Chapter One
The holy bible laid on his lap as he read through it meticulously until he paused.As if one cue, everyone glanced at pastor Steven, the father of their so called Christian home .They were all set for the usual morning devotion.
"Chapter thirty two verse nineteen and twenty of Exodus says:And it came to pass as soon as he came near unto the camp,he saw the calf and the dancing,and Moses anger waxed hot, and he cast the tablet out of his hands and break them beneath the mount.
And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire and ground it to powder and strawed it upon the water and made the children of Israel drink of it".
Mr Steven shook his head, slightly raised his face and nodded.His only wife Anna and two sons watched their father preach.It has never stopped being the family routine ever since Mr Steven was ordained the new pastor of the church.
" Did you see what the children of Israel did?"Steven asked.The second son Maverick nodded attentively.
" And did you see what their rebellion caused them in return?They danced to calf! to material things! to just a common moulded animal! Like Ryan who never behaves like a pastors son"Mr Steven spat with grimace and then, the camel's back broke.
Ryan who sat opposite his father seethed with anger.Their angry eyes collided.Ryan knew it! This was what drove him to hate morning devotions.He was the black sheep of the house,he knew it.He was adopted from the streets before his step brother , Maverick was born.Maverick was gotten a year later and that was the beginning of the problems.They were all black for God's sake.Why won't he be treated a little bit like Maverick?? he always wondered.
They graduated from senior high school when Maverick decided to pierce rings into his ears and Ryan drew some tattoos on his left arm .They were leaving Hum-fogg high school in Nashville for good and wanted something memorable for them.
Ryan could recall the night of his graduation.Dad flinged bottles and plates on the wall to prove how angry he was with Ryan.He landed two hot slaps on Ryan's cheeks, pushing him to the wall, pointing fingers and yelling .
" You son of a mad fellow, you drew a tatto right?? You want to disgrace the family and show off as a tout in the ghetto!"Dad yelled pinning Ryan to the wall .Ryan choked, gasping for air.A few moment later, Maverick stepped into the living room .
"Mave, where have you been?"Anna hugged her son pecking him.
"Sorry am late mom"Maverick replied looking flinty as ever.
"Wow these piercings looks good on you"Mom smiled.Ryan watched the scene bitterly twisting his fingers.By then dad was on his way upstairs after dealing with him.
"Freshen up and come down for dinner boy"Dad said to Maverick who nodded stopping low to pull of his shoes.
"Oh how about me?Why the partiality uh??
You scolded me for the tattoos but you said damn nothing about Maverick piercings.What the actual fuck is going on?"
Ryan's anger bursted out uncontrollably.
"Imma kill you if you raise your voice in this house again!"Dad scolded before walking away.
....back to the morning devotion
"Wanna go out early today.So am skipping this devotion"Ryan said standing up already.
"Sir Ryan, don't be stubborn".Anna replied.
Seriously, everybody was against him?Ryan sat back seething with anger but didn't say a word.One could only see his once white eyes turning red.He would have done something dramatic that Tuesday morning if he wasn't a cool guy.But his phlegmatic temperament wouldn't let him go extra mile.
"Let's pray"Mr Steven finally said.
"Dear lord, bless our movements in and out today.Bless my wife Anna,Bless my son Maverick and bless America and the churches all over the world, Amen".Mr Steven prayed.
"Amen"mother and son said except Ryan who quickly picked his face cap flouncing out.