Strike! Quitting is Not an Option, Neither Quitting is a Choice

By Aimsy McNamara

If you like a dramatic novel, you will love Megan’s story, a single mother of two, whose intense life journey is like the script of a film.
Driven to succeed and desperate to provide a better future for her kids, Megan takes a risk by leaving them in the care of their grandparents, while she takes every opportunity to advance herself by taking any job she can in London, England. But despite working hard and doing all she can to reach her goal, success eludes Megan. And so... the failures come with debts, which threaten to finish all her dreams. And there is yet worse to confront. As she struggles to make ends meet, Megan is suddenly dealt a blow that she never expected. A Residence Order case is filed against Megan, by her former parents-in-law, as they hatch a plan to take full custody of her kids.
Will this catalogue of disasters make Megan’s life too unbearable to live? Or will Megan somehow find the strength to overcome her problems and keep her kids, against all the odds?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aimsy McNamara
• Release date: Oct 26, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370583409

Aimsy McNamara

I am a mother of two. I worked as a Beauty Therapist for a while, before I changed career to Nursing. Am a qualified Postnatal Maternity Care. Currently, I live in England. As I get older and become wiser, I realise that my passion is writing. I love travelling and listening to all sorts of music. I enjoy car camping at all seasons. You may wonder why? It is the feeling of freedom. I feel I am attached to nature. When I open my eyes in the middle of the night I can see the infinite beauty of the universe. I like simplicity in life. I do not mind to be out my comfort zone. Simple life is best.

Book preview

Strike!

Quitting is not an Option, Neither Quitting is a Choice

By

A. McNamara

Strike

Copyright2017byA.McNamara

All Rights Reserved

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Contents

April, 2005- Exeter, Devon, England

June, 2000, Banbury, Oxfordshire

Contemplate

Unexpected Guest

Godmother

July, 2000- To London

July, 2004- Trauma

After the Court Hearing

June 1995, Surrey, England

New Baby Arrival

Too Much to Bear

Confession

1996-Dark Secret Reveal

Can Marriage Be Saved?

Unexpected Pregnancy

Accident on the Night

I Want You to Go

Life Alone

December, 2010- Shocking Call

Searching for Opportunities

2013- Relocation to Devon

Devilish Thought

Dare to be a Writer

Mother And Daughter

Car Camping

Binary Stock Trading

Light at the End of the Tunnel

To the Readers

About the Author-

April 2005- Exeter, Devon, England

A fifth of April 2005- late Tuesday morning- it is a bright, breezy day in Exeter City, West Country.

At the Crown Court main entrance, a grief-stricken woman bursts out the door. She is gasping for air. She is trembling. She is absent-minded. Squeezed face! She groans in silent.

At once, people occupied smoking cigarettes outside the building turn their heads. They look at her, up and down.

Her face turns to the people and looks at them one by one. She dares to make an eye contact with anyone of them, but they all turn their eyes away, ignoring her distressed appearance.

Deep inside, she is desperate to talk to anybody that can give her at least a little comfort, but nobody bats an eye at her anymore. All are minding their own business. She looks away then.

Under a beautiful sky, her eyes wander. She just wants to scream at the top of her voice. She wants her burning pains, sorrows and all ill- feelings inside to go away! All must out! Nah! But she grips them all.

Her feet glued to the ground, eyes shut and listening to the words playing on her mind: Unethical! A scandal! Embarrassing!

Yeah! You are right! You cannot yell here at the very top of your voice. Certainly not! You will draw unwanted attention. They may have thought you are losing your mind and you need medical treatment.

Hey? She knows it well! That is why she holds her feelings tight in the eyes of the people.

The truth is, she feels like a dagger pierces through her heart. It feels as if her body and soul are falling apart.

She holds her tears and forces herself to find a way out, to soothe her feelings, at least a little.

Her chin tilts up to the sky to whisper a prayer to the universe. Eyes open and close begging God a miracle and mercy. Please God, give me the strength to go on. Help me please!"

All of a sudden, a thick-bright cumulus cloud comes to her view, but she can no longer see the beauty of it provide.

She catches up another deep-long breath, and it follows a slow motion of eyelashes blink before she looks down to the ground.

There and then, her eyes meet limitless, gleaming streaks of lights reflection on objects and living things. Dazzling! It makes her eyelashes squint but not very long.

An irresistible seduction from a short distance catches her attention. See! Vibrant flowers bloom. They smile, twerk and play under the sun. Look… bountiful bees and butterflies seduce and flirt to each petal. They buzz about and fly about inhale its aroma.

From a short distance, a sight of glittery baby leaves, all in action. Nothing keeps still looking at them.

The beauty of nature beguiles her.

She sighs. Her chest moves up and down.

Nature gives her happy vibes and as if it is telling her, ‘There is a tomorrow for everyone.’ Yes!

But, there is nothing else around that can console this woman to lessen harrowing pains she was feeling inside.

She feels everything is meaningless and ugly!

Numb and unaware, her tears dripping across her face and fall away down to her chest.

She shrugs her shoulders; her fingers comb her medium-length- black hair and hands ironing her printed, colourful dress. Then, a back of her hand wipes away her tears.

This little preening makes her demeanour composed and presentable at the eyes of the people.

I will get through this! I am a survivor! says this mother of two in a low throaty tone.

Her name is Megan, in her early forties.

Megan shakes her upper body. Her feet show an aimless walk on the way to her car parked across the road of Exeter Crown Court building.

She stops right at the traffic light finger tapping a stop button. She draws a deep breath again. Resolute! Stood right there waiting for the light to turn green, Megan does not care the dangers from motorists driving past her. Suicidal!

Poor thing, Megan! Her inner seething emotion is about to explode.

In silence, she heaves another long breath, before her hand crawls to her tightening chest, rubbing it.

Unbearable sadness overwhelms her. It is too much to bear.

Megan thought - even if she does run amok in the street of Exeter City, nobody will bloody care about her!

Exeter Crown Court is one of the parts of Megan’s sensational life story, to begin.

A few hours ago, Megan attended a Residence Order filed by her parents-in-law against her.

This Residence order stops Megan from getting her kids back from them before they reach the age of sixteen.

Unbeknownst to Megan, her former parents-in-law had concocted a strategy.

It was a shock for Megan when she received a Residence Order case against her. She does not see it coming at all.

In fact, Megan sends £400 to her former mother-in-law every month, payment for looking after her kids.

In the courtroom scene in one of the pews, her ex-husband and former parents-in-law sat together, whispering to one another. They look like a harmonious family.

It is awful for Megan to see them so happy together. It knocks her self-esteem, as she has not got family support at all.

Alone, sitting in a pew, a few yards away from them, Megan has no one to talk to, except her lawyer, whose only interest is to discuss the case against her. Nothing more. This scenario makes her feel unloved, empty and abandoned.

Megan avoids looking at them; but no matter how hard she tries to dismiss their presence in the courtroom, she cannot help feeling self-pity.

Yeah! Looking back, it comes to light, her former mother-in-law’s intention.

The grandmother of her kids told Megan that she could go back to work, and she is prepared to look after her children.

Megan never thought that her former parents-in-law would drag her to court some day. She trusted them to care for her two young kids.

Megan had no inkling that they are capable of betraying her and twisting words against her.

Grandparents spread the false accusation that Megan had abandoned her kids to them. They told everyone that it was them who did sacrifice to care for their grandchildren.

This gossip is enough to soar Megan’s blood pressure high. And so to make her teeth clench every time Megan recalls this rumour, portraying her as a neglectful mother.

No wonder, Megan cannot stop regretting trusting her former mother-in-law to look after her kids.

Get a grip! Move on!

Hmm… Is it easy to say to someone to move on in life? No!

It is difficult to comprehend how difficult it can be to be alone in a country with no immediate family support: A solo flight like Megan.

After the hearing, Megan’s solicitor disappears, in a hurry to attend another client.

Megan crawls out of the building, feeling a heartbroken woman.

Nobody knew how tired and exhausted Megan was. She left in the early hours in the morning, drove two- hundred and twenty miles distance from London to Exeter Crown Court building in Devon, West Country, England. It is a hell lot of long driving!

Imagine that! Not even she has gotten a chance to get a glimpse of her kids? Tellingly, how terrible it can be for a mother. Then, seeing her former parents-in-law and ex-husband supporting to one another in the courtroom. It is enough to destroy one’s confidence. Isn’t it? Yes!

Megan cannot help but blames herself for trusting her ex-mother-in-law a hundred percent. Megan thought she made a big mistake.

Why I had no inkling about their intention? Am I stupid? Megan asks herself.

Megan had no idea that her former parents-in-law want her out of her kids’ life. They are obsessed with their grandchildren.

Back then years ago, Megan was so convinced that her ex-mother-in-law is very kind enough to be willing to care for her kids so she could go back to work.

Megan never doubts about the sincerity of her ex-parents-in-law. So, Megan snaps the offered service from her ex-mother-in-law.

Megan thought it is an opportunity for her to rebuild a broken life after a divorce. She wants to get a decent job, and once her financial situation is secure, she wants to get her children back.

Megan has no intention to leave her kids under the care of their grandparents in Surrey, England for good.

Anyhow, Megan sees them as often as she wants when she is off work. Grandparents’ house in Surrey is twenty miles away from London; it is very convenient to see her kids every week.

Way back in 2003, one afternoon, there is a surprise for Megan. She receives a call from her kids telling her that they were no longer living in Surrey. Grandparents and her kids moved to Devon, West Country.

Their sudden move has left Megan unprepared.

How could Megan see her kids every week? It is impossible for Megan to see them often. Grandparents moved to a place that is two hundred fifty miles away from Megan in London.

Besides, Megan’s working long hours, as well as a long distance away from them it does hinder to see her kids regularly. Megan ends up visiting her kids every two months or more.

This unexpected relocation of her kids and them makes Megan very sad.

Anyhow, Megan thought it would not be too long; she will get her kids back soon.

So here it is, Megan’s wrong decision of leaving her kids under the care of their grandparents, she ends up at Exeter Crown Court to face the law.

Deep down, Megan loses interest to attend a hearing, as it makes her feel so down. It is not a story of life Megan wants to unfold- fighting in the courtroom with her in-laws.

Back to the traffic light-

Lights change to green at the traffic light. Megan bolts across the pedestrian crossing. Relentless sniffling as she reaches her car. Then, her tears