Misunderstood Defender

MISUNDERSTOOD  DEFENDER

In Baggage burdens. defender of the guilty could be ascribed to Alice Rezley.   Jill could not understand how Alice, her mother, could shield her father, Frank Rezley, from criticism for his violent behavior. Josey, Alice’s mother, could believe that Alice would put up with Frank’s drinking. Frank couldn’t believe that Alice would stand up for their disobedient daughters.  

In preserving peace in her home Alice, by protecting Frank, ended up alienating herself from her mother. What weakness did Alice see in Frank that motivated her to choose to continue to support him? The only weakness that Josey  could see is that’s Frank succumbed to the temptation of alcohol. That warranted no shielding.

“Why don’t you leave him?” was the frustrated plea of Jill after having witnessed that her father once again broke his promise not to drink. The psychological damage that Frank was doing to Jill would have been an acceptable reason for Alice to kick Frank out of the house. Could the potential trials of a single mother in the 1970's explain why Alice remained with her marital partner?

“How can you protect those kids?” Frank couldn’t believe that his wife would cover for his daughters who frequently didn’t pick up after themselves, were mouthy or wanted to spend money extravagantly. Why did Frank always have to be the disciplinarian? His father wouldn’t put up with it, and Frank wouldn’t either.

Could love for her husband explain why Alice called for respect from her children for their father? Jill would question how she could love such a sinner.  Josey would wonder what kind of love could continually forgive such a faulty man. 

Love undisciplined kids? That would be hard for Frank to grasp.

In the end Kathy, Jill’s sister, discovers and understands her mother’s actions. While Kathy’s explanation helps end Jill’s ambivalent feelings toward her mother, Jill isn’t completely ready to see her father in a new light.

How can one love or forgive a self-centered, hurtful person? Who can do it?

Do you know of one who loved or forgave a despicable person?

The character, Julie, in Baggage burdens fulfills two critical roles in the novel––a vital connection to Jill’s past and a supportive companion for Jill.  The difficulty of her roles is explored in my next blog.

A DESPICABLE CHARACTER

A DESPICABLE CHARACTER, BUT . . .

Probably the least liked character in Baggage burdens. is Jill’s father, Frank Rezley.   His treatment of her poisoned anyone who looked or acted like him. Unfortunately Frank’s behavior is all too common.

When Frank wasn’t drinking, he was a tolerable man, an excellent mechanic, a faithful husband, a good provider. The problem is frequently after work he’d go to the bar with the guys. He’d come home drunk and highly irritable. Get in his way and you’d be the recipient of bruises and a headache.

To conclude that he was weak willed because he gave into the lure of alcohol would be a mistake. His self-discipline prevented him from spending more on booze than he could afford. He demanded obedience from his kids. At his insistence, his wife used her second name, Alice, instead of Janet, the name her mother called her by. The change was meant as part of a message to Alice’s resourceful mother––leave this family alone or else. When Alice caught cancer, he quit drinking and smoking, cold turkey.

The harm caused by the home violence drove Kathy, Jill’s older sister, out of the house as soon as she completed her last year of high school. Jill ran away before she finished school. Peace did not come to Jill after escaping her father’s beatings. Memories of the beast infected her. Anyone who looked or acted like him represented a danger, a poison to be avoided. Men–– don’t trust them especially if they smoked or grew a beard––. Boyfriends who drank, just socially––dump them. Ones who try to control her––fear them. Adolescent lessons learned burned deep into her psyche. They guided her actions for decades until she caught a glimpse of the humanity in her father, the beast.

Do you know of any ill-tempered person?

Is there any redeeming trait that would make it possible to endure their unacceptable behavior?

Is there any good reason why such harmful behavior would be tolerated?

How could Alice Rezley live with such a man? Jill’s failure to answer that question left her with a low opinion of her mother.  Possible answers are explored in my next blog.

The Spirit of Uncle Mike

The Spirit of Uncle Mike

Uncle Mike’s pioneering spirit lays the groundwork for Joseph’s life.   

The setting of the novel is after Joseph’s Uncle Mike had died. However, Joseph came to know and care for his uncle before his death. They were drawn to each other by a similar personality, a personality molded by Mike’s parents, Joseph’s grandparents.

When Joseph was very young, his parents died in an automobile accident. Then Joseph’s grandparents raised him. Like Mike, Joseph grew close to his grandparents. He adopted their conservative values, loving nature and appreciating hard work. Mike’s lethargic, party-loving brothers sneered at him, resulting in Mike striking off on his own. He bought a farm. Years later Joseph came visit and appreciate his uncle.

While Mike’s farming was a financially success, he was lonely. Until Joseph started visiting him, he only had his dog, Butch, and his hired hand and good friend, Thomas. Mike’s will testifies to the importance of Joseph and Thomas in his life. Joseph tells Jill:

Uncle Mike left me two-thirds of his land.  . . . I only visited a few times, and he gave me two-thirds of his land! I was only twenty-one. His will said I was like a son to him. Uncle Mike never married. .  . . .

Thomas was like an answer to a prayer. The doctor told Uncle Mike, because of a heart problem, he shouldn’t over tax himself. Then Thomas appeared asking for a job. Later Thomas and Rebecca cared for Uncle Mike during his last half-year when he was bed ridden, just as if he was part of their family. So Uncle Mike gave him a third of his land. He asked Thomas to look after me until I got my farming feet under me.

Joseph loved his uncle and lived like him. There was only one aspect of Mike’s life that Joseph did not want to follow. He tells Jill:

I’m afraid I might end up like Uncle Mike. I’ll die alone, unmarried, without children.

A sign of how important his uncle was to Joseph is an oak tree. Mike had planted it by the garden when he first moved to the farm. It reminded Joseph of the dreams his uncle had for the farm. When his uncle died, Joseph planted a weeping birch tree near it. The two trees helped Joseph during his grieving.  They’re what he most missed when he moved to Camrose. He told his daughters:

Sometimes I’d watch the spray of the sprinkler watering the sentinels of the garden. The droplets of water falling from the oak’s leaves made me think Uncle Mike was crying because he was no longer with me.

Jill’s father, Frank Rezley, in Baggage burdens. haunts her most of her life. See some of his troubling effects in my next blog for the answer.

Life Line

Life Line

Julie is a lifesaver in more ways than Jill perceives. The information that she knows has the potential to start to turn Jill’s life around.  

Very early in the novel Jill is in an automobile accident. The first person Jill turns to for help is Julie.

Jill recalls being hit but her mission for driving demands her attention—pick up her children from school. ‘Gotta call Julie.’

Eventually Julie is reached and she comes through for Jill. While Jill is in the hospital, Julie takes care of Jill’s two youngest children. When it becomes too stressful––she has two young boys of her own––Joseph, Jill’s divorced husband, returns. The third child, Amber, a high school student is sent to live with Daniel, Amber’s older brother.

A life and death event occurs shortly after Jill hears that there is no doubt that her marriage is over. The news devastates Jill. Amber calls Julie for help. Julie rushes over and wakes Jill up. She also picks up a half empty bottle of pills.

Pointing to the bottle she asks, “Jill, were you trying to end your life?” Julie can’t bring herself to say suicide, not to the aunt she loves and admires.

Tears flow from Jill. Her slow weak no fails to convince Julie. “Jill, you’ve got to get up, show some energy.”

Jill shakes her head slowly, making no attempt to control her body. She rests heavily in Julie’s arms.

Julie breaks a very important promise to shock Jill into action. Her shocking question casts Julie in the role of a spy, a spy for Josey, Jill’s grandmother. Julie and Jill’s relationship takes a serious, but not fatal blow.

Keeping Gramma Josey informed about developments in Jill’s life is only one role for Julie. The second one is to convince Jill to return to Brampton to visit her grandmother. Jill is totally against the trip, but it is vital to her mental health.

Julie takes a chance on sacrificing her friendship with Jill to save her. Do you know of a friend like that?

Uncle Mike, is a non character in Baggage burdens. Yet his impact on Joseph and Thomas is major. How can this be? See my next blog for the answer.

My Special Girl

My Special Girl

A loving accepting child is what Jill needs, especially when her first son, Daniel, becomes more attached to his father than to Jill.  An unexpected development occurs. I need Amber to advance my novel in a number of areas.

          At Daniel’s eight-birthday party, when Jill is putting Amber down for her afternoon nap, she shows Amber is very important to her.

Amber’s yawn reminds Jill that her daughter hasn’t had her afternoon nap. “Help yourself to the cider or tea,” says Jill, to the guests. “I’m going to put Amber down to sleep for a while.” Jill enters Amber’s room and whispers. “Don’t worry Amber. You’re my special girl. On your birthday I’ll make a party for my very special girl. Yeh. That’s right.”

Since Jill home schools Amber, she builds a strong relationship with her daughter. Jill nurtures Amber’s creative spirit and teaches her to bake and garden. Amber’s trust and admiration of her mother is shown in Amber copying Jill’s phrase, I appreciate it, and tapping her feet when she is angry like Jill. She defends her mother from some of Daniel’s criticisms.

Amber is my special girl too!

Amber’s interest in painting draws her close to her mother, but her love of horseback riding bonds her to her father, Joseph. While Amber rides with her brother and Joseph, she starts riding with Eve, a girl a little older than her. Through his sister Daniel gets to know Eve, a girl he later marries. At Daniel’s wedding Jill’s actions deliver a crippling blow to her marriage. Amber’s sharp tongue challenges her mother’s treatment of Bill, Jill’s friend and a patron of Amber’s painting.

Amber’s love of Hoss, her horse, provides the basis from which she blasts her father. Acting on the vet’s advice, Joseph authorizes putting Hoss down. Amber’s painful outburst below, strikes a blow from which Joseph doesn’t recover.

“He was my horse, my horse. Do you hear? I loved him.” Tears pour freely. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She stamps her foot in anger, like her mother.

Joseph gets up to give Amber a hug.

“Don’t touch me,” warns Amber. She steps back. “You don’t love me. You don’t love anybody. All you care about is your work. Just like Mom says. Money is all that is important to you.”

A child’s love is a treasure. Their biting words cut deep. How true is that?

Julie, Jill’s second cousin, is a vital element in Jill’s healing process. The next blog on Baggage burdens. explores Julie’s connection to Jill’s past.