“Double Dutch time,” Dana said.

  “Let’s do it!” Lisa and Dana found a group of kids and took turns double-Dutching with them while the DJ blasted his music and the neighbors grilled hot dogs and hamburgers in their front yards. She and Dana were going into the ninth grade. High school was going to be so much fun with her best friend.

  Dana grabbed Lisa’s hand, moving her away from the double Dutch. “Let’s go to the game room.”

  But Lisa started backing away. “You know my dad doesn’t want me in that game room.”

  Dana pointed at the game room. She said, “But it’s named after you.”

  Suddenly Dana disappeared, the block party disappeared. Lisa was left standing there, looking at the building with her name on it. Thousands of kids were going in and out of the building. They seemed older, more mature, more knowledgeable as they left the building. Many of them walked over to her and said, “Thank you.”

  Lisa was at peace. Everything in her life was not the way she planned it, but she had learned to trust God and move in His time. As she lay in bed, seeing the fulfillment of her vision, she felt herself drifting away.

  Come to Me, daughter, for you are My beloved.

  Lisa could hear John asking her to wake up, but at the same time she heard the voice of the Lord pulling her ever closer to Him. She loved John, loved their life together, and she didn’t want to leave him, but she couldn’t stop herself from drifting ever closer to the One who had so thoroughly captured her heart.

  She realized her days had in fact been numbered, and this was the day she was supposed to meet her Maker . . . her Beloved, so Lisa kept drifting until it felt as if she was floating on a cloud.

  * * *

  “Mom, telephone. It’s Mr. Coleman.”

  Dana was sitting on the sofa putting her heels on. They needed to be at the new learning center early. She was helping with a surprise they had planned for Lisa. She finished putting her shoes on, then took the phone from Judah. “Don’t tell me you spoiled the surprise.”

  Dana had been grinning, thinking about how much her friend was going to enjoy this night, when the grin was completely wiped off her face. She felt like she was hearing sounds, but the sounds weren’t making sense. Tears flowed down her face, and she started screaming.

  Jeff rushed into the room. He took the phone out of her hand. “Who is this?” he said into the phone.

  Jeff’s eyes grew wide, then he said, “I’m so sorry to hear this, John. Thank you so much for calling us.”

  He hung up the phone and pulled Dana into his arms, but she pushed him away. “No! No! This is not happening. Lisa is in her fifties. This can’t be truuuue.” She sobbed, and the word true seemed to drag as she said it.

  “Oh, babe.” Jeff sniffed. Wiped his face. “I’m sorry, Dana. John said she passed in her sleep.”

  Dana’s hand went to her head. She swung this way and that. “Why?”

  Ebony ran into the room. She wrapped her arms around Dana. “Don’t be sad, Mama. I don’t want you to be sad.”

  Dana hugged her child as she looked around at the family God had blessed her with. Life was full of important moments. If she hadn’t been paying attention, she would have missed those moments that led to the life she had been blessed with.

  Like the moment she met Jeff; and the moment when he wanted to ask her out, but he’d been scared she would think he was after her money. If she hadn’t made sure he asked her out, she would have missed out on all the love, and the life, they built.

  And like the moment when she sat at the lunch table crying as her belly ached from hunger. If she had been too embarrassed to accept the half sandwich Lisa offered her, she would have missed out on the chance to have the best friend anyone ever could have had. She looked to heaven, and with tears streaming down her face, she whispered, “I’ll see you later, girl. Save a seat for me.”

  Chapter 44

  Lisa’s face was now on the In Loving Memory mural, but it wasn’t only her face. A full-body portrait of Lisa was on the mural. The portrait showed her in a white gown with angel wings, and she appeared to be floating up to heaven right before their very eyes.

  The portrait of Lisa was right under the bright light that was attached to the wall above the mural. The light had never shone brighter as it captured the image of Lisa with those angel wings.

  Today was Lisa’s memorial. It was being held at Praise Ministries, but Dana had to come to Halsey Street to look at the mural before going to the church. She smiled at so many faces she had known and loved. Smiled at the memories of days gone by and the wishes and dreams of a troubled child.

  God had turned things around in her life, and thanks to Lisa, the learning centers would continue to turn things around for underprivileged youth in the area. Sadness filled Dana’s eyes as she looked back at the painting of Lisa. “I’m sorry you won’t be here to see how many people your life’s work will benefit.”

  Dana got back in her car and drove to Praise Ministries. It was a good thing Lisa’s church could hold two thousand people. The church was standing room only. Dana was amazed at all the people who came out to pay their respects. But Lisa had been an amazing woman with a heart for the people, so this was a fitting send-off.

  Dana and Jeff sat with John, Kennedy, and Mr. Whitaker on a pew in the front of the church as one of the choir members sang “Walk Around Heaven” by Beau Williams; then Pastor Jonathan tried his best to eulogize Lisa without shedding a tear, but his heart won the battle, and before he finished he broke down and cried.

  After all was said and done, it was Kennedy’s turn at the podium. She would have the last say. Dana grinned like a proud auntie as Kennedy took hold of the microphone.

  She cleared her throat. “First and foremost, I want to thank each and every one of you who came out today to pay tribute to my mother. She was a wonderful woman, and no one knew that more than my family.

  “I love her so much, and it’s so hard to say goodbye.” Tears rolled down Kennedy’s face. She wiped them away. “I said I wasn’t going to stand up here and cry before all of you. Lord knows, I’ve done enough crying since she’s been gone.

  “Many of you knew my mother as the kind woman who helped to keep hundreds of kids out of trouble while they studied and then went on to receive scholarships to college, and she was exactly the person you remember. But I want to talk to you about another side of my mother.

  “You see, many years ago something terrible was done to her. It ruined her plans and caused my mother to become bitter and unforgiving. My father and grandfather tried to get her to forgive, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Instead she let the things that happened to her destroy her from the inside out. I truly believe my mother’s high blood pressure was caused by stress and bitterness.

  “But I thank God the story didn’t end there. After she had her stroke, Mom found time to read her Bible again, and she found her way back to forgiveness. And you know what? The years my mother lived after her stroke”—Kennedy turned toward Dana—“After she forgave you, were some of her best years.

  “And I want to thank you for reaching back and remembering what you still owed an old friend. But I must tell you”—Kennedy wiped the tears from her eyes—“Your debt is paid in full. Please don’t ever think you owe us anything, and please don’t be a stranger. I’m going to need my auntie in my life.”

  Dana stood. She walked up to the podium and pulled Kennedy into her arms. Whispering in her ear, she said, “You just try to get rid of me.” Dana would be there for Kennedy, and she would serve her role as an auntie as best she could. Her actions were no longer to pay a debt, but because she had loved Lisa like a sister.

  God had forgiven her; Lisa had forgiven her. Now all Dana wanted to do was to be here for the people she loved as long as God allowed. She looked to heaven and said, “I still wish you were here.”

  After the service, as she and Jeff walked out of the church, she breathed in the humid summer air, looked around at the people going here and there. She took out her cell phone and snapped a picture. Dana needed to capture this moment and remember how good it felt to be alive and to be free from guilt and shame. It was a beautiful thing.

  A Note from the Author

  I loved everything about writing this story and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much. First off, although I have traveled to New York on numerous occasions and have great love for the city, I never lived there. And never thought I would write a book about the area . . . until I married my husband.

  My husband, David, was born in New York and came of age in the eighties in the Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy) Brooklyn neighborhood. He and I spent hours talking about this family-oriented place with a community unlike any other, where everybody knew who you were. And lifelong friends were made.

  As I researched the area, I discovered that Representative Shirley Chisholm and Elsie Richardson worked to revitalize the Bed-Stuy area in the sixties and many Blacks were able to buy homes and own businesses due to the work these women did. Even though this book begins in 1985, I couldn’t write a Bed-Stuy story without giving a bit of honor to those two phenomenal women. I pray I did them justice with the mention of their names and the cameo appearance.

  Back to why I decided to write this story . . . My husband began showing me pictures of the back-in-the-day Bed-Stuy . . . the Bed-Stuy he came of age in. He showed me pictures of Brownstones, kids shooting hoops in the park, kids spraying water from the fire hydrant on hot summer days, family and friends gathering outside during a block party.

  Then he showed me a picture of the In Loving Memory Mural with the faces of people who died in the neighborhood. And a story came to life in my writer’s mind.

  In the book, I show this mural from the eighties all the way until 2019. Although this mural is a very real thing that loomed large at the corner of Lewis and Halsey in the eighties, it was painted over as gentrification took over the neighborhood. I will be sharing the photo of this mural on my Facebook page, so stay tuned.

  If you came of age in the eighties as my husband and I did, you are well aware of the devastation that crack cocaine did to neighborhoods. It was not specific to the Bed-Stuy community. And this book is not meant to imply such a thing. As a matter of fact, I wrote about the destruction of this drug in my first series, the Rain series that was set in Ohio. But God is good and many of us made it out of those days and live to tell about it. In this book, I’m telling the story of a community that has lost its way . . . but one of my characters wants to revitalize it again, just as Elsie Richardson had done.

  The premise of the story came from a sermon Pastor Walter L. Bowers Jr. Esq., preached titled “Your Struggle Is About to Change Your Whole World.” I sat in church that Sunday, mesmerized by the sermon because I knew I had found the premise to build Dana and Lisa’s story around. Struggle . . . and what we do in the midst of it. So thank you, Pastor Bowers, I am so happy to be a member of your church, the Chosen City Church.

  I do hope you enjoy Dana and Lisa’s story. It is a coming-of-age saga that spans almost four decades. This book speaks volumes about the danger of letting life’s challenges make you bitter rather than holding on to God’s unchanging hand and becoming better. My prayer is that you take the lessons these characters teach and forever strive to forgive and live free from bitterness.

  God’s got a blessing for you, my friend. And I’m praying that you receive it.

  Blessings,

  Vanessa Miller

  Discussion Questions

  This book begins in 1985 when the two main characters are eighteen years old. Do you remember your teen years? If you were given the chance to change one thing from your teen years, what would it be? (If it’s too personal, just pray about it.)

  Dana hated her mother’s choice in men, but found herself with a boyfriend who was a thief and caused her to spend four years in prison. Why do you think people sometimes run toward the very thing they know is not good for them?

  When Dana attended church with Lisa, the pastor preached a message titled, “Your Struggle Is About to Change Your Whole World.” Dana’s struggle was poverty and lack of self-worth. Lisa’s struggle was unforgiveness. Their struggles did indeed change their world, but was there anything Lisa or Dana could have done to eliminate some of the things they struggled with?

  Lisa seems to have it all together. She’s from a two-parent home, college educated, married with a child, and she loves God. It is not until she faces adversity that we see her struggle to forgive and how that struggle affects her in devastating ways. In your opinion, is there ever a just reason to hold unforgiveness?

  When Dana first meets Jeff, she looks at him through the lens of past relationships. If she had kept her guard up, she could have missed out on a good man. But how easy is it to let your guard down once you’ve been hurt? And how much do we miss out on by holding people at arm’s length?

  Even though Dana and Lisa grew up in the same community, they had very different experiences. And they were both a product of their upbringing. What did you think of these two characters? Did you feel for Dana even though she betrayed her friend? Did you understand Lisa, even after she became bitter? Or did you not get one or the other at all?

  One of the themes in The Light on Halsey Street is “What You Owe Me.” Have you ever done something to someone . . . knew you owed them, but couldn’t figure out how to repay the debt you owed? What did that feel like?

  When Lisa discovers she has been betrayed by a friend, it seemed that was a bridge too far and she could not forgive such an act. How do you think you would respond after a hurtful betrayal?

  At one point in the book, John told Lisa, “What happened to you wasn’t right, but you need to pray about how you’ve decided to respond to this situation.” So, now I ask you, what length will you go to get vengeance on someone who betrayed you? Can you let it go, or will it fester forever until it kills you?

  Dana tried to capture beauty in her world with her camera, but kept running into the ugliness of life. It was not until she gave her life to the Lord that she was able to finally see good in herself and in the world. What about you . . . are you looking for beauty in all the wrong places? You’ll never know just how much beauty is within you until you allow God to cleanse you from within.

  Dana’s pursuit of her mother’s love was heartbreaking. I felt so bad for Dana after she thought she saw her mother, only to discover that she had died and things would never get better between them. What did you think of Dana and Vida’s relationship? Did your heart break for Dana as mine did?

  About the Author

  Photo by David Pierce

  VANESSA MILLER is a bestselling author, with several books appearing on ESSENCE Magazine’s Bestseller List. She has also been a Black Expressions Book Club alternate pick and #1 on the BCNN/BCBC Bestseller List. Most of Vanessa’s published novels depict characters who are lost and in need of redemption. The books have received countless favorable reviews: “Heartwarming, drama-packed and tender in just the right places” (Romantic Times book review) and “Recommended for readers of redemption stories” (Library Journal).

  * * *

  Visit her online at vanessamiller.com

  Twitter: @Vanessamiller01

  Instagram: @authorvanessamiller

  Facebook: @Vanessamillerauthor

  Acclaim for Vanessa Miller

  The Light on Halsey Street

  “The Light on Halsey Street is an emotional story that takes you on an up close and personal journey across the decades with two friends. The plot is woven with friendship, forgiveness, and faith. An unforgettable read from cover to cover by Vanessa Miller.”

  —Tia McCollors, bestselling author

  “Vanessa Miller delivers a poignant story of friendship and betrayal, bringing Lisa and Dana full circle, with an uplifting ending that proves there is power in prayer.”

  —Lacey Baker, USA TODAY bestselling author

  “Vanessa Miller set The Light on Halsey Street in Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, but she takes readers on a decades-long exploration of the heart. In her coming-of-age story, two women learn about the impact of bitterness and resentment and the power of love to heal and restore what was lost. Readers will find it hard to put this novel down, and they’ll hold on to these life lessons long after they turn the last page. Well done!”

  —Robin W. Pearson, Christy Award-winning author

  “Vanessa Miller’s The Light on Halsey Street is women’s fiction at its finest. Riveting and redemptive, The Light on Halsey Street vividly transports us back to 1980s Brooklyn with an unforgettable cast of characters and leaves you with the firm belief that light can truly never be extinguished by darkness.”

  —Joy Callaway, international bestselling author of All the Pretty Places

  “Vanessa Miller’s latest, The Light on Halsey Street, reawakened memories of my own growing up in the neighborhood of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, which is a testament to her skill as a weaver of words. The Light on Halsey Street is not only a story of times gone by but the resiliency of friendship, family, and faith. This redemptive story of two friends, Lisa and Dana, poignantly demonstrates that we need not be a product of our circumstances and that the power to change is within all of us. Miller has created a timeless tale that will resonate long after the last word is read.”

  —Donna Hill, author of Confessions in B-Flat and I Am Ayah: The Way Home

  “Vanessa Miller serves a heartfelt and fulfilling, Brooklyn, New York, literary buffet in this 1980s coming-of-age journey through friendships and hardships, all nourished by ‘the light on Halsey Street.’”

  —Pat G’Orge-Walker, Essence and national bestselling author and creator of the Sister Betty Christian comedy series