CHAPTER 28: The Opera: Act III; Pt. 5 [cont. 9]

From "The Saga of One F**ked Mother

While Legion awaits the Appellate Court ruling, she muses about how she’s identified in her brief at least 40 errors the Family Court judge had made in the course of the custody case. She’s also detailed how she put on a dozen witnesses at trial and “mountains” of evidence that far exceed the mere preponderance required to show Herry is an abuser and alienator. How much clear evidence of abuse by the father and the judge on the public record are the Justices willing to tolerate?

While awaiting for the ruling, Legion is pleasantly shocked when Herry agrees Jesse can come home to her—under strict conditions in which he maintains custody and control. This is likely because Jesse’s mental health had been deteriorating and has created a problem for him. Legion is elated.

In the last section, Herry is enraged and humiliated by Legion getting one over on him by having visited with the boys—twice—without his knowledge! So he strikes back by sending her a scathing letter, blaming her for Jesse’s mental health difficulties. But this sociopathic and cruel father is obviously cognizant that he is the one causing Jesse’s distress by keeping him away from his mother.

The big day arrives and Legion presents her oral argument to the Appellate Court. She is hoping against hope they will do the right thing and return her boys to her.

CHAPTER 28 of Mother-Fucking: The Saga of One Fucked Mother begins with Act III, Part 4 of “The Opera” from Book 3. The Opera has three Acts with five Parts—one for each of the three Family Court and two Appellate Court trials. Chapter 28 covers all of Act III: Part 4: the third Family Court trial, and Part 5: the second Appellate trial. This is a long chapter and will be published in newsletter-sized bites.

Dr. Blue’s novel is based on her own experience of the Custody Crisis. It uniquely conveys how Family Court judges are “mother-fucking” women—a form of systemic oppression—as protagonist Legion is systematically and methodically deprived of her children and money and reduced to “one fucked mother”.

Chapters are stand-alone interesting so you can begin reading anywhere. A Cast of Characters follows to help readers at any point. All published chapters are included in the Section: “Saga of One F**ked Mother” accessible on the top bar of the home page of Women’s Coalition News & Views. Sequential chapters are emailed out every Wednesday so make sure to subscribe if you haven’t yet!

TEASERS

HOW COME JUDGE BUTCHER DIDN’T MENTION IN HIS DIATRIBE OF A RULING, ANY, NOT EVEN ONE, OF THE INCREDIBLE NUMBERS OF INSTANCES OF ALIENATION AND ABUSE BY DR. EDINSMAIER OF ME AND THE BOYS…

HOW MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS JUDICIAL ABUSE AND INEQUITABLE TREATMENT–– ––REGARDING i) THE “HANDLING” OF WOMEN AND ii) THE HORRENDOUS ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY YOUR LOWER JUDGES–– ––ARE YOU, THE COURT OF APPEALS, WILLING ***TO HAVE GO INTO THE RECORD*** AS ACCEPTING AND TOLERATING?

Finally, then, Jesse was … home!

I took in the deepest of breaths, over and over, just to make sure that my whole body was correctly registering the wonderment of all of Jesse actually being right next to me.

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BOOK 3: Dr. True's Opera in Three Acts—with Five Parts

CHAPTER 28: The Opera: Act III; Part 5 [cont. 9]

…And the answer you give by your decision to the second question will, you see, be along the lines of what high federal courts decide is their answer to corruption. For example, with Congressman Dan Rostenkowski having been indicted recently over what are, to me, incredible instances of abuse by him of my meager tax dollar, the federal prosecutor last week at a press conference asked America the same questions: Should we not expect to have and accept only ZERO TOLERANCE for corruption in our national government? So, ANALOGOUSLY, I am asking you this morning, by this second question, HOW MANY EXAMPLES OF INEQUITABLE TREATMENT, HOW MANY EXAMPLES OF COMPLETELY SCREWED-UP “FINDINGS OF FACT,” HOW MANY EXAMPLES OF ABUSE OF DISCRETION IN DOLING OUT AND/OR ENFORCEMENT OF COURT ORDERS BY A DISTRICT JUDGE ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT AND TO TOLERATE? FOR ARGUMENT’S SAKE, THAT IS, IS ONE SCREWED-UP FINDING OF FACT ACCEPTABLE TO YOU? ARE THREE, SIX, A DOZEN? JUDGE BUTCHER, IN JUST HALF OF THE 26 PAGES OF HIS RULING MANAGED TO ACCRUE, BUNGLE AND RE-WRITE INTO FICTION, AT LEAST … AT LEAST 40 DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF ERROR–– ––THAT’S JUST THE ERRORS ON FINDINGS OF SO-CALLED “FACT” … SO I AM, FURTHERMORE ASKING YOU HOW MANY INSTANCES OF HIS NOT ABIDING BY THE RULES OF PROCEDURE ARE YOU WILLING TO TOLERATE AND ACCEPT? I mean, just for examples’ sake, it took Appellee Herod Edinsmaier 118 days to reply to an Application to the Court re Visitation which is in blatant violation of Civil Rule of Procedure #53. Then when he got around to it, he decided to counter-sue for child support––this from a man who sends me a letter recently saying he lost my December 1993 support check, and can’t find it … so that’s why it hasn’t cleared my bank yet … BUT with regard to the 118 days late, nothing, nothing at all happens to him for his being this incredibly tardy about a matter of CHILDREN GETTING TO SEE THEIR MOM … OR NOT … AND THEN THAT APPLICATION IS WITHDRAWN WITH A FORMAL PETITION FOR FULL CUSTODY REPLACING IT … BUT … JUDGE BUTCHER, BY DECEMBER 1992, “FORGETS” THAT THIS 118-DAY ‘ANSWER’ FROM THE APPELLEE, THEN PETITIONER EDINSMAIER, ISN’T EVEN AT ISSUE AT TRIAL ANYMORE BECAUSE THE APPLICATION THAT IT WAS AN ANSWER TO, WAS COMPLETELY WITHDRAWN WAY BACK IN APRIL 1992, AND REPLACED WITH THE PETITION FOR FULL CUSTODY. NOT ONLY DOES JUDGE BUTCHER ALLOW IT, HE ACTUALLY MAKES RULINGS ON IT … HE ACTUALLY GIVES A MAN CHILD SUPPORT–– ––WHO OBVIOUSLY DOES NOT VALUE MY MEAGER SUPPORT CHECK ENOUGH TO HANG ONTO IT !!!!

AND MORE EXAMPLES … WHY DID JUDGE BUTCHER LET MS. FANNIE ISSICRAN McLIVE STAY INSIDE THE COURTROOM AFTER HER TESTIMONY WHILE, INSTEAD, WILLFULLY AND VERBALLY AND STRICTLY KEEPING ALL OF MY SUPPORTIVE WITNESSES OUT?

WHY CAN’T I MAKE OBJECTIONS???? WHERE ARE DR. EDINSMAIER’S MEDICAL RECORDS JUDGE BUTCHER, HIMSELF, ORDERED ON 13 OCTOBER 1992, THAT I RECEIVE FROM DR. EDINSMAIER BUT NEVER DID RECEIVE …

WHY DIDN’T MS. FANNIE ISSICRAN McLIVE, WHO WAS SERVED A PROPER AND TIMELY SUBPOENA DUCES TECUM, BRING TO THE COURT THE DOCUMENTS SHE WAS SUBPOENAED TO BRING … WHY DIDN’T JUDGE BUTCHER ORDER HER TO COMPLY WITH THE SUBPOENA–– ––OR FIND HER IN CONTEMPT FOR WILLFULLY NOT COMPLYING?

WHY DIDN’T I GET A WITNESS LIST, DOCUMENTS PRODUCED UPON DISCOVERY AND ANSWERS TO ANY INTERROGATORIES?

HOW COME JUDGE BUTCHER SPOKE TO ME IN ABUSIVE, PATRIARCHAL MANNERS WHILE CHIDING WITH THE PETITIONER’S ATTORNEY, MR. SCHEISSER, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT ‘WHAT THE HECK IS RANK HEARSAY? … IF THAT EVEN EXISTS!’ HOW COME JUDGE BUTCHER ALLOWED ATTORNEY SCHEISSER TO CALL ME ‘HOSTILE’ AND ‘BELLIGERENT’… SIMPLY BECAUSE I COULD NOT HEAR?!

AND––FINALLY––HOW COME JUDGE BUTCHER DID NOT MENTION IN HIS DIATRIBE OF A RULING, ANY, NOT EVEN ONE, OF THE INCREDIBLE NUMBERS OF INSTANCES OF ALIENATION AND ABUSE BY DR. EDINSMAIER OF ME AND THE BOYS, STARTING WITH THE 25 SEPTEMBER 1990 AMES TRIBUNE ARTICLE AND DR. EDINSMAIER’S LYING ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT WITH IT RIGHT UP TO MENTIONING HOW IT WAS THAT

DR. EDINSMAIER AND MS. McLIVE BOTH FALSIFIED THEMSELVES TO A CUSTODY EVALUTOR TWICE, NOT TELLING HER ANYTHING ABOUT HIS ‘FEARS OF OTHERS LEARNING THE TRUTH ABOUT ME’ AND ABOUT HER RECENT, DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR PANIC ATTACK DISORDER AND POST-RAPE STRESS SYNDROME. EVEN DR. CANARD HERSELF STATED THAT THE BOYS FEEL THEIR DAD NEVER ACTUALLY WANTED THEM; HE JUST WANTED TO LOOK GOOD, THEY FELT, AND THAT LIKE THE OLD DOG-IN-THE-MANGER STORY, HE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO KEEP ME FROM HAVING THEM AS WELL …

And the STALKING PHONE CALLS … SINCE JULY 1990, TO THE PRESENT HOUR … these have shown up on MY OWN 800# PHONE BILL !

FINALLY … DR. EDINSMAIER’S INCREDIBLE PERJURY––ABOUT HOW IT WAS THAT HE, DR. EDINSMAIER HIMSELF, HAD HAD FAMILY AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING REGULARLY FOR A YEAR DURING WHICH TIMES, DR. EDINSMAIER TESTIFIED, A PSYCHOLOGIST COUNSELED HIM TO KEEP THE BOYS AWAY FROM THEIR MOTHER––WHEN ALL OF THIS TESTIMONY OF HIS ABOUT THIS COUNSELING WAS SUBSEQUENTLY PROVEN TO BE AN OUTRIGHT LIE AS WELL …

AND WHY DIDN’T JUDGE BUTCHER MAKE ANY MENTION IN THAT HEINOUS RULING OF HIS ABOUT THE FACT THAT DR. EDINSMAIER NOT ONLY DID NOT BRING FORTH ONE WITNESS TO SUPPORT HIM, … OR, FOR THAT MATTER, SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT JUDGE BUTCHER RULED FOR HIM … BUT THAT I BROUGHT FORTH 12, A DOZEN WITNESSES, RANGING IN AGES FROM 77 TO 12 … TO A CHILD OF 12 … AND 49 EXHIBITS WHICH INCLUDED AMONG THESE EXHIBITS WERE ---SIGNED AFFIDAVITS FROM THE BOYS THEMSELVES, THEIR ONLY MEANS, AS TEENAGED TALENTED AND GIFTED KIDS TO EXPRESS THEIR VOICE IN THIS MATTER OF THEIR SPIRITS AND THEIR FUTURES, TO SUPPORT ME … AND … THEMSELVES!

THIS RULING––ACCORDING TO THE INCREDIBLE PREPONDERANCE (––MOUNTAINS OF IT––) OF EVIDENCE PRESENTED––REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT, EXTREME, SEVERE, CRUEL AND BARBARIC DEPARTURE FROM, SHALL I SAY, … “SENTENCING” GUIDELINES!

SO. … HOW MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS JUDICIAL ABUSE AND INEQUITABLE TREATMENT–– ––REGARDING i) THE “HANDLING” OF WOMEN AND ii) THE HORRENDOUS ABUSE OF CHILDREN BY YOUR LOWER JUDGES–– ––ARE YOU, THE COURT OF APPEALS, WILLING ***TO HAVE GO INTO THE RECORD*** AS ACCEPTING AND TOLERATING?

OF COURSE, THE ANSWER TO BOTH QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE POSED HERE THIS MORNING IS KNOWN BY ALL OF US HERE TODAY … IT IS IN THE CODE OF IOWA … THE LAW SAYS: “THE ATTEMPT TO ALIENATE A CHILD IS ALONE SUFFICIENT GROUNDS … TO CHANGE CUSTODY.”

THAT IS CUSTODY ---- NOT ANYTHING LESS.

ANY QUESTIONS?” And I was done with the dinging of the time-bell spouting off just a couple of seconds afterward––as if to gong, “O!? Okay then, time’s up! We’re done here. Let’s all go home now.”

There was not one question asked of me. Not even one.

And then it was Lackey Lawyer’s turn. I was still so viscerally stunned from Judge Pansy Shawshank’s own evidential, gut physical reaction to my pronouncement that they knew ‘my case’––when, actually, they so obviously did NOT that, after I had sat down, I barely heard a fumbling, mumbling word Lackey gave to the panel of jurists. And then it was all over with. Done. It was so, so true: time for us all to go home again because they all filed out through that same back door. No questions. No responses. No further reactions.

I have no idea to this day if any of these specific three Iowans even has inside her or his throats … a larynx!

Folks smiled at me, shook my hand and kept nodding up and down––like folks do as they try to reassure others that “everything’s gonna be all right”––when it is not. And they already pretty much know that––that it soooo is not going to be okay––that that … is the TRUTH!. By only 9:30 a.m. then, all was over and done with and we as a posse, sort of, were filing out of the Capitol Building on the way to our cars in the parking lot. A dry and sunny day that Tuesday with the bluest of clear Iowa spring skies, almost The Opera’s entire end, its Act Three Part Five–– ––with only ‘the Ruling’ on it all … yet to be forthcoming.

No, I’m no lawyer; but I thought I had done, presentation-wise, fairly well. I am certainly no public speaker either so I shall always be the very first to admit when things and events of mine like that go badly—but I truly did believe that I had delivered the actual best of which I was capable! I did believe that. Not knowing then, as I now believe any attorney licensed in Iowa would have or should have known, that there were startling, unpredictable, out of the blue, tricky little quirks and twists and tweaks moooore than likely with the empanelling of a given set of appellate judges, I sighed yet one more time. And blithely set about, again, awaiting for these three humans’ decision. They, of the nebulous term ‘the Court’, were really and truly just ordinary people––and, most certainly, nothing god-like. Plain human beings they were––just like me and the Truemaier Boys, not? With Grace’s lovely, quiet smile and László’s supportive—and confidence-inspiring handshake, I went back to my several jobs and my life as a daytime university secretary … again and a nighttime medical transcriptionist … again–– ––but, not yet anyhow, a true True mama … again.

Returned I did to the Havencourt condominium and to my upcoming summertime of continued aloneness––only to be slammed a week after the Argument by receipt via the United States Postal Service into its same ol’ nondescript, flap-style, black mailbox of that billing from, now, Ragingly Pissed-Off Herry … for Jesse’s Blue Hazelnut Ridge hospitalization to its wrathful tune in to that mother-fucking pussy of $3,529.17––to which, right then, she still paid no heed. And I never will. Anyhow, by now at least one of my always-ahead-of-deadline-time, in-full, three monthly child support checks which Dr. Herod Edinsmaier, soooo not in any need whatsoever at all of any of these, went on to lose! over the course of their 81 months’ total worth of counter-petitioned-for, thus, manly-man-decreed amounts, … daMan HAD already … lost!

* * * * *

While I waited for The Opera’s end to come through these three people’s decision, a quite queer thing, indeed, happened. I was very, very happy about it. Of course, I was. But. But––because of and by it––I was also made all the more suspicious of Herry Edinsmaier’s true intentions as to not only me but also as to the Good and Wonderful Doctor’s very core ideas! regarding the actual welfare! of ‘his’ Truemaier Boys!

Another of Herry’s stinging, thwacking and stabbing missives arrived inside that Havencourt mailbox which supplied the guts of my distrust about Herry’s designs upon my heart and actually upon my utter, entire life’s essence. The letter arrived on a late Tuesday afternoon, the 05th day of July 1994, following a three-day University holiday celebrating the country’s but certainly not my nor the Boys’ independence; we four were still so horrifyingly and inextricably indentured to Herry. So the letter and its contents make me, to this very day, wholly untrusting of a man supposedly so, so ‘certain’ and definitely so murderously public about how evil and how crazed an influence on ‘his’ Boys … Dr. Legion True is.

Why would … at any time … during any year … whilst Zane Truemaier, Jesse Truemaier and Mirzah Truemaier were yet still minors and could be fatherly and custodially and––now, for sure––“legally,” er, “United States-Constitutionally!” kept away from an alleged demented monster, especially one allegedly so monstrous to and for and around children!–– ––then … why would this so-called Good and Wonderful “Healer,” if he were so truly worried, in daMan’s core!, about the supposed health and well-being! of his three kiddos, … … write me, Legion True, O She Who IS So Evilly Crazed, dated on Saturday, 02 July 1994, so very, very soon after i) my second, stealth jaunt into Grubtrop territory and then ii) Jesse’s April and May mind troubles and iii) the June Court of Appeals hearing and iv) Ferocious Herry’s fury in that subsequent billing for Jesse’s medical care just 2½ weeks previously and v) Dr. Legion True’s full and utter disregard for any man’s dictated-down-upon-her “program of mental therapy!” … a “program” never, ever, ever going to even begin to take place! … … write me, Legion True, these following words? Why would any professedly accountable father with his purported highest concern now even more heightened and his wanting, of course, not to endanger his children any further than they ‘already’ had been imperiled by such a heinous mother, write that Monster Mama-Legion these very words? Verstehen?!?! Verbatim.

“Dear Legion:

Jesse has informed me of his desire to live in Ames with you, and I am willing to consider it if you will agree to the following provisions:

He will come to Ames for a minimum of one semester; and if after that time he wishes to return to West Virginia he may do so without question.

I will pay you monthly child support while he resides with you, but in any case that support would terminate at the time he graduates from high school. Neither you nor he will ask me for additional money. I would be willing to discuss other arrangements should he decide to enroll in college near Ames and reside with you.

I am not agreeing to joint custody. I have no desire to share the divorce decree and modifications with anyone and see no reason for anyone to ask after we assure them that the matter is not in dispute. If you will give all interested persons or institutions a written statement that it is your desire that Jesse’s father be consulted whenever parental input is required I will verify that fact. Should they require documentation, you may select, subject to my approval, appropriate paragraphs from the rulings.

I will continue to list him as my dependent on my insurance policy and you will be responsible for one half of any health-related expense. Rather than reimburse you, I will deduct half of any payments you make from any outstanding balance which you owe me. My policy will cover 100% of emergency expenses, but will cover only 50% of any non-emergency services which are also available at United Hospital Center. Nervous, mental and substance abuse are subject to a 50% limitation with a lifetime limit of $20,000, now reduced to approximately $13,500 because of his recent hospitalization. I will provide you with a copy of the benefits booklet. If your insurance plan has better coverage and he could be listed as your dependent, I would consider reimbursing you for any additional premium, but I would have to see the details first.

I will provide you with a release which would enable you to obtain an emergency medical treatment, but you will obtain prior authorization from me before seeking any other treatment including counseling. You will encourage Jesse to take drivers training for two semesters but will not give him permission to get a learners permit or drivers license.

You will continue to pay your monthly child support for Zane and Mirzah, and abide by all existing provisions of the divorce decree with modifications as regards to them. Should any matter arise which we cannot settle under the terms of this agreement, we both agree to immediately return to the present arrangement as set forth by the existing divorce decree with modifications.

You may indicate that you agree with these provisions by signing at the bottom of this letter and by returning a copy of it to me with a copy of the statement referred to in paragraph 3 above. Upon receipt of those items I will send you the medical release. The first month’s support and begin making arrangements for Jesse’s transportation to Ames.” And again, Herry closed the letter by stating that he was “… sincerely … ” signing off.

Dr. Monster Mama-Legion True couldn’t sign fast enough. O’course, I signed!

And sent Domineering King Herod my reply back in that very evening’s outgoing mail dispatch from Ames––again giggling at Highly Educated Herry’s garbage for grammar. Shit, Herry bin Patriarch was so worried about and gunning to get ‘correctly accurate’ for himself the money angle and the insurance percentages that The Terrorist had not even bothered to use hyphens, necessary commas, possessives and apostrophes appropriately nor to give the two adjectives, “nervous, mental,” even a noun for these qualifiers to modify! And, as with all of his letters to me from the past, Pillared Edinsmaier certainly had not asked Spouse Fannie Issicran McLive, supposedly at one time, a high school educator of English, to proofread, let alone, to edit it either––likely … lest she find daMan’s writing skill bereft or, as a matter of fact, in absentia altogether––and, therefore, be capable of criticizing his fuckups! Cuz, too, … “If always a teacher, Herry-Daddee, then you are ever yourself … hardly at all … teachable!”

But … But ‘twas to itemization number 8 that I paid the most attention. Item 8: Herry’s caveat, his ‘way out’ of anything and everything, The Dominator’s despotic measure to continue wielding that ironclad and totalitarian control of daMan’s over me and all of the Truemaier Boys … always. Although it was, indeed, Dr. Herod Edinsmaier who did state there in item 8, I most certainly did not believe for a moment that Harem Herry, in regard to me, merely an ex-cunt, was anywhere near to the condition of “we both agree to …”

“Fuck, Herry,” I am thinking, “Nothing else had you ever, ever––with me––done this way so … so why would you, with respect to me––me, DEhuman Legion True, whose first and last names you will never even, one time, say out loud to me and whom you, with all of your dollars and with all of your patriarchal and androcentric powers, so cunningly and immorally! painted to all of the judges in many, many an American courtroom, and to a host of others from potential, high-level employers of mine to the lowest of the Boys’ school officials, as such a psychopathic and evil monster, start to … now.” Wise I was––to be untrusting.

But, happy! … O … O … O … O … so, so very, very happy! I was ecstatic! Jesse, Jesse, Jesse … at the least, my Jesse … was finally coming to … actually … be … with me.

Of course, I made a flurry of telephone calls after posting the signed response––from Grace and László to Frieda Chicken Guthrie and Cyan Song and Linda––the family which I had simply gone ahead and carved out for myself; a kinder, more tender one I had honed with Grandpa AmTaham True now almost 2½ years in the ground and Mehitable’s and Sterling’s continued betrayals of my trust. Margaret Sagely, too, was gone––ashes only, now, was she; but Frieda was perfect as my mother-surrogate and a more excellently compassionate one I, at the Save-U-More delicatessen’s customer line, could not have accidentally found. I had plenty of sisterly persons in my life and even a couple of truly brotherly and fatherly folks, too.

And I myself was about to begin … breathing again!

I set about reviving and refreshing my own role as that of mother! by making one more telephone call the very next morning to the administrative department of Ames High School! Even a bustling place in mid summer––this school. Garnering in all of the information which I and Jesse would need for him to enroll for the upcoming academic year of 1994-1995, as, indeed, a full-time and permanent sophomore student there! The next month’s worth of days dragged by.

Finally, then, Jesse was … home!

I took in the deepest of breaths, over and over, just to make sure that my whole body was correctly registering the wonderment of all of Jesse actually being right next to me. He relaxed right there in that rocking chair exactly next to me just a couple of feet away from the sofa and to where I could lean forward and stretch out my arm and hand and actually touch someone, a human being who was He, … My Child!

Since Jesse’s physical arrival to me and back in the Havencourt ’hood with its condominium complex’s itty-bitty swimming pool and its scorched-earthly August courtyard came, literally, within just hours of his very 16th birthday, Grace and Lionel rang us both up with their invitation to accompany Mama and Papa Portia for an all-out day’s activities down in Des Moines at Iowa’s famous––or infamous––State Fair! Our own little, four-person celebratory party. Perhaps not exactly replete with the homemade birthday cake and the vanilla ice cream and all of their young friends over––as always before when Jesse and Mirzah and Zane had all been much, much littler on their respective birthday holidays and I, most alone and quite sans any aid at all from Selfish Daddee-Herry who was entirely loathe to work! at any of this effort! had put together all of the commemorative festivities for the Truemaier Boys––but, nevertheless, as full up of the welcoming hoo-hah as possible now that Jesse was a big, big 16––and, most importantly, … here!

Grace’s and Lionel’s middle child, Nathan, long, long the truest friend Jesse had had as a fourth grader at Kate Mitchell Elementary, was not in the mix of us at the Iowa State Fair; and I cannot recall why. It was still summer break, and Jesse’s 15 August actual birthday consumed by the Fair’s activities was a Monday. Perhaps Nathan was working––putting in at MacDonald’s then as an authentic store manager there at such a young, young age some of those incredibly lengthy, burger-flipping hours which he routinely did––and so was, therefore, simply unable to accompany all of us. Jesse spent this particular day rather reservedly taking in much of the Fair sights; but he, … upon which Grace and Lionel both remarked later and I too, of course, had most certainly noticed, … Jesse certainly did not talk much nor even display facial animation, not even on the Midway with its splendid and massive rides and games of chance, always a part of the Fair––but an entire segment of it from which Grace and I both said we’d kept away in previous Augusts when it was just we adults who’d attended the Fair. Jesse was mighty, mighty quiet for several days thereafter, as a matter of fact, and some may have thought, but not I, that he was even somewhat sullen.

I thought Jesse was scared. Outright fucking frightened of this new deal of his … of its not being real. Of its actually not being the real deal! So, “Why should I get comfortable here when it is not going to last past Wednesday of next week!” or some such thoughts I imagined crossing from one of his temples to the other. After all, I knew I myself would believe the same thing––and, subsequently, feel it, too––had I been one of the children let go of, one of them captured and then, years later, “released by” Stockholm Syndrome-Perpetrator Herry. School began at Ames High, and that brought with it not only the fall junior-varsity football season with its practices and games but also the return to his active acquaintance of many of Jesse’s old friends formerly from Kate Mitchell, kiddos just as happy as hell to see Jesse back, and a passel of new ones now that all those of his particular age inside the city were congregating in their various classes every day up at Ames’ one high school!

[to be continued…]

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CAST OF CHARACTERS

Dr. Legion True: One Fucked Mother

Dr. Herod (Herry) Edinsmaier: Legion’s husband/Sperm Source [“re: I am snide” backwards]

Jesse Truemaier: Legion’s son

Mirzah Truemaier: Legion’s son

Zane Truemaier: Legion’s son

AmTaham True: Legion’s father [Mahatma backwards]

Mehitable True: Legion’s mother [Me hit-able—i.e. she was abusive]

Ardys and Endys: Legion’s sisters [names backwards]

Sterling: Legion’s brother [her mother’s planned name of next son (who never came)]

Mi Sprision O'Revinnoco: Herry’s sister [misprision: concealing knowledge of treason/O'Revinnoco = O'Connivero backwards]

Juggern Aut Misein Edinsmaier: Legion’s father-in-law [juggernaut; aut = 0; misein = “to hate (misogyny)”]

Detanimod Edinsmaier: Legion’s mother-in-law [dominated backwards]

Ava Saffron True and Zebulon True: respectively, Legion's paternal grandmother and her husband, Legion's paternal grandfather

Rowland and Wyman Natures: respectively, Legion's most favored uncle and most favored male first cousin

Fannie Issicran McLive: fawning enabler of ex [narcissi(st) and Mc(Evil) backwards]

Mary Jane: daughter of Fannie Issicran McLive; stepsister of Zane, Jesse, and Mirzah

Legion’s Friends: Margaret, Mona, Yanira, Stormy, Lynda, László, Jane, Kincaid, Joseph, Sheryl, Abraham (Quaker elder), Frieda, Teri Lynn

Legion’s Best Friends: Ms Grace and Dr Lionel Portia and Rachel

Wende: = Legion's friend after divorce [committed suicide due to Custody Crisis]

Cyan Song Goodwater: boys’ art teacher

Jim Cornball: Herry’s acquaintance from AA and realtor

Loser Lorn: Insurance agent referred by Cornball

Judge Sol Wacotler Seizor: 1st Family Court judge

Judge Harley Butcher: 2nd Family Court judge

Judge Barry Crowrook: Appellate Court judge

Judge Pansy Shawshank: Appellate Court judge

Judge Sol Wacotler Seizor: District Court judge on first two trials

Judge Allen Donnellson: Chief, Appellate Court for second and third trials' appeals

Judge Harley Butcher: District Court judge for third trial

Jazzy Jinx: Legion’s first Family Court lawyer

Carlotta Klutz: Legion’s second Family Court attorney

Shindy Scheisser: Herry’s lawyer [shindy = noisy; scheisser = German for shithead]

Li Zhang: Herry’s Aussie affair

Dr Freddie Goldstein & Ella: Herry’s colleague and wife

Mick: = Herry's acquaintance from high school; best man [not in Herry’s life after that as he had no true friends]

Varry Wussamai: Herry's AA sponsor (not a real friend) [I am a wuss backwards]

David Humes: nursing student; classmate of Legion's, y1968 - y1971, New York City

Edmund Silver: Legion's boyfriend pre-Herry

Braemore St: where Legion and her family lived, y1983 - y1986

Havencourt condominium: Legion's Ames apartment; after separation

Zephyr: tabby cat of Zane's, Mirzah's, Jesse's [pronounced “Zay – fear”]

Rex: Jesse’s pet Eastern Florida Kingsnake, female

Lady: Zane's pet Zebra Finch, female

Madonna: realtor

Larry Brouhaha: court-mandated marriage counselor

Dr. Shark: Herry’s residency supervisor who fired him

Carrie Canard: twice judge-mandated custody evaluator

Ms Tsianina Snowball: Legion's friend who instructs her in re The Look

Fairvale, Montclank & Grubtrop: WV cities Herry moved boys to

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Author: Dr. Blue, aka Ofherod, BSN, DVM, PhD = Commander Edinsmaier's Handmaid (Commander reiamsnidE's Handmaid)

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