Excerpt

Growing Pangs

Caroline seems to have changed the most. She and
Grandma Alicia appear to be gal pals. She’s learning to cook and clean to Alicia’s standards.
Caroline at fifteen was already as beautiful as her mother. She was tall and slender. Her eyes were a beautiful bright brown, complimenting her perfect coffee with cream colored complexion. She had legs like Tina Turner and knew it. She only wore skirts. She flaunted her good looks at school. She made attempts to gain Grandpa’s attention as well.
Alicia was thrilled. It was like God had sent her daughter back. This time mother and daughter loved each other and were the best of friends. She wanted to mold Caroline into the young lady Ann refused to be.
The pair spent hours in the house preparing for shipments, cleaning, cooking and talking from the time Caroline returned from school.
Caroline would address the family every morning, “Good Morning Family, love you all from the top of my head to the bottom of my soles, but you know I love God more.”
Alicia was quite pleased. She would tell Henry “God’s given us a second chance to get it right. He sent us those three precious children of our only child and they’ve been a blessing. Things are changing for the better ‘round here Henry.”
Henry noted how happy Alicia was. He was not as easily fooled by the pretty little girl trying to wrap them around her sneaky little fingers.
Henry had witnessed Caroline being nasty to Charles. They had been with them around five years at the time. She was ten years old. He was speaking appropriately for a seven year old. It was more than sibling rivalry. It was cruelty.
Caroline was ragging on Charles’ speech. She called him a retard. Suggested they would never get out of this sad situation. She said Grandpa Henry and Grandma Alicia were both crazy old coots.
Caroline ranted about taking take the grandparents for everything they were worth. She accused them of stealing the trucking business, said they were putting on a holier than thou act.
She told Charles stealing is one of the Ten Commandments not to be broken. The punishment is eternal hell. Even suggested helping God out by setting the fire.