Freedom Waits

By K. M. Carter

Laney Frank wants love, marriage and a happy life. She thinks she has found all three when she falls head over heels in love with Jessie McCann. She does her best to convince her family and friends that Jessie is the right man for her, but they sense he is not who he seems. Regardless of their pessimism, Laney marries Jessie and soon discovers her family and friends were right all along. Not only has Laney married an alcoholic, she has married a monster.

Jessie soon becomes abusive, continually making Laney feel useless and weak. Whats more, she begins to suspect he married her not for love, but for the money she stood to inherit from her father. Follow this heart wrenching journey that transforms Laney from victim to victor when she realizes she has a choice to live a life free from fear and violence, and travels west to find it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781475996388

K. M. Carter

K. M. Carter has a degree in religious studies from the University of Waterloo and a diploma in journalism and mass communication from St. Clair College. She has written many human interest articles for Insight Publications. Freedom Waits is her first book. She currently lives in Amherstburg, Ontario.

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Copyright © 2013 K. M. Carter.

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ISBN: 978-1-4759-9637-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4759-9638-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013911278

iUniverse rev. date: 7/5/2013

Contents

March 13, 2007

October 1990

March 13, 2007

November 1990

March 13, 2007

November 1990

March 13, 2007

November 1990

March 13, 2007

Christmas 1990

March 14, 2007

May 1991

March 14, 2007

May 1991

March 14, 2007

June 1991

July 7, 1991

July 1991

March 14, 2007

February 1992

March 14, 2007

May 9, 1992

March 14, 2007

June 1992

March 14, 2007

August 1992

March 14, 2007

December 1999

March 14, 2007

December 1999

March 15, 2007

May 14, 2000

March 15, 2007

February 14, 2002

March 15, 2007

February 2002

March 16, 2007

January 2003

March 16, 2007

February 1, 2004

March 17, 2007

February 1, 2004

March 17, 2007

For my parents

My sincerest thanks to:

My oldest and dearest friend Leslie ~ I will be forever grateful to you for your constant encouragement to do what makes me happiest.

My family ~ you are the best!

Janet ~ for pushing me to finish

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves.

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

March 13, 2007

I was in one of those states of sleep where I was subconsciously aware that I was cold. I broke from my slumber when my cell phone alarm went off. It was two o’clock in the morning. I remembered then, that I had packed all my sheets and blankets from my bed just three hours earlier and was lying on a bare mattress. No wonder I was cold. I felt around the bed for my phone chiming my motivating tune Wide Open Spaces. Today the Dixie Chicks hit song had appropriate meaning for what I was about to undertake.

Well, up and at it Laney. This is the first day of the restart of your life.

October 1990

Goderich, Ontario: Population 7500. It’s a century and a half old town situated on the banks of Lake Huron where its main industry is salt mining and grain distribution by lake and ocean freighter. The town’s hub sits amid a unique octagon design feature where in its centre sits the County Court House. I often try to describe the unique feature to newcomers or tourists as trying to picture a castle in the centre of the town and then picture a moat that surrounds it. This moat is actually a paved road where traffic circles one-way; counter clockwise around the courthouse. On the other side of the moat or roadway you can find a variety of businesses separated by eight streets that bank off to the rest of the town. The Square, as it is named by the residents of Goderich, has many amenities including various banks, restaurants, a small movie theatre and specialty shops. There is also a small mom and pop grocery store called O’Hanlon’s and a pub called Spencer’s. During the day, I work in the deli part time at O’Hanlon’s and in the evenings I either bartend or waitress at Spencer’s.

What can I get for you today Joe?

I knew exactly what he was going to ask for. Joe was in his late thirties and owned and operated a small construction company. He held his hand up so that I could see he had spaced his thumb and index finger three-quarters of an inch apart, then quickly made a fist to cover his mouth for his nuisance smoker’s cough.

Dis much mock chicken and the same of bologna. Make sure it’s not that all-beef shit. And gimme a medium tub of that potato-egg salad too.

I sliced, weighed and packaged up Joe’s meat and salad order and placed it on the deli counter’s stainless steel top. Joe grabbed his order and put it in the child seating area of his shopping cart.

Thanks Laney. You work at Spencer’s to-nite?

I could tell by his breath and his drunken stagger that Joe had already been there all afternoon. Getting all pissed up on Saturday’s and Sunday’s seemed to be a regular way of life for him.

Yeah, my shift starts at six. I mumbled, hoping he wouldn’t hear me. Joe licked his top lip and slurred.

Uh …mibbee I’ll come back later so ya kin wait on me.

I shuddered. Sure Joe, maybe you will.

I finished my shift at O’Hanlon’s at five o’clock and since I lived only three blocks away from the Square, I had just enough time to dash home for a quick shower and change for my six o’clock waitressing shift at Spencer’s. I had a pretty nice two bedroom apartment which was part of a white sided two story duplex. The bedrooms, bathroom and galley style kitchen were on the main level. A beautiful oak staircase led up to a loft area that I used as my living room. When I got home Lexi, my three year old calico cat was waiting by her food dish demanding to be fed. I kicked off my runners and walked to the sink where I had cat food underneath in the cupboard. Lexi weaved around my ankles mewing at each turn.

Alright, Alright! I’m coming Lex, and poured some dry cat food in her dish. While she ate, I jumped in the shower. When I got out to dry off, I could see Lexi’s paws jabbing underneath the gap of the closed bathroom door.

Lexi, sometimes you’re a strange cat. I opened the bathroom door and went into my bedroom to finish getting ready and bundled up for my walk to Spencer’s. It was getting colder at night and tonight the temperature was supposed to dip below zero. I stepped outside and locked the door behind me. Brrrr! I established a quick pace and made the short distance to Spencer’s in ten minutes.

When I entered the pub, I immediately noticed Joe, who waved at me. My stomach turned. I made my way toward the bar and saw Jessie McCann serving one of the patrons. I mumbled as I went behind the bar cutting behind him to put my coat and bag away.

‘Well, this is going to be a shitty night.’

Jessie laughed. I took a deep breath and made my way to my first table to get their order.

There was the usual Saturday supper time rush, but it was the best time to work because the tips were pretty good. Spencer’s itself had a pretty simple design with twelve tables set