Bruised but Not Broken

By Mary Ingland

In todays world, a woman especially has a hard time relating her position to that of a man. Even in the military, you always hear about a mans point of view and experiences. Seldom do you hear about womens views or experiences. Candy describes exactly how she dealt with her position and the roles she played while serving in the military.

Candy credits her time in the military to her strength, endurance, loyalty, and the ability to have someone elses back when they needed her. Candy is easygoing and will give anyone a chance, but things didnt always work out in her favor. Always hoping for the best, Candy was never desperate but always imagined being with the man of her dreams. It seemed that every time she let her guard down and felt it was safe to let go, time and again it turned out to be a disappointment.

With her relationships always going south and being the target of someone elses advances, Candy continued to take one step at a time and vowed that there was still time for her dreams to one day come true.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781546235583

Mary Ingland

Mary Ingland is a southern peach from Georgia working in a grocery store since the age of 18. Mary has always wanted to do something out of the ordinary, like write a book. Mary skipped college to help her parents take care of her two younger siblings. A very humble woman, noting the importance of responsibilities and sacrifices. Mary has never had children by reason of her circumstances, nor could ever find the time for a social life other than reading mysteries or about celebrities lives in the local magazines. Mary is now ready to venture out on her own and discover herself. Mary is finally in college majoring in American Literature with an emphasis on social sciences. Mary takes Tae-kwon-do, and volunteers at the community center in her spare time. Her goal is to help students entering college realize and achieve their dreams while working as a guidance counselor.

Book preview

Contents

1 Rough Start

2 While Waiting

3 Bootcamp Blues

4 Familiarization

5 Work Related

6 Big Girl Shoes

7 Roller Coaster Ride

8 Broken Promises

9 Bonding Again

10 Chaos

11 A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

1

Rough Start

CANDY WAS SO EXCITED SHE couldn’t keep a straight face. She had to tell someone what had just happened at school. She had a hard time holding it in and the anxiety had her moving fast and trying to keep too many things on her mind all at once. Candy had left school and went straight to her babysitting job. Chelsie the lady she babysat for, was standing in the door waiting for her. She said I was hoping you wouldn’t be late, I need to get to work in time to make out new schedules. I didn’t get it done yesterday so I thought I’d go in early and finish it today. Chelsie was in a hurry, so Candy didn’t even mention the news to her. Candy went inside and got the kids. She asked Chelsie, if the kids had eaten yet? Chelsie grabbed her purse and said no but, they asked for pizza, so I took one out and laid it on the stove, and continued out the door. Candy asked the kids if they were hungry. The three of them eagerly yelled; Yeah, Pizza and ran to the kitchen. Candy let them know that she had to heat the oven up first and that the pizza would probably be ready by the time they put on their pajamas’. Candy put the smallest one’s pajamas’ on for her, while the other two argued about whose pajamas were the coolest. Candy went into the kitchen and placed the pizza in the oven. When she came out the kids were in the living room fighting over what channel to watch on T.V. Candy grabbed the remote and said we’re watching the first cartoons that comes up. The kids settled down on the couch and started watching the cartoons as if there had never been a fight. Candy went back into the kitchen and got the pizza out of the oven. She poured three small glasses of juice and placed them on the table while the pizza was cooling. She cut the pizza into slices and placed a piece on three different plates, and set them on the table. Candy went in the living room to retrieve the kids and told them the pizza was ready. They had no problem jumping off the couch and rushing to the kitchen. They ate good and even had another slice. When they were done Candy told them to go back into the living room and watch T.V., while she cleaned up the kitchen. Candy finished and joined the kids in the living room. They had calmed down and were even leaning on each other. Suddenly there was a noise at the door. Candy knew it wasn’t Chelsie, she hadn’t been gone that long. Then she heard keys in the door. Candy grabbed the kids and took them to the bedroom. She told them to get under the bed, in case it was an intruder. Candy got a picture frame from the dresser, and got behind the door. Whoever it was, entered the house with confidence. A man’s voice shouted out after closing the door; Hey, where ya’ll at? The kids started scrambling from underneath the bed with smiles on their faces. Candy tried to warn them not to make any noise but, they started running out of the bedroom yelling Daddy! Candy’s heart was racing, seeming like a hundred miles a minute, and she almost peed her pants.

The man looked at Candy and said; who are you. Candy replied, I’m the babysitter, and may I ask who you are? He said, I’m their father didn’t you hear them. He said, where’s Chelsie? Candy thought that odd that he didn’t know where she was and seemed to live there, being he had a key. Candy answered, she’s at work. He said to Candy, you can leave now I can handle it from here. Candy didn’t like the way that sounded at all. She told him, I don’t think that’s a good idea, I was left here with the children and I think I should stay here until Chelsie gets home. The man replied, suit yourself. He sat down at the kitchen table and pulled out what looked like some weed, and started to roll some joints. Candy went and got the kids and put them in bed, they were practically falling asleep on the couch. He looked over at Candy and said, you smoke. Candy shrugged her shoulders not knowing if she should reply honestly or not, knowing she was the babysitter, and this was her job. She cautiously answered, yes. He lit one up and they passed it back and forth until it was gone. He lit another one and Candy got nervous and blurted out; I don’t want anymore, Chelsie will be home soon, and it wouldn’t be right for me to be high when she gets home, I don’t want to lose my job. The man laughed and said, what did you say your name was? Candy told him and asked him in return, what’s yours? He said my name is Clarence. Candy asked him why he didn’t know that Chelsie had a job and that she had went to work. He said because I’ve been in Rehab right up the street and I’m just now able to get passes to go out on my own but, I must return in the evenings. Before she could get any more information, Chelsie walked in the door. Chelsie looked surprised and gave Clarence this wonderful smile as if she hadn’t seen him for quite some time. Candy figured at this point everything was good, so she stated to Chelsie; o.k. I guess I’ll leave now. Candy grabbed her things and remembered when picking up her jacket, that she had gotten some very good news at school that day. She had been awarded a scholarship to college. Candy thought to herself; me, a scholarship, what are the odds. Even though Clarence was coming home some days, Chelsie asked Candy if she would still babysit for her after school. He showed up most of the time after she was already gone. Now, when Clarence told Candy she could leave, she did. Some evenings they’d laugh, joke, and even smoke a joint while waiting for Chelsie to come home. This went on until it was time for graduation. Candy hadn’t told anyone about the scholarship. Where she was from, it wasn’t really a topic of discussion. No one talked about school or scholarships. If the subject came up everyone laughed about it and moved on to the next subject. However, this was exciting news for Candy because no one in her family had ever graduated from school. This day however, Chelsie got off work early and Clarence wasn’t there. Candy asked Chelsie if it was ok for her to leave. Chelsie said yes and Candy couldn’t wait to get home and tell everyone the news. When Candy got home, no one was there. She went and put her things down in her room and then heard her father’s car pull up in the driveway. Candy went to the front door and waited for her Mother and Father to come inside. Candy’s mother walked in the house and abruptly asked Candy if she had something she wanted to tell her. Candy’s hopes dropped because she thought the school had called and already told her parents the news.

Candy said; guess what, I won a scholarship to college. Candy noticed that her parents didn’t seem excited or even interested in what she had just said. Candy’s Mother said; with a straight face, That lady you babysit for called today and said that you are sleeping with her Husband. Candy’s heart dropped and her body temperature immediately went to what seemed to be two hundred degrees. Candy’s eyes got blurry from the tears that were building up inside. She got a lump in her throat that almost seemed to make her stop breathing. Candy couldn’t imagine Chelsie saying anything like that. Candy couldn’t believe that had even come out of her mother’s mouth. The pain in Candy’s eyes were showing and she almost felt ashamed. How could her mother even entertain such a thought knowing Candy wasn’t even interested in a boyfriend let alone a grown Man. She told her mother she didn’t have any idea what she was talking about and had no idea why Chelsie would call her and say such a thing. Candy ran to her room and cried until her face hurt. She still hadn’t told her parents that the graduation was that night and that she was being awarded the scholarship at the graduation. Candy’s Mother was returning to a job she had in the evenings and her Father was off work but always had something to do. Candy sat in her room and tried to figure out what went wrong. Why, would Chelsie call her parents and tell them such a bold face lie. The more Candy thought about it the madder she got. Chelsie had destroyed whatever trust Candy’s parents had in her before she made that phone call. Candy got out of her bed and went to her closet to find something to wear to the graduation. While looking through her closet she couldn’t help thinking about the reason for Chelsie’s actions. The school was less than a mile away from Candy’s house and Chelsie’s house was somewhere in between. Candy would have to walk to the graduation because her parents weren’t home. She thought about what she was going to say as she passed Chelsie’s house on the way back to the school. No one else was home when her mother told her what Chelsie had said. She avoided her siblings so not to get into what had happened. Candy went to take a bath and when she got out proceeded to put on a dress that she had picked from her closet. Candy didn’t like dresses. She wasn’t the girlie type. She hung out with the boys for the most part, she felt more comfortable with them. Candy went to her Mothers’ closet and got a pair of high heeled shoes out. Candy didn’t like them either and hardly ever seen her Mother wear them. Sunday mornings for church was the only time she had seen her Mother put high heeled shoes on. Without even checking her appearance Candy walked out the door and headed for the school. When she got close to Chelsie’s house, Clarence came to the door because he could hear her clonking down the street in those high heeled shoes. Clarence asked Candy where she was going. Candy replied, nowhere, as if she didn’t want to talk and Clarence sensed right away that something was wrong. Clarence said; what’s wrong with you. Candy said, I can’t talk now, I have to hurry up and get to the school. Clarence asked, what are you going to the school for? Candy said, I am graduating tonight and being awarded a scholarship to college. Clarence said, graduating why didn’t you tell us? He said, congratulations, great job, stop by on your way home.

Candy didn’t respond and continued walking to the school. Candy didn’t feel as angry as she had when she left her house. She even managed a little smile knowing someone had acknowledged her accomplishment, even if it wasn’t her parents. When Candy got to the school, they rehearsed how they would line up and be presented with their awards. There was only one other person who had also won a scholarship, so they didn’t need all that many instructions on that. Suddenly the lights went out and the principal of the school stood there at the podium and began to make his speech. Candy wasn’t paying very much attention, and the next thing she knew, they had begun calling names already. Candy got in line, crossed the stage, and was presented with her scholarship. Candy felt like that was the best feeling in the world being able to cross that stage, and at that moment looked out into the audience hoping maybe her parents would be there. Of course, they weren’t, so Candy accepted her scholarship and walked off the stage. While walking back to her seat, Candy thought about what she was going to say when she got to Chelsie’s house. Candy clutched her scholarship and her diploma in her hand and started skipping down the street, feeling like she was somebody. Before she knew it, she was in front of Chelsie’s house again. She stopped skipping and started walking heavily so they could hear her. Clarence came to the door and said; hey, you ready to talk. Candy walked towards the door looking inside and asked if Chelsie was home. Clarence said yeah come on in, gesturing from the door. Candy stood fast and said, she didn’t tell you. Clarence said tell me what. Candy hesitated and Clarence said hastily; tell me what, this time anxiously as if he wanted to hear some good news. He gestured towards the door again. Candy said, I’m not allowed to come to your house anymore. Clarence looked at Chelsie and then gently grabbed Candy’s arm and pulled her inside. Clarence said go ahead tell me what you’re talking about. Candy took his tone as if he thought she was going to tell him that she had seen Chelsie with another Man or something. Assuring him that wasn’t it, Candy said; she called my parents today and said that I was messing around with you. Candy looked at Chelsie but, Chelsie wouldn’t look back. Then, scaring Candy this time, Clarence said; WHAT! They both were looking at Chelsie for answers. Candy said, so she didn’t tell you. Clarence yelled, every little girl around here that looks better than you, doesn’t mean I’m screwing them. I may have a drinking problem but, I’m not a pervert, and if that’s what you think then YOUR problems are a lot bigger than mine. Candy stood there, stunned, she had never heard Clarence raise his voice like that before. Chelsie finally broke her silence and said; well it’s true, she’s always stuck up under you. Candy couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Then Candy said to Chelsie; if you didn’t want me to babysit anymore all you had to do was say that, and it would have been over, but instead you asked me to keep coming. Then you called my parents with those lies. Candy explained to her that she had just graduated and her parents weren’t there because she didn’t get the chance to tell them about the graduation or that she was receiving the scholarship that night. Candy then told her she didn’t have to worry about her coming around anymore, and that she was never coming back. Candy clutched her diploma and her scholarship in her arms and walked out the door. Clarence followed Candy and told her he was sorry for what had happened and that he could get Chelsie to call her parents and apologize for what she did.

Candy anxiously told Clarence, no because she wasn’t supposed to be there. Clarence then asked Candy if she wanted to smoke a joint. Candy said; no. Clarence said well I’ll smoke one while I walk with you. Clarence told Candy that he was very sorry for what Chelsie had done, and said if it’s any consolation, I’m proud of you for graduating, Congratulations. Clarence turned around and went back home and Candy continued walking home hoping she wouldn’t run into her parents on the way. When Candy got home she felt relieved, placed her degree and scholarship on her dresser, and couldn’t wait to take that dress and high heeled shoes off. She laid down in her bed and stared off into space looking up at the ceiling. She felt calm and gentle and before she knew it she was sleep. When Candy woke up the next morning, the thought crossed her mind that she had graduated and