Rock-bottom
Hearts and minds making their way out of the pit!
She had give birth to five children with one man who hadn't proposed to her and who had treated her rather badly. But, she was wise enough to leave him and the one room shack that they were living into after learning and witnessing his womanizing behavior in front of her and the children they had created together. The big decision however, she would be only taking, the two youngest children with her, and leaving the three older ones with their father and one of the mistresses he often plaid around with in shack not too far away from where she was presently living with the five children she had bore this philanderer.
As anyone can clearly imagine, it was a pretty rough time for this young woman name Nelly, who was only around twenty-five or twenty-six years of age at the time.
Having five children, an unfaithful man and hardly any money to travel from north to back east, was a very rough and tough period for Nelly to endure.
Deciding to leave this adulterer and father of her five children, who brought in very little money to feed his family, Nelly's only sensible option at the time, was to return to her mother's house and start a fresh life there. But the fact that her and her biological mother hadn't bonded well; because her mother had sent her away to live amongst some well-to-do people, who she and those persons had later parted ways, once she had reached the legal age of eighteen and thought it best to be on her own because these "Upper-class people" weren't treating her the way she felt she should be treated.
Therefore, taking on rescue at her mother's place of residency, which was only a hut, didn't last for too long. Furthermore, her mother had other children and was living with the father of one of those children in the hut she had built.
So, Nelly was once again, on the streets with her two babies. Sleeping on the side of the streets, under shop pavements and using cardboard boxes as bed for her and her son and little daughter.
Not long after, she was leaving her two little ones with whomever would giver her a hand with them while she roamed about in residential neighborhoods seeking domestic work; washing, cleaning houses and ironing clothes so as to generate a dollar or two. But at the dust of night, Nelly would shamelessly return to the pavement of the streets to make her bed, sleep and then open her eyes at the early break of dawn to try hunting for work again after going by the ocean to take her morning bath.
Thankfully, in those days there were natures natural existence; such as the big blue ocean to splash about in and the flowing river water with its crystal clear water after the spade or the storms had past. And not in this modern era when there are so many restrictions in using these natural spaces and polluted aquatic places.
Amazingly, few weeks after knocking on doors and searching for work, Nelly finally picked up duties; washing and ironing clothing for one of the teachers working at the local high school in the quiet Moran Bay area.
Now making a little money in her hands, to buy the mere necessities needed, Nelly was now very anxious to get herself into a partner where she could throw a weekly hand, and get herself a roof over her head. She was willing to sacrifice her belly to make this happen; eating scraps from her masters table and taking whatever she cold to feet her two toddlers. But on the same pavements where she rested her head at nights, a stranger would walk into her life and brought her up on the idea of being her man. Causing her and her two children to move into a one-room board house with him which had countless holes all over it; allowing sun, moon and rain to enter inside of it, as they please.
It wasn't perfect, but it was big step-up for Nelly and her children. And after collecting clothing for the Catholic church which some were worn by her and others were spread on the floors making a make-shift bed for Nelly and her children. But with little recreation to engage with and the absences of birth prevention existing at that time, two years later, Nelly had another pumpkin in the oven roasting - she was pregnant again!
This strong young woman, who had dreams to being a nurse, was now caught between a rock and a hard place! Two toddlers, pregnant, and living with a man who was only bringing home a menial income from plating and selling a little short crops here and there, and doing little odd jobs for those who has requested such from him. Another mouth was coming to join them, plus it was revealed that her new man Christopher had four other children living in another place with their angry mother, and who was always sending message to him; asking that he send money to her so she could feed those children.
All the signs of the slave trading were looming around almost everywhere one went, and only a few of the lighter skin persons and those who had married to them and gotten some form of basic education were living reasonable good lives. And a few more who had returned home from World War Two, and had received some form of compensation from the government or from their relations to England. Almost everyone used the bus and god bless the man who was seen driving a car; he would be considered mightily important.
Miraculously, few weeks into Nelly's pregnancy, a tire company by the name of Good Year, came into town and they were seeking workers to help them get their business venture off the ground. Without hesitation, Christopher jumped at the opportunity, went by where the company was taking applications and filled out a from for employment there. In which he was told that he would hear word from them in two weeks time.
On bending knees for three long weeks, Nelly and Christopher prayed for the door to be opened where he would be called in for an interview and then be offered a position at the world renown tire company. And seeing how he was good to her, Nelly encouraged Christoper to read the news paper or anything around that would improve his vocabulary and try practicing his maths formulas just in case he was asked to performed such at the interview. Faithfully, he took her advised and did everything in his spear time to improve his vocabulary.
Three weeks later, the long awaited call came by way for a telegram and Christopher Williamson went for his interview with the Good Year Tire Company and passed all the academical, physical and psychological test that were given to him. And soon, he began working in the production department of the Good Year Company which was very good at giving Christmas parties at the end of the year, encouraging their shareholders, employees, and surrounding communities to continue supporting them.
It was a wonderful and profitable time for many as many of the workers from the Good Year Company began moving up in life; leasing land, building houses on it and buying vehicles to generate additional income or just to improve their standard of living, and that included Nelly and Christopher as well.
They managed to saved up enough money to lease apiece of property where they could build a three bedroom board house and bought a bicycle to make the commute back and forth from work easier for Christoper. Instead of him walking home from work sometimes, at twelve and three o'clock in the wee hours of the mornings. Although, many of the men working the mid-night hour usually walk home together, especially, those who were living in the same vicinity. But since lives and lifestyles were rapidly changing, one could find himself on a dark lonely road in those dreadful hours of the night, oftentimes, the swaying of tree leaves scaring the daylight out of them, if there were no moonlight to help aid their path.
Nonetheless, Nelly and Christopher, moved into their three bedroom board house after most of it was completed and they were on their forth child. Giving the boys one room for themselves and the girls the other while the two adults shared a room together. And many of the other men who had gotten jobs at the same company had also moved to the community where Christopher had moved to, since many property in that location were being leased for residential dwellings.
Years down the road, a new way of existence had come into play for Nelly and Christopher, affording them to open bank accounts, expand on their property, send their six children to school and sending money off to support those children they had created from their previous relationships.
Sad to say though, one of Nelly's child had passed away; died from poison... a boy, around a year after moving into that tiny shock with hundreds of holes on it; allowing all kinds of weather condition to freely past through the poorly structured hut leaving along ailments that it couldn't bothered to carry with it.
I would be lying, if I told you that Nelly and Christopher didn't have much delays, set backs, obstacles and disappointing moments after moving out of that old and unpainted hut, but for most part they had made it through for years, until the good old, Good Year Company closed its door,leaving many of its workers redundant and ruffling many families and the lifestyles they had created and built.
An Inspirational Read!
By: CCW.
Talkingwithladyc.blogspot.com
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