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“I want Sister Pearline and her children to come up to the altar,” Reverend Tillman said.

I looked at Cam. She motioned her head for me to get up. I had a passing thought of not standing up, but it would’ve been obvious, so I followed my siblings to the front.

“I want you all to stand from oldest to youngest across the front,” Reverend Tillman instructed.

We followed directions and lined up from right to left, starting with Sarah and ending with Stella.

“This is a blessing,” Reverend Tillman began. “I know that in this group of ten, there are lawyers, nurses, professional dancers, ironworkers, and business owners, to name a few. Church, that’s a blessing, amen?”

“Amen,” the congregation agreed.

Standing in front of the church reminded me of the times Madear made us kids go to the front of the church so that Reverend Gladney could pray for our mother. We all knew that if Mother came round drunk or high that next Sunday, we would all be up in the front getting oil slathered on our foreheads and bad breath sprayed in our faces while old Reverend Gladney prayed. I had the fleeting thought that maybe those prayers that he prayed worked. If the life Pearline was living now was any indication, then perhaps it did work.

“I want you all to hold hands,” the Reverend instructed.

I couldn’t recall ever holding Karlos’ hand. I was hesitant to touch him, but again following instructions, I did as I was told.

“I want to release a blessing over this family. A blessing that will pour down on you like oil starting with your mother, on to you, from you to your spouses and from your spouses to your children. I need the church praying with me,” he said then released a cadence of words that I couldn’t understand. He seemed to be speaking in another language. After a few minutes of that, he began to speak in English.

“I demand a supernatural release of pain, rejection, abandonment, hurt, and disappointment. I declare those things shall be replaced with reclamation, peace, joy, happiness, comfort, and cheerfulness. We cancel the spirit of torment that would convince you that you are not enough. You are enough because God made you enough. You are God’s Beloved. Put your hands in front of you to mimic being held in handcuffs. This is what we call a prophetic gesture. I want you to turn to your sibling, everyone face someone.”

Karlos and I turned to face each other with our hands symbolically in restraints.

“I want the older of the two of you facing each other to take your symbolic key and unlock your sibling's handcuffs, but before you do hear me. We are currently under an open heaven, which means that what you are about to declare out of your mouth will come to pass. Now, I want you to release your siblings from the chains of fear, oppression, depression, anxiety, lack, poverty, inadequacy, and suicidal thoughts. You declare that those things that they are battling with no longer have dominion over them. No longer will they have sleepless nights with shoulda, woulda, coulda. You have the key in your mouth to your sibling's victory. Speak it out right now.”

I was not a religious person. I’d gone to church with Madear but didn’t really pay much attention. I knew the Bible stories, but all that old stuff never felt like it had a place in my life. I felt silly using an imaginary key to unlock imaginary handcuffs, but since we were all doing it, I did it too. But, when I turned to “unlock” Karlos’ “restraints” I felt something different. Then when he, in turn, released mine, I knew I felt something lift off my back. To say it out loud would make me look foolish because nothing was on my back, but my chest felt lighter. I felt like I could stand up a little straighter. He must’ve felt something too because he grabbed me and hugged me. We wept on each other’s shoulders.

My tears didn’t make me feel like less of a man. On the contrary, I’d never felt more manly in my life. After Karlos and I hugged, my mother came over to us.

“Morris, I am so sorry. I’m sorry for everything that I did to make you feel less than. I really do love you.”

“I love you too, Mother.”

We embraced.

Cam

The church service was amazing. The pastor’s message was on point, and the reconciliation of Morris’ family was so beautiful to watch. I felt honored to be one of the spectators in the audience. Both Karleen and I cried a lot. We went through her whole purse pack of tissue.

After service, the family met at a hall to have dinner. Most of the same people that were at the park were at dinner. I met a few more family members who were not at the picnic.

“Hi Cam,” Kira said after sitting next to me at one of the tables.

“Hey, Kira,” I smiled.

Kira was one of the youngest siblings in the family.

“I don’t know if you remember, but we’ve met before.”

I examined her face for a few seconds. I’d already peeped her hair and knew that it was cool, but it wasn’t an installation done by me. It certainly was not the grade of hair I would’ve used to accomplish her bob. I had no idea where we could’ve met. I hoped she wasn’t someone that had. been on the other end of my wrath. That would be terrible to have to explain to Morris that I’d beat up one of his younger sisters.

“I can’t say that I do remember. I’m sorry. Refresh my memory.”

“I was in California trying out to be one of Lyrica’s tour dancers. You came into the building with Lyrica and smiled at me. No one else, including Lyrica, smiled at me when they entered the room, but you did. Then before they started calling numbers, you came into the room to speak to us. Do you remember?”

“I do remember. I asked Lyrica why she needed her stylist with her at the dance auditions, but she’s funny like that. She just likes for me to be around.”

“Yeah, I remember you said that. You said,no one is more out of place at this very moment than I am. I am just a foster kid from St. Louis, who learned how to do hair because no one would do mine for me. Now I’m standing in front of you beautiful and talented people attempting to assess your talent. Then you said,it doesn’t matter who gets picked or who doesn’t. That’s all about preference and not your ability as a dancer. So I say go, and dance like no one is watching because you’ve already arrived,” she said.

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