Ezekiel Black

By B. D. Anderson

Ezekiel Black, known as "Zeke" has always known that his upbringing was not the norm. His parents had asked Mama Rosa to adopt him, due to the overbearing and controlling nature of his rich and powerful grandfather, Ezekiel Willoughby.

Rosa Black had been the nanny to Willoughby's son known as "Easy" since he was three months old. She loved Easy like he was her own son; raising him the best she knew how while her employer, Senator Ezekiel Willoughby served the Commonwealth of Virginia. Easy had known his father's cruel and selfish ways after his father had fired Rosa Black whom he adored. When his own son was born, he had deceived his father by hiding his son in plain sight. With his son safely adopted by Mama Rosa, there was no way that his father could snatch the boy away from his beloved Mama Rosa  as he'd done with Easy.

Now Easy is dead and Zeke is nineteen and just graduated high school. Having reached the age Easy specified in his will, Willoughby is notified of Zeke's existence. Easy wanted to give his father one last chance to redeem himself by making a way for him to get to know his grandson.

Ezekiel Willoughby cannot believe that Easy had pulled one over on him and kept his only living relative, his grandson hidden away. Even though the boy is now an adult, Willoughby is confident that he can win him over with the riches and power he can offer him; but he will soon find out that he has met his match in his grandson, Ezekiel Black.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.D. Anderson
• Release date: Apr 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734617801

B. D. Anderson

B.D. Anderson is an Associate Minister at her church.  She is married and has two adult sons and a granddaughter, Chloe.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Ezekiel Willoughby sat back in his overstuffed chair and glanced at the paperwork in front of him. He’d read it several times, looked at the pictures his lawyer included in the packet, but he still couldn’t believe what was right before his eyes.

He was a grandfather of a nineteen-year-old boy whose name was Ezekiel Black. There was no mistake and now, looking at the pictures that were mirror images of his own son at the same age, he found it mind boggling. This boy was his only living relative and he hadn’t even known he existed.

His son, Ezekiel Jr. had died several years ago in a car accident, and the senior Ezekiel was still dealing with the loss. Easy as his son liked to be called, had been his father’s heart. The older Ezekiel had known loss all his life. He’d come to expect it. First his parents, then his wife and finally, his son. Ezekiel Willoughby guarded his heart by holding back his affections. It had been the only way he knew to protect himself. He’d loved Easy and had attempted to mold him into a carbon copy of himself, but it hadn’t worked. Easy had his own mind and resisted his father’s dominance. The more he tried to guide Easy, the more his son rebelled.

The elder Ezekiel had attempted to reason with Easy and make him understand the proud family legacy he represented. After all, the Willoughby’s were well known throughout Virginia. Their family could be traced all the way back to the Revolutionary War. At the battle of Princeton, his ancestor, Alexander Willoughby, then a young man met up with Colonel John Cadwalader, who was his cousin and provided detailed information on the British works, cannons and force disposition. This information was relayed back to Washington, who put it to use on January 3, 1777, which led to victory at Princeton. With great pride, Ezekiel Willoughby now glanced at the painting of his ancestor, Alexander Willoughby conversing with Colonel Cadwalader who appeared to be listening intently to Alexander’s instructions while drawing the Plan of Princeton map...a key element in the Continental Army’s victory. The map was now on display at the Library of Congress. Cadwalader may have created the map, but it’d been Alexander who’d provided the information. Ezekiel Willoughby had no problem reminding people of his family’s great contribution to the founding of this country.

All of the Willoughby’s since Alexander were great men. Some had been Senators, Congressmen, and Governors. President Benjamin Harrison, the twenty third President and Benjamin’s grandfather, William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States were cousins to the Willoughby’s. Ezekiel prided himself on being from a line of blue blooded all American white males, and he felt it was his job to continue that legacy.

He’d paved the way for his son to follow in his footsteps to become a lawyer, and then to enter into politics, but Easy had resisted his manipulations and quickly stated he was an artist and had no desire to become a lawyer. For Ezekiel, in his mind being an artist was a hobby, not a vocation and told his son as much. After all, they had a family legacy to uphold. Easy ignored his wishes and aligned himself with a band of misfit degenerates, including Avis Wells, a girl that the elder Ezekiel hadn’t approved of at all.

He wanted his son to attend The College of William and Mary, but Easy had opted to go to Virginia Commonwealth University instead. Ezekiel had allowed it, thinking if he gave in to his son’s demand, he could eventually convince him to transfer. Later he found out Avis was the one who convinced his son to attend VCU because they had a superior Art School.

He’d done his due diligence on the girl and found Avis‒my god, who named their child after a car company? ‒ lived in a trailer park in Chesterfield county with her aunt who was a hooker, known to walk up and down Jefferson Davis Highway selling her body for a living. Avis parents were dead and the whore of an aunt was all the family she had. Though he never found any proof Avis herself was prostituting, he still didn’t want her to have anything to do with his son. She was poor white trash, plain and simple, not worthy of the Willoughby name. While he wasn’t going to choose a wife for his son, he had expected Easy to pick a woman with the bloodline, ambitions and money that his own family possessed.

He’d confronted Easy about his alliance with the girl, and his son hadn’t denied it. He had told his father he was in love with Avis and he intended to marry her. Back then, Ezekiel had held the purse strings and used the power of the purse to his advantage. However, even the threat of financial ruin hadn’t kept Easy from Avis.

Ezekiel remembered meeting the red headed beauty, and could see why his son was smitten. Still, he didn’t approve of their relationship, and let them both know exactly how he felt. He hounded Avis and harassed her aunt. He threatened his son telling him he’d have the aunt thrown in prison if he didn’t break up with Avis.

The two of them then decided to run off together, and Ezekiel had lost contact with Easy for a while. He resisted the urge to drag his son back home, as he figured Easy would come crawling back soon enough without his financial support, knowing his son had never taken care of himself. He felt it would only be a matter of time before Easy returned to his privileged lifestyle with a new attitude, so he hadn’t been worried. It took longer than he’d first estimated because it was a year later when Easy came home with his tail between his legs, telling his father Avis had left him.

Ezekiel remembered smirking in triumph, happy to have his only son back in the fold and glad Avis Wells was out of the picture, which would allow the two of them to reconnect. Easy was no longer rebellious, and appeared to be contrite, doing whatever his father suggested.

Two years had passed since Easy had died and now, he learned that all of it had been an elaborate hoax. In reality, Avis had been sick and had given birth to Easy’s son. They had no money and therefore, Easy had returned to his father acting contrite. The elder Willoughby had fallen for the story hook, line and sinker. He now realized if he hadn’t been so sure of himself and Easy, if he hadn’t been so arrogant, he’d have discovered the deception sooner. If only he’d hired an investigator to report to him on what Easy had been up to when he first ran off, things would have turned out differently.

He realized now, his son had known him well, played on his ego, told him what he wanted to hear... he’d made a big mistake getting involved with the girl, and wanted to be restored to his rightful place in the family. Ezekiel Willoughby never even considered the whole thing had been a complete lie.

Once his son had returned to his rightful place in the family, Easy had agreed to attend William and Mary, Ezekiel had given him partial access to his inheritance. Now he discovered Easy had sent money to Avis who lived in a home in Norfolk, Virginia, and provided for her and his son while attending William and Mary, while the elder Willoughby had been none the wiser.

Only it wasn’t just any home Easy had sent Avis to. No, he’d sent Avis to Rosa Black, a woman who’d been his son’s Black nanny when he was younger.

Rosa had been dismissed from his employ after Easy had turned thirteen, and he now reflected on how Easy had begged him not to let her go. He had ignored his son’s crying for Rosa and quickly chalked it up as him being weak and sentimental. He’d laughed in his face when Easy had pleaded with him, admitting he loved Rosa like a mother. Ridiculous! Ezekiel had paid her a good severance and sent her on her way. He hadn’t liked the influence the Black woman had over his son, putting all sorts of radical notions in his head. While he had turned Easy’s care over to her when he was just an infant, he felt that at thirteen, his son needed someone who would instill in Easy, his own conservative Republican values. It bothered him how Easy gave his love and devotion so easily, yet had never included his own father in his adoration.

Easy’s mother had died unexpectedly when he’d been an infant of a brain aneurism. She was a good woman from a rich family and while they had never admitted to loving one another, they both agreed the match was a good one for both of their families. Secretly, Ezekiel had loved her, though he’d held it back as he had from everyone close to him since his parents died. Ezekiel then hired Rosa because she came with good references. She had done a good job with his son over the years, but when he’d overheard her telling the ten year old Easy about black history and the accomplishments of her race, he’d heard enough. It had been at that time when he began to plan to get rid of her by the time Easy was thirteen.

Ezekiel didn’t feel like he was prejudiced against any race. No, he felt black people had rights just like everyone else. However, he didn’t want his son to become a bleeding heart liberal, giving away the farm just because Black people bemoaned their history of slavery and discrimination. It had been bad enough the boy chose painting as a profession! No, he had known back then that he needed to get rid of Rosa! He hadn’t realized until now that she and Easy had still kept in touch.

Ezekiel hadn’t known while Easy was at William and Mary, his son had been biding his time until he reached the age where he’d have full access to his inheritance. His grades weren’t that good. He still painted and sold a few while attending college. When he graduated, he refused to attend law school and Ezekiel had relented. There was no use forcing the boy if he really wasn’t interested. Besides, he felt like Easy could still get into politics later on because of the Willoughby name alone.

Easy had returned from Williamsburg with his Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Sciences, and worked at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts while he painted on the side. Back then, Ezekiel Willoughby felt he could just bide his time until he could win his son over to his way of thinking. Meanwhile, he would concentrate on finding his son the proper wife to help build his future.

Ezekiel hadn’t known Avis had been living with Rosa nor that Easy had been taking care of her without his knowledge. Now he realized why Easy had always been too busy to date once he graduated. Back then, he had no idea his son’s weekend excursions to the Tidewater area had been to see Avis and Rosa. Ezekiel Willoughby thought his son went to the beach to have fun like other young people his age. After all, Easy appeared contrite, cooperative and submissive to his father’s demands until he reached his twenty fifth birthday, fulfilling the stipulations in his dead mother’s will, receiving his full inheritance from her estate. His son had wasted no time once he had full access to his money, quickly marrying Avis without his consent.

Not only had Easy pulled one over on him, but Ezekiel had no idea his son and Avis had asked Rosa to adopt their only child immediately after the baby was born back when Easy had first run away. By the time the two had married, his grandson had been adopted and named Ezekiel Black after that woman, while Easy and Avis lived at entirely different address in Norfolk.

Ezekiel Willoughby had no knowledge his grandson even existed.

It now galled Willoughby that his own flesh and blood had hidden away his grandchild, adopted him out so he would have no legal rights to the boy if anything happened to Easy or Avis.

Willoughby sighed to himself, remembering how he’d harassed his son about him marrying Avis and how he’d kept after him to divorce her. He knew in his heart of hearts that if he’d known about his grandson, he would have done everything possible to legally snatch him from his parents.

This had been the problem. His son had known all his underhanded tactics of control and by giving the boy to Rosa, naming him Ezekiel Black, thereby keeping the elder Willoughby in the dark, little Ezekiel would grow up without his grandfather’s influence or knowledge of his existence.

Now as he looked at the file on Ezekiel Black, he realized he’d brought everything down on himself. His son was dead due to an overzealous P I following him and Avis on the interstate. The P I he’d hired to find something on Avis to throw in his son’s face in hopes that he would leave her, had also died in the crash.

Willoughby knew he would have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life.

That had been two years ago. Willoughby had been overcome with grief and regret at the loss of his only son. In an attempt to settle his son’s estate a year later, he’d been shocked to learn Easy had left everything to Rosa Black and made her executor of his will. Ten million dollars he’d left to that woman! It had been unbelievable, sending him into a deep depression.

Another year passed and then Willoughby decided to have Rosa investigated and it was then when Easy’s elaborate plans had unfolded right before his eyes. He didn’t know how his son had pulled it off without him having a clue of what had really been going on. The final pieces of the puzzle fell into place when he discovered that Easy had gotten a law firm that wasn’t associated with his family in any way, to handle things. The firm had recently sent him a copy of his son’s will which included a letter written in Easy’s own hand telling him about Ezekiel Black, his grandson.

The letter gave the date the baby had been born, explaining Easy’s reasons for hiding him away. Easy’s letter reminded him that this grandson, Ezekiel Black was now his only living relative and he was entitled to everything Willoughby would have given Easy. The letter also reminded him that if he chose not to accept Ezekiel Black, his grandson would be just fine without him. There was a copy of the birth certificate as well as copies of the adoption papers with Easy’s letter. It had been a bitter pill to swallow for the elder Willoughby. Easy had planned for everything, even his own death, if he passed before his son reached adulthood.

Now he stared at the pictures of his adult grandson, who was the spitting image of his father. Dirty blond hair and large green eyes stared back at him from the pictures obtained by the private investigator. He realized Easy and Avis had somehow remained an active part of their son’s life growing up, and he’d been none the wiser.

Willoughby wondered what they had told his grandson. Did the boy hate him? He knew that he’d always tried to control every aspect of Easy’s life, and now this was the result. He had a grandson he knew nothing about, one who knew nothing about him. All this, while Rosa Black was still alive and well, living high off the hog off of his dead son’s money!

Willoughby stood up running his hair through his salt and pepper locks as he came from behind his desk. He called his driver and told him to bring the car around. He was about to make a trip to Norfolk Virginia.

ZEKE! ROSA YELLED from the kitchen. Get up boy! You’re going to be late!

Zeke groaned as he rolled out of bed. Ma, I’m up!

Yeah I bet, she said sticking her head in the doorway of his bedroom.

I am, Zeke said smiling at her, rubbing his eyes. I have a whole hour before I have to be to work! Zeke quickly got up to shower and dress. He was now almost a foot taller than Mama Rosa’s five-foot four-inch frame. She was a small woman, with dark brown skin and big beautiful brown eyes. Her bottom lip stuck out a little from the top one, which always fascinated Zeke. When she got angry, it stuck out more, which always made him smile.

He didn’t want to cross Mama Rosa, so he quickly exited his bedroom after making his bed. He was still recovering from his week-long celebration of his graduation from high school, so he yawned and tried to shake off the lingering sleepiness he felt.

He’d been accepted into Hampton University on full scholarship and he couldn’t wait to begin the new chapter in his life, however for the summer he would be working at Walmart in the electronics department. He missed his parents, but because he hadn’t seen them every day, he was closer to Rosa. He knew they were afraid his grandfather would find out about him before his parents were ready, but he never did. However, their decisions had affected his relationship with them, resulting in him feeling that they were more of an aunt and uncle instead of mother and father. Their deaths were painful, but not devastatingly so. It had always been Mama Rosa he turned to for comfort.

Zeke walked into the kitchen and inhaled the smell of bacon and eggs.

Mama Rosa fixed him a plate and sat it on the table in front of him.

Zeke had always known he was adopted, and while others thought it a bit strange, the situation was completely normal to him. He’d lived with his mother Avis and his Mama Rosa all his life until his parents married when he was seven. His father would drive down from Richmond several times during the week and on weekends to be with them. After his parents married, he still lived with Rosa. He would sometimes go to his parent’s apartment, but it had never felt like home. Most of the time though, they came over to Mama Rosa’s and stayed in the spare bedroom. They stayed more at Mama Rosa’s house than they did at their own apartment, which made him happy. Once his parents married, they explained the situation to him about his grandfather who was a lawyer and a Senator of great influence in Virginia and why they were trying to hide Zeke from him.

His father told him his grandfather was obsessed with controlling those he loved and they had allowed Mama Rosa to adopt him to keep him from being taken away from them by his grandfather. It had all sounded very strange to Zeke, but he trusted his parents and Mama Rosa. He figured his grandfather must be a bad man for them to go to the extremes they had in order to keep him safe and happy.

When his parents were killed two years earlier, Zeke was barely seventeen. He then learned the circumstances of his parent’s death and he knew they had done the right thing. What kind of father would harass his son to leave his wife just because she had family members that weren’t respectable; and what kind of father would have his son followed and chased on a highway like a criminal leading to his death? No, Zeke wanted no part of the man that was his grandfather.

His phone rang and he looked down to see that it was LaDonna, his girlfriend. Hey, babe, he said smiling.

Hey yourself, she responded. Coming to church Sunday? I’m singing a solo.

Yeah, I’ll be there, but I’m on my way to work now, he replied, eying Rosa’s disapproving stare.

Get off that phone and eat your breakfast! Rosa snapped.

Gotta go, he said quickly hanging up the phone.

So what’s going on between you and LaDonna? Rosa asked as he ate his eggs. You two are as thick as thieves. You know her father is our minister and I don’t want no disgrace being brought on our family, so keep it in your pants, boy.

Mama! Zeke groaned not wanting to hear the speech that was coming.

I mean it. Now Ezekiel, I may be old, but I’m not stupid. You and LaDonna have been together all your lives. Is it serious?

We’re dating and we’re in love, Zeke replied finishing his breakfast. And you are not old.

You covering it up? she asked glaring at him.

Mama, we haven’t gone there, OK? Zeke replied, his face red.

Well good, Rosa replied nodding. I know you don’t like talking about these things with me, but I’m just concerned. You both have your whole lives ahead of you.

I know, he agreed smirking at her. But I’m going to Hampton and Dee’s going to Nursing School in Richmond.

Well, the Interstate highway is open twenty-four seven, so if you want to see each other, you will. I’m just saying be careful. Rosa sighed.

I will. Stop worrying, Zeke said kissing her cheek as he put the plate in the sink. Didn’t you tell me that sex was for married people, he teased.

Rosa rolled her eyes. Yeah, like you’d listen to me.

I listen, Zeke replied walking out the door.

EZEKIEL WILLOUGHBY sat back in the limousine going through the file once again. He stopped flipping through the photographs and held up a picture of his grandson standing beside a black girl with his arm around her. He glanced out the window as the limo sped down the highway towards Norfolk.

He’d learned that his grandson was

Reviews for Ezekiel Black

[miriam · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good book but the author could have focused more Ezekiels relationship with his girlfriend