At Wheeler Homes Chapter 1

                                   Chapter 1

          Jessica woke up suddenly and sat straight up in bed.  After a few moments, she remembered where she was.  She was in her own bed.  She must have dozed off for a few moments.  Her mother and step-father were still fighting downstairs.  She slumped back down into her bed and pulled her pillow over her ears and tried not to listen to the angry voices that she was hearing downstairs.

          “I wish my mother would just get along with Howard” she thought.  Howard was her step-father.  It seemed he was always arguing with Jessica’s mother.  It wasn’t that Howard was a bad step-father; it was the beer and wine that made him mean.  Howard worked hard at the tire store and was a good man.  It was just when he got paid on Friday that he stopped by the bar before coming home.  Sometimes he stayed for only a couple of hours, but then often he stayed out all night.  When he came home he usually fell onto the couch or stumbled into bed.  Then he slept soundly.  That was the easy part.  The hard part came when he woke up.  When Jessica’s step-father woke up from a night of drinking, he always had a hang-over.  That is what Jessica’s mother called it.  Jessica only knew that when Howard woke up with a splitting headache, almost anything would set him off.  There was nothing that anyone could do that would please Howard when he was in one of those moods.  Anything that you said or did was wrong.  And anything that you didn’t say or do was wrong.  Oh how Jessica hated that bottle of Booze.

          Jessica thought to herself, “When I grow up, I am never going to drink.”  And she meant it.  She hated what liquor did to her family.  It made her step-father mean; it made her mother cry; it made Jessica mad; and it made her little brother afraid.  When Howard flew into one of his drunken rages, Jessica would hug her little brother James and try to calm him down.  She would stroke his hair and kiss him on the forehead.  He always calmed down in Jessica’s arms.  And when Jessica was holding little James, she seemed to feel a little better as well.

          If things got too bad in the apartment, Jessica would slip out the back door and go next door to her friend’s house.  Gloria was always glad to see Jessica.  They were best of friends.  The girls didn’t talk too much about Jessica’s home situation.  Jessica knew she couldn’t do anything about it and Gloria knew not to bring it up.  It seemed that when Jessica slipped over to Gloria’s house at night, Gloria just knew what was going on.  The girls kind of knew what the other one was thinking about without saying a word.  That is the way best friends are.

          “Jessica, I am so glad you live next door to me!” Gloria said.

          “Me too,” Jessica replied.  “I don’t know what I would do without you.  You are the best friend in the whole wide world.” Jessica said.  They sat on the back porch staring out into the darkness.  The night was cool, but not too cold.  The girls sat there for a moment lost in their thoughts. 

          Gloria spoke first.  “I went to church last week!” She said excitedly.

          “You did!” Jessica replied.  “What was it like?

          “Oh it was great!” Gloria said.  She went on, “They had two classes; the first was called Sunday school and the second was called church.  Sunday school had classes for everyone on their own level kind of like regular school.  My teacher talked all about Jesus and explained how He was actually the Son of God.  She said that you could talk to Jesus just like you and me are talking.  That is what prayer is called: talking to God.  She said that if you asked Jesus to take away your sins He would.  He would take away your sins and give you a home in heaven when you die.  Jessica, I asked Jesus to come into my heart last week … and He did!  I just know that He did!” Gloria said confidently.

          Jessica sat quiet for a moment.  Then she said, “I wish I could go to church.  I wish all of my family would go to church.  I’m sure it would help us.  I remember going to church with my grandmother years ago.  Everyone at her church was so nice to each other.  They all seemed to like each other and get along with one another.  They were all just like one big happy family!”

          The girls’ conversation was interrupted as Jessica’s step-father called out of the screen door, “Jessica!  Where are you?”  Gloria was startled and Jessica was embarrassed and scared.

          “I am just over here, Daddy.” Jessica said trying to sound normal.  But inside her stomach was turning into knots. 

          Jessica hurriedly whispered to Gloria, “See you tomorrow at school, Gloria.”  And Jessica walked quickly home.