It’s been almost three weeks and the dust is finally beginning to settle. I cleaned house and took out the trash without any help from anyone. Like cockroaches friends disappeared into the crevices and kept on running. I felt abandoned at first but it was a good thing – who needs friends like them? I am beginning to breathe again. I wasn’t looking for a roommate when Cookie asked me for a favor and let her friend King move in. It was just until Christmas and the extra money would be nice and Cookie had been helpful when I needed it. Things are never simple. It started off pretty good, King was polite and cooperative, said he’d fix a couple of things as soon as he moved in. He agreed to keep it quiet – he didn’t have many visitors – only one friend ever came over. Other than his girlfriend who moved in with him. I liked her and that was not a problem. By the end of the week I met about 20 people. I didn’t spend any time with them but I did clean up after them. I had a little talk with King who said he’d be gone by Christmas. A couple more weeks wouldn’t hurt.
Just after New Years King was arrested for parole violation and was in jail for a week. His girlfriend, Jane, stayed close to the house while he was gone. I didn’t expect to have any problems when he got out and was told he found a place to live in Safford. He came home paranoid and began accusing Jane of fucking around. I didn’t say anything until he hit her. I wasn’t about to let that happen and locked her in and him out of my room. “Stay out of it it’s none of your business!” He said clearly a threat. “No King, I’m not going to watch you hit her, you just go on now.” “I’m not leaving she needs to go!” “Then you step back and let us out now.” I told him. He slowly backed up and turned the corner. I guarded Jane and together we went out the door and Jane ran. King whipped around the corner but she was already out in the street. He yelled as she ran down the road. He glared at me as he went inside but neither of us spoke.
The next day Jane was still gone and I talked to King about moving out. When I saw Jane again I told her to stay away from him. “It won’t get better, it never does.” But she moved back in a couple of days later. A few days after that King offered to give me a ride to the grocery store. After shopping King took the back road home. Coming to a wide shoulder he pulled off the road and told me not to interfere in his business again. I told him what he did was wrong and I would not sit by while a grown ass man beat a woman. He glared at me then said “Well you got balls, I’ll give you that.” “I thought you found a place to move.” He told me it would be ready in a couple of weeks and I let it go. Two weeks later they were still there when King started in again – he accused Jane of fucking a different man this time. He was threatening to hit her and she was calling to me for help. “Go on Jane – get out before he hits you!” Jane was shaking and inching back away from him very slowly. She was in the kitchen when he pulled the gun. “That does it – you get out now!” I told him. “I am not going to have a gun pulled in my house and that’s all there is to it!” “OK, I’m moving.”, he told me as he entered his room and closed the door.
Friday morning I told him he needed to load up today. “I need a couple of weeks to find some place.” he told me. “Hell no you be out before Sunday morning.” A friend showed up with a truck and trailer and they spent the day moving shit out. It took me a couple of weeks cleaning up behind them but it’s over and they’re gone. Jane stopped in after he was gone. She told me she wasn’t going back to him and that’s the last time I saw her. I heard she followed him but I can’t say I’m surpised. I hope she gets away alive next time. As for me I’ve never been better. You can’t scare a suicidal person with a gun and standing up for myself was good for me.
Irreverent Individual 