Talithia

By T. Griffith

Ruth deals with adversity all of her life. Then she fi nds love with Judas! Ruth
thinks its a fairytale love, unti l she discovers who he truly is. She is discarded
and on the verge of death. Then suddenly Ruth fi nds strength in her God.
She gets the strength to stand and make a bold decision to survive and
eliminate anyone or anything that would harm her or her children. In the
mist of all of the doubts and no confi dence Ruth learns to lean and depend
on her God. Most of all on her journey of survival shes able to touch and
help others to survive along the way. Ruth learns love, faith, courage and
most of all STRENGTH.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 28, 2010
• ISBN: 9781456802752

T. Griffith

Taleithia Griffi th is an advocate, educator, and speaker on Domesti c Violence. Taleithia has many years experience with this, she has volunteered and worked at DV shelters in the state of Louisiana. She is a mother and a wife.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by T. Griffith.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2010915846

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4568-0274-5

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4568-0273-8

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4568-0275-2

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The characters in this book have all been changed for the best interest of all involved.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

89108

Contents

Acknowledgements

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

I would like to dedicate this book to all victims and survivors of Domestic Violence and their families.

Acknowledgements

First of all I want to say thank to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Next I would like to thank my best friend, lover and husband. The man that has stood by my side and supported me. The man whom which I am forever in covenant with, Kelvin Griffith.

The best kids a mother could ask for and always making me laugh. All of you are bright lights to me and the world. My kids are all a true gift and blessing from above, I love each and everyone of you.

To my mother Margaret Lewis, thank you for blessing me with your knowledge and love. For instilling in me that all things are possible when God is in it. For you loving me and understanding when I didn’t understand myself.

Next person is to my big brother Derrick Lewis for teaching me even when you had no idea you were. Loving me in a quiet, yet loving manner. You have been my silent strength and hero. I will forever love you.

To my church family and the best Pastors in the world. To the people who have come into my life even if it were for just a season, I thank you.

To all of my friends that have supported me and guided me through every aspect of my life. God has truly blessed me with some awesome people in my life.

To my editor J.L. Deaton for the professional and timely work you did.

All of the people that took the time out and did such remarkable work Mia Mouton for the pictures, Angel Brown of A Million Wayz for the beautiful hair and make-up. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I live by this everyday of my life Galatians 5:22 NIV But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Chapter One

As a young girl I grew up in a loving and wonderful home. We had our share of problems, just like all families. My parents were Aaron and Esther Louis. My father was in the Air Force—that was his career. My father’s name was Aaron Louis; he stood at 6'1; his skin was so clear and smooth. Daddy was a chocolate complex man and he had always been bald. He was very handsome, his eyes were brown, and he had deep dimples on both cheeks. Daddy was always dressed clean-cut, and he had a huge smile with the whitest teeth. He loved doing what he did. I remember watching him and my mother getting dressed for the military balls. He would be so cleaned up and she would be absolutely beautiful. Mom, whose names is Esther, was gorgeous. Mother was 5'5 with long beautiful legs, and she had an olive colored complexion. Mom had dark green eyes, but they would change colors depending on her moods. Mom’s hair was shoulder length. She was a lady who was always in order from her hair to her shoes. Mother instilled in me that you should always be a lady. They had two children, a son and a daughter. The son was the oldest and was very good with art. I remember as a kid, I believe in the 5th grade, he won first prize in a drawing contest. I remember he drew Stevie Wonder. It was so detailed from all of the features on his face to the braids and beads in his hair. Jacob Louis was his name, born December 1, 1969. Then a few years later, on February 4, 1973, Ruth Louis was born. I was never really talented. I did well in school, but Jacob was the outgoing one. Ruth was quiet and shy. But if you asked her parents, they would say she was sneaky.

I remember being in the fourth grade. My parents had gone on to Germany to prepare things for my brother and me, so I attended an elementary school in Houston. My grandmother had told me that morning that my aunt would pick me up after school that day. So school was out and I was standing in the front waiting on my aunt. A yellow taxi cab drove up; the cabbie was a much older black man; I had never seen him before. He pulls his window down and tells me, Your grandmother sent me here to pick you up. He knew my name. I remember thinking, that’s not what my grandmother told me this morning. He says, Come on Ruth, get in. I went to the car and put one foot in and then I thought about what mother always told me, Never get in the car with a stranger. I then turned around and took off running. I ran into the school and told the lady who was standing in the hall. We went in the office and called my grandmother. She said, No, I never sent anyone to come and get you—your aunt is on her way for you. Then I looked as I heard the office door open and there she was—my aunt. The school staff ran out to get the man, but he was gone. To this day, I say that was my God watching over me. Lord knows what would have happened if I had put both feet in that car. God is good.

Now it’s time to move to a new country. So my brother and I fly to Germany together to meet our parents. I remember when I saw them I felt so safe—I had missed them both so much. We lived in an apartment off the military base. I remember a couple who lived downstairs from us—the Davenports. They had one son. He had a disability, but he was fun to be around. I remember we all played together. The one thing I always remember as a kid is that I can’t ever remember dealing with someone being prejudiced.

It wasn’t long before I met a German girl named Trixie; she and I became insistent friends. Trixie always said when she grew up she wanted to move to the United States and become a dancer. She would ask me what it was like in the U.S. As military kids, we would call the U.S. the World. Sometimes we would sit out on the stairs and tell Trixie and other German kids about the World and how great it was, not ever realizing how blessed I was to be a citizen of the best country in the world.

A short time after that, we packed up once again and moved, but this time it was onto the military base, Rhine Main Air Force Base. We went to the elementary school and junior high, which were together right across the street from our house. My fourth grade teacher was Mr. Norris. He was awesome. I remember when I walked in that first day—I was so nervous, but one great thing about this was we were all military kids and we all knew all about this moving thing all too well. So they welcomed me. I kept to myself for a few days, but then I started making friends pretty quickly. My brother, of course, made friends quickly. For some reason he never really had trouble doing that. I, on the other hand, did. But I remember one of the first people I met was a girl named Vickie Johnson, who was very much outgoing. Vickie came from a single parent home; her mother was in the military. Vickie was a cute and very polite girl, but don’t make her mad! I think she actually helped bring out the bully in me.

I remember when we went on a field trip to the local ice skating rink; there was a group of girls there—a very popular group. I had always heard they had been friends for a few years. So we are at the skating rink and one of the girls named Cara bumped into me by accident, and I knew it was an accident, but I was bad. I told her to watch where she was going. It was an accident, I’m sorry, she said. I tell her, Don’t let it happen again! So we all go onto the rink and I’m telling my friends about it and they tell me she did it on purpose. Cara is in her circle of friends, so I walk over there and tell her, I think you did that on purpose, bumping into me.

No, it was an accident, I said I was sorry. So I walk up closer to her face.

Then I hear a voice saying, Leave it alone—she said she was sorry. I turned and looked and there she was—Christina Peterson, better known as Tina.