Silver Lining (Urban Christian) by Wanda B. Campbell

Author:Wanda B. Campbell [Campbell, Wanda B.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: 77new
ISBN: 9781601627964
Amazon: 1601627963
Publisher: Urban Books
Published: 2011-07-26T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Starla had read the ten digits so many times she could recite them backward. Ten years ago, when her father’s widow gave her the number, Starla had promised to use it. She hadn’t meant for it to take so long. At both the funeral and repast, Starla heard story after story and even more praises for Deacon James Howard. Up until then she didn’t know her father had attended church. He didn’t when he lived with her. Starla couldn’t remember her father ever mentioning God; he didn’t even pray over his food.

The warm stories everyone shared made her feel proud, then angry. The fuzzy memories Starla had seemed irrelevant. The tall, cinnamon-complexioned man with wavy black hair she remembered wasn’t the same mild-mannered, respected deacon everyone raved about. The James Howard she knew was boisterous and full of energy. He was exciting, adventurous, and the most loving person she knew. Not one day went by that he didn’t come home and kiss her before he kissed her mother. When he brought flowers home for Yvonne, he also presented some to Starla. Identical to the James Howard these strangers described, the father she knew was always a man of his word.

If her dad promised to take her somewhere, they went. If he vowed to buy her a new doll on Friday, after receiving his paycheck from his job at a uniform delivery company, James would do just that. The only time James didn’t keep his word was when he threatened to spank her. To Starla’s contentment, James could never bring himself to hurt his only child.

“Why did you leave?” Starla asked the worn piece of paper again, and, as always, there wasn’t a response. Starla bowed her head in prayer.

Father, please grant me the strength to follow through with this. Prepare my heart to handle whatever information I discover. And, God, give me the strength to forgive my father for leaving me and my mother.

Starla took a deep breath and removed the cordless phone from its base. She’d just finished with the area code when the doorbell sounded.

“Mommy, somebody’s at the door!” Montel yelled from the living room.

Starla replaced the unit and headed downstairs, pondering who was on the other side of the door intruding on private time. Leon had begun training the boys to “take care” of their mother, so before Starla opened the door, the boys stood on each side of her.

“Lewis, what are you doing here?”

This time it was Jaylen who had diarrhea of the mouth. He pointed to the roses in Lewis’s hand. “My daddy already gave her some.”

“Jaylen!” Starla scolded.

“Oh. Really?” Lewis asked the unsuspecting three-year-old, but big brother Montel answered.

“And he’s moving back home, so you can’t come here anymore.”

“Montel, Jaylen, go to your room, now!” Starla pointed toward the staircase. The boys slowly walked away, each intermittently looking back at Lewis. “Ugh, them Scott genes,” she mumbled before directing her attention to Lewis. “Lewis, come in and have a seat.”

“Are you sure it’s okay with your security guards?” Lewis teased.

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