You picked a fine time, Lucille
This came to me as we were driving, and the country-oldies station REALLY- went back in time. I hope you like it. (Just read it; don't jump to conclusions). Then I was reading new stories and there was "Amarillo", by chas4455. After I read it, I thought 'The guy was reading my mind'. Well, a little bit. Kudos, sir, it was an excellent story.
Anyway, please enjoy mine--a little more detail on Lucille and the situation. You'll see.
Matthew Dowd was getting divorced.
He had been married for twelve years, had four children, and owned a small farm raising wheat. He was big, broad-shouldered, strong hands, quiet. Easy going. He loved his wife. But SHE wanted more. (Of course).
Like was hard.
His wife Lucille was a bitch. She was a beauty. She never was satisfied with anything.
She was always going out, usually on Friday and/or Saturday nights. Often she wouldn't come home, for two or more days. The children, ages ten, eight, six, and three, were often left alone. Thank God they had Mrs. Delano. The house was barely functioning. The farm was suffering. He had had it. When he could get away to the VFW occasionally, the prevailing opinion was 'dump her. She has already dumped you.'
He wasn't a vet, but his dad had been, and he had been going with his dad since he was six or so. His dad was a Vietnam Vet and was well-liked there. He was an Army Sgt., just a grunt, but he had a shit box full of medals for doing the right thing. Several of the guys there knew him personally or knew of him. He had been a farmer, and that's what he went back to after six years in the army. He married his high school sweetheart. Two years later, they had Matthew. She had complications and never really came back from the birth.
Eight years later, she passed. Dad never got over it. It was just him and dad. In junior year, his dad died. It was a long time between them, but Matt was convinced his dad died from a broken heart. So Matt inherited the farm, a small insurance payment, and Mrs. Delano, their housekeeper. He met Lucille and fell in love. They married, (too soon in life, it would appear) and the shit started.
When she got pregnant with Mary the doctor told her to 'abstain from sex till after the birth.' Then six weeks later, they had sex again, and voila, she was pregnant again. Same drill and the scenario repeated itself. Three more times, but after little Monica was born, she cut him off entirely. Two and a half years.
One night, at the VFW, the conversation switched to his wayward wife and his lack of a sex life. One of the guys was an attorney. Retired Capt. Al Losano. He felt Matt was being used and played, and agreed to handle it pro-bono, as long as he was serious. None of this 'counseling' bull shit.
"Played??" asked Matt. He figured he meant the fooling around, but his friends were looking at the 'big picture'.
A guy named Gino said, "Did you ever notice how she cuts you off when she gets pregnant? And it's awfully convenient, the regularity that she gets pregnant. And now, when was the last time you got laid?? The baby is what, two and a half? Come on, son, do the math!!"
Suddenly, a light bulb went on in Matt's head. Then Gino went one step farther. "Have you had DNA tests done on the kids? Are you sure they're yours??"
Matt blanched and that was it. He rose with fire in his eyes.
"THEY'RE MINE! I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE IMPLYING, BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER!! THEY'RE MINE!!!"
Gino never moved. He just stared at the young man, feeling nothing but pity. He was a police Lt. Detective and he had seen this all too often in his line of work. Al, the lawyer, grabbed his arm and pulled him down.
"Easy, Matt, if it's so, it's not the kid's fault. And the way you talk about them, they are not involved nor to blame for this. If you don't want to know, it's okay.." He felt sorry for Matt. He would never have thought the young man was that dense and dumb.
But love. You know.
They talked for a while, and he made an appointment with Al. They drew up the documents and he filed.
He didn't have much, and he had to offer her half. (Of course, it was a 'no-fault' state). Equal access to the kids. She could keep the farmhouse, but he kept the land and the machinery. He would assume all debts. A more than fair settlement. Her response was stunning.
Her lawyer countered by renouncing parental rights and any claims on the house. In turn, she wanted all the money in their bank accounts and savings, and a clear dissolution of their union, with no future claims. She just wanted out. So it would cost him approximately $37,000 dollars (just about all the money he had) to be rid of her. His lawyer reviewed everything with him, pointing out the pros and cons. He recommended taking the counteroffer if he felt he could afford it. No brainer. He signed and it was notarized and returned to her lawyer almost immediately, his lawyer rushing the original copy over ten minutes after the notarization was completed.
(He had to pee first, otherwise, it would have been immediately). On the way, he dropped it at the courthouse to expedite things.
Matt went home to tell Mrs. Delano. Her comment??
"IT'S ABOUT TIME. I promised your parents I would look after you and your family. I am sorry for the way the woman treated you and these poor children. But this is the best scenario you could hope for. Don't worry about the money. With my late husband's pension and Social Security, we'll make out all right. May be tight, but we'll make it." She reached out and hugged him.
So it was just a matter of time- three months, ninety-two days to be exact. Things were looking up.
Take two- the other shoe drops.
His oldest got appendicitis. Not too serious, but without major medical insurance, the bills started. Mary was in the hospital for four days. Michael, his son, stepped up and did his dad proud. What little he could do. Little Jasmine and Monica were more or less along for the ride. Then the drought hit and the wheat crop started to suffer. The tractor 'shit the bed' with a blown transfer case. His truck came due for inspection and registration renewal. The roof sprung a leak, taxes went up, the County sent notice they were going to re-zone the farm, the State and the Feds were going to run a six-lane interstate through the center of the farm, and then his dog died. (I figured the poor guy didn't have enough grief in his life.)
The sole bright spot was when his divorce came through, and he drove to Al's office to pick up the decree. Al asked if there was anything he could do to help him out.
Half in jest, he said, "Yeah, can you see if I could win the Power ball this Saturday?"
Al smiled and said he would try his best. Matt told him with the way finances were, it would be some time before he could afford to come back to the VFW- even as cheap as the beer was. He stood, shook Al's hand, and told him thanks. As Matt left, Al breathed a silent prayer.
'Lord, the kid needs a break. See if you can help him out.'
Matt drove home to soup and hot dogs for dinner. The next day he had to get started harvesting. He just hoped the combine held together. That lasted for about 2/3 of the fields. Then the hydraulics gave up. Matt sat in the cab and cried. For about two hours. Then he shook himself, dried his eyes, walked to the barn, got in his pick-up, and drove to the VFW. He walked in and ordered a beer.
He was immediately noticed by Jerry Vallen, a retired Lt. Col. who was a day trader. He did alright, pulling in about $100k a year. He went over and sat at Matt's side. Twenty minutes and six beers later, he had heard the whole story, had called Al and Gino, and switched Matt to coffee. His last call was to his daughter, Alice, a school teacher. She had recently relocated to the area after her husband left her for a stripper in New Orleans. Her ex had told her he didn't want kids, and neither did 'Bambi'. So they split.
His wife had passed away two years ago, and she thought her father needed some support. Actually, he was handling it a lot better than she knew, but he was fairly sure she was the one who needed support.
Besides, Alice was a much better cook than he was. So they were 'helping' each other.
Al and Gino arrived and shortly afterwards a very hesitant Alice walked in. Her dad had not been forthcoming in his reason for asking her to join them, but Jerry was getting a little tired of having his daughter moping around with the guise of 'fussing' over him.
'I think it's time we re-acquainted her with the real world', he was thinking.
The four men were clustered around one of the smaller tables when Alice walked in. She saw her dad and walked over to them. Introductions were made, and when she looked at Matt, her world stopped. He looked at her and through his beer-soaked consciousness, smiled at her. Then he passed out. Alice gasped and sat down and cradled his head.
"Dad, what's going on?"
Over the next half hour, she was filled in on Matt's life story. Her concern morphed into pity, followed by a beginning of love.
'This poor guy has nothing, other than four kids, a shit-pot full of debt and problems, and people who care about him. He has it worse than me', she thought. She looked at her father.
"Let's get him home. He doesn't need to be here. He needs his family."
So they loaded him up in her Explorer and took him home. Mrs. Delano came out and met them in the front yard as Alice and Al pulled him out of the car. They got him in and to bed, having cleaned him up a little, and adjourned to the living room for some coffee. Little Monica hung on Mrs. Delano's leg as the adults talked, gawking at Alice, who smiled and waved at her, and Al brought the 63-year-old woman up to speed. But soon, Monica was in Alice's lap, giggling and babbling a blue streak.
