Mamma’s daddy had been a minister. He had given a sermon every Wednesday and Sunday. He was strict and led his flock with an unwavering faith. Mamma had grown up in this wave of believers. As a child, she had helped clean the church, especially before services. Cleanliness was next to Godliness her Daddy had always told her. When she became a teen, she helped in the daycare center. She helped entertain the young children while their parents attended church. Later, Mamma sang in the choir. She sang like an angel proclaiming joy while in the presence of the Lord. That’s where she met my Daddy. They sang together in the choir. Momma said he was the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. She said Daddy was kind and had eyes that always seemed to laugh. She said it were as if he had a constant litany of jokes running in his head, and that only he could hear the punchline. They had dated for over a year before Daddy proposed to Momma. Momma once told me that the whole time they had dated that she dreamed of having their child.
