Book Reviews

---

Chapter 2

Sunday afternoon was always spent with the entire family at Dora’s mother’s house. Joshua and Dora’s father Henry sat at the far end of the table talking about things going down at the lumber mill. Jimmy sat across from his mother with his cousin Benny. Sitting next to Benny was Jimmy's other cousin Tina. Ann and her two children sat next to Dora, laughing and talking about the day’s prior events. Jimmy and Jacob had been out pitching horseshoes with Joshua and some of his friends. The young boys had beaten the older gentlemen badly. Joshua interrupted his father.
"Daddy the way you threw that last shoe was horrible." Jimmy said laughing he quickly changed his attitude when he caught a glimpse of his fathers’ face.
"Boy don't you see me talking?"
"I'm sorry daddy."
"And yeah I'll admit I did a lousy job throwing that shoe." He said turning back to Henry.
"We sure did tie fire to ya didn't we Jacob?" Jimmy said nudging at Jacob with his elbow.
"Yup and we could do it again if we had to."
"Oh really?" Said Joshua continuing.
"Well since you smart mouth boys are so sure, why don't we play another round after dinner? I know grandpa got some shoes around here somewhere." He said looking over at his father in-law.
"Yep sure do, right out in the shed." Henry said slapping his thigh snickering and stuffing his face with a piece of cornbread he stole from out of the kitchen.

Ann had stayed with Dora and Joshua for well over 2 months, Dora had convinced Joshua to build another addition to the house so that they could be comfortable. But Joshua took it one step further; he built a church with several bedrooms and a large kitchen in the back. They named it "Holy Cross Refuge." Joshua knew his wife, and he knew Dora would take pity on anyone else who needed a place to lay his or her head.

Just then, Momma Pearl came in the room with a huge turkey in her hands.
"Joshua and Henry, you two is worse than these kids in here! Makin' all that racket! I can hear y'all all the way in the kitchen." She said putting the turkey on the table. The children quickly sat straight with their hands folded. They knew better than to get on Momma Pearl's bad side.
"I told y'all you was gonna git it didn’t I?" Dora said shaking her finger at them from across the table. She turned her focus towards her mother.
"Momma you need me to help with anything in the kitchen?"
"No, I'm fine chile Dew boy and Barbara Jean are back there getting everything together. I'm just about finished anyway." Momma Pearl said spinning on her heals and heading for the kitchen.
"Dew Boy? What he doin' back there momma?" She said getting up and heading into the kitchen with her.
"He just finished carving the ham for me. You know that thing that your daddy is supposed to do but it looks like he too busy in there runnin' his mouth with your husband." She said loud enough for Henry to hear. Henry excused himself from the conversation long enough to reply to his wife.
"I heard that woman!" Henry said yelling back at her.
"I just know you did!" She said then continued.
"You need to high tail your behind in here and help us."
"Woman you got every thing in there under control. What you need me for?"
"Because Henry you promised me that you would help me. You said that this mornin' not me remember?"
"Oh alright woman." He said finally giving in.
"I'll be in there directly."
Momma Pearl turned to Dora who was now sitting at the table with Dew Boy.
"Lawd have mercy. I just don't know what I’m gonna do with that man." She said giggling.
"Oh momma you know how poppa is, always forgetting what he promised, I don't think he does it on purpose." Dora said sniggering with her and reaching for the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers that were in front of her. She got up and got a knife from out of the drawer, then sat back down to commence cutting up the vegetables for the salad she was preparing.
Dew Boy, who was now finished cutting up the ham turned to his mother.
"Momma all you can do is pray for him."
"I know that baby and Lawd knows I do every night, but the thing is, I'm wonderin' when the Lawd gonna come through on it." She said smiling.
"Momma you know like I know that God answers prayers on his own time." Dora said.
"Amen to that!" Dew Boy said chuckling then taking the ham into the dining room.

Andrew Douglas Mitchell was Dora's younger brother. They used to call him Drew as a child, but he always like to go out in the rain and get soaked when ever Momma Pearl wasn't looking but one day Momma Pearl found him playing in the rain with no coat on and she scolded him for it. She stood at the door yelling at him.
"Boy git your tail in this house before I loose my religion and tear your hide up!"
"But momma, they say that when it rains that the Lord is crying. I'm just out here trying to cheer him up. I figured if the Lord sees me out here dancing and playing that that would make him feel better."
"Lawd have mercy come on in here boy for you catch triple pneumonia!" She said trying not to let the boy see her chuckling, and from that moment on, Momma Pearl nicknamed her son "Dew Boy".

The dinning room table was filled with all types of wonderful food to eat. Fried Chicken, Potato Salad, Corn Bread, Mashed Potatoes, Collard Greens String Beans, Turkey, Ham, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Hot home made biscuits, and a pitcher of sun brewed Ice Tea.

"Wow grandma, this food looks so good! I can't wait to dig in!" Jimmy said gleefully.
"Well, eat all you like honey, and when you’re done, I got some hot apple pie and a chocolate cake too in the kitchen." She said taking a seat at the table.
"Yes ma'am!"
Momma Pearl turned to look at her husband.
"Henry would you please say the grace?"
Henry folded his hands then cleared his throat. "Good God, good eats good Lord let's eat!" Henry began reaching for food while everyone else sat in disbelief.

"Henry! Now you know the Lord don't like no mess like that! You ought to be ashamed of yourself." Momma Pearl said shaking her finger at him then rolling her eyes.
"Ah come on Pearl I’m hungry! The Lord did say feed my sheep didn't he?"
"Yeah but he didn’t mean it like that and you know it." She turned and looked at Ann.
“Oh never mind you ol' fool! Ann honey would you like to say grace for us?"
Ann was shocked and didn't know what to say.
"Momma Pearl, I'm not good at this praying thing. Why don't you ask Dora or Dew Boy to do it?"
"I didn’t ask Dora or Dew Boy, I asked you."
"But Momma Pearl I.."
"Don't you but Momma Pearl me, you love the Lord don't you?"
"Why yes but.."
"Well then you can pray." After thinking better of it, she gave in.
"Ok momma I'll try." Ann said putting her head down and closing her eyes. They all joined hands as they waited for Ann to begin. All she knew was the Lords prayer. She thought that would do just fine.

"Our Father who art in heaven, Hollowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever amen."

"That was beautiful Ann. Thank you. Now we can eat."

Once everyone finished their meal, Dora and Ann helped Momma Pearl clear the table. Dora and Momma Pearl placed the dishes in the sink and left out of the room to get the rest.
Ann stood in front of the sink as she let the warm water run inside the dish tub. She added the soap then put the dishes in.

Her mind wondered off as she stared out the kitchen window in front of her. She went back to a time when things were happier between her and Danny. They had been married for over two years at that time. Danny and Jacob where out in the yard playing baseball, while she and ten month old Jenna played peek-a-boo on the grass.

"Ann honey we need some body to play third base. Why don't you put the baby in the carriage for a minute and come help us out." Danny said smiling while looking at her playfully as he caught the ball Jacob threw to him. She put the baby in the carriage and made sure the child was all right playing with its rattle, and then turned her attention to her husband and son. She remembered later on that night how warm and wonderful she felt as she lay in Danny's arms. She felt safe and secure and that as long as she was in his arms, the world around her stopped revolving. Time stood still as she lay with him in total bliss, she had nothing but love and compassion for him and the feeling was mutual. During their first year of marriage, Danny would bring her flowers and candy. Every once in a while they would go dancing and cut up a rug until the wee hours of the morning. The love they felt for each other was undying and relentless. She couldn’t help but think about the day she met him while at the farmers market. He watched her as she picked through the mound of melons at the fruit stand. When he finally got up the nerve to approach her, she pretended he wasn’t even there. That is, until he bumped his head beneath the stand itself while trying to reach for a bag of apples, that was under him which caused a chain reaction of the melons falling on the floor. She jumped back out of the way. Ann couldn't help but turn away and giggle at the sight before her. There was Danny on the floor chasing after run away melons. A few of them rolled over on Ann's foot. Danny saw it.
"Oh my goodness ma'am I’m so sorry." He said looking up at her apologetically and at the same time humiliated. Ann thought he was very thoughtful and handsome with his jet-black hair and baby blue eyes. His striking chin made his handsome face stand out let alone his magnificent broad shoulders and cunning smile. He tried picking up the melons and place them back on the stand, some of them scattered under the booth. He hit his head again while trying to pick them up causing another cascade of melons falling on the floor and over his head.

"Jeeze I just can't seem to get anything right today." He said while holding his head, which was throbbing. Ann laughed, this time hysterically. She took pity on him after she calmed down a bit.
"It's ok. Here let me help you." She said reaching down helping him load them back in the booth. One melon was still on the floor and both of them reached for it at the same time, causing their hands to touch. Ann slowly moved her hand away blushing and smiling as they both stood up. They mutually felt the electricity of love and passion even if it was for a quick second, and they both felt that this would not be the last time they saw each other. "Maybe it's destiny." She thought at that moment, but she had no idea of the turmoil he would place upon her years later. After three years of marriage, everything began to go down hill. Four mouths to feed on a very low income, made the situation worse. Things really got bad after Danny lost his job, yet he refused to let Ann work at all. He felt it was his duty as a man to take care of his wife and children and that she was to stay at home and take care of the house and kids. Night after night they would fight over their financially situation. But one night in particular, Danny just couldn’t take the pressure and left after having another argument with her. This time he didn’t come home until late; he had been down at the Honky Tonk Bar and Grill drinking with his buddies. Once he returned home, that’s when the beatings began. Ann wanted to leave Danny but she was so blinded by her love for him that she couldn’t bring her self to do so. She wanted everything to be the way that it was when they first met. Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought about the many beatings she took from him. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t heard Dora come back in the room.
Dora didn’t know until she stood next to Ann that she had been crying. She turned Ann to face her.

"Chile is you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine Dora." Ann said wiping her eyes and using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. She put her hands on her hips for a moment, and then went back to washing the dishes.
"Now why you wanna lie like that?" Dora said positioning her self against the sink.
"Dora don't start in on me again ok?" Ann hung her head down.
"Now you look at me." Dora said positioning Ann's face up to look her in the eye, and then she continued.
"Now, you got a family in there that loves you, you got two kids who love and need you, and trust me them kids aint blind Ann and they don't need to see you acting like this. Now I know you hurtin' and I know you love him, and maybe even miss him. Why, I don't know, cause no man who would go around beating me could have my heart ever again. But, I understand that's you and not me. But, you got to understand somethin' honey, you've got to move on, if not for yourself, for them two youngins you got in there who are depending on their mother to show them the way. Now don't you worry about a thing, cause God got the record and he's gonna see you through this ya hear me? He loves you Ann, just like he loves me and everybody else in this world including Danny. He died on the cross for everybody. But the bible says that the Lord reigns on the just and the unjust, but you can rest assure, that he will not let what your husband did to you go unpunished. You let the Lord handle him, but in the meantime, you've got to take care of yourself and them kids. Do you understand me?"
"Yeah I understand. But it's hard letting go Dora, you don't understand that because you've got a husband that loves you."
"I know baby, but things are gonna get better for you, you’ll see. My God is a merciful God, and he will never leave you nor forsake you." Dora said hugging her and tenderly stroking Ann's red hair. They let go of their embrace.
"Now come on here, we got to get these dishes washed up for Momma Pearl come in here and start her mess. You think I started up, Girl, you don't want to get Momma Pearl started!" Dora said giggling. Ann broke out a slight chuckle.
"Chile she'll be in preaching two sermons to you!" The two women laughed. Ann continued washing the dishes while Dora reached over on the stove for the towel and dried them and put them away.

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE