Book Reviews

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Chapter 1

1950

Joshua Banks and his ten-year-old son Jimmy ducked low in the grass. Joshua cocked his shotgun, and aimed at the deer that was grazing in the meadow. A woodpecker tapped on the tree that was above them as the two male figures tip toed closer to their target. The broken twigs and dried leaves crackled under their footsteps. Jimmy stepped too hard which caused the deer to look up in fear.
“Shh boy, watch your step or else you gonna scare the little critter away!” Joshua whispered while trying to get a better aim.
“Sorry poppa.” Jimmy whispered back to him.
The deer continued to graze; unaware of what was being conspired against it. A flock of sparrows flew over the treetops as the sound of bobwhites chirped in the distance.
“Oh I gotcha now!” Joshua whispered. He let the round off.
The sound of the bullet being released echoed off into the forest, as the galloping of other creatures in the wooded area trailed off into the distance.
The bullet hit the deer in the neck causing it to fall down on the ground.
Jimmy was the first to reach the dying animal. He knelt down beside it, and watched as it tried to get up, but it fell back down, he checked for any signs of life, then turned and looked back to see his father coming toward him.
“Poppa I think it’s dead! Come look at it.” Jimmy said motioning for his father to come closer.
“I’m comin’ son just hold your horses.” Joshua said as he drew near. Once he was in front of the animal he put his gun down and took off his hat. Jimmy could see the deer’s legs trembling.
“No he aint dead yet son, we’ll just give it a few minutes and then haul it back to the truck.” He said sitting down in the grass. Jimmy sat next to him. Joshua sat with his knees up and his head looking down at the ground. He turned to look at his son.
“You know boy, I think your momma is gonna be mighty happy once she sees this comin in the door.” Joshua said beaming with pride then continuing.
“I mean aint much food being put on the table here lately, and not to many people is workin’ down at the lumber mill these days either. Jobs are far and few but I sure do thank the Good Lord that Mr. Blake aint gonna lay me off that’s for sure.”
“Yeah me to daddy, God is good aint he?
“Yes sir all the time!” Joshua said positioning his arms behind him and stretching his legs in front of him while looking up at the sky.
“You think this here deer meat gonna last us a spell?” Jimmy said with concern on his face.
“I think so son, why you ask me that?”
“Just askin’ that’s all. I mean I thought maybe I could leave school and work…
“You aint gonna do no such a thing! You hear me? Now, you let me worry about putting the food on the table, and you worry about your schooling. Ya hear?”
“Yes sir.”
“Now, come on and help me take this back to the truck.” He said getting up first then helping his son up off the ground.
“It’s gonna be getting dark soon and I don’t want your momma sittin’ up there worryin’ about us.”

Dora Lee walked around the small cabin sweeping the floors with her long worn blue dress and gray scarf wrapped around her head. Beads of sweat steamed down her face from the hot evening sun, which blew into the home from the open doors and windows.
Joshua had built their home a few years ago before they got married. He made their home as comfortable as possible by adding a fireplace in the diminutive living room and two bedrooms in the back. The kitchen was to the left of the living room and it too was tiny.
Dora came across Joshua’s work boots and socks that he had left on the floor. Typical man! Just leave his stuff all over the floor! When is that man gonna ever learn how to pick up after himself. It’s bad enough I got to clean up after Jimmy all the time. What do they think I am? She thought as she picked up the smelly socks and put them in the laundry basket on the kitchen table. She returned picking up the last particles that were on the floor and put them in the wastebasket. Continuing she went into the kitchen to check the vegetables she had cooking on the stove. She had been out earlier that morning gathering the vegetation from her garden. As she stood there stirring the pot her mind wondered back to the time she got saved.
Dora had gone to the revival at her church everyday that week, praying earnestly for the Lord to save her soul. Lord have mercy! What a wonderful time we had that week! She pondered with a smirk on her face.
She continued stirring the contents in the pot as she drifted off in thoughts. Her youngest brother Benny had gotten saved that week also. Dora could feel her soul welling with joy at the thought of when she actually spoke to the Master. She had gone out into the woods to pick some berries for her mother’s blueberry pie. As she was bending down to put the berries in her basket she heard a still voice speak within her. The voice that spoke to her alarmed her at first. She quickly jumped up from the ground and spun around to see who was speaking to her, but no one was there.
“Who’s there?” she yelled frightened and confused. She dismissed it and went back to what she was doing when the voice spoke again.
“Dora fear not.”
She recognized at that moment that it was the Lord because she remembered the story that her mother used to tell her as a child about the boy called Samuel and how the Lord spoke to him as a young boy while living in the temple with Eli the high priest .1 Samuel 3:8.
“Speak Lord for thy servant hears.” She said putting down the basket and kneeling on the ground with her arms stretched out and her eyes towards heaven.
“Your faith has saved you, and I have surely heard your prayers.” He said. Dora saw the Lord reach down and touch her mind; instantaneously the Holy Ghost came upon her.
“Lord I thank you and I praise your Holy Name!” She said yelling up to heaven. Tears of joy streamed down her face as the Lord continued to speak.
“I am the Lord your God. Listen to me for I have much to reveal to you. I will make you my messenger. You my daughter will go out into the world and spread my word.” Dora thought of the words of Moses.
“But who am I Lord that you should send me? What words could I say that they will listen to me? I am a woman, a poor woman at that Lord, yet you choose me?” She said with her head bowed down.
“Do you question my judgment and authority Dora? Am I not the Lord who has healed the blind, the deaf, and the sick? What is impossible for me? Did I not give wisdom to Solomon and did I not teach Moses what he should say to the people of Israel? Do not worry about what you will say, I will be with you and I will teach you what to say.“
“Forgive me Lord for I am a foolish old woman. Let your will be done according to your word Father. My soul says yes to your will and my soul does magnify the Lord.”
She remembered running back to her parents cabin and telling her mother what had happened to her. At first her mother thought something was wrong until Dora explained everything. Once she told her what had happened, her mother rejoiced with her.
Dora’s mind came back to reality when she heard her husband’s truck pull up in front of the house. She peeped out the kitchen window and watched as they took the deer into the slaughterhouse a few yards away. She saw how huge the creature was and lifted her hands up towards heaven.
“Thank you Jesus.” She silently prayed, and then she put the spoon on the stove and wiped her hands on her apron, then ran out to greet her husband and son.

Later on that evening… the three of them sat around the dinner table eating the venison that her husband and son caught earlier. All of them quietly ate until Jimmy spoke up.

“Momma I told daddy I want to leave school and stay home to work…” Joshua slammed his fist on the table, which caused the dishes to rattle. It scared Dora making her jump back away from the table.

“Dag gone it boy didn’t I say I didn’t want to hear no more talk about you leavin’ school?”

“Yes daddy but we need the extra money and I…”
“I don’t think you hear so good now do ya’?” He said standing up and pulling his strap off his worn out jeans. Seeing what his father was about to do, little Jimmy’s face froze with fear. An alarming sense of horror took over the poor boys body, as he clutched the bottom of the chair he was sitting in, to the point where his fingertips turned white.
“Daddy I’m sorry.”
“I know you’re sorry now.” He said wrapping the belt around his fist with fury in his eyes.
“Joshua! Don’t you lay a hand on that chile’! He say he sorry, now let him be!” Dora said jumping up sliding in front of the boy.
“Dag gone it woman! I won’t tolerate no chile of mine disrespecting me like that! You had no right puttin’ your two cents in this! He knows what I told him earlier and that’s what I meant! And another thing… you know you shouldn’t chastise me in front of the boy! You could have told me about it later!”
“Joshua Banks! Now you listen to me, and you listen to me good. The boy is only trying to help and you know our son got a heart of gold. The bible say “Fathers don’t make your children bitter. If you do, they will lose hope.” (Colossians 3:21)
“Yeah and it also says, “Children obey your parents in everything. That pleases the Lord.” So don’t hand that bible talk to me cause I knows a thing or two about it too you know. And if you want to be all sanctified about it, it also says “Wives follow the lead of your husbands. That’s what the Lord wants you to do.” (Colossians 3:18)
Joshua said with his eyes glaring at her as if his eyes had daggers to pierce her soul. But then his judgment got the better of him and he slowly eased back down into his seat then laid the belt down on the table.

Sometimes Dora wondered what she ever saw in her husband. He wasn’t so obstinate when they first met. As she sat back down her mind wondered back to the first time she laid eyes on him. They were working the fields for the white landowner Mr. Thompson during the Great Depression. During that time, things were pretty rough for Dora and her family and most of the Negro population as well as the Whites. She remembered looking up as she stopped picking cotton in the cotton fields to see Joshua coming towards her on his high horse as if he were God Almighty looking down on his poor servants. Her first impression of him wasn’t great.
When he finally got down off of his horse, she thought he thought he was too good to be in there presents. But then after she saw his gentle smile and how he interacted with the other workers, she quickly changed her mind.
Dora realized he was only there to pick up the load to take back to the barn. She remembered thinking how handsome he was, and how rugged his body looked with the sunlight bearing down on his brawny black shoulders. “ Lawd momma said I shouldn’t be lustin’ after no man ‘cause the bible say if I so much as lust after a man that I would be committin’ adultery in my heart. But Father, I’m asking you to give me strength on this one!” Dora watched him as he continued to converse with the workers. “Lawd I’m afraid if he comes near me I won’t know what to say. Maybe I should just go back to work and act like he aint here.”

“Oh Lawd here he comes. My goodness, look at him! He looks like a good man. Maybe I should listen to him and see where his head is at, then I can decide better. What am I doing? For all I know he could have a wife and chillens. Nah, I don’t think so he look like he’s a hermit. Well…. no time like the present to find out.” She thought as he stood in front of her.

“Mornin ma’am.” Joshua said showing his pearly whites while whipping the sweat off his brow then putting his sack on the ground.

“Mornin.” Dora said nonchalantly returning to work.

Joshua couldn’t make heads or tails of her. He thought she was being very abrasive towards him. He put on his best southern charm, and then tried again.

“Nice day aint it?”

“Uh huh show is,” she said continuing to ignore him while putting the cotton in her sack.
“You sure do like to work a lot there missy. Are you always like that?”
“Aint we all? It keeps food on the table that’s for sure.”
“You’re right about that. But, I wouldn’t know about having a home cooked meal waiting for me when I get home.” He said holding his head down, swatting the dirt off his overalls with his hat.
“Well that sounds like a personal problem to me Mr.” Dora said finally standing up and looking him in the eyes.
“Boy I can see she’s going to be a tough one to break.” He thought.
“Maybe if I tell her how beautiful she is, then she’ll give me the time of day.”
“You know a beautiful woman such as yourself shouldn’t be out here pickin’ cotton all day. You should be in the movies like Lena Horn or somethin’”
“Well thank you kindly sir but, I could never be no actress. I’m afraid I don’t have the talent for that. “
“Ah come on now! A beautiful woman like you? Shucks, with the way you acting towards me you would deserve an academy award!”
Dora couldn’t help but smile and shake her head.
“Now see there, I knew you had a gorgeous smile somewhere under them shapely lips.”
“My name is Joshua ma’am pleased to meet you.” He said holding out his hand.
“Dora, nice to meet you too.” She said taking his hand shaking it.
“You live around here?” said Joshua taking her sack and empting it into his.
“Uh huh just a few miles up yonder.”
“Well maybe I’ll stop by sometime.”
“Now, how you gonna do that and you don’t know where my house is?”
“Oh I’ll find out, I got ways of finding out things when I really want to.” He said smiling at her.
“You do that.” She said, as Joshua picked up his sack and headed back to his horse.
Dora felt as if she had met the man of her dreams as she watched him load the horse then hop on and ride back off the plantation. Little did she know she would see more of him after that.

She smiled to herself at the memory as she sat back down at the table. Joshua noticed it.
“Woman what are you thinking about?”
“Oh just about that time when me and you met. You was such a kind man back then.”
“Yeah but that was before we had a hard headed son!”
“Lawd Jesus have mercy.” She said shaking her head. She was about to say something else when they heard a car drive up and park outside the cabin. Joshua got up and peeked out the kitchen window to see who it was but couldn’t because it was so dark outside.

“Who could it be this time of night? Don’t they know we eatin’ suppa?”
“I’ll go see momma.” Jimmy said jumping up and running to the door.
When Jimmy opened the door, he ran back into the kitchen for his parents.
“Momma it’s Mrs. Ann, she look pretty bad. Come quick!
“By the time Dora and Joshua got to the door, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
“Lawd Jesus! What done happen to you chile?”
The white red headed woman stood at the door with her arms stretched out holding her body up against the doorway. Her tattered flowered dress barely hung on to her badly beaten small frame. She slowly lifted her head up. Her hair was plastered to her bruised face as it cascaded down to her shoulders. Once Dora could see her face she immediately knew what happened. “Her husband beat her again.”
“Come on in here chile’.” Dora said as she grabbed her around her waist and helped the woman inside. Joshua came around Ann’s other side and grabbed her. He looked at his son who was standing in the corner frightened.
“Jimmy go get your momma some warm water and some rags from out in the kitchen.” He ordered. Jimmy quickly did as he was told.
Joshua and Dora led the woman towards the couch and laid the battered woman down.
“What happened this time honey?”
“HE beat me Dora.” She said pausing to catch her breath then continuing. “Danny beat me good this time.” She said slowly looking up at Dora with tears coming down her face. Every word that she spoke was filled with agony because of her swollen lips.
“What kind of man would do this to his woman?” Joshua said looking over the two women.
“The kind that has no soul honey, the kind that has no soul.”
Jimmy came in the room with the bowl of water and the rags. He wet it then gave it to his mother. Dora ever so gently cleaned the wound around Ann’s lip. She pushed the matted hair off of the woman’s face.”
“Get me some ice from out the cooler Jimmy.” She said.
When he came back with the ice, Dora put some in one of the rags and wrapped it, then applied it to Ann’s right eye.
“Ann you have to leave him or else it’s going to get worse. Or better yet you could wind up dead.”
“I know Dora but I love him! He only does this when he drinks.”
“You love him? That aint love baby, no man should lay a hand on a woman! Now, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but you can’t continue on like this. What about your chillens? Where are they?”
“They outside in the car.”
“Joshua go and fetch them kids and bring them inside.”
“Alright.” He said turning on his heels and heading for the door.
Eight-year-old Jacob and his five-year-old sister Jenna were dressed in their pajamas as they stood in the middle of the living room floor.
“Mrs. Dora, is my momma gonna be alright?” Jacob said with a frown on his face and his eyes about to break out in tears. He pushed his red hair back away from his tiny face.
“She’s gonna be alright son, don’t you fret about that. You hear me?”
“Yes ma’am”
“I’ve known your momma a long time, we’ve been friends ever since we was kids as a matter of fact, and I know she’s going to get through this. Now, you and your sister their go’on in the other room with Jimmy ‘till me and your momma figure somethin’ out ok?”
“Yes ma’am”
“But first come give your momma and me a hug.”
Little Jenna approached her mother and grabbed her hand.
“I love you momma.”
“I love you too baby. Everything’s gonna be ok alright?”
“Ok.” Jenna said with concern on her face.
Jacob looked down at his mother as he approached her.
“Momma I don’t like when he does this to you! Why can’t we just leave?” He said bending down crying beside Ann.
“Oh honey things are gonna get better you’ll see.” She said reaching for his head and gently cradling it next to her bosom.
“Daddy was just mad at me. He didn’t mean any thing by it. Besides it was all my fault anyway.”
Ann looked at the children then back at Dora. She could see she was seething from hearing the senseless lie she just told her son, and she knew she was going to question her about it once the children left the room. Dora waited until the children were gone before she laid into her friend.
“Ann why you wanna go and lie to that boy like that? You and I both know it wasn’t your fault.”
“I know that Dora, but I just didn’t want the boy to worry that’s all.”
Dora threw her hands up.
“Lawd help her Jesus!”
She looked back down at her friend.
“Ann just tell me what happened.” Ann tried to sit up but every bone in her body ached and she slowly slouched back down into the couch.

“I was about to put the kids to bed when Danny came home. He had been down at Dave Townsend’s speak easy. I know it, cause I watched him as he came up to the house. I should have known he was going to start when I saw him staggering up the steps. I did everything right before he came home Dora, I had his dinner ready and everything. When I went to get his food and I laid it in front of him, he tasted it and said it was cold and that’s when he went into a rage. He threw the plate at me, then jumped up from the table as I ran towards the bedroom, he chased me down. He grabbed me by my neck and punched me in the mouth, then slammed my head on the up against the bathroom wall. The worse part about it is the kids saw everything. My son Jacob tried to jump on his back but Danny slung him across the floor. When I saw Jacob lying on the floor holding his head, that’s when something inside of me came alive. I ran in the kitchen and grabbed the frying pan and hit him with all my might. Knocked him out cold. That’s when I grabbed the keys out of his pocket and grabbed the kids and ran out the door. I was so scared that he was gonna wake up and kill me.”

“Well thank the Lord you knocked the heck out of him ‘cause I would have done the same thing. But trust me chile’ he don’t love you and what ever kind of love you feel for him is definitely not worth the time and energy you put in it.”

Ann sighed as Dora reached down into the bowl and squeezed out the access water then laid the cloth on Ann’s forehead.
“What am I gonna do now Dora? I can’t go back home.”
“Now you listen to me, you and them kids is gonna stay right here. Ya hear?”
“Ah no Dora I can’t do that.” She said shaking her head.
“Yes you can and you will. You and them kids can camp out right here in the living room. You got the fireplace over there to keep you warm and I got some fresh sheets and things for you. The kids can wear Jimmy’s old play clothes until we can get some for them, and don’t you worry about Joshua, I’ll handle him. Besides I can use the company.” She said trying to break a smile. Ann reached up and hugged Dora, even though her body ached all over.
Dora gently laid her back down, and then reached for Ann’s hand.
“Listen to me sweetie, God knows what you’re goin’ through, and the bible says no weapon formed against me shall prosper. (Isaiah 54: 17)

Why don’t you take it to the Lord in prayer?”
“But Dora, I don’t know how to pray, what can I say to the Lord? How do I know he will hear me?”
“Now you stop that foolish talk, He hears you. He hears all of us when we pray, as long as you go to him in spirit and in truth, I guarantee you he will listen. Now you just lay back and close your eyes and repeat after me.”
“Ok.”
“Father thou art God.”
Ann began repeating after her….
“Thou art Holy Lord, You sit so high and you look down low. We praise your Holy name Lord Jesus. Father we come to you Lord asking you to forgive us of our sins, we’re asking you to have mercy on us. Father, you know our situation and you know our hearts. I ask you Lord to heal Ann and show her the way she should go, and let her husband know that what he is doing is wrong. For you said in your word husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25)
“Now I know why God sent you to me.” Ann said kissing Dora on her cheek, she gently lay back down and slowly drifted off to sleep.

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