Abiding Faith Letter 55

Letters of an Abiding Faith:

Legacy of a Slave's GrandDaughter to her Son

written by Ella Lewis to her Son (Rudolph Lewis)

Letter 55

September 27, 1990

My Dear Son,

Just a note let you Know I got the letter and the money. Thank you so much it Come in nick of time. Lord Knows I thank you. Thank God For you. I still praying For you as all ways.

I am home now. Bunk took the Surgery and the same Knot is still there. So she got the Same problem she had First. I worried about her Sickness. Altho she Say the doctor told her it was not Cancer. I tell you the truth I dont Believe all the Doctor say. So much For that.

I doing lovely Fair. Hope you are Fine. I rite you later. I under stand What you are saying about Evelyn.* But what can you say All I Know is when you get a girl Friend you have to tell her. You Just see her when you Can. O that was a beautiful part of the Scripture of the Bible the pastor quoted. I like that and its true lord Know We need prayer and more prayers. I running late the mail Be here Soon. I rite you next week.

May God Bless you

I love you From Mother

P.S. Excuse this short note.

Take Care of your self. I so glade you Found Christ. You dont know how good that make me Feel you in Church.* Got a job. I hope you all the Success in the World.

Commentary

* I do not recall what I said about Evelyn, my former wife. But I saw her again after I returned to Baltimore in 1987. Evelyn brought her daughter Ebony around to the union hall and introduced her to me. I am uncertain what she told the child about me. Evelyn and I had promised to remain friends or, at least, friendly. And so we have.

But by the time of this letter I had left the union, resigned again. I was forty-two and in great despair about having to accept money from my eighty-year old mother. I felt that I should be doing for her. I had had great dreams when I was a child of relieving her suffering and poverty. But I was never able to fulfill that dream. For on the whole, I have been poor all my days. I have done good things and have had a good heart. But I have never really made any money; nor have I cared much about learning the art of making money. One can not do everything and do it well. On a personal level, all went well between Mydea and me until I lost my job in 1989. She had a great number of problems, especially medical ones. She had continual problems of illness, problems with her kidneys. Then matters became worse when she informed me that she was pregnant, a pregnancy that led to an abortion. I felt like a louse. [See commentary for Letter 56.]