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eBook Category: Mainstream
eBook Description: Four young, African American women share a unique relationship with a wise old woman. The four women and their significant others all learn lessons about love, life and faith through Moma Bessie's wisdom. Coming to her for advice at various points of their lives, she never fails to make them feel better about whatever the situation may be. Her advice is often comical, witty, or plain old-fashioned.

eBook Publisher: Champagne Books, Published: 2007
Fictionwise Release Date: June 2007

Lord, it's another hot day today. Sittin' on the porch don't bring too much relief, but this is where I think the Lord can hear me best. Sittin' out here with the trees, my pretty flowers and all the lil' birds singin' makes me feel at one with the man upstairs. I'll probably doze off like I always do. The heat don't matter then. Somethin' about this big ol' rocking chair and a tall glass of iced tea does it to me every time.

Me and my late husband used to sit out here every day. Lord knows I miss him so. I miss havin' him here to talk to every day. I miss havin' him here to work with me in the garden. I miss cookin' for him and watchin' our favorite television shows every evening before we went to bed. I miss hearin' him say at every meal, "Thank the Lord and bless the cook, make no difference how she look." That used to tickle me every time. The saddest day of my life was the day he died. I lost the best friend I had in the world. I knew not to question the Lord's will, but I hurt deep in my heart. I still hurt. When you been with someone longer than you been without 'em, it makes it harder when they leave you. I know that the day will come when I'll see him again, and I will welcome that day with my arms wide open. The Good Lord must have some more work for me to do before He brings me home. I look forward to the day I hear Him say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." I feel like shoutin' just thinkin' about it.

This ol' rocking chair done seen some memorable times. I used to rock my grandbaby, Katrina, in this chair when she was growin' up. She liked to climb in my lap and look up in my face, hopin' I would tell her a story. Even though my grandbaby is all grown up now, I still like to rock her on my lap. She's my special one. Just like I birthed her myself. "Moma Bessie, this is like a magic chair," she would say to me. "Whenever I sit here with you, all of my problems just disappear." I would smile down at her and hum some of her favorite gospel songs.

This chair ain't no stranger to Katrina's friends Monique, Chandra and Donna either. Those four was always joined at the hip. When you saw one of 'em, you knew the others weren't far behind. Even now, when one of 'em comes to see me, I know I'll have a visit from the other three. Those girls was somethin' comin' up. I have to laugh when I think about 'em and some of the things they been through. I hope they always stick together through thick and thin. People nowadays don't cherish real friends. Always hurtin' each other or stabbin' each other in the back or being envious of one another. That's not true of my four girls. They'll help each other before they hurt each other, and that's the way the Lord intended it to be. I pray for 'em every mornin' and every night when I get down on my knees to talk to my Father.

I pray that they'll always have good hearts and strong minds. I pray for their children and their marriages. I pray that they'll always be there for each other through the ups and the downs, when me and this ol' rocking chair may not be here to hold 'em and all they have are memories.