Helplessly Bound

Chapter 23

"The primary purpose of reading the Bible is not to know the Bible but to know God." —James Merritt

Promises are meant to be upheld but Fola couldn't get herself to fulfill the promises she made to her sister and the one she made to Bisi.

Her eyes drifted to the box that lay hidden behind the curtains in her study. She dropped the journal she held on the wooden table in front of her and took a few steps to where the box lay. Her knees connected with the ground as she knelt in front of the box. She pushed away the curtains and pulled out the box and rose to her feet. With gentle hands, she carried the box to her seat. Her hands grasped the latch and she opened the box with one pull.

A breath left her lips as her eyes connected with the contents of the box.

A brown dairy locked by a little rusting padlock stared at her. Moisture filled her eyes as she thought of the words written inside. Words penned down by her beloved mother. She gently pushed it to the side and gazed at the next book. A lump formed in her throat as she looked at the words in gold cursive writing.

Holy Bible, she silently read and her stomach flipped. She traced her hand over the black cover.

Sis, promise me you will try and rebuild your relationship with God.

The words of her sister drifted into her head and her stomach churned with unease. Her eyes remained on the Bible as different thoughts raced through her mind.

She might have forsaken God but she remembered her Sunday School teacher once said that the best way to know God was through His word, the Bible. And she was going to try that.

Her hands trembled as she gingerly brought out the Bible and placed It on the table beside her journal. She refused to look at the remaining contents of the box because she wouldn't be able to stop her tears from rushing out. So she quickly closed the box and placed it back in its hiding place.

She returned to her seat and picked up the Bible. Her hands trembled as she opened the first page. Tears gathered in her eyes as she read the words written.

This Bible belongs to the Gregory Family.

Tears stung her eyes as she read all their names written in the spaces underneath. A tear rolled down her face at the realization of the incompleteness of her family.

No more Papa. No more Mama. And no more Kit. She thought with bitterness. From a happy family of eight to a sober family of six.

She sniffled and used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears. She willed herself to stop crying but more tears poured out. Finally, a few minutes later, her tears dwindled to light sniffles, and her vision cleared.

What next? She wondered. Where should she start? She asked herself.

If you don't know what to read in the Bible, start with the book of Psalms.

Fola's heart lurched as she heard the voice of her mother loud and clear in her head. Her mother had given that advice on a hot night a year before she died. However, after her mother's death, she had forgotten all about it.

Her breath hitched as it dawned on her that she had been recalling the teachings of her mother more than she had in the last eight years.

The weight on her lap brought her back to reality and her eyes drifted down. Whether her mother was there or not, she vowed never to ignore her words. So she began to flip through the pages of the Bible until she got to the book of Psalms. Her eyes scanned each chapter as she searched for something that may help in her quest.