother out of jail and exerci
sed his faith that God would provide him the money to pay his own bills by the end of the month.
Many people said that there was something going on between Hosea and Elizabeth. In a sense they were right. She’d never so much as kissed the man, but she was totally smitten with him. And, why not, she thought? Since meeting Hosea, she’d joined the Civil Rights struggle; stopped dating petty criminals; and, with his help, returned to Dillard to complete her degree. She had become his Girl Friday but she did want more.
Hosea seemed to be oblivious to her longings. How could he not see what everyone else saw so plainly? Finally, the day after Ruth Ann was born, Hosea finally asked her the question he’d had on him mind for some time.
They were sitting in the family waiting room of the hospital that Lola and the baby were in when he turned to Elizabeth and asked, “Why are you here? Can’t you see all the mess in my life?”
Elizabeth sat back a bit and decided to reply honestly, “Hosea, how could I not be here after all you’ve done for me, my family, and our community? In fact, this waiting room would be full and overflowing, if only a tenth of those you’ve helped were here like they should be –supporting you.”
Hosea smiled and leaned forward in his chair to look towards Elizabeth. He paused a moment before speaking and said, “You know, you really should be hanging out with folks your own age. You do realize that I’m forty...”
Elizabeth cut him off, “I know how old you are and what does it matter? Since meeting you, my whole life has changed and I will be forever grateful for that. If I can be that one person that reflects back to you even a fraction of the love you’ve given, how can that be wrong or unwise?” Seeing by Hosea’s expression that he wasn’t really buying her argument, Elizabeth added, “Why can’t you let someone else take care of you for a change?”
“I’m concerned about you, Elizabeth,” a weary Hosea said softly.
“I know,” Elizabeth reached out and squeezed his wrist before reaching for her purse. “Hey, I’m gonna run and pick up Cil and Deborah. I’ll take them to my apartment and make them some mac and cheese with ham. You know I don’t eat pork, but they love that stuff. I can bring you a plate once my neighbor gets home to watch the kids.”
Hosea thanked her, “Thank you, but I’ll be fine.”
Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled, “Hosea, you need to eat. I’ll fix you a plate and be back around six or seven. Bye.”
Later that evening, Elizabeth returned to the hospital. She parked Hosea’s car, grabbed the still warm plate of food and walked towards the hospital’s front entrance. As she walked up, she noticed a long, black limousine. She thought it looked a little out of place but in New Orleans you might see pretty much anything. What was odd was the sight of Hosea exiting the back seat. Seeing him now, reminded her about several months before when she had seen a black limo parked outside of his church when they arrived early one Saturday morning. She found that incident curious, but let it go. She caught up with Hosea just before he entered the foyer of the hospital.
She called out, “Hosea!”
He turned, “Hi, Beth, what’s happening?” She loved when he called her Beth. He only did so sometimes when they were alone.
“You tell me. What was that all about with the limo?” she inquired. She’d known of clergy being involved with mobsters and politicians. She considered both lowlifes and her heart raced at the thought of Hosea being involved in anything criminal.
Hosea thought for a moment. He was trying to decide just how open he should be before he answered her.
“Those were some people that I do work for from time to time.”
“Work? What kind of work?”
Hosea breathed in deeply, “The kind of work that requires me to leave tomorrow morning.”
Elizabeth noticed that there was something in the inside breast pocket of his black suit jacket. So, she sat the plate of food down and snatched the envelope from his jacket.
“Beth!” Hosea yelled as Elizabeth scurried away turning her back to him so that she could see what was inside of the envelope.
Elizabeth froze when she saw what was inside. It was a plane ticket – a plane ticket to Sydney, Australia. Her mouth fell open as she handed the ticket back to Hosea.
“Wow.”
She turned her face toward him looking completely puzzled at this man she thought she knew.
Hosea shifted into full disclosure mode, “Beth, have a seat.”
They sat on the bench next to the plate of food. “How much do you know about exorcisms? Have you heard of the term?” Elizabeth shook her head and Hosea continued. “Sometimes this world of light and air is breached by portals into darkness. Sometimes the forces of darkness reach into our world through the souls of men. These breaches are commonly referred to as demonic possessions. Often these breaches are the result of some distant pain that has been allowed to fester in a person’s soul until it becomes a stronghold for the enemy. But at other times we have no explanation at all. Regardless, when these breaches occur, someone must repair them. Sometimes that someone is me. Various religious organizations call on me when I’m needed.”
“And they need you in Australia?” Elizabeth asked as she shook her head.
“Yes, Beth, that’s correct and they want me on that flight tomorrow morning.”
“To cast out demons?” Elizabeth said softly.
“Yes.”
They sat there in silence for a moment before Elizabeth posed her next thought.
“So, who are the folks in the limo?”
Hosea answered, “I guess you’d say they are, for lack of a better term, my handlers. They report to an organization called the Circle. the Circle is a collection of like-minded people from around the world sworn to hold up the light against the darkness. When an incident such as the one in Australia is brought to their attention, they decide the proper course of action and they delegate the task to the proper people, such as the folks you saw in the car.”
“And, your Cousin Rob?”
Hosea was stunned by the mention of Rob’s name.
Elizabeth continued, “Oh, come on. I catch such a surreal vibe from that guy. He drips secret agent sauce. I thought he was FBI or something. So, is Rob a priest too?”
Hosea shared what he could with Elizabeth, “Rob is something else. At the very least, one would have to say that Rob is gifted.”
“And, at the very most?” Elizabeth asked.
Hosea pondered for a moment, “At the very most, he is descended from the angels, as referenced in Genesis of the Bible where it states that angels laid with humans.”
Mouth agape, Elizabeth paused for a second. She didn’t know if she believed what she was hearing. She struggled to reconcile her disbelief with her faith in and love for the messenger before her.
“So, can he part waters or something?”
“No, but he can do some amazing things nonetheless.”
“Descended from angels, huh?”
“Don’t know for sure, but that’s what some of the others like Rob say.”
“So, there are others?”
“Yes.”
“Lola?”
“Yes, but how did you know?”
“Out there in the street, when she was screaming, her eyes were silver and glowing. A few minutes later, they were brown.”
Hosea stared at Elizabeth with a sense of longing for younger days free of his burden. “Beth, you’re a young woman, too young to be caught up in these shadow games. You should be out enjoying life, doing what young girls do, not here in my situation.”
The full-figured Elizabeth sat straight up, “Hey, I’m not quite 30 yet, but I’m a full grown woman.”
“Yes, you are.”
They sat in silence for a moment as they shared a smile that spoke volumes of what was between them.
“Look, Hosea. In every area of your life you fight for what is right. You are a true warrior for God, helping the needy, loving the unlovable, an
d a true living sacrifice in the midst of chaos, forgoing your own needs for the sake of others. Yet you are flesh and blood. You need someone to share with, someone to help you carry this burden, someone to walk with you through this chaos. You need someone on which you can lean, without asking you for anything.”
Hosea shook his head.
Elizabeth continued, “Listen to me. Since I can remember, I have benefited from the pain of others. My brother stole and hurt others for my benefit and, with few exceptions, I turned a blind eye. From fifteen to twenty-five, I ran the streets with hoodlums who kept my belly and my glass full, and yet again, I turned a blind eye to the true costs. Each time I turned away, but I’m not turning away this time.”
Hosea sat frozen by her words.
Elizabeth continued, “With a drug addict for a wife and three little girls, you could use some help. Some help you can trust, who won’t turn away.”
Hosea sat back and breathed out heavily, acknowledging Elizabeth’s argument. “Okay, I have most certainly appreciated your help with the girls and I don’t know what I would do without you.”
Elizabeth smiled and Hosea continued, “But, let me know if it gets to be too much. No words can match the reality of these things.”
Years later, Elizabeth would speculate on why the big loves of her life were either saints or sinners. Suffice it to say, for her love was struggle.