I Am Necessary: So Worth It

By Jacqueline Russell

Joslyn is newly married to Andy James Richardson.
She and her daughter Jayla finally have the husband and
father that they’ve longed for in their lives. Joslyn’s
practice, “J.J. Family Counseling”, is doing quite well
thanks to her previous client Elaine. After counseling
Elaine and Dexter mo

• Language: English
• Publisher: True Perspective Publishing House
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781734030594

Book preview

A New Beginning

The constant buzzing of the alarm clock was giving Joslyn a major headache. She was too groggy to reach over and turn it off; therefore, she gave AJ (short for Andy James) a nudge in his arm to do it. He was tired as well but didn’t hesitate to reach over and turn it off. It had only been two days since Joslyn and AJ were married and he had to leave on a business trip.

The thought of him leaving gave Joslyn a feeling of separation anxiety, like that of a toddler being separated from her mom for the first time. Joslyn knew that AJ had to return to work but having that prior knowledge didn’t make his leaving any easier. However, she knew it was best; not to mention the fact that she too had to get back to work. Her client list was growing rapidly because of her former client Elaine’s word of mouth advertising. Elaine and Dexter had renewed their wedding vows and were really enjoying their newfound marriage and relationship with God. As a result, Elaine recommended a list of her friends and their friends to Joslyn’s practice to seek help for their broken lives. Although she told them about her and Dexter’s experience with Prophetess Barbara Gaines and what it did to enhance their lives, she wanted them to seek help from Joslyn as well.

Joslyn entered her office building bright and early on Monday morning wearing her new 3 Karat, white gold, diamond wedding ring. Everyone in the office was ranting and raving about how gorgeous it was and how radiant she looked. Joslyn felt everything that they were describing. She knew her ring was gorgeous, she felt gorgeous and knew that her smile exuded pure radiance and happiness; but most of all, for the first time in her life, she felt loved. It was a feeling of being renewed. Although she still was in such awe about how her life had been transformed and how she had grown as a counselor, wife, and a woman of God, she knew that her life was certainly in a different place. Joslyn was ready to take on the world and help every woman who encountered any of her past experiences.

After all the ruckus in the front office subsided, Joslyn retreated to her office to begin what would be a long day of checking email and phone messages and responding to potential client concerns. Joslyn set her black Michael Kors bag and brief case on the chair adjacent to her desk and walked over and looked at the city’s view through the window behind her desk. In February, the flower garden right outside her window always made things seem beautiful even if things weren’t so beautiful in her life. The bio-colored pansies in white, pink, purple and yellow lined the sidewalk right outside the window and when the sun shined on them just right, it was the most illuminating site. The light that disembogues from the flowers warmed her on the inside and always spoke, Everything is going to be okay, just like that of the Spirit of the Lord once you adhere to him.

Joslyn stood their staring at the flowers for a moment reflecting on how good God had been to her. Even in her mess, He was still good to her. She must have had a pensive look on her face because her new secretary Margaret entered and asked if she was okay. Joslyn assured Margaret that she was fine and asked her Why do you ask? Margaret stated that she had been standing there for more than two minutes calling Joslyn’s name. Joslyn apologized and asked if she could help her with something. Margaret informed her that she had several messages that she had taken because her voice mail was full, and potential clients are waiting for responses to their calls. Joslyn thanked Margaret, sat down and began to review the written and verbal messages that needed responding too.

Who is Abigail?

Joslyn pressed 5200 on her phone to retrieve the fifteen messages that filled her voicemail.. She listened intently to the first message where a woman appeared to be sobbing uncontrollably and Joslyn couldn’t make out what she was saying. The dial tone took over as she abruptly hung up.. Joslyn pressed next call and the woman was on the phone again, but this time she did state that her name is Abigail.

After stating her name, she said, I know you are wondering who Abigail is? Then she says, I’m glad you asked I am a friend of Elaine’s and she gave me your number. She told me to call you because I am having some problems in my life and I need help sorting them out. I don’t have much money, but I can pay you in installments if you are okay with that. I don’t want to take any medication because I know that ya’ll shrinks like to give people medicine any time they come and see ya’ll. I am not crazy, so please don’t look at me crazy when I come to your office and don’t write nothing down that implies that I am. I just want help sorting out my complicated life. I don’t want to go into details about what my complications are over the phone but ….and then the phone cuts off because she runs out of time and couldn’t finish the message.

Joslyn proceeds to the next message and it is Abigail continuing from where she left off. She says, Before the call hung up, I was saying, I don’t want to go into details about my complications in life over the phone, therefore, I need to have a meeting with you. Please call me back at 555-5655, again that’s 555-5655 and my name is Abigail with no last name. I don’t feel comfortable leaving my last name on a stranger’s voice mail okay, so don’t take that personal. Anyway, call me back soon okay. The phone called ended and Joslyn sat and wondered, who is Abigail? Although Abigail said that she received Joslyn’s number from Elaine (which Joslyn loved because of the word of mouth advertising that she was doing), Joslyn was a bit disquieted by the request that Abigail left on her answering service. Joslyn decided to review the notes that she had taken while listening to Abigail’s message.

It was customary for Joslyn to take notes while listening to messages because she wanted to make sure that she had all the facts when she returned a call to a potential client. Joslyn noted that her number is 555-5655, she doesn’t have the money to pay and apparently she doesn’t have any insurance because she didn’t mention it. She doesn’t want me to look at her crazy or imply that she is; she doesn’t want medication, she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving her last name with a stranger, she didn’t want to discuss anything over the phone, and she wanted a call back soon. Joslyn looked at the list of requests that she had written down and wondered yet again, who is Abigail?

Joslyn decided to return Abigail’s call before she retrieved any more message, as she had become intrigued with the woman’s dialogue and demeanor in her messages. Joslyn picked up her phone while looking at the number she had written down and dialed 555-5655 and waited for someone to answer. On the third ring, a man answers, Hello and Joslyn asks to speak with Abigail. The gentleman on the phone wanted to know what it was in reference to. Joslyn wasn’t at liberty to divulge any information regarding who she was because of the doctor and patient/client confidentiality clause. Even though technically Abigail wasn’t a client yet, she didn’t want to take that chance. Therefore, Joslyn told him it was in reference to a referral from a friend of hers named Elaine. The gentleman yelled for Abigail to pick up the phone and suddenly there was a busy signal. Joslyn waits a few minutes trying to decide if she should call back or leave this bizarre situation alone. While she was contemplating on calling back, her phone rings and an unknown number appears on the caller ID. Joslyn answers, Hello and Abigail apologizes for hanging up and said she is calling from her cell phone while walking around the block. Joslyn asked, What was happening and she stated matter-of-factly, I said that I didn’t want to speak over the phone. Well, would you be available to come in tomorrow around nine o’clock in the morning to discuss your issue? says Joslyn. Abigail agreed and they hung up.

Joslyn was a bit thrown off by this Abigail person because she was acting a bit strange and Joslyn had never experienced a potential client that was so vague with what was happening in her life.

Early the next morning, the aroma of Hazelnut and Vanilla Bean Coffee engulfed the house brewing downstairs in the kitchen. Jayla had decided to fix her and Joslyn some scrambled egg whites and turkey bacon, along with a pot of Hazelnut and Vanilla Bean Coffee before leaving for school and work. Jayla had grown so much and was so helpful with chores and meals around the house. As they sat and had breakfast they would always talk about their agenda for the day and their challenges as well. Jayla was concerned with a geometry test that she had to take after lunch because some of the formulas were a bit confusing.

Joslyn always told her to do her best and always go with the first answer that enters her thoughts because something had to have triggered that memory. Joslyn did talk about her first day back at work and how she was unable to get through and/ or respond to all the messages that were left on her voicemail or the ones that Margaret had taken for her. Joslyn was excited about the increase in business, but she was dreading the conversation that she was anticipating with Abigail all at the same time.

After Joslyn dropped Jayla off to school, she drove quietly to work. This is usually the time when she could clear her head and have a quiet moment with God prior to entering the chaos of the office. Joslyn drove for nearly twenty minutes before noticing that she was about to miss her exit to the office. Upon arriving at the office, she noticed a fair skinned, medium build, well maintenance, long, black wavy haired, African American woman standing near a white Jaguar.

Joslyn wondered if this could be Abigail, but she digressed from that thought because there was no way that this woman and the woman that left the messages, who she had spoken to, could be one in the same. Joslyn gathered her things and proceeded to walk into the building. As she approached the white Jaguar where the unknown woman was standing, she stopped her and asked, Are you Joslyn Richardson? Joslyn responded with, Who’s asking? She stated, Are you her? Again, Joslyn said, Who’s asking? Finally, she said, Abigail. Yes, I am Joslyn Richardson. You scheduled an appointment with me at nine, so why are you standing here in the parking lot at eight o’clock? Joslyn asked. Abigail, sounding a bit annoyed says, Well if you must know I had to leave early because of personal reasons and if it’s okay, I would wait until nine to be seen." Joslyn agreed and told her that she would see her inside at nine.

Joslyn was getting everything prepared because nine was quickly approaching and Abigail, no doubt, was watching every second on the clock. Margaret enters Joslyn’s office and tells her that Abigail was ready to be seen by her even though she still had more than ten minutes until nine o’clock. Joslyn agreed to see Abigail earlier and told Margaret to show her in. Joslyn got the preliminaries out of the way by asking her about insurance and payment. After that was discussed, Joslyn says to Abigail, So, what brings you in to see me? Abigail began by asking, Will what I say in here stay strictly confidential? Joslyn assured her that it would. Abigail began telling Joslyn about her complicated life. Abigail says, "I have been married to Roy for nine years and although I love