Chapter 1

CHAPTER I

    It was the year of 1972. I was fourteen years old going on twenty, didn’t care much about anything except this thing called peer pressure. Did what other young men my age do, chased girls, joined soccer team, and did the popular things. I wasn’t the most popular jock in school but girls noticed me just the same if not more. Still in puberty stage, I was five feet seven inches tall, weighed one hundred twenty- nine pounds, silky dark brown hair, and soft brown eyes. I got great sense of humor that I could make the Buckingham Royal Guards laughed, when they’re off duty I supposed. I was the only child until one day,


    Melissa Calloway, friends called her Mel Dad called her Babe or Sweetheart I called her Mom. Mom had a caramel blond hair that draped on her shoulder most of the time with headbands or sometimes pony tailed depending on the occasion. She never was the always- made up kind of woman. Mom let her natural beauty charmed men and women alike, thirty- eight years old, five feet six inches tall, petite body, as she’s a young woman coming to an age. Well, maybe not right then.


    Mom was carrying a little angel who thought seven months inside the womb was enough, couldn’t wait to come out and see the world. One morning Mom’s water broke already, Dad rushed Mom to the hospital because it wasn’t time for the baby to come yet. Mom labored for more than five hours; finally, a baby girl came into our lives, my life. She’s way under developed; right after she was out, they put her in an incubator until she has developed. She was very little, slightly longer than afoot, and about less than five pounds, I can’t remember. My Mom wearied from puffing and pushing fell asleep right after the baby came out. She didn’t even get to look at the baby. When Mom woke up, Dad was on her side. She asked about the baby and what kind. My Dad answered. “A beautiful sweet little girl, looks just like me. I will name her Jenny. Do you like that name?” Mom and Dad agreed; that if the baby is a boy, Mom picks a name for him and if the baby is a girl, Dad gets to name her, matters not if either of them likes the name for the child.


    My Mom nodded and smiled, she looked on her left side, then she quickly looked on her right side, neither side was there a baby lying next to her. My Dad saw the look on Mom’s face; he gently held her hands as he kept Mom up to date about the baby, “Jenny will be staying in the incubator until she develops fully. The doctor said that her lungs still couldn’t support her breathing without a respirator. There are other things didn’t fully develop since she’s only seven months on the way, I didn’t bother with the details on all of them. Doctors are guessing fifty and fifty for her to make it. We need to pray that there would be no further complications and that she would pull through this crisis.”


    Dad always can calm anyone in distress with his gentle as a breeze, ice cream soft-spoken voice. Alexander James Calloway, just an inch short of six feet, and weighed one hundred eighty-four pounds, soft hazel eyes, silky dark brown hair with five or six grays trying to peek out. Dad called them “the fruit of experience.” He’s three years older than Mom is. Dad and Mom married 15 years ago, September 18, 1957.


    All week I was at youth camp. Andrea called to tell me the news, she didn’t go into any details about Jenny, and she just said that I have a new baby sister and that she’s beautiful and Dad named her Jenny. Andrea lived with us since I was two years old, she’s my Nanny, and she does most of the housework. Forty- five years old, five feet seven inches tall, one hundred forty- three pounds, she has a natural curled shiny black hair that never grew below her neck, and big dark brown eyes. Firm but gentle when she’d disciplined me. Andrea has experience as a medical technician. Mom met her in the pregnancy clinic where she used to work and Mom used to go when she was carrying me, they became friends. When the clinic closed for bankruptcy, Mom offered her work as my Nanny. Later as a stay home help and she lived with us ever since. Jenny is a beautiful name. I like it. There’s a song that I like called ‘Little Jenny.’ We didn’t talk long she just wanted me to know about my new baby sister.


    I had one more day before the camp was over, then I get to see my little sister. I became excited about the news. I told everyone at the camp right after I hung up the phone. That night when everything was quiet, I gave a deep thought about the news this afternoon. I couldn’t sleep I was happy yet bothered. I couldn’t shake up the thought I had, I knew Andrea didn’t tell anything in detail but I felt something wasn’t right. I got out of bed about 3:00 in the morning. The room was dark, but the window drapes were open and the light from the outside of the cabin shone in enough for me to find my baggage. I got a changed of clothes out of my bag and tiptoed quietly to the bathroom trying hard not to bump on anything. I showered and changed. As soon as I finished, I tiptoed my way out the door but Dave, one of the youth counselor was already up and he was outside the porch of the cabin relaxing. He asked, “Where are you going on this hour?”  “I’m going to take a walk around the camp.”


“I’ll go with you. It looks to me you didn’t get any sleep yet. Is something the matter?”


I told him what I felt and what kept me up all night. “I worry about my new baby sister she’s prematurely born. Andrea didn’t tell me anything but I could feel something is not right. Think I’m just paranoid I guess.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “Relax, don’t worry about anything. Why don’t we pray right now about what’s bothering you,  are you okay with that?”  I agreed then he led the prayer. When we finished, I felt some kind of peace inside me so I left it at that.


    The last day of camp seemed to last longer than other days and to think that we left early for the trip back. The trip back seemed like it’s taking forever, I grew impatient. We didn’t get back until after 6:00 P.M. Dad waited for me. I didn’t expect him to pick me up. Excited to learn more about the baby I drilled Dad with questions. I noticed Dad wasn’t happy to tell me anything. I got quiet. His head was down and he didn’t start the car yet. Minutes later after I stopped talking, he looked at me. “Son, listen carefully I need to tell you something about the baby.”  “Is she okay? Is Mom all right?”  I felt a cold wind brushed my skin.  “Listen, don’t talk until I finished. Mom is okay she’s checking out tomorrow. Jenny, that’s your new sister’s name she is going to need prayers from us. She’s not supposed to be out yet, her lungs can’t support her, her intestine isn’t ready yet and other little problems, but the most important thing is her lungs. She is living in an incubator for now until she can breathe by herself. She might stay there longer than three months. We need to be strong for her.” Dad paused to take a deep breath, I interrupted in turn, and “Can we go see Mom and Jenny tonight?”  “No son, I just came from there. I called Andrea from the hospital and told her that I would pick you up, so I could talk to you about this. It’s late, they don’t allow visitor for Jenny after this hour. Tomorrow is Saturday you can visit the baby while I help Mom checks out.”  “We’re just going to leave the baby there?” The thought of leaving her frazzled me.  “No, Mom will be watching her every day, until its time to leave for the night.”  “I’ll watch her with Mom.”  He patted me on the back. He had a worried look on his face but tried hard not to show it. He started the car. On the way home, I was deep in thought about Jenny. I even didn’t realize we’re home until Dad nudged me. I carried my bag and went straight to my room. Andrea helped Dad with the others. In my room I was phasing, I walked back and forth from my bed to the bathroom trying to calm down, as if it was the most logical thing to do then.


    Saturday, I was nervous. I hardly ate my cereal. After breakfast, Dad and I have gone to the hospital. I first went to see Mom, and then I asked if I could see my sister. Dad offered to bring me there but I asked if I could find her myself. I wanted to go by myself I didn’t know why. When I found the room where she was, the nurse walked me to her little apparatus. The room was large with at least a dozen apparatuses, there were like five of them that had little babies in it, Jenny was one of them. The nurse didn’t walk me all the way she left when we got closer. I was very nervous my legs were shaking. I didn’t think it was such a good idea any more for me coming all by myself. I could see her little body lying there. I walked closer until I could touch the apparatus. I put both hands on top and I leaned my forehead against it.


    My eyes focused on her. Tears escaped my eyes and my heart crushed totally. I remembered what Dad had said very clearly. “She’s going to need prayers from us.” All of a sudden, I was put on the spot. My own heart, my faith was put to the test. Legs were exceedingly shaky, I sank to my knees and right there I searched my heart. How much faith in God do I have, or if I have any. I went to youth camp not because I wanted to be close to God, but because I wanted the attention of a girl. I didn’t have the faith I needed for Jenny because I realized I didn’t have Him in me and I didn’t know Him inside me. I wept. I didn’t care for a minute if somebody was in there with me, or, if they can hear me at all crying. I had one thing in mind, to talk to God in my heart. I asked forgiveness on the spot and invited Jesus to live in me. I was in that position for about an hour, didn’t move or budge, I felt the Spirit wrapped my entire body, and He just wanted me to stay put.


    Finally, my heart was light and I felt as if a heavy load had left me. I stood up and looked at Jenny again. I had joy and I could feel the Spirit in me, from that moment I was different. I promised Jenny. “I will take care of you and love you more than just a sister for the rest of my life. I will come visit you everyday until you get out of here. Promise me that you will hang in there; you will pull through this, because I know, you will. I love you my beautiful little Jenny.” I didn’t notice Mom and Dad behind me. Mom put her hand on my shoulder, then she hugged me when I looked back and she said, “Thank you Matt, and we, Jenny, Dad and I, love you. We’re very proud of you for finally finding your place.”


    I spent the rest of summer vacation in the hospital watching Jenny. The days and weeks and months had passed Jenny persistently she was pulling through. She was developing right before our very eyes. Come August, I went back to school and after school, Andrea and I would drive straight to the hospital to visit Jenny and Mom would always go home with us. Jenny was out of the respirator after four and a half month. Her lung was getting stronger and the doctors wanted Jenny to use it already so it will expand a bit. Though she couldn’t go home yet, they still need to correct the others. Morning and nighttime, our family joined for food and prayer for Jenny.


    Jenny was a blessing from God to us and she’s a gift to us. God didn’t bless us with just Jenny. He also blessed us financially. My Dad’s business showed a drastic profit increase for that year. Dad is in computer business making hardware for computers. Dad built this business when he and Mom just got married. The business started booming, hired more employees and they expanded.


    Dad said we need to buy a bigger house before Jenny gets out of the hospital, we had a big four-bedroom house already I thought, what somewhat big was he talking? Dad wanted to find a house away from the city but closer enough to the hospital. Mom found one that was perfect for us, much room for Jenny to play around, not far from my school, half an hour away. I went to a Christian private school. There’s a lake close to subdivision joint mouth with Clear creek and egress Galveston bay. The first marina that’s in the blue water is about half hour to forty- five minutes away from us there was no straight route from our neighborhood to the marina. The new place we found was a secluded neighborhood close to Clear Lake about fifteen to twenty houses built in that subdivision.


     The house we found was still brand new. The owner, when it’s close to being finished, the man transferred to a different state after promoted to a higher position and higher pay that he couldn’t resist. He moved with his family that they didn’t even get to live in it. It wasn’t a spec home the owner finished it then he put it up on the market. It’s a beautiful house with great design the owner designed it himself using cad work. He also subcontracted. A huge house for us but Mom loved the structure of the house and that it has a lot of storage area all over the house. In the hallways down stairs and upstairs were wall-to-wall cabinets and closets on the side of the hallways facing away from sight. Many of these storage cabinets and closets were strategically place around the house, and the doors don’t show that these are cabinets and closets.


    The house has six bedrooms. There are two rooms on the bottom, the master suite is one of them, four others on the top floor, each has its own bathroom, walk in closets, and the rooms are big. Huge kitchen area with breakfast nook and an island Andrea would love. There’s a big utility room behind the kitchen. Andrea would like it since she’s the one who does most of the housework. There’s a beautiful powder room with all marble floors and walls for the guests to use, a big formal dining room and big size receiving room with marble floors including the foyer. The other receiving room behind it is huge for a big gathering. A big study next to master suite with built in bookshelves in solid wood. The other bedroom is on the other end of the hallway opposites the master suite.


    The second floor has a huge playroom in the middle that split the bedrooms. Another big study room also with built in shelves the same as the one on the bottom next to the stairs that leads to the attic. Wide balcony wrapped on three sides of the house with ceiling fans all over. A detached four-car garage on the kitchen side of the house and big shed on the back of the garage. The balcony on one side is the roof to the walkway from the garage to the door that goes inside the utility room that leads to the kitchen. The house is about 6000 square feet. The house sets on top of a hill on five and a half acre land surrounded with mostly oak trees. The view from the second floor is impressive we can see the lake, miles, and miles of the blue water. Dad bought the house for Mom. She’s excited about it, she said, “When Jenny gets home she will stay in our room till she fully recovers. The doctor said that her growth development is not normal, but surely, she’ll pull through all what they’re putting her through. He said that they, he and the others were amaze by Jenny’s spirit, she has a tough spirit, and he loves it. That’s why he’s doing everything for her. He’s a very good man.”


    The moved to the new house was perfect timing. Jenny, after eight months in the hospital, they finally decided she could go home. When she left the hospital the Nurses and Doctors were heart broken, they were complaining that they’re losing their little angel, whom now, will be their inspiration when something was not going well. She was their inspiration holding her in their arms put everything in perspective and frustrations melted away. Jenny was the most loved baby in that hospital because she never made a fuss. She cried a little but just to let them know there was something wrong with her, she smiled a lot especially when they played with her. I thought she has the cutest smile I ever saw. I was falling more and more in love with her everyday.


    Mom made the room opposite them Jenny’s room. She spent a lot of time decorating Jenny’s room while she was still at the hospital. Mom used pastel wallpaper with cute angel designs. She put a princess style full size bed with matching dressers and vanity desk with hutch, nightstand and accessories. Mom changed most of the furniture we had from the last house. Her excuse was new house should have new furniture. Dad just smiled and shook his head. From the day Jenny came home until she was two years old, she slept with Mom and Dad in their room. Mom made the other half of their room a nursery for Jenny; it’s a huge master suite. Jenny’s nursery didn’t cramp their style at all, but it didn’t matter to them anyway, Mom wanted to make sure that if something happened to Jenny, Mom and Dad were right there with her. Mom’s paranoid about it.