MIRROR MIRROR

“AMERICA IN BLACK AND WHITE”

 BY DR. AARON KERR AND J ALEXANDER

DEDICATION

This novel (film) is dedicated to the memory of the millions of Africans who have died, or have suffered in any way, at the hands of the white race. Doctor Kerr and I have not just put together another record of the injustices of the “Whiteman”. We believe it is the beginning of a new world. A world where all human inhabitants are a part of God’s Kingdom here on earth.   

CONTENTS

The Voodoo Curse

The Trial

The Verdict

Part 1

Chapter 1

The Voodoo Curse

Date: March 2021

Place: Library Archives

             Church of Jesus Christ

             Harbor City SC USA

 Hello! I’m Pastor R. H. Horn and I’m excited to be chosen as the narrator of this novel called MIRROR MIRROR. 

I have the honor of being the Senior Pastor of “Church of Jesus Christ” in Harbor City USA.

A member of my family has held this position for over a hundred years. It started with my Great, Great Grandfather C. A. Horn.

 “Church of Jesus Christ” has a colorful and interesting history.

It started in a one-room building with about 12 members in 1888. But as the membership grew, so did the physical structure. It was unanimously agreed upon by the Church Board to not tear down the little building, but to expand around it. Because the room could only hold about 30 people, it was soon turned into a library and office space.

Anyway! Today’s “Church of Jesus Christ” holds over 4000 members for it’s two services on Sunday.

Because the church has a large staff of over 25 including 7 Associate Pastors, I’m able to concentrate on the problems, situations and concerns of my flock.

I mingle with my sheep (church members) before and after every service. Of course, I can’t talk to everyone; so, I just look into their faces and I can tell when someone needs to talk to me. If I can’t help them in a few minutes, or it’s a personal matter, I ask them to make an appointment.

One Sunday morning I was directed by the Holy Spirit to speak to a young man that I had seen before; but I didn’t know his name.

We shook hands and he introduced himself as Joshua Perlie. He Told me that he was an author and was writing a novel called “America In Black And White” and would like to meet with me about having access to the church’s Diaries. I encouraged him to make an appointment for one day this week. 

The next morning Joshua was at the church office and requesting an appointment to me with me.

The only time I was free was Friday at 11am. He asked my assistant to check again to see if there was an opening sooner. When she said no, he thank her, took my card, and left.

Although he was scheduled for 11am, Joshua was sitting outside my office at 10:30. Since my 10:30 appointment was canceled, Debbie suggested I see him now.

Joshua was very polite, and thanked me twice for seeing him.

I only had time on Sunday to tell you I’m writing a novel and I would appreciate seeing the “CJC Church Diaries”. I was told they are kept in the archives of the church library.  

Well, I’m sure I can help you with your request. You said your last name was Perlie, right! I can look up the information you want in our Church Diaries online, but they only go back 20 or 30. Oh, oh! This is going to take a lot longer than I expected. I see the information you want goes back over a hundred years. This means we’re going to be looking into the old church library. I’ll tell Debbie to hold all my calls and cancel my appointments.

I’ve only been in here 2 or 3 times in the past 25 years. It’s never cleaned so, there will be an inch of dust on everything. The good news is that all the files are in (library) order. That means, we can find information quickly.

You mentioned that you would like to go back 100 years or so? That will take us back to 1920 and 30’s.

Like I said, the files are in alphabetical order, so, we just need to go to the year 1929 and see if there is anything you want to put in your book.

I think we have a problem! There’s something wrong here! The pages for 1929 have been torn out of the diary. I wonder what was so important that someone would want it removed from it from history?

Joshua looked sad, then said, I guess we’ll never know what happened in that year. That’s not true Mr. Perlie! The church Pastor always picked the most important events and used it in a sermon.

These sermons were kept in a special Year Book.

Here it is! The pages are a little rough around the edges, but the content is perfect.

It seems the story of the year in the “Harbor City News” was “The Curse of the Perlie Mirror”.

If you can come back this afternoon, I’ll have a copy for you. But if you want, I can read the sermon for you now? Joshua shook his head up and down with a big smile on his face.

Okay! Apparently, during the Sunday survives one of the reporters from the committee would read the story of the week. This was the front-page story for the week of march 14^th. 1929.  

 

Sermon March 19, 1929

“The Voodoo Curse”

 Senior Pastor R.J. Horn

A reporter named Devan Smock witnessed a blatant daylight robbery. It involved beautiful mirror that was hand carved by a local black Craftsmen named Elijah Perlie. The story goes that Mr. Perlie crafted the mirror from a special tree that he was told by God to cut down. With the help of his two sons, he managed to drag it many miles to his workshop.

Times were very hard for the Perlie family. The story goes that if Elijah couldn’t make up his pass-due rent, he would be evicted. Working day and night, with very little sleep and less food, the gifted woodworker carved one the most beautiful mirrors anyone had ever seen.

When it was shown to the public, people were in awe, but because of the hard times, no one was able to offer even one-quarter of its value.

The only man within a hundred miles that could pay full price and not give a wink, was Richard D Vanderhoff. Mr. Vanderhoff not only owned most of Harbor City and just about all of the land for 20 miles around. He was Elijah’s landlord.

Unfortunately! Mr. Vanderhoff waited till the last minute to make an offer on the beautiful mirror. When he did talk to Elijah, he only offered a few dollars and not enough to cover the rent. This was not only an insult to Elijah; it was a slap in the face.

When Elijah wouldn’t sell the mirror to Mr. Vanderhoff, he sent four of his henchmen to just take it out of the workshop.

The Perlie family was helpless and couldn’t do anything to stop Mr. Vanderhoff from taking their treasure.

Even the police (who were owned by Mr. Vanderhoff) couldn’t do a thing.

There was one person who could do something for Elijah and that was his cousin, Madam Bovaird. She was best known by her professional name “The Princess of Darkness.”

Although the Perlie family was Christian, they didn’t refuse help from their distant relative Madam Bovaird.

The Princess was only too happy to start a little war with Mr. Vanderhoff. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t wait to practice her profession of Voodoo.  

She would walk the streets of Harbor City telling everyone her predictions and prophesying about the future of the Vanderhoff family and how they were going to lose everything they possessed. She would speak of the tragedy that would befall this rich family, and how they would go from having it all, to having nothing, in a very short time.

As expected, Mr. Vanderhoff was not going to allow this so-called “Daughter of Satan” to intimidate him. Every time she made an appearance in the community, she was met by the police and security guards who would remove her (sometimes physically) from the premises.

If he thought that all he had to do was remove her from his prescience a few times, she would get the message, “he was sadly mistaken!”

The abuse only made Madam Bovaird more determined to make everyone aware of the coming disaster, that all the money in the world could not stop.

One Saturday morning, Madam Bovaird managed to elude the guards, who after a few quiet days had forgotten about her.

In a very high-pitched voice, she addressed the residents of Belmont Ave., who had come out of their mansions to see who was disturbing the tranquility and peace of their secluded oasis.

Residence of Belmont Ave., listen up! My fight is not with you, but if you choose to defend Mr. Vanderhoff, you will receive the same fate.

Madam Bovaird look directly at Mr. Vanderhoff and pointed her finger saying, because you have failed to heed my warnings, I’m predicting your downfall and the future of your family.

I’m dying, and on the day of my death, October 29 1929, will be the day that everything you possess and hold dear will be taken away from you and your descendants.

Everything you own will be given to help the poor, and anything that can’t be used by someone else, will be destroyed.

The only exception will be the “Perlie Mirror” you stole from Elijah Perlie. You will not be able to sell it, nor give it away. It will be cursed for all time. Should anyone look into it, they will become the opposite of the person they show the world. They will learn lessons that they will never forget. 

The following Saturday, someone posted a bulletin on the gates of the Vanderhoff Mansion, and also put it in the local paper. The headlines read, Madam Bovaird “The Princess Of Darkness” had passed on. It also said that the estate of Mr. Vanderhoff should prepare itself for the predictions she foretold to them only a week before. Saturday and Sunday went by without any noticeable changes, so Mr. Vanderhoff gave a sigh of relief. Sadly, his reprieve did not last long, because on Monday morning all hell broke out.

The Stock Market crashed and fortunes were being lost, wiped out within hours. Panic set in before the clock struck 12 noon.

Of course, this was only the beginning. The next day three out of four of Mr. Vanderhoff’s sons took sick and died within 24 hours. The Doctors were stumped and couldn’t find any medical reason for their sudden deaths. It was mind blowing to see these young men in their teens and twenties just fall down and take their last breath.

With their fortune lost and their mansion empty and quiet, the once insanely rich Vanderhoff family sat in silence. They were looking at an empty room with only one piece of furniture “The Perlie Mirror”.

I turned to Joshua and said, I know how you are feeling, but it’s not right to try to get revenge for the wrongs of the Vanderhoff family. “Vengeance is mine, say’s the Lord.”

Joshua just shook his head, then thanked me for all my help! As he left the room, I heard him say, I can find my own way out!

The next time I saw Joshua Perlie, he was in a coma at the Rosewood Hospital.  

I was late getting to my office the next day. And when I got in my assistant Debbie said, you need to look at a report that just came in from one of our church reporters. I guess I should explain who a “Church Of Jesus Christ Reporter” is? Ever sense the turn of the century, The “Church Of Jesus Christ” has been keeping Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly diaries of events in and around Harbor City. A committee was created and the people in this group were called “Reporters”.

The story I got that day was about a young man named William (Billy) Vanderhoff. Apparently, the police suspect him of causing an accident the other night on the Old Shore Road.

The Vanderhoff Mansion

Hello Billy, sorry Mr. Vanderhoff. I’m Detective Frank Holland and I would like to ask you some questions.

Go ahead! I know your just doing your job.

I assume you didn’t hear that there was an accident last night on the Shore Road near Dead Man’s Curve.

No, I didn’t hear about it, I just woke up!

At first, we thought that the driver a miss Tina Shaw had just lost control and couldn’t make the sharp turn. But when we examined the car, we notice that the driver’s side was smashed in and that could not have happened by the way the car left the road and hit a big rock.

So, what does this have to do with me?

Apparently, you had some words with the passenger in the car, a Mr. Joshua Perlie. This was confirmed by the owner and staff at the Captain’s Cabin Restaurant.

Would you mind letting us have a look at your vehicles?

Well, I don’t think that’s going to happen! So, you need to go back to the police station and tell the Chief of Police Mark Matthews to come here and see me.

Charles will see you out!

 

3 Hours Later 

Thank you for coming Mark, it seems that your Detective Frank Holland, is investigating me about an accident last night.

It’s just routine, he’s not saying you did anything wrong. So, if you let us look at the vehicle you were driving last night, we’ll be on our way.

Sure, no problem! Come with me to the garage.

Billy opened each of the 4 garages and Chief Matthews examined each. When they got to the 4th garage, Billy had trouble opening it from the outside. No problem, we can go in the back door.

Once Billy turned on the light, the Chief could see that the Hummer was damaged on the passenger side.

I was drunk when we left the Restaurant, and I remember I had to climb in the driver’s side because I couldn’t open the passenger door. Now I can see why!

I’m sure you’ll be confirming my story with my friends.

No problem! Just come down to the station and give your statement and we can close the case.

A copy of William “Billy” Vanderhoff’s statement to the Police.

 

Harbor City Police Department

666 Main Street

Harbor City, SC USA

Date: March 15 2021

 

Volunteer Statement

This volunteer statement is given by “William “Billy” Vanderhoff to Detective Frank Holland on the 15 day of March 2021.

On march 14^th my four friends Shaky, Bert, Conrad and Little Wally went to dinner at the Captain’s Cabin, stayed for a few hours and left to go to my home. When we left the restaurant, we noticed that someone had hit the passenger side of the truck. After looking around, we just left and I told the guys I would report the hit and run the next day.

I think we got to my house around 10 or 10:30. We had more drinks and then went to bed.

Signed: William Vanderhoff

Chief Matthews Office

Frank, I want you to drop the case against Mr. Vanderhoff. But Sir, I believe he’s guilty! He’s got four reputable witnesses whose families are very rich and powerful.

It’s not right, but you’re the Boss!

As faith would have it, Billy Vanderhoff didn’t get away anything, on the contrary, his nightmare had just begun.

The reporter said he would follow up and report back to us in a few days.

 

The Church Of Jesus Christ   

My heart sank, when I read that it was Joshua Perlie and Tina his fiancée who were involved in the accident, and that both were in a coma.

 

THE ROSEWOOD HOSPITAL (March 15^th 2021)

After calling Joshua’s parents to ask permission if I could visit their son. I went to the Hospital to see the couple. I wanted to be there when they woke up.

I got a little chocked up when I saw Joshua lying there hooked up to all those tubes and monitors. It had been just over 24 hours since we met at the church.

The church phones never stopped ringing! The calls kept coming in from our church family asking how Joshua and Tena were doing, and to let me know that they were praying for their Brother and Sister.

A hole week went by before we got the good news that both Joshua and Tina were showing signs of recovery.

Joshua was first to wake up and able to talk about that terrible night.

After his parents Mary Tom spent time with their son, I had my turn to see Joshua. He told me about a dream he had when he was unconscious. “He called it the “TRIAL.”

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