February excerpt

Here is February's excerpt of Crowning Glory. The release is less than 60 days away on April 1, 2011.
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CHAPTER 3

Rossi was one of the most sought-after youth ministers at Living for Jesus Church where two sets of the Tolliver family fellowshipped. He knew how to pray, and at times, God allowed him to discern demonic criminal activity around him. Levi was also the most sought-after bachelor at the church. Rossi relaxed and smiled as he closed his Bible. “Levi, you have really moved on with your life. You have been emotionally healed,” he spoke to the wind in his quiet third-floor condo.

He lived in an upscale building that was the brainchild of Tollivers Real Estate and Development. Business partners, Rossi and Levi’s company had overseen the renovation of the former sixty-five-year-old warehouse. The six-story building featured multi-level lofts, condos, and a penthouse. Several of their family members were residents.

The cousins were often referred to as the comeback construction kids. The Tollivers had an eye to discern when to renovate or when restoration was the only way. They were known for transforming long-forgotten black neighborhoods into majestic masterpieces. If an area was blighted, their crew gave it a facelift. If they couldn’t resuscitate a building, their demolition crew took it down.

As teenagers, Rossi, who was two years older than Levi, was the ringleader of seven cousins. As men, Rossi’s bond with Levi never waned, and their bloodline had little to do with it. When Rossi repented of his sins, he set a standard for salvation that most of the young Tolliver men followed.

Rossi and Levi were alike in many ways. They worked in the same profession. Where Rossi enjoyed buying up large tracts of land in depressed areas, Levi had the vision to develop them. Both were diehard college football fans; Rossi cheered for the Baltimore Ravens, Levi was behind the Philadelphia Eagles all the way, and the Tollivers believed in strong family ties. Levi and Rossi would take soul food over barbecue any day and had the same taste in clothes—stylish but conservative.

Most times they shared the same taste in women—physically appealing, not necessarily outright stunning, and a healthy dose of temperance in their response to situations. They had to know how to hold it together when things didn’t work in their favor. In the past, Levi and Rossi had a close enough relationship to sometimes guess what the other was thinking. They didn’t agree on everything, and that was the source of heated debates. Still, they loved each other and had each other’s back.

Levi and Rossi Tolliver were also distinguishable. Where Levi was barely six feet, Rossi made up for it at six five. Levi wore glasses, Rossi had perfect vision. Levi was too light skinned for Rossi’s taste, considering Rossi was a degree away from being called midnight black. Levi could thank his Jewish mother for that one. Rossi appreciated his sole African heritage.

It was argued that the Tolliver clan included cousins in every state. Rossi never challenged the assertion. With a Pentecostal upbringing, the Tollivers spawned babies as if they were in a race to see what the end would be. It was the norm for their households to have five-plus children. However, Levi and Rossi’s parents didn’t make the cut. Levi’s father, Victor, had three sons. Rossi’s father, Ross, had four sons; neither brother had daughters.

Before Diane came along, Rossi often joked, “If she has a sister, hook me up.” Well, Diane did have a sister, but the woman was crazy. Jesetta wasn’t a bad person or bad looking. She was a born dictator and expected everyone else to line up behind her without question. Following the death of her sister, her mood swings were almost unbearable.

Over the past four years, Rossi never left Levi’s side--always a phone call away. Levi had a massive hole in his heart and life. Rossi had silently prayed for his cousin to get out of his personal purgatory where the past seemed to have a steady grip. It would never close, but the right woman, the right circumstances, and the right blessings from God could keep it from growing.