A Little About Me, Part 2

(If you missed Part 1, click here.)

My parents barely stopped their packing to glance at me. “You’re not moving out.” Dad said, with a tone of voice that signaled that was the end of it. I had quietly told them that I was not moving back to Ohio with the family. I was staying in Texas, on my own, and I could do that because I was working three jobs now.

I did not want to move so far away and I didn’t want to be jerked around anymore, moving from house to house at their whim. Since we moved to Texas, we had lived in Port Arthur, Port Neches, Beaumont, four different locations in Vidor, Silsbee, then back to Vidor. I couldn’t take it anymore.

One of our Vidor houses

I had spent months planning to move out on my own anyway. If I'd had more time to save money it would have been fine. But my parents had abruptly decided to go back to Ohio and I was in a quandary.

There had also been major changes in the job department for me. I had quit working at the dental office and started working at Walmart.  I also held down two part-time jobs. But even though I had found a tiny travel trailer in an old trailer park that I could afford, the landlord said if I didn’t get the electricity turned on in two weeks he would rent it to someone else.

Desperate to find some way to stay in Texas, I kept talking to my parents, raising my voice in desperation. I still held out hope that they would see the logic of what I was saying.  I wasn’t even asking them for money, all they had to do was sign a paper!

The conversation escalated into an argument. They told me I did not have any need to move out on my own, I could stay at home until I got married. I didn’t see how that was possible since we barely stayed in one place long enough for me to get a boyfriend!

Finally, my Dad walked out of the conversation. Then my Mom said they would leave tomorrow for Ohio to find a place to live. They would come back in two weeks. So I could give two weeks notice for my jobs.

I have my own daughter now so maybe I can understand how they may not have wanted me to be 1200 miles away from any family. Somehow, I knew I couldn't move back to Ohio. It’s strange, but it was like this giant invisible hand was blocking the way north. I now know it was God. (I wasn't as close to Him as I should have been then.) But at the time, I didn’t understand it.

Me being silly outside our house in Beaumont

After the argument, I went to my room, shut the door rather forcefully and cried.  Then I started praying, asking God what I should do. The thought came into my head to ask people at my church for help. Yes, that was it! I started making a list of names of people to call. I would tell them that I didn’t need any money, only a co-signer.

Buoyed by hope, the future suddenly looked bright again. I decided to wait until my parents had left for Ohio the next day before making the calls to the church deacons. No need for them to know what I was planning.

But it was all wishful thinking. None of the deacons would help me. The pastor wouldn’t help either. They all quoted scripture and told me how it would be wrong for them to help me, even just to co-sign. They used verses like Proverbs 11:15, and 22:26.*

Maybe they believed they were right to do so. But I wasn't a stranger.  I had gone to that church for years, even attending after my family moved to Silsbee, driving for miles after working several jobs to attend church there, but no one would help me. I had even been active in the youth ministry for several years! I did find one couple who were willing to help, but they had such bad credit Gulf States wouldn’t accept their signatures.

The two weeks were almost up. Once again, I felt despair come upon me. To make matters worse, the car I was driving broke down and a rare Southeast Texas cold front had arrived. The only transportation was my Dad’s motorcycle. And I had to get to work.

Another house in Vidor. And my long hair.

One of my brothers had stayed behind with me, so he volunteered to take me to work on the bike. I didn’t usually like to ride the motorcycles with my wild driving brothers and it was freezing outside, but I had to get to work early in the morning, so I agreed.

My brother had the philosophy that driving faster meant that we would only be cold for a shorter amount of time. It sounded good, in theory. However, when we arrived to my job I could barely move, I was so cold! I don’t know how he kept control of the motorcycle.

Later that day when he picked me up from work and we were headed home, the motorcycle broke down. And we were nowhere near home. I stayed with the bike while my brother went to make a phone call for help. (No cell phones back then.)

Could life get any worse?! Don’t ever ask that. It can.

When the friend came to help us, we had to load up the very heavy bike onto the back of his pickup…by lifting it. Did I mention at this time I weighed 108 lbs? What an effort it took for the three of us to get that motorbike up there!

I did my best to help and ended up with one foot slipping off the tailgate and my leg falling all the way to the ground, scraping the side of it as I fell. My other leg, however, stayed up on the tailgate causing me to do a stretch I never would have thought possible.

Me being silly with one of my brothers at yet a different house in Vidor.

Thankfully, I had the next couple days off work. My brother was working on the bike, borrowing money from his friends to fix it. The weather was warming up again. Then, getting hungry, I opened the cupboard but didn’t see any food. I opened another one. Empty. What?! I searched the kitchen thoroughly, finding maybe one can of spinach, some flour and oil. My parents had packed up most of the food and taken it with them.

Stay tuned for Part 3.
(Note: I didn't mean to make this so long, but it's turning into at least a three parter! I'll try to wrap it up soon, I promise!)

* Prov. 11:15 "He who is surety for a stranger will suffer, But one who hates being surety is secure." NKJV
Prov. 22:26 "Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, One of those who is surety for debts" NKJV