Journey to a Home Detour

In January I went to Neighborhood Assistance Corporation Association meeting. I had mixed feeling about going to homebuyer’s seminar. The neighborhood association in our subdivision threaten to ticket people for parking on the street and my parents refused to allow me to park in the driveway because my car was leaking oil. I took it to a mechanic and he told me it would cost to much to repair it, I would be better off buying another car.

In February, I got my federal income tax refund check. After La Freda’s basketball game. I went all over St. Charles County trying to find a check cashing place. Then I decided to drive in the city to the 24 hour check cashing place and they were able to cash the check. I walked out with five grand in my hand. I took the kids to get Steak and Shake and drove on to Carnection. The car salesman showed me a blue mini van. I told him I am not having any more kids. I need something smaller. The next car he showed me was a silver Chevy cavalier. Louie had told me silver was my color; when I rented him silver Hyduani Santa Fe. I kind of hated to trade in my white Nissan Maxium. I figured the car had taken me a long way since I drove it from Atlanta. I called Mrs. C and told her to dispatch the angels that were on the Nissian to this car. After we left the dealership in our cavalier we went to St. Louis Mills.The dealership insisted on auto draft payment so Sunday before my shift at Walmart I opened an account at the First Community Credit Union.

As part of my effort to get my own place I paid 430.00 to Ameren UE. I had outstanding past due balances on my utilities and realized in order to get service in my name again I would need to pay the balance. I had the NACA counseling staff people pull my credit and I realized that Neighborhood Enterprise had reported my judgment to the credit bureau.

In March Louie came for La Joy’s birthday. He was suppose to attend her party at Tumble drum and share in the cost of the party. His flight was delayed and he missed the party. We had to leave the party early to pick him up at the airport. We went to the Days Inn by the airport. La Freda and I left Louie and La Joy at the hotel we went shopping and then went to union station.

I had been celibate for almost four months when Louie came. I had broken my previous celibacy period with Louie. I spent the weekend telling Louie we would get married and his response was time will tell. Monday morning when we dropped Louie at the airport La Joy and I cried.

About a week later, I realized I was right back where I was before I jumped in the car and drove to Atlanta in 2003. I had to deal with feeling overwhelmed by the amount of debit was in. I started reading What To Do Until Love Finds You again.

I got a large child support check from Moses. I was able to pay the sales tax on the car I had the month before. Since I spent my refund on bills and transportation I went on a spending spree. I took the kids out to eat several times.

The second time Louie came to St. Louis in March. We met at his hotel. I realized I was still running like when I met him. I did not want to go home. I took the kids to the riverfront.

In April I was excited, because of my birthday and spring. For my birthday my parents took the girls and I out to dinner at O Charley’s. I was broke as usually.

I decided to start paying off the judgment against me with Neighborhood enterprise. On mother’s day I began to wonder if Louie had a serious relationship in Atlanta. When he had came in March he showed me pictures of his bedroom. I thought the only thing missing was me. I asked him if I came for a vacation could we stay at with him. He had said yes at first. Now that I was trying to finalize my plans, for where I would stay he was changing.

In June I took my first vacation from work in a long time. I had been quitting before I got a chance to take vacation previously. The girls and I went on a road trip to Atlanta. When we got to Tennessee we stopped to eat and I got lost trying to get back on the highway. I spent an hour getting mixed up. Then another hour stuck in rush hour traffic. We got to Mrs. C house it was late.

The next day we got up and went to Centennial Park. I got frozen lemonade. When we were homeless hanging out in the park, I would want one especially the first few weeks when I was not even receiving welfare or child support. I usually did not have money for one. I got La Freda some dippin dots. La Joy enjoyed playing in the water and she dragged La Freda and me into. We went to the under ground and ate Chinese food.

Later I met Louie and he took La Joy for the weekend. Saturday we spent the day with Mrs. C. We went over her sister‘s house and La Freda swam. I was looking at the scrapbook Mrs. C made about adopting her daughter. I told her I was going to start a scrapbook titled Journey to Home. Sunday we went to new birth for worship service. I thought I miss my church. Bishop was taking about out of Egypt. After ward I stopped by Bentley’s house to say he Hello he was not there. We went to Lennox mall. When it was time to pick La Joy up Louie kept changing the time. I was starting to worry that he would not give her back. I held her so tight when Louie handed her to me. Monday morning we headed back to St. Louis. Nobody wanted to leave Georgia but we knew Hotlanta was no fun being broke. I thought about an email I had sent before when I first got there. I put the subject as Hell in Hotlanta. Tuesday I went back to work. My dad was disappointed I had gone to Atlanta. When got back I finally went through the papers Mrs. C had kept for me since I left and found Bentley’s number.