Jazmee27 
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The story I am about to tell is true. It is a story of neglect, of love, and of sorrow. It is a tale of growing up. And, most importantly, while it is my story, it is not about me. It is about the Pierre children.
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Don't dispute the role you played in it.
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Reply #181. May 16 12, 8:03 AM
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Jazmee27
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When I first met Edward and Elysha, it was in a church. Seventh Day, in fact. But that was a long time ago, and memories fade…
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For so many reasons it would take too long to name them.
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Reply #182. May 16 12, 8:04 AM
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Jazmee27
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The first time I remember the kids was when I was about 20 or 21. This was before Mom and I moved to Lebanon, at a time when Edy, the father, would come to our place for dinner. And, invariably, I was left to “entertain” the children. Not an easy thing to do, when the children in question refuse to sit still and don’t want to listen to a book—or, in fact, do anything other than watch television or jump all over the place and make as much noise as possible.
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We were all immature then
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Reply #183. May 16 12, 8:05 AM
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Jazmee27
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Some time later, Mom and I—along with Edy and the kids—moved into a three-bedroom house in southern Lebanon. Now, you’d have thought that it would be a good thing for Edward and Elysha to have structure in their lives. Unfortunately, though, it was sporadic: Their dad was often either at work or at the YMCA, having no time for needy children. And so it fell upon my mother to raise them herself. Oh, there were moments when Edy took on the responsibility of parent, but then it was just to scold them for being noisy, or put them in a time out, or tell them to stand in the corner. Any games he played with them were initiated by my mother who, I am sure, kept his “discipline” from becoming “abuse”.
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Though sometimes boundaries blur
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Reply #184. May 16 12, 8:07 AM
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Jazmee27
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Where was the mother during all this, you might ask? Living in Lancaster, with visitation every other week and on certain holidays. And, well, I never met her, or don’t remember it, so all I can say is secondhand: but what I do know is that Edward and Elysha were more rowdy and unmanageable after seeing Rosa, and that the same was true after they talked to her on the phone. And the reason, as far as I understand it? That Rosa bad-mouthed Edy in front of the kids, and used the children as messengers; that their stepbrothers also disrespected Edy, or told Edward and Elysha horror stories so that they couldn’t sleep at night.
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Sometimes Edward would talk about it. Elysha, she kept her thoughts and feelings to herself. |
Reply #185. May 16 12, 8:09 AM
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Jazmee27
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In the end, Mom and Edy broke up. Which is where the sorrow comes in: Mom and I both adore the kids, and regret that they had to overhear or observe what happened. And so what began as an attempt to help in actuality became the exact opposite.
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Or was it a blessing in disguise?
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Reply #186. May 16 12, 8:10 AM
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Jazmee27
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Which one isthis?
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On one of my tapes, Maria Rivera makes a comment to Devlyn, something to the effect that “we’ve lost ourselves” or “somewhere down the line we lost ourselves”. Though it’s not really playing in the background, I can almost hear the song entitled “Show Me the Way:” new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Styx/Show+Me+The+Way--2152655 -.
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Old series, but the theme's still there.
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Reply #187. May 16 12, 8:12 AM
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Jazmee27
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We have yet to watch the movie.
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Mom wants me to read this book she’s started, thinks I’ll like it. “I enjoy it so far…” Which means what? Not a thing. It’s bbeen made into a movie, and she says if we both read it she’ll rent the DVD. The title? “Water for Elephants”.
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Reply #188. May 16 12, 8:13 AM
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Jazmee27
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The thought was very much appreciated
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One of my neighbors brought up a cake on one of those flimsy paper plates, those small ones that dump its contents if you move it the wrong way. I forget her name, but apparently a cake was made for the fifth floor, and she said she’d bring me a slice.
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Reply #189. May 16 12, 8:14 AM
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Jazmee27
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I've drifted far from *this*
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If all goes according to plan, I can revise my tape series tomorrow. Some of the parts I did with the last player are too faint, and those parts which aren’t don’t always make sense. As of the other day, I stopped listening to tape eight—the one I used to replace the two tape eights that unraveled—and thought, “this makes no sense!”
- After Ontario regains consciousness after his ordeal in “The Realm of Nightmares,” he seeks out Nicolys Strickland to thank him. “I realize I was in no mortal danger…” And that is when the two are interrupted by Kora Ferguson, who has an unsigned letter which states that the King of Scenoria may not be dead after all. I forget the exact line offhand, but the page said something to the effect that the one who died in the “Criminal Cooler” was a peasant boy king Chendori Dorsevahrtren adopted. First of all, that’s nonsense as the former Monarch didn’t have a compassionate bone in his body, and may himself have been involved in the suffering caused to Ontario and his siblings. Second, the “peasant” was no such thing, but an uncle on the 13-year-old’s mother’s side.
- Sometime after Kora leaves, Ontario again looks for Nicolys to finish their conversation, at which time the older man loses his patience. “You tell me,” he growls, pinning the young man against a wall, “why my eyes may have darkened at that moment, Mr. ‘I was in no danger.”’ “Uh… The longer I remained unconscious, the more likely it was that I’d never wake up?” Ontario guesses, and Nicolys releases him. “Think, next time,” he hisses in the young man’s ear, “lest I lose it again.” As the 13-year-old backs away fearfully, he adds, “I can’t stand stupidity!”
- The other idea, going hand in hand with what I just outlined, is this: When Qydra transports Ontario to Qaso Vetreya, then Beiytano Cormadyx, the reason his brain waves vanish is that he is no longer in the 21st century, but the 27th. The moment he is brought back to the School for Gifted Pupils, he passes back through time to the present century.
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Reply #190. May 16 12, 8:17 AM
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Jazmee27
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I started ordering my food last June?
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Grandma noticed the flyers first on Thursday when she was up, but she forgot to grab one, and she couldn’t remember if there was a delivery charge or not. Neither did she know if Mom could get one over the weekend; would they be gone? But they weren’t, and Mom was able to bring one up Saturday. Then, not realizing I already y had the information, Grandma brought one up when she came to celebrate her birthday. I thanked her, adding that she hadn’t known. Then, Mom arrived with Chinese food from Magic Wok, and after dinner we had Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream.
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Reply #191. May 16 12, 8:20 AM
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Jazmee27
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Mom wasn’t sure if Zweier’s had anything on the Web. “They have a Facebook page, but it’s empty.” “Oh, that’s convenient,” I remarked dryly. And so I once again turned to Google to see what I could see. But though I found a variety of links, I wound up disappointed. Either I couldn’t navigate the sites, or the so-called “reviews” were nonexistent: I lost count of the number of times I read “not rated”.
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Phone number and address: that's about it
No list of merchandise
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Reply #192. May 16 12, 8:22 AM
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Jazmee27
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I wish I could remember when I was taught to play
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The game reminds me of my former teacher, of the many times we played it together. “The Geography Game.” Fun and challenging at the same time: just the kind of thing I love.
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Reply #193. May 16 12, 8:24 AM
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Jazmee27
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I don’t play it every day, though I try to as often as possible. On my team’s message board I’ve created a thread for the game. I’m the one who plays most often, but every now and then someone joins in, and then the game’s made more interesting.
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Reply #194. May 16 12, 8:24 AM
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Jazmee27
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I try to challenge myself to cojme up with different places and not repeat the same ones. So I sometimes end up conducting a Google search for a new city or country.
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Hastings, Northumberland, Womelsdorf, Robesonia...
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Reply #195. May 16 12, 8:26 AM
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Jazmee27
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Why does Mom assume I'm as reckless as I was so many years ago? I DO have better safety awareness. And while I recognize she's just concerned, sometimes it rubs me the wrong way
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I was still sleeping when Mom called. “It’s all right,” she said when I attempted to come up with a plausible excuse for why I was still sleeping at 10:00, “it’s raining. It’s a lazy kind of day.” She was at work, but I could tell she didn’t want to be. Once, she yawned, and we joked about it: “Um,” I said, “that’s not good. Stop that.” “I can yawn if I want to,” she retorted.
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Reply #196. May 16 12, 8:30 AM
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Jazmee27
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The reason for her call was to remind me to be safe when the Zweier’s delivery people get here. “You don’t want to do what you do with Marco’s and carry the food to the table.” Part of me was touched at her concern; at the same time, I was irritated because I’d already thought of that. It’s a given. It’s unsafe, not to mention unrealistic, for me to do anything other than request the person put the bags on the table. Then, carefully and methodically, I’ll put the groceries away once he or she is gone.
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Reply #197. May 16 12, 8:30 AM
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Jazmee27
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The woman who wrote my list down was very nice and helped me modify my list somewhat, but I’m not sure about everything. Time will tell what they carry.
Here’s the list I wound up with—a few of the items were added when I was yet on the phone:
- 3 bananas.
- Whatever yogurt’s on sale. The woman may not have known this information. I did tell her, though, that I like flavors like blueberry and strawberry.
- Prepared meals. She told me there’s chicken pot pie, several kinds of soup, and chicken dinners. The soup I ordered is chicken rice, and I asked for one of the chicken breast dinners; there are also chicken legs.
- Coke, name brand, six-pack of bottles.
- Raisinettes.
- Goldfish crackers, pizza flavored if available.
- Cheddar cheese pretzels.
- Regular, unsalted pretzels.
- Granola bars, chocolat.e.
- Cashews.
- Planter’s peanuts.
- Lunchmeat, 1 pound smoked turkey breast
- Bagelfuls. Since some stores carry them and not others, I didn’t specify as to filling.
- Tapioca pudding, refrigerated.
I was told the groceries will most likely be delivered tomorrow morning.
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Reply #198. May 16 12, 8:32 AM
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Jazmee27
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Notes on first grocery order:
- I now specify “more green than yellow,” as if I don’t they’ll bring me three already ripe bananas, and by the time I eat one they’ll be brown (I don’t care for that, and never have)
- Sometimes they have their flyers, so they can look such information up. Other times, for whatever reason – perhaps they’re too busy, I just have to be content with whichever brand it is.
- I don’t order the soup anymore because the lids are always on so tight that (a) I break the container opening it, or (b) I spill the contents; as for the pot pie, I don’t get that because it doesn’t taste the same as it used to (something was added to the broth, I guess, and I don’t like it; the only time I objected to the chicken dinner was last week, when they didn’t have hot food to go with the chicken)
- I now prefer to wait for sales at Grandma’s store – right now, I still have Pepsi; when I go to Walmart next, I’ll buy some Coke
- It’s not often anymore that I get the unsalted pretzels for the party mix.
- It’s been a while since I ordered granola bars, and when I do they’re peanut butter
- Grandma and I are eating up some lunchmeat today; I have another pound of turkey in the freezer, as well as a loaf of bread and two pounds of cheese
- I no longer order bagelfuls, since I’m not sure what to ask for; that time, I got the original, and those are disgusting no matter HOW they’re prepared
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Reply #199. May 16 12, 8:46 AM
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Jazmee27
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I better go - revising tape 16 again
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Reply #200. May 16 12, 8:48 AM
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