The Turning Point: Prologue and Chapter One (Strong Content)

The Turning Point: Chapter Two

Chapter Two: Year of Innocence

Almost a year goes by before my grandmother appears on the scene. She takes us in and I started a new school. My world was looking up. I went to school and made new friends.

My best friend was a boy named Toby. He only lived a couple houses down. Every day after school we would hang out at a lot beside the house. Toby and I rode bikes together, had leaf fights, bug hunted, and told each other everything. Sometimes, we would play with his older brother Jimi.

Toby and I went every where together, including my grandmother's Bluegrass Concerts. I remember,at one such concert, there was a guy who dressed up and played Elvis music as an impersonator. 'Elvis' gave me a small stuffed rabbit and I gave it to Toby to take home.

Toby was a wild kid. Sometimes he would scale buildings and get on top of roofs. Then he would invite me to join him. I rarely joined him from fright of falling off.

I got to know Toby's parents very well. Sometimes they would invite me over and we would eat and watch movies.

Other than Toby I didn't have many other friends. I was made fun of a lot. I was made fun of from everything between my long braids to my last name. Kids are so mean at that age. Toby and I were more of an outsider to the other kids.

In order to get away from other kids I would go to a rope that was suspended from a large pole that was meant for climbing and sit on the bar above. The rope was the farthest point we were allowed to go from the playground. No one dared to try to climb it but us.

Do to the fact I was almost never home I never realize that my grandmother was not very kind to my mother. I later come to find out that she was harassing my mother and making her feel bad for sending my father to jail.