One Ends, Another Begins

By Seung Geel Hong

This book involves two women who are two generations apart. The elder woman struggles through life and enters her final years in a senior citizens high-rise apartment, while the younger woman experiences several years of questionable conduct and then returns home to begin a new and better life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9781387601912

Book preview

Chapter 1: Diana Cooper

1a. Diana’s Childhood

Diana Cooper was born in 1935 at the north end of Port Huron, Michigan. Port Huron is located in southeast Michigan on the southernmost shore of Lake Huron at the entrance to the St. Clair River. Somewhere in the middle of the river lies the international boundary line between the United States and Canada. The smaller northern section of Port Huron is situated on the lake, while the larger southern section is situated on the western shore (i.e., on the American shore) of the St. Clair River. Across the river lies Point Edward and Sarnia (in Ontario, Canada).

Diana was the youngest of five children: She had two brothers and two sisters. Diana’s brothers and sisters spoiled her and overprotected her during her childhood years. And as a result, Diana learned to trust everyone, and she often became the victim of unscrupulous dealings.

For example, in the third grade, Diana found a large purse in the school rest-room, and she began to take it to her teacher. And about half way to the classroom, a fifth-grade girl noticed Diana carrying the purse, and the girl reasoned that Diana obviously was not the owner of such a large purse.  Hence the girl claimed that the purse belonged to her teacher, whereupon Diana gladly surrendered the purse to the girl. (Diana had forgotten that the teachers used different rest-rooms.)

Later that day, the principal entered Diana’s classroom and whispered to Diana’s teacher. And the teacher called Diana to the teacher’s desk and asked Diana if she knew anything about the purse that had been turned into the principal’s office earlier that day.

Naturally, Diana explained that she had given the purse to a fifth-grade girl, and Diana had to admit that she would not be able to identify the girl.

Diana’s teacher and the principal gave each other a suspicious look, at which point Diana sensed that they did not believe her. But since Diana did not have the communication skill to elaborate her explanation, she simply remained quiet and waited for the teacher to instruct her to return to her seat.

The following summer, Diana learned that the purse (belonging to a visitor) was missing $10.00 when it was turned into the principal’s office, and therefore Diana’s teacher had watched her (Diana) closely for the remainder of the school-year.

In another example, while in the seventh grade, Diana and her family went to a carnival. And on arrival, Diana saw some of the girls from school, whereupon she waved good-bye to her family and joined the girls.

Diana and the other girls rode most of the rides and then tried to win prizes at the dart-throwing booth. Diana tried three times to win the 18-inches-tall Pink Elephant, at $.20 for six throws. Diana, then, counted her coins and decided to spend the remaining $.98 somewhere else. And the other girls counted their money as well and began to walk away with Diana.

Meanwhile, the concessionaire knew how badly Diana wanted the Pink Elephant, and he schemed to get Diana to spend her remaining money at his booth instead of letting her go so that she could spend the money elsewhere. And the concessionaire made an offer that seemed attractive to Diana: Instead of requiring Diana to pop six balloons at $.20, he would require her to pop only three balloons . . . at $.40.

Hence, being so young and innocent, Diana believed that the man was being kind to her, because she would have to pop only half the number of balloons to win the Pink Elephant. And Diana accepted the offer and threw the darts as the other girls crossed their fingers and hoped for the best.

Twice, Diana threw three darts for $.40, and each time she managed to pop only two of the balloons. And when Diana and the other girls began to walk away for the second time, the concessionaire fast-talked Diana into spending her last $.18 for the regular six throws.

By this time, Diana realized that something was not right, and she became so nervous that she managed to pop only three of the required six balloons.

As for Diana’s friends (the other girls), they could only look at each other in sympathy for Diana as she unsuccessfully threw the last six darts.

Finally, after Diana had spent more than a dollar-and-a-half at the dart-throwing booth, she felt embarrassed and foolish for having spent so much money at one place, and she at last realized that the concessionaire had not been kind to her. Instead, the concessionaire had exploited her.

Unfortunately for Diana, she never learned her lesson: She continued to trust everyone, no matter how many times people would take advantage of her.

In 1949, Diana entered high school. She received A’s and B’s in every class. In the tenth grade, Diana tried out for cheerleading, but she did not make the cheerleading team on account of her awkwardness and weak physical condition.

Nevertheless, Diana’s 5’ 7 height and 138-pounds weight made her look healthy, sexy, and strong. And Diana had plenty of boys giving her the goo-goo eyes" during her high-school years.

Then, starting in the second week of November of her senior year, Diana went steady with Jim Bateman. Jim was 5’ 11", handsome, muscular, and very intelligent. Most importantly, Jim enjoyed working. He worked as a gas station attendant at the Mobile Service Station (after school-hours) during the week, and he worked as a delivery boy for Jenson Drug Store during the weekend. Diana and Jim got along extremely well, and they made plans to get married soon after graduation.

1b. After Graduation

Diana and Jim graduated in 1953, and they married a month after graduation.  Nine months later, they had their first child Deborah, and from 1955 through 1968, they would have seven more children:  Rebecca, Robert, Tom and Ray (twins), Monica, John, and Charles.  Tragically, Charles would die of S.I.D.S. before reaching his first birthday, and Deborah would die in 1971 in a