On My Last Leg

A few months prior to meeting Melvin I had just finalized the divorce from my first husband, who shall remain nameless. In retrospect, I realize I married him because he had a wad of cash, on a regular basis, and I was desperate to get out of my aunts house. My aunts husband died suddenly and back then a young person in the family, with no heavy responsibilities, was chosen to act as caretaker for the  grieving widow. In 1986, that was me. I loved my aunt ,but her husband haunted that house. I would hear footsteps in the night, a sound like someone was seating themselves in a chair, I'd smell him, I guess he just wasn't ready to move on or maybe I just didn't want to be there, at any rate, when "dollar bill" asked me to marry him I said yes. I knew my family would let me out of the agreement for a marriage. We're partial to and cater to men.
The marriage lasted all of 8 months. The longest 8 months of my life. Imagine my surprise when my naive tail found out where the money came from, oh the lies I was fed. The last straw was when I came home, checked the answering machine to hear two women saying they were incarcerated in the Bahamas, Jamaica or some island because they were caught bringing his drugs back to the states. I started distancing myself then. Good thing God has an affinity for children and fools, because he sure covered me through that. I escaped unharmed physically, but my finances were in a shambles.
I had bought a house and a new car. I had every credit card I wanted I was ballin'. When I started the divorce proceedings, I left "dollar bill" in my house and went to stay with my mother. School was out for the summer so I didn't really need anything out of the house, and lawyer said since he was my spouse I had to allow him at least 30 to vacate the premises. No problem. But that "beep beep bede beep beep beep" waited until day 29 to get a move on. By day thirty he was gone, but so were most of my clothes and jewelery. The little girl next door told me she would see some lady in my clothes. But that was not the worst, by now the law was on his tail, he couldn't keep a job, next best thing, max out my, your soon to be ex-wife's credit cards. Sick is not strong enough to describe how I felt, still I was exhilarated, because I was free.
My glee was short lived when the bills started coming due. The law said, because he was my husband, at the time of the charges, I was still responsible for payment of the accounts.

I taught during the day and worked at a department store in the evenings and I still had more bills than money. I didn't have a soul I could turn to for help, but I promised myself that I would never allow myself to get in a situation like this again, once God delivered me from it. I didn't know how or when I'd be given a pardon for being so stupid, but I knew as long as I kept the faith, walked and didn't faint, this too would pass, and I would be stronger.

After I met Melvin my home became known as, "The Club" we would have our own party away from the children, that was fun, but I couldn't pay my bills and that's how I came to live with Melvin and the boys. He said, "Why don't you rent your house, I'll take you to my attorney and let him explain debtor's court and you can live with me and the boys until you get on your feet." I was there for six years.