Sister Ree Kate

By Rosa Barden Northcutt

Set in a rural community of Clayhill, Georgia.

A general book of fiction that depicts the life style of a small town community where everybody knows everybody. However there are hidden secrets and lies of the past that haunt the people who make every effort to maintain their upstanding images.

The characters have a loving caring relationship with each other throughout the closely knit rural community.

Down by the creek is a little shack of a church where the pastor bellows out high power sermons. The church goers rock to the beat of good ole gospel songs and a one man band. They dont mind praising the Lord, and in the midst of it all, they love showing off their best Sunday-go-to-meeting outfits. Nothing much happens in the neighborhood except the deepest dark pain and the gossip that seem to spring from well-kept secrets.

This book is also the sequel to Raging Roots. The main character in this previous published novel was Tara, the daughter of Sister Ree Kate.

As readers venture through the fictional story, they will be able to identify with the main character Sister Ree Kate. The other characters will lend themselves to much laughter, joy, and suspense as the story unfolds. In this church going community, people can easily make the smooth transition from secular activities to non secular behavior.

Just everyday people who find their lives being reminiscent of the by-gone years of their ancestors.

This community also experiences tragedy, death, victims, and cover-up. Money seemed to have just dropped in their lap and they use it for a new church building.

Sister Ree Kates secret seems to always be on the verge of being revealed. Sister Ree Kate is a woman to be reckoned with but not one to be question or mince words with. Some of the residents seem to be intimidated by her or fear her. She demands perfection by her own arrived at standards. Others refer to her as a woman stepping in high cotton (a high society woman) for a rural town. Others may look upon her as bossy and a know-it-all. However everyone seems to depend on her.

Pearleen is sweet on Deacon Joe Moe and plays a lot of life games. She lived in New York city for several years before she moved back home to Clayhill. She and Sister Ree Kate are rivalries in a playful manner. Pearleen is often trying to bring New York life style to Clayhill and insist that everyone needs a new lease on life with much upgrade.

Sister Ree Kate (book) delves in all the rural aspects of a country community that is told in simple everyday language that makes for easy reading. It will keep you intrigued with interest and curiosity.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 24, 2008
• ISBN: 9781465324245

Rosa Barden Northcutt

Doris Davis Anderson is retired. She is the daughter of Lola Davis and the late Lester B. Davis. She is the oldest of seven children. Doris is the mother of two daughters, Tonya and LaWanji, and a grandmother of Kyrsten. Her hobbies are reading, writing, singing, traveling, and fishing. In her membership church, she enjoys worshipping and fellowshipping with others. Two of Doris’s favorite scriptures are Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” and Psalms 136:1, “Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.” Rosa Barden Northcutt is a retired rehabilitation counselor. She is the wife of Minister Pastor Edward Northcutt. They reside in Dodge County, Eastman, Georgia, where they enjoy the open-range of the countryside. In her membership church, she serves as program coordinator, teacher, prayer warrior, and corresponding secretary. Published work by Rosa include: Raging Roots, Sister Ree Kate, and several poems in Southern Whispers by Society of American Poets.

Book preview

Copyright © 2008 by Rosa Barden Northcutt.

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.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the

product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance

to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

A novel set in a small country town centered around a community church. The

main character, Sister Ree Kate is a church-going woman and a self-proclaimed

Christian. She harbors a dark secret of her younger years but projects an image of

perfection and a person to be reckoned with.

High drama of hypocrisy, secrets, love, devotion, and community interaction

best describes this work of art. Much focus is given to "good ole time religious

practices."

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]

45132

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my loving husband Edward Northcutt who is also my pastor. His support and prayers have enabled me to reach my maximum potential of written expression.

I thank God for giving me a creative spirit and the mindset to walk in His destiny for me. Also I thank all my readers who supported me during my previous book Raging Roots.

My acknowledgement and appreciation go out to Arnita and James Beavers who always gave me a needed push.

A special thanks to Catherine Rozar who believed in me and kept me focused and centered with her constructive input.

This book is in memory of my parents Nelson and Josephine Barden who taught me to use my God given talent and to embrace the value of knowledge.

Introduction

Just before the break of day, all was calm and tranquil. Nothing but peaceful joy reign in the lives of the precious down home folks. A certain harmony embraced the rural community of Clayhill, Georgia.

Much attention was given to Sister Ree Kate. She got up from a night’s sleep before the chickens. And that was mighty early. She said that she had a direct line to call on the Lord before everyone else got out of bed, and started jamming the line. She was a praying woman with her sight set on a high plane. People around the rural community in Georgia often shared thoughts about Sister Ree Kate. However, she was not bothered by the talk; she did not participate in gossip, nor did she spend idle time. Her longing for the here-after kept her on track. This led some of the folks to call her strange.

Down the road about a country mile was a little shack near the creek, where all the church folks went every Sunday morning to worship. That ‘little shack of a church’ was rocking to the beat of good ole gospel hymns. The preacher gave fire and brimstone sermons. The congregation praised the Lord with every bit of their being. Shouting and singing were their connection to God. Their troubles all seemed to vanish, at least for one day. Sister Ree Kate sang in the choir, and when an usher was needed, she took her post at the door near the preacher. She was involved in everything that went on in that church. The church was her second love and God was her first. She did not bother about a third, but one would guess it was herself.

She stood out in her little rural town as she took pride in her life-style. She remembered when she was but a child working for Ole Man Tom. She told the story of her past so many times that others could almost recite every told detail by memory.

While working for Ole Man Tom, she said that she lived well. She became quite knowledgeable by reading books from his shelves. She shared her knowledge with others as she reminded people that worth does not come from the type of work you do, but from the God you serve and the thoughts you cherish.

Sister Ree Kate retired at the age of 62 as his housekeeper. He had provided a retirement fund for her and paid social security. She felt sky-high financially by the will of Ole Man Tom, but she felt even higher by her faith in God as her supplier. She never rested on his good will, for she too had provided for her retirement at his expense. She trusted in the Lord. As far as she was concerned, everybody else held a question mark over their heads. She did not waste time trying to figure out who to trust. The safety zone was probably where you would find her. And yet, she lived life to its fullest in her own manner of style.

The community folks loved and respected her, but expressed her ways as a little on the deep end in her love for God and the here-after. She was dedicated to serving God and converting lost souls. Although she was not judgmental, she had a way of making others who seemed less committed to God’s word, feel guilty for the sins they sowed.

Sister Ree Kate had a saying, I will not waste valuable time on those who waste valuable time. She had her own convictions about life and the pursuit of happiness. Her God-fearing life style would make all else seem unimportant except the secret she harbored about her own life before she became a Christian.

A secret, she thought, that certainly one day will come back to put her to shame. My Mama always said the darkness will give up the worse of time. She sighed and shook her head in an effort to make the thoughts go away.

She managed to smile with the thought that when God forgives, He cast it into the sea of forgetfulness.

Chapter 1

Sister Ree Kate walked three country miles daily. She said she was walking for her health and it showed. She was a young looking healthy woman in her sixties.

Neighbors called out to her as she passes their houses.

Sister Ree Kate, why you walk so fast?

To past the time I have a lot to do today. She seldom stopped to ‘chat’ on her daily walk. If the neighbors didn’t catch what she was saying before she passed their houses, it didn’t seem to matter much.

She carried a big stick for she knew Brother Billy Bob’s little dog would come running after her. Such a little ugly dog for so much bark, she thought. I wonder if he bites as bad as he barks.

In an after thought, but I am not about to find out. She smiled as she entertained the thought, reminds me of some of the church members who make a lot of noise but fall short on action. She laughed out loud as she raised her stick to the dog, who stopped running and just stood there barking. She continued her three country mile walk.

Sister Ree Kate spent the rest of that morning picking peas to put in the freezer for the winter. She always gathered peas and beans to stock her freezer. She would pick them for half price from whatever farmer had the better crop for that season. But she wouldn’t get anymore from Mr. Henry because she told him that his peas were ‘wormy and weedy’ and that he needed a lesson in farming. She was laughing all the time she told him, but Mr. Henry didn’t take too kindly to that. Since Mr. Henry’s wife died some years ago, he seemed so alone and distraught. Sister Ree Kate took him blackberry cobbler with the first picking of the season each year.

Ain’t no need you come here with no blackberry pie, I got plenty to eat, thanks anyhow.

She gave him the cobbler with a big friendly smile, I’ll pray for you, come to the church sometimes.

Yeah, I’ll give it some thought. But he knew he wouldn’t go. Nothing but hell raisers in that church, mumbled Mr. Henry.

The sun never went down on Sister Ree Kate without her doing a good will for someone. You get your blessings by what you do for others, was her saying as she picked up her Bible. She started to Miss Lou’s house across the backfield.

Miss Lou