Lives Do Change

By Terry Rucker-Alston

No one knows how certain decisions will shape our future. Sometimes, it will make us wonder if freedom of choice is really a good thing. It wouldn't be such a bad thing if the choices we make only affected us and no one else, but that rarely is the case. Too often, it's the decisions of others that will shape and change our lives, and we can only hope it will be for the better.

Kevin has been keeping a secret from his wife for years. He knew he should have told her about it, but it's one of those situations where no good is going to come from it, at least that's what he thought. So despite all the signs he has been given to tell his wife the truth or as much of the truth as he could remember about that night, he failed to do so. But the truth always has a way of revealing itself, and most times, it not the way we would prefer.

And as Kevin's secret is being revealed, Jason, who has been in a coma for almost a month, the victim of someone else's bad choice, is about to wake up, having his life changed in a way which he never could have imagined.

As this circle of friends will soon find out, lives can change so quickly. However, with God in the midst of it all, he can turn any situation around for our good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 2, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098043605

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Lives Do Change

Terry Rucker-Alston

Copyright © 2020 by Terry Rucker-Alston

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

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

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

This book is dedicated to my children Mark, Theresa, Kristen and Christopher Jr. And to everyone, the young and the old, to those who believe in the amazing power of God Almighty and those who do not. Life has a way of changing us all!

Acknowledgement

To God, who has never failed me yet and who has shown me that all things are possible if only we believe.

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith (Heb 12:2)

I am thankful to have a husband who, after thirty-one years of marriage, continues to encourage and support me in all my endeavors. I count it a blessing to have him in my corners as we journey through the changes in our lives.

He who loves his own wife loves himself (Eph 5:28)

To my Pastor, Rev. Michael Burgess, a special thanks for all your prayers and encouraging words. Thank you for never being to busy to allow me to run ideas by you and for allowing me to solicit suggestions from you.

And I will give you pastors which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding (Jer 3:15)

To Michelle Burgess, my ram in the bush. I cannot say thanks enough for you taking time out of your very busy schedule to edit my book for me. I will forever be grateful to you for helping me to accomplish one of my lifelong dreams. You are truly a gift to me from God!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17)

To my mother, Portland Rucker; my sisters, Shirley Rucker and Wendy Lilly; and my brothers, Michael and Jerry Rucker—thank you for being my family, a family I can always count on. You all believed in me and in my dream to one day write a novel.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Heb 10:24)

Chapter 1

Why do you bother listening to the news every morning? It’s the same old depressing stories day after day. Someone getting shot, stabbed, robbed, raped, or killed, Faye said as she walked out of the bathroom to go into her closet to find something to wear to work. Kevin, her husband, was sitting on the side of the bed with his face glued to the television set as if the news reporter was going to say something that he might miss. This was the same question she asked him practically every morning, and evening for that matter. She never really took an interest in the news, because they rarely spoke of anything good happening in the city or anywhere else in the world. She and Kevin had moved back to Dallas five years ago after Kevin retired from the Air Force. They had traveled to so many different places in the United States and abroad, but Faye realized the one common denominator of all the places where they had lived was the crime. But every morning, just like the sun which rises in the east, Kevin would wake up and put on the morning news.

Faye had just turned forty-three on her last birthday in April. She was five feet, three inches tall and weighed one hundred thirty pounds. She worked out at the gym at least three times a week to maintain her size eight figure. Her long reddish-brown hair required constant visits to her beautician, which she often dreaded because it took so long for it to dry. She often thought about cutting it short like Nia Long’s in that movie The Best Man, but she knew that would require just as much attention. She often joked to herself that beauty comes with a price, and long or short, it was a price she was willing to pay not to have to do her own hair. But even though she thought short hair made most women look so sophisticated, she enjoyed the options that came with long hair. Her face was small and narrow with full lips, a small nose, and oval-shaped eyes. The beauty mole beneath her right eye contrasted nicely with her ochre-brown skin complexion.

Her husband, Kevin, was forty-four, six feet tall with an athletic build. His broad shoulders contrasted perfectly with his six-pack midsection. He was the perfect shade of brown, and everything about him caused women to do the double take. And although the years had been very kind to them both, each looking much younger than they actually were, it was Kevin with whom time seemed to have ceased to exist. Kevin looked exactly as he did in high school. The only difference was he now had a more mature look about him.

Faye always knew she would marry Kevin. They had been dating since her sophomore year in High School. He graduated the year before she did, and she knew it was because of her he postponed going into the Air Force right after he graduated. Faye had tried to persuade Kevin to go after he had graduated, but he wanted to be there to support her during her last year in High School. And, although his parents were not too thrilled with him postponing his plans, they understood. They had come to love Faye as their own daughter, and they were so proud of their son for being willing to put the needs of someone else before his own. They had taught him to always consider other people’s feelings and be mindful of the fact that not everyone had it as good as he did. Kevin’s parents felt he should at least take some courses at the community college while he waited for Faye to graduate. However, Kevin chose to increase his work hours at the lumber mill. He knew Faye could use the extra money since most of what she made at the Grocery Store was used on her siblings.

Unlike Kevin, who lived with both of his parents and his two siblings in a loving and supportive environment, Faye’s family life was very dysfunctional. She was the third of five siblings. Her mother changed boyfriends as often as the seasons changed, which could explain why all her children had different fathers. Her mother didn’t work, and she relied on the child support checks and the food stamps from DSS to get them through the month. But the money from the checks didn’t provide much assistance for her and her siblings, because her mother bought more alcohol than clothing and necessities. The food stamps she received always ran out before the month was over, and Faye suspected her mother was trading her food stamps for money so she could buy more alcohol. And because she drank constantly, they were left to fend for themselves most days.

For a while, things were okay because their grandmother would always come by and make sure they had something to eat. She would pick Faye and her sisters up and take them to church with her on Sundays, and then they would go to her house for dinner. But after their grandmother passed, things got really tough. There was never enough food in the house. Her mother was always fussing about something, especially when the money and stamps ran out. The lights were turned off more times than Faye could count, and because of it, her two younger sisters missed a lot of days out of school. DSS had threatened to take them away if they continued to miss days. Faye, being the middle child, even though she was dealing with her own feelings of being alone and rejected, did what she could to help her older sister, Samantha, out with the girls. Samantha really did the best she could so that DSS wouldn’t take them away. They couldn’t count on their brother, who was the eldest of them all, because he was too busy running the streets. When Faye turned sixteen, she started working at Thompson’s Grocery as a cashier, easing some of the burden off her sister. She didn’t make much, but the discount she got on the things she bought helped them to at least keep some food in the house. Then when she met Kevin and they started dating, things got even better. She couldn’t believe he still wanted to date her after he found out where she was living and all the drama she had in her life. But he was so different from what he appeared to be around his friends. Most of them thought he was too good for her, but he was never one to be influenced by the opinions of others. They all knew he could have any girl in their school that he wanted, but he chose her, baggage and all.

During her senior year, Faye got accepted to Spelman College, and they agreed that Kevin would try to get his enlistment date close to the date she would be leaving for college. He thought they should get married before they separated, but Faye thought they should wait. She honestly believed the wise words her grandmother, If you love someone, let them go. If they come back to you, it was meant to be. If not, it never was. After days of debating the issue, Kevin reluctantly agreed they should wait. Secretly, he was so afraid that someone else would steal Faye’s heart. He thought she was the most beautiful girl in the whole world with a heart made of gold, and if he felt that way, he knew someone else would too. He had never really thought much about praying, but that day he prayed and asked God to please bring her back to him. But what Kevin didn’t know was Faye was just as scared as he was. She felt, in a way, that she was holding him back and with all the drama in her life, he would meet someone else who didn’t have all the baggage that she had. But she had to trust in her grandmother’s words and let life take its course.

Kevin went to Laughlin Air Force Base for six weeks of training after Faye left for Spelman. They continued their long-distance relationship by writing letters and talking on the telephone whenever possible. Kevin would visit her in Atlanta during the holidays, or they would spend time together when they were both back in Dallas. When Faye graduated from Spelman, she accepted a teaching job at Outreach Christian Education Center teaching first grade. The school was just outside of Dallas and was perfect because she would be closer to her home. This allowed her to help Samantha with her two younger sisters. Kim was five years younger than her and would be graduating that year; and Antoinette, her youngest sister, would be graduating the year after. Samantha had gotten her real estate license and bought a two-story town house the year after Faye left for college. To the girl’s surprise, their mother agreed to allow the younger girls to stay with Samantha during the week and go home on the weekend.

Kevin had been sent to Korea, but he was due to come back to Laughlin in October. Although they had not officially made any wedding plans, they knew they would be getting married before the end of the year. Faye was still a little surprised that Kevin had stuck around and waited for her all those years. She knew he could have any woman he wanted because he really was what women would call a great catch. When Kevin returned from Korea, they got married in December of that year. Faye spent a year and a half at her new job before traveling around the world with her new husband, who was the love of her life. That was twenty years ago, and Faye loved her husband even more now than she did back then.

Why can’t we watch Joyce Meyers or Creflo Dollar or Joel Osteen for a change instead of this depressing news? Faye questioned as they were getting ready for work. Joyce Meyers was a major inspiration when Faye was having so much trouble within her own church. At one time, she had thought about leaving her church and becoming partners with Joyce and Joel. But she decided against it because she knew how much she loved the better elements within her church, and besides, there was no way she was going to let anyone come between the duties she cherished in her church. She understood the calling that God had on her life, and she knew it was far more important to please God than people.

She walked out of her closet as her husband was walking into the bathroom. She walked over and stood in the doorway.

Wouldn’t you rather think about how you could become a better person instead of thinking about all the bad that people do to themselves and others? I mean, the news is so boring and depressing, and it does nothing but make you think about all the evil that’s happening in world. Unlike the news, Joyce, T. D. Jakes, Joel, and people like them help us to see how we can make a difference not only in our lives but in the lives of the people we encounter every day, she asked, smiling knowing every time she brought us this subject, it tended to irritate him, just a little.

I won’t deny that the news is a bit depressing, but it still helps you to stay current on what’s happening around you. I know those TV people—he smiled because she hated when he called them that—"mean well, but you can’t trust most of them.

And believe me, he continued, most of those preachers don’t even know half of the people that attend their churches. They are just a number and a contributor to their financial success. And I bet those people probably couldn’t get a dime from them if they were in need.

I believe they do a lot of good, and just like everything else in this world, I’m sure there is a downside to them too. But all I’m saying is, when you listen to positive things, it helps you to think and become more positive yourself, Faye said.

Faye knew that was a losing argument before she even started because although Kevin was semi-active in their church, he disliked television evangelist. His disdain for them was also the reason Faye woke up thirty minutes earlier each morning so she could watch Joyce’s ministry. But as soon as Kevin’s eyes opened and his mind became conscious, he was reaching for the remote to change the channel.

Kevin was looking at Faye through the bathroom mirror, and he turned around to face her and leaned back against the sink. Look, Babe, I know what you are saying, and I get it, there is a lot of bad happening in the world, and it is good to hear positive things, but I just think the news is more informative, and it keeps me abreast of what’s happening now. There are some interesting things talked about on the news, and I like to keep up-to-date on not only what’s happening in our city but the weather and sports too, Kevin responded.

Faye honestly thought the only reason he turned the news on every day was to hear the sports scores. He was a huge sports fan; and he liked them all, basketball, football, and baseball.

You might be surprised at what you hear on the news. One day something you’ve heard on the news might save your life, Kevin said.

Yeah, that might be true, but if you ask me, I think the only reason your face is glued to that television is to catch the scores from last night’s games. She laughed as she walked away from the bathroom door.

Faye listened to her husband as he continued to go on and on about the importance of news as she finished getting dressed for work. It was getting close to the end of the school year; and she was looking forward to a summer without kids, reports, and meetings. She slipped into her favorite jeans and went into her closet to get a white blouse. The first-grade classes were going on their final field trip of the year, and Faye wanted to be comfortable.

Kevin finally stopped talking, and as he continued his morning routine in the bathroom, all he could think about was the mess that he had allowed himself to get into. He loved his wife so much, and he prayed when the time came for him to tell her about the secret he had been keeping from her, she didn’t leave him. It was pretty bad, and for the life of him, he still couldn’t figure out how he ended up in this situation.

You look pretty casual today, Kevin said as he walked out of the bathroom.

And you look pretty stuffy and uptight. She laughed. She was forever teasing Kevin about the way he dressed, and she knew deep down inside he hated wearing suits. But it was required. He had promised his dad that once he retired from the military, he would come back and help him at his car dealership. His dad was old-school and believed to be professional, you had to wear a suit and tie.

Thanks a lot. He kissed her on her cheek. But one day when I own Wright’s Motors, my employees will dress as they please as long as it’s conservative. Kevin had tried, but not availed, to get his dad to make some changes. His dad was set in his ways and did not adjust or adapt to changes well. He had run his company the same way since he opened it back in the ’80s. His employees were loyal mostly because they were friends and had been even before he opened. Kevin had a lot of great ideas. He seemed to be born a businessman. He also had a love for cars, old and new. Faye had asked her husband years ago why was he in logistics in the Air Force instead of mechanics. Since he loved cars so much, she thought he should be out working on them.

I’m a businessman, not a mechanic. I organize, plan, and develop, not fix, he said jokingly, in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

As they walked downstairs in their town house, Kevin was still going on about how Faye needed to broaden her horizons and watch something other than those TV evangelists and cop shows. She heard everything he was saying, but as she looked around the living room, she knew she needed to spend some time dusting. Faye loved what she had done with their living room. She had remodeled it a year ago, getting rid of all that black and white which she replaced with cream and burgundy and cherry oak wood tables. Faye had shopped all over east and west Dallas to find the right living room set, tables, and lamps. On the wall over the sofa, Faye had found the perfect picture of a Black angel. She loved angels. In one of their spare bedrooms, which she turned into her study/office, she had a picture of angels on each of the four walls. As they made their way into the kitchen, Faye noticed that she needed to spend some time this upcoming weekend doing some dusting. Dust was collecting on all the furniture in the living room and dining room. Their kitchen was always tidy because she had a fear of bugs, so she made sure everything was put in its place and packed in containers.

"I know I need to be aware of what’s going on around me, and I am because you keep me pretty well informed. Whatever I don’t get from you, I get from Lisa when I get to work. She was telling me yesterday that she read an article in the Times about how this woman used an alphabet code to let the operator of 911 know she was in trouble."

Anyway, Faye continued, what are you doing after work? Are you coming straight home or playing ball?

Well, actually, I had planned on playing some ball. You don’t mind, do you? Or did you have something planned for us to do?

No, I didn’t have any plans, but since you are going to play ball, I think I’ll see if Renee wants to go to the mall. I want to pick up a few new items for the summer before all the best things are picked over. She had also planned to visit her daughter, Faith, who was attending Jarvis Christian College. Faith was their only child. She graduated from high school last June and was so excited about going to college. She had planned to spend the summer decorating the apartment she was moving into with one of her girlfriends she met in college. She was majoring in Sociology so that she could become a School Psychologist. Faye had encouraged Faith to minor in Religion as well.

They sat down at the kitchen table to eat their breakfast. It was good they both liked to eat cereal in the morning. After they were done, Faye cleaned the bowls, silverware, and glasses. She gathered her things as Kevin waited for her at the door so he could set the alarm. They kissed each other and said the usual, Have a good day and call me if you have time. Faye climbed in her white Mitsubishi Outlander, and Kevin got in his Lotus Elise, which he only drove to work or when they went out on their date night. He kept his BMW 328 parked in the driveway on the left side of the house, for all other driving occasions. They pulled out of their garage and onto the street headed for the light at the corner where they would part and go their separate ways.

Faye drove to working thinking about the guilt she had been feeling over these past couple of months. She was not one to give into temptation, but lately a certain situation was beginning to tempt her beyond measure. She had no doubt that she loved her husband. He was good to her in every way. Yet she couldn’t figure out this attraction for this certain gentleman that had seemed to sweep over her. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn’t seem to control her thoughts about him. She didn’t know what she was going to do about it. They had not done anything other than talk on the phone, but their calls were increasing, and to her surprise, she was actually looking forward to them.

And as if on cue, her phone rang.

Answering it, she realized she was blushing. Hi, how are you this morning?

I’m fine. I just wanted to hear your voice before I got my day started. So are you already on your way to work?

"Yes, I am.