My Brother's Unveiled Eyes

By Thelma Washington

In 1985 I was called to enlist in the Army. Not the US Army, in this army I had to wear at all times the full armor of God so that I can stand against the evil's schemes. This war was not with flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. When I enlisted in this army I had no idea that I would ever have to go to the battle field, but the more I learned the more powerful the enemy became. Now I'm face to face with the enemy and the forces are mighty. Even with the whole armor on; the enemy started to attack my mind through other who are in the same war but, are not fully dress for battle. I've lost some friends along the way so I keep reminding myself it's not my battle and the war is already won. This war is not with the enemy outside the camp but within, people who are suppose to be fighting for the same cause. I have seen so many friends leave this war only because they forgot who is in charge and he has never lost a battle! In spite of what people might be saying about me I'm a hard fighting solider and I'm going to keep climbing up the King's Highway.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 13, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452050683

Thelma Washington

Her life is out of the ordinary, if you get to know her she will leave an everlasting impact on your life. She lives by her standards, but will never impose them on anyone else. She feels that if one is truly converted in their mind their action will follow. She always pray before she act. You can only assume what she is thinking for her eyes never stop talking. She always carry out her plans. She knows standing up and speaking out will bring her face to face with her enemy. Her motto is everyone life has a purpose. Lies disturb her like nothing else can. She knows each day of her life will be challenged until she dies.

Book preview

1

In March 2007, a week after getting back from Tennessee and seeing Ramon’s eyes, it was time for me to deal with the storm I had already been in with Calvin before Ramon stepped into the picture. It was time to go back to court. That morning, I got up knowing Calvin would be dressed all up in his suit and tie. I wanted to paint a picture to the court and judge of what I was feeling on the inside as a stressed and tired woman, so I didn’t dress up. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and twisted it in a hair band. I didn’t wear any makeup. I wore slippers. My skin was ashy, and I was looking all crazy, a hot mess. Calvin finally showed up in a nice red suit coat and tan pants with his briefcase in his hand and his two brothers with him. They were well dressed. I guess they came to support him.

My lawyer and I were sitting outside the courtroom door on a bench getting last-minute paperwork together when Calvin walked up. The look on his face when he saw me said, What the hell? He then took a seat right beside me, and so did his brothers. He leaned over and looked into my face. He was about to explode with anger. He said, Didn’t you know you needed to be dressed for court? Why did you come to court looking like crap? What’s wrong with you?

I stared at him coldly and motionlessly spoke very softly. Don’t talk to me; talk to my lawyer.

He turned to his brothers and asked them to slide down, not wanting to be seen sitting next to me. That was cool; it was all part of my plan. I knew I was just painting a picture of a man who had no job and a tired, beat-down wife.

We finally went into the courtroom. There were other people in the court waiting for their cases to be heard. The court called our names and then called Calvin to the stand. He was sworn in to tell the truth and the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He said he would. But of course, every word out of his mouth was a lie except for when the judge asked him if he had committed adultery. Calvin said, Yes, but she made me do it. He said, She stoped sleeping with me.

Oh yeah, I stopped sleeping with him. When the flood came in, it must have blown his exes to Texas, because Calvin would stay out all night coming home just to shower and go right back out. But what Calvin didn’t know was that a woman may not want to admit it, but she knows when her man is sleeping with another woman. I know he didn’t think he had it going on like that, having his wife and mistress to please. Calvin had known me for twenty years and still didn’t know me at all. Then the judge asked him if he was working. He said, When I did, I gave her all my money.

I was thinking, why don’t you just answer the question with a yes or no? You’re just making yourself look more ridiculous. Notice he said when I did. Out of the nineteen years of marriage, he worked maybe nine years, and that wasn’t consecutively. He was a painter and was always trying to get his own business started. He would say he didn’t want to work for another man; he wanted his own business, but of course, that meant I had to go on my job, sick or well, just to keep the paper rolling in. Then he was asked if he paid the bills. He said he did when he had the money. I would always tell him he needed to get a real job. He would say, Working killed my granddaddy and made my grandma low, low sick, and laughed like a crazy man.

The judge asked him to step down. He stood up, brushing on his nice red suit, soulfully strutted across the room, and took his seat.

Then, they called me to the stand, and I was sworn in to tell the truth. I said I would. The first question I was asked was what it was like living with Calvin. With a sad look, as if I wanted to cry, I cleared my throat and said, Your Honor, it was worse than living with Sanford and Son, junk everywhere. We’ve been in our house for ten years, and I’ve never been able to sit outside in our backyard. The junk and dogs were everywhere.

Then he asked, How many dogs?

I replied, Five Great Danes, and it’s costing me fifty dollars a week just to feed them. I looked at Calvin and had to put my head down to keep anyone from seeing me laugh. After getting control of myself, I sat up straight again. Everyone was laughing, but I had put my sad face right back on. Then he asked me if I wanted Calvin to pay child support. I replied, No, Your Honor, I just want to get this part of my life behind me.

Then the judge said it wasn’t up to me. In the state of Texas, he will pay you child support, and because he wasn’t working, the judge based it on minimum wage and gave him two weeks to find a job. The house was given to me; Calvin was pissed. The judge said, I will see you two weeks from today for the final judgment.

Two weeks later, on a Sunday, while we were driving home from church, my son called Calvin and reminded him he needed to be in court on Monday. He told our son he wasn’t going to show because he didn’t want to be locked up; he had a ticket on him.

I was listening to the conversation and said he didn’t have to show up because the judge was going to give me a divorce whether he was there or not. Calvin said, Then I’m not going.

My lawyer had already told me if Calvin didn’t show up he would forfeit all rights.

2

The next day, I went to court. The hearing was set for 9:00 am. Here I was thinking, I’ll be in and out and back to work in an hour. When I arrived, my lawyer