Welcome to the Whyte House Family Spoken Novels podcast episode #49. Today we are reading chapter 49 of the novel “…And Family Drama Just Won’t Stop” by Daniel Whyte III with Meriqua Whyte.
Chapter Forty-Nine
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” – Proverbs 17:17
The next evening Bro. and Sis. Wilmington stopped by the Montagues for what they thought would be a short visit, but what turned out to be a long, worthwhile night. They originally wanted to speak with Monica to see whether or not she had spoken with Stacy.
“I spoke with her on yesterday and she’s doing well. We spoke about some serious things that she’s going through. She asked me not to mention one of them to you, that it was something she had to tell you herself and I am trying to honor her request,” said Monica.
“Monica, I understand her confiding in you but we are her parents and we have to know what’s going on. She hasn’t called us over the past few days and she’s not answering her cell phone. I’m worried about her. Please tell us what you know.” Bro. Wilmington pleaded.
Monica looked across to her parents. Her mother nodded at her giving her the go-ahead. Bro. Montague pitched in. “Bro. and Sis. Wilmington, Monica shared some things with us that Stacy confided in her. We have been praying for her and I believe God had you to come over for a reason.” Turning to Monica he said, “Monica, this one is on me.” He turned back to Bro. and Sis. Wilmington. “Stacy shared with Monica about an incident regarding a sister she did not know about until just before she went off to college. Apparently Stacy is still upset and angry about it. She felt as though you deceived her these many years.”
Bro. Wilmington rested his chin in his hand. Sis. Wilmington clasped her hand in his free hand.
“Don’t feel bad, brother. We all have our family issues. Just between us, I had to quit my job not too long ago. I was delivering drugs and did not even know about it. Thank God for Pastor Richardson guiding me out of that mess. If the police had busted us before I got out I would be in jail right now.”
“I appreciate your understanding, Brother. I got caught up in a situation with this woman. My wife knows all about it now. The lady came to the church with her daughter, my daughter, and without my knowledge, told Stacy that her daughter was her sister. That’s when things started going downhill. As you can imagine, it was hard for Stacy to accept it. I tried to talk with her but she did not want to hear it. Whenever we’ve talked on the phone she’s always in a hurry.”
“She talked with me a little,” said Sis. Wilmington. “But I can’t help to think that she’s not telling me everything that’s going on there in Florida.”
There was silence for a minute before Sis. Montague spoke up. “Bro. and Sis. Wilmington, I don’t know how to tell you this. Don’t get mad at me, Monica. Monica only knew about this a couple days back. I don’t know how else to tell you, but Stacy is two months pregnant.”
“What!” exclaimed Bro. Wilmington springing from his seat. Sis. Wilmington threw herself back on the couch in a slouching position raising both her hands to her head. “Oh, goodness.” Bro. Wilmington walked across the room.
Sis. Montague was now by Sis. Wilmington with a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“It’s my fault. It’s my fault,” Bro. Wilmington said as he returned to the couch beside his wife. “Man, I should have followed my heart and put my foot down.”
Monica blinked back the tears that were on the verge of spilling over.
“Brother, I really did not want her to go that far away from home. But I fooled myself into believing that since my brother-in-law and his wife were not too far from the university that no harm would come to her, and hopefully she would do right seeing them as filling in for us. Man, I can’t believe I let her go!”
“Brother, we’re with you on this. We’ll walk through it with you all the way,” said Bro. Montague.
“I appreciate it, Brother. You know, Sunday after that lady in the red dress walked in late, I told my wife that an image of Stacy flashed across my mind. I don’t know why because I never raised her to dress like that or even think like that. I know now that God was telling me something,” said Bro. Wilmington.
“You know,” added Sis. Wilmington, “I should have put my foot down and insisted on us resolving this issue before she left as angry as she did.” Reaching out to hold her husband’s hand she continued. “It’s weird. I do social work with the county. I counsel mothers, fathers, and children and I failed to see my own child hurting as much as she was, and failed to counsel her as I should have. I guess I was caught up in my own feelings.”
“I believe God brought you over here for this reason: to get to the bottom of it,” Sis. Montague said. “We’ve been praying too hard for her for God not to answer our prayers.”
“Do you know how we can get in touch with her directly?” Bro. Wilmington turned to Monica who had been silent the whole time.
“Yesterday I spoke with her on the phone and by email. We spoke for a long time. She was thinking of having an abortion because she wasn’t sure how you both would take the news. She called me and emailed me after she came back from the clinic. She’s going to keep the baby.”
“Thank God,” sighed Sis. Wilmington.
Everyone nodded. They went to Monica’s bedroom while Bro. Montague brought in two extra chairs which he set before the computer. Monica brought up the email and stepped back so the Wilmingtons could read it for themselves. She showed them other emails they had exchanged. “I have to speak with her tonight,” exclaimed Bro. Wilmington in earnest. “I believe she notices our number and does not answer her cell phone.”
“Bro. Wilmington, she promised to call or email me every day until Easter. She said she would be home then. Maybe I could go ahead and beat her to it by sending her an email and then follow up with a phone call. It’s 9:30 there. She’s probably up studying or as she shared with me, she’ll take a few hours nap and then get up around ten or eleven to study.”
“We don’t want to impose on you,” said Sis. Wilmington. “You all have to get ready for work and school tomorrow. Plus we might be in for a long night.”
“It’s no bother at all,” Bro. Montague quickly said. “Like I told you, we’re in this with you. Stacy is like a daughter to us. What we can do is have Monica to email her and then to call her. I believe she has a computer in her room. Then we’ll put you on the phone or computer whichever seems to be working out best. We’ll go to the living room, and you can take your time because this is most important right now. This is about you losing or keeping your daughter.”
“We appreciate it. May God help us,” said Sis. Wilmington. Sis. Montague gave her a hug as Monica sent the email: Stacy, Monica here. Are you ready for finals? How are you feeling otherwise? It’s very important that I hear from you tonight.
They waited for a few seconds but no response. Monica called but there was no answer. Bro. Montague suggested they pray and try calling again. As they were ending the prayer, Monica’s computer beeped—an email had come in. It was Stacy: Monica, I just stepped out the shower. Everything’s going well. About ready to put in 3 hours straight studying. What is so important? By the way, I have not spoken to Mom or Dad yet. I can’t seem to find the right words. Pray that God would work it all out. I spoke with Ms. Jackson at the clinic. She has a degree in Christian counseling. She’s a tough one and I believe God had our paths to cross. Anyway she told me that she believes if I had made things right with my parents before I left this may not have happened. She shared with me verses on honoring your parents. She’s encouraged me to get it right with them if I want God’s blessings and their blessings.
Monica read the email out loud so everyone could hear. There were sighs of relief from everyone. She picked up the phone to call Stacy.
“Monica, I’m so glad you called. What is so important that it could not wait? Is everything well?” asked Stacy.
“Yes. Everything is well. It’s getting late and I have someone I want you to talk with.” Before Stacy could ask who, Monica had handed the phone to Bro. Wilmington. “Stacy, don’t hang up. We need to talk. At least hear me out.” Bro. Montague had extended the other phone from their bedroom into Monica’s room and handed it to Sis. Wilmington. The Montagues left the room to give them some privacy.
“Listen to your Dad, honey,” said Sis. Wilmington.
“We love you, Stacy, and we want the best for you. I apologize for not telling you about your sister earlier. There is no excuse for my not doing so. And don’t blame your mother for not telling you either. She was just honoring my wishes. I made a huge mistake and foolishly believed that not saying anything about it would take care of it. But God would not let me forget it. I was ashamed of what I had done and, frankly, I could not find the right words to tell you either. The longer I waited, the easier it became not to tell you.”
“Oh, Dad, you don’t have to tell me anymore. I..”
“No, Stacy. I must tell you this even if it is just for my own peace of mind and to clear my conscience. I just have to face the consequences which are more severe now than they would have been if I had confessed it years ago. It’s true, Lisa is your sister. I am asking you to forgive me for not telling you earlier. And I am asking you to also accept her as your sister, because I do not want her to suffer more than she has by us rejecting her.”
“Dad, I forgive you,” said Stacy trying not to cry. “And I ask you to forgive me for my bad attitude and disrespect toward you and Mom about this. It just took me by surprise.”
“I forgive you and your mother does too.”Bro.Wilmington placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.
“You know, Dad, I often secretly prayed for a sister. I guess God answers your prayers but not the way you expect Him to.”
“He sure does.”
“Stacy, we want you to come home,” piped in Sis. Wilmington.
“Mom. I’ll be home for Easter. While we’re at it, there is something else I want to tell you and Dad.”
“We already know and don’t you worry about a thing. We’re to be blamed for this happening..”
“No, you can’t take any of the blame. I am totally at fault. I don’t know how I let it happen,” sobbed Stacy. “I guess I was so angry at you I did something I never wanted to do to get back at you.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing. We look forward to being grandparents,” said Sis. Wilmington, “Our main concern now is you…”
“And our grandbaby,” added Bro. Wilmington.
After a few seconds of silence, Bro. Wilmington said, “You know, I was thinking, your mother and I will drive down to pick you up. We need a vacation anyway.”
“Yes,” said Sis. Wilmington. “I’ve been thinking, I’ll just go ahead and quit my job or at least work part time. I made a mistake in going to work to get back at your father over this situation. And I was wrong for doing so.”
Bro. Wilmington was surprised to hear his wife say that. She had been so adamant in refusing to quit her job that he had given up asking her. After all if he had not done what he did, she would have no reason to go to work. Hugging his wife, he said to Stacy, probably more to his wife, “She’ll make a great grandmother.”
“It sounds like you and Mom have made amends,” said Stacy.
“Yes, God has really done a work in both our hearts,” answered Bro. Wilmington. “We had to do some apologizing and some genuine forgiving, but that’s one of God’s ways of healing. I certainly wish you were here tonight.”
“I’m looking forward to being home soon,” said Stacy. “It’s funny how God works, but I feel better already. I feel as though a load has just been lifted. They chatted for a while. It was 2:00 in the morning before they said their goodbyes and the Wilmingtons headed on home praising God for friends like the Montagues.
“You can’t put a price on friends like the Montagues, Grandma,” said Bro. Wilmington as they snuggled in bed.
“You sure can’t, Gramps,” answered Sis. Wilmington. “Hey, that sure has a ring to it. Gramps. I like that.”
❊❊❊
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Whyte House Family stories. You may purchase a copy of this novel and any other Christian fiction books read on this podcast from Amazon.com.
Now, dear listener, please know that God—the divine Author of all things—wants to write a great story with your life as well. But first you must give Him the pen by trusting Him with the life He gave you and surrendering your heart to Jesus Christ as Savior. Here is how:
1. Accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 7:20: “For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not.” Romans 3:23 reads: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
2. Accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
3. Accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” The Bible says in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
4. Accept the fact that you cannot do anything to save yourself! The Bible states in Ephesians 2: 8, 9: “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
5. Accept the fact that God loves you more than you love yourself, and that He wants to save you from hell. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
6. With these facts in mind, please repent of your sins, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and pray and ask Him to come into your heart and save you this very moment. The Bible states in the book of Romans 10:9, 13: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Dear friend, if you are willing to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, please pray with me this simple prayer: Heavenly Father, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I now believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
May God bless you until next time.
BCNN1 WP 