wouldn’t let go. He mentored me and changed my life. Taught me about God. We still stay in contact, and he’s one of the reasons I wanted to move back to Albany. I want my kids to know him. Every Father’s Day, he’s the one I call.”
“Did he make up for you not having a dad?” Shane asked.
“Nothing makes up for that. I’m telling you, not having a father has scarred me in more ways than I can count. Not having a dad to watch me play ball, my mom working two jobs, so she couldn’t be there either. At times I was just sad. Other times I got real angry.”
David squirmed.
“Ever try to track him down?” Adam asked.
“I tried a few times. Then stopped. His name is Clinton Brown, but he uses aliases, so I always hit a dead end. I could have tried harder.”
“Why didn’t you?” Adam asked.
“Afraid of what I would say.”
After a long pause, Shane shifted uncomfortably, stood, and said, “Look, guys, I’ve enjoyed our little heart-to-heart, but I need to go pay some bills while there’s still something left of my paycheck.”
Shane turned to Adam. “Speaking of paychecks, I talked to my man, Javier, about your shed. That guy did a phenomenal job on my deck, and he’s available next week, but he wants $150 a day.”
“Ouch. Well, I’ve got to have somebody who knows what they’re doing. I’m taking vacation time—got to get it done. If he could be here 8:00 a.m. Monday . . . that would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll call him. See you in church tomorrow.”
“You got it.”
As Shane stood to leave, Nathan grabbed his Coke can and shot it from the other side of the table. It landed in the trash can.
Nathan smiled. “Told ya.”
Chapter Ten
The rest of the household lay calm, but Javier Martinez, dressed in old jeans and a dark-red T-shirt, was animated as he spoke on the phone at 7:30 a.m. “Great! Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Good-bye.”
Javier’s wife, Carmen, walked into the kitchen wearing a robe. Hair frizzy, and with no makeup, she was groggy, having awakened minutes earlier. “Who were you talking to?”
Javier was putting on his construction boots. “I got the job! But I need to leave right now. They’re building a new office on Westover, and they need more men.”
“Thank God, Javy! The rent is due Friday. I would tell you to take the car, but the tank is empty.”
“I don’t mind walking when I have good news!”
Javier stood and put his hands on her shoulders, then gazed straight into Carmen’s eyes. “I told you God would give me a job.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I would give you a big kiss on the mouth,” he said playfully, “but your breath is very bad this morning.”
Javier left with a smile.
“I love you too,” Carmen said, only slightly sarcastically. She blew into her hand and inhaled, scowling. Her husband could be annoying, but he was a truthful man. She went to brush her teeth.
It took Javier nearly thirty minutes to reach the construction site. It was just after 8:00 a.m. when he walked briskly up to the foreman, who gave instructions to three men and sent them off to do their jobs.
“Hello, sir,” Javier said. “Are you Richard?”
“Yeah.”
“My name is Javier Martinez. I was told to come see you for work.”
“I just hired the last three guys we needed. Sorry, man; we’re good to go.” He walked toward the office.
Javier followed, pleading. “I can do most anything, sir . . . woodwork, brickwork, even drywall.”
“Look, I said I got what I need, all right?” The foreman turned and walked away. Javier stood there dismayed. He watched the other workers, waiting for someone to realize a mistake had been made. No one needed work more than he did. It was as if he were invisible. Nobody noticed.
After a few moments, reality sank in. His shoulders sagged, and he turned to go.
Javier wandered down a side street off Westover, face downcast. If only the car hadn’t been low on gas. If only the
“Did he make up for you not having a dad?” Shane asked.
“Nothing makes up for that. I’m telling you, not having a father has scarred me in more ways than I can count. Not having a dad to watch me play ball, my mom working two jobs, so she couldn’t be there either. At times I was just sad. Other times I got real angry.”
David squirmed.
“Ever try to track him down?” Adam asked.
“I tried a few times. Then stopped. His name is Clinton Brown, but he uses aliases, so I always hit a dead end. I could have tried harder.”
“Why didn’t you?” Adam asked.
“Afraid of what I would say.”
After a long pause, Shane shifted uncomfortably, stood, and said, “Look, guys, I’ve enjoyed our little heart-to-heart, but I need to go pay some bills while there’s still something left of my paycheck.”
Shane turned to Adam. “Speaking of paychecks, I talked to my man, Javier, about your shed. That guy did a phenomenal job on my deck, and he’s available next week, but he wants $150 a day.”
“Ouch. Well, I’ve got to have somebody who knows what they’re doing. I’m taking vacation time—got to get it done. If he could be here 8:00 a.m. Monday . . . that would be great.”
“Okay, I’ll call him. See you in church tomorrow.”
“You got it.”
As Shane stood to leave, Nathan grabbed his Coke can and shot it from the other side of the table. It landed in the trash can.
Nathan smiled. “Told ya.”
Chapter Ten
The rest of the household lay calm, but Javier Martinez, dressed in old jeans and a dark-red T-shirt, was animated as he spoke on the phone at 7:30 a.m. “Great! Thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Good-bye.”
Javier’s wife, Carmen, walked into the kitchen wearing a robe. Hair frizzy, and with no makeup, she was groggy, having awakened minutes earlier. “Who were you talking to?”
Javier was putting on his construction boots. “I got the job! But I need to leave right now. They’re building a new office on Westover, and they need more men.”
“Thank God, Javy! The rent is due Friday. I would tell you to take the car, but the tank is empty.”
“I don’t mind walking when I have good news!”
Javier stood and put his hands on her shoulders, then gazed straight into Carmen’s eyes. “I told you God would give me a job.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I would give you a big kiss on the mouth,” he said playfully, “but your breath is very bad this morning.”
Javier left with a smile.
“I love you too,” Carmen said, only slightly sarcastically. She blew into her hand and inhaled, scowling. Her husband could be annoying, but he was a truthful man. She went to brush her teeth.
It took Javier nearly thirty minutes to reach the construction site. It was just after 8:00 a.m. when he walked briskly up to the foreman, who gave instructions to three men and sent them off to do their jobs.
“Hello, sir,” Javier said. “Are you Richard?”
“Yeah.”
“My name is Javier Martinez. I was told to come see you for work.”
“I just hired the last three guys we needed. Sorry, man; we’re good to go.” He walked toward the office.
Javier followed, pleading. “I can do most anything, sir . . . woodwork, brickwork, even drywall.”
“Look, I said I got what I need, all right?” The foreman turned and walked away. Javier stood there dismayed. He watched the other workers, waiting for someone to realize a mistake had been made. No one needed work more than he did. It was as if he were invisible. Nobody noticed.
After a few moments, reality sank in. His shoulders sagged, and he turned to go.
Javier wandered down a side street off Westover, face downcast. If only the car hadn’t been low on gas. If only the
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