Chapter 16: Chapter 16

“Oh, it’s so nice to have both of my babies home. I was just talking to your grandmother and she wants both of you to come down to the church when y’all get settled in to help with the decorations,” she said, hugging Yolanda.

Yo and I just shook our heads. Since our family helped found the church, the obligation to keep up with the tradition and help whenever we were at home fell to us. Many a Sunday we taught Sunday school classes when the teachers did not show up, ushered because we happened to come to church with white dresses on and sang in the choir when the lead alto was too hung over to make it to service.

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The next day, Fourth of July, we were at church from 9 A.M. to 7 P.M. We sat through Sunday school, service, the church picnic and the Founder’s Day program with brief bathroom breaks in between.