When the storm comes

Thy hath Holy Hands

Disclaimer: I do not own the Clark sisters.

Notes: The kids from the neighborhood and church are making fun of Kierra and her weight. But one of them digs a little too deep and starts talking about her mama leavin'.
So, the Bishop gives her advice that Karen had once let him know before how she felt about people messing with her babies.
Time jump: It's now been three years since, Karen left them and no one has anything on her yet.

"That's why your mama left you she didn't want you no more!"
One of the bullies teased taunting a small Kierra. "That's not true my mama is just gettin help!" Kierra said still believing what her father told her. "Yeah right it seems like that help ain't working cause she still not back YET. She's probably DEAD by now!"
He yelled back at her and that made her upset. "DONT TALK ABOUT MY MAMA!" Kierra hollered back at those bad ass neighborhood kids. "And she's NOT DEAD!"
Kierra yelled at her. "Yeah right nobody can find her or her BODY! What does that tell you?!" Another kid yelled out tag teaming her and the kids started to laugh at her. "I heard her mama's a hoe now." One of the girls said folding her arms an arching her eyebrow evilly to get under her skin. "My mama NOT A HOE LIKE YOUR MAMA IS BEATRICE!" She yelled at the girl who was a tad bit taller than her and chubbier. "Oh please she's right. Her mama isn't a hoe. She's just a straight up WHORE who's been washed up. A has been.
A nobody now!" The kid said calmly but loudly getting under Kierra's skin and before, Kierra could do anything Beatrice pushes her on the concrete and then they started shoving each other until they got tired. "I HATE Y'ALL!" Kierra yelled at them and now their little feelings were hurt but Ki didn't care because she didn't start it as she went home storming.
When Kierra made it into the house her father didn't notice that she was stomping because she did it softly before coming in. But the expression on her face gave everything else away.
"Kierra what's wrong?" The Bishop asked his daughter knowing that she was quiet today. At first when Karen had first left she wouldn't talk. So, she was basically mute and it was because of separation anxiety from needing her mother. And Kierra slouched back in the chair upset. "Those kids are mean to me for no reason and they keep shoving me." She said huffing as the ten year old folded her arms and pouted.
"I'm a tell you what your mama told me
You go out there and remind them that you have holy hands. You know how you used to beat up J.Drew? You go out and show em'."
He said giving his daughter a pep talk.
"But daddy they also talkin about mama and how she's not a holy woman but a whor-."
Kierra started to say but then she stopped remembering that she was talking to her daddy who's a bishop. "They called her what now?"
He asked her.
And Kierra just turned her head not wanting to say it again. But he knew what he heard.
"Yeah you go out there and lay your holy hands on them and if they mamas and daddy's gotta problem with it then bring them to me!"
The Bishop said pointing the fork towards him as J.Drew was beginning to learn how to feed himself as he made a mess. But the Bishop would watch and clean him off from time to time.
"I'll teach them bad kids to have some manners and respect." He said as he ate dinner with his kids. "They also said that mama was dead." Kierra said in a low voice but he heard her as her face was glooming.
"Baby girl look at me." The Bishop said. "Your mama is still alive. She's just lost her way for a little bit." He said about to tell her the truth or half of the truth.
"As a matter of fact when she left she did leave all three of us a letter." The Bishop said. "Why didn't you say anything?" Kierra said almost forgetting who she was talking to but she fixed her attitude real quick after her dad gave her a look. "Sorry daddy." She said looking down at her plate.
"Because when she left you were too young to understand what actually happened and you're still too young to understand what happened. But I think you know the basic concepts of it since you are ten almost a tween now." He said choking on that last part knowing that his baby girl was growing up without Karen around. "And plus me and your aunties had already talked to you about some things. That your mom should've been here for and talked to you more about." He said, "And I know she talked to you once before specifically about Deacon Roy and amongst other things that God would forgive." He said, "But then again you were still too young to grasp the full concept. But nothing ever happened to you." He said tilting his head trying to make sure.
"Do you remember Deacon Roy?" Her daddy asked her. "Yeah that scary man who mama didn't like?" She asked him. "Did he do anything to mama?" She asked and the Bishop looked at her knowing that she didn't remember those early days of Karen coming home crying or having to be sent off to the hospital for the suicide attempt or being constantly watched by her aunties.
Nor drawing for her mama to help make her feel better. But he did save everything she drew. So, Drew dropped the conversation trying to change it because at one point in her life they were going to have too tell her especially when he gave her the letter. Because it went in hand-in-hand.
"Let's just say he wasn't a well-liked, Deacon at the church." He said and Kierra just said, "Oh." Going back to eating. "You don't remember staying at your aunties house or having auntie Twinkie watch you while she was over here?" Drew asked her one more time just to make sure. "No." She said, "I mean I remember talking to Auntie Twinkie about mommy and Auntie Dorinda being mad with something about Mama but that's it." She said and Drew just shook his head noting that so when she went back to the therapist he could tell her what came up.
Once they were finished with Dinner they cleaned up and Drew got J.Drew together making sure he was set and ready for bed.
"Daddy can I read the letter mommy wrote me?" She asked him as he tucked, Kierra into bed. And he nodded his head yes going to get the letter that was still in their closet locked up in the box.

When Drew came back with the letter he looked at her. "Now do you want me to read this or do you want to read it by yourself?" He asked her before giving it to her. And Kierra thought about it for a moment. "I'll read it by myself." She said, reaching calmly for the letter and Drew handed it to her.
"Alright. If you need anything you know where I am." He said kissing her on the cheek and walking out of her room.

To my dearest daughter, Kierra. The light of my life.
I'm so sorry for not being there to see you grow up, to see your way through school, experience your first love and first heartbreak. I'm sorry I won't be there to hold you or tell you that it's gonna be okay. But I do want to tell you that I love you and I need for you to be good for your father. I didn't leave because you were too much as some people might think. Other things were going on and I didn't want to affect you. And I hope that you don't hate me for leaving but you'll understand when you get older.
If your father ever gets a new girlfriend or wife please be nice to her and don't give her a hard time. Be nice to her for me. Watch over your baby brother don't boss him around too much you know he's sensitive and I want you to stand up for yourself because remember you're a beautiful girl growing into a beautiful young woman and nobody can take that away from you.
Remember I'll always love you, mama.

When kierra finished reading the letter she cried. It was like a weight lifted off her shoulders so her dad was right her mother didn't leave because of her as she would often times think. She had doubts about her mom leaving because of what everyone else was saying even though she knew her dad never really lied. So it was confusing to her.
But this letter what her mother wrote clearly before she left just confirmed everything that her father told her. It was like the Bishop and Karen was still one even though she was no longer around. And that's because the Bishop knew, Karen inside and out.
And that's the only reason why he had faith that Karen was still alive. She was just afraid. But every now and then Kierra knew her dad would just go out driving as he would say and look for her. He wouldn't necessarily say it out loud. But she knew that he would still do that especially if one of her aunties or all of her aunties would come over and just stay the night. Every year they would light a candle on the anniversary that Karen left hoping and praying that she would return home in one piece, untouched and unharmed.

To be continued....

Notes:
What y'all think about Karen being gone for 3 years?
And about Bishop telling Kierra to fight?
Yes I was inspired by Mama K telling that story. lol 🌚
What y'all think about them damn neighborhood kids?
Y'all think one of them knows something about Karen? 👀

Thanks for reading!