Up Pops the Devil Read online

  Up Pops the Devil

  Lachá M. Scott

  All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Up Pops the Devil

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Reading Group Discussion Questions

  Author Bio

  UC HIS GLORY BOOK CLUB!

  Copyright Page

  Up Pops the Devil

  by Lachá M. Scott

  Acknowledgments

  Thanks to God first and foremost for birthing the gift of writing in me.

  Thank you to my daughters, Jasmin, RhonShay, and ShayLa, for allowing me to do what I do by sharing me with my readers, within the ministry, and amongst the various engagements I partake in to share what God has placed inside of me. Thanks always for loving me in spite of my imperfections and for always telling me that my stories sound good and are believable.

  Thanks to my mother, Evangelist Carolyn Riddick, my sisters, Melina Mitchell and Marina Santos, for your support of me and because of this I have given birth to something great. Thank you to my godmother, Antoinette Milligan-Barnes, who rocks. She has been selling more of my books than I have, and I’m so grateful that she believes in me and loves me like her own.

  Elissa Gabrielle, thank you for the encouragement and support on putting me out there with the interviews you have blessed me with and the road map on how to be a successful “authorpreneur.”

  Brenda Foster Love, for providing me with encouragement and literary nuggets in pushing me through the process of staying focused and completing the work.

  Joylynn Ross, thank you for being the best editor ever. I’m extremely grateful to be a part of Urban Christian books.

  Big thanks go out to Michelle Chavis and Tonya Bullock who work hard at getting me the publicity I need to take my dreams to the next level.

  Bestselling Author Renee Flagler, thank you for just being you. I’m grateful to you for taking the time out to share with me the tools that helped get you to where you are now.

  Thank you to everyone who purchases Up Pops the Devil. I appreciate you more than you know. A writer has no need to write if no one is reading. I hope each person who reads this book will be blessed and encouraged. Please tell all of your friends about it.

  Thanks to all of my favorite authors, seasoned and new, who encourage me to keep my passion for writing alive.

  Thanks to Jahzara Bradley, Carla Nix, Kisha Green, Dedrea Day & Chyna Blue, and Ella Curry of Black Pearls magazine, Woman’s Essence magazine, Vanessa Richardson of The Certain Ones magazine, 21 Black Street, and many others for providing me the platform by hosting me as a guest on your radio shows or for featuring me and/or allowing me to write in your magazine as a platform to share my testimony and showcase my work.

  And last but certainly not least, a big shout-out of thanksgiving to my earthly daddy, Gervasio Santos. You, my love, were always my biggest cheerleader and supporter. You pushed me when I didn’t want to be pushed, and your love transcended the miles between us. RIP~love always, your baby girl.

  Love and Blessings,

  Lachá Mitchell-Scott

  Chapter 1

  “No, there has to be some sort of mistake,” Serena screamed through the phone as her legs buckled and she fell to her knees.

  “Serena, I’m so sorry. Unfortunately, there is no mistake, and we will schedule something within the next few days for you,” the caller responded.

  Nathaniel didn’t miss the alarm in Serena’s voice. He stopped dusting the entertainment center and turned his attention toward her.

  Serena didn’t wait for a response, but instead, she clicked the cordless phone off and lay on the floor in a fetal position.

  “Hey, babe, who was that, and what did they say that’s got you so upset?” Nathaniel walked over to where Serena was lying in the middle of the floor with a blank look on her face. Fancy, their three-year-old Shih Tzu, ran behind him nipping at his ankles.

  “I’m sick of all of this.” Serena rolled over onto her back and stared right through Nathaniel.

  Nathaniel nudged her. “Slide over, baby. I want to lie down beside you,” he said trying to distract Serena from whatever was said on the phone. Stress caused his eyebrows to arch and his forehead to crease with wrinkles. Not wanting to press, Nathaniel lay there and waited quietly for her to say something. He watched as sweat beads formed on Serena’s nose and she rolled over onto her side. “Serena, baby, if you don’t tell me what’s going on, then I can’t help you,” he said staring at her intently trying to read her mind.

  “That was Dr. Sinclair on the phone. Do you remember the tests I had done a few days ago?” Serena inhaled deeply before releasing the breath. “Well, the results are back, and the cancer came back with them,” she said in disbelief.

  “Aw, baby, I’m sorry. I thought that this thing was done and over with, but I guess God has other plans for you. What’s the plan? Is there one?” In spite of the way he was feeling, Nathaniel’s attempts to be strong for Serena were most important to him.

  “I don’t think that I can do this again, Nathaniel. I’ve been strong, and I’ve kept the faith, but the struggle is real,” she fumed. “When I was diagnosed with throat cancer almost two years ago and God brought me through it, I didn’t expect to have to go through that trial again. I don’t understand why He allowed it to come back. Surely God has the last say-so in everything. Now, with the aggressiveness of its comeback, I’m just not as hopeful as I was the first time around,” Serena said.

  “Come to daddy.” Nathaniel blinked back his tears and smiled. He lent a hand to Serena and gently pulled her upright before guiding her down onto his lap.

  “Nathaniel, come on. I’m not in the mood to play. I’m serious about feeling like giving up,” she whined, allowing herself to be vulnerable.

  “I’m not making light of the situation, but I won’t allow you to slump into some sort of depression.” Nathaniel scratched his chin and silently questioned why God was allowing them to have to fight her cancer reoccurrence.

  “Honey, I feel as if my life is spinning out of control. I’ve been in remission for over a year and nothing . . . Now look!” she screamed hysterically.

  “Sweetie, calm down. We have to believe that God will show up just like He did the last time. Serena, please look at me.” Nathaniel lifted Serena’s chin so that he could look into her eyes.

  Serena snatched her face from his hands, stood up, and walked away. She couldn’t think straight nor have that conversation. Her emotions rode high like tidal waves, and then crashed, causing her to want to lash out. She ran to the bathroom, slammed the door, and began to scream and cry out, trying to rid herself of the fullness she felt in the pit of her stomach.

  Wiping the tears from her eyes angrily, Serena admired the double sinks in the master bathroom. She loved the his
and hers embroidered towels, washcloths, and a picture framed in gold with their initials inside. She had chosen the layout of the bathroom that was about the size of a bedroom. Running her fingers alongside of the double sinks, Serena reminisced on the excitement she and Nathaniel experienced when putting the specifications together for their home. The plush carpet comforted her bare feet, and she dug her toes in to feel grounded.

  Fear of losing everything struck Serena, causing her to shriek and double over. In her mind, she fast-forwarded to dying before being able to bear any children. Images of baby showers and the first steps of a son or daughter flashed before her eyes. Whose initials would replace hers on the towels? Who would come in and remove every trace of her as if she’d never existed? The what-ifs and the who was driving her insane.

  Fueled by a surge of frustration, Serena beat her fists on the wall and cried out, “Why, God, why are you allowing the devil to keep testing me? I don’t think I’ll make it this time. God, no . . .” Serena caved in to the pressure building in her chest as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She put her hands in her hair and shoved them through her short Afro and in the midst of an emotional meltdown, Serena snatched the pictures off of the wall.

  She ran her fingers over the engraved letters that spelled out her name and Nathaniel’s. Over and over she did that, kissing her pointer finger and placing it on Nathaniel’s name. She recalled their wedding day as they opened up one of the 200 gifts they’d received. Smiling through her tears, Serena remembered when Evangelist Curry thrust her gift in Serena’s face, practically begging her to open her gift. When Nathaniel and Serena ripped the paper from the smooth brown oak plaque that exquisitely beheld their names, everyone oohed and aahed over the gift.

  While that day was a day of great joy and great anticipation for them both, the plaque reminded her that those dreams would no longer be a possibility. Enraged, Serena snatched the present from the wall. “Grr . . . This is so un-fairrrr! Why do I have to give up my life? Why must I be the one sacrificed? God, why meee?” Serena yelled out in misery. The sounds of breaking mirrors and soap dishes could be heard crashing into the walls.

  “Serena, open the door!” Nathaniel hollered twisting the knob only to find himself locked out of the bathroom. He banged and banged. “Serena?” Nathaniel was losing patience, yet he took a deep breath and tried again.

  “Go away! I need to be alone right now. Please, baby, just go,” Serena shouted.

  “I’m not going anywhere. You’re in there tearing up, and I’ll be the one who has to clean it up. Come on out here so that we can talk about what’s going on. Should I call Mom?” Nathaniel asked dejectedly.

  “Call my mother? Why would you bring her into this? Can’t I claim temporary insanity without you calling my mother on me?” Serena kicked the door, hurting her foot. “Ouch!” she howled.

  “What is it? Did you hurt yourself?” Nathaniel’s emotions ricocheted off of the bathroom door. He wanted to take the door off of the hinges to get in there to protect her, but he thought better than trying to force his way in. “Serena, please open the door,” Nathaniel pleaded. “I didn’t mean it to sound as if I was telling her on you. I only meant to imply that I’m sure that she would like to know about the diagnosis and be here to support you through this.” His body went limp as he slid down the wall and sat by the door. Material things could be replaced; however, Serena couldn’t be.

  His heart ached as he listened to her cry out to God. He wished that he could hold her and comfort her, but he would respect her wishes and leave her be. The ringing phone got Nathaniel’s attention as well as Fancy’s. “Serena, baby, I’m going to see who’s on the phone, and then I will come back to check on you.” When she didn’t respond, Nathaniel ran to get the phone, which was in the bedroom, before the voice mail picked up. Once again, Fancy ran beside Nathaniel barking.

  “Hello, you’ve reached the Jackson residence. Who would you like to speak to?”

  “Hey, man, it’s James. You got a cold or something?” James was the administrator at Nathaniel’s recreation center for at-risk youth and a good friend.

  Nathaniel cleared his throat before resuming the conversation. “Oh, hey, bro, what’s up?”

  “I should be asking you what’s up. You don’t sound like yourself. Did something happen between the time you left here and arrived home? Is everything okay?” James interrogated him.

  “Man, I don’t know, to be honest. Serena just received some bad news from the doctor, and she’s over here wilding out. To say the least, I feel my woman’s pain, so if I sound a little off, that’s the reason why.” Nathaniel leaned against the oak dresser in the bedroom.

  “Bro, I’m sorry about that. Do you need to do anything because I’m here for whatever you need? I’ve got you covered down here at the recreation center, and the kids will be fine,” James said.

  “Brother, I need for you to pray for us because I can already see that trouble’s ahead. It was one thing when Serena had to cut her ministry schedule to just doing local engagements due to the treatments she needed. But even after she was given the green light and was free and clear of cancer, she refused to take any of the destination-speaking requests she’s received.” Nathaniel exhaled.

  “I don’t know if this news is going to further damage her self-esteem.” Nathaniel walked to the bathroom, holding the cordless phone to his ear trying to listen to what could be going on with Serena.

  “What do you mean you don’t know what you’re going to do? Bro, you’re going to continue to trust God and hold on, my man. Maybe we can all go out and have a nice time. You know, dinner or something since it’s been awhile since we’ve gotten together,” James said.

  “I’ll check with Serena and get back with you,” Nathaniel replied.

  “Well, you think about it because there’s no pressure here.” James digressed not wanting to come off as being pushy.

  “Nah, man, I mean . . . Yeah, I’ll have to let you know when I can get Serena out of the bathroom where’s she’s locked up. I need to go and check on her now to make sure that’s she’s okay,” Nathaniel said worried.

  “Did Chris Shaw make it today?” Nathaniel gave James his undivided attention as he wondered where Chris could be. He’d been coming to the recreation center for almost a year, and at times he seemed to want to overcome his obstacles, but his absence made Nathaniel wonder what new had happened in his life.

  “No, but I can check with Morgan and Tony, two of the center’s kids, to see if they’ve seen him after I get off of the phone with you. I’ll update you when I know something,” James promised.

  “I hope he’s okay. You know he’s had it hard with the bullying at school. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him.” Nathaniel knew that Chris wasn’t mentally stable because all of the abuse he’d endured. His life seemed to go from bad to worse when he was placed into foster care after his father was found murdered behind some abandoned buildings near the railroad tracks. Depression had taken over his life, and he was the poster child of a whipping boy.

  “Okay, you go and take care of your business and let me handle what’s going on here. I love you, man,” James said.

  “Thanks, bro. Be good and let me know when you find out anything about Chris. I’ll be on the lookout for an update on him,” Nathaniel replied.

  “Will do, my man. Peace out.” James bid his brother farewell.

  “Peace.” Nathaniel clicked the phone off and dropped it on the bed. Jogging back to the bathroom with Fancy on his heels, he put his ear to the door and listened for any sounds. When he didn’t hear anything it frightened him. “Serena, baby, are you all right? Please unlock the door and let me in.” Nathaniel tried turning the doorknob, and surprisingly, this time it opened easily. When he entered and looked around the once-luxurious bathroom, tears came to his eyes. There was shattered glass everywhere. It looked as if a tornado had blasted through the room. Initially, he didn’t see Serena so he walked into the bathroom
, not realizing that she was balled up in the tub watching him.

  “Nathaniel, I’m over here.” Serena beckoned him over to her.

  “Baby, are you okay?” Nathaniel walked through the crushed glass and swept her up into his arms.

  Serena was spent and had calmed down considerably. Her tears resumed, soaking Nathaniel’s T-shirt. “Babe, I’m really sorry for tearing up the bathroom. I just couldn’t help myself. The mirrors seemed to be everywhere, and all I saw was my reflection of thinning hair, frail body, the past bouts of nausea and sickness. I don’t want you to have to be on standby and watch me deteriorate before your eyes.” Serena wept.

  Nathaniel held his wife and cradled her in his arms. “Have I let you down yet?” he asked.

  Looking up in his eyes for the first time she noticed how concerned he looked. “No, you’ve been there like you promised, and I can’t help but to ask God why He gave you to me. I am not ready to discuss this with my family yet. Can you promise me that you won’t go calling my mom or anyone else? Once I’ve had a chance to come to grips with the news, I promise that I will tell them. I’m sure that no one will take the news well, especially my mom and Amina.” Serena looked away from Nathaniel as tears welled up in her eyes once again.

  “There’s something I’ve always wanted to know, and now I need to know.” Serena braced herself hoping that Nathaniel wouldn’t be upset. Silence enveloped the two of them; their feelings were on edge not knowing what direction the conversation was going to take. Serena usually felt at ease when she was with Nathaniel, but she was feeling unsure at that moment.

  “Babe, what is it that you want to know?” Nathaniel asked, bringing Serena back to the conversation.

  “Well, I don’t want you to get upset, but I’ve always wondered if you married me because you couldn’t live without me . . . or because I was sick? Did you feel the need to step up to be here for me because you felt guilty of not being able to do anything for your mother when she was sick?”