Guardian [Watty's 2023]

[ P R O L O G U E ]

It was an usually cold Sunday morning in Redbridge, Virginia.
Most of the town folks were still in bed as the town was a sleepy one where no one woke up early, And it was for that reason he chose the wee hours of the morning.

The wind howled, like an entity, moving toward the red-bricked, weathered structure of St James Baptist Church. This small town had only one church and since residing in Redbridge a long time ago, he very well knew it.

Approaching the double doors that lead to the interior of the building he moved like a ray of lightning, causing the doors to clap against themselves and back. Snowflakes loitered it's doorsteps as he moved inside the church.

Checking around the church's interior for any other presence, Jack was satisfied to find no one. Only then did he unwrap the white bundle in his arms and look down at it.

Identical silver eyes stared back at him causing a smile to break out his ever youthful face. Jack carefully placed the bundle of joy at the altar and kissed it's little head leaving flakes of snow on it's head.

"You'll be safe here little one" He whispered.

The sound of approaching footsteps took the decision away, with the awareness of his time running out.

"Goodbye my little ice guardian, we will meet again kid." Jack whispered then disappeared into the thin air leaving a cold gust of cold air behind.

❄️-❄️

"Hurry honey, we're late and if we wait anymore the angels would leave with the blessings they brought for the service!" forty six year old Reverend Pastor Craig Joseph Leroy yelled to his wife Martha who like every Sunday would take her time in getting ready for Service.

"Jesus, Craig it's only a minute past seven in the morning and service starts by eight thirty." Martha grumbled while she fussed with her earrings.

"So What Martha? The good Lord's probably waiting already." Craig insisted.

"Probably being the key word Craig, even the good lord knows a woman's gotta look good Hon, ain't it the Bible that said Cleanliness leads to godliness?"

"No honey, it ain't in the Bible and for chrissake Martha what's our members gonna say if they hear you sayin' a wrong quote from the Bible." her exasperated husband said.

"it's gotta be the Bible and Craig don't argue with me, you forgot I always win." Martha countered.

"Women." Craig muttered under his breathe while shaking his head in unbelief at Martha claiming she was right in her ignorance. It was easier being a man he mused inwardly, all one had to do was just up and take a shower and get dressed in a minute or two.

"What was that honey? " The woman asked pausing in between applying her red lipstick.

"Ah nothing." He answered like the wise man he was.

"I thought so."

❄️-❄️

It took them five minutes to get to the church. The sound of Martha's heels clang against the marble floor of the sanctuary.

They both walked to their designated seat which was positioned at the left wing of the church which was almost next to the altar. Craig started to say the Lord's prayer, his deep voice boomed all through the empty church waking the little child wrapped in white blankets who then let's out a wail.
Craig shuts up immediately, and exchanges a surprised look with Martha and they both moved towards the altar like they were under hypnosis.
Martha peered into the white blanket and gasped when her eyes met with a silver pair that belonged to a month old white baby.
Martha picked the baby up.

"Oh Craig it's a girl" she cried out in happiness causing her other half to look at her with suspicious eyes.

"How's that my business Martha?" Craig grumbled. He had no time for babies and all that shebang women fussed about. All he wanted to focus on was the Sunday's sermon.

"Craig I'm keeping the poor kid." she turned to her husband and hands him over a note "look it says she's abandoned"

Craig reads the note and sighed "What are we gonna do with her honey?" He asked already knowing answer from the pure joy on Martha's face.

"We are raising her Craig, she ain't got no family so she's now ours to keep." she glared at her husband who glared back.

There was no way they were raising a white kid in a black neighborhood besides he was done with raising kids after he had lost two of his twenty year old sons Christian and Matthias in a war against the some middle eastern country although they had died honorably, he had lost his world. There was no way he was going that part again, if he'd have his way he wouldn't be raising any kid at all.

"Martha the kid's white and she'd be better off in an orphanage with her own color" He argued, trying go Martha see reason, of how hard it'd be raising a white kid in an all black neighborhood.

"I'm keepin' Shirley, Craig and if you had any sense of right you'd know, She's God's blessin' to us"

" Who's Shirley?" Craig craned his neck to see if any one else was there with them.

"The baby's Shirley Craig, I named her after your Mama. we're keeping her and that's final" Martha deadpan holding Shirley to her chest.

No one needed to tell the reverend that this was a battle he'd never win, he'd never won any battle with Martha ever since he knew her in high school. He raised his hands in surrender drawing a sound of satisfaction from Martha and the kid.. Shirley.

"How in God's name would Shirley Leroy work out for a white kid" He thought, shaking his head and rolling his eyes.
All he wanted was to make his wife happy and if it was to adopt a white kid then he didn't mind.

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