MelissaNevels
ThesummerIturnedfourteenwewere, mymotherandI, livinginCorpusChristi, , “people,” becausetheywereintosomestuffIhadverylittleknowledgeof, , stayafewdays, ’tknowmuchaboutthesepeopleGinalivedwith, anddidn’, buttheyusuallywereinthefrontpartofthehousewherethemusicwas, andleftustoourownentertainment.
Ginalivedwiththesepeoplebecause, Iguessyoucouldsay, shewashomeless, inasense, , beautifulsmile, , ’tknowwhoherfatherwas, , , .
Inthebeginning, , andIguessasadefensemechanism, , , .I’djustmoved600milesfromtheonlyhomeI’deverknowninMississippiandIwashomesick, , itclicked, , ’dboardtheschoolbusintheafternoonuntilitwastimeforbed, weweretogether.
-minutewalkfromwherewelived, , I’’dmeetupwithourtowelsandsmokesandheadforthesand.I’, notsurprisingly, andwhenIwaswithher, Ididn’, ’tyearslaterthatIrealizedtheintensesadnessshemusthavefelt.
Aboutmidwayintotheschoolyear, Gina’’’smomstayeddrunkallthetime, andIthinktheyhadabigfailingout, ’’twanther, atleastthat’swhatGinasaid.
, , she’, ’.
Timewenton, theschoolyearwascomingtoaclose, , butwewroteletters, andkeptintouch.Taftwasonly18milesaway.Afterwewerethereabout6months, Ginawasagainwithoutaplacetolive, andthenunswerelookingforsomebodytotakehersoshewouldn’’s (thatshelivedwith) , , .
Sowebecameherfosterfamily, , , ! Webothsoonhadsteadydates, , evengotcaughtonce, wasputindetentionforawholeday, , forthatyear, wheremypictureshouldbe, there’salittlecharactermanwithabarrelaroundhismiddleandasignonitthatsays: “photonotavailable.” Actually, IbelieveitwasoneofthefactorsthatstartedthebeginningoftheendtoGina’’d “ruboffonme”.I’mamomnowandIcanbetterunderstand.
Ginawaswild, andyoucan’, ’tallowthetypeoflife, forateenagegirl, , andmadearrangementstoleaveus.
’dsharedaroomforsomanymonths, .I’llneverforgetwatchinghershuttheliddown, andturningtomewithasmileandsaying, “Well, thisisit, Iguess.” Ireplied “Yeah...’tdrinkandsmoketoomuch.” , “Speakforyourself!” ’dbeenmybestfriendforthebetterpartoftwoyearsandIknew, somethinginsidemeknew, thatIwouldneverseeheragain.
Ididn’, Igotaletterfromher, ’dhadababy, byamarriedman.“ Buthelovesme,” , andwonderedifshe’, butnotnecessarilywhatsheneeded.
Ineverheardfromheragain, , ’tknowwhathappenedtoher, ifshe’salive, , , andwhenshewasgone, IfeltlikeI’, , anddidn’tdwellonhersituation, , wesharedeverything.
Istillthinkofheroften, , andappreciateallthatIhaveandallthatIam.
