Chapter Four: Strength from the Roots

The echoes of Nathaniel's resolve from the stormy night still lingered in his mind. He had made a promise to himself—a vow to embrace his family's legacy and to take control of his life. But there was still one part of his journey left to uncover. The deeper layers of his story, the ones woven into his very blood, still whispered truths he had long ignored.

As Nathaniel sat by the fire in his home, his thoughts drifted back to the roots that had nourished him, both the love and the pain. He had never truly understood the weight of his heritage—the family that had shaped him, the struggles that had molded his spirit, and the trials that had tested his strength. Today, he would revisit the past, for it was in these memories that he would find the true foundation of his power.Nathaniel's family was known in the town of Dunsford, but not many knew the full story—the story of Emmanuel and Deomature Smith, and the challenges they had faced together, along with the tumultuous history of their children. His father, Mr. Emmanuel Smith, was a man of dignity, quiet strength, and unwavering discipline. Once a soldier in the army, he had risen through the ranks with honor, earning a reputation for his resilience and commitment to duty. But life had a cruel way of testing even the strongest men.Emmanuel had married his first wife, Grace, when he was still in the prime of his youth. Together, they had a daughter, Esther, and a son, James. But the tragedy struck when Grace died giving birth to James, leaving Emmanuel to raise two children alone. The grief from his wife's death weighed heavily on him. The guilt, the anger, and the sense of loss never truly left him, even when the passage of time began to dull the sharpness of his pain.For years, Emmanuel carried the burden of that loss, never finding a way to move past it. But the need for companionship, for someone to help him carry the weight of raising two young children, eventually led him to Deomature.Deomature was a woman of grace, a deeply religious woman who understood suffering and knew how to endure. She had been widowed herself before meeting Emmanuel, and she had a quiet strength about her that Emmanuel admired. The marriage was one of mutual respect and affection, and Deomature quickly became not just a wife to Emmanuel but a second mother to his two children from his first marriage.Nathaniel's mother embraced Esther and James like her own, providing love and care for them as if they had been born to her. She treated them with kindness and fairness, never once making them feel as if they were anything less than her own flesh and blood. She believed in family—bound not just by blood, but by faith, unity, and love.Deomature went on to have four sons with Emmanuel: Simon, Isaac, Nathaniel (the third-born), and Benjamin, the youngest. Nathaniel was the fifth child out of six, and though his father had been a stern and often distant figure, Nathaniel's mother was always there, ensuring that the children felt loved and supported.However, life was not easy for the Smiths. Emmanuel, once a proud and capable soldier, had suffered a horrific accident that left him the sole survivor of a catastrophic incident involving 39 other men. The accident had robbed him of his former strength and vigour, and with it, his ability to provide for his family. He was forced to retire from the army, and while his pride remained unbroken, his finances crumbled.The loss of his career, the humiliation of surviving the accident when so many others had died, weighed heavily on Emmanuel's soul. He never truly recovered, and his inability to provide for his family left a bitter taste in his mouth. His wife, Deomature, had to step in and become the primary breadwinner. Despite working multiple menial jobs, she always found a way to keep the family afloat.Though her job was modest—cleaning houses, cooking, running errands—Deomature was a woman of great determination. She would never allow her children to be deprived of an education, no matter the sacrifice. Despite being called derogatory names like "beggar" by some of the town's residents, she never wavered in her mission to ensure that her children would receive the best opportunities she could provide.Nathaniel had always been close to his mother, their bond unshakeable. He was the one who helped her with chores, who learned to cook from her, who stayed by her side during the hardest days. Through it all, Nathaniel had witnessed his mother's unwavering faith and resilience. She had taught him to never give up, to always work hard, and to trust in God. He respected his mother deeply—her strength and sacrifice were the foundation of his own sense of duty and purpose.But despite the love and guidance from his mother, Nathaniel struggled with his own sense of self. He had always been a sensitive child, and growing up, he had been the subject of ridicule. People would mock him for his appearance—his large head, his thin frame, his awkward gait. In school, Nathaniel was often quiet, preferring the company of his books and his thoughts to the laughter of his peers.He wasn't like the other boys—he wasn't athletic or outgoing, and he didn't have the same easy confidence as Simon and Isaac. Nathaniel had always felt like he was on the outside looking in, never truly fitting in with the rest of his family or the other kids in town. His classmates would taunt him, calling him names like "beanpole" or "big-head." They would make fun of his looks and his introversion, and it ate away at Nathaniel's confidence.In high school, this bullying reached its peak. One of his classmates, a boy named Garret, seemed to make it his personal mission to torment Nathaniel. The cruel jokes, the shove in the hallways, the constant mocking—it wore Nathaniel down. His quiet nature and tendency to retreat into himself made him an easy target. But deep down, Nathaniel knew he couldn't keep running from it. He couldn't continue to allow himself to be a punching bag for Garret's cruelty.One day, during gym class, the situation finally escalated. Garret shoved Nathaniel in front of the whole class, laughing loudly at his expense. Something inside Nathaniel snapped. Without thinking, he turned, his fists clenched, and swung. His punch landed square on Garret's lips. Garret stumbled backward, blood gushing from his mouth, shock and pain flashing across his face.The class went silent, and for a moment, Nathaniel stood there, breathless, unsure of what had just happened. But then something changed. The fear, the shame, the self-doubt—it all melted away. Nathaniel had fought back. He had stood up for himself, and for the first time, he realized his own strength. Garret never mocked him again, and the bullying stopped.After that day, Nathaniel walked through the halls of high school with a newfound confidence. His classmates no longer saw him as an easy target—they saw him as someone not to be messed with. But more importantly, Nathaniel began to see himself differently. The years of self-doubt and insecurity had finally been shattered, and in their place, a new sense of power had been born.The scars of his childhood remained, of course. The bullying, the mocking, the feelings of inadequacy—all of those things left their marks on Nathaniel. But now, he understood that those scars were not weaknesses—they were proof of his resilience. The journey to overcome them had shaped him into the man he was today.As Nathaniel looked back on the struggles of his past—the pain of being an outsider, the weight of his family's legacy, the storm inside himself—he understood that he was no longer that quiet, uncertain boy. He was stronger, braver, and more determined than ever to face whatever storm lay ahead.Nathaniel had learned something crucial that night in the chapel, and in the years since: True strength doesn't come from avoiding the storm. It comes from standing in the heart of it, facing it head-on, and learning to rise above it.