A Steemit Original - A Lifetime of Seeking Happiness - Chapter 5 -Part 2

 Memoir of a runaway girl - A true story!  

We had gotten to know a Shaman Priest through our BBS and Tony thought it was important to make an appointment for us to see him as soon as possible. 

I said to him, “Are you kidding me, you really think I am possessed? You’re an idiot.”  

I knew what was wrong, my monthly came that night, and I was just moody but he insisted it was more. So, off we went to see our priest. Once there, the Shaman started doing this weird ritual on me.  I could barely stop laughing.    

After all that was said and done, I was the same going in, as I was coming out. The point of mentioning the campsite, the séance, drinking, and laughter, is that our family life was finally good.  It was time to get the kids enrolled yet again into a new school for September, and find myself a job.    

Tony was working back at his original security company and was making more than he was in Lethbridge. However, it still was not enough to pay all the bills. I found work at a Video rental company and started in October.  

  

I always had a problem with authority since childhood. Well it came out in my work. I had a boss that was so egotistical that he drove me insane. Now he and I were the oldest employees in the store, so naturally it made sense to make me a store supervisor. I agreed to the promotion. The problem was that he still treated me as one of the younger kids working there, and I found it to be highly disrespectful and found myself telling him off on a regular basis. It was probably a bad idea, but someone just could not degrade me like that. He could have been the president of the company, for all I cared. If his ideas were ridiculous, I would tell him so, regardless of the consequences.    

One day we had to clear off the movie shelves to clean them. I was carrying a tall stack of about thirty movies in my arms when he made a sarcastic comment. I opened my arms and let all the movies drop to the floor and said he was an asshole and walked out of the store.  I came home and told Tony what happened. I could not handle working there anymore with that idiot. 

   

He was not happy with me, but the next day, my boss called and begged me to come back. He apologized for the incident, and said that he needed me back. After a small discussion of what I would no longer tolerate from him, he agreed and I returned to work. I wondered how it was that I could freak out and still keep my job. It was surprising to me.  During the next couple of month my mom had told me that Jim had just gotten out of rehab and was living back at home. He was going to church every Sunday with my mom and she insisted he was much better and cured of his addictions.    

As much as she pleaded with me to forgive him, I just could not find it in my heart to trust him. It had only been 3 months of rehab and only a month since he had been released. It simply way too soon to put that trust into him. 

Time passed, and things were on a normal routine.  I spoke to my parents on the phone before they left for their annual trip to Florida.  They would be gone for three weeks. I wished them a safe trip but also told them they should not allow Jim to be in the house while they were away. They shrugged me off and life carried on as usual.  When they returned home, they called me again. They wanted to know if I knew were my brother was.  

I was confused, what did Jim do now?  The one mistake they made, they left Jim in the house against my suggestion of getting him out before their trip. By the time they came home, Jim was gone, so was everything that was worth anything. He stole over $23,000 worth of jewelry, tools, antiques, and many other valuables from our parent’s home. In addition, my brother found a checkbook, wrote himself cheques, and forged my parent’s signature on them too!    

Dad went from one pawnshop to another looking for the stolen items. Those items were never recovered. Jim had left the province. 

My father even pressed charges against my brother, but since he was no longer in the province, this would eventually end with no arrest and broken hearts.  My bother became a habitual liar who had an alcohol and drug problem.  It turns out he did not just steal from my parents but he had left large amounts owing to undesirable people in Lethbridge.  

A couple of people knocked on my parent’s door looking for Jim, and one of them had a gun.  It’s no wonder my brother booked it out of there.  He had people looking for him, so he stole what he could to live on the lamb.  

One day another guy knocked and wanted to know about his car repairs. Jim took money from this guy to repair his engine, left the car in disarray and took off with his money. Dad ended up having to do the work, free of charge.   

At this time, my brother Jim finally took over the black sheep of the family title from me.  It seemed to have taken foever, but I was an angel as compared to what my brother did. 

“He took his inheritance early is the way we see it. He’s out of the will for this stunt”.  My father  said in a very pissed off voice. 

But strangely, mom was still defending him and was trying to sugar coat what had happened.   

I truly felt sorry for my parents. They were almost retired and they did not need to have something like this happen.  And confirming my suspicions, my brother was not to be trusted and I didn't want him coming anywhere near me or my kids. 

Chapter 5 - Part 3 to continue

For those who missed the beginning, you can read it here: 

https://steemit.com/writing/@feline1991/a-steemit-original-a-lifetime-of-seeking-happiness-part-1