I have written about mommy in several of these stories, but I really haven't mentioned about daddy (other than the fact that his name is William--"Bill" to most people--, and that he works as a greeter at the Wal*Mart nearest our place, plus he is disabled and walks on crutches).
Well, daddy is 37 1/2 (he'll be 38 come November 25), and he is quite tall, quite taller than his wife, who stands only 4' 7 1/2" tall.
(They kind of look weird standing next to one another!! As you can very well imagine, they get a lot of stares and gawks from people!!) Like mommy, he is dark-skinned with dark eyes (excepting his are brown) and black hair. He is quite thin in appearance, and his tallness only emphasizes that very fact. He is quite handsome, and my friends are always saying how cute he is (much to my embarrassment!!).
Daddy was born in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and he was born the third youngest of 9 kids (all boys), plus he so happens to be a twin. (His twin brother's name is Douglas, and they look just alike, excepting for the fact that daddy happens to use crutches. [His twin brother is only 3 minutes older!!]) He was quite healthy as a child, and he loved sports; but in high school his sports dreams were dashed when he blew out his knees while playing basketball. (He wanted to be a professional basketball player.) He also had asthma and allergies, but they didn't really bother him so much, not like what they do now. He also developed high blood pressure after the deaths of his three children, and he's been on medication ever since.
Daddy also loved to clog dance, and that was just as well, for his birthplace is often a hotbed for clog-dancing; he was even on his way to becoming a championship clogger. But then came the injury, and that put his clogging days behind him. He hasn't clogged since. (It's a bit hard for him now, especially since he uses crutches!!)
Daddy is pure Native American Indian, being of the Mohawk and Alonquin tribes. (His daddy is Mohawk, and his mother is Alonquin.) He has the dark eyes, skin color, and hair of his Native American ancestors, and he is rather proud of his Native American heritage.
Daddy used to work for a time at a factory, making parts for elevators, but then he was severely injured; and he ended up having to go onto disability. He had been looking for work ever since, but nobody wanted to hire him because of his being disabled. (His one hand and arm are partially paralyzed, and he had had a wire cage on it for a time while his arm healed from the devastating injury. He still has the scars from where the cage had been put on.) He then started having problems with his knees and injured his back when he fell down the stairs. He ended up having to have back surgery several times, but it has done no good. He still has the severe back pain, and he also has pain down his legs. Add this to his knee problems, and you're talking about someone who is definitely hurting! He also has osteoarthritis; and this causes him even more pain. Plus he still has the high blood pressure and the asthma. So daddy isn't that healthy; but he still tries to go on despite how bad he may be feeling at times.
Daddy was starting to get frustrated because he wanted to work, but then he went into Wal*Mart; and after having the required drug screening and the interview, he was hired in as a greeter. He now has been at Wal*Mart for a little over a year now, and he absolutely loves his work.
In fact, he's done so well he's since gotten another raise. He now makes close to $7.50 an hour!
Daddy was raised Assembly of God (Pentecostal), and he has always attended the church we go to (Christ Community Assembly of God). His father, Sam, was a preacher, but he has since retired; and he is now in ill health. (He is in his middle 80s.)
Daddy is a gentle man with a good, caring heart, and he isn't like most men: that is, he isn't afraid to cry or show his emotions. He will defend his family, and he will fight for what he believes in. He is also the "head disciplinarian" in our family, and he will spank us kids if we cross the line or break the family rules (no cussing, no fighting, no spitting, no hitting, no staying out past 8 [younger kids], 9 [pre-teens], or 10 [teens], etc.). He is teaching us about God, and he is teaching us about the Bible; and he is also teaching us how to memorize some of the Books in the Bible. He wants us to have a good, strong Biblical foundation in our lives, and he wants us to know about Jesus and His Love for us and all mankind.
I love my daddy. He is funny, but he also has a softer, serious side. He loves life, and since he started working, he feels much better about himself. He doesn't get as depressed as he used to. (He used to have a real problem with depression before he got the job at Wal*Mart.) He also loves the Lord, and you can clearly see that on his face whenever he greets people, whether at home, church, or at work.
P.S.: Daddy's brothers are named, in order, from the youngest to the oldest: James (Jimmy); Carl, Douglas, Marvin, John, Wayne, Charles, and Daniel. All but Jimmy are married and have families of their own; and all but Carl, daddy, and Marvin live in Louisiana. (Daddy and Marvin live here in Tennessee--Marvin in Memphis, and daddy, here in Nashville--, and Carl lives in Utah, near Salt Lake City.)
A wicked Cajun Fairy named Robes Pierre entered the impenetrable Magical doll land of Sha Bebe. Queen Faustina, the ruler of the doll land, thought she had destroyed him, but he's back! Will the doll land survive his evil ways?
Let this coming of age story of a boy named Bean take you back to a simple time. Set in a small southern town in the 1960's, encircled by a river and gleaming white cotton fields.
