I'm Not Your Favorite Child but I'm the Only One You Have

By Mary McArthur

In this novel, you will read about a mother raising her family and slating her oldest daughter as the black sheep of the family. Despite this ill treatment, the child to the bitter end shows loving and understanding towards her mother.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098050993

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I'm Not Your Favorite Child but I'm the Only One You Have

Mary McArthur

Copyright © 2020 by Mary McArthur

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

I am not your favorite child, yet I am the only one you have.

This is the story of a mother and her children. I’m one of four children battling with the notion that our mother did in fact show favoritism toward one specific child. Why would a mother, a grown woman not show all of her children love, instead she shows very little or none to only one.

Well, just maybe it is because of the time in her life that she finds out that she is pregnant. That will not prove to be a good time in her life.

*****

This story takes off in mid-November 1955. Jane and her sisters and brother are walking down the road when her brother John, sees a friend named Kevin. He said hello to John. John speaks back, saying, What’s up, Kevin? said John.

After walking down the dirt road apiece, Kevin asks, Who are these pretty girls walking with you?

John replies, These are my sisters.

Kevin says, John, you never told me you had sisters.

John tells Kevin, You know you are my best friend, and still I do not want you messing around with any one of my sisters. You got that?

Kevin, surprised, says, Cool it, John. I am okay.

John repeated, Kevin, I don’t want you to have anything to do with my sisters. I see how you treat other girls! I think that you’re a player, and I don’t want my sister to go through that with any guy!

The fork in the dirt road was approaching, and I was glad to say to Kevin, See you later, alligator.

Kevin’s response was, In a while crocodile. We smiled at each other and went on our way.

The next morning Kevin saw Jane in school. They spoke to each other briefly with Kevin asking Jane if he could take her to the movies. Once she said, "Yes, Kevin told her not to mention it to John because John did not want them to see each other. After getting home from school, Jane told her sisters that she saw Kevin in school and that he had asked her to go the movies with him on Saturday. Right away, the girls wanted to know if John knew, and Jane had to say no and she asked them not to let John know about her date. They agreed.

*****

As soon as John saw Jane, he wanted to know about the date. Jane asked, How did you know about the date?

John said, Kevin told me about it.

Jane said, It is only a movie. No big deal, John.

John said, It is a big deal when you go out with a guy that doesn’t respect females. I don’t want you to get hurt Jane. You don’t know Kevin like I do. He is a player! John continued, He is one selfish bastard. I’m telling you, don’t get wrapped up in him!

Her sisters told her to listen to John, but Jane had her mind made up. She would be going on the date with Kevin to the movies.

*****

Kevin and Jane met at the movie theater. They walked inside together and Kevin went to take Jane’s hand, but she pulls it back asking, What do you think you are doing?

I want to hold your hand, said Kevin.

Jane said, No, thank you.

They watch the movie, and when it was over, Kevin tells Jane he was going to walk her home because he needed to speak to John. Jane walks up far ahead of Kevin to make sure she reaches home before he does.

Kevin speaks loudly, saying, It was only one date, which I think was pretty good. How about a second?

Jane turns her head over her shoulder and yells, Where will you take me?

Kevin says, The second one will be a surprise.

Jane smiles and says, We will see.

*****

The next Saturday, they met at the fork in the road. Kevin was already there by the time Jane arrived. Jane asked, Where are we going?

Kevin replied, To the beach. Kevin’s sister’s boyfriend was driving. Kevin helped Jane in and out of the car each time. His sister had prepared a picnic basket lunch. They had bologna sandwiches, chocolate cake, lemonade, and peanuts.

Kevin asked Jane to take his hand and walk down the shoreline with him. As they walked each time, we saw a pretty shell. We stopped to pick it up out of the sand. Kevin kept telling me how beautiful she looked with the sun on my face. Kevin confesses how he thought she was not going to show up for the second date. Jane confesses she started not to come because of her brother.

After several hours on the warm beach, the date ended with a short kiss.

*****

Her sisters wanted to hear about the date, yet Jane kept it a secret. The following day, Kevin comes over asking John if he was going to play ball. He said yes. Kevin asked, "Are your sisters going to the game?

John said, I don’t know. John called and asked Jane, May, Kay and Ann if they are going to the game. They yelled, Yes, we are going to the ball game.

When Kevin saw Jane at the game, he told her how pretty she looked. Once the game was over, they all walked to the ice cream parlor and Kevin asked Jane which flavor was her favorite. She told him butter pecan. Kevin walked slowly to the counter and asked for a double scoop of butter pecan ice cream for Jane and gave it to her. She thanked Kevin for the cone. As she took the cone, Kevin asked her to go on another date with him.

Jane told Kevin she would think about it. After all, Kevin, it’s not like I’m your girlfriend or something!

Kevin walked over to Jane and straight kissed her on the mouth. This surprised Jane. Jane said, It’s time for me to go inside the house!

Once inside, Jane confided in her sisters about the kiss Kevin put on her. They wanted to know if it was a good kiss. Jane told them it was a very good kiss and smirked as she told them. May told Jane that she should leave Kevin alone now before she gets hurt. Jane wanted to know what she meant by Get hurt. May told her, You know John said that Kevin has many girlfriends.

*****

Jane asked her mother if she could go to the movies. Her mom wanted to know what time she would return. Well Jane said, After the movies, I would like to go shopping for my prom dress.

Her mother agreed for Jane to attend the movie and go shopping for her prom dress.

While Jane was on the way to the movies, she saw Kevin who asked where she was going. Jane told him, To the movies to see the matinee. Kevin convinced her that it was too nice of a day to be stuck inside the movies and that she should go with him and walk on the beach. They remained on the beach until almost dark. Kevin walked Jane home before it got dark.

As always, her sisters wanted to know how the movie was. She told them she did not go to the movies and instead she went on a date with Kevin to the beach. The sisters of course wanted to hear all about it. Jane didn’t spill a word. She just told them she was sleepy and they should all go to sleep because school time would come soon.

In the morning, their momma yelled upstairs telling them to have a blessed day at school and to come straight home from school. She informed them that one of the church sisters’ husband passed away in his sleep and she had to cook food for the repass and required their help. The daughters than acknowledged their mother’s request.

*****

There was a knock at the door. The girls told their mother that their Aunt Pat was at the door. Their mom calls out to her sister to come on into the kitchen and give her a hand with cleaning and cutting up the chicken. Sis, also please put those beans on the stove to cook for me. I still need to cut up the collard greens before I leave for work.

Pat asks her sister, Alice, what she thought about her trifling husband. Jane and Alice looked shocked, saying, What are you talking about, Pat?

Well, I saw him walking with his girlfriend and she is very much having a child, said Pat.

Alice and Jane’s face saddened. Yeah, girl, she looks at least four months pregnant. They were walking and holding hands in town.

Jane, Pat replied, I know that she is pregnant!

Alice looks surprise. How do you know?

Pat answered, One day, Bob and I were sitting in the living room when she knocked on the door and asked for Bob. I told Bob someone was at the door for him. She said her name is Rose. I offered her a seat seeing her in a motherly way. Yet she said No. She would stand. As Bob approached, he asked her what she was doing in his house. She said, ‘I want to know if you have told your wife that I am carrying your child.’

What did Bob say? asked Alice.

Nothing.

Alice said, Well, did you say something?

Pat replied, "Bob began to yell at me saying he was only with me because of the children and that he didn’t love me anymore. I told Rose she can have Bob. I grabbed my pocketbook and walked out of the house leaving them right there.

Alice, Pat, why didn’t you tell me?

I was too ashamed to say anything, Pat answered.

Alice uttered, Pat, Jane you are my sister. You can tell me anything. I will not judge you. Pat, are you not worried that Rose will take Bob to family court for support of the baby?

Pat, this is the second female that Bob has gotten pregnant! Yes, sister, I had to protect myself and took Bob to family court for support of our children. I am already receiving a check monthly from family court. I took care of business.

Pat, wow, you have really been going through something.

Yes, Pat, I have been going through something and I have the children to worry about. I cannot worry about Bob and his cheating ass. Pat, I have to go to work. Girls, I will see you later. As Alice then walked out of the door. The phone rang and it was her job asking her to bring some whole milk to work. Good she was able to take the call.

*****

While Pat was walking down the sidewalk, she saw her next-door neighbor. Alice, Pat said, Hello, Peggy how are you?

Peggy said, I’m just fine. By the way, I saw your daughter at the beach Sunday.

My daughter was not at the beach Sunday, countered Pat.

Peggy insisted that she saw Jane at the beach on Sunday and she was holding hands with a young man. I believe that the young man I saw her with is named Kevin.

Pat asked if she was sure that it was Jane. Peggy responded, Pat, I know Jane when I see her. I even told her to tell you hello. Didn’t she tell you I said hello?

Jesus Christ, said Pat, that girl was supposed to be at the movies. Peggy, thank you for telling me.

Well, I didn’t mean to get the girl in any kind of trouble now, said Peggy.

Now that’s not your concern. You have a nice day now.

Once at work, she apologized for arriving late. She explained how her neighbor gave her some disturbing news about her daughter’s whereabouts this past Sunday. Her employer asked how she was going to handle the situation. Pat replied, I will just ask how was the movie? I will wait and see if she tells me the truth. Lord, I sure hope she does. Knowing teenagers, I might as well expect a lie as well as the truth.

*****

The day took long to end. Once home, Pat called the girls asking how they were doing. All exclaimed, Fine, momma.

Well, come down and help me cook dinner, ordered Pat. As soon as Jane came into the kitchen she asked Jane. How was the movie that you went to on Sunday?

Jane replied, "Well, momma, I