Seal III:The Legacy Continues

~Recovery Road pt. 1~

*Charli*

Day 1:

"Welcome to Crestview Drug substance program! This is not your normal drug program. I am not gonna sit here and tell you that you are terrible people or that it's your fault that you ended up in this program. Nor am I gonna let you blame others for your issues. The next 30 days will be about self-reflection and learning the root of your problems."

30 days of this the guy next to me said. Maybe it won't be so bad at least they aren't trying to blame us. He laughed for a minute this is my third time here and I still have a problem hitting the pipe. Your third time, you didn't learn the first time? I was 17 the first time I came here accidental drug over dose on prescription pain pills for a knee injury I got playing basketball. Oh I said. I am Rudy what's your name? Charli I said nodding. So what you in for? I crashed my car into a tree. Damn you hit a tree? Yeah I'd gotten into with my girlfriend and had too much to drink. Drink... this is a substance abuse program what kind of drugs were you doing? I sniffed a little I was doing PCP, shooting up heroine, and smoking weed. You know how lucky you are to be living he said looking me dead in the eyes before getting up and leaving the session.

Charli! Yeah that's me I said grabbing my crutches. I am Cesar I've been assigned specifically to you. Specifically to me why? Normally when we have celebrity children here they are assigned special counselors to help them. Isn't that preferential treatment though? No its not like that we aren't going easy on you we are just here to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow. This program is full of real life drug addicts, ones that once they find out your aunts, your father, and your step-mother are famous will lie, steal, and cheat just to get close to you. My real job is to be your sounding board. My sounding board! Yeah I've talked to your aunt and father and it seems more like you need a confidant than to be treated like an addict.

You talked to my family? Yeah your aunts, Mother, Father and Step mother. I must say you are one lucky person to have people who care so much about you. Yeah I am. Come on let's go out to the garden area and talk some more before Lunch. I followed Cesar to the outdoor sitting area. So tell me about yourself prior to your car accident.

What do you want to know? Anything you wanna share with me. I guess you can say I was a normal person I mean if you call having 13 siblings normal. 13! Yeah not biologically but 13 non least. I technically only have 7 my dad has 5 kids and my mom has 2. So where do the other 6 come from? My aunts! They have 6 altogether. So they are married he said laughing a little. You couldn't tell when you met them? No honestly they look like normal people. I mean they weren't overly touchy feely like most women are. Well trust me they are very much married and in love with each other. Like really in love with each other. He started laughing. Seriously! Seriously I slept in a room next to theirs for 8 years. I've heard way more than any boy should have.

We talked more about my aunts and I told him how it was I came to live with them. Before I knew it, it was lunch and then after that it was time for my physical therapy session to help me learn to walk again. I didn't crush my knees I just strained them, and now I can't walk without buckling so I gotta go to water therapy and then strength therapy to make sure they can hold my own weight.

Day 10...

So tell me about your girlfriend? My baby I said smiling. Oh someone is in love he said laughing? Cesar you ever been in love? Like for real in love! Yeah my wife Rosie I remember the first day I saw her at the grocery store buying watermelon. You met her at the grocery store? Yup she was in the produce section looking for a watermelon for her families BBQ. I asked her if she needed help finding a melon. She thought it was a pick up line and started yelling at me. Yeah women are like that sometime. Yeah she was real embarrassed when she realized I was the produce manager. Oh man that's hilarious! We've been married for 14 years now. 5 kids later I still love that woman like the first time I laid eyes on her.