Rescue My Daughter by Marva Smith (famous ebook reader txt) 📕

be strong and courageous….Joel…..they need you to be strong….lead them to me with compassion….

“Lord they are not listening to me, what else can I do. How long do I have to stay here and allow my wife to constantly be wounded with memories of the past? Lord I want to take her away I want us both to leave here and start fresh.”

No

“But Lord why!”

Joel hit the floor with his fist. He was angry he did not want his wife to suffer anymore, he did not want to continue to minister to Don and remain kind. He could fill it, there was unforgiveness building up in him, he did not like it he did not want it but what was he to do. This family just did not care, they constantly did what they wanted to do ignorant of the consequences.

Joel….

Joel calmed down at the voice of the Lord.

I have a purpose and I have a plan…..my ways are not your ways my thoughts are not your thoughts…trust and obey.

Yes Lord.

Joel wiped the sweat from his face he walked over to open his window as he saw Lizzie walking back from down the street. He turned got on the phone.

“Walden bank how may I direct your call?”

“Yes may I speak with David Washington please?”

“Just a second, may I ask whose calling?”

“Joel Prophet”

“Hey Joel, what can I do for you?”

David answered happy to hear from Joel.

“David, we need to schedule a meeting is that possible?”

“Sure, just a second let me check my schedule….how is Friday?”

“Sir, could it possibly be sooner than that like…right now?”

“What’s going on?” David asked.

“A lot” Joel responded.

“Alright well I will be free within the next few minutes-“

“great, I’m on my way”

Joel hangs up the phone grabs his clothes and briefcase and locks his office he walks passed Ella.

“I will be out for the rest of the evening, I have a meeting “

He leaves the bar.

“Can you do that one one more time and we will be finished” Marcus called as Tess focused in again.

Zamera knocked on the glass screen, Marcus smiled as he reached over to unlock the door, he stood up to give his niece a hug and kiss.

“Z baby, you back! I am so happy to see you. How you doing?”

Zamera puts her purse down and sits down in the chair next to her uncle. Zamera felt extremely close to him especially since he is into music like she is. She missed her mother so, she loved being around her part of the family.

“I’m well, Unk. I just have a lot of things to sort out ya know?

“Joel?”

Zamera smiles.

…awh, so it aint him….then I know there is only one other person who can ruffle like that and I prefer to not mention his name….

Marcus winks at Zamera. You wanna hear what I’m working on?

Zamera grins.

“Yeah, let me take a listen….

She places the headphones on her head and begins to nod.

…..she’s good, who is that?”

she takes the head phones off.

“Her name is Tess, I met her at school she was actually fooling around on the piano and her voice just struck me…..

he tagged her on the cheek.

….she reminded me of Vanessa and you….her style of singing is a little different but she still has that deep soul..you know what I mean?”

“yeah I feel ya, so who else you working with?”

“Not too many more, I have a couple of guys who can sing…well…but they have no direction so I am trying to help them out in that area….uh let’s see I have Carmen, she might not be lasting too much longer that woman has some issues. Why? You wanna do something?”

Marcus smiles as he pokes her in the arm.

“No right now, I need to focus on me and my marriage, I decided that is the most important thing to me right now in my life. I’m glad he waited for me. Marcus that says a lot you know, I mean he could of left met another woman fell in love but he chose to hold on….what does that say?”

“Well I do know that says you need to kindle the passion again and never lose it because there is something there that is everlasting…..don’ t let it die.”

Marcus pushes the keypad. “Alright T take a break…sounds good”

Tess removes her headset and leaves the studio booth.

“I wanna meet her” Zamera says as Tess is leaving the booth.

“Hey come here for a minute I got somebody I want you to meet”

Marcus gets up and opens the door for Tess to enter the booth.

Tess beautiful her spirit is peaceful, Zamera felt peace as she entered the room. Tess dressed a little different similar to Zamera, she was dark and her she kept her hair wrapped up, she wore little make up but she looked as if she did not need it.

“Hello” Tess greeted Zamera with a smile and an extension of her hand.

“Tess this is my niece Zamera, but I call her Z-baby.”

“Pleasure to meet you Ms. Tess….-

“please call me Tess, I’m may look mature but I am only 24.”

Zamera laughs. “Alright I got it, any way you have a beautiful voice, it’s unique.”

“And that’s what sells records.” Marcus remarked as he stood up.

“If you two ladies would excuse me, I have to visit a man name Jon”

The ladies look at each other and grin. Tess sits in the seat Marcus sat in as he leaves.

“So how come I have never seen you before? I have met all of Marcus’s family, I don’t recall them mentioning you…believe me I would remember a name like Zamera.”

Zamera swings in her chair and folds her arms. It’s a long story, I have been gone for a while after my mother passed, I-I-

Tess taps Zamera on the forearm she could sense there was something there that brought a lot of discomfort to her.

She nods her head from side-to-side.

“That’s alright….hey you don’t me, and you definitely don’t have to explain anything to me. I can tell whatever you reason you were gone, you had a reason for it.”

Just then Marcus comes back into the studio.

“Alright! Hey Tess, you know what we can listen to this tomorrow after I go over some ideas with THE CHARLSTONS,-

Zamera’s eyes exploded. She jumped out of her chair.

“Uncle Marcus, you are not talking about The Charlstons are you?, the ones who sing at mama’s funeral?”

Marcus grins proudly. “Yes baby girl, I signed them bad boys, and it was not easy….but they chose integrity over publicity and that is why God is blessin’…..you know they switched to gospel after that whole Cleo incident.”

“Is there anything that man does not have his hand in?”

“You know…..I know.”

Zamera looks at Marcus curiously.

“What do you mean you know”

Zamera looks Marcus in the eyes.

“Marc, I ‘m going to go ahead and leave I will catch you tomorrow”

Tess says as she smiles at Zamera. She pats her on the shoulder.

……it was a pleasure meeting you Z-baby,.”

Zamera smiles as Tess leaves the studio.

…..Zbaby why do you think your aunt and I stop coming around your father? Marcus takes off his shades and places them on the counter and turns his chair to face Zamera. “We are not stupid, I know what he was up to. There are some things that are still hidden under the surface right now, but baby girl whatever is done in the dark will be brought to the light. He will have his day. Your Aunt Victoria refuses to step foot in the Kingsley Club because she said if she did it would be the last time anyone would see Don Kingsley alive. Now I can’t say the same for me, because if it was up to me he would have been dead along time ago.”

Zamera sighs as her heart becomes heavy, she hated the fact her father orchestrated the things that happened to her in the past, but most of all she hated the division it caused between her mother’s siblings. The family does not even associate with one another.

“Ok, I know………….it’s hard for me too sometimes Unk, if it had not been for Joel, and Lizzie I don’t know where I would be….sometimes I wonder why I even came back-

…don’t you wonder that…..because God brought you back for a purpose and a reason…..don’t doubt that. I know that Joel loves you Zamera the two years you were gone that man stayed faithful to you…..he did not even look at a woman cross-eyed, what got me is that he had every right to….but he held on. That’s a blessing.”

Zamera smiled as she and her Uncle continued to conversate.

Joel arrives downtown he pulls in front of Walden Bank it’s located right next to John’s law office, he gets out of his car and grabs his briefcase.

“Lord, go with me for I know without you I can do nothing” Joel walks into the building he greets the receptionist.

“yes, hello I’m looking for David Washington please”

“Just a moment I will let him know you are here” the receptionist dials Mr. Washington’s extension. Please have a seat sir, he will be right out.” Joel sits down at the chair next to the entrance of the office. He looks around as people are entering and making transactions. A woman walks up to make a transaction she looks as if she could be in her late twenties-very attractive. After she makes her transaction she walks over to the receptionist desk. She was dressed in a nice casual suit. She leaned over and spoke to the receptionist and then she walked passed Joel headed toward the stairs, she looked and smiled Joel smiled back. She looked familiar but Joel, could not place where he had seen her before. Just then David came out of his office to meet Joel.

“Joel”

David extended his hand. Joel stood up to greet David and shake his hand. He then entered the office David closed the door behind him.

That night the club was getting pretty filled mainly because everyone heard of the new dancers Tiffany and Jasmine plus people may have thought that since Zamera is back she may perform. Tony was please with the crowd. It got close to seven so Jemah sat on the piano and began to play some light jazz, as the rest of the band felt where he was going and softly followed. Ella was packing up to leave as she gave her instructions the evening bartender, she grabbed her things and left. As she was leaving she saw the woman who had came in earlier that day, get out of the car this time she had on a bad flapper outfit she looked as if she was performing.

“excuse me.” Ella hollered out as the woman walked passed the crowd totally ignorant of Ella’s voice calling her, she had on more make-up and she just looked different like she was a different person. Ella watched as the gentlemen surrounded her they kind of built a fence so the woman could walk inside, people were running up to the woman asking for her autograph, Ella was really confused now, she thought to herself who is she? Just then she heard a voice yell out to the woman.

“Ms. Dunne, Ms. Dunne may I please sit with you this evening?”

Ella’s heart stopped, she could not believe what she was hearing, did she earlier just have a conversation with the Blanche Dunne

One of the most beautiful women out of Harlem? She was the perfect symbol of Harlem what is she doing here in Chicago? Ella thought. Blanche was tall and slendor and ambiguously beige, she had a cool haughty beauty Ella picked that up from the way they held their conversation earlier.

People began to come from the woodworks, ladies were coming out of the salon, people were standing and gazing from across the street you hear voices murmuring that’s Blanche Dunn. Ella just stood there she could not move,