As the girls were searching for a seat in the congested sanctuary, they could see one of the sisters coming their way.
"Gwen," Jes said, "here comes Sister Hemp."
"Oh LORD," Gwen said.
Sister Hemp was the busy body in the church. She was short,
overweight, and loud. She knew everybody's business in the church and
most of the business in the street. She was long winded and had bad
breath. She wore a bronze colored wig and always wore a flowered dress
to church. Furthermore, she and Jes didn't get along. Gwen and Jes did
their best to retreat from Sister Hemp but they couldn't make it through
the crowded isle fast enough.
"Hey Sister Matthews," Sister Hemp spoke.
"Hello," Gwen replied while slyly covering her nose.
"Jes," Sister Hemp spoke, making it short and to the point. Jes
responded the same hiding behind Gwen.
"By the way you girls were moving through the isle, if I didn't know
better I would have thought that you were trying to get away from me."
"Well I guess she don't know no better," Jes mumbled under her
breath.
Quickly sister Hemp responded to Jes asking her if she had something to
say.
"Sister Hemp, don't pay Jessica any mind," Gwen said with emphasis
on Jes' name, "but what can I do for you?"
"Well honey," Sister Hemp said while rolling her eyes at Jes, "I was
wondering if you would like to come and talk to my young ladies group
that I teach here at the church on Monday nights?"
Before Gwen could answer, the church organ began to play and the
congregation began to sing the traditional hymnal.
"Oh Sister Hemp," Gwen said weakly from holding her breath, "I
would love to come and talk to your class, but we would need to talk
about it another time OK?"
"OK baby, I know you need to find a seat, 'cause when they gon' they
gon', but make sure you find me after service now."
Gwen nodded yes as she and Jes walked down the isle.
"Who told that woman that she didn't need a tic-tac?" Jes asked
Gwen.
"I don't know," Gwen said as she found a seat, "but I sure wasn't
going to be the one to tell her."
"I'll tell you again," Pastor Brothers spoke in his sermon. "Our young
people have to stop looking for these so called special people to enter
their lives and concentrate on waiting for the LORD to bless them with
that quote UN quote special person."