Angel In Disguise That Brought Protection

It was one beautiful sunny Saturday after noon. I was in my restaurant sad, lonely, heart broken and feeling disappointed. I had no customers and business was going down hill.

I can remember so vividly when I opened my restaurant. I came from Virginia with a little cash I had saved and was looking to start up a business in my home town of Timmonsville, SC.  I was so much excited and looking forward to doing something I so much loved to do at the time.

The location I found was right across the street from a night club. Oh business was doing good and folks was walking across from the night club, just to get a sandwich or two and even sit, talk and sometimes come over for a breakfast plate. Everything was going so great until jealousy began to strike from the business owners across the street.

They began to start serving fried chicken and fish sandwiches, but the people would still come over and patronize me. So no matter what they did to tried by keeping them on that side of the street as far as food, they would still come to my restaurant.  I was not a stranger to the community and was welled  liked and known. Knowing that the people was many I could not understand the jealousy and hindrance of  their actions.

I remember very well one night when the restaurant was busy and the owner also came in that night and just stood up at the door looking. My ex-husband, 'whom I will not talk about not much at all' walked over to him and invited him to come and sit down. He replied 'I don't have much time,' but he did come talked a bit as well as watching what was happening, got up to used the rest room and left. My thought was, why would he come over and not purchase anything and not even ask to see the menu. Any way we moved on to service the clients and to enjoy the rest of the night.

As time went on, business began to slow down. No one was stopping during the day and no one was coming over from across the the street.  'What is going on, I slashed out' Food was beginning to spoil and the bills was steady rolling in. I could not figure out what was going on and it had me very sad and in a broken heart state of mind.

This is my home town and it seemed like know body cared!  My father also was a business owner.  He ran a little Hot Spot "club" in the town of Timmonsville.  I felt he could have done something. After all he was my father! 'And he did!'

Mr. Willie J. Kennedy, Sr.
May 5, 1940 - June 10, 2000

My father was an all around, fun kind of guy. He was a community leader and served his community well with what his talents could render. He was known as The Wood Man. Anyone needed wood for the winter, they would call Mr. Willie! He also was known as The Lawn Mower Man. If you needed your grass cut, he would fix your mower or sell you one so you could cut your grass. But the secret with the lawn mower repair business is; 'he would do the pick-up and delivery, but my mom would do the repairs'  they made a great team.

My father would go out of his way to help his children in any way he could. So what he did to lift my spirits and bring people to my place of business; He closed his doors one  Saturday afternoon and brought all his clients, workers and his followers down to my restaurant and had the biggest fried okra diner ever. My mom, sisters, brothers and the community was there and we all just had a ball. The place felt like old time. My father just really made me happy that day. He did what he could do and I really appreciated him showing his love to me in that manner. He wasn't big on passion, but we knew he cared by the things he did.

After that day, things begin to go back as usual, 'no business' but i was still hyped up from the love my father had shown me. A week had gone by and my heart was now back in the state it was before the love of my father. I was now wondering what was I going to do? I had invested all my savings and now it seems like it was all a lost.

The ex-husband was now getting on my last nerve, because all he was doing was hanging around the restaurant when I felt like he should have been out seeking some other types of work vs jobs to try and help with the finances. Even from the very start of business I truly did not see his position being fulfilled in the business. When a customer walk in the door, he would tell me, 'you got a customer.'  When they was ready to order, he would tell me, 'they ready to order.'  I cooked the food, served the food, cashed them out, clean the table and washed the dishes. Wow! now looking back over my life, what part did that man played? I really could not see it then because a restaurant was my dream and I loved my husband. "once upon a time."

One beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, I was sitting in the restaurant full of failure. I was deeply hurt because I saw no way out but to give the restaurant up. It begin to become dim and glue-my on the inside so I took a walk to the highway, stood there, looking in both directions. 

Out of no where, 'I tell you the truth' I saw this man walking down the road coming toward me! I began to become nerves so I walked by toward the restaurant. I walked in side and started to watch out the window as this man was heading  my way.  But something told me to go out to meet him and that the least I could do was feed him since I wasn't selling anything. "And so I did"

I walked back out to the highway and when he arrived to where I was, I spoke and we just begin talking.  So I asked him would he care for something to eat. "I offered him, what I had" and he said yes. So we went inside, I sat him at the table, went to prepare his sandwich, brought it back and while he ate we all sat at the table and talk.

Now I'm saying to myself! This man look dirty but yet clean. There was no oder of any kind. So I asked him; 'Where are you going?' he replied 'I'm going to Florida'  Then he just begin to talk and tell stories. He may have stayed with us for an hour or so. I was not ready for him to leave, because he was very friendly and well mannered. I just really took a liking to the man.

So then he said I must get back on the road, for I have a long ways to go. So we all stood up, I walked him to the door, still talking and wished him a safe journey and watched him continued to journey down the road.

So immediately I thought, I'm not doing anything, I don't have any customer, I can drive him to the next town. So I jumps in my car and head down the road. I drive and I drive. So I said; 'Hey! wait a minute. This man just left the restaurant walking, how far could he be? This homeless looking man, came into my life, shared joy, made me smile, put joy down in my soul and disappeared

Now as I look back over my life. The very thing that happened next; 'God had send his Angel ahead of me to guard me, from what I was about to face!  *Exodus 23:20*

TO BE CONTINUED.....