In Times of Trouble by Yolonda Tonette Sanders Read Free Book Online

mistake about it. . . I’m a grown woman. I didn’t need you to look after me. I could’ve handled your father by myself.”
    Lisa ignored her conscience telling her to defuse the situation by walking away. “Yeah, you could handle him all right. That’s why I kept getting three a.m. phone calls every time he blackened your eye.”
    Her mother’s glare deepened. “I didn’t have to move here. I chose to.”
    Seeing the tears in her mother’s eyes, remorse began to overshadow Lisa’s anger. “Mama, I’m sorry for what I said.” Though Lisa had softened her tone and resumed her seat, her mother hadn’t changed her stance at all. “I merely want peace in my home. . .I want to be able to discipline my daughter without having to explain myself all the time. I’m sure you don’t like this tension between us any more than I do.”
    â€œI appreciate you letting me stay here, but don’t think I’m dependent on you. In case you have forgotten, I’m moving out at the end of this month. If that’s not soon enough for you, I’ll find somewhere else to stay until then.”
    Like Chanelle, Hattie also stormed out of Lisa’s presence.
    Lisa plopped her head down on the table in despair. It didn’tfeel good coming home to a hostile household. She had to find some way of getting out of this dinner date with Eric next Monday. There was no way she could invite him into her home with so much chaos brewing.
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    RJ said good night to the Burlingtons, got himself a bottle of water and headed off to the guest bedroom that had served as his quarters since his transition to Columbus four months ago. RJ was speechless when Pastor Burlington called and offered him the director’s position at Hope Ministries Rehabilitation Center. At the time RJ was living in a poor, run-down apartment building in Baltimore working whatever odds and ends jobs he could find. Grateful that the Lord had delivered him from those issues that led to the death of his marriage, he was also living with a huge hole in his heart because of the loss of his family. He jumped at the opportunity Pastor Burlington presented to him. Not only did moving to Columbus allow him a chance to be closer to Lisa and Chanelle, but it also provided him with a decent salary and stable employment. Since he and Lisa had first separated, he’d been struggling to find both.
    RJ had originally planned to have his own place by now, but the Burlingtons repeatedly told him that he was welcome to stay indefinitely. Having never had children of their own, it seemed like they really enjoyed his company. He extended his plan to leave within a few months and resolved to stay a year, or two at the max, and use this time to save up. If things went well, hopefully he’d be able to buy his own home. He definitely needed to rebuild his credit. He’d recently purchased a used vehicle, on which he was paying a very high interest rate. Initially the Burlingtons absolutely refused to accept any money from him,but RJ wasn’t in the business of freeloading and insisted on sharing the household financial responsibilities. Pastor Burlington was like a father figure to him and RJ thanked the Lord for allowing Pastor Burlington to trust him with such an influential position, despite all of his past mistakes.
    RJ lay in bed, slowly drifting to sleep, when a call from his brother on his cell phone brought him to full alertness.
    â€œI’m sorry, did I wake you?” David asked.
    â€œNot really. . .I was sort of going in and out.”
    â€œI’m sorry, man. I hadn’t talked to you in a couple weeks and wanted to check on you. How are things going at the center?”
    â€œThings are good. We have about three more weeks before the residents move in. I’m looking forward to it, too. Of all people, who’d ever thought that I would be