No Place to Call Home

By Jim Wagner

Three generations of women struggle to find a sense of peace and happiness in their lives and with their families.
Carol was forced to leave home when she was eighteen. She was driven out by a heartless, cruel and unsympathetic mother.
Her daughter, Michelle, had to leave home at the age of eighteen as personal tragedy wrecked her life.
Now Carol’s grand daughter, Martha, is having issues at home. Will she carry on the sad tradition of leaving home at an early age?
Can the members of this family forget about the tragedies of the past and create positive memories in the future?
Can the three of them come together and find a place to call home?
Written for all ages.
A book that follows one family’s difficult journey from the 1960’s to the present.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Wagner
• Release date: Jun 7, 2015
• ISBN: 9781921947438

Jim Wagner

I was born in Cincinnati and grew up in the American Mid-West. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received a Masters in Education from the University of Cincinnati. I became a teacher and found a job teaching English and Film and Television at Trinity Bay State High School in Cairns, Australia. As a teacher I wrote many One Act Plays that students enjoyed performing in. I became the Rugby coach at the school and began writing novels that my students could read, relate to and understand. I decided to publish the novels under the name of Teen Friendly Books. At present I have 24 written and 15 published. My plan is to write many more books for teens to read and enjoy.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Annoyed

Martha was annoyed. She was totally annoyed. She was furious, irate and outraged at her mother. They had words. They had more than words. It turned into shouting and screaming. In the end Martha’s mother freaked out in a way weird manner and took Martha’s phone away for two weeks.

Two whole weeks! Martha screeched, I don’t know if life is worth living without my phone, the fifteen year old moaned as she started to sob very loudly.

**********

The whole episode started out fairly calmly.

Don’t forget, we are going to Cincinnati to see your grandmother tomorrow, Martha’s mother, Michelle, reminded her on Saturday night.

Oh, I meant to tell you that I am not going with you, Martha nonchalantly replied.

What do you mean that you are not going with me? her mother asked somewhat puzzled.

I have a few things planned with Skylar for next week, so I will not be coming with you. Skylar suggested that I stay at her house for a few days, Martha once again casually informed her mother.

Well, thank Skylar for the invitation, and unplan your arrangements, Michelle told her. Your grandmother is looking forward to us visiting.

Are you trying to ruin my life? Are you trying to destroy everything that is important to me? Martha cried out quite dramatically.

What do you mean by ruin? Michelle asked her with a calm voice. I have a week off work and we’re going to visit my mother. You always like going there, and you like talking to her and being around her. Besides, you have known about this trip for two months.

Do you realize that you are dragging me away from my friends at a most important and exciting period of my life! What will Skylar think of me? Martha continued.

You’re talking very strangely, tonight, her mother commented. You don’t sound at all like the fifteen year old girl who normally lives in this house.

Martha ignored her mother’s statement as she resumed her analysis, Skylar was telling me that because I am fifteen, I need to assess who and what I am and where I am going in life, she pointedly told her mother.

You’ll have plenty of time in the car to consider all of those big questions, Michelle reminded her. The trip takes five hours.

Oh mummy, mummy; one has to be around friends of their own age to be able to explore those questions.

I suppose Skylar told you that too.

She certainly did. She is a very advanced thinker for her age."

Well you can tell Skylar that you are putting off finding out the key answers to life for a week, Michelle declared.

Oh mummy!

Quit being so dramatic and quit calling me mummy. It is only for one week. It is not a lifetime, Michelle told her. Skylar can help you discover your true self when you get back.

But it is summer and everyone is going to the pool everyday and there is a big picnic at Hidden Valley Lake on Tuesday and Skylar is having a gigantic party on Saturday at the Country Club and Tyler is going to be there, Martha passionately barked back.

Who is Tyler? her mother asked.

If you really want to know, he is a nice boy that Skylar thinks that I should get to know better, Martha told her.

Why doesn’t Skylar get to know him better, her mother casually replied.

Tyler is her brother and he is home from college for the summer, and wants to get to know some local girls. I am one of the girls that Skylar suggested that he gets to know, Martha told her in a very dreamy voice.

A college boy? He is too old for you. Tell Skylar to take you off her list, Michelle told her.

Oh, mummy, don’t be so didactic, Martha stated.

Would you quit calling me mummy and quit using words that both of us don’t know the meaning of, her mother scoffed.

Oh mother, you have so much to learn about me, Martha moaned.

I know a lot more about you than Skylar does. She only has lived here for a month, Michelle reminded her.

That is another reason that I need to stay. I will have the chance to get to know Skylar so much better, and she is so eager to get to know me so much better too.

I don’t know if I like the effect Skylar is having on you, Michelle confessed.

Why, because I am using different words and thinking about bigger issues? Martha asked.

No, I think it’s more like you are acting older than your years. You have plenty of time to be old. Enjoy being young, Michelle told her.

I don’t want to spend my precious time sitting around talking with boring old people when I can be having so much more fun with Skylar and her friends.

Martha finalized her position by telling her mother, That’s all that I have to say on this matter. Have a good week.

Chapter 2

Attempting to Explain

Michelle felt her blood pressure rise. She felt her heart pounding faster and faster. A voice in her head told her to scream and shout out loud and tell that daughter of hers to just do what she was told to do.

She did not like Martha talking to her as if she was born yesterday and had no idea about how to treat a teenager. She tried to think in a calm and reasonable manner.

Skylar and her friends will be around when we get back, she happily assured her again.

You don’t understand. You never understand, Martha snarled as she sat in a chair and moped.

I do understand and I know that your social life will not be destroyed because of a one week absence. Every wonderful part of your life, as well as Skylar, will be waiting for you when you get back, Michelle promised.

Martha was not convinced. She thought for minute and then suggested, No, listen, I’ve thought about it and its best that you go alone. I’m needed here here. Skylar wants me to stay at her house for a few get to know you evenings, anyway. We will both be happy.

Your staying here with Skylar will not make me happy. I would be in a constant state of worry about what my fifteen year old daughter was up to and who she was getting to know, Michelle started to say and then she erupted. What in heaven’s name is a get to know you evening, anyway?

Simple evenings where a few close friends engage in meaningful conversation that could lead to other social contact, Martha explained.

And what exactly is this other social contact? Michelle asked.

Martha did not answer the question. She shamelessly waved her hand at her mother and gave her some advice. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be in good company with Skylar. Now you go off and visit your friends, if you have any.

What do you mean by that? Michelle asked.

It means that when we go there you only stay in grandma’s house. You never go out of the house to see anybody. Skylar thinks that you should be more social, and I agree, Martha explained.

Most of my friends have left the city and the neighborhood. And why should I listen to a recommendation of Skylar? Michelle asked somewhat annoyed.

Skylar thinks that something happened in your past. Did you run off with your best friend’s boyfriend or did you disappoint a special boy by two-timing him? Do you really feel comfortable in the old neighborhood, Martha added.

As soon as she finished that sentence, her mother’s face changed. Her eyes were angry and on fire. Martha wanted to take those words back. She knew that she had gone too far.

Michelle felt her eyes tighten as a rage bubbled inside of her. It prompted her to remember, and the memories were not sweet and kind and adorable. There were too many sad and sorry chapters in her life that were bitter and harsh. The emotional pain from them was still raw, very raw, even after twenty years. They sent her into an emotional frenzy.

Staying here with Skylar is definitely not an option, Michelle shouted very loudly in her daughter’s direction.

You don’t trust me, do you? Martha shouted back.

Of course I trust you, but not for a week with Skylar and her didactic ideas and her college aged brother, Michelle yelled.

Well, I’m not going with you, Martha loudly declared.

Yes you are coming with me, her mother shouted decisively.

NO I AM NOT! Martha shouted louder.

And that is where the discussion deteriorated into more shouting and screaming and threats until Martha eventually had her phone taken from her and told that she would not get it back for two weeks.

Social Death! Martha squealed. How can anyone expect a teenager to live without their phone for two whole weeks!

I suppose only a very horrible and cruel and harsh mother with no friends would ever do something like that, Michelle replied.

I don’t believe you are doing this to me, Martha shouted.

Believe it, Martha. Believe it! Michelle yelled at her and then added, And by the way, we are leaving at nine o’clock tomorrow, so make sure you are packed tonight. And don’t think about bringing your shameful attitude with you, Michelle heatedly instructed her.

Don’t ever expect me to talk to you again! Martha shrieked and she turned to walk away.

Martha cheerlessly fled to her room feeling like the victim of a horrendous attack on her personal property as well as her life. She slammed the door behind her. She ran to her bed and dove onto it. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly as she moaned, This is so unfair. This is so unfair! she shrieked as loud as she could.

She felt that she had to tell someone. She reached for her phone to text Skylar about the cruelty that she had been subjected to, and then remembered its fate. She moaned and groaned again, This is so unfair!

Chapter 3

The Silent Journey

Michelle was up at seven on Sunday morning and zoomed around the house making sure everything was neat and in its place. She was looking forward to being away and seeing her mother and having time off of work. She was not looking forward to being in a car with Martha for five hours, especially since their ugly argument the night before.

Michelle and Martha usually got along very well. They had minor disagreements, but nothing too serious. Last night was different. Last night Martha unknowingly had plunged a knife in Michelle’s heart and set off an emotional reaction that her mother could not control. She saw red and as a result she reacted in a very angry and uncharacteristic manner.

She had never taken Martha’s phone away from her, and she had never even threatened to take it away. But for some reason she heard the words, "I’ll take your phone and we will see how you live