Page 167 - That’s Crazy ebook

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ready to leave. I told him I was just too sick to travel, and we would

have to leave the next day. He agreed.

I stayed in bed all day, just crying and depressed on Christmas

Day. I barely spoke to him all day. He gave me some earrings; I gave

him nothing. I cooked eggs and bacon for my Christmas dinner.

We left the day after which was a Friday. I slept the whole time

and we barely said two words throughout the 12-hour ride. I
continued to cry during the whole ride, I just could not stop.

Once we arrived in Florida, I felt like I was on the spot. No one
knew what to say to me nor did I know what to say to them. I did all

I could to try to stop crying. Somehow, I believe the crying was part
of the rebirthing and cleansing process, though I did not realize it at

the time. I stayed to myself until Darlene arrived. Darlene was the only
sister-in-law and from day one, we connected. Many of the family

members thought she and I looked alike and was one of the reasons
Leroy married me. She had a pecan brown complexion and was about

the same height as me. She also was treated as an outsider because she
did not play the game of having the Thornburg's image. I knew I

would have an ally in Darlene because I knew the family did not like

her either. At least in her presence, I would be able to laugh at the
situation and talk with her. She was my shelter.

I became fascinated as I watched how the whole family interacted
with each other. It was constant competition, the same thing I saw

with Leroy when he felt he had to compete with me and the business.

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