Part 2
My friends so many things have happened since my first column. The wreckage of the aftermath has gained some height and momentum. I had a “my life flashed in front of my eyes” kind of experience that I will share with you.
It was around 3AM and I was in a very light sleep semi-aware of my surroundings. It was because I felt somewhat paranoid when I went to bed because I had spent part of my day educating a new professional about our family law/ custody case.
Perhaps it is his anti-government extremist group affiliations that make me a little restless at night. Or it could be something about my ex’s involvement with people who have two names.
Or, maybe it is the token diploma I found in the bedroom drawer that honored his completion of an extensive paramilitary training program. Or it could just be that he must win at any cost.
So as I lay there, I saw an indication there was a flashlight in the back yard. Its reflection flirted with my bedroom curtains. He finally went over the edge I thought. Then there was a loud banging on my glass door. A surge of fear went though my chest and limbs.
With the toughest, grumpiest, voice I could muster, I yelled “Who is it?” into the darkness. A man’s voice responded in kind: “it is ABC Finance Company. We have come to take your car.”
At first I felt relief that it was not “him.” But, the feeling of relief quickly melted away when I went outside to remove my personal items from my car.
This turned into a very sobering experience. Again I was forced to feel the impact of my daughter’s father coming into my life.
As I emptied out the car, it was like my life started flashing before my eyes, I started reliving the experience of signing the documentation when I lost my home.
I relived all of garage sales getting rid of my belongings. I cringed again about how those people scavenged through my stuff reminding me how little worth I had. They seemed compelled to beat up my perception of value on every single item.
I then flashed to an evening when I woke up in the middle of the night realizing the excellent credit I worked so hard for was going away– that began its spiral downward with a judgment for thousands of dollars placed on my report because “he” sued me for the diamond ring in small claims court.
Then I remembered the dream that night after that trial, his face was in my face laughing and laughing. I woke up just as frightened that night.
It seemed with every item I pulled out of the car, a new painful memory surrounded my consciousness.
When I drifted back in to the present moment, with the “repo” man it felt like I was back in line at the supermarket with those government checks to get free milk and eggs.
The cashier made an assumption that I was trying to get more than what was on the check, in an instant his voice bellowed over the store’s intercom summoning a manager there to further pick apart the transaction.
The line was building behind me and heavy sighs were coming out of the customers while my child, with an urgent and untamed desire to leave, sat on the floor screaming in protest.
That chilly early morning, as I turned away from the car to leave I realized I forgot something. I reached in and pulled my CD out of the car stereo. The irony is that it was Sandra L. Brown, M.A.’s Dangerous Man CD.
How fitting it was in that instant to have the Sandra’s CD in my hand while my car was chained to a tow truck.
As I walked away with the CD in hand, fighting back the tears, I looked at the man and said, you know, a few short years ago I had a 150,000 thousand dollar job, a nice home, great credit and money in the bank. He just looked at me.
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