Sandra’s heart sank. “I’m out on the lanai, Mom.” She wiped her tears away and prayed her mother wouldn’t be able to tell she’d been crying.
“I just saw Andrew,” Ida said when she joined her. “He said you were staying in because you weren’t feeling well. What’s wrong?”
“Just tired, Mom. Nothing to worry about.”
Her mother came closer, studied her face. “You’ve been crying. What’s wrong, Sandra?”
Sandra took a deep breath, debating how much to tell her mother. “I’m worried about Andrew.”
“Ahh,” her mother said, “because he’s going to the casino.”
“Bingo!”
“He hasn’t gotten help, has he?”
Sandra shook her head. “With the money and the new church, I thought everything would work itself out. He promised me that the lottery would be the last time.”
“Lottery?” her mother asked. “What are you talking about?”
Sandra debated lying to her mother, but quickly decided she needed to unburden herself. “Andrew didn’t get an inheritance, Mom. When all was lost, he bought two lottery tickets and we won. Twenty million dollars.”
Her mother dropped down in a wicker chaise. “You won the lottery?”
Sandra nodded.
“Why did you lie about where the money came from?”
“Because we were ashamed. With Andrew being a minister in a church that preached regularly on the evils of gambling, including playing the lottery, how could we explain our winnings to the pastor and the congregation?”
“So you came up with this elaborate lie?”
Sandra hated the look of disappointment in her mother’s eyes. “We’re doing good things with the money, Mom. Showers of Blessings is going to be a blessing to a lot of people.”
Ida shook her head. “You’re deceiving yourself, Sandra. How can it be a blessing when it’s based on a lie? How can it be a blessing when Andrew’s vice is its foundation?”
Her mother was voicing all the concerns Sandra had willfully pushed out of her mind. “God knows our hearts,” she said. “That’s what matters.”
“What matters is that you’re lying on a daily basis,” her mother corrected. “Doesn’t that bother you?”
Sandra sat on the chaise next to her mother. “But we’re lying so that people will be helped. How many people do you think would go to a church founded with lottery money?”
Her mother shook her head. “A lot of people, I’d guess. Sure, some folks might be skeptical about a pastor who plays the lottery, but telling the truth would have given you and Andrew an opening to talk about how gambling had damaged your family.”
Sandra knew her mother was right, but it was too late for her and Andrew to make that choice. They had to stick with the road they had chosen. That is, unless Andrew blew it by going back to his old ways. “Are you going to tell Dad?” she asked.
“I know I should, but I won’t. I think you should, though.”
“I can’t,” Sandra said. “I just can’t.”
Her mother got up and kissed her on her cheek. “I’ll just wait until the day you can. You’re a stronger woman than you think, Sandra. I hope you believe that one day.”
Sandra watched her mother leave the lanai. While she knew the older woman had a point, Sandra had more pressing issues. She had to keep her family together and her husband in line. With a sigh, she left the lanai and headed to their bedroom to dress. She’d call for a sitter and then she’d join her husband in the casino. If he wouldn’t help himself, it was her duty to help him.
Chapter 9
A month after leaving Hawaii, Andrew sat in his office at the new church, the phone to his ear, twirling a gold pen through his fingers. “Fifty thousand,” he told his bookie. “And don’t call me again. I’ll make contact with you from here on out.”
Andrew hung up the phone, feeling a bit guilty. He’d told Sandra and God that he’d give up gambling after the lottery, but he hadn’t been able to do it. He’d tried, but he’d been sucked right back into it while helping his father-in-law search for a horse farm. Not only had they found a farm, he’d found a love for horses, not riding them like his children, but betting on them.
Then that trip to Hawaii had given him a chance to get back in the casino. It was a familiar place, and he’d found himself sneaking off to play a few games when Sandra was otherwise occupied. He had a problem, he knew, but fortunately he had money to lose. At least he wasn’t as bad as basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, who lost half a million dollars in a casino. He wasn’t that crazy.
His intercom buzzed and he pressed the answer button. “Pastor,” his secretary said, “you have a visitor who doesn’t have an appointment. His name is Luther Williams. He says that he knows you from Praise City.”
Though the name didn’t ring a bell with him, Andrew knew this was an opportunity to win over a Praise City member. He checked his watch. “I have a few minutes before my next meeting. Send him on in.” Andrew stood, as he always did, when someone entered his office. He almost dropped back down in his chair when he saw who Luther Williams was. This was the guy he’d seen outside the convenience store the day he’d bought the lottery tickets. What did he want?
Luther moved easily to the desk and extended his hand. “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Pastor,” he said. “I knew you’d be busy getting the new church started and all, but I decided to try my luck. It must be my lucky day, huh?”
Andrew motioned Luther to the chair in front of his desk. The man’s use of the words luck and lucky seemed to have some added emphasis but maybe he was reading more into the man’s words than was warranted. “Well, it’s good to see you again, Luther. What can I do for you today?” he asked.
Luther leaned forward in his chair. “The wife and I are thinking about moving our membership over here with you. We’re going through a rough time since I got laid off, and the folks at Praise City don’t seem willing or able to help. I’m hoping your church will take care of its members better.”
Andrew’s ears were alert for any kind of threat, but he didn’t hear one. “Of course, we’ll take care of our members. That’s one of the purposes of the church.”
“That’s the way I see it, too,” Luther said. “It’s nice to know that some pastors believe in the church blessing the members rather than the other way around all the time.”
“Well, I don’t know about other churches, but here at Showers of Blessings things will be different. We’ve been blessed and we’re going to bless others.”
Luther nodded. “I guess ‘Showers of Blessings—a place to bless and be blessed’ is more than a motto.”
“It certainly is,” Andrew said, wondering where the conversation was going.
“Well, it sure does seem like you’ve been blessed a lot since I saw you that day at the convenience store. It’s like you hit the lottery, but not the real lottery ’cos I know you preachers are against the lottery, you know what I mean?”
Andrew nodded. He definitely knew what the man meant. Obviously, Luther had seen those lottery tickets in his hand that day. What did he want? “I know what you mean,” Andrew said. “And I look forward to having you and your wife here at Showers of Blessings. We take care of our own.”
Luther stood up. “I’m glad to hear it. The wife and I will be here on Sunday. We’re not asking for a handout, Pastor,