Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

realized that he suffered from serious alcoholism

brought on by his our deep sorrow over the loss of his

beloved companion. the African American woman

called Destiny. She had been part of his act, but more

important, a big part of his life.

One night after I had been with him a while, he

died in the rear of his motor home, lying beside the

replica of Destiny, a life- size doll he employed in his

show after her passing. Even though I feared it would

happen because I witnessed how much he drank and

how often, it was still a horrible shock to find him

dead in his bed, his arms around the naked doll. From

the smile on his face, I was positive he died convinced

he had found her again.

Mrs. Westington believed all this was meant to

be, was fated, especially my arrival here. and I must

say she persuaded me. I felt delivered, guided, and

directed to this place. Mrs. Westington's

theory was

that our loved ones who have passed away remain

with us for a time and have an influence on our "They do their best to watch over us and lead us

to happiness," she said. 'But only if they were good

people." she added. "How good they were determines

how long they can be with us to protect us. That's

what the Bible really means when we read, 'The sins

of the father are visited on the heads of his sons.' If he

was a sinner, then his sons have no guardian angel,

you see, and no one to protect and insulate them

against the weight of all those sins and their consequences. In that sense, they suffer. Your mama and your papa must have been good people. They're

still watching over you."