Introduction
My mom was fourteen when I was conceived. She was just a child. Most women would cry "Why me?" Not my mom. My mom was probably the happiest she had ever been. Life wasn't easy for her and I wouldn't wish my mom's life on my worst enemy.
You see, she was raped by her dad. She was ready to commit suicide and there I was just waiting. She felt "finally, someone to love and to love me in return." She turned 15 and my family was remodeling a house that had been condemned. I imagine he worked her like a dog. That's what my dad did.
My due date was August 9th, 1974. My mom was working on the house her stomach hurt. My mom was rushed to the hospital. When she arrived the nurse screamed "Oh, my God! We need to get her to the maternity ward stat!" I was born just a few minutes later, June 21, 1974.
Chapter One
We lived in a yellow house on Cleveland's west side. Across the street was my school. After 6:00 PM my mom would not allow me to go to the playground. Too many people that were up to no good were there.
We had a red and black stripped couch that was "in style" if I ever see another like it I am going to run very fast in the opposite direction. My uncle sat in one spot so much that it had a sink hole and after you sit you will never get out.
I slept in the attic with my two aunts, mom, and my uncle. On my aunts side of the room, half was covered like wall paper in Shaun Cassidy posters and the other half was covered in John Trovolta.
My uncle had a record player and he had a 45 of Queen. Every night at the same time you would hear "bum, bum, bum another one bites the dust. bum, bum, bum another one bites the dust..." There was a scratch in the record and until I was twenty something that is all I knew of the song.
I have another uncle that I can't recall seeing much. He was a Marine who loved Kiss. I was terrified of Kiss. There was a special on TV once something like a making of the band. They would say something to the effect we feel the music and then this is how we look. I thought they were monsters and I thought if I continue to listen to it that is what I would end up looking like.
I'm sure part of that was because I was told it was devil music.
The house we lived in used to be condemned and it was always getting fixed. From birth to about the age of five there were always hammers banging, plaster smacked on, light fixtures being put in place. I thought living in a banged up home was how people were supposed to live.
I was three or four and it was Christmas eve. My mom had sent me to bed. I started to sleep then Santa came into my room and laid a teddy bear in my bed. This teddy bear played music and it's fur was kind of matted. Santa left and then I ran to my mommy "Mommy, look what Santa gave me! Mommy I thought Santa was white." My mom smiled "Sweetie, Santa hasn't come yet and that was one of your uncle's friends. Now back to bed with you." I was crushed. I thought I had seen the big guy.
The next day I woke to an extreme tinsel covered tree. My grandma was obsessive about the tinsel. I had tons of presents and we had a fun day filled with turkey and pies.
When I was in preschool my gram found a cacoon in the garden. My gram put it in one of those tanks that you grow sea monkies in. I took it to school for show and tell and told the teacher she could keep it. My teacher didn't want it so I brought it home. A few days later we had praying mantis' all over the house. Good for the garden not good for the house. I went to school and they were every where when I got home they were gone.
I asked where they went to and they said they sent them outside. I'm the sensitive one and I would have cried over the mass loss of life had I known the house was bug bombed. This is just how I am and was.
We had a pet camelion once. I put him in the sun. I thought it would be good for him. I ended up cooking my camelion. I didn't touch him but he looked really crispy.
The pet Pirahana was butt ugly and scary looking for a small child. The fish tank covered a whole wall. It ate all of our exotic fish.
I knocked over a plant at a friends house and ran because I was scared.
Neighborhood brats smashed a pumpkin in our yard and stole my toys a gate was put up.
Got in trouble with a school friend.
Had a really cool van was traded for a house.
Moved to the east side.
