My Year with Grandma

Dear Diary - Backstories and Updates

Dear Diary (Yes, I decided Journiary was stupid),

Well, my curiosity got the better of me, so I just spent the majority of my day getting backstories and updates from Gram. I'm on information overload right now so I thought it best I write down as much of what she told me today because I know for a fact, I won't remember any of it if I don't.

1. Mars used to be a cop dog which is no surprise to me, but Gram got her when she and her partner were both shot during a big drug bust. Mars survived, her partner did not. And since the police chief is one of Gram's brother-in-laws and since she is known for her rehabilitation skills with people AND animals, she got the dog. Mars has been here since just days before Pops died so they kind of went through mourning together. Jackie was found shortly after Pops died and she and the dog both took care of him so they both had a reason to carry on.

2. Bruno was rescued as a pup from a dog fighting ring. May adopted him and a rat terrier that had survived being used as a bait dog eight years ago. She named the rat terrier Frank (Frankenstein) because of all the scars he had. Frank died last year which is when she got the monster cats.

3. Bethany's mother got released from the psychiatric hospital she had been in since she recovered from the overdose that almost killed her. She signed away her rights to Bethany so, Gram has her permanently now. Also turns out that Bethany's real name is actually Bethany. Bethany Cristine. B.C. Mind blown... All this time I thought I made up a name for her only to find out I had the right name all along. Weird. Just creepy weird.

4. Gram's sister and her husband finally had a trial date. The husband was convicted of crimes against a minor and attempted murder, while Clarise walked. Stupid system. They both deserved worse. Stupid, stupid, stupid people.

Speaking of stupid people, that idiot that came ready for a fight the other night is named Logan. He is another brother-in-law of Gram's. So, get this. Pops (Gram's husband-real name is Tristan) is one of six kids his father had with five different women. Talk about whoring around, huh. Anywho, Pops parents were married for like eight years and had two kids together, Pops and George (the police chief). During the time they were married Pops' dad had affairs with the other four women. All at the same time. Jerk to the fourth power, right? So like all of these kids were pretty much the same age as Pops' younger brother, George.  

One woman was only seventeen at the time she had a little girl, named Mary. The fourth woman had Logan.  According to Gram, the story is that Logan's mom made life miserable for everyone. She sued for child support, demanded paternity tests be done for all of his kids and wanted custody of all of them. Two of the women disappeared with their kids as soon as Logan's mom started the trouble. The teenager couldn't take the harassment, so she met with Pops' mom and asked her to take Mary. Not only did she take Mary, but as soon as the adoption paperwork for her was approved, she filed for divorce. In exchange for no child support, her husband was to have no contact. He agreed and left to marry Logan's mom. But Gram says they weren't very nice to Logan or each other. She said they fought a lot and that Pops' mom had Logan on and off when they spent time in jail for their fights.

Logan grew up angry and abusive. He beat up his first wife on their wedding night. After he went to sleep, she tied him up and beat him up. She left him tied to the hotel bed, had their marriage annulled and left. His second wife nearly died from his beatings. She was the one who filed charges and sent him to prison. He met this last wife through a prison pen pal program. He did fifteen years before he was paroled. He married this last woman as soon as he got out; he was fifty-one, she was twenty-one. They had the one baby together and by the way they looked when they came out here, he's been beating the hell out of both of them. I will never understand why people treat the ones they 'love' like that. I just don't get it.

I'm still trying to slow my memory replay down slow enough to figure out just what Gram did to disarm him. I swear she was lighting fast. It seemed like she barely moved. I did ask her about the animals and how they managed to  just show up at the right time, but how they knew what to do. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "The Lord's ways are not our ways." Whatever that's supposed to mean. She followed that up with, "I'm not psychic, or clairvoyant or anything of the sort, if that's what you're thinking." Of course, that's what I'm thinking! How else would I explain what happened that night? And every other time she seems to know what's on my brain. Silly woman.

She and Jimmy Dad have been in weird mood since things went down with Logan that night. Though neither of them are talking much, they have been praying a lot. Loudly. And in a weird language. Praying in tongues, she called it. Some days are definitely creepier than others.

You would think that after all the time I have spent in church, listening to churchy music and doing all churchy stuff with the family I would have a clue what it all means, but I don't. It still kind of strange to me. I mean, it works for Gram and them and I like the way it all makes me feel but I just don't understand how it works. How am I supposed to be "in a relationship" with something I can't even see, hear or touch? It's all just a little witchy to me.

Still, the music is good, and I absolutely LOVE potluck Sundays at church! Why? Because not only is Darren the hottest guy on the planet, but that dude can make some killer Tex-Mex BBQ. He's just too perfect for words. How his wife isn't four hundred pounds by now, I have no idea.

Halloween is coming up which of course, is my favorite holiday. Naturally, the psychic witches around here don't celebrate it. Go figure. That is definitely a downside to living here. The church does what they call a harvest party and I'm allowed to dress up for that, but it can't be anything 'evil or sexy.' Fun-suckers. Jude and I used to zombie up every year for trick or treating. Last year we were Jack Skellington and Sally. I guess this year I got be something 'happy and safe' like a rainbow sparkle fart. I could just peel a vein. 

 Maybe I'll just stay home and watch a movie. Not a horror movie, though. Those aren't allowed either. And no Harry Potter. But then, Gram would probably suggest a kid friendly flick for Bethany, like Barbie or the animated Bible. Gag.

Oh! Speaking of gag. Mom is coming next weekend. Gram and I have bets on whether she is coming to confess being pregnant or get engaged to Jimmy Dad. I say both, she says the latter. Ten bucks says I'm right. I hope they get married and stay here so I won't have to leave when my time is up. I like having all this help with the twins. I like having my dad in my life. I like having a skunk as a pet. Yeah, I've gotten a bit weird here, myself. And I like the idea of Mom having another baby. Mainly because it'll get her attention off me and how I'm raising my own two kids. I've gotten three letters full of advice already; I can only imagine how much worse it will be in person.

She mentioned I had received a letter from Jude with a New York return address so that tells me the dream I had about his gramma was right and that he finally woke up from his coma. I'm excited to get that. I hope he is doing well, and life starts to be better for him.

I gotta stop now, the twins are starting to fuss a bit. Later