Looking Back

By Chris Chukwudi Iguh

The title of this book is derived from Bible verses pertaining to when God commanded Lot and his wife to leave the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, to escape from His anger raining down on the city. He told them not to look back as they leave town. He said that anyone that looked back will become a pillar of salt. The wife of Lot looked back as they were leaving town, so she became a pile of salt along the way.

This story is about the relationship between a Black family and a White family. The mixture of families helped the blacks to progress in life, and they became achievers. This black family did not look back on how their forefathers came to the United States of America. They did not bother to look at the ill treatment that blacks and other minorities have received in America. If they had disobeyed the wisdom of God, the repercussion would have been total failure, and their children wouldn't have achieved the heights they attained in life.

Both families are middle class by American standard, and their relationship depicts the real standard of relationship that would resolve the disparity currently found in the United States of America. If parents will allow their children to intermingle with one another, life in USA will be enjoyable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 12, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098088781

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Looking Back

Chris Chukwudi Iguh

Copyright © 2021 by Chris Chukwudi Iguh

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

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Bene

Chris

Part I

Welcoming the Colors in Life

Chris

No! I know you are cheating again! said Chris, with a whiny noise coming from his throat. It was clear that the little boy was agitated to no end.

We are playing rock-paper-scissor, Chris! How am I supposed to cheat with you in this game? said Zack with the authoritative yet frustrating tone only elder brothers could use.

Then how are you doing it? How are you winning all the games? We have been playing for the last many hours! said Chris, making a face.

"For the last time! Chris, I was not cheating, and it has not been for many hours. It has been a few minutes at most," Zack replied in a fury.

All right, boys, stop it. Zack Chukwudi, apologize to your brother. We both know you have been cheating all this time, Chris and Zack’s mother, Pearl, said from the reading nook in the living room. She was a beautiful woman with strawberry-blonde hair and ocean-blue eyes.

It was clear that her older one, Zack, got his blond hair from her and his hazel eyes from his father while Chris got her blue eyes and his father’s honey-brown hair. Both kids had the same delicate and soft features like hers as well. However, their mischievous, troublemaking side, without a doubt, came from their father.

What? No! I have not been cheating, Mom. Why are you saying that! said Zack. At the same time, Chris yelled, "See! I knew you were cheating. Mom said so!"

Was not! Zack contradicted.

Enough, Zack. You already knew Chris’s moves every time because you can see his hands in the back mirror. Now, apologize, said Pearl with faux-sternness, fighting off a smile.

Oh, okay then. Yeah, sorry I was cheating, Chris. But hey! It’s not my mistake you are not careful about your surroundings, said Zack, now with a teasing smile on his face.

Chris looked at his mother to take in her reaction, but to his utter disbelief, she was smiling. "Mom! You said it’s not a sorry if you say but in the end! How come he can say that and not me?" Chris asked his mother, again feeling flustered.

Now, Pearl actually started laughing. Sweetie, I told you that when you said, ‘Mom, I am sorry I broke your eyeglasses, but they should have been on your face!’ There is a huge difference.

Fine! But you keep confusing me with these things, said Chris without meaning it. He knew all too well what went wrong the last time. He sat on his mother’s glasses, which were sitting on top of the coffee table, in plain sight. When they broke with a crunch, that was the first thing that came out of his mouth for a required plausible reason.

Hey, look! The new neighbors are shifting in today, said Zack, now standing at the front window, peeking outside. I hope they are not scary like the last ones. They had a scarecrow in their front lawn. I mean, who puts a scarecrow in their yard? They didn’t even have a proper garden.

Yes, they were creepy, agreed Chris with a nod and a shudder. We will pray at dinner that the new ones don’t own a scarecrow, okay, Mom?

Sure, baby. We will do that, Pearl replied with a delightful laugh to her eight-year-old son.

Let them settle in for a few hours, and then we will go welcome them with hot lasagna. Shifting homes is not an easy thing to do. You guys will come with me, right? asked Pearl, now facing both her sons.

Chris started shifting his weight from one foot to another uncomfortably. On the other hand, Zack, always the wittiest one, had an answer.

Okay. But if the new neighbors are like the last ones and they own a scarecrow, that will be our last trip to their home, deal?

Pearl just stared helplessly at her eldest son for a few seconds. Then at last, she said, Deal.

She walked over to the window herself after that. After a while, Zack announced that he is hungry and asked his mother if he could have something to eat from the kitchen. Pearl sighed and nodded. Zack was always hungry, so there was nothing new about the fact that he wanted to have something again an hour after lunch.

When he left the room to rummage through the kitchen, Chris watched his mother turn around to watch the new neighbor carrying some boxes from the car’s trunk. The man was a grown-up who was about the same age as his mother.

If James were here, he would have gone to help the new neighbors in shifting, his mother said to no one in particular.

When will Dad be back, Mom? replied Chris nevertheless, now coming to stand beside his mother. He said soon, honey. Maybe in a couple of days. This new business deal is taking some time.

Okay, said Chris.

But something in his voice made Pearl look down at her son’s face.

What’s wrong, Chris? she asked him. You sound off.

No, no. Nothing is wrong. I was just wondering about our new neighbors, said Chris, still looking out to see them at work.

Hey, you don’t have to worry about them. If they are not nice, you wouldn’t have to talk to them again, I promise, said Pearl, now a little upset to see her sweet child in a state of confusion.

Chris smiled at his mother then. That’s not what I was thinking this time, Mom. I was wondering how they look so different from us.

Oh, said Pearl, now understanding the exact reason for her son’s uncertainty. She knew what he was talking about, of course. The new neighbors were a Black family, and in their neighborhood, this was a new thing. There weren’t many Black people around that she could think of.

So what are you thinking about them? asked Pearl after a while.

Now that she was thinking about it, she realized that it was not a topic she had ever talked to her children about before. The area where they lived was considered lively and peaceful. Although most people living there were White, there were a few Black and Hispanic folks, and she had never heard anything bad or wrong about them. They were the same as everyone else. What does skin color have to do with anything, anyway? At least, that’s what she thought about the matter.

Her son replied, taking her back to the current question she popped at him. I think they must feel like Shrek.

That was far from the kind of answer she was expecting. She stood speechless for a moment and then asked abruptly, Shrek? What does it have anything to do with a cartoon character?

Chris thought about his answer for a while. He wanted to make sure his mother understands him as it was very important to him that she does. After gathering his thoughts in his childlike mind, he told his mother, You see, Shrek was lonely because people didn’t like he was different. They did not talk to him, and they always yelled at him. No one wanted to play with him too. Maybe that’s what they feel like as well because they look different.

He then asked his mother in a small tone, Do you think they feel like Shrek, Mom?

Pearl was stunned. She had never thought about it like that before. And the fact that her eight-year-old son realized it… She was going through many emotions simultaneously.

Her purehearted son was still looking her way for her answer. She could see it in his eyes that her answer would mean a lot to him. With a small prayer in her heart to God that her son always remains this pure and humble, she composed herself at last and replied, I don’t know if they are sad, honey. But if they are, we will be there to make them feel special. We would never treat them how people treated Shrek, and we will never make them feel lonely. Promise?

After a couple of seconds, she added, And even if they are happy, we still have the duty as their neighbors to make them feel welcome here. If someone is already happy, it doesn’t mean we should leave them as they are. We always have to make sure the people around us are all right, just like we did with our last ones.

But they were scary and rude, Mom, Chris piped in immediately.

His mother replied, Even when they are scary, we should look out for them, honey. Have you ever thought that maybe they acted that way because they felt like Shrek was scary too?

Chris thought about it for a while.

No, he said at last. I did not think of that.

His mother just nodded and smiled.

He watched her sit again in the armchair stuffed with colorful cushions. She opened her book to the bookmarked page and continued her reading. In that moment, he knew he would be talking about this to his brother; and they will be on their best behavior that night when they visit their new neighbors.

Bene

Bene! Sweetie, please go and check the door. Don’t forget to ask first, Bene Uche’s mother called for her when the bell rang. She replied to her mother, who was in the laundry room, and left her coloring book and crayons on the table to check the door.

Who is it? Bene called in her sweet, delicate voice when she reached the closed front door.

There was some shuffling on the other side, and then came an energetic reply in a woman’s voice.

Hi! I’m Pearl. My boys and I live in the house next door. Can we come in, if your mom is home?

Bene peeked outside through the peephole