When people used to ask me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I didn’t say “A bank robber” or "A getaway car-driver". I’d always say “I wanna be a preacher just like my my granddaddy.” Every time I would say "I wanna be a preacher," the little old church ladies would grin all wide and give me a handful of those little strawberry-shaped candies.
My granddaddy wanted me to be a preacher, too. Every Saturday he would take me with him to his office at the church so I could watch him prepare for his Sunday sermon. His preparation was serious! He’d sometimes spend an entire day in prayer with his sweaty forehead pressed against the shag carpet in his office.
“You payin' attention, boy?” Grandaddy would say when he saw me dozing off during his preparation. “God can’t talk to you if you’re falling asleep!” And I’d straighten up and pretend to be paying attention. Grandaddy would always thank God for our church, our house, my grandmother and even my mama (even though I hadn’t seen her since I was in Kindergarten.)
I went to church every single Sunday without fail. Most Wednesdays, too. As I got older, my role at the church began to change. Pretty soon I was the official youth ministry director. I loved that job. I got paid $100 a week just to hang out with the kids! My granddaddy said if I played my cards right, he could probably talk the church into paying for me to go to Bible College in Oak Park.
But on my 18th birthday, everything changed. Not only was I no longer “pure” in the eyes of God, I started running with Bebo and his boys from 22nd Street. One night, Bebo sent me a text telling me he needed me to pick him up from the train station. As soon as I pulled up, Bebo (and three of his friends) jumped in my car and said “DRIVE!” I sped off like a bat out of hell, only to realize we were being trailed by a police car. “Drive faster!” Bebo yelled as he stuffed a gun into his duffel bag. My heart was racing as I drove faster and faster.
But the chase didn’t last long. Pretty soon, the cops got fed up and shot out one of my tires. I thought my car was gonna flip over! Once we came to a stop, four other police cars drove up and surrounded us. I knew right then and there I wouldn’t be making it to church the next morning.
I spent the entire night in a jail cell with other rough-looking folks, but they didn’t scare me. It was the look on my grandaddy’s face when he came to pick me up that scared me to death! My grandfather look like he could have killed me right then and there.
As soon as we got outside, my grandfather smacked me. “Boy, what has gotten into you? You robbin' folks now?”
My face burned. “No! I didn’t even know they had robbed somebody! Bebo just called me for a ride!”
“You expect me to believe THAT? What about you plans to go to college? What about becoming a preacher?”
“I AM gonna be a preacher!” I said.
“Ain’t no crook gonna be in front of MY congregation,” my grandfather said. “Get in!”
As we drove home, I wondered what would happen to me. Would the judge believe I didn’t know what was going on when I picked up my friends? Or would I spend the rest of my life in jail?
The next morning, Howard and I stood in front of the judge.
“Solomon Pierce, please stand,” the judge said.
“You must have an angel watching over you, son,” he said. I nodded.
“You’re being released under the care of your grandfather, but you are required to start college in the Fall. I don’t care if it’s the local trade college, you better be there by September. And make sure you thank your friend for telling the truth about what happened.”
I wanted to jump up and down! I couldn’t believe I was going to be able to go home! I kept my promise to begin college in the Fall at Oak Park Bible School. Within a year I was serving as a minister at Grandaddy’s church.
What did I learn from my robbery experience? Always ask questions. Never pick someone up if they’re acting strange. And if someone has a gun in front of you, get away from them! I was lucky this time. But who knows where I'd be now if Bebo hadn’t been honest about what really happened that night?
Learn more about Solomon in "But Now I See"- the sequel to The Rhythm in Blue, now available. www.crystalsenterbrown.com. Get the first book here.
My granddaddy wanted me to be a preacher, too. Every Saturday he would take me with him to his office at the church so I could watch him prepare for his Sunday sermon. His preparation was serious! He’d sometimes spend an entire day in prayer with his sweaty forehead pressed against the shag carpet in his office.
“You payin' attention, boy?” Grandaddy would say when he saw me dozing off during his preparation. “God can’t talk to you if you’re falling asleep!” And I’d straighten up and pretend to be paying attention. Grandaddy would always thank God for our church, our house, my grandmother and even my mama (even though I hadn’t seen her since I was in Kindergarten.)
I went to church every single Sunday without fail. Most Wednesdays, too. As I got older, my role at the church began to change. Pretty soon I was the official youth ministry director. I loved that job. I got paid $100 a week just to hang out with the kids! My granddaddy said if I played my cards right, he could probably talk the church into paying for me to go to Bible College in Oak Park.
But on my 18th birthday, everything changed. Not only was I no longer “pure” in the eyes of God, I started running with Bebo and his boys from 22nd Street. One night, Bebo sent me a text telling me he needed me to pick him up from the train station. As soon as I pulled up, Bebo (and three of his friends) jumped in my car and said “DRIVE!” I sped off like a bat out of hell, only to realize we were being trailed by a police car. “Drive faster!” Bebo yelled as he stuffed a gun into his duffel bag. My heart was racing as I drove faster and faster.
But the chase didn’t last long. Pretty soon, the cops got fed up and shot out one of my tires. I thought my car was gonna flip over! Once we came to a stop, four other police cars drove up and surrounded us. I knew right then and there I wouldn’t be making it to church the next morning.
I spent the entire night in a jail cell with other rough-looking folks, but they didn’t scare me. It was the look on my grandaddy’s face when he came to pick me up that scared me to death! My grandfather look like he could have killed me right then and there.
As soon as we got outside, my grandfather smacked me. “Boy, what has gotten into you? You robbin' folks now?”
My face burned. “No! I didn’t even know they had robbed somebody! Bebo just called me for a ride!”
“You expect me to believe THAT? What about you plans to go to college? What about becoming a preacher?”
“I AM gonna be a preacher!” I said.
“Ain’t no crook gonna be in front of MY congregation,” my grandfather said. “Get in!”
As we drove home, I wondered what would happen to me. Would the judge believe I didn’t know what was going on when I picked up my friends? Or would I spend the rest of my life in jail?
The next morning, Howard and I stood in front of the judge.
“Solomon Pierce, please stand,” the judge said.
“You must have an angel watching over you, son,” he said. I nodded.
“You’re being released under the care of your grandfather, but you are required to start college in the Fall. I don’t care if it’s the local trade college, you better be there by September. And make sure you thank your friend for telling the truth about what happened.”
I wanted to jump up and down! I couldn’t believe I was going to be able to go home! I kept my promise to begin college in the Fall at Oak Park Bible School. Within a year I was serving as a minister at Grandaddy’s church.
What did I learn from my robbery experience? Always ask questions. Never pick someone up if they’re acting strange. And if someone has a gun in front of you, get away from them! I was lucky this time. But who knows where I'd be now if Bebo hadn’t been honest about what really happened that night?
Learn more about Solomon in "But Now I See"- the sequel to The Rhythm in Blue, now available. www.crystalsenterbrown.com. Get the first book here.