Unforgotten Forgiveness

By Arlene Sampson

This is a fictional story about a young girl named Rhonda. This story amplifies the strength of forgiveness because all things are not forgettable but forgivable. Rhonda will struggle to acquaint herself to her inner feelings that she has ponder within for so long. She will face challenges. Her courage and kindheartedness will determine the faith of forgetting and forgiving the obstacles she will face throughout her journey of finding herself and to whom she belongs. She has so many questions with no answers because her mother died before the truth could be told. Rhonda will gain strength in her maturing because she will have to fight this fight mostly alone. It will not be an easy journey for her, but with each step taken, she will learn something along the way. She will find her old friends, make new ones, and fall in love. But will this be enough for her? Will she decide to move forward in her pursuit to find what she is looking for, or will she decide that the lifestyle she has already establish for herself will be enough to fulfill her happiness? Rhonda will fall, but she will get back up. Reading some parts of her story will make you cry and some will make you see her as strong individual with determination to follow what she feels is right.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781684096749

Book preview

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Unforgotten Forgiveness

Arlene Sampson

Copyright © 2017 Arlene Sampson

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2017

ISBN 978-1-68409-673-2 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68409-674-9 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

To my family, my friends and all my readers:

You may bend, but you dare not break.

You may be driven, but you will not be forced.

You may be pushed, but you shall not be moved.

Some will encourage you and you will take the first step.

Your willpower and determination will keep you stepping.

Introduction

As you begin your journey of completing the life lessons in Unforgotten Forgiveness , I hope that the captivating reading will inspire someone along the way. The reading will carry you through the happiest and at times the saddest moments that my characters may have endured, trying to find forgiveness within.

By now you should know that life is a journey of unpredictable events. The misconception of happiness weighs unevenly on the scale. Never is there a balance when it pertains to human feelings. Either you are completely happy or you are darn right mad. It’s all right to feel one or the other, but know that you have to find that strong point and take control of the situation.

The three major sources of what keeps your emotions in perspective are being financially stable, maintaining your physical well-being, and having that loving family connection. If all these things are in proper alignment, then life is grand. If one of these should fall below the approval line of your satisfaction, then your whole life will turn upside down and that cycle of happiest has to start all over again. This is the thriving point of the characters portrayed in this magnitude of reading. They know who they are, but something is always missing, and for them to dig deep inside the soul to relieve the misery, the unforgotten forgiveness has to be spoken.

As you read this book, you will notice that they have it all in the palm of their hands until that feeling of not being satisfied creeps upon them. Whether it’s that job promotion they hope to achieve, that family love they crave to have forever, or making a decision that will determine their faith in life complicates that picture they desire should something go wrong.

The fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali had the world hanging by a string. At the end of that fight, someone had to lose and someone had to win. Either way, both were winners because they trained and prepared themselves for what they did best and that was to fight and potentially obtain the world championship belt. That was an unforgettable event for them. But both being the great boxers they were and still are to most, someone had to walk away with forgiveness in their heart sustaining all the scratches and bruises they had to take to claim their fame.

Let us be like those two great boxers of the world and the characters in this book that strived to overcome. Stand up and fight for what’s true to you. If you get knocked down and whether you get back up with one leg or both in the ring, just stand and aim for the knockout punch. It may not make you champions as it did the boxers or the well-respected characters you read about, but at least you’ll know the things surrounding you weren’t holding you down; you were holding yourselves down by continuing to carry that overbearing baggage from day to day and even year to year that is unforgettable but forgivable.

Chapter

1

Rhonda, a young lady on her own, hoped to pursue the world as she had promised her mother, Maria. To do anything less would make her appear to be irresponsible and not able to uphold her promise. She was ambitious and had the zeal and passion that her mother once had. She was the apple of Maria’s eye; she was Maria’s only child.

Being the only child weighed merits over many things. Usually, that child was the trophy sitting on the shelf with no dust to be collected; each day, that trophy was dusted and placed back on the shelf with pride. The expectation of perfection was what all parents would brag about pertaining to their child.

Rhonda was different. She loved her mother and she loved that Maria wanted nothing but the best for her, but her mother had no friends she could brag to about the accomplishments Rhonda had achieved. The friends she did have were those she would send Christmas cards to once a year and those eventually stopped being sent. Rhonda was very well cared for and protected from the bitter world and that was what a mother was supposed to do for their child.

There comes a time in a child’s life they soon would leave the nest, but Rhonda’s mother wasn’t ready for her to leave. Maria discussed with Rhonda about attending the community college in their town. Rhonda wanted to be there with her mother and to grant her wish, but she had already talked with the guidance counselor of her school. She had a bigger picture in mind. She wanted to become a doctor. The guidance counselor advised her to leave and attend a four-year college; this was the news she had to give her mother. Upon giving her mother the news, Rhonda could hear the loneliness in her mother’s voice as she told Rhonda she wished her the best in leaving to get a higher education. Rhonda wanted nothing but to be there with her mother to continue that perfect life they created, but she had to see what the world was like without being with her mother. Rhonda left her friends and her mother behind to begin her education.

Time had passed and Rhonda was now a junior in college. Even through all her accomplishments, she had a void in her life that dwelled within her for many years; it was her desire to know her father. Some nights, she would wake from her sleep to find that she had merely been dreaming of the reunion between her father and herself.

During a phone conversation with her mother, Rhonda, who was at the peak of maturity, festered the strength to confront her mother concerning her father. She finally asked her mother about him, and her mother, surprisingly, expressed signs of relief that she did. Both paused on the phone, thinking of what to say next, but Maria told Rhonda that she would sit down with her on her next school break and reveal who her father was. Rhonda was filled with nervousness, excitement, and a hint of rage at the thought of finally knowing who her father was. Unfortunately, before Rhonda was able to return home for a school break, she lost her best friend, her mother. Without knowing who her father was, she saw her mother lying there lifeless with the answer to the one question she had been carrying for quite some time.

Rhonda obtained a prosperous life. She completed college and obtained her degree in nursing. She went even farther and became a nurse practitioner. She made money and she was capable of taking care of herself. She started small. She rented an apartment that only had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and one bedroom. The rent was cheap. She began to save for those things she always desired in life: a business, a home of her own, and someday a family. Life was going great for Rhonda for years. As she continued to focus more on her education, she was able to work, and soon after saving and maintaining outstanding credit, she was able to purchase her own property and build her own business. Successfully staying focused on her dream, she built her clinic and she named her business Caring for People. It was a small clinic in the community. Rhonda, with the help of a secretary and a few nurse assistants, opened the clinic. As the community grew, her clinic grew and the revenues it received allowed her to hire more employees to help give more care to the people who needed it. How successful she was becoming.

Rhonda now was in her midtwenties. She started thinking about how she was succeeding in her career. She felt stable and believed in her business to carry her through until retirement. She starting thinking about marriage and someday starting a family. In the beginning she didn’t think much about having a family but time was passing her faster than expected, and she knew the biological clock will stop ticking at some point. While attending school and saving to pursue her dream, she couldn’t commit to anyone at that time in her life; she was determined only to become a successful doctor. Starting her career was all she wanted and needed at that time. She wanted that independence. She wanted to feel that sense of security before she dedicated her life to becoming a wife and mother. Now she realized that time waited for no one and that her desire to become a wife and mother had grown stronger.

One late night after a long shift, heavy caseload of clients, Rhonda felt very tired and lonely. She was always going home to an empty apartment and bed. She was about to change her atmosphere of her day-to-day living. In the process of wanting a change in her life, Rhonda wasn’t aware that her simple and maintained life was about to become a roller coaster ride from beyond.

Rhonda contacted an old classmate. Her name was Rebecca. She knew Rebecca from grade school. They were on the same cheering team. They attended after school dances and went to movies on occasion together. Rebecca had a different lifestyle than Rhonda. She still lived at home with her parents. She had two children but no husband. She worked at a fast food restaurant, making just a little over minimum wage. Rebecca had no goals she wanted to obtain because of how her life was. She knew the life she was living and thought there was no way out of the situation she had fallen into. She wanted that magical wand to come and change all the bad into good, without any efforts of trying to change it herself.

Rebecca was not expecting a call from Rhonda. She felt Rhonda’s standard of living was much beyond her lifestyle of living. Rebecca kept up with Rhonda’s life. She knew of her success, but from past experiences she knew Rhonda would always be a true friend. Rhonda and Rebecca still considered themselves as friends just like when they were in grade school. They began to hang out and go places together again. Rhonda was enjoying the change of pace in her life. She had someone she could talk to and enjoy her company. With blinders on, Rhonda wasn’t seeing Rebecca as she was because Rebecca was not being true to Rhonda about her lifestyle. Rebecca was about to take Rhonda’s kindness for granted.

When Rhonda revealed all the things she had accomplished in her successful life, Rebecca would repeatedly tell her how she was so proud of her, but as they hugged, Rebecca would grit her teeth and her complexion would express anger. Rebecca was about to take Rhonda on another level of reality because she wanted Rhonda to feel the pain of struggling like she was doing, trying to take care of two children by herself.

After spending time together as friends, Rebecca expressed to Rhonda her life’s situation. She talked of how she was not as successful as Rhonda. She had children at an early age and they were living with her parents in a two-room apartment. She looked at Rhonda and said, I wished I had gone in the directions that you went, but things are as they are and you have to make the best of what it is.

Rhonda replied, You can be all you can be with a little hard work and belief in yourself.

At this point, Rebecca knew survival was the key to making ends meet. She’d taken one day at a time depending on a low-paying job and the help from her parents to keep her children while she was doing her best to provide for them.

Rhonda felt sad for Rebecca. She was always the one to reach out to people; her mother taught her that. When someone was in the need of help, you helped them. Rhonda saw this in Rebecca. She was crying for help and didn’t know how to ask. Rebecca wanted Rhonda’s world of success and the carefree lifestyle she was living. But if Rebecca could listen to Rhonda’s heart, she would hear the void in her life also. Rhonda wanted a husband and children to help complete her family portrait. Rebecca enjoyed being with Rhonda and sharing childhood memories together, but the hanging out had to come to an end. Rebecca had to leave and resume the life she had left behind while spending time with Rhonda.

Weeks went by, and Rhonda and Rebecca had not spoken. Late one night the phone rang. It was Rebecca and she was panicking. She sounded as though she was out of breath. Rhonda asked what was wrong and Rebecca replied, I’m in deep trouble. Someone was after her. Rebecca knew she had to get away. This was not the first time the incident occurred, and she knew the results that was about to happen. Rebecca didn’t discuss the issue with Rhonda. She told her that her parents threw her and her children out. Rhonda was worried. Rebecca just needed somewhere to lay low for a while. Rhonda invited her into her home once again.

When she arrived, Rhonda asked, Where are the children?

Rebecca eyes bucked, not realizing that she had just claimed her parents threw her and the children out of their home. Then quickly thinking, Rebecca replied, My parents wouldn’t let me have them.

Rhonda was tired. She wanted to talk more with Rebecca, but as she looked at Rebecca she noticed that she needed to rest also. She gave her the couch, some linens and a blanket for the night.

The next morning, Rhonda got dressed for work. She looked at Rebecca; she was still sleeping. Rhonda went to work. Sometime during the day she decided to call Rebecca. Rebecca didn’t answer the phone; she kept on sleeping. Rebecca had bruises on her legs and arms she received the day she called Rhonda for help. She slept through the whole day. It was time for Rhonda to come home. When Rhonda walked in her apartment, she noticed the bruises that were on Rebecca. Rebecca didn’t have the blanket on her as she was sleeping. Rhonda noticed that there were old bruises as well as new ones. Rebecca was moaning in her sleep. She repeatedly began to say, Don’t hurt me. Rhonda began to shake Rebecca from her sleep. Rebecca was in a state of fright, and from the touch of Rhonda, Rebecca jumped up from her sleep and her eyes were looking around the apartment as though she was disturbed of where she was at the present time. Rhonda asked her if she was all right and asked if she knew where she was. Rebecca looked at her and said, Yes. Rebecca stated that she must have been dreaming in her sleep. Rebecca looked down at herself and she noticed the she was not covered and she grabbed the blanket to pull over her with the thought that Rhonda hadn’t seen her bruises already. Rhonda was hoping that Rebecca was ready to tell her the truth about why she was there and what was going on in her life. With the bruises and the fright in her voice from the statement she made when she called, Rhonda imagined that something was seriously wrong.

Rhonda prepared dinner for them that evening. Rebecca continued to sit on the couch and covered herself. They started to remember their younger days when they used to do things together. They talked about the boys they liked, the clothes they wore, and the dances they attended. Rhonda suddenly stated she had to retire for bed. She had an early and busy day for work. Morning came and Rebecca stayed in Rhonda’s apartment and slept, but not all day. Rebecca began to realize that she had not changed clothes. She had no clothes. She helped herself to Rhonda’s wardrobe. She showered and put on Rhonda’s jeans and T-shirt. She washed the clothes she was wearing. Before Rhonda returned home, Rebecca had changed into her original clothes, placed the T-shirt back in the top drawer and hung the jeans back on the hanger, and returned them to the closet. This went on all week—changing into different outfits and properly placing them back before Rhonda returned from her tiresome job.

The week passed and Rhonda suddenly spoke of Rebecca having no clothes. Rhonda took Rebecca shopping and put the items on her credit card. Rebecca thanked her for the clothes and all she was doing for her. She still thought of Rhonda as a true friend, but she couldn’t expose what was going on in her life because she feared that things may change with how Rhonda cared for her. After shopping, they returned to the apartment. Together they prepared dinner. Rebecca was getting comfortable with the lifestyle she was beginning to live while staying with Rhonda. As they sat at the dinner table, Rhonda cleared her throat and looked at Rebecca. Then she asked her, Have you thought of calling your parents and asking how your children are doing?

Rebecca placed her fork on her plate and took a sip of water and replied, My parents know that I leave my children with them at times like this. They know that my boyfriend and I go on the road because he plays in a band and stays for weeks at a time and I do not call home. They don’t miss me. Sometimes I feel as though they think I do not exist.

Rebecca left the dinner table and went to the couch places her face in the pillow. Rhonda went over to her and touched her on the shoulder. She stated to Rebecca, They have to be worried about you. You are their daughter and you have children. Every person needs someone to love and care for them. You need your parents and your children need you.

Rebecca couldn’t tell Rhonda that she was in trouble beyond what she could handle. She couldn’t get her family involved with the lifestyle that she had kept from them for so long, and they could get hurt in the process of it all if anyone knew her secret.

At time Rebecca would think about how she wanted to get out of the lifestyle she was living. She thought of graceful ways to handle the situation, but each time someone higher than her would remind her of how she got the job, what was required of her to keep the job, and when it would be time to retire from the job. In her business, only one person can claim the chain to fame. Rebecca had to make the change in her life and only she could do that with little help from Rhonda. Rhonda saw and felt her pain.

With the kindness of Rhonda’s heart, she asked Rebecca what she could do to help her reach beyond the life she was living. Rebecca slowly wiped her tears from her eyes and responded to Rhonda, Let’s go to bed and sleep for the night. I’m too upset to talk about it.

Morning came fast for Rebecca. She was nervous that Rhonda would continue the conversation from last night. She rose slowly from the couch. She called out for Rhonda, but Rhonda didn’t answer. Rhonda had left for work. But she left a note on the kitchen table for Rebecca. Rebecca noticed the note and she began to read it. It stated, It’s been over a week and I don’t know much about your situation. I fear that you are in trouble and there is something or someone seriously trying to harm you. We need to talk when I get home from work. Rebecca placed the note back on the table. She knew she wasn’t ready to discuss her lifestyle and the trouble she was in with Rhonda. Rebecca had to leave.

Rebecca searched Rhonda’s apartment, looking for valuables she could sell just to have money for bus fare and go somewhere or to someone she knew. In that search she found a jewelry box. Rhonda always had fine gold-plated jewelry, rings, earrings, watches, and bracelets. Rebecca took a very valuable bracelet but also inside the jewelry box was money. It was hidden under the jewelry in a secret compartment. Rhonda was saving that for an emergency should one occur.

Rebecca took two hundred dollars. She was leaving without Rhonda knowing. Upon leaving the apartment, on the note Rhonda left on the kitchen table, Rebecca wrote, I’m sorry.

Rhonda came home expecting to talk with Rebecca, hoping she could help Rebecca with the problem she had encountered. She was hoping to remain friends and help her friend. To Rhonda’s surprise, as she approached her apartment door, she noticed a small crack, the door wasn’t closed. Rhonda thought maybe Rebecca had opened the door for her since she knew what time she would arrive home. As she entered her apartment, there were no signs of Rebecca. Rhonda was reluctant to enter the apartment at that point with fear that someone might be intruding. As she moved slowly from room to room, she saw no one and everything seemed to be in place. Even her jewelry box was neatly placed back in its original spot on the dresser. Rhonda returned to the kitchen and she noticed on the table the note she left Rebecca. Rhonda read the statement that Rebecca wrote, I’m sorry.

Rhonda felt Rebecca left because she didn’t want to talk about why she left home without her children and why she was covered with those bruises. Rhonda started wondering why Rebecca was hesitant in talking about her situation.

Rhonda wanted to find Rebecca, but she wasn’t sure of where to begin looking. Rebecca never stated where she lived. She thought of the phone number Rebecca had called her on when she was in trouble and the one she used to contact Rebecca when she first wanted them to reunite. She called both numbers and neither number was in service. Rhonda wasn’t going to give up. She called the operator to get the number of Rebecca’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sid Buxton. There was no address listed for her parents stated by the operator. Rhonda began to think of other ways she might be able to contact Rebecca. How true was Rebecca to Rhonda as a friend? Rhonda thought back to why Rebecca left in such a rush. She thought, did someone contact her again? Or did they find out where she was and was planning to come and get her?

The sun had set and Rhonda was feeling tired from working. She showered and went to bed. She thought that the night would bring her more ideas of how to contact Rebecca and try to find her.

Rhonda was up at 6:30 a.m. She was ready to start a new day and a new journey. She dressed and headed for the door. As she was locking it, she heard the phone rang. Time was pressing and she didn’t want to be late for work. She was trying to unlock the door, but the phone stopped ringing. She was hoping that it wasn’t Rebecca because she wanted to talk with Rebecca but she couldn’t get to the phone in time. The answering machine picked up the message. The message was in a deep voice: Rhonda, we haven’t spoken in years, maybe we can meet to talk soon. This is Jessie. Jessie was once a close friend to Rhonda. He had left the state to join the navy. He was recruited and spent ten years in the military until his honorable discharge. He was injured in the military and upon his injury this caused his life to change drastically.

Jessie became top rank in his job. It allowed him to visit many countries and states. He met famous people. He spoke to wounded soldiers all across America. He joined church after military to reclaim his faith in his beliefs. He knew that God would heal him if he just believed and had a little faith. He wanted to be taken to higher horizons. He wanted to marry and grow old with someone, but deep inside he knew that his injury may cause him to be solo forever.

Jessie had traveled many places and he knew women all over. He began and ended relationships within short time spans because he knew that his lifestyle at the time didn’t allow commitment and he didn’t want commitment. He was still young and full of adventures that not one person was able to share with him. But one young girl did capture his interest when he went to Las Vegas. Her name was Dynasty. She ran away from home from a life of disappointment and abusiveness. She was young but above age requirements. She made his stay in the city of sin very pleasant and fulfilling. She knew that, with him, she had nights of false promises and with no dreams of her own she enjoyed his company. Those words spoken by Jessie to her sounded like a singing canary with no melody.

Dynasty was a very beautiful young girl. She had black silky hair and a smooth tan complexion. She was shy but Jessie didn’t care at the time. He knew he wanted her and she knew what he wanted each time. That was Jessie power of satisfaction and what he looked forward to until his injury. Now he’s beginning to count birthdays and the years are rolling by fast. His mind setting was changing. Meeting ladies in remote keypad rooms and hourly scheduled wages was getting old. He needed his own woman. Someone he could call his and love as his wife and with prayer the mother of his children someday. Rhonda was on his mind. He knew from past experiences she would be dedicated and faithful. Jessie was going to reunite with Rhonda. He knew she was the one and would be the one he wanted to married and spend the rest of his life with.

Jessie, Rhonda thought to herself as she finished listening to the message and closed the door and locked it again. Jessie from years ago, thought Rhonda. She walked to her car and headed for work.

Business was booming. Clients were very satisfied with her professionalism and concern of their well-being. She had very good bedside manners. She listened to each client’s complaint. She loved her job and all her patients. Each night as she left work, she would always say, God bless our people. People needed nurses and doctors such as Rhonda and her staff. They needed someone they could trust with their health issues. Rhonda had the hands of healing, some of her patients thought. They would feel so much better after a visit