The 99+1

Recording #1 ~ Alexanderia Makarov Hey John! does the red light mean this thing is recording? I waited for a few seconds when the reply came from down the hallway. “Yes, it does Alexandria!” This series of recordings I'll be doing will be my life’s story up to this point in time. I first met John and Marilyn Hopper back in October of 2008 - I want to put this out in the open right now; I was up to this point running with the wrong crowds of people etcetera and I stole cars and I did illegal racing along the way picked up some bad habits. I at that time in 2008 was trying to get in with a racing crew who also sold hot items. I for my initiation was to steal a Hudson Hornet…that Hornet belonged to John and Marilyn Hopper. At any rate, the job went south because I was caught by John and Marilyn as they came home from a date. I had the wires for the ignition cylinder in my hands with my wire cutter/wire strippers. I am embarrassed to say that I swore profusely and since I had no exit available I surrendered. What happened next was a total shock. These people brought me into their home and got me some coffee! I just tried to steal their car and they showed me hospitality. I saw all of these religious pictures and a Bible on the coffee table. At that moment I saw underneath the table on a small shelf an album labeled “99+1”. I felt like I had to be careful how I spoke because of their rather prevalent beliefs. I found myself pouring out why I was trying to steal their Hornet. I found that Marilyn had moved to a spot beside me and hugged me. I felt like they knew my life story. John didn't press charges which I thought was odd until he dropped the bomb that he was a detective…and also was a part-time officer making warrant arrests. I had during the conversation kept making sure my leather jacket was zipped up high enough to cover my v-neck t-shirt. The couple then decided to let me sleep in the guest room which had no locks. “Hey, Alexandria! Carmen texted to remind you that you had volunteered to help in the nursery!” Thanks for the reminder mother! For anyone who will be watching recorded journals…The Hoppers had adopted me as their own even though I was a legal adult before I go to church I'd like to just mention that I used to hate church and those types of people because of my past. Gotta go peeps! I am back folks and let me tell you of My first church service….well my first time in a length of years -since I left the church scene when I turned sixteen. At that time Iwas twenty-two and I just went because I was bored and didn’t feel like doing my usual crazy activities I was a bit awkward since my dress was not like what the other girls there wore, it was a bit short and a tad low. At first, I thought I was being judged but then a girl three inches taller came up and introduced herself. I caught a glimpse of a small tattoo. For a church girl to have a tattoo I was intrigued and curious. The sermon at first was dull but the preacher got my attention when he told a parable about a shepherd; I was again disinterested but then he spoke of a hundred sheep and the shepherd leaving his ninety-nine to find a lost sheep. I remember the album in the Hoppers’ living room, what was the correlation? The sermon was pretty good and typical of what I had grown up with; during the invitation, I slipped out to have a smoke. One girl was being a bit spiteful and I leaped up and shoved her back and uttered some curse words…more like yelled the words and raised my fist to strike and then decided not to follow through. Carmen Rosetti a girl I met before the service joined me and we talked. Surprised you're sitting with me after the show of temper and my cigarette, but at least you're one of the few who hadn't judged me. “The brotherly love that Christ calls us to will lead us into tough situations and to people we're not comfortable with and comfort and aid those who are in a different walk of life to lead them to the cross.” I told her I need to think about that statement…and mentioned that I had grown up in church and the people I was with didn't walk or talk the way they did on Sundays and Wednesdays. That was what led me to make different friends who my parents didn't approve of and I began a path of utter rebellion. I told Carmen this because something about her seemed real..probably the most real I had experienced in a long time. That night I lay awake thinking and wondered or began to wonder - am I too far gone? I'll ask John and Marilyn at some point because they too seemed real like Carmen Rosetti.