Rosewood

Chapter 1 Lighthouse Falls

Chapter 1: Lighthouse FallsRuby’s point of view

My name is Ruby Ann Warden O’Connell, I married Jayson in the of 1991. We met in 1980 in Lighthouse Falls, Colorado. My family had moved their after, my parents learned of the s****l abuse I suffered. Lighthouse Falls was nothing like the small town of Hamilton.

Lighthouse Falls was a large metropolitan area, and as the years have passed it has only gotten bigger. We moved into a three-bedroom, one bath house on Maple Street, it had a large yard and a shed outback. The house was white with black trim, and just a few blocks from the schools, my brother, sister and I would attend.

It was early July when we settled into the home, Dad had already been in the city for a month getting a job and finding a church to attend. We always went Sunday mornings, evenings, and Wednesday night services. Us three kids had to go; we weren’t given the option to stay home till after our 16th birthdays.

That’s where we met the O’Connell family, Bruce and Marie had seven children. Their oldest two was married, with families of their own. Unlike my parents, with the O’Connell’s you went to church if you lived under their roof, no matter what age. Only serve illness got you excused.

Let me go back a bit and tell you about my family and things that happened before we moved to Lighthouse Falls. Like I said we lived in Hamilton, West Virginia, at the end of the holler. I know what’s a holler, well it’s kind of like a suburb, or small neighborhood.

Each holler would hold several houses, and everyone looked out for the others. Everyone knew everyone else and whose kid was whose. In our case four of the houses was actual family, and the rest just felt like family. Usually, each holler would have the ‘sitter’s’ house.

The ‘sitter’s’ house was a trusted lady, or couple that would babysit for working parents. When both parents worked, or sometimes just so the parents could have alone time. In our holler that was the Grassman’s, Erma and George. Erma loved kids and wanted a huge family but was only able to have two kids.

Later in life, I learned that when she had her daughter, who was the same age as my sister Vivian. She had complications and had to have a complete hysterectomy in order to save her life. Erma would make fresh cookies every day and everyone had at least two at snack time, or when the school kids came in.

George put on the persona of a gentlemen, but behind closed doors, he was a monster to all the little girls. We were all warned not to tell, and no one did. We liked Erma, and all the toys and games. We had fun except when George would come looking for the girl of the day.

I was only three, when I started going to the Grassman’s house. My mother started working at a restaurant to help with the bills. Daddy worked in construction, but there wasn’t a lot of work at that time. We were the working poor, as people would say. I didn’t really understand that term till I grew up.

Anyway, it was about six months after I started going that George decided I was to be the girl of the day, and to keep me quiet about it he gave me a doll. He said, “Everyone does this, we just don’t talk about it to anyone. It’s how we express love in this house.” I would only be allowed to play with that doll when it was my turn to be the girl of the day.

The abuse, as I now know the truth, ended when I got sick. My parents rushed me to the emergency room with a fever of 102, I had a rash, and I itched down there. The minute the doctor tried to examine me, I started crying and screaming, and (according to my parents) I hit the doctor. I don’t remember that, they ended up sedating me.

When I was about eleven, I started having nightmares, and slipped into depression. My parents weren’t sure what to do and sought out professional help. That’s when I was told, what had happened. I had suppressed the memories, and the nightmares was my mind trying to heal. That’s how I met Tiffany, but I’ll explain that later.

I’d like to tell you more about my family and those first few months in LF (short for: Lighthouse Falls). My parents are Rick and Wendy, they married in June of 1966. Two years later, on February 4th they had my big brother Jack. My sister followed in 1969 on August 4th. I am the odd ball, born February 27, 1974.

Although we lived in Columbus at the time all three of was born, we soon moved back to West Virginia after I was born. My parents both grew up in West Virginia, although not in Hamilton. My Dad was one of four, and my mother one of ten kids. So, we have a huge extended family.

In fact, it’s because of that family we ended up coming to LF. One of my great uncle’s owned houses there and a construction company. Daddy went to work shortly after getting to LF and waited for a 3-day weekend to come get us. Imagine spending your 4th of July weekend moving.

We spent all day on the fourth loading up the U-Haul, we had dinner with my mom’s sister, went to see the fireworks and left after that. My Dad slept most of the day, trusting my uncles to help mom get everything loaded.

He had driven all night to come get us and planned on driving all night to get back. Daddy had to be back by Saturday night, so he could rest for Sunday. The church he chose was Lighthouse Falls Freedom Church, a non-denominational but Pentecostal based church. He had taken on the bus driver position for the church.

Daddy was learning the route for the bus, under Mr. O’Connell, who was stepping up to the assistant Pastor position. Mom would bring us in the station wagon, so we didn’t have to get up at five in the morning, we go to sleep till seven or eight.

Once at church, I was lumped into the 5–12-year-old class, while Jack and Vivian were the teen class (13-18). At 19 you joined the young adult until you were married or turned 25. Then there was the senior class for those over 55.

That was just for Sunday school, after an hour in individual rooms, the 25 and under group went into the ‘old’ sanctuary, while 26 and up went to the ‘new’ sanctuary, for morning worship. Then the Sunday evening service started at six, everyone was in the ‘new’ sanctuary and the same for Wednesday night services at 7:30 P.M.

It was that first Wednesday night service that I saw Jayson for the first time. We had arrived before daddy did. As Jack came off the bus, I noticed him talking to some boy. Jack and I was close, he always acted as a protector when it came to me and Vivian. Especially me because I looked older than I was. 

That boy was my Jayson, although I didn’t know it at the time. However, he was cute, yes, I officially had my first crush. He had brown curly hair and sky-blue eyes, as tall as my brother at five foot, but thin. My brother, well all three of us, was on the heavy side of life.

“Penny for your thoughts,” I heard him ask. As I sat there sideways in my pew, just watching people come in and trying hard not to stare at him, but stupidly I was staring. Boys were trouble and I knew that. He knew I was looking at him, but he smiled, tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I was talking to you.”

Quickly, I snapped out of my fog, and said, “I was just trying to see if you were human or alien, cause nobody is as skinny as you.” “Ruby don’t be rude.” My mom scalded, then continued, “Jack, introduce your new friend.” My brother sighed, “Mom this is Jayson, Jayson this is my mom and my sisters Vivian and Ruby the rude.”

As he shook hands, Jayson said, “Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Warden, and Vivian.” Then he and Jack started talking. He just ignored me, so I turned to the front as service was beginning. All though church, Jack and/or Jayson kept pulling my hair or tapping me on the shoulder.

I couldn’t catch which one was the culprit, although, knowing my brother I thought it was him. But that would be my Wednesday and Sunday nights pain, the two of them always sat behind me and picked on me.  I never complained, mostly because they never really hurt me.

One time, I decided to set next to them. Unbeknownst to my brother, I had gone into his room and got his whoopie cushion and brought it to church. Just as Jayson sat down next to me, I pulled it out from behind me and snuck it under him. It went off, and he turned beet red, “umm, excuse me sisters and brothers,” was all he said.

He glanced at Jack, Jack said, “Wasn’t me.” I just sat there with a huge grin on my face and giggling. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I’ll get you for that.” After church he asked my mom if he could spend the night. Mom said, “maybe next time.”

Outside the church we waited as our moms talked. Well, we all played tag running around the church parking lot. We stayed until Dad and Mr. O’Connell got back with the buses. Turned out that Mr. O’Connell ended up getting a second bus for the church and split the passengers in half with Dad.

The boys started chasing us around the church, Jayson was right behind me, as a rounded the back of the church. He easily could have run past me, but he didn’t. No, he grabbed me by the arm and pushed me up against the wall of the church.

He kissed me on the cheek, and said, “One day, I’m gonna marry you.” I gave him an ‘oh please’ look. I said, “you’re too old.” Then pushed myself free and went back to running. Once our dads were back, we loaded up in our separate cars and went home.

Jayson’s point of view

My name is Jayson Alexander O’Connell, and as weird as it seems I met the love of my life in 1980 at the tender age of eleven, she was six. As you know my love is Ruby Ann Warden, now O’Connell, we married in 1991. (Ruby insisted I provide my side. So, I’ll wrote it because there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my girl.)

My parents were Bruce and Marie O’Connell they married on July 12, 1958. I’m one of seven kids, the middle child born October 18, 1968. Nancy, Peter, and George are the older three, while Travis, Daisy and Stacy make up the younger ones. Stacy the baby is the same age as Ruby only a couple months younger.

Nancy and Peter are both married with children of their own. I would often stay with Peter during the summer to get away from home. Not that home was bad, just strict, and loud. Yes, louder than Peter’s 2-month-old twins.

Travis and Daisy fought over the TV and Stacy liked to blare her radio. I swore I wasn’t having a bunch of kids like my parents. I don’t how the kept their sanity. Where was George in all this, at a friend’s house for band practice. George and his friends had a little rock band, much to my parents’ displeasure.

Dad had decided to donate a bus to the church, the one we had was full, and we were making two trips, most of the time. So, he began training a new member to the church for part of the route. I loved going on the bus with Dad, it got me away from my siblings.

Don’t get me wrong, I love each and every one of them, but only separately, together their just too much. That’s how I met Mr. Warden, and later Jack, then the ladies. Jack told me that Vivian was our age, and he had a younger sister named Ruby.

Just from the way he talked about his sisters, I could tell he loved them both and would do anything to protect them. Having two younger sisters myself I understood that. Jack and I talked about our families and planned to sit next to each other in church.

Wednesday, July 9, 1980, the night that changed my life. As Jack and I entered the church, I asked my mom if I could sit with my new friend and his family. She agreed, and so Jack and I started looking for his mom and sisters.

That’s when I saw her, blonde hair, and hazel-blue eyes, and she was looking right at Jack and me. We went up to where the girl was sitting next two other ladies. As we walked up, I noticed she was watching me.

“Penny for your thoughts.” I said as Jack, and I claimed the pew behind the three ladies. She sat there not saying anything. So, I tapped her on the shoulder, and said, “I was talking to you.” She came back with, “I was just trying to see if you were human or alien, because nobody is as skinny as you.”

The older of the three scolder her lightly, and then told Jack to introduce me. I shook hands with Mrs. Warden and Vivian, purposely avoiding Ruby. I thought ‘that would teach her for being rude to me.’

I quietly asked Jack, “How old is Ruby?” He answered, “She’s six going on twenty, is what my mom says.” I said, “Dude, she looks our age.” Jack replied, “Yeah, but she’s not.” All through church Jack and I took turns, pulling her hair and tapping her on the shoulder.

Every once and a while, she’d give her brother the evil eye, and mouthed ‘stop.’ He’d shrug his shoulders and point at me, I then shook my head and pointed back at Jack. The next month or so I made sure Jack and I sat behind her and picked on her.

I don’t think she ever told on us; we never did get in trouble for it. She got revenge on her own. One Wednesday night she sat in the same row, as Jack and I. Jack was surprised to see her there and offered to sit next to her. I said, “Nope, I’m gonna sit right where I normally do.”

As I sat down, I heard a loud fart. I knew she had gotten me, but I acted like it was the most natural thing in the world, saying, “umm, excuse me sisters and brothers.” I looked over to Jack, he immediately, said it wasn’t him.

I looked to Ruby, she had the biggest grin and was trying hard to contain her giggles. I leaned over in her ear and whispered, “I’ll get you for that.” I then proceeded to ask her mom if I could spend the night with Jack. Mrs. Warden said, “maybe next time.”

After service we waited for our dads to bring the busses back. Us kids were running around, I was staying right behind Ruby, hoping to get her alone for a minute. Finally, she rounded the back of the church, and I had my chance.

I grabbed her arm, and in a quick motion pushed her up against the back of the church. My plans were to tickle her till she cried uncle. But as soon as my eye’s landed on hers, my plans changed. I kissed her on the cheek and said, “One day, I’m gonna marry you.”