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This Was Only The Beginning

This was only a beginning for me. I still had more lessons to learn about the fatal disease of alcoholism. At least I knew there was a name for my disease. Stay tuned for more stories to come. I still thought I could have just ONE drink.

by: Peggy Ann 2003

A Prisoner of Love with a Prisoner

The long and steep winding road up hill to the prison was so fearful I nearly turned back, but excitement of the unknown was more powerful than the fear.

There it was, this huge gray building, surrounded by two high fences. With shaking hands I pushed a button by the main gate. A man's strong voice came out from the speaker box asking me to identify myself, and the name of the man I came to see. Clang, buzz and the gate opened. It was a long walk to the main building and I felt all eyes were on me. The door opened for me. After I was questioned they confiscated my purse, searched through it and kept anything they thought best to keep behind their desk until my visit ended.

I walked into a large room full of tables and chairs. There sat several prisoners with their families. This was visiting day. Then my prisoner of love appeared before me. A deep rich sounding voice said, "Hi Peggy. I'm Rick." He was an attractive man as some Greek men are. I was instantly smitten!

Before I met Rick we had exchanged letters. His name and address was given to me from a girl at church. She was writing to a man in prison and that intrigued me. I was religious to the bone at this time in my life. I thought this might be a way to save a lost soul from going to hell. I wrote to Rick and he wrote me. His letters were long and beautifully written, full of things I loved to hear. I lived in excitement for the mail to arrive each day. I was fourty-four years old, divorced and ripe for excitement. Naive and gullible, I believed every lie he wrote. Furthermore, he didn't smoke or drink. He had to be religious!

Rick was in prison for being a repeat offender. He was a thief. I felt giddy, yet uncomfortable around him at the same time. My visits to the prison were often and always somewhat scary. He sent me nice gifts. A leather hand-tooled Bible cover ; a leather purse and a gorgeous Hope Chest were just a few. There was a safe feeling with him locked up in prison, but it didn't last. He was finally released on parole. Oh, My God! What now?

The day arrived for his release. I picked him up at the prison and drove him to town where he rented a motel by the week. I went all out to make him look good, buying him a new set of duds and a pair of Florsheim Wingtip shoes, very expensive. I was working in a nice Shoe store at this time while supporting my youngest daughter. My father was also living with me. I had recently purchased a new three bedroom house. Everything seemed to be going my way, yet my soul was not at rest. Before long I began to have suspicious feelings about Rick, yet I couldn't put my finger on it. We were making plans to get married. Panic set in! Even though he found a job, was attending church functions with me, something wasn't right. His stories were becoming more and more bazaar.

One day I took Rick to a Used Car lot. I knew a man who worked there. He had recently purchased a pair of Western cowboy boots from me. We looked around the lot and Rick spotted a Pick-up truck he liked, but he couldn't make the down payment until his payday, so he said. On th eve of Rick's payday he arrived at my home driving this same truck. When I went outside to look it over I saw no license plates, tags or white sticker on the windshield. When I questioned him about that he gave me a cock-o-meeny story, then he hit the road. The next morning I decided to do some exploring. I needed to find out the truth. When I got to work I called my friend at the Used Car lot. I asked him how he liked the boots I'd sold him. After telling me how much he enjoyed them he said, "I'm sorry I couldn't sell your friend that Pick-up truck. He just didn't have the money." I immediately informed him that Rick did buy it and had driven to my home the night before. He said. "Oh, my God, Peg. Hang on." I did. Sure enough the truck was gone and they hadn't missed it yet.

The police found Rick where he was working and the truck also. They took him to the local police station, not far from where I worked. While they were busy getting him booked, they turned their backs on him, and he escaped. He came straight to the Shoe store where I was working. When I saw him enter the store I froze in fear. He walked up to me and meekly said, "I have to leave town for awhile. I'll call you." He walked out the back door and headed down the alley. The police arrived within minutes. They caught him again. This time they kept him---for awhile!

The next thing I knew I was given a subpoena to appear in court. I kept a daily Journal and had written about the night he came to my home with the Pick-up truck. When I got on the witness stand I looked at Rick. I felt nervous. He smiled at me. I read aloud what I had written. He was found guilty. Is this the end of my story? Not by a long shot! It was now my understanding that Rick was safely back in jail, awaiting his trip to prison. Wrong! Unbeknown to me he was free on bail.

One evening my two lady friends and I attended a Gospel meeting in a Hugh auditorium. There was a famous Evangelist there and the place was packed out. We arrived early to get seats near the front. We were all asked to stand for prayer.. The speaker announced, "We are pleased to to have Reverend Ricardo Shanacropalous, from the Church By The Way, to lead us in prayer." I could not believe what I'd just heard. He was locked up in jail, right? My girl friends looked at me with shock written on their faces. I could not bow my head. I couldn't even move and I couldn't believe this! How could this be? I stared at him and then at his feet. He was wearing the Florsheim Wing tipped shoes I had given him. Now, I couldn't take my eyes off those darn shoes!

Rick did go back to prison after that episode. The next man I dated was the Police Chief. He had arrested Rick several times in the past.. He said Rick was a harmless thief and a psychopathic liar. Well, tell me! How well I knew that...now! The last I heard Rick was released from prison for good. He's been free for several years, so I'm told. I guess he has a mansion on the hill and a fancy new Cadillac, so his story goes! I hope you've enjoyed another one of my true-life experiences in my buffoonery of life. I'm no longer steeped in deep ridgid Religion, as then, but I do have spirituality in my life. There is a vast difference!

Written by Peggy Ann...2003