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Controlling is not the way

A short story written by Edna Cameron about a woman struggling in a relationship.

Story by Edna Cameron

The day started out fine for Jenny and her three children, two boys and a daughter.

Her oldest boy William (age 12) was from her former husband, Jack, and the two youngest Timmy (age 3) Jenna (age 1) are from her current husband, Vince.

Her husband was home because he worked the night shift, it was a Thursday morning. Her best friend Mitchy decided to drop by and discuss her daughter’s birthday party, which they were going have on Saturday, at Jenny’s house, which was bigger because Mitchy lived in a small trailer.

Mitchy was a single parent with three children, Ellsworth (age 13)  Sarah Jane (age 7) and Gladys Mae (age 2.5)

Mitchy asked, "Jenny can I borrow $100 until allowance day, I am having a difficult time this month as my ex Warren did not give me any money for awhile?"

"Sure as long as I get it back on allowance day," answered Jenny.

Then Jenny looks at  Vince who was watching television and asks:  "Can I have a $100 so I can lend it to Mitchy?"

Vince looks at her and then Mitchy and says: “Why can’t you ask your family, they all work? This is my money I worked for it and  I won’t  hand it over just like that!"

Jenny looks at Vince and says: "What ever happened to our money, our van/truck, our home and our children eh! Why is it always your this, your that etc! You wonder why I leave every now and then - someday I will leave and will not return!"

"It’s okay Jenny, I will ask my grampa, I already owe him money, but he does not worry about it, I need to leave now, I will probably have the party at grampa Carl and Betsy’s, I know they won’t mind, thanks anyway Jenny, see ya later girlfriend," said Mitchy.

While she was getting ready to leave with her young ones, Jenny glares at Vince, and he looks at her and says:  "Go ahead, leave, you have no money, no car, no family to help you, go you’ll  be back, like you always do."

He continues to watch tv.

Jenny goes to the room and starts packing, crying thinking same old same old, nowhere to go and no one to help me, what the heck do I do? I don’t own any thing or have a place to call home, I am just here for what, I don’t feel like it’s our home!

She returns to the living room and Vince ask’s: "Do you want to order out for supper? You seem tired , so you don’t have to worry about cooking." Jenny look’s at him and thinks, just like nothing happen here, same old, same old. She says: "Yeah sure, order what ever you want."

The next day Jenny bumps into Janis, her other good friend, except she was on the other side of the tracks, into her addictions. Janis asked: "How’s it going Jenny bear, still pretending to be a princess, there girl friend?"

Jenny says:  "I guess I am but it never goes any good, I feel that I am stuck in thick mud,and people keep walking by and just staring at me, I just can’t get out because the mud’s so thick."

"Well you are a stuck in the mud kind of person, what you gonna do about it? Nothing as usual," said Janis.

She gets ready to jump in her friends’ vehicle and she invites Jenny along. "Want to come for a ride, you look like you need a change here."

Jenny thinks about it, and knows that her gramma will care for the kids for awhile: "Sure why not, I don’t have no one important to look forward to." Janis looks at her. "Not even  Vince?"

Jenny says: "No he has his house, his vehicles, his money, his everything, what the heck, I need a break from this fairy tale lifestyle, let's, rock and roll here."

This story will continue next month….