Ameri bargains for a Twenty

I had to get away from the madness of the calls, the shouting, and the angry hang-ups. I mowed the lawn and I cleaned the green rime from the bottom of the pool. I let the pool get that way because it is my way of sitting in ashes and wearing sackcloth. Ameri loved the pool. She loved being wet and lazing on her floaty.

I heard bits of the conversation as the phone calls continued over the next three hours. Ameri's mom is an expert reflective listener. While I was mowing, I missed a lot. When I was cleaning the pool I heard more. The listening, the button pushing and the circuit breaking continued. I looked at the caller ID and there were a dozen or more calls and hang ups. We never accept reverse charges any more. We let the phone ring through to the service and then call the number back.

Ameri wanted her Mom to send her twenty dollars by Western Union. We want her to go to a human services agency and we would make arrangements for money to be sent there. Just as it is very difficult to lure in a wild animal, it is just as difficult to lure Ameri into someplace where she can get some real help. I stayed out of the money negotiations. The twenty was the attention grabber that kept Ameri on the phone through so many call backs. Finally some concession was wrung out and Mom agreed to send Ameri a twenty. When Mom left to do that I called the pay phone number and spoke with Ameri. My message is always the same. "Ameri, I love you and I want you to be safe. Your body is your most precious possession. Don't use your most precious possession as a weapon to hurt us. Go to an airport. Go to a ticket agent and we will make arrangements for a direct flight home." This gives rise to coyote spirit and she slams down the phone.

I was hurt but I knew I would be. I then did the most odious thing I could think to do. I went to the back of my property and cut brush. I feel so dirty. I feel so . . . Republican.

Remember. It's my blog. I get to say what I want. You on the other hand must please be attentive, be intelligent, be reasonable, be responsible.