The Best of the Worst Times
writing as Kowanda Stroud
Wings ePress
In 1958 Janiece Addison is fifeteen years old and thinks she knows it all. But she discovers she has a lot to learn when she becomes acquainted with her father's new employee. From J.D. Sims she learns tolerance and forgiveness. When she falls in love with the new boy in town, Doug Sherman, she learns patience.
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The Excerpt:
October, Lawton, Oklahoma
"Dang I wish they'd hurry up, we're the only ones here," Janiece said and looked to the corner again. "I wonder why Mama and Daddy are so late picking us up?"
"Well, don't worry they'll be here soon," her best friend Jessie told her looking in the window of the jewelry store next door to the Lawton Theater. "Look at this ring! I'll bet it costs a fortune."
"I don't care about any dumb ring Jessie!" She was too worried about the shadowy figure on the next corner to window shop.
It had been warm all day but it rained while they were inside the movie and now the night air was chilly standing on the wet sidewalk. Janiece shivered against the October evening breeze and held her arms across her chest wishing she had brought a sweater with her.
She scanned the deserted street again; it seemed they were the only people in Lawton, except for that man she spotted earlier.
He came around the corner just as the movie's bright marquee lights went dark. When he saw her looking at him he stepped away from the glow of the streetlight and hid against the building. She was never afraid in Love when they walked home in the darkness after a movie; but she was afraid now. If he had walked to them it wouldn't have been scary, but he had stopped so quickly and now it seemed as if he was trying to hide from her.
"Let's walk to the Rexall Drugstore on the corner; I think someone might still be there," she whispered to Jessie and tugged on her arm.
"Well, what if they come while we're down there? Your folks won't know where we are and they said to wait in front of the movie."
"Yes," Janiece said trying to keep the panic from her voice, "I know what they said." She glanced over her shoulder to the man watching them.
"Well," Jessie argued, "I don't think that drugstore is open, it might just be the janitor cleaning up."
"Yeah, but maybe he'll let us in and we can call Donna and see why they're so late. Besides…"
"What's wrong?" Jessie asked hearing the fear in Janiece's voice.
When she looked in the direction Janiece nodded she saw him. "Oh, okay."
They tried to walk casually, but when they heard his footsteps behind them on the wet sidewalk they knew he was following them. They gave into their fear and started to walk faster, but his steps quickened too and even after they ran as fast as they could, the splashing noise he made told them he was getting closer.
The only sounds seemed to be his footsteps echoing in the darkness behind them and the sound of their hearts beating.
When they reached the nearly dark drugstore, they screamed and banged on the locked glass door. A tall thin man with a broom appeared and after he unlocked the door they rushed inside.
Just as he locked the glass door behind them the door started to shake.
They ran into the darkness of the room to hide themselves. They wanted to hold each other and scream, but they could only pant, gasping for air, hearing their hearts beating in their ears.
They could barely make out the face of the man who had chased them as he shook the door trying to open it.
"Get the hell out of here!" The janitor shouted at the man pushing on the door. "I'm getting ready to call the cops right now." He held his broom in front of him as if ready to use it as a weapon.
When the man backed up a few paces, on the sidewalk, and raised his leg as if to kick the door down, Janiece and Jessie screamed in terror.
He stopped when the headlights of a car turning the corner shone on him. With one last menacing look inside the dim building, he turned and ran in the direction he'd come.
A 1957 Ford parked in front of the drugstore and in a few moments Nick Addison, Janiece's father, stood at the door and looked inside.
"Sh-h-h, Jessie," she whispered, "its okay Daddy's here, and he'll take care of us."
The Reviews:
Kowanda Stroud depicts a town and a family that spring to life in this stirring tale. She pens a read that grabs hold and makes one feel a part of the area. It is a place with secrets that someone usually knows, and in this case, Janiece appears to identify with most of what is happening in the town. She is like most teenagers who are eager to find love and new discoveries in life. I enjoyed her transformations while growing up, and learning the quieter side made her shine even more. I also liked when she went to her mother and discussed Doug. It was good seeing a mother and daughter communicate. They are a close knit family, even when her father is throwing biscuits at her. Some of those moments around the table are what kids can relate to. The Best of the Worst Times is a wonderful coming-of-age story that will bring back cherished memories for many of us, while capturing our hearts with another family, in another town. That makes it hard to let go.
5 Angels, Linda L.
Fallen Angel Reviews
Polish up those saddle oxfords and shake out your poodle skirt! In The Best of the Worst Times, author Kowanda Stroud takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of small town life in the 1950's. In Love, Oklahoma everyone has a secret or two and teen-ager Janiece Addison knows most of them. Though her life is full of the teen trials of the day, such as winning a lock of Elvis' hair, getting a brand new mouton coat, or getting a kiss from the cutest guy she knows, others in Love don't have it so easy. Many of the small-town folk who pass through Janiece's life are flawed but possess the strength to remain hopeful and, as a reader, you find yourself cheering for them.
Ms. Stroud has a wonderful mastery of the language and tone of the times and captures the essence of small town life beautifully. I heartily recommend this wonderful book.
Rita Thedford
Author of Tempted (Wings ePress)
One Dependable Man (The Wild Rose Press)
The Best of the Worst Times is a delightful depiction of life in a small Oklahoma town in a simpler time, when everyone knew their neighbors and doors were left unlocked. Kowanda Stroud weaves the story of Janiece Addison's coming of age amid the struggles and joys of everyday life. Those of us who grew up in any small town in the late fifties will remember fondly our days at the local movie theatre and sodas shared at the Rexall. Stroud's story will leave others longing for memories of life in a town like Love, Oklahoma.
Linda Rettstatt
And the Truth Will Set You Free
Coming in August, 2007 from Wings ePress
