Bleeding Persecerance - Episode 36

Autobiography Fridays

Payday was nearing, which meant we’d soon be on our way to Riverside. Being back in Stockton, Chino decided he wanted to stay, so there went our plans of getting a place together. We now had to rent a car to go the rest of the way. Meanwhile I had learned that C.M.B would be performing at the Stockton fairgrounds within days of us leaving. Unfortunately, it ended up being a few days after our departure, so I’d have to see them later.

Saying goodbye to Chino proved hard for all of us, including him. Who knew if the six of us would ever be together as a dysfunctional family again. He didn’t have anywhere to keep Holmes, so we brought him along with the other cats and headed down south.

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Chapter 15

The Last of High School,

A New Flame,

& The Flesh On Fire

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Riverside looked and sometimes felt like a desert town. As usual, we didn’t have any place to go but a motel, so we found one and Mom started looking through the classifieds. After going over the finances she surprised us by asking if we’d like to go to Disneyland before returning the car. Of course we were all for it, and of course we’d have to keep it a secret, not letting it be known to anyone back in Stockton, as well as anyone else we might meet. After all, if Mom had to ask others for financial help/assistance later, Disneyland certainly sounds like a splurge.

Eight years after experiencing the magical kingdom we were finally back to do it again. Only for Jazmin and Jesse this was their first time. Last time Jaz had been in the hospital going through some hell and Jess had been in Mom’s uterus.

We started off going on some attractions together. Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, The Safari. Then Daniel and I headed off by ourselves for the coasters. We were now old enough to really enjoy Space Mountain, unlike last time when we nearly slipped from Mom’s grasp and came so close to becoming space junk.

After an exhausting day of fun Mom had a headache and still had that drive to make back to Riverside. Once we found the car and tried starting it up we discovered that the battery was dead. Fortunately, some good samaritans had some jumper cables and we were on our way. So what about the other scary incident we had on Space Mountain? That’s a later time.

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Due to our fun-filled day at Disneyland, the rest of our meals for that month was full of bologna sandwiches and chips. I tried to get a job, but since Riverside is a relatively small place such a goal can prove to be rather difficult.

Once again convincing a set of home owners that she could handle the rent, Mom found us a house on the end of Dawes Street, with a juvenile hall center being right across the fence. The house was relatively nice. Three bedrooms, with a space that could be converted into a fourth, two bathrooms, an attic that we never really used because it had never been properly restored, a garage that looked like a barn, which we also never used since we didn’t have a car, and a descent sized front and backyard. There was one other addition to the house that was located in the backyard. A studio-type apartment. I really wished I could have stayed there, especially since I had lost the last one out to Chino, but the owners said we’d have to pay three hundred dollars more a month for it, so it ended up just collecting dust the whole time we were there. Booma and I settled for the bedroom nearest the back of the house, while Jesse and Jazmin got the next one over. Daniel got the converted one and Mom got the one upstairs.

That summer before school I turned eighteen. More than anything, it was just an odd feeling knowing that I no longer had to be attached to Mom’s warped strings. If you would have asked me years earlier if I would have been packed and ready to run at the minute of adulthood I would have said, “Hell Yes!” But since then I had come into my own anyway, and of course no longer put up with physical abuse for myself and my siblings. And because I had the back surgery coming up, as well as one year of school left, I decided living amongst Mom’s negativity for a little while longer would be something I could put up with.

The remaining summer was relatively boring, but it didn’t stop my driven nature from coming forth. Now that we were somewhat near L.A., I decided I’d plan a trip to Giant Records to seek C.M.B’s tour schedule in person. Daniel and I had gotten used to hanging out together, so I took him with me.

It took us quite a few hours and numerous bus rides to reach Beverly Hills, the location of the record label. After getting off the last bus we had to walk for about an hour before we got to Wilshire Blvd. The walk wasn’t that bad though, seeing all those mansions on the way.

Finally arriving at the label, we found it odd that no one was on the ground floor lobby, not even a security guard. We went up to the floor the suite was located on and walked into the office of Giant Records, but no one was there either. The whole situation began to feel more and more like a Twilight Zone episode. Calling out for someone, anyone, we proceeded to walk back into their offices.

Still no one.

Had everyone in the building been killed?!