Chapter 11

 

Nia was scared, and she didn’t mind admitting it. She trusted the Lord with her life, but could she trust him with Jarod? Because as she looked around, God didn’t have such a good track record with her family. Her husband was gone, her mother and father also gone from this earth, well before they should be and now her son was in the hospital fighting for his life.

“He’s got to pull through, Lord, he’s just go to.” Then she repeated that old bible verse from Mark 9:24, “Lord, I believe but help my unbelief.” Because that verse displayed exactly how she was feeling.

Sitting down in the chair across from her son’s bed, Nia wished that she hadn’t been so mean to Ronny. She needed him here with her. But it was probably best that things end the way they did. Because the last thing she would want is to lose Ronny in some other manner... especially since all those she loved, seemed to leave.

Sighing deeply, Nia looked over at her son’s bed again. He was laying so still that she wanted to nudge him, remind him that he had pirate ships to build and treasure hunts to go on. With tears sliding down her face, she prayed once again, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”

***

Ronny was determined that life wasn’t about to end for his buddy. Jarod was only four years old, so he had at least nine more decades to look forward to. Joyce had come back with the information he needed, the one thing guaranteed to put a smile on Jarod’s face when he woke from his long slumber. And Ronny was going to make it happen, just as he always did.

He turned off the highway in Durham, NC and drove into the subdivision where Jarod’s scholarly grandparents lived. He had discovered that both James and Thelma Brooks were professors at the university, so he was about to see if they were smart enough to know that their grandson needed them in his life.

Ronny knocked on the door and then stood back. He didn’t want to come off too aggressive and scare them off. As far as Ronny was concerned, Jarod was counting on him to provide some grandparents and he wasn’t going to let him down.

“Yes?” an older man with a clean shaven head said as he opened the door.”

“Are you, Professor James Brooks?”

“Indeed I am.”

“Can I have a minute of your time, Mr. Brooks? It’s about your grandson.”

***

“His hand moved. Did you see it?” Nia asked as she jumped out of her seat.

“Oh my good Lord Jesus.” Carmella press the button for the nurse.

When the nurse came into the room, Nia yelled, “He’s waking up. His hand just moved.”

The nurse was calm as she said, “That does happen. But the last time I checked the brain activity I didn’t see any changes.”

“Go check it again,” Carmella demanded.

As the nurse walked back out of the room, Carmella grabbed hold of Ramsey’s and Nia’s hands. “Come on, y’all. It’s time to go to war. Jarod is coming back to us today.” The group bowed their heads and began praying and speaking in tongues like they knew they needed to do to reach heaven for real.

***

That didn’t go as well as Ronny expected. By the end of the conversation, he had been about to offer to pay off their house if they would just go visit Jarod in the hospital. But before he could pull out his checkbook Thelma Brooks picked up the phone and threatened to call the police if he didn’t leave their house.

Whoever heard of parents who didn’t want to be grandparents? That was the natural order of things. Ronny was determined to fix this situation. He didn’t care if he had to threaten that university with a bogus lawsuit to get those two poor excuses for grandparents fired... they would get what was coming to them. 

Ronny was so steamed as he drove back to the hospital that he hadn’t noticed that it had started snowing and the roads were getting slick. He swerved and skidded. Tried to regain control of his car, but it was as if some other force had taken over the wheel. Ronny could do nothing but watch as the car spun around and then suddenly, the car jerked as it sped toward the guard rail. He tried to stop what was sure to be a painful impact. But his self correct seemed to do more harm than good, because the next thing Ronny knew he was watching in horror as his car went over the guardrail and he was falling into a ditch so big it looked like a sink hole... like the street had just opened up and swallowed him and his car. Ronny’s head hit the dashboard and everything went black.

***

One by one Carmella, Ramsey and Nia took turns praying and calling out to God on Jarod’s behalf. However, after about an hour the nurse rushed into the room and said, “We have seen brain activity. It’s low, but it’s better than nothing.”

The room filled with cheers, but then Carmella grabbed hold of her heart as a pain shot through her body.

“What’s wrong?” Ramsey grabbed his wife and sat her down.

“I’m okay. Something hit me just then as I caught a glimpse of Ronny’s face. I think he’s in some kind of trouble.”

Ramsey waved that off. “You worry too much about that boy. I keep telling you he’s a grown man and can take care of himself.”

Carmella put her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Please, Ramsey, I need you to pray with me. Just trust me on this, okay?”

“I trust you,” Nia said. “You’ve been here praying all day with me for my son, the least I can do is pray with both of you.” 

They were about to join hands again, when Carmella saw Jarod’s hand move. “He wants to pray with us. Grab his hand, Nia. Let’s get Jarod in on this prayer for his friend.”

***

Ronny felt as if someone had just used his head as a bowling ball. He looked around trying to regain his bearings, but nothing was making sense to him. How had his car gotten into this deep hole? He tried to open the door, but it was stuck. When he shoved his body against the door he yelled out in excruciating pain, realizing that it wasn’t just his head, but his entire body was racked with pain.

Ronny leaned his head back against the headrest as he tried to figure his way out of this mess. As he leaned back, he found himself looking up at the clouds, towards heaven. It had been a long time since he’d run into a problem he couldn’t solve on his own... a long time since he took time to pray about anything, but he was certainly in a jam that only God could fix, so he opened his mouth to pray, but immediately felt as if his mouth was clamped shut.

Then he heard a still small whisper ask, “Do you need Me now, son?”

Ronny jumped as he turned around to see if someone was seated in the back seat of his car. But no one was there. Then he had a thought... could that have been God?

The still small voice grew louder as the Lord said, “I waited for you to come back and show gratitude for all that I have done for you. But you never did.”

“When did I forget to show gratitude to anyone? I have always been gracious to anyone who helped me,” Ronny proudly proclaimed.

But God said, “I am the one who whispered in your brother’s ear. I put the thought of helping you in his mind. You showed your gratitude to him, but you chose not to remember Me... You even had the audacity to think that you made it all happen... when it was My strong hand on your life... I brought you out of poverty, but you never turned back to even say thank you. So, today I will leave you to your own devices. Let’s see if your hand is strong and mighty enough to save you from this certain destruction.” 

The car started smoking and Ronny knew that it could very easily catch fire. He yelled, “The car is going to catch on fire, Lord. Please, I need your help.”

But when no response came, Ronny suddenly knew what it was like to truly be on his own. But he had no answers for the predicament he found himself in. His life flashed before his eyes. He wasn’t thinking about all the deals he’d made or the money he had at that moment. His mind and heart only cared about all of the people he had loved, his parents, his brothers and sisters, Nia and Jarod.... and the One he had loved but had allowed the cares of this world to drown out that love. The knowledge that God would no longer be there for him was more than Ronny could bear to think on a moment longer.

As he saw the flames rise from the hood of the car, Ronny knew that death would come soon. But not before he paid it forward one last time. He opened his mouth and began to sign praises to the God who had been his provider for a lifetime. “It was You ‘ol Lord who formed me in my mother’s womb. It was You who brought Mama Carmella to our family when we were all lost and in need of someone to help pull us through.

“I see it clearly now. Men are but your pawns to be used in the way You see it. You move us around on this earth to help your children. Nia was right to give You praise, rather than me when I offered her help. Because You are the Great Organizer. You sent me to her and Jarod. And in my dying hour, I just want to say thank You. But I also want to ask that You breathe the breath of life back into Jarod. Allow him to grow into the kind of man that I should have been. I can leave this earth a happy man, knowing that he will get it right. Thank You for all Your help, Lord.”

With all of that said, Ronny began to feel week, he could no longer keep his head up or his eyes opened. As he drifted off to sleep, he only prayed that He would be seeing Jesus when he woke on the other side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 12

 

All though his eyelids were still closed, Jarod’s eyes shifted back and forth. Carmella saw the movement and knew that their prayers were answered. God was taking care of what concerned them. She tapped Nia and said, “Talk to him, he’s trying to come back to us.”

Nia leaned close to her son’s ear as she said, “Jarod honey, come on, wake up, it’s mommy. I’m right here, waiting on you to wake up so we can go on a pirate adventure.”

Jarod’s head began moving on the pillow.

“Thank You, Lord, he’s waking up.” Carmella hit the nurse button. “Let’s get them in here so they can witness this miracle with us.”

The nurse popped the door open with excitement in her eyes. “I see a lot of brain activity on the monitor. So, something awesome must be going on in here.”

“I think he’s waking up,” Nia said, with a light in her eyes that hadn’t been there since this nightmare began.

As the nurse walked over to the bed, Jarod’s eyes opened. He looked around the room, trying to focus. Nia, Carmella and Ramsey were shouting to glory as the nurse inspected Jarod. She then left the room to get the doctor.

Nia touched her son’s hand as she moved to his side. “You came back to me, oh thank God. Thank God.”

“Mommy,” Jarod said slowly.

His voice was a bit hoarse and dry so Nia had to lean closer to hear him. “Are you okay, honey? Do you need anything?”

“Paper.”

Her eyebrows went up. “What do you need paper for?”

“Need to draw my map... pirate adventure.”

The group laughed.

Then Jarod said, “Can Ronny come with us?”

At that moment Ramsey’s cell rang. He turned his back to the group to answer the phone. “Hey Raven, how are you doing.”

“Not too good, Dad. Are you some where with a television?”

“Yeah, there’s one in this room.”

“Turn it to CNN. I think Ronny is being airlifted to the hospital.”

Ramsey turned and looked at his wife. He would never doubt her again as long as he lived. The woman saw things that no one else did.

“What’s wrong?” Carmella asked as she caught the look on her husband’s face.

“Turn on the television. Put it on CNN.”

Once the television was on, Ramsey told his daughter, “We’ve got it on. Why do you think the person they’re airlifting is Ronny?”

“The news reporter ran the plates on the car. The car is in bad shape but it looks like Ronny’s Jag.”

“Oh my God.” Carmella’s hand went to her mouth. “My boy has got to be okay, Lord. He’s got to be.”

***

Due to internal bleeding, Ronny had to be rushed into surgery. So it was hours before the family was able to see him. But by the time he woke and was wheeled to his room all of his brothers and sisters were gathered. He looked around the room at the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen in his life... family.

Ram and his wife Maxine, Joy and her husband Lance, Dontae and his wife, Jewel, Renee and her husband Jay, Raven and his little brother RaShawn. To his right stood his dad and the ever faithful Mama Carmella. “You all look so beautiful to me. I know I have neglected to spend time with each of you through out the years, but when I was stuck in that car and thought I was dying, you all were in my heart and my thoughts. I love each of you.”

“We love you too, Ronny. We don’t care how busy you are. We know where your heart is,” his father told him.

“How is Jarod?” he asked, hoping and praying that he would hear some good news.

“He’s doing fine and waiting on you to get better so you can go on a pirate adventure.”

Ronny’s head swung around. Nia’s voice sounded like music to hears ears. She moved closer to his bed, love shining bright in her eyes. “I prayed for him right before I blacked out.”

“Thank you,” she said, trying to stifle her tears but having a hard time doing so as the tears drifted down her face.

“You were right,” he confessed. “I thought I did it all. I didn’t think I needed God, but I see now that I would have nothing without Him. God kept me alive and I will never forget Him again. I have finally realized that I love God and I love Nia Brooks, and I don’t care who knows it.”

“It’s about time. I thought your rock headed self would never see the truth.” Nia leaned down and kissed him. “I love you, too baby. And thank you for telling James and Thelma about Jarod.”

Surprise lit his face. “They called you?”

“They’re in the room with Jarod now. He is so thankful to have grandparents.”

Ronny looked over at his parents, winked at them and then said, “I know how we can give him another set of grandparents.”

“And how’s that?” Nia said with the biggest grin on her face.

“Marry me, Nia. It’s the sacrifice you’ll have to make for Jarod. Because he already asked that I would be his dad so he could have those people,” he pointed at Ramsey and Carmella, “as his grandparents.”

Kissing her man again, she said, “Oh I’ll marry you, Mr. Thomas. But it won’t just be so Jarod can have grandparents.”

“You’re marrying me for love. Thank you, Nia.”

Her lip twisted as she teased him, “No silly, I’m marrying you so that I can have Carmella and Ramsey as my parents.”

The End.

 

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Next books in the series

A Song of Praise (Rel. May. 2014)

 

Books in the Praise Him Anyhow series

Tears Fall at Night (Book 1 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

 

Joy Comes in the Morning (Book 2 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

 

A Forever Kind of Love (Book 3 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

 

Ramsey’s Praise (Book 4 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

 

 

Escape to Love

 

Praise for Christmas

 

His Love Walk (Book 7 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

 

 

Could This Be Love (Book 8 - Praise Him Anyhow Series)

Could This Be Love

 

Praise Him Anyhow Series

 

Book 8

 

 

 

 

Vanessa Miller

 

 

 

 

 

Prologue

 

“How could this have happened?” Well she knew how it happened, she just wasn’t so clear on how she, Raven Thomas, could have been so addle brained as to let it happen.

The pounding on her door caused her to drop the object she had been holding. She rushed to the door and looked through the peephole. It was the Senator. Backing away from the door, Raven hollered out, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“I won’t be ignored, Raven. I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”

Fear crept into her heart. She’d seen firsthand what the senator was capable of so there was no way that she was going to go head to head with him on her own.

“I’ll break this door down if I have to,” he threatened.

Raven picked up her cell phone and dialed Joe Sparrow, one of the associates in her publicity firm. When Joe picked up she quickly told him, “I need you to be a witness to a meeting.” Then she flung the door open and said into the phone, “Senator Michael Allen is walking through my front door as we speak. Jot down the time and I will update you later as to how this meeting went.”

“Do you want me to turn on the video cam I set up in your house?”

“No, just jot down the time of his arrival. I’ll notify you of his departure time.”

As she hung up the phone, Senator Allen barked, “Who was that?”

“You don’t need to know that. But if I should come up missing, the person who was just on the phone will make sure everyone knows that you had something to do with it.”

Taking off his gloves the senator glared at Raven. “I find it sad that after working with me for over a year, you could believe me capable of the things the lame-stream media has tried to pin on me.”

“You’re forgetting that I researched the incident myself.”

“Yes, and that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. When I saw you in the restaurant with your brother, I thought you’d at least have the decency to tell me why your organization has left me to fend for myself.”

At fifty-seven the senator was almost twice Raven’s age, but the man didn’t look a day over forty. He bore a strong resemblance to Dennis Haysbert, that guy in the Allstate commercials. His voice was just as booming and authoritative as the Allstate pitchman’s, as well. But Raven wasn’t moved. She knew what the senator was and what he had done.

Senator Allen’s eyes focused on the object Raven had dropped on the floor. He pointed at it. “Is that what I think it is?”

Raven groaned as she realized the mistake she had made... a mistake that could cost her life. She rushed over to the spot and picked the pregnancy test instrument off the floor.

Before she could dispose of it, the senator grabbed it out of her hands and looked at it. He then turned it so she could see it, as if she hadn’t already gawked at it a hundred times. “It’s positive.”

She didn’t respond.

“Is this why you suddenly decided to drop me as a client?”

Raven snatched the pregnancy test out of his hand and then marched over to the door. She swung it open and said, “Leave my house now.”

Senator Allen opened his mouth to say something, closed it, then with a look that said he knew exactly what the deal was he said, “This isn’t over, not by a long shot.”

Raven closed the door behind the senator and then leaned against it with her heart beating so fast she wondered if she needed to call a paramedic. Looking at the pregnancy test in her hand, she shook her head in disbelief. “So it begins.”

 

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