PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7 | PART 8 | PART 9

“Rich, I’ve come to help you.  Gwynne sent me.  She heard you were in trouble and asked me to help,” Eva said easily, struggling not to cry as she thought about her mother.

“You know my Gwynne, miss?” Richmond responded, the tension in his face seemed to calm down a bit and Eva moved slowly into the cramped room to attempt to help her father.

“Yes, she once took very good care of me and I promised her I’d look in on you whenever you needed me,” Eva responded.  “Now, let me take a look at your hand,” she offered as she observed how he was cradling it against his chest even though it appeared that his mind was no longer focused on the pain.  He reached out his hand like a little boy showing his mother a boo boo and winced, the pain had registered again.  That reminded him, the man! Where was he?  “There was a man in here, has he gone?” Richmond asked looking around for signs of the intruder.  It was then that Eva connected the dots.  Her father must have seen his reflection in the mirror and mistaken it for an intruder.

“I think you must have chased him off, Rich.  Lets get you off the floor and back into your room so you can get more comfortable.”  Eva moved to gently help her father up with his good arm and guided him out of the bathroom and back to his bedroom.  Once she got him sitting upright in the adjustable bed, she was able to get a good look at the injured hand.  It had started to swell.  She gently felt along the hand and realized that she could ice it to reduce the swelling but they were going to have to make a trip to the hospital for an X-ray to make sure nothing was broken.

“I’m so sorry, Eva,” Richmond said suddenly.

Eva looked up into her father’s face and saw him crying.  The episode had passed and her father looked embarrassed and confused, unsure of what had just happened but realizing whatever it was he had injured himself and now Eva was having to take care of him. 

“Daddy, you don’t have to apologize.  The bad news is that we’re going to have to go to the hospital to make sure nothing is broken.  Think you’re up for that?” she asked smiling at the man who had taken the same care with her every time she had a bruise or bump growing up a Tom-boy who just couldn’t understand why everyone didn’t want to climb trees and race up and down the street popping wheelies on their dirt bikes.

“I guess this means we won’t make it to church services today,” he said with a sigh.

“Probably, not, but we can always stream it when we get back home, Daddy,” Eva reminded him thanking God again for St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church’s website and YouTube channel that had bailed her out so many times over the last couple years when her dad was in no condition to be in public but insisted on participating in the Sunday Services.  “Lets get you into some sweats, grab some shoes and go.  It’s early so the waiting room shouldn’t be too crowded this morning.  I’ve got to run and turn the stove off and I’ll be right back,” Eva said as she hurried to the kitchen so they could head to the hospital.

Author’s Note:

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this preview of “Honor Thy Father”.  I’m very interested in hearing your feedback on the story.  I’m in the process of finishing the novel and submitting it to a publisher so it would really help me out if you’d tell me what you liked about the story and what you think I could work on to improve it. Drop me a note in the comment box here or feel free to email me at marta@askyoungblood.com. Looking forward to hearing from you.  

~ Marta G.