What About Her?

It was 2000 and I was now 35 years old. ~ Thirty five years old ~ Just wow. I remember thinking to myself at times, “Where am I?” “How did I get here?” I’d be 40 years old in a few years and I was still being abused. It was a long nightmare; one that I just wasn’t waking up from. Something had to happen, some day. God had to ‘redeem the years the locusts ate’ some day, right?

I was finally able to get a job. We were so short all the time. “Serpent” finally allowed me to go out and get a job to help out with bills. Not knowing how I’d survive out there in the ‘working world’ and not wanting to be around people because they were all so mean, I didn’t know how I’d do this. I still had typing skills and I new my way around the computer from back when I lived with my uncle. So I applied for a job as a medical claims processor in the same place that “sister in law” was a supervisor for. Since she lived right upstairs from us, I could go to work and get back home, with her. I was making good money. I was able to help out, finally.

I couldn’t stand being dependant on “sister in law” to get me to and from work. She was so “smug”, if you know what I mean. She was ‘better than me’ ‘bigger than me’ ‘smarter than me’ ‘taller’ ‘prettier’ you name it. And she let me know it every chance she got, too.

One day while on the way home from work I saw a sign in front of a Ford dealership that said, “First Time Buyer Program”. Now that got me thinking. The next day I asked a friend at work to drive over there with me so that we could check out the program. It was such a good deal that I went back a day or two later and got myself a car. It was a Silver Ford Focus, new that year. I was never so happy in all my life. Now I had some freedom. Now I could be independent. When I drove back and forth to work in that car, I was free! It felt so good. (I learned how to drive back in early 90s when “serpent” wanted me to be able to drive back and forth to the stores so that he didn’t have to).

It was still the year 2000 and my 36th birthday was coming up. I decided to get myself a computer for a birthday present. Maybe I’d find some friends on there. Maybe I’d find some people to talk to, who didn’t know me. Maybe I’d find a way to leave. That would be great! So I bought it and got it home and set it up. I couldn’t wait to dig in and find a friend. Well let me tell you…a friend, I did find!