Building Trust Through Our Issues

Chapter Twenty Two (Part I)

Michael💙: I'm beating her shit in, soon as I get home. 💪🏽

😒 TMI

Michael💙: you got five kids. Shut up nigga! 😂

😑 If I wasn't saved and working on bettering myself, I'd cuss you out. 😒

Michael 💙: lmao love u too sis.

😘

"Hey Mookie." Aireka grinned as she came and sat beside me. She grabbed my face and kissed my cheek before crossing her legs. I put my phone back in my purse as I gave her the eye.

"Hi Jerome." I smiled, ignoring Aireka, making her hit my arm.

"Wassup." He nodded with a smirk.

"I didn't get to talk to you after the funeral but thank you for all you did. I appreciate it and I'm sure it meant a lot to Helen." I told him sincerely, Jerome insisted on paying for the funeral but we decided to go half. Her life insurance policy didn't cover much so Jerome paid for the majority of it and I just paid for the use of the church building, catering of the repass, and the limousine service for the family.

I wasn't expecting a lot of people to be at Sarah's funeral, I was always under the assumption that they had little to no family and friends because they were always in need of something. I know that if I had a family member that was struggling, I'd do anything I could to help them.

I had no problem at all with helping Helen and Sarah at all. Helping people in need, is what I'm called to do. It's my ministry and I love doing it. I'm very passionate about servicing others.

My main question is, where were all of these people that were at the funeral when Helen's husband was abusing them and then put them out? Where were they when they were moving from place to place, and Helen was working several jobs just to make ends meet? Where were they when Sarah was in and out of the hospital and Helen had no one to stay with Sarah while she went to work? Where were they when Helen and Sarah needed financial, physical, and emotional support?

Absolutely nowhere to be found. But now, all of a sudden, they decide to show up to the funeral, falling out all over the place.

I don't know why it bothered me so much. I guess because I saw how much Helen struggled with being a single parent to a child with leukemia. Here I was, thinking she had no family, but she did, they were just sorry family members.

"It's no problem. Had to send baby girl out in style." He smirked, Sarah had all of her funeral arrangements planned out before she went into a coma and Jerome made sure that everything she wanted came to life. Everything from the pink casket, down to the horse drawn carriage, and the dove release.

Leilani even volunteered her planning and coordinating services to make sure all of the arrangements were taken care of, so that everything turned out perfect. Jerome just wrote out a check to cover his half and I did the same.

Helen had absolutely no idea that we were planning to actually give Sarah the funeral that she wanted, so she was definitely shocked the day of the funeral. Jerome and I wanted to do anything that we could to lighten her burden and to keep her smiling and in good spirits.

"Well hello there, stranger." I smirked as I finally acknowledged Aireka.

"What's that look for?" She asked.

"Oh nothing." I shrugged. "I just haven't heard from you in a while. Been busy?"

"Why? You missed me? Aw!" She laughed. Before I could even respond, Whitney's name was called. As I stood up, I pulled my dress down. I had on a black t shirt dress that came down mid thigh. It was a little on the short side and I'm actually a little surprised that Chris let me out of the house with it on this morning. Aireka slapped my butt making me cringe. "Thickums." She sang, making me roll my eyes.