TIGblogs - Dennis Dames

Rough Cut

By Felix F. Bethel

“As you age and as you learn more and more about life in all its awesome power, majesty and pathos, you come to understand what King Solomon sought to convey when he returned and reported that, there was a time for everything under heaven; inclusive of a time to be born and a time to die.

“You also come to understand that, what goes around comes around; that whatever you sow, you shall surely reap; and so it now arises that I now find myself wondering about some of the seeds I planted in times past.

“And as I wonder, I am impressed by the fact that, seeds planted in this life that has been mine are today blooming like nobody’s business – some for good and some for bad. And in it all, I consider it all the greatest of joys.” Felix Bethel.

Yesterday morning –as the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed – I listened in as Aretha Franklin sang her heart out with a most wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace; and she said it just right, Amazing Grace – how sweet the sound/ Grace, Grace – so safe in the arms of Jesus and grace will lead me on/ and as she cried, I wept, I once was blind, now I see!

O grace/ and the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed/

And so, it was just yesterday morning - as the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed – I listened in as Aretha Franklin sang her heart out with a most wonderful rendition of Amazing Grace; and she said it just right, Amazing Grace – how sweet the sound/ Grace, Grace – so safe in the arms of Jesus and grace will lead me on/ and as she cried, I wept, I once was lost, now I’m found.

O grace/ and the thunder rolled and the lightning flashed/

That is just how sweet it was in the time when I sat and wrote these words that provide –as it were- some background to a story that just begs to be retold in all its wonder, pathos and resurrection glory.

This story begins with the birth of a girl-child in Harlem Hospital; the theft of that child – and thereafter years of struggle with an identity this child knew happened to belong to someone else.

She grew up knowing that the woman who purported that she was mother-dearest was no such person; and so, when the moment came, this girl-child confronted this Hecate and learned that her ‘mother’ was not her mother.

We now know the rest of the story – this woman was a kidnapper.

And the girl child in question – once named Carlina White – could one fine day admit: “I Don't Know Who I am…”

And so it was that she called a Missing Person’s Hotline and said, "I don't know who I am."

Mercifully, this young woman had in her possession a document that did not lie – she had a photograph of the baby girl who was kidnapped from Harlem Hospital.

As we now know, the photo connected her to her mother, Joy White.

[And Aretha Franklin cried out, I once was lost and now I’m found – was blind but nooooooo w I see…Through, Through many dangers, toils, I have already come…Jesus was with me…!]

And as Carlina White cried out –safe thus far; that same old grace; and she said, "I'm so happy. At the same time, it's a funny feeling because everything's brand new. It's like being born again…"

I want the world to know, it was grace…

And now we know that, Lisa White said that her sister, Joy White, knew from the photo that Carlina was the baby that was snatched from her so many years ago.

So safe thus far…

"My sister Joy called me/ 'Lisa guess what, they may have found Carlina.' I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' She said, 'yes I'm going to send you these pictures of Carlina.' And I said, 'send them to me,' and she sent them and she said, 'Lisa, that is mini-me. That is me, I know that's my daughter…'" Lisa White said.

She said, 'Yes I'm going to send you these pictures of Carlina.' And I said, 'send them to me,' and she sent them and she said, 'Lisa, that is mini-me. That is me, I know that's my daughter…”

That is precisely what Lisa White said.

And she said that, it made me so happy.

Felix Bethel is also happy.

This former black bastard and former man-child growing up green and young in the old days Out East is happier today – on this blessed Thursday – precisely because Carlina White, who is now a mother of her a 6-year-old little girl named Samani, has [at long last] met with her biological family.

And as I have learned blood spoke to blood.

As the news report notes, "It was wonderful, she didn't even seem like a stranger, she just fit right in," Elizabeth White said. "We all went up there, we had dinner together, her aunts were there. She brought her beautiful daughter. It was magic."

It was magic.

"I'm just so happy she's back. I said, 'you're going to get so many hugs! You're going to be sick of us.' She said, 'you know what, I never had hugs like that.' I'm just happy she's back. Thank you God thank you Jesus. I don't want her to ever go back I want her to stay here," Lisa White said.

Thank you God thank you Jesus. I don't want her to ever go back I want her to stay here," Lisa White said.

Here you may wish to know some of the news behind the news

Take note that, “Nejdra Nance, whose birth name was Carlina White, miraculously reunited with her family after 23 years.

“Nance was kidnapped at a Harlem hospital in 1987, just a few weeks after being born and ended up being raised in Bridgeport, Conn.

“Over time, she realized how much she did not look like the rest of the family, noticeably not like her alleged mother, Agnotta Pettway. The rest of the family also noticed the lack of resemblance.

“People would say little things, like she didn't look like Ann,” said Ashley Pettway, a “cousin” of Nance's. “But it was never spoken out loud, just things said under the table.”

“When the young girl got pregnant at 16 years old, she asked her “mother” for a birth certificate, but could not procure one. When she wanted to get a job, her mother could not provide any social security numbers or other documentation. Nance finally confronted her about it; Pettway admitted that she was not her real mother.

“The girl moved out and began a long search to find her biological parents. Nance went to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children where they showed her a picture of a little baby, Carlina Renae White.

“When Nance saw the picture, she knew it was her. And a DNA test confirmed it…”

The Center contacted Joy White, the mother of Carlina.

And so today, I can report that, Carlina has been reunited with her mother and her extended family – and that, God is good and yet again, He is right on time…

And as Carlina White said, “I'm so happy! At the same time, it's a funny feeling because everything's brand-new. It's like being born again."

Yes, Jesus, it's like being born again.

Thank you God thank you Jesus. I don't want her to ever go back I want her to stay here," Lisa White said.

Sure thing, it is like being born again!

January 27, 2011

The Bahama Journal

Caribbean Blog International