Normal Is A Good Thing

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Today’s post is a prompt from The Red Dress Club, Red Writing Hood. we were asked to repost our favorite Red Writing Hood prompt. Here it is and I hope you'll fall in love with the heroine Lina. This is a continuation from her story. If your interested in her past read I Never Left Her, The Prison Cell From Hell.

The buzzer buzzed and the large metal door opened. She walked through to the other side with a slow shuffle, making her way to the long table in the middle of the visitor’s area. Her visitors would be there soon, her babies would see her once again in this horrid place. They would smell the rancid body odor, see and hear things they shouldn’t and feel the shame… again.

Ben and Lacey lived with her sister now. Lynn had a spare bedroom with twin beds set up, ready and waiting for them the very day Lina was sent away to prison. The sisters had tried to better prepare the kids for their mother’s long absence by taking them shopping at Wal-Mart to pick out comforter sets. Kids get excited when they get new things right? The tears came quickly as she thought about the hugs and kisses they willingly gave her for the new bed sets and McDonald’s Happy meals on that last shopping day.

Did they understand what she had done? Could they love her knowing the kind of person she was? Forgiveness, was that even possible? Lina sat staring down at her hands. Thoughts of what those hands had done ran through her mind. Life could have been so different…

Every month when Lynn brought the kids to visit the same dread, shame, and guilt plagued her as she sat there waiting.  She felt like a  coward  during their time together.  Apologies, tears, and sorrow seemed to command their time as the three of them tried to be some sort of a family while in such a cold, barren place. Lina didn’t want this for her kids.
 “God,” she whispered, “let this time with my babies be sweet and special. You know how much I love them, let them know it too. Please take this shame and guilt away from me just for a little while. Maybe if I don't feel it they won't either.”

As Lina lifted her head Ben and Lacey ran to her, hugging her furiously, but were immediately whisked away by a tall female guard standing close by. They knew the drill but were determined to  hug their momma before getting caught.

Each had drawn a picture for Lina. Both were excited to show her their pictures and argued about  which one she would look at first. Lina took both in her hands at the same time.

Ben’s drawing was of a house full of people, 1 car in the driveway, and a woman standing large and tall in the middle of the crowd. He said, “That’s you Momma. You’re bigger than everybody else cause your specialer than everybody else.” Lina blew a kiss across the table to her little man.

Lacey’s drawing had 3 large red hearts and many smaller pink hearts all over the paper. She explained in her familiar analytical way, "See, the 3 red hearts are me, Ben and Auntie Lynn and all the little pink hearts," pointing as she spoke," are us telling you over and over we love you, we love you!” Lacey's arms outstretched wide as she demonstrated to her momma how much they loved her. Where was the shame in that?

Today the three didn’t talk about forgiveness, or about how sorry Lina was for things, or how she should have been a better mother… No, today they talked about school, friends, Lacey’s new doll's clothes and Ben's 2nd base position on his baseball team.

Today Lina was a good mother who had raised loving, caring, smart kids. She even forgot for a while where she was and why she was there. Prayer answered.

On this visitor's day Lina, Lacey and Ben were just a normal, ordinary family and that’s a good
thing.



Don't forget to check out my other blog Grace Full Women for an encouraging word or two with a little inspiration added in and a lot of God's love to boot.

Related articles

• Do You Feel Imprisoned? (gracefullwomen.com)
• Prison Cell From Hell (juliemooreonlife.wordpress.com)

The Secret's At The Cemetery

This is the second part to a new storyline I began last week thanks to a prompt from The Red Dress Club You can enjoy the first part here. Today's prompt was to write about a pair of shoes of yours or your character's. Concrit is needed and welcome. Thanks.

 

Rachel reached for the bag in the seat beside her. She clutched it tight as she got closer. The contents inside gave her the strength she needed to face the monster that waited for her.



The front door swung open even before her foot hit the first step on the porch. Alec was dressed in the red pinstriped shirt he wore when he was feeling powerful. He looked at Rachel like he might hit her with the solid glass tumbler he held in his hand.

“Where have you been? You left your phone here. You know I don’t like it when I can’t get in touch with you.” He said through gritted teeth.



“I went to Halton’s and bought something for the baby then by the cemetery. It’s been a while. I forgot my phone. It was charging and I just walked out and left it.”



“The cemetery? Why do you insist on going there? They’re dead Rachel!



“You know I have to go there at least once a month. It’s all I have left of them. I’ll take my phone next time.”



Alec made certain that was all she had left of her parents. Rachel and Mason knew he was involved in their deaths. However there wasn’t a shred of evidence connecting him.  Almost everything including the house was burned to ashes. The mausoleum held her parents remains and he'd have to restrain her to keep her away.



“I want you to accompany me, Susan and Joan to dinner tonight. Wear your turquoise dress and the shoes to match.”



“What time should I be ready?”

“6:30.”

Rachel ascended the winding staircase still clutching the bag from Halton’s store. Her steps getting a little quicker the closer she got to her room. Once there she sat on the bed and opened the bag. With hands trembling she took out a pair of pink and white baby shoes. She imagined the shoes on Baby Girl’s feet. Perfect fit.

Baby Girl would never wear a turquoise dress or shoes to match, not if she had anything to say about it.

 The turquoise dress fit tight around her pregnant belly. And the thin straps lay perfectly on her shoulders. But those shoes were hideous, the same color, dyed to match the dress. Alec had to have perfection. Her feet hurt in the 3 inch heels because of the swelling.  Could she slip into the black pair that were one size larger? No, Rachel didn't dare walk down the stairs without those matching heels.



 Rachel sat down  on the edge of the solid white chair next to the bed. Bending over she tried to reach her left shoe to fasten it. No luck. Propping it on the edge of the bed made it a little easier. Stretching forward she lost her balance, fell over and landed back in the chair.  As she tried again she thought about her last few visits to the cemetery. She usually felt close to her mom and dad while there but this was different. Rachel felt pulled to go there. And she was beginning to remember things. Things her dad told her.



“Rachel baby  you need to know some of the secrets about Astra.”



She and her dad sat in the garage on the old orange couch as he explained what he called “life lessons”.



Deep inside her mind was planted the details of a way to leave this place. The conversation she had earlier with Mason triggered something significant. She knew in her heart that God did exist and she knew He had created a safe place for her and baby Grace.



 “Where did that come from? Grace? I like that name for you Baby Girl.” Rachel patted her stomach reassuringly, “We’ll have to keep that to ourselves though, only Alec can name the babies.”



Rachel rolled herself over and climbed out of the chair after having fastened both turquoise shoes. She laid the pink and white baby shoes on her big belly.

Caressing her roundness with both hands she whispered, “Baby Grace we’re gonna be alright. The secret’s at the cemetery and we’re going there as soon as we get the chance.

Is There Life Out There?

This is a prompt from The Red Dress Club. For this week, take what you know out of your comfort zone. Try a new genre, a new time period, a geography you've only dreamed of, fantasy or historical instead of contemporary fiction, try the male POV if you usually write women. Or
vice versa. Switch it up. See where it takes you.        Concrit is welcome.

This is my first attempt at this genre of writing, so please bear with me.

“I thought you believed in God?” Mason stood staring at her.

Looking back intently Rachel said, " You know I do. I just
think if He created our planet with all this intelligent life then why couldn’t
He do it somewhere else in the universe?”

“I just didn’t realize you believed such things.”

“You don't?"

“ I mean I’ve always kind of thought that maybe it was possible. There’s a lot of weird things that happen  to make me think there may be someone or something out there."

Rachel’s big round stomach bulged as she jumped off the hood of the car. The baby inside kicked hard reinforcing her belief in a Creator.

Mason walked over from his vehicle and stood right in front of her. He placed his hand on her belly. Mason wanted this child to call him daddy, but he knew that wouldn’t happen. “Will he take care of you and the baby?”

Rachel could barely look him in the eyes. It was hard to face the truth of it all. “He said he would let me keep her and that he’d always be there when I needed him. I believe that’s true, I have to believe it.”

Mason wanted to hold her. She needed a man like him. Her child needed a father to be there all the time. He would do that for them, but it just wasn’t going to work out that way.

Rachel moved closer though she didn’t dare touch Mason. There was too much at stake. “Mason, if there were intelligent life on another planet do you think we could survive there?”

Mason wanting so much to be in another place and time with Rachel as much as she did replied, " We can dream can’t we?” With that they each got back in their separate vehicles and drove away.

Rachel pulled up in the drive of her home and sat in the car dreading going in the door. He would be waiting.

Mason sat in his vehicle daydreaming about a life with Rachel and their baby girl. It was a dream
that would remain just that…a dream. She belonged to Alec as did many other women on Astra.

Could it possibly be true? If only there was a planet other than Astra that could support human life he'd find a way to get Rachel and the baby there... safe away from Alec.

Say Now What Might Not Get Said Later

Here is the prompt we were given from The Red Dress Club  RemembRed memoir.

This week we would like you to write about how the show of affection has played a part in your memory. Choose a time when either the abundance or lack of affection (either by you or someone else) stands out, and show us.  Bring us to that time.  Help us feel what you felt.

He was tall, dark and handsome and I thought he hung the moon. It would have surprised me to find out he actually didn't because there wasn't anything my father couldn't do.

My mother, brother and I didn't see him much because he worked two jobs most the time but when he was there we made the most of it. Our family ate dinner together, watched Little House On The Prairie, Carol Burnett and Andy Griffith every week, we hugged, and said "I love you".

My mother tucked me and my little brother in every night. We said our prayers, kissed her and she told us how much she loved us. Daddy came in later too and there would be no "sweet dreams" for this little girl unless her daddy said so right before the lights went out.

4:00 am came early and Daddy had to get his day started in order to work both jobs. He was as quiet as a mouse as he crept around the house getting ready. But before he left he opened my door and slipped in. He kissed my forehead and said, "I love you sweetheart, see you tonight."

"Bye Daddy. Love you too."

I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep as my father went off to work at the car manufacturer for hours and then to pump gas at the filling station. He worked this second job one year so I could attend kindergarten. It wasn't free back in 1969.

Every morning of my childhood life I got that kiss and those words. After I grew up and moved out on my own I still heard those words every time I spoke to my Daddy. I don't hear them anymore because he slipped away to heaven in 1999 but I will forever hold them in my heart.

Growing up with love and affection displayed openly helped me be able to do the same. My husband and children never, if at all possible, go to bed without hearing how much I love them. Before we leave the house everyone gives the "I love yous" all around.

It may seem flippant and careless to some to use the words so easily but my Daddy said, " What if I left and never saw you again? I want you to know I love you." I feel the same. Say now what might not get said later.

Prison Cell From Hell

This week's prompt from The Red Dress Club is all about character development.
We'd like you to write about what your character wants most. Today I'm building on my character Lina. She was introduced in my last prompt I Never Left Her.



The prison cell was frightening most the time. But right now in this perfect moment Lina lay on the bottom bunk thinking about Lacey and Ben. Her kids were all that held her together. Her cell mate left for a few hours for laundry duty and this was a good thing for Lina. It gave her a break
from Sheila’s constant berating.

Lina thought maybe the warden would transfer her to another cell after the last incidence but it never happened. So she lay there waiting almost holding her breath knowing Sheila would be back soon. But for now Lina could get lost in her memories of the good times before life went wrong.

The night her sister Lynn came to pick her up from Eckerd was a turning point in her life. Cross Point Rehab Center agreed to admit her that night. Lina worked the program for 3 months and has stayed clean since then. Her life was being rebuilt and Lacey and Ben were living with her again.

Then the day came, the dark, horrible day when she had to begin paying for her past mistakes. Lina was arrested for selling drugs 4 months after coming out of rehab. She wasn’t selling drugs at that time but in the days when she was addicted Lina would have done anything for a fix.

The police detective offered her a deal. She would give the authorities information about the drug ring in Atlanta in exchange for a much lighter sentence.

Her main concern was that if she became a nark it would put her life and the lives of her entire family in jeopardy. She knew the consequences she would pay for giving information to the government. So she didn't do it. Lina was sentenced to 2 ½ years in a federal penitentiary.

She lay there crying, debating with herself, “Did I do the right thing?”

“Would God have protected us against them?”

“No I had to do it this way to protect my family.”

As she was pondering these things Sheila was brought back to her cell. Lina pretended to be asleep.

Sheila had the urge to humiliate Lina once again. “ You know little girl, they ain’t never lettin’ you outta here. You gonna mess up again right here in this prison and get more time.”

Lina laid there, eyes still closed, breath held, not acknowledging a word Sheila had spoken.

“Did you hear me little girl? They gonna make you stay right here in this cell with me for a long, long time.”

Lina continued in the same sleeping position, not moving nor saying a word. At this point Sheila grabbed Lina by the back of her shirt and jerked her out of the bunk onto the floor. Looking Lina dead in the eyes as if she were about to kill her prey she screamed,  “I said you are stuck with me for a long long time!”

Lina looked up at Sheila as if she were a  vulnerable, frightened lamb going to the slaughter. Somehow an  inner strength rose up within and she said, “ All I want is to get out of here! I will get out of here and nobody can stop me not even you Sheila.”

The prison clinic was cold and dark. Lina lay there wondering why she was there on a gurney. The clinic nurse came in and asked how she was feeling. “My head hurts and it hurts to breath.”

“You got a pretty bad beating, but you’ll be fine. You have a concussion and a broken rib.”

Lina began sobbing. With every sob she wanted to scream from the excruciating pain shooting through her body.  “All I want is to do my time so I can go home to my babies.”