The Gordon Story “a

house divided, falls”

A Short Story
by Kertranka
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THE GORDON STORY

07-13-2020
2:40 pm

THE GORDON STORY

A house divided, falls

Chapter 1

The Early Years

There are ten of us. Arranging from the oldest to the youngest is Hollis Jr.,
Tetherorance, Gail, Wayne, Donald, Rickey, Kertranka, Judy, Monica and Keith.
I don’t know when it all started. As far back as I could remember, it was around the mid
nineteen seventies. We were bright eyed and big dreamers. “I’m going to be somebody
when I grow up” Is what we said regularly during the summers when school was out. It
gave us the time to form singing groups, to practice and enter the city wide talent shows
the local radio stations sponsored each year, hoping to become the next big sensation. So
we got summer jobs and worked hard saving up our money to buy the best outfits to
appear at the event.
I remember that the boys were making a name for themselves. They got a singing gig
on the weekends in the French Quarters and actually got discovered! Yep, the “Iceman”
Mr. Jerry Butler (the singer/songwriter and recording artist) himself watched them
perform one evening, saw potential, and gave them his business card. Mr. Butler was also
an agent/ manager at that time and was working with the Jackson Five. The next day my
brothers were excited to give dad the good news. My father smiled and blushed with
pride the whole afternoon. He contacted Mr. Butler and rest was history, for a short while
anyway.
Things were going great. Mr. Jerry Butler drove up right in front of our apartment with
his chauffeur, came through the kitchen door, sat down in the front room and introduced
himself to the family. The house was full that evening with my brother’s friends and with
the neighbors, everyone’s trying to get a glimpse of the celebrity. He was a very nice guy.
He would come by often to rehearse with the boys getting them ready for their first
professional televised performance. I remember seeing at home photos of him with the
young Jackson girls before anyone knew who they were, Janet, Latoya and Reba.
I don’t think the boys understood the prestige of having a business manager back then,
because in spite of all the hard work, long hours and time invested. One by one they
began showing up late for practice, and sometimes some of them would not show up at
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all, leaving Mr. Butler sitting at our house for hours. It was embarrassing. My father was
disappointed at them. It happened on several occasions. One particular evening I was in
my bedroom singing along to the music that I was playing on my phonograph, and Mr.
Butler heard my voice. He asked my parents to have me and Judy to come to the living
room. So they did. We went in, sat on the couch and listened to what was being said. He
wanted to replace Alvin and Larry my brother’s friends (the two that weren’t showing up
for rehearsals) with me and my sister. You see, I’m a singer and Judy’s a dancer. He also
thought that it might be a good idea to keep the talent in the family. “It was easier that
way, when booking shows, interviews, etc.” He continued. And then he suggested that
Tetherorance design the costumes.
This didn’t go over well with my brother Wayne. The other members of the group
Donald and Rickey were pretty much ok with the new changes, they just wanted to sing.
“No girls!” “We don’t want any girls in our group!” “It is an all male singing group, we
put it together and that’s the way it’s going to be!” “No girls!” Wayne was definite about
it. Eventually his attitude and personality took control, he were no longer interested. His
short lived singing career was over, just like that! What an opportunity that was.
He and Rickey became professional boxers, trained as prize fighters for Cobra boxing
enterprise. Folks were saying that Rickey’s style of boxing was very similar to the great
boxing champ, Mr. Sugar Ray Leonard’s with the fancy fast footwork and all. He and
Wayne won plenty of tournaments, and the living room was filled with trophies. Again
they were making a name for themselves gaining popularity. They were headlining in the
local newspaper, The Times Picayune. The press took photos and wrote articles of them.
Daddy was proud.

Chapter 2

I Was There, When

IT’S THE LATE NINETEEN SEVENTIES…

EVERYTHING AT HOME CHANGED RATHER QUICKLY:

My dad moved out of the house and I saw the horrible effect it had on my mom. She
became lonely and withdrawn from everyone. She started drinking. I watched as she sat
by the window in the kitchen crying each night while listening to the most depressing
music. And this went on for a while.
Aunt Gladys called and said to me, that my uncle Edward, daddy’s brother had just
died. I remember as he was coming up the side walk, and I told him. I watched as he
suffered quietly, trying to be strong. I could here him sobbing in his bedroom at the end
of each day. And this went on for a while.
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Rickey was killed and I saw what the disbelief did to Wayne. He became outraged
filled with both hurt and anger, entangled by his emotions. He wanted revenge. He’s
never been the same since. He spent most of his life in prison.
Hollis Jr. came from New Jersey to spend the summers with us, only to find himself in
the middle of a huge argument and fight that my parents were having. Each time the end
results were brutal. And this went on every time. Some vacation, huh?
Tetherorance left the family after fussing with mom and went to live with dad. Yep, I
stood on the back porch watching as he went down the stairs with his suitcase in his hand,
he stopped to looked up at me and said “Tranka, you be careful, and don’t listen to this
foolishness” I didn’t understand what he meant at the time. He told mom that he was
never coming back home again. And he didn’t. She asked about him a lot.
Donald’s reality changed. The family was falling apart. Suddenly he was without his
brothers. He turned to alcohol. I watched as he became a drunkard, drowning his sorrows,
weeping and coping with life to the best of his ability.
Gail’s children father cheated on her with another woman, and his family favored the
other woman. He married her and, left Gail to raise the three kids. It was a struggle. She
started using drugs. I watched as her life spiraled out of control.
I hit rock bottom after allowing myself to fall in love, and the guy left me. My life was
a disaster to the point of suicide. I didn’t want to go on, the pain was unbearable. I
decided to live because of my children. I thought about the affect it would have on them
if they came into my bedroom and found me that way. So I smoked three packs of
cigarettes a day until the hurting stopped.
Judy began using drugs and did all that I could to help her. She was in and out of the
rehabilitation centers many, many times. I watched as she tried to provide for her two
small children and couldn’t. The responsibilities were overwhelming.
Keith went to jail and how we girls just couldn’t believe that this too was happening. I
saw what this did to my mother. She was now officially an abandoned woman. Every
male in the house has left her.
I was there, when Monica needed me.

Chapter 3

Memorable Moments

I absolutely loved whenever Hollis Jr. came to visit. He was a great guy. Something in
the atmosphere changed from the time he would call and announce that he’s on his way.
Dad always met him at the train station, and we’d be at home waiting anxiously by the
window to see them drive up. I knew that with him being here at home would bring a
little joy and sunshine in. He came almost every year, and stayed the whole summer, we
all had plenty to do, and I hated to see leave. He and I were very close. He was kind to
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me and treated me just like a big brother was supposed to. And as an adult, living on my
on, whenever he was in town, he always stayed at my place. I love and miss him, we
were very close.
Tetherorance was quiet. He didn’t talk with us very much. He was and still is a
wonderful artist. When the folks realized that he had this gift, they were fascinated. They
came around to watch as he sat on the porch with his art pad. It made him feel
uncomfortable and he never did that again. He’s particular about people. He was always
in his room (the boy’s room) sketching, drawing pictures and studying. He liked going to
the drag racing shows at the Superdome to see what was called back then “The Funny
Cars” He bought a large art pad and had the idea to bring it to the show, to do some
sketching of the funny cars, and before you know it, he was being commissioned by
others for his work. The audience loved it!
My sister Gail and I were never that close. I don’t know why? Maybe it’s because she
already had her group of friends. I don’t know? She always seemed secretive…hmmm. I
guess that’s how teenage girls behaved back then. She had plenty of boyfriends and
talked on the phoned a lot. It would have been nice to get to know. I don’t even
remember us playing as children. That is very strange to me.
Wayne was also quiet. He didn’t talk at all, to nobody! And he had friends, Ha! I don’t
know how that happened. He had a mean spirit, and everyone knew it. He learned to
watch and observed everything inside and outside of the house. He never bothered
anyone and no one bothered him either, except this one guy (he was a menace). Wayne
broke his arm during a fight, and he never messed with Wayne again. You see, dad gave
all the boys karate lessons at an early age, so they knew how to defend themselves. He
and Lance were very close, they grew up together. They were always showing off their
martial arts skills in front of the girls, and it always ended in a real fight…duh!
Now Donald was a friendly guy. Good spirited, nice and respectful. Everybody liked
him. He was obedient. What ever mom and dad said to him to do, he did it. He liked
working. At a young age he discovered that employment was interesting. The Italians
(Sicilians) owned several businesses in the city and Donald worked for them for many
years. They were fond of him. They also got to know everyone in my family. I got use to
hearing the phrase “hey, that’s Donald’s sister”
Rickey was the funny one of the bunch. He was always joking around for a laugh. Once
he tried on our dresses and got stuck in them. Mom was furious. Then he’d put on mom’s
makeup and wig and walk through the house pretending to be some female movie star.
He was a bit daring too, doing outrageous things, like flipping off the balcony from the
second level. Riding his mini bike the through a very large rolling tractor tire. In addition
to that, he liked walking on his hands up and down the stairs. Sometimes he’d tight rope
across the top of the balcony without a net. He had a great love for animals. He would
sneak all sorts of critters in the house and keep them as pets. You name it, we had it. I
couldn’t stand it! He was studying to become a veterinarian doctor.
I, Kertranka, there’s not much to say about me. I always stayed inside, watched plenty
of television and listened to a lot of music. I liked studying, reading, and participating in
the school plays and talent shows. I liked winning.
Judy, my younger sister had a strong personality. Yep, she was a mean girl. She’d fight
with someone in a minute. Believe it or not, she liked belly dancing. Roll her belly
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around just like a Mediterranean woman. We didn’t know where she got that talent from?
Momma use to tell her to stop doing that! She was a bit on the wild side.
Keith was a very normal kid. He liked smiling and laughing a lot. He was a happy child.
I don’t remember that much about him growing up; except that he did what little boys do,
play.
Monica also was a very normal kid. She was out spoken. Her personality was similar to
moms. I don’t remember that much about her growing up either, except that she did what
little girls do, play.

Chapter 4

The last Column

Genesis 50:20 what the devil meant for evil, God has turned around for our good. The
bible says in the book of John 10:10 that the thief cometh not but to steal, kill, and to
destroy, but Jesus says that “I am come that they might have life, and have it more
abundantly.
The word of God tells us about spiritual warfare, and how the battle is not ours, but it is
the Lords. How we should cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us. And when we
cry out to him, God hears our prayers and answers them. And here’s one more: all of
God’s promises are yeh and amen. That biblically means that through all of our
tribulations, in the end, we win. God always get the last word.
Mom and Dad reside in heaven now and are together again, happy and filled with joy.
They got that big house they’ve always wanted, the one with plenty of rooms (God gave
them their mansion) bought and paid in full by the blood of Jesus.
My siblings sent me a photo of my oldest brother Hollis Jr. I haven’t seen him in years
before he died, and I wished and prayed that I could see his face just once more. We took
pictures together all the time whenever he came to New Orleans to visit the family, but
the pictures were lost after the hurricane devastated my hometown.
I was surprised to know that Tetherorance had an old photo of mom that he’s been
carrying around with him for all these years. What a treasure that is. Home is where the
heart is. He’s also an engineer.
My sister Gail (whose first name is Ann, Gail is her middle name) for many years has
worked in the medical field, and is devoted to caring for others. She’s quite intelligent
and always had a love for knowledge, she like books.
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I found out that Wayne is still knocking out the opponent. He chose another form of
boxing. He’s an advocate dedicating his time to helping those that need a voice. And I
hear that he’s very good at it.
Donald is not only a hard working man; he is also a recording artist. He has a great
singing voice, and has sung lead for the group Scirocco Band for many years. He
performed at several venues throughout the southern region during his singing career,
places like Frank’s Steak House, Picayune, Pascagoula, and Threejays lounge and many
more. His fans love him and he’s really good.
My brother Rickey was just an interesting guy. He had a pleasant personality and he
was fun to be around. He was a singer also.
I, Kertranka have done plenty in the entertainment industry too. I’ve worked in almost
every genre, music, modeling, and acting along side of some of the best in the business.
I’ve traveled, worked, performed and toured with celebrities like Tyler Perry, Ike Turner,
Charlie Daniels, Bebe and Cece Winans, Howard Hewitt, Pattie LaBelle, and the list goes
on. I performed in twenty-three countries and in many venues throughout the southern
region, recorded music, appeared in commercials, cable television shows, movies on net
work television and the silver screen, radio, fashion shows, etc. I have a pretty good
resume`.
Judy has a good employment status. She has worked regularly for a large chain
corporation for several years. She enjoys it.
Keith has his own automotive detailing business and he’s a wonderful father. I’m very
proud of him.
Monica is a hair stylist, been in the business for many, many years and does nice work.
She has a large cliental and they are all satisfied.

AFTER HAVING DONE ALL, JUST STAND. Ephesians 6:13

Yep, the enemy’s only purpose was to tear down the household, and did for a while
with the spiritual weapons that he used…
He put cracks in the walls, shattered the glass and blew out the windows. He caused the
ceiling and roof the cave in, and the floors to buckle and crumble. He made the doors
hang by a thread on its hinges. He obscured the views and rearranged the path that leads
to the blessings, but what he did not see in the mist of that disastrous war zone was the
beam, the ray of hope. The seed that mom and dad had already planted in us and that we
were predestined for greatness.
We’re the Gordon’s, the last column, and we’re still standing.
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I dedicate this little book of God’s restoring power to the memories of our past.

To all my readers
God bless and prosper,
Kertranka