Welcome to the Whyte House Family Spoken Novels podcast: Holiday Edition episode #8. Today we are reading chapter 8 of the novel “The Thanksgiving Letters” by Daniel Whyte III with Meriqua Whyte.
Clemen assisted his father in his law firm throughout the summer in preparation for entrance into college in pursuit of a law degree.
Two months after prom night, Antoinette gave Raina a call.
“Are you sure these home tests are accurate? Mine registers positive. I can’t believe I am pregnant,” Antoinette said. “I thought you said I won’t get pregnant my first time.”
“Well, isn’t that what you really wanted?” Raina asked accusingly, defending herself.
“Yes, ‘wanted.’ What am I going to tell my mother? She is not gonna want to hear it,” Antoinette moaned.
“Well, she’s the one who wanted you to get hooked up with Clemen so bad,” Raina sighed. “I’ll be praying for you.”
“It’s a little too late for prayer right now, Raina.”
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Margaret Moriah shook her head from side to side as her daughter told her the news.
“Antoinette, how could you?”
“I thought you wanted me to hook him enough to get him to marry me,” Antoinette sobbed.
“Yes, Antoinette — go out with him, talk with him, share things with him, but not get pregnant by him. Have you told Clemen yet?”
“No, Mother. I figured since you and his mom planned this whole thing, you both wouldn’t mind telling him.”
“Answer me this, Antoinette. Did you really believe having sex with him or having a child for him would lead him to marry you?”
Antoinette remained silent.
“If that was your thinking, then that was just plain dumb reasoning,” her mother said. “But since you did this, let me figure out how to break the news to your father…and to Barbara Fleming.”
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“You can’t be telling the truth,” Barbara Fleming said matter of factly. “You put her up to that, didn’t you?”
“How could you say that?” Margaret said. “You’re the one that drew up the stupid contract…you!”
“But you didn’t have to sign it,” Barbara retorted.
“You’re the one who threatened me with a lawyer and with the breaking up of our friendship if I didn’t comply.” Margaret was on the verge of tears.
“You’re right, Margaret. Enough whining. Have you thought of how this will reflect on our families?”
“Barbara, how can you worry about what people might think of us at a time like this? My daughter is pregnant! She’s the one who is going to bear the brunt of the shame!”
“And by my son!” Barbara shouted. “This will not look good on us. You know we both hold positions in the church. Your daughter really screwed us up,” she said thoughtlessly. “But don’t worry, Marge, dear. I’ll take care of everything.”
Margaret hung up the phone. She wondered what Barbara’s last words really meant.
The next day, Barbara took Antoinette out to lunch. “It’s kind of a future mother-in-law/daughter-in-law get together,” she told Margaret. Margaret was not so sure.
Antoinette sat nervously before Barbara Fleming.
“You can relax, Antoinette. Your mother has already told me the unfortunate news. Are you absolutely sure that Clemen is the one?”
Antoinette nodded.
“Now you know there is no way you can keep the baby, don’t you ‘Nette? That will ruin everything, including your future,” Barbara said.
“Are…are you telling me to get rid of my own child…as in have an abortion?”
“Precisely,” Barbara said. “Smart girl. I have it all arranged. I will take you down to the clinic myself. In fact, I have $8000 to give you, if you go along with it. I’ll give you the check, made out to you personally, on our way down there.”
Antoinette was aghast. She felt the blood drain out of her face as Barbara continued. “You are not to say anything about this to anyone. The people who need to know already know.”
“Who?”
“Me, your mother, and Clemen.”
“Clemen? My mother?” Antoinette asked incredulously. “I have not said anything to Clemen yet.”
“I know. Your mother told me and I told him. He was very adamant about you having an abortion. Now, it is quite obvious you cannot make wise decisions. You lack self-control, so we took matters into our own hands.”
Antoinette did all she could to keep herself from crying.
“Mrs. Fleming, we’re all supposed to be Christians. We…we don’t murder…kill babies, I mean.”
Ignoring her statement, Barbara Fleming continued. “Clemen will be ready to marry you as soon as you get rid of that fetus.”
“Married?” That word left a bitter taste in Antoinette’s mouth. “How come you are the one telling me all this and not my mother?”
“She is too ashamed. But she’s in full agreement with me. If I were you, I wouldn’t disturb her about it. Right now, mentally, she is very unstable,” Barbara said. “Go ahead and eat up. The appointment is set for eight in the morning two days from today. I’ll take you down there myself. You can give me a call when you’re done. Here, let me give you my cell number.”
Antoinette took the slip of paper with Barbara’s cell number. Everything seemed out of sync for the rest of the day. She awoke the next morning in a daze. Surely, I must have been dreaming. God, where are you? I need You now.
The drive down to the clinic was a quiet one. Barbara was humming to classical music on the radio the whole time.
“Here you go,” Barbara said to Antoinette, handing her the check for $8000. “I’m a woman of my word. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did it. Call me when you’re ready to go.”
Antoinette walked into the clinic. Only the receptionist was present. After filling out the required paperwork, she sat and waited.
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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 