Martha Faye lived her life in despair; she has seven children four boys, and three girls. Her husband Kenneth Earl was on death row for killing a convenience clerk while he and three other men tried to rob him. Three of her children are doing life in prison without parole. Thomas Ray and Kenneth Earl Jr her two oldest sons were drug dealers and gang members, they were lucky not to get death for their crimes. One night they went on a crime spree shooting other rival gang members. During the shooting three innocent people were killed, two of the victims were children. The third victim was the mother of the two children; the three innocent victims died in the crossfire at a public park one sunny day. Martha Faye oldest daughter Rachel was a victim of domestic violence, she shot her abusive husband to death. At her trial, she stated to the court that she killed her husband in self-defense. A jury did not believe her, so she was sentence to life without parole also.
Martha Faye's daughter had four children; they are now living in the house with her and her four other children. Martha Faye works three jobs to keep a roof over her family's head. She knows she qualified for public assistants; however, she refuses to take any charities from the government. Her remaining young four children and her grand children are depending on her to guide them in the right direction. Although she is a proud person and do not want any kind of charity. Her income level forces her to live in a government subsided apartment in the city of Detroit, Michigan. The apartment is located in a bad section of the city where the average income level reaches not above thirty thousand a year. In order not to have her four younger kids and grandchildren to inherited the same misfortune as their other relatives who are in prison. She must get her family out of the crime-infested surrounding they currently live in.
Martha Faye opens up a checking and saving account at her bank. Every payday she puts at least, two hundred dollars back for her a down payment for a house in a better neighbor. It is a real sacrifice to put that much back, but she is more determined to get out of the ghetto. Two of her youngest kids Mary Lee and Patrick are on the honor roll at their high school. She is very proud of what they have accomplished. They both want to go to college one day; they both promised her that they will make her proud of them. Martha Faye prays a lot to God to help her get her family a house. She has often felt as if her prayers were hitting a close door. Her faith has really been failing; she cannot hear anymore bad news. Since the day the State of Michigan found her husband guilty of his crime, she has had to carry the load of providing for her family on her shoulders.
On Tuesday, Martha Faye clean houses for four rich families in the upper east side of Detroit. The rich families loves her work, she loves working for them also. One day after Martha finished cleaning her last house. Her boss Mr. Alvin Nelson asks Martha Faye if she could come into his office, he needed to speak with her. Martha Faye could not understand why he wanted to speak with her. This was the first time since of her employment with him he has ever asked her to come in his office. She is thinking that maybe he is going to terminate her employment. Martha Faye walks into the office where Mr. Nelson was on the phone with one of his clients. Mr. Nelson hung up the phone, looked over his glasses at Martha Faye," How long have you worked for me?" he asked. Martha Faye replied, "Well, it will be seven years next month." Mr. Nelson opens the draw near his desk and pulls out a blue and white paper that looks like a deed. He than gives it to Martha Faye and said, "Martha Faye, you know I owned several real estate property all over Detroit". She continued to listens and nodded yes to what he had said to her, "Since you have been a faithful employee I am going to sell you this property for one dollar". "Now, I know you are a proud person and have said on several occasion that you will not take charity. For that reasons I not giving you the property I am selling you it for one dollar." Martha Faye could not stop crying, she was so happy over the idea she and her family now own a home. She accepted the house; she reached down in her purse and got out a dollar bill gave it her boss for the purchase of the house. He gave her the key and the direction to where the house was located.
The next day Martha Faye gathered her family up in her old 1999 Ford station wagon. Her family had not any idea on where she was taking them. Martha Faye has never taken off work in seven years; finally, they drove in front of a nice huge red brick house trim in yellow paint. It had a large front yard with different color of flowers in the garden. Some people in the neighborhood were walking their dogs. Martha Faye got out of the car, she told the kids this were their new house. The kids could not believe their ears; they took off running toward the front door of the house. Martha Faye followed them; she put the key into the door, the door opens. They could not believe how lovely the house was. It had a large living room, dining room, a large kitchen, a den, and six bedrooms. The house had furniture in each room. Martha Faye thought to herself, this furniture must belong to the last occupants who live here. The children were so happy over their new house. Especially their backyard, it had a swing set and a deck for family cookouts.
When Martha Faye got back to her apartment, the children were so tired they went to bed. Martha Faye wondered how she was going to be able to furnish such a large house. She looked over her bankbook; she had saved close to ten thousand dollars for the down payment of her house. She had enough to buy some furniture and she needed to hire some movers to move some of their things.
On the next morning, Martha Faye arrived at her Monday job; she called Mr. Nelson to see when she could move in. She stated, "Mr. Nelson, my family loves the house and thank you so much for selling it to me. However, I wanted to know when are the other people moving out their furniture," Mr. Nelson answered," Martha, all the items in the house, the furnishing, appliances, curtains, and everything comes with the house. All you must do Martha is moved your family into the house." Martha Faye could not believe her ears. The blessings she receive restored her faith in God her prayers have been answered.
Seven years had passed, Martha Faye husband had died in prison of a heart attack. She writes her other children in prison letters every week. Her two youngest kids have graduated from college and both are medical doctors. Her grandkids and two other children live in the house with her. Martha Faye no longer works she retired and her two remaining children who lives with her work and take care of the family. Martha Faye tells anyone who will listen how God blessed her with a new furnished house.