The Secret Is Out

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

Foreword................................................................................ixIntroduction............................................................................xiChapter One: Separations, Reunions, and My Childhood Sweetheart.........................1Chapter Two: Marriage, Music, and Our First Tragedy.....................................6Chapter Three: Renewed Hope.............................................................9Chapter Four: More Than the Usual Labor Pains...........................................15Chapter Five: A Most Miraculous Arrival.................................................19Chapter Six: Welcoming Little Joseph and Unwelcome News.................................23Chapter Seven: Sickle-Cell Crisis Number One............................................27Chapter Eight: The Pain and Agony Return................................................31Chapter Nine: A Vicious Cycle and the Procedure That Could Break It.....................34Chapter Ten: Faith the Size of a Mustard Seed...........................................39Chapter Eleven: The End of a Long Search................................................42Chapter Twelve: Secret Weapon...........................................................46Chapter Thirteen: Spreading the Good News...............................................50Afterword...............................................................................53About the Author........................................................................55

Chapter One

Growing up in Dumas, Arkansas, was a great time in my life. My parents worked hard to guide their three sons—Edward (the oldest), Jerry (the next), and me (the "baby")—to become respectful, mature, and trustworthy young gentlemen. Although we weren't considered wealthy by any means, our family was rich in the love we shared and showed to each other.

My neighborhood was filled with other children our age, many of whom I am glad to still call my friends. Playing games like football, baseball, and basketball with them and with my brothers was always exciting and fun. We'd played basketball on the "dirt courts," which left each participant filthy, but that was half the fun as I recall, especially if your team won.

I enjoyed playing kickball the most, sending the ball as hard and far as I could and sometimes even getting a home run. I usually played center field on defense. If the ball came within a country mile of my position, the kicker knew that dependable Joseph would make the play. But I guess the most important reason I loved playing kickball was because it was during a kickball game that I first laid eyes on my lovely Darlene.

I must have been about eleven or twelve years old at the time. Darlene was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was not only pretty, but also had an inner beauty to match. She also had a calming effect on everyone. When arguments erupted during games, she would always stand on the side of fairness, no matter the situation or consequences. She was an advocate for honesty and fairness. Those qualities alone made me want to be near her as much as possible, or to at least be known as her "close friend."

I was fortunate enough to see Darlene on almost a daily basis after we first "officially" met. She and my cousin, Audrey, were classmates and best friends. I would get the inside scoop whenever the two visited each other or made plans of any sort, and I would always "unexpectedly" show up at Audrey's house or wherever they were going.

(Later on, I discovered that Darlene had anticipated my serendipitous arrivals and actually enjoyed my tagging along. Although I could never gain enough nerve to tell her how much I admired her, I think she somehow knew.)

My persistence in being at the right place at the right time was beginning to pay off. However, just as Darlene and I were beginning to become "childhood sweethearts," my dearest friend dropped a bomb on me—she told me that her family was moving away to Jena, Louisiana.

I was crushed beyond words. When Darlene left about a week after telling me the bad news, I actually cried because I thought I would never see her again. But to my surprise and delight, Darlene returned to Dumas for visits from time to time. She still had family members there after she left for Louisiana.

Darlene often returned for the holiday seasons. Although we had been separated by distance, it appeared that our hearts stayed in sync. Our growing affection, mutual respect, and desire to be together became more evident with each visit. We would talk for hours just to catch up on what was happening with each other. Even though I never knew exactly when and if Darlene was coming back to Arkansas, I always looked forward to seeing her. Whenever she did, my heart sang.

Meanwhile, Mom and Dad had reared three sons who had achieved moderate success during their school-age years. Edward and Jerry had graduated from Dumas High School and had gone on to attend college at the University of Arkansas. I, as expected, chose to follow.

The only clear drawback was the fact that I would now be farther away from my best friend in the whole world, Darlene—who had now blossomed into a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. Nonetheless, I left the carefree country life of Dumas for "hog country." But I soon found out that college life and an education and a career as an industrial engineer were not for me, and my first-semester marks reflected that fact.

Prior to attending college, I had graduated from Dumas High in 1981 as a proud member of the National Honor Society. I was fortunate enough to receive a tuition scholarship for achieving an exceptional score on the college entrance exam. But schoolwork in an area of study that didn't suit me well, along with financial hardships, proved to be my undoing.

Struggling to obtain the necessary books and supplies in time had placed me at a disadvantage from the very start. The workload was also something of a surprise. I had never needed to study much in preparing for my high school courses and found myself forced to learn how to do so on the fly. Needless to say, I failed miserably. I felt lost and out of place.

That was when I remembered a meeting I had had with an army recruiter prior to my high school graduation. During the meeting, the recruiter had informed me of the numerous benefits army service offered; discipline and money for education, both of which I needed plenty of, had been major points of interest. I decided I would leave college and join the US Army.

I completed my basic and career training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Afterward, I was sent to Fort Lewis in Washington State. As luck would have it, Darlene returned permanently to Arkansas only a few short months after I began my military career. Back in Dumas, she found employment as a cable inspector for a local manufacturing company while attending college at nearby U of A at Monticello.

After I realized Darlene was back, I requested and was given "leave" (the army's term for vacation or approved time off) to visit my hometown. I actually just wanted to see Darlene. Once home, I quickly contacted her. We had a lot of catching up to do. I had not seen or spoken with Darlene for more than a year, and I was very anxious.

It was 1986 when I saw Darlene again. She looked every bit...