Bridges To Cross
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Ashlee Cross was a sixteen year old high school junior. She was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. William Cross. Growing up as the only child made her somewhat of a loner. Even though she spent plenty of time alone, enjoying such things as hiking in the near-by woods, and writing in her journal, she was seldom lonely. As long as she had her journal, she never felt alone. Writing in it gave her someone to talk to almost everyday about her thoughts, her dreams, her perfect life. She liked to think of herself an amateur writer. She did help from time to time on the school newspaper, and she was proud of having a poem published in the International Library of Poetry. Whenever you saw Ashlee she was never without her journal or pad to write on. She wrote down her thoughts, her feelings, what she saw, and what she wanted to see. She was a straight A student and never missed having her name on the honor roll. She was a daughter to be proud of and her parents were very proud of her. More than anything Ashlee was a daddy's girl. Ashlee had been a daddy’s girl from the moment Bobbie and William Cross had discovered they were being blessed with a baby girl. William had known from the first time he had seen Bobbie that he wanted a life with her. He had even gone so far in his thoughts as to envision another "little person" like her. So, when Bobbie had one day returned his feelings and agreed to marry him, he had known that they would one day share his other dream of having a child. So, now, after having learned they would have a baby, he was joyous. He would often sit beside his wife as they lounged on the sofa and caress her abdomen, often singing a soft lullaby to his unborn child. Or, at night when they were in bed and Bobbie was near sleep, he would lay his head gently on her stomach and sing as she drifted off to sleep. He and Bobbie had decided to name her Ashlee because they both liked that name, and as she grew inside her mother, he would whisper to Ashlee, tell her about all of the things that the both of them were going to do together once she was born. He told her they would take lots of walks together through the woods and how he would teach her the names of the flowers, the trees, and other things she expressed any curiosity about. And that every weekend, they would visit the zoo or the aquarium where she could see all of Gods wondrous creatures of the earth. And sometimes, as he would tell her these things, he would feel her move, as if jumping with anticipation of being born and experiencing the joys that her father spoke of. Sometimes, while William would have his head against his wife's stomach, talking to their daughter, Bobbie would be asleep. But, at other times, she would sit or lie back quietly, smiling, and rubbing her husband's head, feeling overwhelmed with joy. She would silently give thanks to God for blessing her with such a wonderful man, and blessing their unborn child for loving parents. Her little girl was already showed more love and attention than she ever received from her own parents and for that she would always be grateful. Once Ashlee was born, she and her father did all those things together that her father had promised- and more. It was her father- not Bobbie – that Ashlee went to when she fell and scraped her knee while trying to catch a squirrel she saw once when they were all walking through the woods near their house. And she called for him to help her up into a tree to get the neighbor’s cat that had climbed there to get away from another neighbor’s dog. And as she grew older, it was William that she ran to first to show her report cards, or read her poems, and to offer her suggestions on the school paper. Ashlee enjoyed being with her father most of all. Her friends would often tease her for always hanging with her dad, but she loved it. William Cross was her best friend and she was not ashamed to admit it. Of course, she loved her mother as well, and she was close to her, but her father was her true soul mate. Ashlee and her mother had the typical mother-daughter relationship. Sometimes they would get along and at other times they clashed worse than stripes and polka dots. It was Bobbie who was the disciplinarian in the family. Ashlee could do no wrong in her daddy's eyes and Bobbie was well aware of that. One night Ashlee told her parents that she was going to a friend’s house but ended up at some boy’s party. She had to call her parents to pick her up because her friend had drank too much and passed out. Ashlee’s mother was furious and grounded her from hiking for two weeks. Ashlee promised that it would never happen again. She looked up at her daddy and batted her gorgeous gray eyes and said "please daddy, I am so sorry. I promise I won’t do this again. Please daddy?" she whined. William looked at her and slyly winked. "Ashlee," he said in his fatherly voice, "If this happens again, you will be punished and I mean it." Bobbie looked at William in disbelief and frustration, angry that he did not support her. William looked seriously at his wife and said, "Bobbie, this child has already been punished. It was punishment to have to call us to come and get her. She won’t do this again and if she does you can deal with her. Now, let’s go home." Sometimes Bobbie felt like she had another woman to compete with because her husband spent so much of his free time with his daughter. William worked as a third shift police officer. He was a truly respected member of their small community. His 6’5, muscular frame worked as an advantage to him. Most of the criminals didn’t give him any trouble. They actually respected him because he treated them with dignity as long as they deserved it. Ashlee and her father would often go on long hikes together and enjoy the serenity of nature. Ashlee enjoyed that more than going to any ball game or pep rally. Her friends couldn’t understand it when she passed up hanging out at the mall on Saturday afternoons. She chose to stay home and spend that time with her parents. Mostly with her dad because her mother usually had to go see a few clients in the afternoon. Bobbie had her own business. She sold Life Insurance. She worked from the Cross-’ basement. That was one advantage that she loved. Working from home had always been her goal. When she and William had first married she worked outside the home at a Beverage Company doing data processing. She truly appreciated the blessing of having more time with her family. She always hated the leaving Ashlee to go and punch a clock, now she can spend time with her family and contribute to the household income. Saturdays were the best time for a majority of people to sit down and discuss the insurance. William and Ashlee would pack their lunches and hike into the woods for the afternoon. They always managed to find a different spot to stop and enjoy their picnic lunch. They started taking those walks when Ashlee was about seven. Every December they would hike into the woods behind their house and find the greenest, most perfect Christmas tree together. On the fourth of July, they walked passed the park to view the fireworks from a greater distance because that really made the sparkles in the sky seem magical. Those were very special times they shared. They loved walking in any kind of weather and sometimes not saying a word, just basking in a comfortable silence. It would be them, nature and their individual thoughts. Hiking had always been a part of William Cross life. He too was an only child and his wife as well. Williams father, Curtis Cross, started taking him on hikes when he was about six or seven years old. More than anything, William loved it when he and his dad would get up before the sun rose and go for a fresh morning winter walk. He loved th
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About the Book
Bridges To Cross follows key individuals through a number of tragedies and challenges, raising questions about spirit, substance, and identity. Bridges open with a situation between Bobbie and William Cross, particularly the close relationship that William shares with their daughter, Ashlee. Tragedy comes into their lives when William is killed in a car accident, and both Bobbie and Ashlee are left to deal with their grief. Bobbie is resentful toward God, mostly because her husband's death comes at a time when she is just beginning to become more spiritually aware, but Ashlee's pain seems channeled into a more positive direction. Later in the story Ashlee is attacked and left in a semi-comatose state. Bobbie is terrified at the prospect of losing her daughter as well as her husband. Ashlee has a cathartic moment when she encounters the spirit of her departed father. Ashlee learns that it is not her time to die yet and she returns to her loved ones to continue on in her life, despite the hurt that has come her way.
About the Author
Beverly Jamar (Inspirations@knology.net) is a first time author. She has been writing since high school. She enjoys writing poetry and children’s books as well as novels. Writing anything that helps, to encourage, or inspire an individual gives her a feeling of fulfillment. She enjoys walking as a means of exercise and relaxation. She feels that she was led by God in writing this book and hopes that someone finds encouragement when reading the book. She resides in Huntsville, Alabama with her husband Jarvis Jamar and three children. God Bless.