A PK And A Thug

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

"I'm going, away. I'm going, to stay, and I ain't, coming back no more. I'm going, away. I'm going, to stay, and I won't be troubled no more.  And we'll go sweeping through the city. Where my captain's gone on before. And we're gonna sit down on the banks of the river. And I tell you that I wont, I won't be back, I won't be back, I won't be back, no more." These words, sang by Pastor Shirley Caesar, rang through the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church, the megachurch pastored by the Late Great Bishop Jacob Daniel Dyer Sr., as family, friends, and business associates gathered to pay homage and tribute to this incomparable man of god. Among them were gospel greats like Tasha Cobbs, the dynamic duo Mary Mary, Shirley Caesar, Kirk Franklin, The Williams Brothers, and many many more. News reports rang across the nation broadcasting the service. "Good morning america, it is a sad day across the nation as friends, family and fans gather at the New Bethel Missionary Baptist Church to lay to rest another wonderful man God, Bishop Jacob Daniel Dyer Sr. His family is now arriving and the funeral is about to begin shortly." For 5 hours New Bethel was filled with laughter, good singing, praise breaks and memories from family and friends. "Bishop Dyer was a loving, caring, funny and responsible man. He also could never control his facial expressions. I remember when we went to convention in 2015 Bishop was getting ready to go in for service because he had to preach that night. Presiding Bishop Jackson came in the back with us as we prepared to pray in and he pulled Bishop to the side and asked him a question and Bishop made a face as if he was disgusted and the whole room lit up with laughter. I still to this day don't know what Bishop Jackson said but whatever it was it helped us create a long lasting memory with our Bishop. I am so honored to have been able to dedicate my life and service to Bishop Dyer, a god-fearing man. Family I want to encourage you with the words of the songwriter saying, "He was bound for Mount Zion way out on a hill and if anybody don't make it surely he will." Kayla sat in silence with tears constantly flowing as she gazed upon her father's casket. She could no longer think about the stresses of her life outside of family. She was burying her father, her heart was burdened with sorrow and she had to sing. She zoned out to a point where when they mentioned it was time for her to sing she didn't hear them. It was as if the world around her was isolated from her as her main focus was on the casket presented in front of her. "Kayla, Kayla baby, it's time for you to go up and sing." Kayla snapped back into reality, wiped her eyes, walked up to her father's pure white casket and kissed it as she proceeded to the pulpit to deliver a song. "My father was an exceptional man. He was so loving and so caring that he kept the severity of his sickness from us for as long as he could so that we wouldn't be burdened with the stress of worrying when he was gonna leave this earth." The music began to play and she glanced down at her father's closed casket. She thought about the Saturday morning races, the Saturday evening bible studies, how he prayed for her every night before she went to bed and her heart began to find consolation in knowing he was gone to a better place. "Whyyyyy should I feeeeelllll discouraaaaged? and whyyyyy should the shadoowwwwsss coooommmmeeee? Whyyyyy should my heeeaaarrtttt feel lonelyyyy, and loonnggg for my heavenlyyy hooommmeee? When Jeeeeeesus iiiiissss my portiooonnn, a cooonnnnnstant friend is heeeeeee, his eyyyyyeeee is oonnnn the sparrow, and I know he watches me." It was at that moment her heart smiled and she began to smile. In spite of the pain and heartache she felt she was happy and overjoyed in knowing that her father was watching over her from heaven. As she finished the song, she looked out into the audience and saw her father standing in the rear aisle and she at first was frightened but then became happy. He smiled at her as she finished the song and clapped for her and blew her a kiss. When his spirit left the church, it was then she felt like having church. That was until she looked at the program and saw Marcus was giving a tribute to her father. "Mom, why is he giving a tribute to dad?" MaKayla began getting pissed just thinking about the fact that he was Daemon's step brother, but realized that her mother didn't know about it. "Well, your father loved Marcus and he loved your father." She looked at her mother with a look of rage in her eyes. "That's what you think, he set me up. He's Daemon's step brother." Her mother looked back at her with a face of absolute shock. "How did you find this out?" "Daemon told me, I went to meet up with Marcus like I thought was planned and Daemon was there. When I asked what he did with Marcus that's when he told me he was Marcus' step brother." First Lady proceeded to call for the presiding minister/ program guide down to her seat to tell him to remove Marcus from the program, he looked with a confusing and suspicious look but uttered not a word. The funeral proceeded and Marcus prepared to get up until Minister Blackman mentioned a change in the program. Marcus exchanged looks with Kayla as she smirked his way and prepared for a musical tribute from the Trinity Inspirational Choir singing her father's favorite song. "Give up the world, now give up the world. Ohhh give up the world, if you want that holy spirit ohhhhh you gotta give up the world." Kayla stood up, along with her mother and brother, and sang along with the choir. The Dyer family had never looked so strong and united, it was a picture perfect moment that was captured as a symbol of true church leadership and family strength in time of sorrow and grief. The funeral finally ended and they began the recessional. Kayla danced and praised her way out until she reached the outside of the building and she was faced with reality. Standing in front of the church near the family car was Marcus and Daemon. Everyone was walking past them like it was normal whereas Kayla, her mother, and brother stood there in shock and anger. "Why are you here and why are y'all standing over here? Can I have one day of peace and bury my father?" The devilish smirk that once captured her attention no longer controlled her. This time he had went too far, crashing her father's service just for a public stunt or to put on a scene in front of the whole world. "I'm here because I can be and we're standing here because we can. Now y'all had no rights to remove him from program at the last minute." First Lady looked at him and forgot she was at her husband's funeral let alone on church ground. "Get away from me and my family, get away from my church, and leave us alone and let us bury Bishop. This publicity stunt you're trying to pull won't work. I may look like an innocent Woman of God but I promise you don't want me to take you to Brooklyn. Marcus you're fired as the drummer, I'm tired of this drama and I'm tired of seeing you parade around like you're so innocent and so holy especially when we all know what you've tried to do in the past few months, weeks rather." It was at that moment that everyone around caught on to what was going on. Kayla looked around with a breath of relief that the news reporters were nowhere in sight to catch what seemed to be happening. "Fired, you fire me. I can't be fired, especially by you. It has to be a majority vote by the board" Kayla looked at Marcus and laughed. "You think you're so clever, so smart, huh?" Kayla, being a voting board member yelled to the top of her lungs, "BOARD MEETING FOLLOWING MY FATHER'S BURIAL!!!!!!!!!!" Marcus walked off pissed, Daemon behind him. "This isn't over." Daemon said as he walked off. Who knew what was going to happen after they buried Bishop, no one knew of the fate that was coming to the New Bethel and Dyer family.