Rough Around the Edges

By Jerome Ralston, Carol N. Arkley and Kimberly Ralston

Rough Around the Edges
Jerome and Kimberly Ralston
with Carol Arkley

Written with utmost brilliance, it chronicles an amazing couple, Jay and Kim Ralston, who has faced some great adversities in their lives--some of which they are still dealing with. They have gone from starting with nothing to becoming millionaires to losing everything except their faith in God and their love for each other. They have not given up and have faced overwhelming challenges with determination and a positive attitude on their climb back to the top. Informative, insightful, and life changing, this thirty-chapter book of short stories reveal many emotions in life that are worth reading all over again. Immerse yourself with Ralstons Rough Around the Edges and find yourself inspired. by Jerome & Kimberly Ralston

Two newly married young professionals decided they wanted a fresh direction in life. With little preparation and a lot of guts, this dynamic couple elected to resign from their jobs and start their own business.

With a few dollars and no cents, they embarked upon the American Dream. They began their service enterprise with hope, love, and pure faith, eventually realizing they could never turn back.

Success did not come easy, however; there were financial roller coasters, betrayals, jealousies, joys, births, and even deaths. Sometimes there were high peaks, other times, low valleys.

This team has stories to share with entrepreneurs, couples, and families. They hope that their twenty-two years of marriage and business will fill your minds and hearts with a just do it attitude. They believe that if you wait for the perfect moment, it may never come.

You only have one body, one mind, and one lifemake it your best one! We gave it our best, and you can too, although sometimes it may be . . . rough around the edges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 21, 2009
• ISBN: 9781462800049

Jerome Ralston

Jerome “Jay” Ralston was born on April 2, 1963. He’s the son of Lillie Hargress and George Wells. He has two younger brothers. After graduating from Redford High School in 1981, he attended Oakland Community College. He majored in business communications. He later graduated from Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts. In 1982, Jay met Kim. After five years of dating, they married. They now have two children, Joshua and Mariah. Together, they have embarked upon the American Dream. Kimberly Johnson was born on August 16, 1963. Her mother is Artelia Johnson. She also has two brothers. In 1981, she graduated from Benedictine High School. She later attended Wayne Community College, but only briefly. She graduated from the dentistry program at Wayne State University. Jay remains a businessman, but is also a full-time realtor. Kim continues to battle multiple sclerosis (MS). Together, their love continues to grow.

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Copyright © 2009 by Jerome and Kimberly Ralston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

www.rougharoundtheedges.org

46719

Contents

In the Beginning

Two Become One

Three Rooms for $25

Birth of a New Business

Ralston for Mayor

Green Pastures

Our Rug Rats

Life Happens

The C Word

The Headquarters

Probate: You Don’t Want to Go There

The Exodus

Until You Walk in Our Shoes

Life in the Valley of the Sun

Something’s Fishy

Kaleidoscope of Faith

Seven Years of Hell

Weekend Follies

Life is a Stage

The Trip

One Night in Jail

Sabotage

My Pal Thunder

Mentoring

Voices from Africa

Memorable Impressions

Routine Checkup

My Two Jewish Grandmas

Poems from the Heart

Live, Love, and Laugh

DEDICATION

For Josh and Mariah

With all our love

FOREWORD

_________________

My dream of helping someone write a book came into fruition when I met Jay and Kim Ralston a little over two years ago. I was in the process of getting back into the business world after being a stay-at-home mom to my children for many years.

During a networking session, I mentioned I would love to help someone write a book. One of the women told me a gentleman had contacted her for this purpose, but her schedule wouldn’t permit it. She said she would look for his business card and call me. When I didn’t hear from her for a couple of weeks, I called her back and finally got the information I needed.

I immediately phoned the Ralstons, but couldn’t get in touch with them. When I finally made contact, Jay said they had pressing family matters to take care of first. He told me to call back in a month or two. This happened several times, but I wouldn’t give up and kept calling. Jay later told me, because of my tenacity, they decided to get started on the book.

I’ve been amazed at the minute details they’ve been able to recall and couldn’t wait for the next time we’d get together to record their continuing saga. We live on opposite ends of the Valley of the Sun, and with our busy schedules, getting together wasn’t always easy.

I believe this inspirational book has something for everyone. Some chapters will make you smile, and others will bring a tear to your eye. Chapter 9, the story of Jay’s mother’s ordeal with cancer and her subsequent death; and Chapter 11, the details of probate, were especially painful for them. We reread and rewrote these two chapters several times.

This amazing couple has faced some great adversities in their lives—some of which they’re still dealing with. They have gone from starting with nothing to becoming millionaires to losing everything except their faith in God and their love for each other. They didn’t give up and have faced overwhelming challenges with determination and a positive attitude on their climb back to the top.

Carol N. Arkley

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PREFACE

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This book was written as a legacy for our children, Joshua and Mariah, and to fulfill one of our goals—to become authors. After sharing some of our unbelievable life-changing experiences with friends and others, our book came to life. By writing, we were able to release our thoughts in a productive and constructive manner and find personal healing.

Life is full of trials and tribulations. How you react to them determines your success and/or failure. Our goal is to be judged by our self worth, not by our net worth; therefore, we strive to be the best persons we can be every day.

We hope that you are able to read this book and reflect, laugh, and learn. It is our wish that one of our stories, if not all of them, will have some relevance in your life journey. By sharing our twenty-six years of friendship, marriage, and business with you, we hope we have demonstrated a victorious spirit and a conquering resolve.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

_________________

We would like to give special thanks to our dear friend and adopted family member, Carol Arkley, for collaborating with us on this book. Her patience, grammar skills, way with words, objectivity, and sense of humor helped us stay grounded and on course with our thoughts for each story. Carol opened her heart and refrigerator to us on numerous occasions.

We are grateful to her husband, Gordon, who, for over two years, tolerated our tardiness, bursts of laughter, and late-night meetings. Gordon is like a granddad to Josh and Mariah. He would often take them for pizza, ice cream, or to the movies while we were working on the book. He also attended some of their sporting events and played board games with them. Gordy is known for his delicious tacos, which we all enjoyed on numerous occasions.

We have all grown together in many ways—friendship, mutual respect, admiration—but most importantly, we’ve grown into a loving family. We often celebrate holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and special occasions together. Our friendship will not end here. It is just the beginning.

We would also like to thank Kim’s mom, Artelia Johnson, for holding down the home front while we were working on the book. She maintained a normal lifestyle for the children while we were away. Dinner was always on the table, and all of their needs were met. Thank you, Mom. We love you.

Special thanks to Josh and Mariah for their unconditional love, for understanding our dedication to the book and our many long hours away from home.

Much gratitude to our neighbors Chris and Jerry Britt and Bruce and Shirley Kleinkein for their objective reading of our book during its infancy stage. We appreciated their bursts of laughter and encouragement.

Special thanks to Richie Laser, my real estate coach at Keller Williams, for his direct and honest observation of my book. His answer to my infamous question sparked a new direction.

An honorable mention of the Holy Spirit for giving Kimberly a vision of the book cover. Thanks to Jackie Leger of Dinamica Design and Print for bringing the concept to life. [e-mail].

Finally, to our pastor, Dr. Colvin Blanford, and his lovely wife, Margaret, thank you for your spiritual wisdom and instinctive insight regarding our manuscript.

CHAPTER 1

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In the Beginning

On a beautiful spring day in 1982, Kimberly Johnson was jogging down Lyndon Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, as she routinely did. Jerome and his Uncle Ronnie, in a rented U-Haul truck, were moving a furnace from one of Jerome’s mother’s rental properties to another.

Jerome said, "I decided to take a shortcut down Lyndon Avenue to show my uncle all the beautiful homes in the area. While driving, I noticed a young lady in a blue sweat suit jogging down the street. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a very pretty face. On the spur of the moment, I decided to go flirt with her. ‘Uncle Ronnie,’ I said, ‘just take the truck and leave.’

"I got out of the U-Haul and said hello to this gorgeous girl. When she said hi back, I couldn’t help noticing her beautiful smile. ‘What’s your name?’ I asked. ‘Kimberly,’ she replied. ‘What’s yours?’ ‘Jerome,’ I told her. While I was talking to her, she never broke pace, so I started running beside her.

"Earlier that day, Uncle Ronnie and I went to McDonald’s for breakfast. When I started running with Kim, I noticed I had a little stomach pain, but I really wanted to talk to her, so I continued to jog in spite of my discomfort.

Being the gentleman I am, I jogged with her to her halfway point and then back to the corner by her home. It was a good two or three miles. Getting ready to leave, I extended my hand and told her, ‘Thank you for letting me jog with you.’

Ironically, Kim started her day very committed to new beginnings. "I decided I was going to be a ‘new woman.’ I was going to move to California and become seriously career-oriented. Just that morning, I decided to take dating out of my social life. I was focused on starting anew.

"I decided to go jogging with no makeup, a simple hairdo, and a navy sweat outfit. As I was jogging, there were lots of toots, beeps, and comments from men driving by. I simply ignored all of them. I was totally focused on staying on track on my new commitment.

"As I jogged down Lyndon Avenue, my regular exercise route, I suddenly heard a comment from a guy in a U-Haul. My intent was to ignore him as well, but he took it one step farther. He got out of his truck and started talking to me. I continued to stay on my routine. I figured if he wanted to talk to me, he would have to run with me. And so he did.

"I made it to the halfway point of my jog, turned around, and he continued to stay with me. I laughed to myself because I looked down and saw this guy was wearing brown dress shoes. I thought that was really funny.

This stranger was humorous and made me laugh a lot. We continued to talk until I completed my jogging routine. When we got to the corner by my home, he put out his hand to thank me. I found myself squeezing it and asking if he would like to come in for Kool-Aid.

Jerome was surprised by Kim’s invitation, but decided to take her up on her offer. "In the living room of her home, Kim introduced me to her mom, Artie, and to her Aunt Earline, who shared the same house. I also met Tony, Earline’s husband.

"Shortly thereafter, Kim excused herself and went upstairs to freshen up. At this time, I overheard Earline in another room say to someone, ‘She’s picked up a stray from the streets.’

"Right about then, I started having severe abdominal pain—probably from the three-mile jog mixed with the McDonald’s I had eaten earlier. I made a dash for the bathroom.

"I thought I just had to pass gas, but that definitely was not the case. Much to my chagrin, I had serious diarrhea happening. I tried to disguise the sounds and nature’s aroma with everything I could find in the bathroom—from hair spray to spray-on deodorant. I even turned on the water in the sink trying to muffle the sounds. I was totally embarrassed. After a good half hour in the bathroom, I had to wash up.

When I went back into the living room, Kim was still upstairs. I thought she didn’t know what was going on, but years later, I found out she really did.

Kim used Jerome’s bathroom time to good advantage. "When I came downstairs and found Jerome still in the bathroom, I went back upstairs to give him a little more time. I didn’t want to embarrass him. I thought to myself, Either this guy has a lot of nerve, or else he has a serious health problem.

"I knew he had no idea what I looked like underneath my exercise outfit, so I decided to put on a pair of tight-fitting jeans and a pretty blouse. After primping, I went back downstairs and found him sitting in the living room.

"I entered the room and thought I could feel his eyes scanning my body, but I wasn’t sure. We sat down and continued to talk. My mother was in the kitchen cooking, and I asked Jerome if he would like to stay for dinner. Of course, he said yes. We continued deeper in conversation. We talked about each other’s families, education, goals, and other small talk.

"After dinner, Jerome called his brothers to come pick him up. Before long, his two brothers, Ernest and Antoine, and their longtime friend, Julian, arrived at my house. To me, both his brothers were totally the opposite of Jerome.

Unbeknownst to me, I was actually under inspection by Ernest, the street-wise brother. I had to pass the ‘good girl test’ with him. Antoine and Julian, on the other hand, were just happy to be there and asked if they could have some food. At this point, Jerome said it was getting late, and they should leave.

Jerome gave Kim a kiss on the cheek, thanked her mom for dinner, and then said good-bye to her family. From that day forward, Kim and Jerome have been inseparable.

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Our first date

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Jay and Kim’s photo session

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Jay and Kim (Kitty) in love at age 19

CHAPTER 2

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Two Become One

Jerome and Kim began dating the very next day. They got to know the good, the bad, and the ugly about each other, as well as each other’s families.

Kim remembers meeting Jay’s mom right away. "Lillie was a lively stone. She was funny, energetic, and told it like it was. She was a very down-to-earth woman who worked for Ford Motor Company as a quality control inspector. Lillie was enterprising, a self-starter, and a single-parent mom. She enjoyed fine living and acquired many assets during her lifetime.

Shortly after I first met Lillie, I noticed she and Jerome had a very special relationship. It became apparent to me that she preferred having her son accompany her to social functions instead of men her own age. I felt she considered me to be the other woman. In fact, many times, she introduced several other women into the picture with hopes of a possible breakup. That didn’t work, of course. I’m still here!

Jerome got to know Kim’s interesting family, which consisted of her mother, Artie, and her two brothers, Stanley and Don. Aunt Earline, Uncle Tony, and their children, Lesley and Crystal, were her extended family. William, their other son, died earlier of leukemia.

"Artie worked many long hours for the City of Detroit as a bus driver. She was a very sweet woman who was kind and understanding of our relationship. She always made me feel welcome.

"Stanley was quite a character. He was tall, thin, and quite the rebel in the family. We didn’t get along well. We eventually had a fistfight in Kim’s presence and publicly disgraced her. Later, however, Stanley and I became tolerant of one another.

"Don, on the other hand, was considered a ‘pretty boy.’ He was conservative, drove a Corvette, and had many adoring female fans. He was low-key, and even to this day, we have a mutual respect for one another.

"Earline was a hard pill to swallow. She was very opinionated. She could be a loving person or she could be extremely difficult. No one was good enough for her niece, and I was no exception.

"Tony, Earline’s husband’s had ideas