Before
Like a puzzle whose pieces snapped into place perfectly, I wanted to fit in the jigsaw that was my family, but no matter how hard I tried to work my way into my very own special spot, I just couldn't do it. My need to fit in, to be an important piece of the puzzle became desperate after we moved away from my aunt and uncle's duplex on Walcott Street. From where I sat on the outer edge of the table waiting to be picked up and snapped into place with the others, the puzzle looked perfect and complete. But wait! How could it be complete? My piece wasn't in the puzzle yet. I was missing but would anyone notice? Hey! I'm here. Over here on the edge of the table. Do you see me? Please see me!
After
My new dad saw me. From the very beginning of our forty-one-year relationship, I was a valuable piece of the new puzzle that included his three children and Mother's two. He picked me out of our crowd of seven and acknowledged, appreciated, and valued me. Me! But I didn't trust his motives at first and kept him at arm's length. For all I knew he was going to suck me into his fraud, just like Hazel had, and then turn me into his whipping post.
You know the rest of the story. I've told it a half dozen times in my blog and books, so I won't tell you again how Royal Orville, a good, kind, honest, hardworking man, rescued my mother, my sister, and me, took us back to his home in the enchanted forest on the northeast side of Indianapolis, provided a stable home for us, genuinely loved each and every one of us, fathered a baby daughter (my sister Lynnette) and gave Mother what she had been searching for her entire life: happiness.
That is the story I told you, isn't it? My stepfather rescued us, took us back to the enchanted forest, provided stability, loved us, and gave us the gift of Lynnette. Yep! That's the story alright. Didn't want to leave anything out.
Like a puzzle whose pieces snapped into place perfectly, I wanted to fit in the jigsaw that was my family, but no matter how hard I tried to work my way into my very own special spot, I just couldn't do it. My need to fit in, to be an important piece of the puzzle became desperate after we moved away from my aunt and uncle's duplex on Walcott Street. From where I sat on the outer edge of the table waiting to be picked up and snapped into place with the others, the puzzle looked perfect and complete. But wait! How could it be complete? My piece wasn't in the puzzle yet. I was missing but would anyone notice? Hey! I'm here. Over here on the edge of the table. Do you see me? Please see me!
After
My new dad saw me. From the very beginning of our forty-one-year relationship, I was a valuable piece of the new puzzle that included his three children and Mother's two. He picked me out of our crowd of seven and acknowledged, appreciated, and valued me. Me! But I didn't trust his motives at first and kept him at arm's length. For all I knew he was going to suck me into his fraud, just like Hazel had, and then turn me into his whipping post.
You know the rest of the story. I've told it a half dozen times in my blog and books, so I won't tell you again how Royal Orville, a good, kind, honest, hardworking man, rescued my mother, my sister, and me, took us back to his home in the enchanted forest on the northeast side of Indianapolis, provided a stable home for us, genuinely loved each and every one of us, fathered a baby daughter (my sister Lynnette) and gave Mother what she had been searching for her entire life: happiness.
That is the story I told you, isn't it? My stepfather rescued us, took us back to the enchanted forest, provided stability, loved us, and gave us the gift of Lynnette. Yep! That's the story alright. Didn't want to leave anything out.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Due to some not very nice comments from people named Anonymous, I now have to monitor comments before they are published.