Broken Promises - Next Generation - Softcover

Allen, Dolores

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1449021786 ISBN 13: 9781449021788

Publisher: AuthorHouse, 2009

Synopsis

About the Book The timeless theme of good and evil is explored in the latest spellbinding story from author Dolores Allen. It centers around a family that learns hard lessons about forgiveness and redemption. Fighting demons we all have, some succeed and some fail. Not even members of the cloth are perfect; in fact some are the biggest sinners of them all. Salvation is always at hand for the main characters, but in the shadows it is difficult to find the light. Dolores Allen weaves a tale that will touch, astound and resonate with you. Why do good people do horrible things? Where do you turn if you feel God has forsaken you? Deeply moving and rich, this is a story about what lies in the souls of families brought together in troubled times, redemption and love. ***** Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness! Collectively, the world is looking anew at this much aspired to virtue. "Broken Promises-Next Generation" shows us time and again, through many tragedies that it always, always works. Not that it is easy, but with patience and love, it overcomes every single obstacle that you may have previously thought impossible. Most times, where you land, could almost be described as miraculous. Sally Dubel, author and creator of Loving Things Journal

About this title

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Broken Promises - Next Generation

By DOLORES ALLEN

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2009 Dolores Allen
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-2178-8

Chapter One

Joey sat quietly, gazing at the gilded-framed picture propped up on the left corner of his desk. A mother and father he had yearned for had become a reality, even though it did not happen until Millie and Jacob had reached their senior years. The ornate memory maker displayed an elderly couple smiling at their love child. Joey smiled back at the picture with misty eyes.

He drifted into a daydream of bliss, remembering the day his mother, Millie, and biological father, Jacob, reunited. It had taken many years before it came about. He was grateful for his life with his wife Denise, even though they had begun in a more uneven way. They were good together right from the beginning. Joey had never entertained the thought of abandoning his precious Denise, but somewhere in the back of his mind, there was always a nagging feeling that it might come to an abrupt end one day. "Why can't I feel completely at peace?" he wondered. Little did he know, there might be a basis for his premonition.

Joey was a striking man with deep blue eyes that seemed to look right through to your very soul. His broad shoulders and narrow hips gave him a look of strength. His mother said he was like a young pony. His gait was smooth and he had remained youthful into adulthood. Of course, Millie could not help but notice how much he looked like Jacob. Jacob was her first love and Millie was devastated when he ran out on her before Joey was born.

That day, so long ago, when Millie informed Jacob she was with child, he promised to marry her. He assured her everything would be just fine. She believed every word.

When the knock came at her door early one morning, it shattered all her hopes and dreams, and her life was changed in a very profound way. The neighbor stood on the veranda with a sad look on his face saying he had a message from Jacob's aunt. He began, "Alice said you should know that Jacob will not be stopping to say good-bye. He will not be back, so you are to go ahead and make your own plans."

That was the last Millie heard from Jacob, until years later when Joey was grown, and hired a private detective to search for his father.

Jacob heard about the birth, but he never knew if the child he fathered was a boy or a girl. He was young, and as always, meekly complied with what his mean-spirited aunt told him to do, thus leading him into a lifetime of loneliness.

Joey's mother, on the other hand, lived a good spiritual life while Jacob wandered into darkness and sin most of his life. He made one mistake after another and nearly died from alcoholic abuse. He never recovered until well past middle age. Joey was thankful his mother forgave his father and gave him another chance. Yes, it was good to have both parents looking at him from the photo.

Joey's thoughts drifted to his lovely wife, Denise. She was striking in looks. Her long lean body complemented Joey. Her walk was self-assured. She learned early to sit up straight and look people directly in the eye when she spoke. The intensity in her voice when conversing made even the least important conversation seem interesting. When Joey and Denise entered a room, all eyes were on them.

A pastor and his wife raised Denise, and they loved her as though she were their own. Her biological parents could not keep her when she was born, due to some unexpected circumstances. They wanted her and she was created from love, but it was a decision they made for their daughter's own benefit. That was what they honestly believed at the time.

Denise never entertained the thought of finding her real parents, or so she said.

When Denise grew up, she joined the Navy, and that was where she met Joey. They were working in the same department at naval headquarters. The two became solid friends. It took a long time before they became emotionally involved. It was only after Millie and Jacob reunited that Joey began to think of marriage and family. Denise had thought little about marriage before she met Joey, but he was different from most men she knew. She began having thoughts of what it would be like to be married to Joey and have a family.

When they did marry, Millie was happy for Joey. She liked Denise, even though she felt she was not as open as she should be. She had not even told Joey she was adopted for a long time. Joey was as open and honest with her as he was with everyone. Millie and Jacob had talked about her silence when the subject of her past came up, but they decided she was just shy.

His daydream, remembering what his mother had gone through over many years, ended abruptly when an oversized officer entered his office giving him an urgent message to go home immediately.

"What's going on?" he asked the stern looking, elegantly uniformed gentleman.

"I don't know. This just came over the wire. It says personal and looks private. I think it may have come from the FBI, although it does not say that."

Joey quickly cleared his large mahogany desk and with one last look around his tidy antique filled office, he left the building. A driver was waiting outside as though he already knew it was urgent business. The neatly dressed man quickly opened the door and smiled at Joey, but there was a concerned look. Joey picked up on his demeanor right away. "Oh, maybe I am just imagining it," he said under his breath.

"I hope there is nothing seriously wrong at home. Perhaps it is my mother, maybe she is ill." He spoke softly to the driver.

Joey leaned back, closed his eyes, and sat quietly, whispering a silent prayer. The street was lined with tall elm trees. The branches hung proudly and neatly, framing the roadside. The whispering sound of rustling leaves from the breeze seemed calming on most days, but today it was an eerie sound. Now it seemed as though the branches were beckoning, seemingly saying, "Hurry home!" The serenity of past days seemed to be vanishing. The neighborhood drive was usually relaxing to Joey, as he made his way slowly down the pavement after a stressful day.

Joey noticed the driver seemed to be driving a bit faster than he should at this time of day while the children were making their way home from school.

"No, it can't be my mother or someone would have phoned me." He breathed a sigh of relief.

Joey and Denise married a few months after his mother and Jacob were married. He felt secure now that the family had finally been put in place, and all was right with the world.

When the couple finally decided to have a family, it was a big decision as they had a slight fear their children might be affected with the same mental disorder that afflicted his nephew, Norman, the son of Joey's half-brother, William.

Norman was a bad seed from the beginning. William and his wife Nancy had to institutionalize the boy when he was young. He remained there for a several years, until one day, with the help of a fellow inmate, he broke out. He beat a guard so badly, that the man died. He even turned on his fellow escapee and killed him during the flight. It was a brutal attack. This became one of the most tragic events that could happen to the family, but it led to the reuniting of his mother and father, after so many years. His mother, Millie, always said, "out of every tragedy, we learn and if we apply that knowledge and make use of it, then it was not in vain."

When Jacob left Millie, he married a girl by the name of Fran. They had a son and daughter. William was born from that union, as was his sister Sally. Joey and William were in the Navy together, but did not know they were half-brothers until years later.

Denise also had many fears regarding children, because she knew very little about her ancestry. Her adopted parents told her a bit, and somethings she learned on her own, but that was kept secret; therefore, she did not know what her children might inherit. The couple decided to put their fears aside and begin a family, regardless of the past events or family history. It was a good decision.

Joey sat in the back seat of the car going over all the strange events that had happened over the years. Many times his thoughts drifted back to the past, but today it was mainly to ease his concerns.

Once again, he was overcome by sadness, thinking of the years his mother struggled to raise him. When Jacob left his mother, letting her endure the agony of childbirth alone, it was hard for Joey to imagine. The shame in those days of having an illegitimate child was something that would remain with the family for many years. He vowed he would never let any woman go through something like that alone.

Jacob left Millie without a word on that terrible day he abandoned her. His cowardly escape was made even harder for Millie because of the message she received from Jacob's Aunt Alice.

Millie felt ashamed, frightened, and alone. Her mother never forgave her for the shame she brought on the family. Her father did have some compassion for his daughter, but he was afraid to show it. He did not wish to endure the wrath of his wife.

Millie's life was happy in many respects by having her love child, Joey. Her father, Bill, and brother, Gerry, did forgive her, so that helped. When she left her parent's home, she worked on a farm for a while, and then landed a job in a factory a few miles away. Her brother, Gerry went into the ministry after their mother died. Millie met Arthur at the plant where she worked and before long they married. He was quite a few years older, but she felt he offered security for Joey and her. They were only married two months when Millie became pregnant. Her first child was a girl, but she died at birth. Soon after, she was expecting another baby. The child was another girl, to replace the one she lost. They named her Nancy. Arthur was happy and when the second child was born, a son, they named him Donald. They were both pleased having two healthy children, and of course her son, Joey. Soon, another son named Gordon arrived. When Millie gave Arthur the news that she was pregnant again with Gordon, he became angry. He changed from a loving husband to an abusive stranger. After Gordon was born, Millie began making preparations to leave. When she told Arthur her plans, he begged her to stay. For a time she remained in the home, but Arthur became impossible to live with. When Arthur realized the marriage was over, he became despondent and took his own life by drowning.

Millie had many losses and when her son Donald was killed in the war, she became depressed, but her love child Joey was always there, cheering her on.

Joey was a war hero and her son Gordon became a career army man winning many heroic awards. She did have a family to be proud of, and Joey was the example of what a responsible young man should be.

Over the years Millie and the children worked together. With some help from her brother, Gerry, they managed to keep things going. Joey was an inspiration to his half-siblings. He worked a part-time job for a farmer by the name of Adam. It was a wonderful experience working with this God-loving man. After Adam lost his wife a few months earlier he needed help with chores, and Joey was just the right lad for the job. Millie liked Adam and trusted him with her son. As months and years passed, Millie and Adam felt a passion for one another that could not be denied. They decided it was time to get married. They sold both homes, married, and moved to the city.

Millie found a warm loving relationship with Adam who became a father figure to her children. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few years when Adam became ill and died quite suddenly. The loss left Millie and the children heartbroken. Joey's search for a father was denied once again. This was a tragic blow to the young man. The other children did not seem to grieve like their older brother.

Suddenly Joey's eyes filled with tears, remembering how Adam had been like a real father to him, even before he married Millie. The sadness he felt when Adam died returned like it was yesterday. He knew that Adam loved him like only a father could love a child. But now he had Jacob, his real father in his life, and that made it nearly perfect; yet, there were times when he could not resist visiting the past. Adam was a good part of the past. Adam gave him love, security and much more.

When Joey and Denise had their first child, a boy, they were elated. They named him Shawn. He was full of energy and had deep blue eyes like his father. He was the image of Joey. Denise lay smiling at her baby boy. She crooned, "Now I know how your mother felt when she delivered you. Oh, Joey, I am so happy," she whimpered as the tears of gratitude streamed down her cheeks. Joey leaned over and kissed away her tears, and said, "You never looked more beautiful than you do right now. I am the luckiest man in the world. Thank you for giving me a wonderful son."

When their daughter, Megan, was born almost two years later, they were just as joyful as the day Shawn entered their life. It was blissful, to say the least.

"Oh! What sweet memories," he whispered, but he was getting closer to home and reality was setting in. All the years in the Navy and Pearl Harbor were not as unnerving as this moment. Getting close to home usually gave Joey a feeling of serenity.

The thoughts from the past vanished, and the present thoughts took over, giving him a feeling of anxiety. His mood quickly changed from peace to fear.

"What is the reason for all of this? They never sent a car for me before. It must be something that cannot be reported by phone." His mind whirled.

The driveway was filled with fire trucks and police cars. Millie was standing in the foyer when Joey entered.

"Mother! What's wrong?" he cried in a begging tone.

"Oh Joey, something terrible has happened. Please wait until the sergeant comes out to speak with you. I received a call from your neighbor to come over right away. That's why I am here."

Joey did not wait. He ran into the kitchen where the voices were coming from. Shock, disbelief, and absolute horror could not describe the feelings that Joey felt at that moment. Lying in a heap on the floor was his beautiful wife of seven years, with blood and riddled clothing lying all around. "This is obscene," one officer was saying. Joey threw himself against the wall and howled like an animal. The horrid sounds escaping his throat sounded like thunder bolts bursting out of a black sky.

"Please let this be a nightmare," he begged his God. But, it was real and every fiber of his body pained. The storm was erupting in his gut when he suddenly lost his lunch all over the hall floor. Sliding to the floor and losing awareness was a blessing. It gave him a few minutes of relief.

When he awoke, his sounds were more normal. "Where are my children?" he asked as his voice echoed through the halls and up the staircase. There were police everywhere, taking pictures, scraping pieces off the walls and floor. The black dust from fingerprinting lingered in the air. Joey could barely breathe. He wept a prayer. "Please God let this be a nightmare. It cannot be real."

"What are they looking for?" Joey questioned his mother in a quieter tone. "I guess they are searching for clues to what happened, and who is responsible. I cannot imagine why anyone would do such a horrible thing," Millie answered in a muffled tone.

As Joey was pacing the foyer, his neighbor, Harold, entered. He rushed to Joey, giving him a hug. His voice was filled with sadness and he looked frightened. With a tremor in his voice he spoke. "We have called the Pastor and he will be here shortly."

The couple next door was as close to Denise and Joey as if they were family. Mona, Harold's wife, was such a sweet girl and her marriage to Harold was a match made in heaven, just like people always said of Joey and Denise. At least, that is how it appeared on the surface. They had two young girls, Sarah and Lila. They were about the same age as Joey's children, Shawn and Megan. Shawn was two years older than his sister Megan. The couples were inseparable. They went to the same church. Denise and Harold sang in the choir and Joey taught Sunday school. Mona ran a youth program. Everyone said they were devout Christians.

Millie and Jacob were embracing Joey, when Pastor John, arrived. He began to pray, and the more he prayed, the louder Mona sobbed.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Broken Promises - Next Generationby DOLORES ALLEN Copyright © 2009 by Dolores Allen. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1449021786
• ISBN 13: 9781449021788
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256