Daddy's Angel

"I feel the Holy Ghost is here today! I feel the spirit in here and moving. The spirit is telling me I wanna challenge you to be ready, keep on your minds on what we talked about today, be ready, be ready, be ready, don't get ready, be ready!"

My mother was such a righteous pastor. She spoke such words of wisdom with every word she spoke.

"Because the solemn man is coming back and He's looking for the church without a spot or wrinkle. I believe Matthew 24 and 44 also say be ready, because when you think the solemn man is not coming oh He's coming!"

"Preachers will you be ready?"

"Yes!"

"Choir will you be ready?"

"Yes!"

As my mother continued preaching, my mind drifted off. I began thinking about my best friend, Kelly. She hadn't been to church in so long. Almost a month, I miss her so much.

"I know I wanna be ready!"

My mother began to feel the words she spoke. She started to shout and dance around, you know how we do when we catch the holy spirit.

"I'm talking about when he calls my name, I'm gonna be called singing, I'm gonna be called praying, I'm gonna be called home to my lord and savior!"

"Yes lord I'm gonna have his praise on my lips, his name in my throat, when he calls me home!"

"Hallelujah pastor!"

"You better gon head pastor!"

"Yes!"

"Be ready! Be ready for him to call your name, be ready to say no to the devil's temptation, yes God hallelujah!" She sat down and began to settle as the choir leader, my aunt Regina, lead us into one our last song selection.

Thank the Lord. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother's preaching and singing the holy word. But, Lord knows my throat is getting dry, and I'm ready to go home.

I needed to finish my last few assignments for my Genetics class. I had a full ride scholarship to Texas State University. I going to be a pediatrician, I love kids and I hope to have some of my own one day.

We started clapping, matching to the beat of the drums, "Let's sing a old song y'all" she laughed. We began singing and the sound ringing from every corner of the church.

As the song came to and end so did the service, and we all said our goodbyes. Everyone left the sanctuary but me, I saw a Bible on one of the church benches. It automatically brought me memories of my daddy and the day he left me, I remember it all too well. It was a day I try too hard to forget, losing my father was extremely hard on me and my mother.

I picked up the Book, feeling the cover as my eyes watered with the memories. Though my throat was tired after singing so much today, I still started singing our favorite song.

"Ohh, how I love Jesus
Say ohhh how I love jesusss
oouu Ohh how-"

I was interrupted by a pair of hands covering my eyes. "Momma I know that's you, I'm just trying to have a moment with the L-" I turn around and see, "Kelly? Kelly! Ahhh!! Oh my gosh! Look at you!"

I say eyeing her designer shoes and dress, and expensive jewelry.

"You look so, so..." I couldn't even find words. She looked amazing, I was just glad she was doing good for herself.

"Oh baby, you're fishing for words. I believe the word you're looking for is fierce" she said strutting through the sanctuary.

I laughed at her antics, "Yes! That would be it, from your head down to your..." I took a good look at her shoes, I couldn't believe my eyes. "Kel, are those Louboutins?!"

"Yes girl these are lob-, Lou-, law-" I saw her struggling with the name of the shoes which tickled me. "Girl Louboutins!"

She nodded, "Yeah yeah, girl that's what I said." I laughed, that's when I started to realize, my best friend is broke. Like broke broke, she can't afford no Louboutins.

"Uhuh, so you went from payless and walmart to red bottoms and gucci?" I said as I walked closer to her, she started smiling, showing a smile I knew all too well.

"I know that face Kelly, what you been doing and who you doing it with?" I knew my best friend. I knew her all too well, she was the type to marry just for the money. And, I knew there was no way she went from broke to black card. At least not without a little help if you know what I mean.

She started to catch what looked like the "hoely ghost".

"Kelly stop" she waved me off, still doing it. "Girl it's okay, because when I think of the goodness they have brought into my life and allllll that they have done for me!"

I started praising with her agreeing with her statement, that Jesus is one powerful man.

"My Jesus!" I say with the same energy as her. Praising His name like I was just doing a few minutes prior in church. "No bitch, my Nika!" I abruptly stopped, I knew it was too good to be true.

"Kelly stop it! Stop that! And don't cuss in the sanctuary! Girl did you just say 'Nika'?" She calms herself down to answer me. "Yes girl and she is fine!" I never took Kelly to be the type to be with a woman.

"Well okay then, where did you meet 'Ms. fine'?" I say now intrigued by this apparent 'fine' and apparently rich woman.

"Girl I was standing at the bus stop one day right? Then this nice, pink, shiny Lamborghini pulled up on the side of me! She rolled down the window, I looked in, she looked at me and told me I was fine enough to be a model, then she asked me if I needed a ride!"

I looked at her expecting more from the story. "Don't tell me you got in the car!" Now I know my best friend can have her moments, h-o-e moments, to be exact. But, I KNOW she's not that stupid. "Hell yea! Bitch she is BALLIN'! She got hella money!" I shake my head at my explicit best friend.

"Kelly be quiet and I told you to stop cussing in the sanctuary!" She quickly stopped and started laughing, "Oh, forgive me Jesus! But girl you know she took me to dinner the same night!"

"Are you serious Kelly? She was a stranger, she could've killed you!" She rolled her eyes at my reaction, as if I were overreacting. "But she took me to the most beautiful restaurant! They had everything!" I simply shook my head.

"Uh uh, see this ain't making no sense, she barely knew you and did all of that?" She giggled and sighed at my statement "Aww Beybey, does love have to make sense?"

Now that sentence struck me surprised, love? My best friend doesn't do love, she never has. In high school she always kept a roster of men and when she was bored she would drop them like it was nothing.

"You're in love?" She nodded excitedly "Yes girl I'm in love, I love me Onika so much, she is so wonderful, ok let me tell you a little bit more about her!"

I nodded signaling for her to continue, "The night we went to that restaurant she took me on her private jet, flew to Miami took me on a shopping spree and we have been together ever since!"

Believe me, I was happy for my best friend. She found a fine someone with money, basically everything she wanted in a man, or a woman in this case. I just had one question.

"So how long have you know this girl?" She began to laugh nervously, "Y-you know I can't hear nothing on this side my whole eardrum just gone. You know I think I had a real bad infection in this ear." She said referring to the side of her head I was talking into.

I chuckled, knowing something wasn't right with this whole situation and moved to the other side of her head. "Kelly? How long have you known her?" I repeat in a more stern tone.

She started laughing again, "girllll" we said at the same time, I already knew that she was going to try to feed me some bull. "About a month." She said now looking away from me.

"A month? That explains a lot, that explains why you haven't been to church, Sunday school, choir rehearsal, we had a bake sale-" I was cut off by Kelly's yelling, "See that's why I don't ever tell you nothing cause you always wanna judge somebody if they don't go to church!"

"I'm not judging you! I'm just saying that we miss you here in the House of God! And I missed my best friend." I was slightly irritated, the fact that the rendezvous between my best friend and her beau were what was keeping her from church.

"Okay and I missed you and the House of the Lordt! Girl c'mon now, there are so many memories for us here! Oh my goodness I can remember me, you, and Michelle we were a hot mess!" She says laughing, I join her.

"Those were the days though! But, Bey when I walked in here I heard you singing the song you and your daddy used to sing all the time before he passed, 'Oh how I love Jesus' ".

I smiled at the statement, even if my best friend didn't come around like she used to, she still came to support me the day my daddy died and on his funeral.

"Bey will you pleaseee sing some more for me?" She asked with a bright smile, "For you? No. with you? Of course!" I haven't heard my best friend sing in so long I wanted to know if we still had the magic that we had back in the day.

"Come on bey pleaseee!" I shook my head, "I haven't heard your voice in ages please just one little snippet" I asked with begging eyes that I knew she couldn't resist."Fine just one little snippet, that's it" she said playfully rolling her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Ohhhh how I love, Jesus
Sing ohhhh how I love,
Jeeeesuuussss- "

"Amen Amen!" We get cut off by an unfamiliar feminine voice dripping with the tone of a New York accent. "Hey baby!" Kelly said, once I heard that I knew that the unfamiliar voice had to be the infamous, "Nika". I turned around to see a petite woman, no more than 5"3. She was in heels though, so she seemed a bit taller, regardless she was beautiful.

She had light brown sugary skin and long, black, pin straight hair that was parted in the middle. Her face was perfectly chiseled, everything about her was gorgeous. Including her pretty chocolate brown eyes, that seemed intrigued by my every move as I walked closer to her.

I will admit that the dress I had on this Sunday fit mighty snug. But, if I didn't know any better I would say that my best friend's 'girlfriend' was checking me out. She slowly looked me up and down licking her lips at me before she spoke again.

"I'm sorry I'm late my love, I had business to tend to." She said smiling, still looking at me. She had an amazing smile and deep dimples that complemented it.

"Actually baby you're right on time! The voice of an angel just like I told you right?" Onika nodded in agreement, Kelly reached out for my hand pulling me closer than I already was to them.

Just like she told her?

"Beyoncé, let me introduce you to my friend" she said pointing to Nika. "Lemme guess this must be Nika" I said moving like she did when she first told me about her. They both laughed at the action.

"Stop! Nicki baby, let me introduce you to my very best friend Beyoncé Giselle Knowlesss" I narrowed my eyes at her, she's always telling people my middle name like they know me or something.

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you." I say to Onika, extending my hand out to her for her to shake. But, instead she chuckled and took my hand into hers and kissed it. "No, angel the pleasure's all mine" she said in a sultry voice.

"Oh my goodness girl!" She said walking in between Kelly and I, Kelly still kept the bright smile she had on her face when Onika first made her presence known. Whatever this girl was doing to my best friend, she was doing it well.

"You've outdone yourself baby" Onika said now directing her attention to Kelly. "I told you Nic" I looked at them confusingly, "Excuse me darling, but do you want to tell me what's going on?" I ask Kelly.

All she did was fix my hair, until my mothers voice echoed through the church. "Your mother would like to know the answer to that question too." She said smiling, I cleared my throat before answering her.

"Hi, mommy" I say waving like an innocent child. "Hi my baby, hey Kelly sweetie how are you?" My mother said walking closer to us to get to Kelly and give her a warm hug.

"I am doing well, how about you Pastor Knowles?" She nodded her head and giggled "I'm good, you don't have to talk to me so proper Kelly. But, who might this be?" She said pointing to Onika, "This, Mama Tina, is my good friend Onika Maraj, she's a very successful business woman and is in the music industry."

Onika smiled at my mother, "It's a pleasure to meet you Pastor Knowles" my mother nodded, "Likewise". My mother walked toward Onika as I walked closer to Kelly. I was still trying to figure out why "her Nika" was even here.

"I must say Pastor Knowles, there's nothing that quite compares to a strong black woman. Much like myself." Onika says to my mother, "Ahh, I see it's words of honey that you speak, sounds familiar, have we met?" They share a laugh.

"You know I get that all the time, speaking of time," she looked at her Rolex watch which was filled with diamonds, "I'm running late for another business meeting." Kelly made a face of disappointment, it was obvious she loved basking in Onika's presence.

I will admit there was something about her. Her voice, her eyes, her smile, her overall beauty, I don't know, something. There was something just so attracting about her.

"Oh, I almost forgot, allow me to sew into your ministry" she reached into her purse and pulled out a check. Once she handed the check to my momma, she started staring at me again. I blushed, feeling a little uncomfortable under that gaze.

I looked and Kelly who was still smiling and fixing my hair again. I wanted to know what the heck was going on.

"Ms. Maraj I believe you made a huge mistake there are far too many zeros on this check, it's for $10,000! I can't except this." My mother says handing the check back to her.

She chuckled, "No please take it, consider it to be my ties and offering for today's service." She insisted. "Beyoncé," she said smiling at me. "I'm sure you know, the Bible says, 'your gift shall bring you before great man', though in this case I guess it's a great woman."

She began to walk closer to me, though she wasn't extremely close, I still felt hot under her gaze. "The world needs to hear your beautiful voice Beyoncé and I can make that happen" she handed me her business card. Slowly looking me up and down again, something she's done quite a few times since she walked in.

"Good evening ladies, I hope to see you both again soon." She said dismissing herself, strutting out of the church. "See you later Nika" Kelly said in a almost high school girl tone. "Bye Onika" I said, she looked back once she heard my voice, and waved, finally exiting the church.

"Beyoncé Giselle" I quickly looked at my mother. Since she's the only person who calls me that. "What are you doing babycakes? You meet me in my office we need to talk okay?" I nodded.

"And Kelly," she says sternly looking at my best friend. "Yes ma'am" She says quickly making sure she was being polite, she's always been so scared of momma.

She looked her up and down "mmhmm" then she walked away to what I'm presuming was her office. "You looking good girl!" Kelly said to the direction my mother went in.

She waited until my mother was gone to finally speak.

"See, see, see I told you Bey" I nodded, "girl I'm not attracted to girls, but she is fine!" It was almost as if we were fan-girling over her.

"And this is the best part, SHE GOT MONEYYY!" We said at the same time, "ok let me calm down for a second, okay guess what though, she wants me, you and Michelle to come to her club tonight for an audition, I already called Michelle, she said she's down it's only a matter of you saying yes!"

As much as I would love to get our group back together, I'm not with the whole club scene. I've seen too many movies and shows about how girls get taken advantage of and get killed at clubs. Plus I need to study for my mid-term and catch up on work, I'm gonna have to tell her no.

"Oh my gosh! You and Chelle are gonna kill it!" She had a confused look on her face, "What do you mean 'me and chelle' are gonna kill it?" I sighed, I didn't feel like hearing Kelly's mouth when I turned down the audition.

"You and Michelle should go, y'all can do like a Salt-N-Pepa kind of thing-" I get cut off yet again by Kelly."No we're all gonna go! You know what forget you, you always do this, damn I'm so sick of begging you, I don't know what to do!" I shook my head, you see what I mean, she just got an attitude for no reason.

"Kelly, stop cussing in the sanctuary!" She huffed like a little kid, "I'm sorry dang! C'mon now Bey-" this time it was mine turn to cut her off.

"How many times Kels? How many rehearsals, auditions, how many clubs, and musicians are there gonna be before you realize that you need to give up this dream we had so long ago?"

She looked at me sympathetically before answering me, "I hear you Bey, I really do but, do you think that I would've come here if it wasn't different this time?" We again say at the same time.

We've been through things like this with Kelly before and they never end well. We also got the same answer, no, I was tired of being rejected.

"Okay okay, you got me, but all I'm saying is that we can't give up on our dreams! You know our voices together is more than magic, Juju!" She said using the nickname she gave me when we were children.

"Michelle and I can't do this without you Bey! Please I'm begging you can we try just one more time. I'll swear right here in the church, if it doesn't work this time I promise I'll never ask you again"

I look at her like she was playing, she chuckled. "I'm forreal Bey, please say yes, please, please, please!" I soon gave in.

"Okay okay! I'll do it" she jumped around excitedly, "you said you'll do it?!" I nodded giggling, "ahh!! Ahhh!! Okay okay okay, don't be late auditions start at 8:00!" I nodded getting a little excited too, Kelly never freaks out this much.

"Okay, I love you" she hugged me before leaving "I love you more, I'll see you tonight be ready."
...

𝓍𝑜 𝒩𝓊𝓂𝒷𝑒𝓁𝓁𝒾𝓃𝒶