Matthew, Mark, Sandy and Ashley had a great time at the Junior Prom. Even though Mark was only a sophomore, his girlfriend Ashley was a junior. Deana liked the double date concept. One brother would always be looking out for the other.
As May was ending another school year was coming to an end. All three boys made the Honor Roll. Deana and Leon were very proud.
The first week of June, training began. Running, lifting weights and skipping rope constituted most of the work out. The running gave the boys fitness and endurance. Lifting weights was for building power and strength. Skipping rope was also for endurance and to build and strengthen twitch muscles. Obviously, the training Deana did with the boys was paying off. The rumor was that a scout for Georgia Tech University was coming this fall to watch Mark play. Mark could get a scholarship to a Division 1 college.
If you are a football fan, watching Mark Samuels play linebacker is a thing of beauty. He is nasty, relentless and has a motor that does not stop. When he tackles an opposing player it’s almost always a punishing blow. Offensive tackles and tight ends hate trying to block him. He never stops coming and never loses his intensity.
One poor offensive tackle on one of the weaker high school teams actually benched himself. Mark had beaten the kid all night long. In the second half, in the middle of an offensive series the kid takes off his helmet and hip pads and walks off the field. He tells the coach he’s done and walks over to the bench to sit down. His coach had to use a time out to figure out who was going to play right tackle.
A dad of one of the Morrison football players came up to Deana and Leon during a home game and said jokingly, “Your son Mark goes after the other teams quarterback and then he goes after the rest of his family. He is one ferocious football player.”
Deana was proud that Mark played with intensity but he never got one single unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Also, he very rarely jumped off–sides. He played disciplined football.
Morrison went 7–3 in 2019 just like they did in 2018. A seven win season for Morrison was considered an extremely successful campaign. They were a small high school in comparison to the other schools they played. Morrison did not have many winning seasons in the history of the school.
On Thursday August 22nd, 2019 Deana turned 32 years old. If this was going to be her last birthday, she wanted to do something she loved. Leon and Deana took off from work and got Luke out of school for the day. They went back to the Georgia Aquarium. Deana and Luke absolutely loved the “Dolphin Tales” show. Friday would be Luke’s birthday and she’d promised to bring him back, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
This year’s show was even better than the show they’d seen a year and a half ago. The man sitting behind her said, “It’s basically a dolphin Cirque du Soleil.” Deana had heard Cirque du Soleil shows were very good. She was thrilled with all the cool new things she was learning. They had an early dinner at a nice restaurant then picked up something for Matthew and Mark. They rushed home to get Luke to soccer practice and be there for Matthew and Mark when they got home from football practice.
Saturday August 31st, was Leon and Deana’s sixth Wedding Anniversary. There were two places Deana wanted to see one more time; Hilton Head Island and the beautiful resort just northwest of Athens.
Mr. Vito needed her to work Saturday night, but gave her Sunday off. It worked out well because Monday was Labor Day. Leon, Deana and all three boys were all off from work, school and practices. Luke had a soccer game Saturday at noon and she had to perform at church Sunday morning.
The most feasible option was to go to the resort. Deana and Leon could leave the boys off with Leon’s parents and if an emergency arose they’d only be half an hour away. They could get to the resort early Sunday afternoon like they had done the first time they went there. The boys were happy to spend the holiday with their grandparents.
Deana and Leon got to the resort just after 1pm. Like six years before, they rented a beautiful cottage on the lake. The rose petals Deana loved so much covered the floor and bed. This time, she took a handful of the rose petals and threw them in the air and enjoyed their texture and fragrance.
Next, they went fishing on a lake that was three times the size of their little lake just outside of Dothan. Deana took extra time to enjoy its magnitude and beauty. As autumn approached, Deana was able to appreciate the splendor of the changing of the seasons.
Leon caught five fish and Deana caught three. With all the practice they had gotten over the past few years, both were improving as anglers.
Leon and Deana got back to their cabin just after 7:30pm and took showers to get ready for dinner. During the week Deana had gone into town and bought a little red dress. It was slightly more revealing than the black dress she’d worn six and a half years ago.
If you looked at Deana from the neck up, you definitely knew she was in her thirties. She had deep age and frown lines. She spent way too much time in the sun during her lifetime for a person with such a fair complexion. If you looked at Deana from the neck down, you would think she was in her early to mid twenties. She was just as tone as she was when she moved to Georgia in 2012.
The most amazing part of the resort was the five star restaurant it had on its premises. Not only was the food to die for, the seating was open air and the view of the lake and surrounding mountains was spectacular.
After dinner, the happily married couple walked through the beautiful gardens of the resort. This time Deana lingered over the natural beauty of the manicured paths. She noticed the star filled sky and enjoyed the wonderful smell of the late evening air coming off the lake. When Deana and Leon were alone on a hidden path, she kissed Leon with all the love and passion she had. She never wanted the moment to end.
The following morning, Deana and Leon didn’t have to rush to leave the resort like last time. Today was a holiday and Deana wanted to enjoy the cabin, the view and the sixth and final year of her marriage to her loving husband.
When Deana got to the restaurant on Wednesday, Delores was waiting for her.
“Do you remember Jerod Quinn from church? He asked you out when you first moved to Georgia.”
“Of course, I haven’t seen him in over a year. Whatever happened to him?”
“Jerod is now 30 years old. He got Lisa Hayes pregnant; she’s only 17. He led Lisa to believe he would marry her; he then took off for Ohio to live with his cousin. Mr. Hayes is ready to shoot him.”
“It seems God led me down the right path,” Deana said. “It was very tempting to choose Jerod over Leon way back then. I just had a gut feeling God wanted me to choose Leon.”
“It’s because you didn’t judge the book by the cover. You knew Leon was more mature and grounded. You knew he could give you a family. Deep down God let you know how to make the right decision.”
Deana smiled. “I give God thanks and praise every day for allowing me to make the right decision. I have been truly blessed.”
True to her word, Deana said another prayer of thanks as she got ready for Karaoke Wednesday. The restaurant was already starting to fill up.
Luke’s soccer team went 8–1–1 and took first place again. They went to Atlanta for the Veteran’s Day tournament again. This year they won the tournament. Luke added three new trophies to his wall. One for the division championship, a second for the tournament championship and a third for Most Valuable Player. Only God knew how much Deana was going to miss Luke.
On Friday December 20th, Deana got the email she’d been expecting for some time now. Mr. Wilson was on his death bed and would be passing away very soon. Mrs. Wilson asked Deana to come back to Tampa to say goodbye to him. Deana explained the situation to Leon and the boys and Mr. Vito. She packed a large suitcase and drove six and a half hours to Tampa.
When she got to the Wilsons’ big house it was no longer an orphanage. It was for the most part a large vacant structure. What was once a vibrant home for many children was now a big, empty building with a for sale sign in the f
ront yard.
It had been over seven years since Deana walked out of Tampa Hospital. Now she was walking back in to say goodbye to the man that turned her life around. Mr. Wilson was her mentor and dear friend.
“Deana Murphy, please come here and let me look at you. You are as beautiful now as you were as a young girl, maybe even more so,” Mr. Wilson exclaimed.
“Thanks for the compliment.” Deana did her best to hold back the tears; it was difficult seeing Mr. Wilson in the condition he was in. “I’m sorry for not coming back to Tampa to visit. My seven years in Georgia have been wonderful and amazing, but I really have missed you. I just wish you would have had a chance to meet my husband and our three boys.”
“I understand,” Mr. Wilson said. “Your calling from God was not in Tampa. Obviously He needed you to go to Georgia; I’m just glad you listened to Him.”
Deana squeezed his hand as she replied. “Believe me, I heard God loud and clear.”
Mr. Wilson fell asleep. Deana took a chair and put it next to his bed. She held his hand and started to cry. It was heart–breaking to see him like this.
Mrs. Wilson walked in and tried to console her. “Always remember Deana, death is not the end it’s really only a new beginning.”
Two days later Mr. Wilson passed away. Deana tried to comprehend what Mrs. Wilson told her. All she knew was that a new beginning scared her. She hated that Mr. Wilson had to die and the ramifications dying had on the ones you leave behind.
Mrs. Wilson waited until after Christmas to have the funeral. This would be the first Christmas in seven years that Deana would be away from Leon and the boys. Deana had a lot of time to think, cry and pray.
Deana was riding an emotional roller coaster. Mr. Wilson’s death was hard to accept. The wake and funeral were emotionally draining; and she was really struggling trying to understand God’s ways.
She went with Mrs. Wilson to the worship service at her Tampa church one last time. It helped to see so many old friends and acquaintances. But when Deana left Tampa on December 29th, 2019 she had a heavy heart. As she crossed the state line, she started to shake and cry. She pulled into a rest stop and found an area where she could take a walk and think.
Deana prayed and reminisced about the good times. She had four more months; she was going to make each one count.
CHAPTER 21
GETTING READY FOR 4–20–2020
Deana got home just before 6:30pm. The sun had already set. Luke was waiting by the door, eager to welcome her home. Leon rushed out to help her with her large suitcase. Matthew and Mark were on their way home after spending the day with their girlfriends.
Deana was tired; her eyes were red and puffy. She’d lost weight. Nonetheless, she marched herself into the kitchen and made one of the best Lasagna dinners she’d ever made. Later that night she enjoyed sitting by the burn pit with Leon and the boys. Leon rebuilt the burn pit for the New Year’s Eve countdown Tuesday night. The five of them roasted marshmallows together. Her smiles and laughter were a bit forced, but she smiled and laughed anyway.
The following Monday night, as she started her walk with Mark, Deana was wondering how she was going to figure out who was going to hurt Mark at school and why.
Mark could sense Deana’s anxiety. “Deana, you look stressed. Is there something wrong?”
“I heard something kind of strange at work Friday night. I don’t quite know what to make of it.”
“What did you hear?”
“Policemen come to Vito’s all the time. Friday two of them sat in my station. They were talking about one of your classmates. They said his name but I could not hear. The restaurant is very loud on the weekends. They said he was having trouble or some kind of dispute with his parents. For some reason they are monitoring the situation. Do you know anything about this boy?”
“I’m not sure who they were talking about. Are you sure you didn’t hear part of a name?”
“No, I wish I did. Please keep your head up and your eyes open for me. The police made it sound very serious.”
The truth was, Deana made up the story about the policemen and their conversation. She was trying to get any kind of clue or information from Mark. She knew the ‘when’ and ‘where.’ She knew part of the ‘who’ was Mark. She needed to know the rest of the ‘who,’ the ‘what’ and the ‘why.’ Deana also wanted to alert Mark that something was going on.
All Deana could do is pray and wait. Hopefully, in time, more clues and information would present itself. If it didn’t she was in big trouble.
This year, more than in the past, Deana strictly enforced Special Night for Matthew and Mark. Every Sunday afternoon Luke and Deana spent two hours together. Deana loved spending time with the boys and they enjoyed talking to her. It was a great experience for all four of them. Most importantly though, it helped her keep an open dialogue with Mark.
“The boy Ashley dated before you, is he upset at you for taking his girlfriend?” Deana asked Mark one Monday night on their walk.
“I don’t know why he would be. When I started dating Ashley, he started dating Jennifer Allen. Jenny is smoking hot and they’re still dating each other.”
On another Monday night toward the end of February, Deana asked Mark,” Do any of your friends or any of the other boys have really bad tempers. Have you ever noticed a mean streak in any of them?”
“The only kid I know that remotely fits that description is Randy Mullins. I’ve known him since second grade. He likes me, but he is one of those ‘I hate the world’ kind of kids.”
“Is he violent? Have you ever seen him go off the deep end?”
“No, never. He just talks a lot of crap. He hates the baseball coach for cutting him. He hates the teachers for giving him bad grades and he hates the principal. He’s said on occasions he would love to cap all of them. Randy is just talk.”
Deana quickly changed the subject. She asked Mark if he would go back to Turner field with her this April. Mark said he’d love to. Deana praised God; she may have gotten the lead she needed.
“Delores, what do you know about Randy Mullins?” Deana inquired two days after her talk with Mark.
“I know a lot about the Mullins. They live on the street behind me. I know I’d never want to get them mad at me.”
“Why is that?”
“Gerald Mullins was in Special Operations in the military. He was given some kind of unusual discharge. Rumor has it he beat the heck out of quite a few Iraqi police officers. He was training the policemen and he heard they backed down from a fight. I guess Gerald wanted to toughen them up. When he got home, he was in a bad mood. Now his disposition is even worse. I’ve heard him beat his dogs and I pray he doesn’t beat Randy or his wife Nadine.”
There was a good chance Deana may have found the ‘who’ and possibly even some of the ‘why.’ She was thankful for the progress.
It broke Deana’s heart when she thought about what her death would do to Luke. Imagine being under twelve years old and being told you have to bury your second mother.
Deana was everything to Luke. She was his cheerleader. She never missed a soccer game. Deana cooked and prepared all of Luke’s meals. She was his best friend and confidant. If Luke ever had a problem, he had a rock solid woman who had his back. Deana was the source of his confidence.
When Leon was at work and the boys were at school, Deana would rigorously train. She lifted weights, ran 3–5 miles per day or skipped rope. She spent hours on her music; she rehearsed alone or with Gary and Mrs. Jarvis. Often, when no one was around, she broke down and cried. She loved her life and didn’t want it to end.
As March was coming to an end, Deana stayed committed to enjoying the last weeks of her life. Her cooking skills were better than ever and she took the time to enjoy every meal. Her Sunday performances at church were awe–inspiring. She made love to Leon every single night. They shared more passion and more depth than any other time in their relationship, which was already extremely good. The kisses we
re even sweeter and Leon was late to work quite a few times.
Even work was more enjoyable. The job she hated seven and half years ago, and all the way through college, no longer seemed that bad. In hindsight, if Deana was not a waitress, it would have been almost impossible to raise three boys the way she did. Working only 25 hours per week from 5 to 10pm, and making what most people make working full time, gave her time to be a homemaker. She could cook, clean and invest time in the boys. She was now grateful for the opportunity she had been given.
Monday March 30th, 2020 would be one of the last times Deana would be able to talk to Mark before the big event happened.
About 15 minutes into their walk Deana turned to Mark. “How is your friend Randy doing?”
“Randy is a strange guy. He’s real upset at our English teacher Mr. McAfee. He gave Randy an ‘F’ on his term paper. It’s 1/3rd of our grade. If Randy fails English and one other subject he will not have enough credits to graduate next year no matter what he does over the summer or how good a senior year he has. Randy is livid; he says if he fails, Mr. McAfee will pay dearly.”
“What do you think he means when he says he’ll make McAfee pay dearly?”
“He keeps talking about wanting to bust a cap in the guy.”
Deana acted as if she was surprised. “Do you think Randy would actually bring a gun to school and shoot a teacher?”
“A while back I would have said ‘no,’ but the way he’s been acting lately, I’m not so sure. He definitely talks a big game.”
“Hey Mark, while we’re on the subject of big games, how about we hit Turner Field next week?”
Mark nodded his head enthusiastically, giving Deana the answer she was hoping for.
A Deal With God: The Power of One Page 20