Let's Ride

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 A Whole New Turn Of Events

Well this was just great! Now what was I supposed to do? Dump this poor girl on a family who didn't want her, she would most certainly run again, only no telling to where this time. "Listen to me Jessica, your mother told me none of this when I've talked to her, why do you think that is I wonder?" "She doesn't want to get in trouble with child services they might not let her go back to Florida, and might take my little brother from her as well." Then Jessica stopped sobbing and said, "Nikki? Could I come live with you, you've been so kind to me, and I really like you, you're so cool." "Yeah you like me now, but would you like me as a parent or guardian, when I laid down ruled you didn't like, or since we would be living at my dad's house rules he's laid down, I have to follow his rules it's his house, most of them I can live with, I work for him I help pay on the property taxes he owns the house so there's no mortgage, but I also cook and clean for him, it's a pain sometimes but I deal with it. If somehow you came to live with us he would have to approve, I would have no say in that, you would have to live strictly by our rules, most of them would be reasonable, but you told me your mother wouldn't let you date chances are pretty good I wouldn't let you either."

Jessica looked up at me "b-b-but you said," "I know what I said Jessica, I've already traveled down the road you're on I know all it's pitfalls and dangerous curves, as your guardian It would be my job to see that you didn't fall in or run off the road, that I'm afraid would involve a whole lot of "No you cant's" Now, if you decided to go along with both my dad's and my rules we could offer you a stable home to grow up in, I don't want to give you the impression I'm just an old grouch and a Meany I'm far from it, but this idyllic family life you imagine you'll have living with my dad and I isn't going to happen. IF…However you can accept the rules, most of which are no real biggies, I think you'll come out of this thing with a better attitude about yourself and in the long run be a whole lot happier." Jessica seemed to be thinking, "Or, you can take your chances with your grandparents, but I suspect you would just run away again and either end up dead or wish you were, but all this is rather academic, I don't know what your mother's side of this is. So are you still eager to go and live with me?" There was a few moments of silence, then a small "Yes" came from her mouth. She didn't seem eager to let go of me, so both of us eventually fell asleep, in the morning, I stirred first waking Jessica. We took turns showering and drying our hair, since the Red Roof didn't have a breakfast bar we checked out and went back to the Bob Evans. While we were waiting for our orders to arrive, I called Jessica's mom.

"Hello Mrs. Winters, Nikki here, say Mrs. Winters Jessica's told me something rather interesting…" I told her what her daughter had told me and after some hemming and hawing around she admitted the truth, the problem with her parents acceptance of Jessica the foreclosed home, the whole nine yards, much of it was worse than Jessica had told me, in the end, it was; "I've got a proposition for you, I'll tell you about it when you get here OK?" I had a good idea what that proposition might be. During breakfast Jessica seemed to be feeling much better, she looked at me and asked, "Would you really be a b***h?" I looked her dead in the eye, "If I had to be, yes, however I think you would find me very fair, like I told you, I've already been down this road, there would be many times I would cut you slack knowing the true situation you would be faced with, as far as my dad goes, assuming he would go along with this, remember it's his house, he's pretty cool, but he expects a clean house, you would be expected to help keep it that way but with two of us doing the work it wouldn't be that hard. With him, work always comes first, very important! However, it's easy to sit here and talk about it, actually doing it is something entirely different.

The sky appeared to have cleared, so we didn't bother with the rain suits back out on the road for the final leg, although thoughts entered my head I really didn't want to be there, I sighed and just carried on. We cut off I-94 at US 12 and headed east toward Niles Michigan. I wasn't paying much attention entering Three Oaks, and caught myself doing 55 in a 35 mph zone; thank God, no cops were around. The day was shaping up to be rather nice. This stretch of US12 seemed a pleasant change from the dull sameness of the interstate, eventually we came to the Niles by-pass, continuing on, I passed where US12turned east but I continued on the highway which now became M-60 taking me to Three Rivers.