Day of Atonement Read Online Free Page A

week he and Natalie had planned. It was a very likely scenario and one he hadn’t quite gotten around to sharing with Natalie yet.
    In his defense, on the day he had intended to speak with her about his plans, a horrible tragedy had taken place. There was a shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut in which six adults and twenty children were killed. His travel plans seemed insignificant at that point as his wife cried like a baby over the lives that were stolen.
    Part of her tears was due to hormones; part of her tears was due to her, in general, being soft-hearted. Though Troy did not cry, he did feel a pang unlike any other he’d recalled feeling ever before. That night, he hugged his three-year-old son, Nate, a little tighter, aware that some parents did not have the opportunity to hold their little ones and thankful that God kept his lil’ man safe. For someone who had no intentions of marrying or having children when he and Natalie first met, Troy was indeed a family man and loved his wife and son more than anything on Earth. He was proud to be nothing like his abusive, adulterous, alcoholic father. This trip to Houston was going to be a challenge as his parents had reconciled last spring and Troy would not only be spending Christmas with his mom, but his father as well.
    His parents had been back together nearly seven months now. This had to be a record for them. Troy had lost track of how many times they had separated and gotten back together over the years. It was a scenario that played itself repeatedly during his entire childhood. Sometimes several times within a single week! During his parents’ numerous splits, Troy’s dad stayed with his father. Troy’s grandmother passed away when Troy was a young child and his grandfather died shortly after he moved to Ohio. Troy’s mother called the place a “whore house” since it was no secret that his father took other women there.
    Prior to Elvin’s call, Troy almost backed out of the trip to Houston, but he did not want to experience the wrath of his mother who was anxious to see her “pumpkin.” A generally nice woman, his mom sometimes cursed like a sailor and Troy could only imagine the new words she would invent if he’d said they weren’t coming. He was still not sure how he’d let her con him into staying at the house with his father there. His mom claimed that hisdad wanted to make amends for being a bad husband and father. As far as Troy was concerned, it was useless trying to rebuild a relationship that never existed in the first place.
    â€œHe’s changed,” his mom had told him.
    Troy laughed when she also said that his father had “found Jesus.” “Where? Inside his bottle of Jack?”
    She didn’t think that was too funny. “People can change, Troy. We haven’t gotten into any fights or major arguments since he’s been back home. That right there is a miracle.”
    â€œWhat about the whore house?”
    â€œHe’s been steadily cleanin’ it out for a few months, bringin’ things he had there, over here. His ultimate plan is to remodel and then sell it next spring.”
    â€œDon’t tell me you’ve been helping him get the place together.”
    â€œNow, I’m not that stupid. I mean, if he really needed my help, I suppose I would, but he didn’t ask and I didn’t offer. I would prefer not to step foot in that house ever again. God only knows how many tramps he took through there. I haven’t been in that house since I was pregnant with Tracy.”
    â€œI thought he kept Tracy after school at one point.”
    â€œHe did, but I never went past the front door. I knew if I saw somethin’ I didn’t like, I might catch a case. The last time I was inside that house, I busted him havin’ sex with some heffa. Lord knows if I had not been pregnant, I could be in jail right now for murder. But, I did cuss