The Complete Works of John Wesley Anderson, Jr.

By John Wesley Anderson

This book is a complete compilation of all seven of John Wesley Anderson's books.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781503513136

Book preview

THE COMPLETE

WORKS OF

JOHN WESLEY ANDERSON, JR.

VOLUME I

JOHN WESLEY ANDERSON, JR.

Copyright © 2014 by John Wesley Anderson, Jr.

Cover Design by Darla Storbeck

Library of Congress Control Number:          2014920147

ISBN:          Hardcover          978-1-5035-1311-2

                    Softcover          978-1-5035-1312-9

                    eBook               978-1-5035-1313-6

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 11/07/2014

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Contents

Shades of Winter

The Lighthouse

Death Beneath the Evening Star

The Secret

Ruminations by Twilight

Love Letters

Human Mind in a Storm of Thought

Shades of Winter

Reflections of Spring

"He was captivated by the beauty

of her silhouette.

For so long he had lived in the shades

of winter.

Suddenly, over the horizon,

he could see love and the reflections

of spring."

This book is dedicated

to the loving memory of my parents,

Ruby Lee and John Wesley Anderson Sr.

Introduction

What is it about the downfall of our spiritual leaders that so intrigues us? Perhaps it’s due in part to our quiet resentment of their quest for moral perfection.

But when that chance instant comes when our leaders fall short of the standards they have set, it is a revelation to the humanity of us all. For a brief moment we sigh a breath of relief and accept the fact that no one is perfect.

Although we, in the same respect, feel a sense of betrayal and disappointment, for now what shall we strive for if perfection is out of reach to the best of us?

Whatever the reason, the fact still remains: we love stories about normal human beings striving to live complete lives in a spiritually incomplete world.

Shades of Winter: Reflections of Spring is a romantic story depicting two individuals coming to grips with their desires for true love, passion, and human fulfillment while struggling to maintain their ecclesiastical responsibilities to the church and the vows of marriage.

Chapter 1

The Vow

Hezekiah Daniels, pastor of Mount Mariah Missionary Baptist Church, paced the floor of Fulton-Mercy’s dingy waiting room in anticipation of an answered prayer. The small black hospital was known throughout the east side of Detroit as the chief harbinger of death for poor blacks who were unable to afford care at the better-funded white hospitals.

In 1943, Fulton-Mercy was one of the few vehicles for promising young black doctors to practice medicine. At that time, no major hospital would accept black residents for fear of the white backlash. Despite the financial adversities, Fulton-Mercy, statistically, had a success rate comparable to Providence-St. Martin’s, which was the well-known white hospital on the affluent west side. The hospital’s bad reputation derived from mysterious means, totally unfounded according to the facts, but it remained nonetheless.

Hezekiah, lost in a world of silent grief and meditation, knew the negative reputation of the hospital, but he also knew it was the best hospital in town for blacks. The doctors there showed a greater degree of compassion than the white hospitals, plus it was well-known to Hezekiah that the hospital provided top-notch care despite its reputation. Yes, he whispered, this is the best possible place for Luann.

Hezekiah watched in quiet dread as the young doctor walked toward him, the doctor’s face densely marked with concern. He stood motionless, awaiting the word on his pregnant wife.

Pastor Daniels, Dr. Jenkins said, putting his hand on Hezekiah’s shoulder and searching within himself for the right words to say, coming up empty.

Your wife has slipped into a coma. We don’t know if she’s going to live or die, he said, biting his lower lip as if to punish them for not choosing better, more compassionate words.

How about the baby, Doctor? How about our little baby? Will he survive to see my face? Hezekiah asked while tears fell on his black ministerial shirt and quickly faded into the fabric.

Pastor Daniels, all we can do right now is pray. It’s in the Lord’s hands now. Dr. Jenkins patted Hezekiah on the back to try to somehow ease the pain.

Dr. Jenkins looked up and saw the members of Mount Mariah Missionary Baptist Church moving down the hall like an army destined for battle.

It looks like your spiritual army is here, Dr. Jenkins said, walking away.

Hezekiah looked up to see all the prayer warriors of the church marching down the hall as if on divine appointment. He smiled to see widow Anabel Coleman leading the way.

Pastor, we’ve come to lift your needs to the throne of grace, Mabel Richards said, waving her tattered, well-worn Bible.

Dear God in heaven knows how much I appreciate all of you coming down here tonight, he smiled, lovingly stroking the coal-black hair of fiery Mabel R. I’ve made my request known to the Lord, and I’m sure the answer to my petition is already on the way. I’ve gone three days without food or drink, and I would go another forty or even fast till death if it would save Luann.

He looked at Anabel Coleman and then said solemnly, If the Lord is punishing me for any evil that I’ve done, I’ll accept His punishment like a man and a child of His grace. Anabel Coleman hung her head.

The entire prayer group focused on the handsome lean young black doctor as he slowly walked down the narrow hall. His steps were uncertain, his facial expression solemn.

Pastor Daniels, seeing the look in everyone’s faces, turned into the troubled countenance of Dr. Jenkins.

Pastor, Lu-Luann… j-just passed, he said, fighting back the tears.

I’m so sorry.

Hezekiah took a mournful deep breath and slowly exhaled. Is the baby… is… he still… is he still alive?

Yes.

Thank the Lord! Mabel interrupted.

But he’s in a great deal of danger. The next twenty-four hours will tell if he’ll live or die.

Hezekiah, locked within the clutches of grief and guilt, pushed past Dr. Jenkins and rushed to the men’s room, which was the nearest place of solitude. He slammed and locked the door behind him. He fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably. He reached over in the small restroom and flipped off the lights. Hezekiah looked up into the silent darkness.

Dear Lord, you’ve taken Luann away from me. Please, Jesus, don’t take our baby too. What I did all those many months ago… I admit to You right now was wrong. Don’t take the life of the son because of the sins of the father. Lord, if you spare his life, I vow to You this day that my only wife shall be the church and my only love will be that which I have for Your service and my son. He raised his hands to heaven then beat his chest in sorrow.

Dear Lord, please forgive me of my sin, and I will never again retreat from a vow. Feeling forgiven, Hezekiah staggered to his feet and wiped the tears from his eyes. He straightened his clothes and slowly walked the narrow hallway to Luann’s room to say his final valedictions.

Chapter 2

A Rose by Any Other Name

Little Elijah Daniels ran to the small brick house down the street as fast as he could. He knew he had to go to school, but today his heart just wasn’t in it. He reached the familiar house out of breath and frightened. An attractive medium-built black woman in her midforties came out of the house with a warm smile and a leafless branch.

Ms. Anabel, Daddy gonna get me for coloring in his preachin’ Bible! Could you hide me till he goes to church?

Your daddy called me just before you got here, she said flatly, and asked me to do a little favor for him.

Little Eli’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the narrow branch in her right hand, slowly and decisively striking her side.

Are you gonna spank me, Ms. Anabel? Eli asked softly, not one to beat around the bush.

Are you going to color in your father’s Bible again?

Noooo, ma’am!

She paused, reading his little tears. Consider yourself spanked, she said with a little wink. C’mon so I can walk you to school.

Eli ran and hugged her as hard as he could.

Pastor Hezekiah Daniels drove past Anabel Coleman’s house to see if his son, Eli, had indeed run to her for salvation from his black leather strap. After the death of his wife, Luann, Anabel stepped in to help with Eli. The fact that she lived so close was a great help when he needed to leave at night to sit with a sick member of the congregation or visit with a family that had just lost a loved one.

He honked and pulled over when he saw Anabel and Eli walking to school.

Ana, did you take care of my little problem? His tone hardened.

Oh yes. I solved it, she answered with a faint, hesitant smile.

Okay, hop in and I’ll drive you.

No, Hezekiah, that won’t be necessary, she interrupted. We would kinda like to walk today.

All right, he said, pleased because he really didn’t have the time to drive them. Eli, I’ll see you when I get home.

Yes, Daddy, Eli said sheepishly.

I’ll pick him up at around seven, he told Ana. Hopefully, the funeral and repast will be over by then. His brow furrowed in contemplation. Maybe I’ll pick Eli up after the services, and he can eat with me at the church. That way you won’t have to cook for him again.

Hezekiah, don’t worry about that. I love cooking for Eli. Plus, Sara Ann likes when Eli eats with us. You mark my words. Those two will get married one day.

How do you know? Hezekiah asked with a laugh, followed by Eli’s Yuck! Not me!

A mother knows these things.

Ana, what would I do without you? Hezekiah said, changing the subject. I’ll see you two later, he smiled and drove off.

Anabel Coleman stood silent and reflective for a moment as he drove away. She gripped Eli’s hand with a hint of anger. Come on, let’s go, she said softly.

That night after dinner, Eli, Anabel’s son, Frank Jr., and her daughter, Sara Ann, played till they fell asleep. Little Sara Ann’s head rested on Eli’s shoulder.

Pastor Daniels opened the unlocked door and yelled, Hey! Where is everybody?

Anabel met him at the door.

Hezekiah, little Eli is like a ray of sunshine around here. There is nothing I want more than to see him and my Sara Ann married one day, she said, waving for him to follow her. They walked into the living room, and a tear formed in the corner of Hezekiah’s eye when he saw little Sara Ann’s head on his Eli’s shoulder.

That’s got to be the— Anabel put her finger to his lips so he wouldn’t wake the children and motioned for him to follow her outside.

"Hezekiah, I know that seven years ago you blamed our relationship for Luann’s death. But you have no idea what our friendship meant to me during that season of my life.

When I got word that Frank was killed overseas, my whole world fell apart. If it hadn’t been for these kids, I don’t know what I would’ve done. You don’t know how many times I lay in bed at night, during those days, dreaming of taking my own life. That’s how scared and confused I was! Anabel’s tears fell unabated.

When you came into my life with a little comfort, I didn’t care if you were married or not! I didn’t care that you were a preacher! All I knew was that your devoted compassion to me that night saved my life… and isn’t that what love is all about? She gently moved toward him.

You made me feel like a woman again. Not a mother, not a friend, but a woman, soft and beautiful. When you held me in your arms, it was as if a very special part of me was renewed. When passion’s amber light reflected in your eyes, I knew love was alive and not just a memory in my perpetual winter.

Hezekiah stood resolute, his eyes narrowed and cognizant as he regarded the silhouette of this beautiful woman.

Anabel, what we shared was wonderful. There isn’t a night that goes by I don’t think of you and our moment together. But what we shared was wrong, no matter how right it seemed to us. Even a rose can be considered a weed if it’s growing in the wrong place. I made a commitment to a woman and to a cause. I broke them for a moment of pleasure, and as a result, I was punished on the day my wife died.

Hezekiah slowly and purposely took several steps back. Anabel, what is it that you want from me?

I want to feel like I did that night, for a lifetime. We have the opportunity right now to plant our rose in fertile soil and cultivate it through years of mutual respect and friendship, she said, taking two steps toward him. "I want—no—I need to feel your strong embrace. I need to be needed by someone that doesn’t call me Mother!"

She paused, searching her heart for the courage to tell him the yearnings that robbed her of sleep almost every night.

I want to be more than just your neighbor, Hezekiah. I want our love to be a beautiful rose and not just a bitter weed in your memory. A thick silence engulfed their conversation, a silence so thick she thought she would choke from it. Then Hezekiah spoke.

Anabel, on the day Luann died, I made a commitment to the God I worship. I vowed that if He spared my only son’s life, I would devote my life to His ministry. I vowed that my wife would be the church and that I would never marry again.

Hezekiah began to weep internally when the pain of Anabel’s heart reached his.

I want you so bad, but I can’t break my vow to Him again and go back on my word. Do you understand? he asked, concerned.

Anabel wiped the tears from her eyes.

Yes, I understand, she said slowly, entering the house to get Eli.

Hezekiah stood silent and alone beneath a star-decked sky in the stillness of the night.

Chapter 3

The Apple Incident

The first day of the summer of 1958 rolled in on the scorching wheels of conflagration. It was the hottest summer in Detroit’s history. The city fire hydrants spouted their fountains of summer joy to the sky while the inner-city kids danced and played beneath them. The city fathers felt it would be wise to open up the hydrants to help avert civil unrest in a city already on the verge of racial strife.

Seventeen-year-old Clara Mae, Anabel Coleman’s oldest daughter, leaned in the doorway of her house, watching Elijah Daniels playing stickball in the street. Though two years his senior, she felt he was old enough to know she was interested in him—in that special way.

Eli looked up to see Clara Mae in a bathrobe, eating an apple, surveying him from the doorway across the street. Her folded arms were the only things holding her bathrobe together. He knew Frank Jr. had gone with his mother to help landscape the front lawn at his father’s church. So he yelled to his buddies.

Hey, fellas, I’ll be right back.

Eli walked up the porch, his eyes feasting on Clara Mae eating the apple.

I heard you out there, she said with an alluring smile. You know Junior went with my mother to your father’s church. What did you come over here for? she asked, with a clear understanding.

Eli smiled and opened the screen door. He stood so close to Clara Mae that he could smell her freshly washed hair.

Clara Mae, seeing the longing in his eyes, asked, You want a bite of my apple?

Eli’s desire gripped him beyond control. Is anyone home? he gasped, barely able to speak above a whisper.

Why? she asked. What are you going to do, preacher’s son?

Without speaking another word, Eli clutched her as if she were a football and he was seven yards from the goal line. They both fell to the living room floor. Eli tried to kick the front door shut with his foot, but it bounced back halfway.

*         *         *

Anabel Coleman drove up with Pastor Daniels and Frank Jr. All three were tired and covered with black earth and sweat.

Boy, we could’ve really used Eli’s help today, Hezekiah! Anabel said, pulling herself up from the driver’s seat.

Yeah, I know, but the boy has had such a bad cold these last few days, he said, opening the back door for Frank Jr. His fever is what I was concerned about.

C’mon in and I’ll make us all some lemonade, Anabel said, struggling up the stairs.

I’ll call Eli and maybe he could come by and have some too. It’ll do him good to get out of the house, Hezekiah said, also struggling up the stairs.

Frank Jr. ran past them both with a skip. Anabel and Hezekiah looked at each other with a frown then laughed.

*         *         *

Eli soared freely in a galaxy of desire and was unaware of his best friend’s prying eyes. Anabel and Hezekiah stumbled over Frank Jr., who was blocking the doorway with his eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Boy, why did you stop— Hezekiah paused, hearing faint moans of passion swirling in the air six feet in front of them. When he saw the source, he too stood motionless, his eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Anabel pushed through the two stone pillars that blocked her way. She saw her seventeen-year-old daughter wiggling under a groping maniac! She screamed, pulled the beast off Clara Mae, and was shocked to see it was Eli. She stood with eyes wide and mouth gaping. Eli looked up into the stern face of his father.

Through clenched teeth Hezekiah commanded, Boy, get your behind home ’cause we gon’ have a celebration of correction tonight you won’t soon forget.

Eli whispered Yes, sir but moved slowly to pull up his pants, and as he did, Eli stole a quick glance at Clara Mae. He quickly looked to his father, wondering if he had, by chance, read his thoughts. His father’s eyes were cold and piercing.

Eli, get! he yelled when he saw his son lost in a world he was too young to inhabit.

Eli ran out of the house, falling down the last three steps, rolling on the ground to recover, still in stride.

Anabel, I’m so sorry, Hezekiah said, stumbling over his words. I don’t know what’s coming over that boy. Just the other day I saw what I thought was a freshly dug grave in the backyard by the alley gate. Curious, thinking someone had buried a dog or a cat in my yard, I dug it up to see what it was. I found a host of girly magazines wrapped in a plastic bread bag. I asked Eli about it, and he swore up and down that he didn’t know where they came from. So I threw them away in the can in the alley. That night I found Eli with a flashlight, rummaging outside. I asked him what he was looking for, he said worms!

Clara Mae burst out laughing and was quickly countered by a backhand to the mouth from her mother. She ran sobbing to her room.

Hezekiah, instead of yelling at the boy, why don’t you have a talk with him about sex and relationships? I think that would do more for him than a bout with the black leather strap, she said, rushing Frank Jr. out of the room.

Ana, that boy has got to learn that there is no deviating from the course the Lord has set for His children. His commandments are given to us to shield us from self-destruction. If we falter, we must be severely punished, which should be followed by sincere repentance on our part to show ourselves worthy of the Master’s love.

Anabel, lost in a world of reflection, looked long and hard at him. Hezekiah slowly turned, his mind made up. Eli’s judgment was wrapped tightly around his waist.

Sara Ann passed the stern face of her pastor as he stormed by, too caught up in his righteous indignation to notice her. She wanted to speak but was too afraid. She rushed into the house to see what had happened and found Anabel sitting motionless on the couch.

Mom, what’s wrong with Pastor Daniels? She asked, noticing Frank Jr. motioning through the partially opened door for her to come to his room.

Anabel looked up at her sixteen-year-old daughter. Huh, another one, she said flatly, putting her favorite record on the record player. Soon Mahalia Jackson’s voice echoed through the house, out the open window, and through the humid street to serenade the families sitting on their porches because it was just too hot to be inside.

Chapter 4

Going Forth in the Spirit

Pastor Daniels stood before his congregation, full on internal fire and divine proclamation. The midsummer revival started off sluggish with only nominal participation. But Wednesday night marked an abrupt change in the attitude of the congregation and the many visitors that came to hear the preacher’s fifteen-year-old son, who could whoop with the best of them.

The fact that Elijah started preaching at all was by chance. After he was sufficiently corrected at the end of his father’s belt for his sexual encounter with Clara Mae, he was ordered to stand before the congregation and apologize for his disgraceful behavior. But while in the process of pouring out his shame, he felt a touch of power and euphoria. The words came slow at first, then with the force of an uninhibited river.

After his preeminent testimony, there was no need for a sermon. The congregation stood and shouted, touched by the Master’s hand. Even Clara Mae Coleman came to the front of the church and gave her life to the Lord. Pastor Daniels looked on his son going forth in the spirit, with eyes that could not contain their tears of happiness.

But Friday night, it was Pastor Daniels’s turn to show everyone how it’s done. The entire service was full of excitement and the anticipation of something great.

Sara Ann sang How I Got Over, followed by Lift Every Voice and Sing, and brought everyone to their feet, where they remained for the rest of the service.

After church, Sara Ann and Eli sat in his father’s car, talking of high school and the possibility of going to college to make something of themselves.

For the first time, Eli looked into the tender face of Sara Ann with eyes that seemed to have acquired the ability to see. Her mahogany complexion and light-brown eyes made the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He felt excitement for her that went beyond sex, beyond friendship. Seeds of love had been planted.

Pastor Daniels, Clara Mae, and Anabel stood at the top of the church steps.

Pastor, I feel like a new person, testified Clara Mae, aware that Sara Ann and Eli sat together in his father’s car. She searched her heart for signs of jealousy and found none.

I want to get involved in the church in some way, now that I know that I’m a part of it, she added, unable to hide her joy and internal peace.

Pastor Daniels stood transfixed, not answering her. His gaze narrowed and focused on the Five & Dime store across the street. He noticed two dark figures enter the rear of the store. Somehow he knew they were up to no good.

Mr. Ratliff was busy sweeping and unaware of the two sinister intruders behind him. Pastor Daniels slowly walked down the steps of the church, his eyes still focused on the two men and Mr. Ratliff oblivious to their presence.

Hezekiah turned to Anabel. Call the police, his voice short and stern.

They got a gun! a voice screamed from the darkness. As if on cue Mr. Ratliff turned and noticed the two men standing behind him. He ran to the back of the counter, where he kept his snub-nosed thirty-eight.

Hezekiah could hear the muffled sounds of yelling from the store.

Stop, old man! The taller of the two men yelled, his hand shaking, gripped by fear.

Mr. Ratliff fired his pistol, missing them both.

Hezekiah could see the rifle facing the window discharge in his direction.

Get down! Hezekiah yelled, falling to the ground. He heard the sound of an object piercing the air above him. He searched himself to see if he had been shot; he hadn’t.

Mr. Ratliff fired again, hitting the smaller of the two men.

The taller man shot a second time, hitting Mr. Ratliff in the face.

The two gunmen staggered out of the store, empty-handed.

A bloodcurdling scream pierced through the chaos.

My baby! Clara Mae! Dear God . . . No!

The sound of sirens echoed in the distance as Hezekiah ran to the steps of the church, where Clara Mae’s lifeless body lay. Anabel stood clutching her breast. My… baby! Dear God, not my baby!

Pastor Daniels kneeled next to Clara Mae’s body; he felt a bullet lodged at the base of her skull. He gently lifted her head and rested it in his lap. Her throat was covered in blood, her eyes open, inanimate.

Eli and Sara Ann rushed from the car to discover Clara Mae lying in a pool of innocent blood. The sounds of Anabel’s sobbing and wailing in torment echoed through the night and the remainder of that long hot summer.

Chapter 5

A Broken Cup

The steam from the fresh cup of hot coffee danced in the cool autumn air. Anabel stood on her back porch, gazing at the jagged edges of an urban landscape.

Her Thanksgiving dinner was already prepared, but her heart was far from being thankful.

She leaned over the back railing with her coffee cup nestled between her hands. Maybe I should be thankful that they caught the men that shot my baby, she thought. Then the image of Clara Mae’s empty room filled her mind with anger and resentment.

The belief that her daughter had gone on to be with the Lord did very little to erase the pain of seeing her oldest child lying in a pool of blood, murdered!

Tears of lost opportunity formed in the corners of her eyes. I will never see her children, she whispered in the quiet of her own thoughts, gripping the cup till the coffee inside trembled. Clara Mae will never have her day… her wedding day. No longer able to hold back her anger, she threw the cup of coffee to the ground below and collapsed weeping into the chair behind her.

Hearing the noise, Sara Ann ran to the kitchen window and saw her mother crying hysterically. Frightened, she called Pastor Daniels.

Hello, Sara Ann said, hoping that Eli would answer the phone.

Hello, Pastor Daniels’s residence, the polite voice answered.

She was still unable to recognize if it was Eli or his father since they sounded so much alike on the phone.

Elijah? She whispered curiously.

No, this is his father, the stern voice replied. Elijah is doing his studies now, Sara Ann. I’ll have him call you as soon as he’s done.

Ever since she saw him give Eli a spanking when he was ten years old for painting his car windshield black to keep out the sunlight, she was scared of Pastor Daniels to no end.

Pastor Daniels, could you come by the house and see about Momma? She’s still taking Clara Mae’s death pretty hard.

Sara Ann glanced through the kitchen window at her mother, still crying in total anguish.

Sara Ann, I’ll be right over, the anxious voice said, then hung up.

Within minutes Pastor Daniels arrived with Eli.

Where is she? he asked, still buttoning his shirt.

She’s right outside, there, Pastor. Sara Ann pointed to the partially open back door.

Boy, dinner sure smells good, Eli said, looking into the oven. I really don’t want to eat the lasagna that Dad made for Thanksgiving. It smells like dirty socks.

His father grunted on his way outside.

When he stepped on the porch, he was shocked to see Anabel sitting in her chair, rocking back and forth with an imaginary baby in her arms.

Clara Mae was always such a good baby, Anabel said with a smile, her tear-spattered lips glistening in the early morning sun.

Hezekiah quietly sat next to her and nodded his agreement of her statement.

She never gave me any trouble till she got her first period, then both our worlds changed. Anabel giggled halfheartedly.

She looked into the worried face of Hezekiah Daniels. She could feel the love and the tenderness emanating from him.

I don’t think I can forget my baby, because she is supposedly walking on streets of gold. I would rather that she had walked a little while longer on cement with me, she said coldly, her eyes unyielding.

Hezekiah leaned forward and took her hand, which she immediately pulled back.

Ana, no one expects you to forget your daughter. It would be a betrayal of her memory if you did. He moved his chair a little closer to her.

I know what you’re going through, Ana. And I’ll be honest with you: time will not erase the pain. In time you only learn to live with it. Anabel laid her head on his shoulder and quietly sobbed.

So don’t forget, but keep on living, learning, and giving. Soon, the memory of Clara Mae will find its rightful place in your heart.

Anabel lifted her head, her eyes focused straight ahead and cold.

I don’t know if I could ever love a God that would take away my baby like that, for no reason.

Hezekiah looked into the cold eyes of the only woman besides his wife that he had ever truly loved. He searched his heart and mind for the proper words to comfort her.

Ana, when you were a child, did you understand everything your parents did?

No. Certainly not, she said impatiently.

Well, when did you begin to understand most of your parents’ actions?

Well, I guess when I became a parent myself.

When your parents did things you didn’t understand, it made you angry, and at times, I’m sure you felt that you didn’t love them anymore or that they didn’t love you. Well, now as a parent you know they loved you, even when you thought they didn’t.

Ana stood and walked to the rail. She looked over and saw the broken coffee cup below. Hezekiah walked over and stood beside her.

You are going to be all right, and your relationship with God is going to survive this anger. In any relationship there will be times when the other person sharing it will do things that will make you mad. But you get past it for the sake of the commitment and the relationship. No real relationship can survive without this mentality.

Anabel hugged him with all her heart. The two of them walked back into the house, her anger intact, but her love for Hezekiah even stronger. No one could make her feel like he could. The only thing she really got out of their conversation was a renewed quest for his complete love.

Chapter 6

A Woman’s Heart—the Best of All There Is

The morning of October 2, 1961, was gray and ominous; an autumn chill was in the air as the South Vietnamese president Diem declared in thunderous tones that the Viet Cong’s activities against the government will escalate from a guerrilla campaign to a real war during the next six months.

Nineteen sixty-one was no stranger to conflict. The Sit-In and Freedom-Ride movements across the United States mobilized a nation to battle racism in all its malignant and crippling forms. The Negroes of Detroit, Michigan, started to take a new look at themselves. Through involved participation in the civil rights demonstrations, black men and women threw off the chains and demeanor of 344 years of slavery.

Upon graduation, Elijah delivered the most important address of his life. He spoke the words to the Milford High School graduating class, which reflected the new attitudes of Afro-American people who were no longer willing to consider themselves one-third a human being.

After the speech on graduation day, Elijah was still unsure of his future. He knew wherever he went in this world, Sara Ann would be by his side. Since Sara Ann was the one thing he was sure about, he asked her to marry him two weeks after graduation.

Two days before her wedding, Sara Ann and Anabel sat on the back porch together, but not a word passed between them. Sara Ann looked at her mother, her heart filled with questions that her mouth could not relate.

You’re worried about your wedding night, aren’t you? Anabel said, reading her daughter’s inner fears.

Momma, I’ve never been with a man before, she said, embarrassment marking her cheeks and averting her eyes. Do I just be still, or should I move when we—?

Nature and love will tell you what to do, Anabel interrupted, seeing Sara Ann’s apprehension of speaking of such things.

How do I keep Eli happy after we’ve been married for twenty years? Sara Ann continued, her mind filled with the questions that had plagued her since their first kiss.

Almost all my girlfriends’ fathers are messing around on their mothers.

Honey, that question has plagued the minds of women since there was more than one woman for a man to look at, Anabel said, sitting back in her chair, contemplating the answer to the question.

Sara Ann, do you remember how Frank Jr. would play with a new toy at Christmas till he got bored, then his curiosity got the better of him and he took it apart?

Sara Ann nodded, remembering the scene.

Well, you know what he did when he took it apart a few times and put it back together? He put it aside after he figured it out.

That’s evil! said Sara Ann, fully understanding her mom’s analogy.

No, baby, that’s the heart of a man. A woman is more stable and home centered. Her priority is her children and the environment that surrounds them, that’s a woman’s heart. Anabel wrapped her arm around Sara Ann’s shoulder.

"God made a woman’s moods and desires to change like the winds even though her priorities never do. A woman, because of her nature, can be many different women to the same man. But only if she is true to her own heart and allows herself to be a woman.

"Be proud of who and what you are. Never view yourself as a second-class human being, but hold in your heart the knowledge that God has created you from the best of all there is.

There is no star in the heavens brighter than the light that is reflected in a woman’s eyes. No mountain range formed by the Master’s hand can equal the beauty of her silhouette. The systematic precision of the changing seasons in their numeric perfection cannot match the wisdom of a woman’s heart.

Sara Ann smiled and rested her head on her mother’s arm.

Sara Ann, you must always grow as a person, this is very important. Learn, create, and try new things that are positive. Do that and you’ll never lose yourself or your husband.

Sara Ann and Anabel stood and hugged, which brought tears to Anabel’s eyes for the daughter that would never ask her the questions of life.

On the day of the wedding as Sara Ann and Elijah exchanged their vows before Hezekiah and God, Elijah made a vow to himself. He vowed to become something more than a stereotype. He made a promise to himself to go to college and become a doctor, rather than a pastor like his father.

On their wedding night, Sara Ann’s love for Eli knew exactly what to do.

Chapter 7

The Storm that Never Came

Elijah stared at the gold nameplate on the thick wooden door, searching for the courage to enter his father’s church office. He walked to the first-grade Sunday school class and squeezed into one of the small desks he had known so well growing up. The smell of old books and wood took him back to the days when he was a carefree child without a worry in the world. He looked at the many drawings covering the wall, which resembled inkblot tests. Only the small hands that conceived them could interpret their meaning.

He thought of his many conversations with his father in this very room. It was here that he told his father that he wanted to be a preacher like him.

How can I now tell him that I’ve changed my mind? he asked himself, standing, pacing back and forth, and still searching for the right words to say.

Not finding them, he marched to his father’s office door anyway. Once he reached it, again he stared at the gold nameplate, still lacking the courage to enter. He returned to seek refuge in the empty Sunday school class when the huge wooden door opened.

Hi, son, what are you doing around here? his father asked, confused. Don’t you know you’ve got a pretty wife waiting in that cracker box you call an apartment?

Yeah, Dad, I know. I just wanted to talk to you about something. Eli was still searching for the courage to tell his father his new plans.

Why don’t you and Sara Ann come live with me? Hezekiah asked, not really hearing his son’s statement. I got all that room, and what am I going to do with it? he asked, heading back to his office.

Eli followed behind and shut the door. Dad, I’ve given this some thought. I don’t feel called to become a pastor. Eli mentally braced himself for the storm that was sure to come. I want to go to college to become a doctor, something I feel the black man needs to accomplish in this hour of social change.

His father sat transfixed at his desk. His eyes were focused but not seeing.

Did you hear me, Dad? I want to go to medical school, Eli reiterated, trying to force a response.

Son, I think it’s more important to save a man’s soul than to save his flesh, which causes so much pain, his father replied, not wanting to discuss the matter.

Everyone gets sick and needs a doctor, Dad. But not everyone believes in God. I think I could do more for mankind as a Christian doctor appealing to everyone rather than a preacher appealing just to a few. Eli stood before his father, feeling every bit the man he knew he needed to be, both for his wife and for his people.

Son, his father whispered, searching for the right words that would change his son’s mind. I know you want to make a difference in the colored man’s world—

Black, Dad, Eli interrupted.

Okay, black, he said impatiently. But I still think you would be a greater help to our people as a minister of the gospel. The colored—I mean, the black man needs a new attitude if he is going to do the things that you see him doing in the future. And I can’t think of any better way for a man to change his mind except through the power of Jesus Christ.

Eli turned toward the door to reflect on what his father had said. When he turned to his father, his mind was made up, and nothing would change it.

I just don’t want to be a black doctor, Dad. I want to serve all mankind, not just black people. If I become a preacher, I would pastor an all-black church, but as a doctor, I’d see anyone that was sick and help them. I think being a doctor is a ministry.

His father stood and walked around his desk to stand face-to-face with a man that was no longer a child. "Son, do you realize this is the first time you have