Dana sat on the bench in front of the 7/11. She knew that he'd pass here on his way to work. This was the first time she'd made the decision to see them with her own eyes. It was easy to hear about manifested blessing, but Dana had made up her mind to see it with her own eyes.
     The stories were everywhere about how Tina had stood on the word of the lord for her husband to return from parts unknown. He'd taken their four year old son and just disappeared one day while she was out hanging the wash on the line. It was said that the note told her and anyone who read it, that he was tired of her and he wanted his son to know that all women didn't act like she did. He was tired of her going to church and all her woman stuff. He wanted a stay at home wife, not a stay at church wife. He wanted hot cooked meals every night. He hated going out to eat, especially on Sunday. He wanted a wife that didn't expect him to clean up after himself. The long and the short of the note was that he'd found that woman and he wanted her to raise his son in the knowledge that men are men and women are to obey them.
        Dana grimaced. This was what had been printed in the Saturday Evening Post. The little footnote stated that it was printed so that no one would suspect foul play on Tina's part.
  Now here it was thirteen years later and he was back, with two extra children! The whole town was abuzz with the news of how he just showed up one night, crying and begging her to take him back. Dana shook her head. "I'd a never done it" she said out loud. "It would have had ta been the lord gawd hisself make me take that sooner back!" Dana said this with such angry in her voice that she startled the man coming out of the 7/11. 
     "Ahh, mam' you alright? Can I hep you wit' somethin'?" the man asked softly. Dana shook her head and motioned with her hand for him to go away and leave her be. She kept her eyes fixed on the road, so she didn't even notice that the man had sat down on the bench next to her. She heard the familiar crackling sound of candy paper and knew this man was here till the candy was gone at least. "What chu lookin' fo'? He asked matter of factly.
    "None of yo beeswax!" she snapped at him. "Leave me be!" I got business here! You just botherin' people!" Dana heard the man chuckle. She took her eyes off the road long enough to see the candy wrapper float to the ground. "Lawd, you that messy at home too?" she asked, eyes still fixed on the road. The man laughed. "I used to be, but now I'm a new man. Sorry, it slipped out of my hand." Dana wished this man would just go away, but out of the corner of her eye she watched him stretch out his legs and cross them at the ankle.
       Dana sighed. She allowed her eyes to drift upward toward the clock on top of the city hall building. It was nine forty-five. She had fifteen minutes to wait - that is if he was running late. 
   The man cleared his throat. "You waitin' on yo huzben?" Dana felt a familiar pain grip her heart. She didn't want to think on it today. Today was about Tina, not Dana. "Suh, could you please jest sit there quietly and let me be?"
   "What you ain't got no husband?" Where he at, or is you waitin' to git married. Dana squinted. "Suh, I'm married. My huzben runt off more'n four years ago. Is that 'nuff information for you?" She sighed loudly and placed her fist under her chin. The man sighed. "So you thinkin' to git a look at Joe, Tina's huzben? You thinkin' you'd take yo man back wit open arms, too?" Dana laughed. "Heck no. I ain't like her. I don't hold to the past. I ain't weak!"
     The sound of car tires crunching over rocks made Dana look up the road in the opposite direction. She stared at the milk truck and waved back at the man as he passed. 
     "So, what if yo huzben really wanted to come back home."
Dana squinted, not wanting to close her eyes in case she missed the car. "Suh, please stop asking questions I can't answer. Just let me sit her and watch Tina drivin' her good for nuthin' huzben to work!"
    Dana heard the man take a deep breath and let it out. "Mizz Dana, Joe don't work today. Him and Tina are at the church makin' arrangements to get remarried. He won't be passin' by here."
Dana closed her eyes and allowed the words to swim around in her head. She sighed deeply and covered her face with her hands. She sat back on the bench and turned to look at the man. He smiled brightly at her. Mizz Dana, I'm Little Joe, Tina's son."
Dana felt her heart skip a beat. She tried to smile, but it just didn't come to her lips.

    This boy was handsome enough, he looked more like Tina than big Joe.
  "Ha I'm 'sposed to kno if yor really him?" Dana ask, squinting at him. The man's smile never left his lips as he took his wallet from his pocket and pushed his ID out with his thumb. "This says my name and everything. I'm the real deal." Little Joe winked at Dana. "So now maybe you'll give me some answers?"
     Dana sighed. "Why'd ya'll come back? Tha note said he'd found hissef a woman. So why'd ya'll come back?"
The boy sighed and reached into the bag and took out another candy bar. "Dad believed that he'd found the perfect woman. Only thing was she didn't want me. So dad told me that he told her I was only visiting 'til mom got out of the hospital - he lied so she wouldn't put me out. She stayed wit us til she found out he was lying. By then she'd had two kids and dad was drunk and crying everyday. The last few years were hard so I'd sleep in the barn or at a frien's house. I'd sneak ta church when I could cuz it made me feel close to ma. Then one day dad ask me if'n I wanted to go back home 'n I wuz packed before his breaf left the air in front o' him."

Dana sighed deeply. She wondered if her man was missing her. She wondered if his life was falling apart, too. She looked the boy in the eye and reached into his bag. She pulled out the first piece of candy her hand came to and studied the wrapper before opening it. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees. "So you think I shud take my man back, too?"
  Little Joe laughed heartily. This made Dana turn to look at him. He winked at her. "Yessum Mizz Dana. I think you shud walk over to the church and let ma hep you wit forgivin' him furst. She says that's where she started. Yessah, the good book says that forgiveness is the key." Little Joe stood up, stretched and held his hand out to her. Dana stared at it, but she didn't take it. He simply smiled and turned from her. 
    Dana watched as he took long slow steps across the street. She felt her heart pounding. Little Joes words rang in her ears. He was right, forgiveness is something she hadn't thought about. She was too busy hurting. She stood up. "Hey Little Joe! Hold on I'm Coming! Little Joe stopped and turned to see Dana running across the street. He smiled. Jesus surely did answer prayers. Ma would be glad to know that another of her prayers was being answered.

<smile>