Life In A Small Town
After returning to Coal Run; Ohio. My life seemed much more relaxed while living with my grandma. We felt like a real family again. Grandma didn't have a lot of money, but she had a clean place to live and food on the table and more love than one deserves.
Mom began her quest to find a job and a home for all of us. The first few months we were going to stay with grandma, that way mom could save some money to get us a place of their own. She soon found one and worked the 3-11PM shift.
One night, while mom was at work, Dad showed up at the door and tried to convince us, to go with him, but we all refused and grandma asked him to leave, but he refused. We ran upstairs and hid in a closet from him, but he soon found us and took Kirk and Sis, but I refused, kicking and screaming, and said I wasn't leaving my mom. Dad told me "go ahead and stick your nose up your mommas ass".
As Dad pulled my siblings out to the car, I wept begging him to let them go.
Mom then came home from work frantic and in tears to only to find me there. She now knew that she would have to go back to dad in order to get her family back together, but for three months there was no word from Dad or Kirk and Lynetta. Me and mom had heard from Dad's family that they were in Georgia and okay, but this is when the Atlanta Georgia children killings were going on. Needless to say, everyday we wondered if it was our family being slaughtered.
Finally, three months later the phone rang it was dad on the other end. Dad told mom that if she wanted to see the kids again, she needed to get on the plane, the ticket was waiting for us. So, once again I moved away from a place I called home. This time, we were on their way to Hollywood, Florida.
We found ourselves getting off the plane and dad was so excited to see us. It was really like things were going to be so different this time. Dad told mom he loved her and told her his song to her was Truly by Lionel Richie and this lit mom up inside.
For the first month or so, things went great. They felt like a real family. Then about two months into it, dad had started staying out later and later at night.
I remembered mom working and strange men coming to our house with dad. Dad and these men would always make their way to his parent rooms. I walked in one night on them, and they were exchanging money and weapons. At that time, I had no idea this was bad news.
The following weekend, Dad took me with him to a bad part of town, left me in the car while it was still running, but locked and told me "he would be right back". Dad then went inside and then two cars came flying in behind us, one in front of our car and one behind it. Four colored men immerged from the cars. As dad came walking out the door a argument broke out between dad and the colored men. They were fighting about some money the guys owed my dad for some guns. They all attacked dad, while I sat in the car defenseless and crying. Dad, somehow, came out of the fight victorious, defeating six men at the same time. He then got in the car, and told me not to mention this to his mother. Dad then slammed the car in reverse, hitting the car parked behind us moving it out of the way. They then took off, Dad dropped me off at the door and sped off with two cars right on his butt. To this day, I do not know what happened after this but the next day, Dad came back with a wad of cash that he came into the house with and showered it over us. At this point, I will leave you sitting til next week, when a little boys heart gets broken and finds his first love along with another move and the death of his loyal best friends. Before venturing further into my life and memories, there is a very special person that I have forgotten to acknowledge. That is my ex Mike, the guy I spent five out of six happy years with and the same guy who, also, was at my bedside when I awoke from the transplant. Mike may have broken my heart later, but for Mike to be there when I needed him, through the operation, means more to me than anything. While I battled with rejections and not being able to get off his couch for nearly four months. Mike continued to come down and take me to my appointments along with Lynetta. He even made the long track from Pennsylvania once a week to bathe me because I did not feel comfortable having anyone else do it. That is devotion and love, how many people could go through all that and not love someone?
I recall the special bond that not only we had as a couple but the deep found love as friends they to shared. Mike gave me the hope to continue my fight through the transplant, even though Mike knew in the long run that they would soon part ways.
I too, wanted to recognize Mike's two special children who means the world to me as well. They are a very strong part of my heart and always will be. I just want to express my love to them all. So, as the life in a small town continues remember these special people for I am sure you will be hearing about them from time to time.
One evening while me and my siblings were at a movie, we came home only to find our house burned to the ground. It took us all some time to deal with the depression, but we later found out it was just another scam and a way for my father to make a buck.
Soon after, we found a home out of town with a lot of land. Things were going well except the high temperatures, and watching eggs literally fry on the sidewalk.
Their home was much like a log cabin; it was gorgeous, but more and more. Dad started spending a lot of time out later and later at night and finally just didn't bother coming home at all. He even left for two weeks. During this time, our dog of 18 years "Champ" had crawled down their steps one morning, only falling down the final two, where he lied in my moms lap with me at her side petting him. We knew he was sick and old, but we never dreamed what came next. He had lost his bowels and swallowed his tongue, old age had taken him away from us. It was a sad time, needless to say our German Shepherd was extremely heavy and mom could not move him herself so us kids had to help her drag out to his shallow grave in the yard and help bury him.
A couple of days later, mom got wind of where dad had gone. She took us to the corner of the street where he was, put us out of the car and told us to stay here for a minute. She then, took our car and ran it right through the living room of the house where he was staying at. It was his new girlfriend's house, Jodi. Mom later told her friend that Jodi came at her with a ashtray to hit her in the head and dad intercepted it and told Jodi never to raise a hand to her. Needless to say, dad moved out and guess what, we moved back to Coal Run, Ohio. This visit lasted only two weeks and mom once again went back to dad, this time to Huntsville, Alabama and the end of the back and forth bullshit, but before that happens, murder or accidental death. You tell me?
I have met a young girl named Sabrina Craig, who just lives down the road from me. We became good friends and even call each other boyfriend and girlfriend, but never kiss or anything. We simply held hands, roller skated together, and climbed trees. She is another one of the best friends that I related to, the tom boy girls.
More important than my relationship with my new friend, me and my dad have spent a few weeks talking about and planning a tennis trip together. I was looking so forward to it, and when the day finally got here, me and dad were loading the car up with all the essentials. Me and dad hopped into the car and head out onto the open highway and I had never been so happy. Before we even left our street, the phone rings and my dad turns around and tells me to get out, he has some business he has to take care of and that this will have to wait. I went into the house, so terribly upset and disappointed that I have no male role model to look up to. I once again, have my mother to reassure me and to wipe my tears.
My time in Huntsville really was a good time in my life. About a year later, my dad had started staying out late at night again and the family knew what that meant. I dreaded the day of losing my new friend, and the real possibility of a real family life.
I knew that I had my mom and siblings, but I really missed the father/ son connection. I wanted someone to teach me things, but until this day, I simply see my relationship with my dad as the song goes "The Cats in the Cradle."
But before we departed to Ohio again, my dad tried to rectify everything with something materialistic, a pinball machine he got for me. More than anything I just longed for a hug and some love from my dad. Anyway, Me and dad ventured over to a warehouse where he kept the pinball machine.
Before I left, I heard the officer say that the man had died on the way to the hospital. His name was Eyton Bonner, an ex-employee of dad's.
About two days later, they let dad out of jail. I wanted to be there, so I went with dad’s friend to get him. When dad and his friend got into the car from leaving the jailhouse, my father said something that made me lose all respect for him. He said, “that is one less 'nigger' that we have to worry about in this world.”
At that point, I wondered, was it in fact an accident or was he only boasting to his friends. No matter the account, I knew that it was wrong and stood back from the situation and told myself I would never be like my father.
Now, I am grown and I want everyone to know that Eyton Bonner did not deserve to die, regardless of being guilty of stealing. More importantly, I want everyone to know that he too had a life, and a wonderful family at home, and right now I wants you all to remember Eyton Bonner. This man died very young and I want him to know he was not forgotten by this, then 12 year old, child that carries his name and heart with him. I am sorry for his short time on earth.
Next week my life evolves back to Ohio.
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