Behind the Photos

I decided to start my New Year off doing something I had been wanting to do for quite some time, just never got around to it.

I decided to scan some old pictures, and post them on my Facebook timeline.

I also decided to take the time to start telling bits of my story.

I met my first husband when my mom and I moved from our little Gapland, MD home in the spring of 1992 to a little efficiency apartment on John Street where he lived in front with his sister, her boyfriend and two sons.

I was going to classes to get my GED, and received my diploma in June 1992.

We began "dating" on July 5, 1992 after he came home from a 4th of July party his sister through at the house they moved to. At that time, we had moved from the efficiency to his old place.

I moved in with him not long after we started "going together", as it was called in the early 90's. We lived there maybe a few months, long enough for the red flags to pop up and me be too dumb to see them. Like the night he was laying on the couch and pretended (I guess) to turn into a demon and made me make promises to him, and honestly can't remember what it was, but I remember being freaked out. I should have left right then and there, but thought it was normal. After all, I had been in churches and saw preachers rebuke demons, for gosh sakes.

He once asked me what I'd do if he was at work and I wanted sex...I told him I'd wait until he got home. I thought that was a fair enough answer, but, obviously he didn't. I don't know how long it took me to convince him I wouldn't screw around on him....I should have told him to buy me a vibrator and he wouldn't have any worries, lol.

So, after that, we ended up moving back in with mom because he lost his job. Blamed having to stay home and take care of me although thinking now he just didn't want to go to work. I got pregnant the first time shortly after, and miscarried (even though the hospital ER doc swore I wasn't), not long after that, in early fall, I got pregnant with Stephanie. Will be one of my most memorable pregnancies...

We got into a fight one night, I think it was him accusing me of getting pregnant by my stepdad...we fought and he ran out of the house and up the stree, and once again, like a stupid fool, I followed, begging for him to come back because of the baby. I cried and cried, it was raining and I followed him up john Street to Winchester Avenue past Firestone and the Paint store and the automotive parts store, just bawling my eyes out. We got to his cousins house where of course, there was a party going full blast.

On arriving, his one sister snatched me up (in the gentle way, she knew I was pregnant) and was telling me how she couldn't go with out smoking weed while she was pregnant...it got her through the pregnancy. So, he goes off doing whatever and they are partying and including us in conversation and our previous fight kinda died right there. I remember getting back home the next morning and mom being worried out of her mind, after all, there were no cell phones back in 1992, at least not that we had.

So, before I go on, here are some early pictures with a brief story behind..



This picture to my left was taken during our stay at Rob's mom's house. I think I had already had Stephanie in this picture because the tag on moms car reads 1994. This is one of the few pictures taken of me during that time. No, I wasn't camera shy, there just weren't many happy moments to capture.




This next piture below to your left is the only clear picture of Stephanie that I have, and, unfortunately, includes Rob (sorry). If you notice there are 2 couches in the background; the one Rob is holding Stephanie posing her for the picture, and one to the left..that was my "bed" (couch). Yes, his mom obviously knew we slept together (hense, Stephanie), but we still had to sleep separate because we were not married. Hmm. A LOT happened during our stay in that room, not that I want to go there.

This room was our haven during my last couple of months after my mom and her boyfriend had their fight at the house on Burke Street hill. That was a place to remember. We lived there when Bill Clinton was inauguerated into office during the beginning of 1993...yeah I know that because I remember watching it. That is when I watched Rush Limbaugh...but not much else other than maybe soaps.
I watched a lot of TV at his moms house. She always had The Price is Right on or The Three Stooges. I watched them a lot. Now I hate watching TPIR, and the Stooges arent even in syndication anymore unless its a channel we dont watch.

I remember Mother's Day in 1993 because his sister and cousin and a few other of their friends were going swimming down at Blue Hole (a creek on the outskirts of town somewhere). I was about 6 months pregnant and his sister (bless her heart, I know she meant well), gave me a 2 piece bikini outfit to wear in the water. Can you image me with a belly wearing that? I did and I stretched that bad boy! No, no picture. Sorry. I wish I had the picture of me while I was pregnant with Stephie...I was standing at my usual seat at the kitchen table and whoever took the picture got a GOOD profile of my bod. I remember wearing this purple short sleeve polo..wish I still had that shirt....anyways.

I wear the swimsuit and we go, I get in the water and am having fun, but keeping an eye on him because I was afraid he was sneaking and smoking...silly me. So, we get back and getting unloaded and he realizes he lost his cigarettes...so he argues with me telling me I lost them...a family friend actually had to step in and back him away from me because he was getting out of hand. she ended up going in and telling his sister who was inside her apartment, and she told him he had to find someplace else to spend the night. I was welcome, but he wasn't. So his bff took him back to his moms for the night.

I did not want to stay there with him not there...you know, just couldn't function without him...(shaking my head) I remembered the Mother's Day card we bought his mom and decided to take it to him for her...yeah, I walked late at night, clear across town from Addition Street which is one street in front of the old Martins, clear on the other side of town...maybe 10 blocks, I don't know. No, I didn't care that someone might snatch me, or was I afraid of the boogieman...no. I had walked those streets enough to know what I was doing, and that is what I did.

I got there, he let me in, I gave him the card and he asked his moms boyfriend if i could stay the night instead of treaking 10 blocks back and he said yes. That is how we ended up 'living' there.