The Jenkowski's were taken naturally by surprise. There I was driven to their town by various truck driving, load hauling characters. As many people have found, and as I have realized, is the gracious and welcoming attitude the majority of folks dwelling in this popular golden state of existence seem to be. It could be equated to the weird hippy-esque character one can see in the citizens of Austin. I rather enjoyed basking in their warmness, and I equally enjoy ignorantly mocking such tree huggin' commis'. I love nature but not more than I love mankind. "Fruits and nuts," a friend from San Diego once told me were the only kinds of people that reign from the West Coast(especially California). Just another one of our planet's vast stereotypes, and how fun and yet how powerful can these connotations become either negative or not. It's equated to the typifying Texans as either "Steers or Queers." Rustin's mother was so damned open minded and compassionate. She was a recovered heroin addict, and at this point I had not divulged in this intoxicant yet. If only I had heeded her warnings, but why start now, I had to likewise as almost all teenagers would, 'learn things the hard way." In this aged old thought that we either ultimately fall or gather strength from those sharp born mind-singeing, silver raw shining, self saturating experiences. Karen picked me up from my spot squatted in the parking lot, my clothe stuffed bag was used to soften the underlying heat soaked pavement. Karen had meet me one year in Tyler,TX as she accompanied her kids at Whispering Pines paying a much wanted visit to her parents, which naturally she had less frequently seen due to the geographical restraints.
"Hey there stranger, hop in," she said with this beautiful kindness she sincerly relayed thru her sweet tone, bold gestured mannerisms, and soft calm expressive dimples.
"Sure thing, thank you so much Karen. I am owe ya' more than you realize," I tried to hide any the abrasive weariness that I was feeling from to fuse with my tone.
"Isaac first off I wanted to say that you are welcome to stay as long as you'd like. We can enroll you here in school if thats what you want. I know you have some issues with drugs...," she paused for about five seconds but it seemed like an eternity as I observed her reaching deep within herself in pained recall of past memories,"Twenty years ago I was a heroin addict Isaac, if I hadn't meet Ronnie I don't believe I would be alive," Ronnie was her husband. He was at least ten years older than her, and he had taken in Karen along with Lisa and Rustin. I can't remember the exact details but I am pretty sure their natural father wasn't there as he ought to have been. "Do you feel like telling me whats going on? Are your parents abusing you?" This hit a distinct cord of guilt because ultimately I knew my parents loved me. I just didn't agree with my father's acts of hard nosed discipline, told to read proverbs as punishment and I would gain wisdom. 'Honor thy mother and father', yea right, fuck that shit I was thinking in pissed off sour resentment. Now as I look back over those days I know my dad loved me and yearned for me to become a great man, he wished I would began a path to walk daily with the Lord. I was so spiritually stifled in ridiculous intellectualism. I frequently went to my mom to complain about my father and his harsh conditioning(these were tame in relation to how his father dealt with him and his siblings,and yet I don't see much of that in my grandpa to this day), and I regret the problems I personally caused in their marriage. My Dad is so much more laid back now and I believe has gained more wisdom in the last few years than he realizes.
"No it's not like that Karen... I mean my dad is an asshole to me. They took my car that I worked my ass off to buy with my own money. I ain't being beaten, but my dad does whip me with his belt and I'm getting to old for that shit. It's embarrassing, but that has kind of stopped since it didn't hurt like it once did, the belt had lost it's effectiveness. He makes me read Proverbs now mainly and then write reports about what I got from it... I hate it," and I probably added some bullshit that painted a negative image in Karen's head bout my parents.
"Well sweetie I need to talk to Ronnie more but he is very compassionate, but here is the deal Isaac. Ronnie has cancer so we are dealing as best we can with the chemo and what not so ultimately we have to as a family keep him as our top priority during these crappy days he is experiencing."
