By Sylvester “Nunnie” Robinson
The morning started peacefully enough though our daily routine would be turned upside down. Sonia, a late sleeper, and I rose early to take Bobby and Byler to the airport in Miami in hopes of catching an early flight to Cincinnati, with Dayton their final destination.
A smooth beginning on the I-95 express lane quickly evolved into a traffic nightmare as an eight car catastrophe with fatalities caused a drastic change in plans. Quick thinking and considerate motorists allowed our crossing all the way over from the express lane to the extreme right, allowing exit on to 81st Street. By now Sonia had googled our path to airport. Bobby and Byler quickly exited car on way to terminal, only to fine an intolerable but in some ways fortuitous delay based on an overbooked flight. Desperate and determined since Bobby had to eulogize a dear friend, and after informing us of the conundrum, Sonia and I received a welcome text informing us that they had been granted seats and were on their way. Thank God!
On Friday, the daughters, Elizabeth “Dee”, Pamela, Sonia and Carma Lynn; son Steve; daughter-in-law Keisha ; friend George Cone and son-in-law, I (Nunnie), boarded a plane to Wilmington, North Carolina, fully intending to surprise their 91-year-old father, patriarch and Westside Gazette Newspaper founder, Rev. Levi Henry, Jr., on this Father’s Day weekend. Since there were eight of us traveling, it was necessary to rent two vehicles so, while waiting on the second car to arrive, delayed because of purchasing food, Pam, who normally speaks with her father daily anyway, called to ensure that the plans were still un-compromised through stealthy communication with his wife Mamie. We absolutely pulled it off! Surprise, shock, disbelief, amazement – none adequately described the guttural emotion in his visage. The house or Henry Ponderosa from that moment on was filled with joy, peace, fun, laughter, great food but mostly love. The kind of passionate love manifested in experiences from the distant past that demonstrated a father’s love for his children, making unforced reciprocation easy. You see, when his first wife and the mother of these very adult children died of an aneurism when they were young toddlers, he kept a promise to not separate them. For two years, Brother Henry sacrificed his heart, body, and soul to ensure their physical, spiritual, social, moral and emotional well-being.
On Saturday afternoon we attended a Juneteenth celebration at a park in Hallsboro, N C. On Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day with an abundance of love reliving, remembering and reminiscing fun, unforgettable memories while enjoying a meal of hoecake bread, beef flanks, baked chicken, Lima beans, butter beans, pinto beans, white rice and ice tea. For dessert we had a scrumptious, made from scratch pound cake. Before the meal Sonia and I watched two services via Zoom: the New Mt. Olive Baptist and Mt. Hermon AME. However, there was one more service to attend at five in the afternoon, one that was originally scheduled for the park but an executive decision, based on the weather, dictated a change of venue to a local Masonic lodge inside. No one objected and we were treated to a down home country service with Hallsboro, native Staccato Powell preaching God’s word. Brother Powell has a way of connecting with all in attendance, making it seem as if you have known him or he you all of your lives. After the sermon, Rev. Powell prayed for all who came to alter. I firmly believe that everyone in our family, especially Brother and Mrs. Henry, and all in attendance, had a wonderful, blessed time in the Lord. The next morning before departing, we gathered around their bed so that Rev. Brother Henry could bless us with a word of prayer and traveling grace and mercy from the Lord. We then greeted the Patriarch with hugs and kisses in anticipation of the next time. To God be the Glory.
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