Men After God's Own Heart Read Free

inside of Will at bay, and that was his faith. Which strength packed more power? Will’s physical strength or his spiritual awakening? Will chose the latter and unballed his fists.
    Will looked over his father’s shoulder and spotted his mother’s enlarged eyes as she observed the altercation. Before the argument turned physical, Will’s mother pretended to be transfixed by an episode of Good Times. Carroll, Will’s mother, usually stayed in such a drug-induced haze that Odell could fire a rocket launcher at Will and she would not even notice nor care.
    Even if for once his mother was not under the influence of drugs, Carroll remained too mentally broken and emotionally bankrupt to broker a peace deal between her husband and son. She stayed high so that she did not have to face her reality.
    â€œWhat kind of mother would sit there and let her husband put a gun to her son’s head? Let him beat on her youngest son and push the oldest without saying a word?” Will muttered. He refused to let his mother off the hook. Her silence was a greater offense than Odell’s actions.
    â€œShe ain’t got to do nothing but just sit there and watch TV, because I got this.” Odell pounded his chest.
    Carroll said it all when she turned away from Will and resumed watching her program. She did not utter a word, and Will’s heart had an ache that accompanied each beat.
    â€œWow, I took care of this family when Dad was locked up, and you would rather him kill me than for once be a mother and protect your children?” Will remarked.
    â€œShe’s the reason why you’re so weak. All she did was spoil you and your brother,” Odell said.
    â€œReally? When did she spoil me or my brother? When she left me alone in the house when I was five for a whole day? When she bought me a bunch of toys for Christmas and turned around and sold them for drugs two days later? And where were you?”
    â€œI was playing my hand. Everything you are now and everything you believe in was given to you by the white man. I ain’t saying what I did was right, but I didn’t have a choice in the matter, now did I?”
    â€œWe all got a choice, and you should let Joshua decide who he wants to be with,” Will said.
    â€œJoshua, get over here!” Odell’s eyes did not move away from Will.
    Without hesitation, Joshua made his way over to his father and brother.
    â€œJosh, tell your brother that you don’t want to go anywhere,” Odell said to Will’s baby brother.
    â€œBro, I miss you being here. I wish you were here and that we were a family again.” Joshua’s voice cracked under the weight of his words.
    â€œOh yeah? Let’s be a family again. Let’s let Pop use us as punching bags while Mom shoots up. Let’s all go on a lick together and get caught by the pos, and when Elisha is out of her training bra, let’s put her on the pole and make our family complete. One big dysfunctional family.”
    Will could not harbor any ill feelings toward his brother. Joshua was scared, and Will wished Joshua could see that there was another way.
    â€œYou know I can’t, Josh. I’m trying to get my life together, and I can’t live like this anymore.”
    â€œThen go. Bounce!” Odell gestured for Will to leave.
    â€œPlease, bro. I need you here,” Joshua said.
    â€œI’m always going to be here for you, Josh. Just call me if you need me.” Will gave his brother a hug, and fear transferred from Joshua to Will. “I love you, Josh. Stay up.”
    Joshua did not say anything, and Will remembered another one of his father’s creeds: the word love was said by women and sissies. Love did not have to be said if it was shown.
    Will broke from Joshua’s embrace and sidestepped his father, who looked too annoyed to say anything. He walked over to his baby sister Elisha’s crib. Positioned next to the flat-screen TV on the