To Hell and Back Again: A Young Woman's Journal

By Chereva S. Marley

Life was a bit different when Chereva came into the world.  Simply put, you lived at the pleasure of your parents or guardians. You behaved as your parents told you and unless spoken to, you kept quiet. Perhaps that is why, when Chereva broke the strings that attached her to her strict parents, she had trouble recognizing dangerous and dece

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stratton Press
• Release date: Apr 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643454993

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TO HELL and

BACK AGAIN

A

Young Woman’s

Journal

Chereva S. Marley

TO HELL AND BACK AGAIN

Copyright © 2019 Chereva S. Marley

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Stratton Press Publishing

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Shutterstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-64345-164-0

ISBN (Ebook): 978-1-64345-499-3

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter 1: The Wicked Stepmother

Chapter 2: Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off to Work I Go

Chapter 3: The Bones and Bruises Heal

Chapter 4: My First, My Last, My Everything

Chapter 5: Don’t Let Go of God’s Hand

Message from the Writer

Chapter 1

The Wicked Stepmother

According to the National Vital Statistics System, in 2012, the divorce rate in the United States stands at an average of 45%, which means that almost half of the people in the United States are divorced. Of that 45% divorces, 55% of them involve children. Therefore, statistically speaking, the chance of entering a relationship with someone who has a child or children is common. If this is true in your case, you must make sure you are ready to take on the challenge of raising someone else’s child or children.

Have in-depth discussions with your prospective mate and make sure that you are both together on your thoughts and feelings about raising children. Use the internet—it is an excellent source of information on the complexities and the rewards of becoming an instant parent to your mate’s child or children. Do not set yourself up for unpleasant surprises if you haven’t prepared together on this crucial decision. If your minds are together, your home can be a happy, delightful place to be. If you cannot see eye to eye on this subject, your home will be hell on earth.

I know because mine was. I was married in the early ’80s to a man with a six-year-old daughter and assumed that everything would naturally fall into place. That is precisely how our lives together began. In my wildest thoughts, I never would have believed I was about to enter the twilight zone. This is my story.

When the doorbell rang and I answered it, there stood the two of them—big smiles on their faces. My boyfriend, Matt, and his daughter, Kristi.

Hi, my name is Kristi, and it is nice to meet you, said an adorable freckle-faced, button-nosed girl.

I quickly replied, Well hi, sweetie. What a pretty little girl you are. Please, come on into my house. Can I get either of you something to drink? I kissed Matt, and we headed to the living room for some chitchat.

May I please have a soda? Kristi asked.

I’m thinking, Oh god, she says please. Of course, I said. I went to the kitchen for a soda for her, a beer for Matt, and about four fingers of scotch on the rocks for me.

For the next hour and a half, Kristi did most of the talking. She told me about her friends at school, her dolls, and toys. Who is your favorite singer? she asked me.

Well that is a hard question, I said. I like a lot of the singers today, but I think Elvis would rank high on my favorite list.

My favorite is Donny and Marie. I wish they lived here in Las Vegas, and I could go and visit them, Kristi replied.

Well, maybe someday you will, I told her with a wink of my eye.

When dinner was ready, I asked her, Kristi, how about you go into the bathroom right over there—pointing to the bathroom—and wash your hands and use the toilet if you need to before we eat.

Okay, she said, and off she went, just as I requested.

While she was in the bathroom, I asked Matt, Is she always that open and friendly?

Yeah, he said. She just loves to talk to anyone who will listen to her.

What have you told her about me?

Well, I told her that you are a special friend of mine and I want to spend more time with you. I also told her that you are very nice and that she will like you. I think I was right about that, huh?

Well, what is the story about her mom?

Her mom walked out on us about six months ago, and I don’t know where she went or anything. I haven’t heard from her either.

By then, Kristi came out of the bathroom, so I didn’t ask any more questions about her mom.

Through dinner, Kristi remained polite, mannerly, and quite the chatterbox. She thanked me for the excellent meal and watched TV while Matt and I tidied up the kitchen. It was getting a bit late, and Matt decided it was time for him and Kristi to start heading home.

Kristi ran up to me and gave me a big hug and a kiss. Can you come over to our house tomorrow and see my toys? she asked.

Well, I don’t see why not as long as it is okay with your daddy, I replied. Matt just shook his head affirmative, kissed me, and they both waved goodbye as they drove away. She was a delightful little girl, and I fell in love at first sight.

Eventually, the three of us did get married. While I loved Matt very much, my entire focus seemed to be on Kristi. Matt and I never went on a honeymoon because I did not want to leave Kristi under someone else’s care. I didn’t have any family close by, and while there were day-care facilities, I was not familiar with any of them either. I also insisted that we work different shifts so one of us was always there for Kristi. When I was not at work, I did the cleaning and the cooking. I helped Kristi with her homework and took her with me if I had to go anywhere. Whenever I could, I would take her to the movies, parks, and zoos. I wanted us to do things together. Every year for her birthday, I would throw a big party, and I made sure she had tons of presents to open on Christmas morning. I attended school functions and even joined the school’s PTA. Yes, they had a PTA in those days.

One day, I got word that Donny and Marie were coming to town for a concert. I happened to know one of the executives of the casino where the theater is that Donny and Marie are going to perform in. I wondered if I could use my influence with this man and get a pass or permission slip for the three of us to go backstage and meet Kristi’s favorite celebrities after the show. I was on a mission and it was successful. My friend told me to go backstage after the concert, and a security guard will be there. My friend will leave my name with the security guard, and he will show us where Donny and Marie hang out after their show. Then the day of the concert finally came. I did tell Kristi that I bought tickets for the three of us to go and see Donny and Marie, which made her cry because she was so excited, but kept the big surprise of going backstage all to myself.

The concert was outstanding, even Matt and I enjoyed it.

Then when it was all over, I said, Kristi, I have a little surprise for you.

What’s that? she asked.

I looked at Matt, then her, and said, Would you like to go backstage and meet Donny and Marie?

What are you talking about? Kristi screamed at me.

Are you serious? What? Matt even looked at me with a surprised look on his face.

I said to them, Well, if you guys would like to follow me, I believe there is a police officer backstage with a paper with our name on it, which will allow us to join Donny and Marie and their entire entourage for a little backstage party if you are interested. I thought for sure Kristi was going to convulse.

She grabbed my hand. Come on, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go—hurry.

Matt and I laughed, and we headed for the stage stairs and went behind the curtain. A security guard was there, and when he asked us for our name, he smiled and took us to a door with Donny and Marie’s name on it. We knocked on the door, and a man opened the door.

We are here to meet Donny and Marie, I said.

The man took us to another room, and there they were: Donny and Marie.

Marie came over, bent down, took Kristi’s hand, and asked her, What is your name, sweetie?

Kristi, she said, suddenly timid.

Well, Kristi, it is so nice to meet you. Please come with me, and let me introduce you to Donny, who is sitting at the piano with our brother Jimmy practicing a new song.

Matt and I followed behind Marie and Kristi. I arranged this meeting for Kristi, and we did not want to interfere. Marie introduced her to Donny, Jimmy, and a few of the band members who were there playing their instruments.

Hi, Kristi was all you heard from everyone simultaneously.

Here, come and sit by me, said Donny, patting the piano seat where he was sitting.

Kristi looked at me as if asking my permission, and I smiled and said, Go ahead, honey, it’s okay.

She hopped up on the piano stool with him while he sang her a little song. I have seen some big smiles before, but Kristi’s entire body was smiling. I found myself choking back a few tears as she sat there next to Donny Osmond, listening to him sing to her.

Then Marie sat down on Kristi’s other side, and the two of them sang a song for her. I had a camera in my purse and gave it to Matt so that he could take some pictures. I was too busy being an emotional idiot and just tearing away to see through the lens.

When they finished their song, Marie said to Kristi, Donny and I heard that you might stop by and visit with us after the show this evening. We autographed this picture of us for you and would like you to have it.

Thank you very much, said Kristi.

You are such a beautiful little girl. Donny and Marie both chuckled, and then Marie said to all of us, Donny and I are getting pretty tired, and we have to call it a night. We enjoyed meeting you Kristi and your parents, and we thank you for stopping by for a visit. Then she and Donny both gave Kristi a big hug and a kiss on her cheek. They shook hands with Matt and me, turned around, and they were gone.

I don’t think any of us could sleep that night. Matt himself got a little emotional when we got home. He could not believe that I was able to pull this off. Kristi talked about this night for years to follow. Also, I was a superstar mom!

It sounds like I was doing an excellent job as a stepmother right? Things were going so well for us, and because we still had not heard a peep from Kristi’s mother, I thought it was a good time that our little family became official and I adopted Kristi. Kristi was about nine years old then.

The adoption process was straightforward. Kristi’s mother gave up her rights without an argument. A short visit with