The mirror behind me

Chapter 3

The day before school started, I was hearing all types of stories about the initiation of freshmen. I was a little afraid, but I had my mind made up, I wasn't going to be bullied. After a week, I was more comfortable at school. I continue to participate in school competitions. The only thing different about High School is it was further away from home. It was located right off of 290. Wish is the beginning of Manor, and our home was on the way out of Manor. It was quite a walk. The best thing about it is we had to pass by the store to get home. I made a habit of keeping just enough to change to get a snack. Besides going to church on Sundays, that was basically the only time I left home and games events, that course. You could say I was an active teenager.

I was 15 of age when I entered High School. During that first year, I met a young man by the name of Jeffrey. Jeffrey did not attend School at Manor High. Im not sure if he was even in School. He would come during our lunch break. My friends and I would hang out with him, he was mobile as well. I notice he begin to flirt with me. I knew my mom wouldn't allow me to date, so I looked at him as a friend only. Months later, around the first of December, One of the students decided to give a party. Jeffery invited me to come, Bring a friend too, he said, because Im gonna brings a friend. Cool, I said. I will ask my mom if could attend. When I brought it up to my mom, surprisingly she said yes. I want your brother to go with you. So I asked my friend Dina to meet me at the party. She agreed.

That night my mom dropped my brother and me off at the house party, I was nervous because I've never met a guy anywhere, and definitely didn't tell my mom. I walked around and found my friend .When then set off to look for Jeffrey and his friend. Looking across the room, I saw him and his friend. My friend and I walked up to them. Hey. he said you made it. He then introduces me to his friend.I turned around and introduce him to my friend .They spoke and that was about it. A hit song came on, and he grab my hand. Im thinking his friend is gonna have a problem with that, but he didn't, it seems he was more into drinking. He never left my side. He seemed really interested in me, and I too was interested in knowing him more. We exchanged home phone numbers before the night was over. About that time, my mom was there to pick up my brother and me. Artis and I stayed in touch over the holidays.

Sometime after the new year, I invited him to meet my parents. Weeks after that we went on our first date. Having him being in my life was different. I never had anyone show me so much attention. He also had his own car and was a working man. He was 19 of aged. about a couple of months later, I asked him to marry me. Surprisingly He said yes. I then presented the idea to my mother. She only asked me when did we want to be married. I was wondering why she didn't disagree. Considering I was so young. There wasn't a wedding. We were married at the courthouse in Austin. My mom was the witness.

There was a celebration either. When my husband took me home with him, his mother and I met for the first time. They lived in some apartments called Rio Lado apartments. His sister and brother lived there also. It was after three days that I was there when his mother asked me when was I was going home. it was then when she found out we were married. Jr. she shouted, come here. When were you going to tell me you were married? I could have thrown you guys a reception, she said. We good mom, but thanks anyway, Artis said.

It was a month later when I realize I was pregnant. When his mom heard about it, she said well I better start looking for a bigger place. By the end of the month, we all had moved to Purple Sage, neighborhood, into a duplex. LBJ High School was direct across the street. Which was convenient for his sister and me. She was a freshman and I was a sophomore. My mother in law and her husband a city worker, he also resided there.

going to a new bigger school and pregnant, I didn't know if I would fit in. After getting familiar with the school and finding out about its resources. My homemaking teacher suggested I go to a school for teen parents. She said don't worry, your grades are great, you can do this. I then found out shortly after, that I didn't even have to take the final testings. The counselor told me if I scored a 20 on any exam, I would still pass with flying colors.

I enrolled in a school called Kealing. I went there until the birth of my baby girl. She was born November 20, 1977, After becoming a mother, I knew I had to do more. So I choose to get my GED. I went to the Education Annex Building of UT. I score 89.9 on my final test scores. I know I needed my GED to get a job.

I waited until my daughter had gotten a little older before I started job hunting. In the meanwhile, I had another problem. My husband and his best friend were spending more time together than the two of us did. I had friends from school, but I had responsibility as well. At this time I had to come to terms with my feelings. I come to realize that attention played a big part in my getting married. The attention I felt I wasn't getting from home, was given to me by my husband. When I felt I wasn't getting that, I became confused about what love really is.

I later got to know him better. I too felt he was a great guy. I meet his girlfriend and son ,I learned that they grew up together and gotten their first job together. And was working together at the time. Later Ben and his friend had a baby girl .

We all stayed close friends. My husband and I finally settled down in our own apartment, Called Tangle Wood East. We lived there a year. And then moved back to Rio Lado Apartments. I meet a young lady ,we became the best of friends. After getting acquainted I found out, that I ran track and played basketball during the time I was in sport, with her brother .They were from Pflugerville Tx. I later meet her entire family
After getting to know  her .I felt it was time to find a job since she agreed to be my babysitter. My mother in law, and sister-in-law both worked at the University of Texas in foodservice. They worked for a dorm called Kinsolving. I got on in the kitchen, in the salad department. His sister and I worked together.His mother was an cook there.