Heaven Help Us

Chapter 1: Let the Church Say Amen

"Ain't God good saints?", Apostle Daniel Tanner said as he mounted the pulpit.

He looked out into the large congregation he had been blessed with. Membership of this great congregation was numerous passing 1,000 within it's first decade. Many people in Fort Wayne called this church home. The congregation erupted in roar of "Amen's","Hallelujah's", and " Yes He is's" at his remark. Apostle Tanner turned behind him and extended a loving hand to his wife. Giving a knowing nod she rose, adjusting her purple and gold robe, and stood beside her husband.

"You see saints", he said facing his wife. "God is so good He created this beautiful Proverbs 31 woman to be my helpmate".

Prophetess Erica seemingly blushed at the words her husband spoke. She wasn't familiar with this soft side of him anymore. His heart turned to stone after Denise was born. Those were the good years. The time before he belittled her and their girls into submission. She smiled remembering the times he'd caress her gently and compliment her without cease. Those days were long gone but they had an image to maintain as leaders of Jericho City Restoration and Deliverance Temple. People expected to see their leaders working together and loving each other not tearing each other down. No matter what went on in their marriage behind closed doors in public they played the loving husband and dutiful wife. No matter if he forced her to change her outfit 3 times because he deemed it too short even though it was knee length.

"No self respecting first lady would wear that to church. Wear something that'll hide the extra weight you've put on", he had told her that morning venom laced in every word.
Like many mornings before, she smiled and went to change sometimes quickly wiping tears because a true woman wouldn't cry. Today he ordered her into an ugly black sweater dress that fit uncomfortably. Today she became more silent, didn't eat in order to lose weight, smiled when she got to the church. She did all these things for a husband who took the beauty she had for herself. Denise noticed all these things. She begged her mother to eat, to speak, to be the woman she knew.

If only his precious congregation saw how he treated his should be prize Denise thought.

"The bible says what therefore God hath join together, let not man put asunder. When God joins two into one no one, that means your Aunt Suzy, Uncle Bubba, Cousin Joey, no one can break it up" Daniel continued. "You see our partners are chosen in the spirit".

Denise sat in the front row and watched her dad preach like she did every Sunday. She hated watching this charade. Every Sunday he would tear her mother apart a little more. Every Sunday he called her fat, called her worthless, made her feel less like a woman. She would submit and swallow the pieces of herself that broke off. Then they all would get in the car and put on smiles and pretend to be a functioning family. Denise was so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice her father stopped speaking. If she had been paying attention she would've seen him twitch and fall convulsing on the floor. Denise didn't see anything she was too busy thinking about the mess her mother was living in.