Bleeding Perseverance - Episode 15

Autobiography Fridays

CHAPTER 7

Trouble In Paradise

Well, the books and commercials were right in the sense that Hawaii did have natural beauty, but there are some things not mentioned that people should consider. One is the climate. Sure it’s pretty consistent, but for those not used to it it can feel rather sticky, especially when you first arrive. Also, anyone from the mainland (that’s what they call the other forty-nine states) who enjoys taking road trips, you can only go so far when you’re on an island. Not really a problem if you’re just visiting. But if you’re going to live there it can get a little boring.

Upon first arriving we stayed in a motel. Although it was summer it was raining a lot there on Kauai. We were in the biggest town on the island, Lihue, which was still relatively small.

There at the motel we met our first friend, George. A Hawaiian in his forties or fifties. When it was raining and there was nothing to do we’d sit there and have conversations with him for hours.

Jazmin was seen by a doctor there in town. After learning her medical history and the recommendations of the specialist who had cared for her he agreed that the thing to do now would be to wean her off the oxygen and see how she did. Within a week she was completely off of it! For the first time in her five years she was free from tubes.

As usual finances began to get low and times began to get tough. After a week or so at the motel we had no choice but to move to a shelter for women and their children.

The shelter was actually just a house converted as one. The famed Sleeping Giant could be seen from there. (A mountain resembling a sleeping giant) We were there for a few weeks before we found an available house on the other side of the island in the small town of Kekaha. It was the nicest house we had ever lived in, and just a few blocks from the beach.

Mom convinced the owners that we could afford to live there. Something she seemed to have to do with every new place we moved into.

Soon after moving in we ran into our friend George. He kind of had a thing for Mom, but the feeling wasn’t mutual. This is why when we saw him she just gave him our phone number, not address.

With Chino gone, this meant one less person Mom could get angry with. Therefore, I ended up taking on more of here viciousness. The night George called ended up being one of the worst times ever.

When he called I talked to him for a few minutes and then he asked to speak with Mom. At first she told me to tell him she was busy, but then came over to me whispering, “What is he saying?” This started a kind of game between the two, with me being the one relaying. Mom clearly wasn’t interested, but I guess felt entertained by the notion. After a while she grew bored and stopped the charade. George and I went back to talking between ourselves while Mom left the room. Once I hung up she came back in. Realizing George was no longer on the phone she got real pissed.

“Who the hell told you to hang up?!” she yelled. How was I supposed to know she wanted me to keep talking to him, through me? She had lost interest and even left the room!

Nothing I could say could take her rage away. She grabbed me by the hair and dragged me into the bedroom. Keeping the light off, she began to whale on me like never before. Some of her blows were heavy and powerful, sending me slamming against the wall, while others were quick and repetitive, one right after the other. All hurt like hell and had me seeing stars! She was on fire, not even giving me time to breathe between strikes. As soon as I’d fall over to the floor she was there to yank me back up by the hair and continue with her rampage.

Dazed and in pain I remembered thinking to myself, Is this ever going to end? Finally, I guess from fatigue, she stopped. My face was on fire. You know how you get hit and the area feels swollen and pulsates constantly? That’s how I felt all over. But she wasn’t finished, now ready to bring on the mental abuse.

It was already late and very dark outside. After making sure the kids were asleep she grabbed me and took me to the beach, threatening me along the way. She told me to observe how quiet and deserted the area was, with only the occasional car passing by every now and then. Of how she could kill me and no one would find out.

When we got to the beach she pointed out a rocky area. It was hard to see in the darkness but you could tell what was there. Yanking me forward, she began to explain how she was going to kill me over there. How it would look like I wondered there by myself in the middle of the night and had an accident.

I remember hoping one of the occasional passing cars would stop, but none of them did. As soon as Mom noticed headlights she’d pull me down to hide from view with her. The whole ordeal seemed like it was going on forever.

With more passing cars, she grabbed me and made a comment that there were too many. She said we’d return later, when no one would be on the road.

When we got home she threw me in bed, saying “Don’t get comfortable! We’re going back!”