Shelton Family Saga

Chapter 51

Frankie 2021

Frankie sat alone on the boulder at the edge of the ocean. The water was so pacifying, it quieted the demons of his spirit as he pondered the chain of events that had taken place over the past three years. At forty six years old, his life had been an expeditious timeline of circus-like events. He reminisced about his life as a young kid in Helmsville living with his daddy Juntas and mother Aniya. Things had been storybook perfect at that time. He thought about life after they moved to Velma, Texas and Aniya passed away, leaving him to be taken in by Pastor Willie and First Lady Tatiana of New Destiny Tabernacle. He let his mind recollect how in his early twenties he used to command attention on the runway competing in drag shows from town to town. That had been the most indelible time, cause whenever he showed up, every show was lit and the house was packed to a sold out crowd. He never once failed to close any of his drag shows by letting everyone know who he was by shouting to the crowd, its Frankie bee-otch, and absolutely no one was as magically fierce and unforgettable as him. Then his thirties happened with life getting harder; but, nevertheless it was still a good time. He continuously partied like tomorrow wasn't coming and he'd found a lifetime companion in his husband Corey. Never would he have suspected his life would experience a spiritual awakening with him facing a crisis staring down twenty-five to life for the manslaughter of his half brother, Dr. Robert Inglish. Doctor, what a prestigious title. He let the word loll around in his mind for a minute. Doctors are the people that help and heal the sick; and, to think he had taken the life of a healer. He lifted the roach up to his lips and inhaled a drag from it as he looked out toward the infinite lapping of the ocean's waves. His thoughts began to swirl rapidly inside his head.

Doctor....half brother....manslaughter....drag queen....adopted....Pastor Givens....conversion therapy....forgiveness.

Everything was starting to become a foggy haze for him. Not foggy like blurred, but foggy like mellowed out. A meshed together compilation of memories.

He couldn't believe the turn of events that occurred. Finding out all those secrets and having them revealed the way they were on a witness stand in the courtroom had been gut wrenching; especially the fact that Juntas and Aniya were not his birth parents. He'd been devastated, although he masked his true feelings about it for years. Even more devastating was coming to grips with the fact that Shar had been right about the whole God thing. He'd never believed in God, or had any belief in a higher power, before the trial, but then again he never had a reason to, at least in his own mind. Since the unraveling of events he was starting to think how ignorance is bliss, to a point. A man was dead because of him. A whole existence taken from another human being. He had killed a man, but not just any man, his own brother. Someone who shared the exact same mother as himself. Dr. Robert Inglish had been an accomplished gentleman of stature, and his career credentials were impeccable. Why did Robert have to be the one to die? The ordeal reminded him of the two brothers in the Bible, Cain and Able. And, yet here in today's time were two dead men, one by manslaughter, the other by suicide. And, just what was so bad in Corey's life that caused him to take his own life? Poor Robert was the one who'd suffered all the abuse and worked his butt off to overcome his tribulations. Corey had known all along that Robert was muh's favored child and thus turned to a life of crime extorting money from the rich, even blackmailing Robert in the process. This thing called life was so mysterious. If only he had the answers to it all, but he didn't; and, with Corey now deceased, he'd never find out. Why was he the one left to pick up all the pieces? He thought again about how Shar had worked diligently to convince him of Gods existence. Secretly, he believed now. Ever since the trial, he knew very well there was a God, but that was his business, not anyone else's. He chose to keep it to himself, cause he felt spirituality was a personal thing, and he didn't need any self righteous, Bible thumping, Jesus freaks in his face condemning him for his sexuality. They always wanted to attack him based on some scriptures in the old testament about Sodom and Gomorrah, but in his mind that's all they were was old! He chose to focus on 1 John 4:20, the scripture that read if any man hates his brother then he doesn't truly know God, because God is  love.