Jayla (My Story)

Life vs Jayla round two

     I had been defeated. Life came at me with a one two punch and I hit the mat hard. But I got up before I was counted out. I was back and better than ever. What changed? Me I changed. The way I looked at the situation changed. Was it bad? Yes! Could it have been worse? Always.
We were all OK and that was something to be thankful for.

I was sitting outside watching Hylis pick the dandelions that had turned to seeds. She would close her eyes and make a wish and try her hardest to blow all the seeds off with one blow. She believed if she did her wish would come true. She picked a new one and came running up to me.

" Mama, mama, look. I got a fwower." She said. With a huge grin. " I gonna make a wiss."

" OK baby. Make your wish." I told her.

" OK. Cose you eyes mama."

" Why do I need to close my eyes?

" Cause mama I gonna make a wiss code you eyes." OK hylis I said and closed my eyes.
I opened my eyes to see her with her eyes shut tight.
" My wiss my wiss." She said while she was pulling the seeds off then she blew on it. " Look mama I bwowed dem off." She said jumping around. It took everything in me not to laugh out loud. She was just too much.

My marriage didn't get better. The damage had already been done. So I did the only thing I knew to do. I told Brice that I wanted a divorce. He didn't want it but I saw no reason to postpone the inevitable. We weren't happy. As I look back now I can't honestly saw we ever loved each other for who we had grown into. We got married so quick we didn't get to know who we were as adults. We acted on feeling we had for one another as high school kids. We had mistaken a great friendship for a great love.  And that was our biggest mistake.

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Now turning back the hands of time alittle. After Jack spoke to the officer at my house that night he became very angry. He went and burnt down  the suite that was in their back yard that a friend of his grandmother's was living in. Not long after he was arrested and sent to prison.

I would get the occasional letter from him to Mama's p.o. box but that was it. I didn't have to worry about him anymore.

One day his letter came and. Caught me off guard. He was responding to me and I was completely lost since I had never written to him nor did I plan to. The letter was telling me he had found God in prison.( Which isn't unusual most people do find one God or another when they're incarcerated) He was saying he new how bad I wanted him but we would have to wait until we're married. At first I thought he was just making things up in his head. That was until I read farther and he was saying how good my perfume smelled and his cell mate even smelled it. And they read my letter but he kept the good parts to his self. I knew then he had gotten a letter that was supposed to be from me. I picked up the phone and dialed the last number I ever planned on calling again.

" Hello?" Jeff's voice came on the line.

" Yes Jeff I am only calling you for one reason. I got a letter from Jack today." I said no able to hide the anger in my voice.

" Ya, he mails them to mom and she mails them on to you. If you don't want her to I'll tell her to stop." He said

" Could you also tell her to stop writing him back for me?" I said

" What are you talking about?" He asked

I explained the letter I got to him.

" Now Jeff you spent time in prison. Just think about this for a sec. You get a letter in the mail it's got mature content and smells like the sender. The problem here is. It's your mom's words and scent."

" OK OK stop I'll take care of it." He said. Stopping me from stating the obvious.

" And make sure he knows before he gets out that  not here waiting to jump him when he gets out. Tell your mom if I find out she has sent him anymore letters portraying herself as me I'll see what can be done. I don't want to but what she's doing will only make things worse. He needs to move on with his life... Without us." I said and hung up.
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Jack had spent seven years in prison and had just gotten released on parole.

I was packing my thinks to go to Jess's house until I could find a place of my own. My phone rings.

" Hey Jess I'm almost ready." I answered.

" OK I'll be there in just a few. Look Jack is messaging everyone on Facebook trying to get in contact with you." She said

" Why I'm sure I made myself clear." I said.

" I don't know he said he just wanted to talk to you. He swears he's changed and wants to show you that in hopes of one day getting to see Jax." She replied. " I told him I'd give you a message but that's as far as I'd go. It's your decision to make." She gave me the number and hung up. I thought about it for awhile and went against my gut. I blocked my number and called him.

" Jayla is that really you?" He asked

" Well ya. You asked for me to call you" I said

"Jayla I really want to see my son it's been seven years and all I've done is think. I'm sorry for the way I treated you and the things I said. I was a stupid kid but I've grown up now." He said.

I sat there for a minute or two processing what he had just said. Do people change?

" You still there?" He asked

" Ya I was just thinking. I think I can do that. I'll meet you here at the McDonald's and you can see Jax. I will have deputy Jarvis meet me there for our safety." I said and he showed his truck colors.

" What? Why the fuck would you want him there. No your gonna come just you and Jax and me grandma and dad will come." He yelled through the phone.

"Well hello Jack I was wondering when you would show up." I said sarcastically. " See if you had good intentions it wouldn't matter if the whole police station was there. So no I don't think so. You have a nice life. And Jack do yourself a favor move on."

" Jayla you stupid cripple bitch that's my son." And there it was I was wondering how long it would take him. I just hung up. I'm not wasting anymore time with crazy.

It didn't take long to find a place. The moble home community ( Ya fancy word for a nice trailer park) that mama lived in had a home for rent that was perfect for Jax, Hylis, and I.  It's funny how life takes you in circles. This park used to be the trailer park I lived in with Jeff. Then it was drug filled and run down. Then new people bought it and moved all new trailers in and made it a nice place to live.

As I was moving in I hear a familiar voice. " Hey girl. What you doing out here." Richard ask

" Hey! I just rented a place here. You live out here?" I ask him.

" No, the maintenance man again." He said with a laugh. " So everything go OK for you after that night in the rain? I've been asking around about you. They all said you got married and we're happy. That's good." He said with a melting smile.

" Well I'm here so I guess it worked out. But I'm divorced now and am done with men." I said.

" Oh there not all bad." He said then he had to go to work.

There not all bad? Maybe not just most of them. It didn't matter to me anyways. I had decided I was done with relationships. I would find a guy that could give me what I needed and that was it. On the weekends when my kids went to their grandma's house to visit their dad I would take care of my needs and would never have to deal with a relationship with another man. To me that sounded just fine but as always fate had another plan...