I Don't Want To Go: Living Praise Book 2

Who's Going On Tour?

Carol walked into the church for the next rehearsal of Living Praise. She eased into the building about twenty minutes early and saw Tommy, Linda, and Lester. 

All three seemed to be animated and didn't seem to recognize Carol when she walked in.

"We have to slow down some time." Tommy said. 

Lester wasn't having any of that, "If you slow down you will die. We are hot now, it is not a smart move to stop now." Lester said.

"What do you think?" Lester asked Linda.

"Well, I would like to slow down, but we are too hot right now to do that."

"See that's what I'm trying to tell you." Lester said.

"What are you guys arguing about?" Carol said interrupting the verbal battle.

"Well Linda and Lester here can't understand that if we don't slow down we are going to lose more than we gain. Personally, I have other things to do besides just Living Praise." Tommy said.

Lester looked shocked and yelled at Tommy, "Living Praise saved you and you want to toss it away?"

"Carol, don't you agree that we need to carve out time for other endeavors?" Tommy ignored Lester and asked Carol.

"You got time, how much time do you need?" Lester asked. "I know you ain't trying to go solo again." 

"I was asking Carol." Tommy said with a smile.

Carol feeling on the spot and knowing that she was wanting that very thing didn't know what to say. She stammered when Mary and Ricky walked in. 

"OK, guys, I got great news. Our manager has just signed us up for another European tour. Now last time we made a lot of money, but this time, we are sure to double it. I was just telling Ricky about it as we walked up." Mary said.

"I think this is when you kick me out the group." Tommy said with a devious smile.

"Naw, everybody is going this time." Mary said as she continued walking.

"Well, we were just having a conversation about slowing down when you walked up." Linda said.

"Slowing down, what you mean slowing down?" Mary said.

"The group is taking off, and that is fine. I am happy about it. But I have a few other things I want to do." Tommy said.

"Few other things you want to do? Like what?" Mary asked.

"Well, I am getting more and more preaching engagements and even some offers to pastor a church..."

"Pastor a church? Now you know you can't go on the road and pastor a church at the same time." Mary said.

"I know, but I was just saying that I have a lot of opportunities to minister that I have to turn down because..."

"Ain't Living Praise ministry?" Mary interrupted.

Carol sat back for a moment, but she felt the need to go ahead and say her peace.

"I agree." Carol said softly.

"You agree? What, that Living Praise is a ministry?" Mary said.

"Well yes, but I agree that we need some down time. You promised us that we were going to have a little more time after out last tour."

"That was before this tour." Ricky said.

"No hold on, let's hear Carol." Mary said. "So what do you have going?"

"Why does it have to be something going?" Carol asked.

"Well, if ain't nothing going, tell me nothing is going, otherwise, I want to know what you have that is more important than Living Praise?"

"Come on Mary, now that's not fair." Tommy interrupted.

"Well, let's vote on it. All in favor of..." Lester began speaking.

"No, we aren't going to vote on it. This is what we are about. It took us all these years to get back on top and you want to leave now? No voting, Living Praise is going. If you ain't going, then I need to know why. Cause you better be sick or your momma better be sick, or you going." Mary said.

"Well my momma ain't sick, and I ain't sick, and I guess I'm going, but we need to take some time off after this. We have to slow down, the constant touring is messing with me." Tommy said.

Mary smiled. "Good, now what about you Carol? You going to?"

Carol thought about saying no, but her loyalty was primarily to the group. 

"If we can take a haitus after the tour then I'll go." Carol said.

"You still ain't told us what you got going." Mary said.

Carol figured that now was as good a time as any to finally tell them. 

"Well, I've been writing music with Dexter Thomas."

"I knew it! Why is everybody trying to use Living Praise as a stepping stone to somewhere else? David, Tina, Tommy, and now you to Carol?" Lester said.

"Now hold on, I ain't said I was stepping somewhere else. I am not going to leave Living Praise." Carol quickly answered.

"You know what, I just can't deal with this right now. We'll talk about this later." Mary said. 

"Tommy, you had a new song you wanted us to sing." Mary continued abruptly changing the subject as she often does when she doesn't want to deal with an important matter.

 "I actually do, I was writing a song and Carol's voice seemed to be the one for it."

Tommy sat down at the piano and started playing. As he was playing he said, "Then name of the song is 'I don't want to go.'" I have a really good feeling about this song, maybe we can hit the pop charts again. 

Tommy continued to play and sang. It was a slow moving ballad of feeling. 

"Long ago, I held on to the dream." Tommy began to sang.

The song continued speaking to the pain and hurts of leaving home but home never leaving us. 

The group began to come in and harmonize out their parts towards the end of the song. The song ended and Ricky said, "We been waiting for that song."

"You think you can do it?" Tommy asked.

Carol knew she could sing it, and she began to wonder in her spirit if this would be her swan song. She answered, "Yes, I know I can sing it."

"Ok, let's sing it from the top, Carol go on and take the lead."

Tommy played and the group sang the song.