Shelton Family Saga

Chapter 49

Restoration
2018  - Dallas, TX

A disgraced and retired pastor, Anthony "Big Star" Givens regretted absolutely zero events about his life. At seventy two years old, he was overjoyed by the favor God had bestowed on him over the years, and infinitely grateful for the grace and mercy.

Unfortunately, the trial had lasted a year and the events in the media caused a firestorm that led to the church calling for the resignation of the renowned pastor. After the trial, ten years passed before Cazee was able to come to grips with everything that happened on her wedding day and find forgiveness in her heart for the pastor and Frankie. She took it upon herself to reach out to them and they decided to put everything behind them and come together for a newer and brighter future. They would all start by attending church services in Dallas, TX.

As the black Rolls Royce Cullinan slowly pulled up front and center of his former self built megachurch, Anthony "Big Star" Givens waited until the car had fully stopped and was placed in park with the engine turned off before he attempted to emerge. When he did, he took his time getting out of the car. He had never ridden in a car so expensive. The closest he ever came to anything that extravagant was with his big fine Cadillacs over the years.

Once outside, he stretched his one good arm up to the sky as high as it would go and then proceeded to rub his bald head. He was still horribly disfigured from the car fire he was in years ago that burned over forty percent of his body. Over the years, time caused his skin to wrinkle and sag making his appearance that much worse. Frankie, who had already gotten out of the car, stood tall and proud beside him. Lastly, Cazee walked around to the passenger side where they were standing, smiled at them both and softly asked, "Shall we," as she glanced toward the Church's entrance. The three of them, being the odd bunch they were as a billionaire heiress, disgraced pastor and a drag queen extraordinaire, started the walk toward the church doors. Once inside, they quietly slipped into an open pew on the back row, and after being seated, they joined in to sing along with the choir,

Whaaat a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
Whaaat a pri-vil-ege to car-ry
Ev-erything to God in prayer

It was such a special day. Especially for Frankie.  He wouldn't give a sermon, but he would give a testimony. That's all he could do, being he was still atheist. Anthony asked him,

"Frankie if you're still an atheist, like you claim, then who did you come here to praise?"

"The Pastor."

"But you don't know him," Anthony whispered.

"Oh, I know him huntee, Frankie giggled. "HE lives in me. That's why I'm praising HIM. Y'know, I just can't help it. It's the God that's within me."

Now, it was Cazee's turn. "So you do believe in God?"

"No huntee," Frankie giggled, "it's just my testimony, but watch me give a sermon on it. I'm 'bout to preach and take these people to CHUCH," he said with the emphasis on the last word, purposely leaving the "r" out of its pronunciation.

With that Frankie stood all 6'5" of himself up straight and tall. He wiggled his way out of the pew and into the aisle. With his head held high, his shoulders thrust back and all the confidence in the world, he took off for the pulpit at the front of the church.

"You know they're gonna grab him before he even makes it up there, right," Anthony whispered to Cazee.

"But, he's the pastor," she giggled.

Anthony shook his head in disbelief, "Right. An atheist pastor. Lord have mercy!"

Epilogue

Free and glad to be back at home in Velma, TX, Frankie eagerly shared the details of the whole ordeal with his bestie as they stood underneath an ol' crape myrtle tree much like the one in Helmsville that Hoochie and Hollywood use to sit beneath to share secrets, and he poured out all the details. He told her about going to Dallas to accompany retired Pastor Givens to his former megachurch for a celebratory praise and getting to ride there in a Rolls Royce owned by billionaire heiress Cazee Shelton, who was actually Shar's fourth cousin twice removed. He went full force as he spilled all the details with as much drama as he could muster.

"Girl, them people grabbed me!"

Dying with laughter, Shar asked him, "How'd you get loose?"

"My daaaddy, girl, my daddy. He had to tell them people who I was huntee."

Still doubled over with laughter, Shar was in tears now. She was crying with laughter, but also crying tears of joy to have her friend back. Her best friend since second grade; there was not, nor would there ever be, another like him. Franklin Arthur Callie Thompson.  FACT!

At that very moment, as it usually does during tornado season in North Texas, the sky instantly turned the deepest shade of dark gray and then to black. The wind picked up with intermittent big drops of rain, pelting them both through the frigid wind. Out of nowhere, a long streak of lightening lit up the dark sky. Then without any warning came a boisterous BOOM. It was the loudest explosion of thunder that echoed with perpetual sound waves. The rain was showering down consistently now. Frankie, in a solemn demeanor, reached into his backpack and pulled out a brown paper bag. He slid the paper down off the bottle inside and unscrewed the top to the Sunny Brook Whiskey. Tilting it slightly, he let a little of the liquid hit the Earth's surface as he mouthed the words, Til we meet again brother, may our daddy in Heaven keep you lovingly comforted in his arms. Rest in peace Robert.