Star

By Regina Mavis Sam

An exciting fictional adventure about a young girl caught up in a world of conflict between good and evil, on the day before her 10th birthday. As she searches earnestly for answers, she realises she always had the answer. Mia was a star, she only had to believe it, but then - did her adventures really happen? Or did her imagination, the heat of the day and the upcoming events get the better of her?

“An uplifting story of a young girl’s search for truth and harmony in the world, a story with many different levels of meaning but always within a Christian moral context... highly recommended for the young reader.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781326044121

Book preview

Star

STAR

By

Regina Mavis Sam

Copyright

Copyright ©  Regina Mavis Sam 2014

eBook Design by Rossendale Books: www.rossendalebooks.co.uk

eBook ISBN: 978-1-326-04412-1

All rights reserved, Copyright under the Berne Copyright Convention and Pan American Convention. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, corporations, institutions, organisations, events or locales in this novel are either the product of the author’s imagination or, if real, used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead) is entirely coincidental.

Dedication

To my children Zhane, Lamartha, Mansabryanne, (Twins) Mina, Iya, Jordan, Eliagh and to my memories of childhood with my brother Lawrence Quarshie, Brentford Tower Blocks, the old estate.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the Lord God Almighty.  A special thanks to Alice Quarshie and Sarah Adarkwah who simply listened, encouraged, motivated and believed. Friends like that are priceless.

Thanks to my daughters Lamartha and Mansabryanne who have joined me on this journey with anticipation, determination and excitement from the beginning to the end, (hope I’ve made your dreams come true) also to my twin daughters Mina and Iya - I could not have written this book without you!

YESTERDAY

It was just yesterday I stood here

Now that time has gone

Running through the grassy hills

With my brother trailing on

The old estate looks smaller now

Not how it was back then

Buying bread for Mum each day

Was daunting when you’re ten

24 Trimmer Lane

Lived Old Mr George and his wild dog Crane

I’d always run fast as I passed his gate

As wild Crane, would stand and wait

Peeping with eyes through tiny holes

To see when he barks how fast I’d go

Next door was the twins Michelle and Helen

With her Mum and four boys made the family seven

The children were loud and out of control

Stayed out until late, Mum never said no!

Poor single Mum raising kids alone

Always drunk, with a bottle calling them home

Next was the play centre Zion Way

During weekends me and friends would play

The worst day was Friday as it was dominated by teens

Once they caught Mark and stuck glue in his jeans

On a few occasions I’d get home quite late

Running from Trevor and all his mates

Summer holiday’s was the best time of all

As me and my brother would go to Gunsbury Fall

A massive park full of adventure everywhere

We’d dip our feet in the ducks pond without a care

When we felt hungry we would look for blackberries

Build a tent in the bushes dance and be merry

No concern for the future, just enjoy each day

Never thought there would be a time, I’d look back and say

Time is precious, value each day

For the memories of yesterday are but a step away

Psalm 118:24 this is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it 

CONTENTS

Foreword

This fictional story has concepts of a biblical nature, but is not written to contradict the bible.  Glory King is a character needed for this story and not written to challenge, or disrespect, the sovereignty of God. There is only one King and that is Jesus.

Chapter 1 - My birthday tomorrow!

My  name is Miakastr but I’m called Mia for short.  I was born seven minutes before my twin brother making me the oldest, his name is Mikwan. It was horrible having similar names.

Mum can’t I just be called Mia? I had complained so much that finally it was settled I was called Mia and my brother Kwan.

The names mean stars; in fact you shine like stars. The names had been passed on through the family. I was named after my grandma whose name had been Kastr, while Kwan had been named after grandpa whose name was Ikwan.  They had died before we were born.  I remember when I was three, Mum would sit up with us in the night on the balcony before bedtime and we’d look at all the stars in the sky and take it in turns to count as many as possible.

Don’t forget your stars, she would often say.

Why don’t we twinkle then? Kwan asked once sarcastically.

You will twinkle and not only that you’re going to shine Mum replied smiling.

When? I asked.

She gazed into our desperate eyes then slowly said At the right time then she pointed to the night sky, just as high as the stars are that is how high you are just believe it.

That was okay for Mum to say; six years on we were still living in our run down estate, it was shabby and boring, how I wished we would move.

Mum was originally from Ghana and Dad too.  They met on a visit he made to London. It was love at first sight and the rest was history, we knew the story inside out, because every anniversary Mum would always repeat it. Kwan and I got so bored with the story, but we’d have to pretend we were interested. Kwan would pull funny faces behind Mum’s back, which would cause me to be hysterical in laughter.  When she turned around of course he was sitting down quietly and it would make me look like I was the bad one.

Kwan was like a wild jumping annoying kangaroo; he’d always jump everywhere and get me in trouble.  He appeared tough but he was a real baby. We of course shared the same birthday, which I hated so much.

Why couldn’t I have been born the next day? I once asked Mum.

If you were born the next day you would not be twins.

But I never wanted to be a twin I replied.

Yuck neither did I Kwan answered.

Now Mum said you both stop being silly, that’s just how it is, it’s wonderful to have twins, twins help each other, when one falls, the other stands we’d mumble back, Mum had   this into our heads from the time we knew how to talk.

It’s not fun I would often say even a twin sister would be a thousand times better.

It was a hot sunny day, it was so hot it reminded me of being back in Ghana.  It was the day before my 10th birthday. My birthday was July 25th, and I was often upset that it fell in the six week summer holidays. I never got Happy Birthday sang to me in school like other kids, and could never take any treats into celebrate, it was so unfair. Mum and Dad tried their best every year to invite as many of my and Kwan’s friends as possible but it was difficult as most were sometimes on holiday.

I was lying on the sofa bored sweating with a cup full of ice cubes, while Kwan was acting his usual dumb self, he was throwing ice cubes in the air and trying to catch them with his mouth. He had got me really cross earlier as one had landed on my head.  Mum was acting weird, she did this every year, making secret phone calls, she would stop talking if we came into the lounge and scream Get out!, also most of the day she would be taking shopping bags from the car to her bedroom, as she came out she would quickly look left and right to make sure no-one was watching and quickly sneak downstairs, if we happened to pass by her she’d act like she’s seen a ghost, of course we all knew she was doing all this to surprise us the next day, but we pretended not to notice.

Today however she seemed a bit more relaxed, it was like she was getting tired of sneaking around, she was in the dining room when the phone rang, my heart started beating, then she began to call us

Mia, Kwan!

Dad! Dad! Kwan and I screamed in excitement running to the lounge. Kwan managed to push past me and grabbed the phone.

I’m the oldest give me the phone, I said trying to grab it from him.

No way he said pushing me away.

You kids stop! Mum said sternly.

Kwan suddenly pulled a funny face at me before talking to Dad. I was quite used to his gestures and was so happy we were not identical twins. I was slightly taller than Kwan and although we were both dark skinned, we had different skin shades.  I was really dark, but Kwan was a lot lighter.  My hair was long and curly, I hated it being brushed. It hurt so much and I knew it would be brushed either today or tomorrow by Mum.  My brother had squinty eyes which seemed to pierce you when he was angry, while mine were big. He also had a dimple in his chin, which seemed to grow bigger every time he smiled; I had two dimples in my cheeks. 

Thank-you said