Chapter 15

The following morning, Joy woke up smiling as she recalled how Christian had called her baby, then she frowned, dreading that she couldn’t eat most of the day. When she got on her knees and said her usual prayer for strength to make it, she added and paused, waiting for more words to come. She strained her mind to think of something eloquent to say. Finally, she said, “Christian needs me like I needed him. Please fill my stomach with invisible food. Please bless others that are in need in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Joy went through her morning routine. After she was dressed and waited for Mrs. Thomas to arrive, Joy was tempted when she made Bethani’s lunch. Suddenly, a PBJ sandwich looked enticing—and she hated peanut butter.

“Auntie, can I have the last apple that came in the fruit basket?” Bethani asked.

“Sure, sweetie.”

Bethani frowned. “Aren’t you making your lunch?”

Her niece was so observant. Joy started carrying her lunch more than a year ago to save money. “Not today.” Washing the apple, Joy placed it in Bethani’s brown bag. Although Joy didn’t attend church, she didn’t discourage Bethani from reading her Bible or watching services streaming live on the internet.

When the doorbell rang, Bethani went to open it, knowing what to ask, regardless of whether it was Mrs. Thomas. Within a few minutes, Joy, Bethani and Darla were ready for work, school, and half day pre-school. Another parent would drop Darla back at home.

“Bethani, have you ever read about fasting in your Bible?”

She bobbed her head. “Things happen when Jesus takes over. Is that why you aren’t eating, Auntie?”

“Yes, I think so.”

As they were about to leave, Bethani stopped her. Grabbing her lunch bag out her backpack, Bethani took the apple out and placed it back in the basket.

“Why did you do that? I thought you wanted that apple.”

“I still do, but you might need some help fasting, so I’ll just eat my sandwich. A preacher said little kids can’t fast like adults, but we can sacrifice something, so I gave up the apple.”

Joy hugged Bethani. Her late sister always said, ‘Out the mouth of babes comes wisdom.’ Bethani would always remind Joy of Regina with her beauty and wit. “When was the last time your auntie told you she loved you?”

“Every time you kiss me goodnight.”

“Good. Just checking. Now, we’d better hurry.” Joy smiled as they got inside her SUV and buckled up. Bethani’s words gave her energy as if she had gulped down two energy drinks. She felt like she could probably go more than one day without food. Nope, Joy shook her head. Even the supplements of an energy drink wore off. She was definitely eating that evening.

***

On day two of the Charity for Kids fiasco, the company was coping from the fallout. Christian’s parents decided a media blitz would be the best plan of attack, showcasing families that actually had benefited in the past or were in dire need presently.

Weak in his body, Christian had a surge of energy after he prayed. When he was away from home, he would pray for a few seconds or minutes at the top of each hour for consistency. He really got a charge knowing Joy was with him on this. When Nathan called an impromptu meeting, he reminded Christian and David not to become sidetracked.

“Brothers, we’re doing all we can from our end. Hopefully, the media spots will work, and we still have people calling on past donors. We also need to be about our father’s business and make sure our volunteers deliver those home energy kits that include weather strips for the windows and doors to people who requested them.”

David added, “I got extra prayer cloths from Pastor Peyton last Sunday. Christian, I know you’re making stops in the emergency room this week, so feel free to take some with you.”

“Thanks, bro. I plan to make three trips this week.” Christian nodded.

“The rest will go to the homeless shelters. Our vans are stocked with the body warmer blankets,” David said.

“Alfred Harper hit it big time with that invention. Who would have thought an environmentally-friendly material could be used to capture a person’s body temperature and maintain it for up to five hours against frigid winds and moisture?” Nathan asked, adjourning the meeting.

The first order of business when Christian returned to his office was to pray, then contact the bank on Joy’s behalf. After a half hour on the phone with the bank president, it didn’t look good. His lady—he liked the sound of that—had only made partial payments for the last several months. Under media scrutiny already because of the non-profit scandal, Christian knew it wouldn’t look good for him to shovel out a large amount of money—although it would come out of his personal bank account—to a single mother of four. If someone got wind of that, Joy could become a target. Thank the Lord He was still reigning on the throne and performing miracles and He would take care of Joy like he did for the sparrows in the air. Wanting to hear her voice, Christian called to check on her.

“I did it!” She sounded so ecstatic that Christian laughed. He definitely wished he had a bit of her energy. “I didn’t think I could do it, but I made it. When Bethani learned that I was fasting for the first time, she put back her apple and prayed for my fast day. Wasn’t that sweet?”

“Uh-huh. I’ll take two little girls just like her. I’ll call you when I get home, and we can pray and break our fast together.”

“Great. I can’t wait.”

Christian released a laugh after they disconnected. He couldn’t wait either—to talk to her again, pray, and finally eat!