The mirror behind me

Chapter 1

It's the year 1965, I'm the baby girl of nine children, that resided in an eastside home in Austin Texas. My mother had remarried at the time. She had 5 children from her first marriage, which were 2 boys and 3 girls, including myself. Her second husband, my stepfather, had 4 children of his own, from his first marriage. 1 daughter and 3 sons.We lived in a very big house .To me, the house seemed pretty big, but I was only 4 then, everything looked big. I remembered that we all slept in one big room. The girls slept on one side and the boys on the other side. There were 2 beds on both sides of the room. For some reason, I slept in the same bed with my two older sisters, Only at the foot of the bed, I slept. My step-sister slept alone.

But as a child, I didn't know the meaning of a step-sibling. Nor did I ever hear the term, that is until years later. " After staying up late watching TV one night, we all seem to fall asleep one by one, I'm sure I was the first to go. And that may be the reason why I was the first to awake. I slowly opened my eyes but was hesitant to do so, because of a strange, very scary feeling. I had never experience that feeling before, so I was very confused. But I opened my eyes and found myself staring into the eyes of Satan. It was as if he introduced himself to me, thru his eyes. I don't even remember anyone ever speaking of the Devil, but, one look at him and I knew, even as a child.

I started to scream. But nothing came out. He had taken my voice. I started moving back to get up between my two older sisters. I then tried to wake them, and that's when I was paralyze. I then felt his touch, on my feet. I was so afraid. And then I began to pray to God. I don't know how I knew to pray. But I did and in no time at all, his touch was gone. I could move and speak again. Although I was a child, I knew this was no dream. I was numb from this encounter. When my mother saw me that morning. she immediately called me by my name, Nessa. she says, what's wrong? I looked at her, and said to my mother, I saw the Devil and he touched me. She took me by the hand and lead me to a small desk drawer, where she picked up a card from it. It had the Lord's Prayer on it. She handed it to me and said read this Nessa, every night before you go to sleep. It wasn't until later in life, I wondered how my mother assumed that I could read. I'm only 4 years old. But I was raised to do what you were told, without questioning the grown-ups. So Without questioning myself, I took the card and read it, without any problems. I didn't know as a child that that was impossible to do. Considering I never had any teaching of reading. I was still going to the babysitter. It was years later, when I asked my mom, how did she know I could read. She responded by saying, Nessa, you're one child, the Lord has told me that I don't have to worry about. I had no idea what she was talking about.

I miraculously remembered the Lord's prayer, right off the top of my head. From that night on, I always preferred a blanket when I slept,along with the lord's prayer, before I closed my eyes, Because the prayer worked the first time, I've always believed in prayer from that moment on.

Believe it, when I tell you, I asked myself for years, why the Devil would show himself to me. I took what was suppose to be a bad moment in my life, and made it a moment to be thankful for. After all, I learn the power that Prayer has, and I was given the knowledge to read. So I was eager to read a book. I loved the challenges that school offered.

It was a year and a half later when we moved, to a bigger house off of Springdale road. My parents I remember had left us home with my Uncle ,one of my stepfather's brothers, the youngest to be exact. Sad to say that's the only memory I have of him, shortly after that he drowned in the Montopolis River, he jumped in to save a woman that was being taken by the current, He saved her but somehow he went down a sinkhole.

So then there was another uncle, brother of my stepfather . I remember one afternoon after my parents left us with uncle .We were all outside playing on the porch. It was a long porch. we all sit out there and play a game we invented call cars. we would pick what color our car would be. it was fun. And then we notice a possum had made its way up on the porch and wrapped itself around the pole. Uncle told us to go in the house, we did. the next thing we knew, he was in the kitchen cooking. It was smelling good too. Not long after he called us to the dinner table. He had made possum with gravy and mash potatoes. We all sat down to eat and it was good. I then heard my parents come in. My mom asked myUncle what's that you done cooked? When he said possum. I was so glad I had finished,

The summer was finally over. I was excited because I was starting the first grade. I remember the first day of school. My desk was directly in front of the teacher's desk. My mom brought me and left. After the bell rang to go home. I watched everyone get picked up by their parents. After noticing no one was coming for me, I walked home by myself. At first, I went the wrong way, but I found my way home and ran into the best spot to pick pecans. So I filled my hand with some pecans and made it home. My mom wasn't too crazy about me walking alone, so I was asked to wait for my brother , to walk home with in the future. Sunny was working in construction and he and my mom had made plans to move to the country. To Manor Texas to be exact. That following year we moved to Manor Texas.