Spending a week with a family Part 2

 One night, I saw my mom in Church at the Sunday night service in passing. I had my suitcase and outfits and began to stay with Sister Brooks and her family in Squire Village in Manchester, CT. Pastor Saunders thought that it would be good for me to stay with a family that believe in good discipline.

Sister Brooks knew me and my family at Full Gospel Interdenominational Church. Naturally, I thought for the most part that I could relate to Sister Brooks. That year of 1984, I learned that things are not always like how they seem. For example, the only welcoming that I received when I stayed with Sister Brooks is understanding the ground rules of her and her husband's house in Squire Village during my week stay.

Sister Brooks clearly explained to me that we get up at a certain time to eat breakfast, then we have to get ready at a certain to go to church. Everything that we did was on a time frame. We ate lunch at a certain time and we ate dinner at a certain time, especially when we planned on going back to church for the night service or services. Sister Brooks let it been known to me that we eat what is put in front us on the plate and whatever we don't finish for dinner then it would be there for dinner the next night. 

Sister Brooks then brought out of her room a paddle that she named Sorrottie. She mentioned that little children who acted up in her house got paddled. Basically, I was to comply with all of these rules and there would be no problem. If I didn't comply to the rules in Sister Brooks house then there was going to be a big problem. I really got a good understanding of what Sister Brooks was telling me.

Well, besides the fact that Sister Brooks didn't have a lot to watch on TV nor do I remember her maybe having but 1 TV in the house, Sister Brooks and her husband spent their time reading and I spent my time in their guest room that they have me sleep in. I went to bed the first night that I stayed in Sister Brooks house. Sister Brooks would wake me up around 5 in the morning. Sister Brooks husband was in the military 🎖️ so that alone I felt like I was in boot camp for children.

I remember this one particularly evening, Sister Brooks had made sweet peas with my meal. That was the one vegetable that not even my mom could get me to eat. It was that same evening dinner time that I couldn't finish my dinner. So the next night, Sister Brooks had the same sweet peas for me with my meal. 

I remember saying out loud, "I'm not eating these sweet peas."

Sister Brooks husband instigatingly said, "Paul you are in trouble 😵‍💫, for saying what you won't do in this house."

Sister Brooks replied, "Paul, we went over the rules in this house. One of the rules is that you eat what is put in front of you on your plate. I advise you to eat your sweet peas Paul!"

I answered, "But I don't eat sweet peas." 

I knew I said those very words that Sister Brooks wasn't having me talk like that up in her and her husband's house.

Sister Brooks angrily responded, "Paul, I'm getting my paddle because you come in my house telling me what you won't do. I'm not having that up in here!"

I can remember being whipped about 3 or 4 times with Sister Brooks paddle Sorrottie. I eventually ate the sweet peas after bawling out and sobbing 😭. Sister Brooks knew I was going to write ✍️ my mom and tell her about this experience with Sister Brooks making me eat sweet peas incident. 

I wrote to my mom saying, "Mom, Sister Brooks paddled me because I told Sister Brooks that I didn't like sweet peas and she made me eat them, please come get me!" 

My mom and my brother Courtney came to Squire Village in Manchester from Hartford. In order for me to leave Sister Brooks house, my mom who is a licensed hairdresser had to do Sister Brooks hair. Courtney brought the checkers board game to help entertain me while mom did Sister Brooks hair.

Sister Brooks said, "Paul, you don't like it in my house anymore. You had your mom and your brother Courtney come get you out of my house."

 It would have just been better had Sister Brooks didn't say anything but she had to keep talking about it which didn't help the situation. My mom thought that was interesting how Sister Brooks got me to eat sweet peas. This family's motto, Proverbs 23:13 King James Version (KJV) "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod he will not die." Once the 2 weeks was up of staying with different families, I reunited with my family. Keep an eye out, there is more journaling to come about the experiences that I had at this church. God Bless You!

Squire Village Manchester, CT

Being paddled by Sister Brooks Sorrottie

In 1984, Sister Brooks made me eat these. In 1989, my mom made me love 💕 these.

Checkers is the very game that Courtney used to beat me over 500 times at. In 1985, I beat Courtney at checkers for the first time on my 7th birthday.