Chapter 7

Henry and Jane got in his car and drove the distance to his parents. It was awful quiet inside the car as each were deep in thought about how this was going to go. Henry’s parents were hard. They didn’t give a shit about other people. They were always wrapped up in what there was to gain for themselves.

The car engine shut off and the two glanced at each other. Henry reached over and patted her hand.”Come on, let’s go in and get this over. What’s the worst they can do, yell”. He smiled at her with those big blue eyes, and she put a tiny curve at the edge of her lips. They both got out of the car and walked in the front door.

The neighbor was visiting and Henry and Jane walked past them and straight to the kitchen. Henry opened the refrigerator and grabbed a soda and popped the tap off. He took a big swig and then handed it to Jane. She wasn’t thirsty as  much as she was nervous, so she took a sip and then handed it back to him.

George came out to the kitchen and asked, ” What you two up to? Surprised to see you here. Something wrong or are you just stopping by to raid the ice-box”? Henry gazed at Jane and then turned to look at his dad. ” We got to talk dad. We got something important to tell you”.

George looked at him while grabbing himself a beer out of the fridge. He walked past them without saying anything and went back to the living room where the two gabby ladies were sitting. ” Henry says he needs to tell us something real important Carol. You might want to put a lid on this conversation so we can hear what he’s got to say”. Carol looked a little embarrassed at her friend, but suggested they put a hold on this talk and save it for tomorrow. She walked her to the door and then came back and sat down in her favorite chair.

She said, “What’s this all about? You better not have done anything. Are you in trouble with the law Jane”? Jane walked in the living room and sat as far opposite from Carol as she could get. Henry sat in front of her on the floor. ” Nah mom, Jane hasn’t done anything against the law, and neither did I. Calm down mom. You don’t want to cause your heart to flutter”.

“Then what is it Henry”? George said. “Spit it out, we have to get ready here soon. There is a square dance tonight that we want to go to”. Henry coughed and then said, ” I asked Jane here to marry me tonight. She said yes and you and mom are going to be grandparents”.

Carol’s head fell back against her chair and she was fanning her face with her hankie. Her face was becoming pale. George was watching his wife and then looking at the two of them he said,” When ya getting married? Where you two going to live? Henry, your job isn’t going to pay enough to take care of you, let alone a woman and a kid. You best be planning on just moving in here in the spare bedroom”.

Carol was still remaining quiet. Inside she was thinking, this is so embarrassing. What are my friends going to say. How am I going to show my face to the neighbors. Girl knocked up and not even dry behind the ears. I guess I better take a look at those drawers in the bedroom to see if there is going to be enough space for her things.

Henry said,” We are going to get married in two weeks. This will give me enough time to find a better job and get a pay check before we make this thing right”. George nodded his head in agreement then said, ” Your mom and I will move all the things that are not needed out of the spare bedroom and put it in your bedroom Henry. Your room is smaller than the spare, so this will be your new room”.

Carol finally spoke saying,” Jane you are going to have to help out around here. I am getting up in years and I don’t have too many days where I don’t feel good, so I am going to need your help”.

Jane was sitting in a half-dazed moment. Live here with his parents? Live here, in the same house as them? Oh no, I am not going to do this. We can just stay at my house. Anything would be better than living with this woman. He wasn’t bad but her? no way am I going to be in the same house living with her.

With Henry’s drink being emptied he stood up and tossed it in the waste basket. He looked down at Jane and asked, ” You ready to go? They got plans, let’s hit the road”. Jane got up quickly and smiled at each of Henry’s parents and the two exited the house.

“It went pretty well don’t you think”? Henry asked as they walked back to the car. Jane exploded right there in the drive-way.” You can’t expect me to live here with your parents can you? I don’t even get along with your mom! She has issues! She is bossy and is going to just make me her personal slave while I stay here! Henry, you didn’t even ask me first if this would be alright”!

Henry got in the car without remarking to her. He started the car and pulled out a cigarette of his pocket and lit up. He took a deep drag of it and waited for her to get in the car. Jane stood outside pouting. When she didn’t get any response from him, she opened the door and got in. He started the car and then they went to the one drive-inn and parked the car.

The waitress skated up to them and asked what they were going to have. Henry said with no hesitation, “Um, bring me a couple of burgers loaded, a cheeseburger, and a large fry. Bring me a large chocolate malt too with an extra glass”. The waitress wrote down the order and skated off.

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This Is What God Led Me To Last Night To Read

Bible translations to polish language by Czesław Miłosz. On the left Five Megillot, in center Book of Job, on right Psalms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Sometimes when I read my bible, I am not sure what it is that I am to be reading, so I pray and ask God to lead me to something I can learn from. This was the case last evening for me, and I ended up in the book of Job, from the bible called The Message. I love this version of the bible. It is very similar to the Living bible, but it is so much easier for me to understand. Here is what I read.

Job Answers Bildad

I Call for Help and No One Bothers

Job 19

1-6

How long are you going to keep battering away at me, pounding me with these harangues? Time after time after time you jump all over me. Do you have no conscience, abusing me like this? Even if I have, somehow or other, gotten off the track, what business is that of yours? Why do you insist on putting me down, using my troubles as a stick to beat me? Tell it to God- he’s the one behind all this, he’s the one who dragged me into this mess.

7-12

Look at me- I shout ‘Murder’ and I’m ignored; I call for help and no one bothers to stop. God threw a barricade across my path- I’m stymied; he turned out all the lights- I’m stuck in the dark. He destroyed my reputation, robbed me of all self-respect. He tore me apart piece by piece – I’m ruined! Then he yanked out hope by the roots. He’s angry with me- oh, how he’s angry! He treats me like his worst enemy. He has launched a major campaign against me, using every weapon he can think of, coming at me from all sides at once.

I Know That God Lives

13-20

God alienated my family from me; everyone who knows me avoids me. My relatives and friends have all left; house guests forget I ever existed. The servant girls treat me like a bum off the street, look at me like they’ve never seen me before. I call my attendant and he ignores me, ignores me even though I plead with him. My wife can’t stand to be around me anymore. I’m repulsive to my family. Even street urchins despise me; when I come out, they taunt and jeer. Everyone I’ve ever been close to abhors me; my dearest loved ones rejects me. I’m nothing but a bag of bones; my life hangs by a thread.

21-22

Oh, friends, dear friends, take pity on me. God has come down hard on me! Do you have to be hard on me, too? Don’t you ever tire of abusing me?

23-27

If only my words were written in a book – better yet, chiseled in stone! Still, I know that God lives – the One who gives me back my life – and eventually he’ll take his stand on earth. And I’ll see him – even though I get skinned alive!- see God myself, with my very own eyes. Oh, how I long for that day!

28-29

If you’re thinking, How can we get through to him, get him to see that his trouble is all his own fault? Forget it. Start worrying about ourselves. Worry about your own sins and God’s coming judgement,  for judgment is most certainly on the way.

Open Doors

Open Door A welcoming open door at St.Mary Magdalene's church http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1278054 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He jerked her by the hair and shook her head, yelling at her to get up. To stop the begging for attention thing. He wasn’t going to tolerate it anymore! All she could do is lie there. She could hear every word he was saying but could not defend herself with actions nor words. She was about to pass out. He drug her from the floor and put her on the couch, yelling what’s the matter with you? She managed to voice the words that her sugars were low. I could hear him laughing, as he walked in to the kitchen and poured a bowl of cereal. Putting the milk on and grabbing a spoon, he took it to her and thrust it in her lap. She started eating it slowly. It was so difficult to make her body move by this point. She wasn’t eating fast enough for his liking, so he took the bowl and dumped it over her head, laughing and walking away. She wasn’t going to go in to a coma, not here, not like this. She somehow made it to the kitchen and scooped out sugar from the sugar bowl and poured it in her mouth with her hands. She fell to the floor, so weak, barely able to stand. She laid there until the sugar did its job. She was able to stand up again and minute by minute she was back to herself. She hated him. She hated him with a passion, but she knew she couldn’t make it on her own, so she stayed and tolerated the abuse.  When her kids came to visit, they begged her to leave him. Mom, he isn’t worth it! He is going to end up killing you. Please get out. They didn’t realize that I had no money. He controlled everything in her life. Money, decisions, clothes she wore, what foods they were going to buy and eat, what friends she had. She was flat broke. God was watching over her though, he was there with her when she didn’t even ask or want him to be. She got a phone call from a friend of a friend, whose parents needed a caregiver . She asked how many hours, and what days, and decided she would take the job. It was a break from him and a way to get out. She had no car, but he figured he would take her since it was going to be more money in his pocket. She loved her job. She loved being needed. The parents were so sweet. It was hard not to fall in love with them. She connected with the extended family and found bonding with all of them so easy. She started hiding a portion of her pay from her husband, and after about six months, she had enough saved up to move in to an apartment of her own. Thanks to a long time friend, she now owned a used car. Although she had no money for deposits for rents, or utilities, God opened all doors for her. The rent deposit was broken down into small monthly payments. The land lady understood very well what she had been put through. The deposits for the utilities were zero dollars. She paid her first month rent, and went back to her home. She waited until he went to work, and gathered all she could fit in her car. Leaving a note, saying, see ya!. When she unlocked the door to her new home, a huge boulder was instantly lifted from her shoulders. She was free! Free! She carried her belongings in side from her car and started putting things in place where she thought they should go. After she completed this, she laid down on her bed and drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was just dusk. She took a shower, and got dressed and grabbed her purse, and out the door she went. Inside her car, she checked her wallet, and she knew if she was very careful she could get enough groceries until next pay-day. She drove to the store and walked in like she had never been there before. Her head was held high, a smile on her face, saying hi to everyone that looked her way. She had done it! She had asked for a way to escape the abuse, and God heard her and opened all doors.