True Life

By Leah Michelle Parker

Love, hate, jealousy, and family relationships - True Life has it all. This book is a fictional story about the struggles of a modern American family. It begins with a single mother trying to raise two boys, Joseph and Jeremy, with no help. As the story progresses, the boys mature and begin experiencing different aspects of life. During their journey their mother meets an interesting man whom she marries. But the life that this new family has isn't all that its cracked up to be.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Dec 9, 2011
• ISBN: 9781467070980

Leah Michelle Parker

Leah Michelle begin writing at the age of thirteen. Her stories have captivated audiences of all ages. While she mainly writes fiction, her other works include drama, comedy, romance, and even a few plays. Leah Michelle currently resides in Memphis, Tennessee where she is a student at the University of Memphis.

Book preview

Contents

Part One:

The Beginning

Part Two:

The Pregnancy

Part Three:

The Gun

Part Four:

The Gift

Part Five:

The Visitor

Part Six:

The Kiss

Part Seven:

The Breakup

Part Eight:

A New Year

Part Nine:

The Secret

Part Ten:

The New Beginning

Excerpts from Book 2:

So Real

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my family, who believed in me. I also want to thank my parents for helping me while I wrote this book. And I personally want to thank you readers because without you, this book would not have been a success.

Part One:

The Beginning

It had been another typical day at the law firm where Marg worked and she was still thinking about moving to a larger city as she trudged to the front door of her house. Having lived in Birmingham, Alabama most of her life, she thought her two sons could use a change, and her legal skills were good enough to land her a job in any big city.

After dinner and a refreshing shower, she retired to her bedroom to look over some legal briefs. In the living room downstairs, the two brothers could be heard running around as usual.

Joseph- I’m gone break every bone in your lil’ body when I get my hands on you!

Jeremy- (screams) Git away from me!

Joseph- C’mere! (gaining on him)

Jeremy- (turns around and sees Joseph right behind him) (screams and then he gasps)

Joseph- (corners him) Gotcha! (gasps)

A lamp gets knocked over and the vase near it falls and breaks. Visibly angry, Marg comes downstairs where they are playing.

Marg- What happened in here?!

Jeremy- (runs to her and points to Joseph) Joseph’s trying to kill me!

Joseph- Am not!

Jeremy- Are too!

Joseph- Am not!

Jeremy- Are too!

Marg – (shakes her head) Guys! I am very tired and had a hard day at the office. I argued with an associate about how to best handle the new case, and now I can’t even come home and get a break without you two starting up…..you guys can’t get along for one second, can you? Jeremy, it’s past your bedtime anyway, go on up to bed and I’ll tuck you in later…..

Jeremy- Ok…. (on the steps) Ha-ha, (sticks out tongue) pffffffh….

Marg- GO! (Jeremy leaves) Now, why are you trying to kill your brother, he’s the only family you have besides me?

Joseph- I’m not trying to kill him, I just want to hurt him….

Marg- Why? Did he do something to make you hurt him?

Joseph- No, I just had a rough day, and I needed to take out my anger.

Marg- Then, why-

Joseph- Mom, don’t try to understand, ok? Look, we’re both tired, so let’s just go to bed. I don’t feel like talkin’ right now…..g’night. (goes upstairs to his room) (Marg picks up the vase and the lamp and then goes to tuck Jeremy in)

The next day, Joseph is the first one to get up. He grabs his house key and a muffin, then heads off to Centralia High School. Once there, he sees Josh, his closest friend.

Josh- Hey man…. (they do their secret handshake)

Joseph- Hey…..

Josh- Are you bummed? Please tell me you’re not doing drugs now.

Joseph- Dude, stop talking. I’m not bummed and I don’t ever plan to do drugs.

Josh- Oh, ok, that’s good….sooo, did you have a good weekend…..

Joseph- It was ok….

Josh- Yeah, that’s good…. (notices the hallway clearing)…..how’re things at home….?

Joseph- Good…..or as close as good can be….

Josh- Uh huh….. (looks at watch)….whoa baby!

Joseph- (alarmed) What!?

Josh- The bell’s about to ring in….. 3….2….. (bell rings)…..1, annndddd, we’re late….I’ll catch you later, ok? Mr. Laramie said if I’m late one more time he’ll put me in summer school… (hurries off)

Joseph- Man, I hate when he does that….. (goes to class)

Joseph begins to feel ill after 1st Period and the feeling worsens throughout the day. In his last class, Computer Technology, he throws up. Mr. Alexander allows him to go see the school nurse, Ms. Goattinheimer, who said he had a temperature of 104 degrees. She calls his mother and gets authorization to send him home. Marg rushes home and takes him to the local Minor Medical Clinic, however they cannot find the cause of his illness. After a few days of rest, he begins to feel a little better but he still has a temperature. The house phone rings.

Marg- Hello, yes, this is Marg Tammon….Yes, Tammon…..T-A-M-M-O-N…..Uh huh, I was the one who called before….Uh huh…..Yes, I know…..Um hmm….I was calling about my son’s condition….Yes, I know you’re not a psychologist…..Uh huh….Lady, please, don’t h-hang u-up on….. (click)…..me…. (sighs)

A week later, Joseph is allowed to go to school. When he arrives, everyone runs to hug and kiss him. His jealous, don’t-touch-my-man girlfriend disperses them.

October - Hey boo…. (wraps her arm around him)….I missed you.

Joseph- I missed you too… (kisses her)

October- Did you get my get well card….

Joseph- Yeah, all eighty seven of ‘em…..

October- (giggles) What can I say, I love my man….

Girl- Hey Joseph…..

Joseph- Hey, who are you?…..

Girl- (flirtatiously) Melanie…..

Joseph- (still wrapped up in October’s arms) Such a pretty name….

October- (clears throat)…..I’m October…..his girlfriend…..and you better back off Miss Thang….

Melanie- (frightened) (trying to be flirtatious) Uh.....I’ll see you later ok, Joseph?

Joseph- Ok, see ya…. (Melanie leaves)

October- (slaps him) What you think you doin’? I saw you checkin ‘her out…. What?! You think that just because she bein’ so sincere, you can just do yo’ thang, git her numbah, and go tellin’ all yo’ friends how you hooked up wit that and you know what, I better not find out you cheatin’, ‘cause if you are, someone is gonna die….and it ain’t gonna be me….

Joseph- Oww! (rubs his jaw) Oct, why do you have to talk ghetto all the time?

October- Ghetto? Look, I live in the same middle-class ‘hood that you do and talk like everybody else.

Joseph- No you don’t. You have a bad habit of not speaking the King’s English and I think you do it on purpose.

October- (mockingly) The King’s English, huh? Lemme see…Michael Jackson is the king of pop and Elvis Presley is the king of rock-and-roll. The king of the blues is B.B. and the king of the civil rights movement is Martin Luther, Jr. The last time I checked, none of them kings taught English at my school so how can I speak their language?

Joseph- Baby, you’re crazy, but I love you anyway and all your Colored ways.

October- Colored, huh? I ain’t Colored but your friend Josh sho’ is.

Joseph- Josh? Oct, baby…how can you say that? His parents are white, remember? His mom is a brunette and his dad has red hair.

October- Like I said…Colored! Look, when Josh gets angry or embarrassed, he turns red. When he gets jealous, you say he’s green with envy. If he turns chicken in a fight everyone calls him yellow, and if he gets beat up, he turns black and blue all over. If that ain’t Colored, then I don’t know what is.

Joseph- (laughing) Don’t talk about my friend like that and don’t ever think that I am cheatin’ on you, ok?

October- Umm hmm, yeah, whatever you say…..

Joseph- I ain’t lyin’…..

October- (half convinced) Ok, whatever…. (kisses him passionately)….. and that’ll be the last kiss you’ll get from me if I find out you cheatin…

Joseph- (slams locker shut) Heh heh….

That evening, while Joseph is setting the table and Jeremy is watching TV, the doorbell rings. Marg goes and answers it.

Marg- (gasp) Jonothon! I’m so glad you could make it!

Jonothon- I’m glad to be here…..these are my daughters, Jane who is 16 and Sara who is 9…..

Jane - Nice to meet you.

Sara - (shyly) Hello.

Marg- JOSEPH! JEREMY! C’MERE, I WANT YOU TO MEET SOMEBODY!! (Joseph comes in)

Joseph- You wanted me…..?

Marg- Joseph, this is Jonothon…..Jonothon, my son, Joseph who is Jane’s age…

Jonothon- Hey…..

Joseph- Hey…. (looks at Jane and Sara)….Who they?

Jonothon- My daughters, Sara and Jane….

Joseph- (nods his head toward them) What’s up….?

Marg- Joseph, where’s your brother?

Joseph- In the living room…..

Marg- Well go get him…..

Joseph- (smiles evil smile) With….pleasure…. (leaves and comes back with Jeremy under his arm, screaming at the top of his lungs)…..Here he is…..

Marg- (shock mixed with anger) Joseph! Put him down…

Joseph- Certainly! (drops Jeremy)

Jeremy- (stands and run to Marg) (crying) Mommmmyyyy! You see what Joseph did!!

Marg- (picks Jeremy up) (examines his body, then turns to Jonothon) This is Jeremy, my youngest….. (to Jeremy) Say hello sweetie…

Jeremy- (softly) (waves slowly) Hello. Why don’t you look like me?

Marg- Jeremy!

Jonothon- (laughs) That’s okay. It’s all good. He’s just a baby. Hey little fellow. I’m Jonothon...And these are my daughters, Jane and Sara. We look different than you because of our race…we’re Jewish.

Sara- Daddy, he stinks. (Jane pops her on the shoulder) Ow!

Jane- (to Sara) Don’t say that. It’s not nice. And besides, he’s just a baby.

Sara- (rubbing her arm) But he does!

Jeremy- (indignant) I’m not a baby!

Marg- (taps Jeremy on the arm) Shhh….

Jeremy- (crying) I’m not a baby!! (Marg taps him again) (cries harder) I’m…. (sniffs)….not…. (sniffs)……a baby...

Marg- (to Joseph) Take him to his room…..

Joseph- (takes the screaming Jeremy by the hand) I’ll get rid of him for you……

Marg- Ok… who wants dinner……?

After dinner, while Marg and Jonathon are doing the dishes, Jane, Sara, Joseph, and Jeremy, are in the living room. Jeremy and Sara are watching Tom and Jerry while Joseph reads Sports Illustrated, and Jane reads Essence.

Joseph- Hey, Jer, c’mere, I want to show you something….

Jeremy- No, I’m busy….

Joseph- (irritated) C’mere!

Jeremy- (half scared) NO! NO, NO!!!

Joseph- (grabs Jeremy roughly by the arm) I said c’mere….. (starts dragging him to the chair)

Jeremy- OW! OW! OW! OW! …Mommmmmyyyyy, Joseph’s hurtin’ me……

Jane- Hey, why don’t you leave the kid alone? He said he doesn’t want to see what’s in that stupid magazine of yours.

Joseph- (stops dragging him, but still holding his arm) Excuse me…..?

Jane- You heard me, let him go…. (stands)

Joseph- (lets Jeremy go and walks over to Jane) Who you think you talking to?

Jane- You, now you better back off me, you big bully!

Joseph- (pushes her) Make me!

Jane- (pushes him) Move!

Joseph- (pushes her harder) Make me!

Jane- (pushes him harder) Move!

Joseph- (pushes her and almost knocks her down) Make me!

Jane- (punches him and he falls) I said move!

Joseph- (stands and wipes blood off his face) (shock) I know you didn’t….

Jane- (hands on hips) Yes….I….did….

Joseph- Oh it’s on now…… (they fight)

Marg and Jonothon hear a scream and come running.

Marg- (angry) WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!! AND WHY IS JEREMY CRYING!!

Jeremy- (runs to her clutching his arm) (crying) They hurted my arm…..

Jonothon- (picks him up and looks at his arm. He sees a long, red scratch bleeding heavily. He dabs at it with his shirt, then turns to Jane and Joseph) (angrily) How did this happen?

Sara- I know how daddy…..They were fighting……Then, Jane pulled out this….(picks up a comb with its teeth all crooked)…..she tried to poke him, but he took it from her, and threw it…..the next thing I know, Jeremy’s on the ground screaming…..with the comb in his ARM!! I tell you, is this the way for people like them to act? I think not! They should be punished…..no food, no water, no nothing…..put a comb in their arm and see how they like it, cut off their fingers, burn ‘em up…..

Marg- (takes the comb) I am so….I’m speechless….How, Wha-What……

Jonothon- What kind of example do you two think you’re setting for these kids…..?

Jeremy- (wincing) A bad one.

Sara- ….stick ’em in the oven, freeze ‘em….make ‘em eat dirt…..

Jonothon- Sara, that’s enough…..As a matter of fact, go with Marg while she cleans him up, I’ll talk to these two….

Sara- But-

Jonothon- GO! (to Marg) I got this, you take him, fix him up… (hands her the screaming child)

Marg- Ok, if you think you can handle it….. (to Sara) ……c’mon killer….

Sara- (to Marg) Fry ‘em…..shave their heads……..

Jane and Joseph tell what happened and Jonothon calls Marg to determine how best to punish them.

Marg- Joseph, have you lost your cotton-picking mind? Since when do you think it’s okay to constantly pick on your 7-year old brother and then fight a girl? A GIRL? It’s this kind of mentality that leads to domestic abuse when a male gets older and has a wife. I won’t tolerate that in my house…not now, not ever. I’m going to beat your butt and beat it good.

Joseph- You can’t do that, mom. These days, corporal punishment is considered child abuse and being a lawyer, you should know that.

Marg- (slaps Joseph with a backhand across the mouth) Boy, who do you think you’re talking to? Society may consider that form of punishment as abusive but God doesn’t and I don’t either. The bible says in Proverbs to beat the child with a rod and he shall not die. It also says that in doing so I’ll save your soul, so get ready to be saved. Go to your room and assume the position across your bed. (turns to Jane) … Are you hurt?

Jane- I’m okay. He hit me pretty hard a few times but