Susan was already at the courthouse when she got there. Her three beautiful nieces were there as well.
At least I’ve got my family here, she thought.
They walked into the judge’s office, and Jennifer was the first to sign the legal document. Then Nelson.
They were married. It was as simple as that. There was no honeymoon. The next morning was the same as any other. She was feeding the girls breakfast when Nelson called out.
“I need my black T-shirt!”
“Give me a minute. Karen needs something to drink,” Jennifer replied.
“You’re my wife now,” he said. “And you’ll do what I want, when I want.”
Jennifer got the T-shirt without a word, and Nelson got dressed. She sat at the table with the girls, and in her mind she could hardly believe he had said those words. They hadn’t been married for twenty-four hours, and he was clear, she was now his.
As Nelson was putting on his shoes, he made an announcement.
“I’m going and I won’t be back.”
“Where the hell are you going, my son?” she asked. He left the apartment without giving her an answer.
Jennifer was stunned by the change in him, but she was happy to see him leave the house that morning. Initially she believed he wouldn’t be gone long. With the girls’ birthday just three days away, she had plenty to keep her busy without him being around with his own demands. But she also needed money, and Nelson had taken that with him, of course.
Afternoon came and went, with still no sign of Nelson, which wasn’t uncommon these days. Jennifer believed he was spending more and more time playing the slot machines at the bar.
But when he failed to show up that night, she started to worry.
She was worried he might have had a seizure, or something might have happened to him. But she had plenty more than Nelson to worry about.
The cupboards were empty. There were only a handful of diapers left in the box.
She also needed to buy something for the girls’ birthday, and of course birthdays came with extra expenses. Even though gifts and cake were out of the question, she needed the money that was in Nelson’s pocket. She longed to give them the birthday they deserved.
But another night passed, and Jennifer was starting to believe that the man she had married two days ago had abandoned them.
“I don’t know where to turn,” Jennifer told Mervin on the phone. Mervin was Nelson’s brother. Unlike Nelson, he was worried about Jennifer and the kids. There were many times Jennifer could only wonder why Nelson wasn’t more like his brother. Mervin loved his children and was a good provider for his family.
“I’ve called around, and it seems like no one has seen him since the wedding.”
“Well, if he isn’t home tonight, I’ll make sure you and the girls are okay,” he said.
Jennifer was relieved. At least Mervin could drive her to the food bank, and perhaps even lend her the money for diapers.
As she feared, Nelson didn’t come home for the third night.
The next morning, she called Mervin again.
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Just give me a couple of hours and we’ll be down to give the girls a birthday party. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with my brother. He isn’t thinking of anyone but himself.”
Mervin showed up that evening with a birthday cake and a meal of fried chicken. He had gifts for each of the girls.
“You really saved the girls’ birthday,” Jennifer told him. “Thanks again, Mervin, you’ve been so good to us. We’ve certainly needed plenty of help from you over the past year.”
The day ended on a happy note, but Jennifer couldn’t get to sleep. For the fourth night there was no word from Nelson.
Two days later, he strolled into the apartment like nothing had ever happened.
“Where the hell were you?”
“I was in Quebec.”
That was all Nelson would say that day. Jennifer screamed at him to find out why he had left, but he simply walked away.
27
Nelson had promised not to do another disappearing act, but he wasn’t around much, either. Jennifer was always busy with the girls, and she believed he was spending his time gambling.
The tension between him and his mother was escalating, reaching the point where they began arguing over the smallest things.
The last time she stopped by for a visit, the arguing got out of control.
“If you guys can’t stop this, you’re not going to be able to visit here,” Jennifer said in the middle of a particularly bad argument. “I’ve got two youngsters here, and I don’t want them listening to these rackets.”
The biggest arguments usually took place later. Those were the times Nelson took out his frustrations on Jennifer.
“Why do you keep asking her over here?” asked Nelson.
“She’s your mother, and if you want her to leave, you’ll be the one to tell her,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer was desperate for a change. So, when Nelson talked about moving into St. John’s, Jennifer thought it might not be such a bad idea.
“At least in there I won’t have to listen to you and your mother,” she said. And deep down she was hoping the gambling would slow down as well.
It didn’t take long before they had applied for public housing in St. John’s and got word that their application was approved. The girls were one and a half years old when they packed up a U-Haul and made the big move 400 kilometres away to the province’s capital city.
Jennifer was used to growing up in a small town, and sometimes even Gander, with a population of 10,000 people, seemed too big. She wasn’t sure whether she’d like living in the city, but she was willing to give it a try.
Shortly after they passed the city limits of St. John’s, they drove around the corner from a busy street to a group of several large apartment complex buildings. It seemed to her the traffic was moving ten times faster than she was used to, and there were people everywhere she looked.
As they got out of the truck in front of their building, Jennifer noticed two men smoking cigarettes over the open hood of an old truck.
But, she wasn’t interested in much else at the moment than getting settled into the comfort of her own apartment. She started to move the girls’ items up to their second floor, while Nelson made his way over to meet the new neighbours. It wasn’t long before the two men were helping to carry their furniture and belongings up the stairs.
The new apartment was nice. It was a little bigger than she thought, and at least it had two bedrooms.
But on her first night there, Jennifer couldn’t sleep. The sound of the city vibrated through the room. She couldn’t stop herself from hearing the sounds of the traffic and the coming and going of neighbours all night long.
It was a long way from her quiet life in Gander, and she hoped they had made the right choice for the girls.
28
In a matter of days, they had settled in nicely. There wasn’t much food in the cupboard because they had spent most of their money on the move. But Nelson had managed to land the first job Jennifer had ever known him to have.
“One of the guys next door got me the job,” he announced one evening. “I’ll have to work nights, but it pays pretty good. All you need to do is tell the welfare that we’re broke up, and I’ll keep the money.”
Jennifer looked at the girls, and then to the refrigerator she knew was nearly empty. She hoped this could be a way to a better life, where she didn’t have to worry about whether or not Nelson would give her the money to buy groceries and diapers every month. She was getting tired of having to rely on the food bank once a week, and getting around in the city wasn’t as easy.
Christmas would be here before long, and she wanted the extra money to make
sure it was a good one for the girls.
Being alone every evening wasn’t the ideal situation, but then, she was used to Nelson not being around. When he was home there were arguments, so she was happy to spend time with Karen and Krista alone. Everyone was a little happier that way.
“Hello,” said Jennifer, picking up the phone.
“Hey, sister,” said Susan. “How are things in the big city?”
“Great. It’s a lot more hectic than Gander, but I’m getting used to it,” said Jennifer. “Would you believe Nelson has a job?”
“Really? Doing what?”
“He’s cleaning apartment buildings. Pretty much gone every night.”
“Are you sure he isn’t out spending money on those friggin’ VLTs?” asked Susan. “And what about you and the girls? Is he giving you enough money to live on, or is he still taking it all for himself?”
“Well, he gives me what he can. But he says there isn’t much left over from the move,” said Jennifer.
“Oh, Jennifer, be careful out there,” said Susan. “If you ever need anything, call me, and I’ll help you any way I can. Love you.”
“Love you, too, Susan. Don’t worry, everything’s okay.”
Jennifer went back to cleaning the apartment with a heavy heart. She missed having her family close by, and it seemed she was alone all the time now.
Fortunately, she had met a woman on the first floor whom she had grown close to, and she even offered to babysit the girls now and again. But it wasn’t the same as being home. She missed having people around.
She grabbed the vacuum cleaner and headed into her bedroom to give it a good cleaning before Christmas. She wanted to clean behind the furniture, but she wasn’t sure she could move it alone. Who knew when Nelson would get home? And then he probably wouldn’t want to help her, anyway.
In order to move the large dresser, she decided to lessen the weight by removing each of the drawers first. She struggled to move them onto the bed.
When she finally hauled the bottom drawer out, she noticed a small brown envelope. It was thick, and she wasn’t sure she even wanted to know what was in it.
But she couldn’t resist. Whatever it was had been put there on purpose since they had moved in.
She pulled back the flap, revealing a stack of $100 bills. A large stack. She took them out and placed them on the bed.
One by one, she began to count, her heart beating faster with each bill she counted.
With empty cupboards, and only a few diapers left, Jennifer struggled while Nelson had kept his own money hidden. In total there was $15,000. Money he had reserved for himself.
She could no longer hold back the tears as she stared at the money in disbelief. If it wasn’t for Krista, who started crying, Jennifer wasn’t sure she could have moved again. She felt numb.
Her hands shook as she put the bills back into the envelope and put them back under the dresser.
What would she do? If she told Nelson, he would get mad. But how could she live in poverty while he kept the money for himself?
She didn’t have long to figure out how to handle it. She heard the key in the door. Nelson was home.
He threw his jacket onto the chair and flopped himself down into his usual position on the couch. The girls were in the playpen, but he walked past them like they didn’t exist.
“What’s wrong with you?” he sneered.
“I only have half a dozen diapers left, and there are no groceries in the cupboard. Then you come in here empty-handed. What do you think is wrong, Nelson?”
“I don’t know, my dear, how we’re going to pay the bills around here. There’s no money, and that’s it,” he said.
Jennifer couldn’t handle it any longer.
“Who the hell do you think you are? Go in that room, get that money, and go buy some food for me and the girls,” she yelled. Her whole body was shaking with rage.
“Oh, you found it, did you,” he laughed. “I’ll give you some of it.”
Nelson went into the room. Jennifer could hear him fumbling with the drawer, then the rattling paper. Is he really going to give me some of the cash? Jennifer wondered.
Nelson walked to the table with three $100 bills in his hand. But before Jennifer could take the money, he pulled a lighter out of his pocket.
Nelson set the money on fire, then threw the burning money into the ashtray.
“It’s my money, not yours, and not the girls’,” he said, and walked away.
There were no words to express her anger, or her fear. Jennifer gathered up the girls and, without supper, got them ready for bed.
The three of them went to bed early that night, but Jennifer didn’t feel rested the next morning. Her night was restless. She got up and went through her usual routine of getting the girls ready, but this day would be far from normal.
“I can’t take this anymore,” Jennifer told Nelson. “Me and the girls are leaving today. I don’t have any food, and you’re hiding money from us. That’s not right. This marriage is over.”
“Give me your driver’s licence,” Nelson demanded. “You won’t be driving anywhere this day.”
But Jennifer refused, and she realized Nelson was going for her purse, which was sitting on the kitchen chair. She grabbed the purse and put it over her shoulder.
“You’re not going anywhere!” he yelled. Nelson grabbed the purse from her shoulder, ripping the strap.
Jennifer ran downstairs, called the police, and waited. Finally, when she saw Nelson leave the apartment, she went back upstairs. By the time the officers arrived, he was long gone. But they had plenty of questions.
“Why didn’t you just take the envelope of money?” the officer asked. “You are his wife, and that’s your money, too.” The RNC officers had looked through the cupboards and understood the dire situation Jennifer faced.
“Mrs. Hart, you have to leave this situation. Pack your bags and some items for the children. We’re taking you somewhere safe.”
They ended up at a transition house that was being renovated at the time. After a couple of days there, they were moved to a hotel. But it wasn’t long before Nelson found out where they were staying and the phone calls began.
“Come back,” he pleaded. “I’ll give you some of the money, you won’t have to worry about groceries anymore. I promise.”
“No, Nelson, I have to think about Krista and Karen. You say there will be food, and things will be different, but they never are. I’m not coming back,” Jennifer cried into the phone.
But the phone calls persisted. The promises became more persuasive, and Jennifer was finding it harder to say no.
The small hotel room was cramped for the three of them, and Jennifer wanted to go back to her apartment. Her life.
After several more phone calls, Jennifer agreed to go home.
Back at the apartment, she saw that he had stayed true to his word. There were groceries in the cupboards and a new box of diapers for the girls. But there was little to be excited about. In her heart, she knew this wouldn’t last for long.
But for now Jennifer felt good to have the girls in their own cribs, and to get the laundry done and packed away in their own little room. The girls seemed more at ease, too.
Nelson was just sitting down to watch television when there was a knock at the door. There stood a man, probably in his mid-forties, carrying a briefcase. Also, a woman who looked no more than twenty-five, and she had a stack of envelopes clutched in her arm.
“Are you Nelson Hart?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“We’re with Child, Youth and Family Services. We need to check on the girls to make sure everything is okay. Do you mind if we come in?”
Nelson didn’t say a word as the two social workers entered the apartment. He sat at
the kitchen table and they followed him. Jennifer sat at the table as well. She was interested in any news that might mean a more stable home for Karen and Krista.
“Jennifer, how are you feeling now that you’re back home?” the woman asked. “The staff at the transition house were surprised to learn that you wanted to leave so quickly. We just want to make sure that you are not going back to the same situation. You need food for those girls, and for yourself.”
“Them girls will have food, don’t you worry about it,” said Nelson.
The social worker again addressed Jennifer. “Can we have a look at the food you have here in the house at the moment?”
“Go ahead,” said Nelson, “I bought food yesterday before they came home.”
The man got up and checked through the cupboards and the fridge. All the while, he was making notes on a clipboard.
“Jennifer, can you tell us, do you have a supply of diapers on hand for the girls right now?” he asked.
Again Nelson replied for her. “She’s got plenty of diapers. There’s a brand new box in the room.”
The social worker stopped and looked directly at Nelson. “I’m going to need more information. Jennifer, can we speak to you in private?”
Nelson sighed and stomped into the living room to express his dissatisfaction with that particular scenario.
Jennifer went into the bedroom with the two social workers.
“Jennifer, we are worried that you are going to end up back in the same situation again. We can’t let that happen for the sake of Krista and Karen. We are going to be visiting you from now on. We’ll be just checking in to see how things are going. But if we find you in a situation like you were in last week, you will have to leave Nelson. As social workers, we can’t let the girls be put at risk. Do you understand?”
“I do,” said Jennifer. “You guys are more than welcome to drop by any time. To be honest, it gives me comfort that you are interested in helping me take care of the girls. Whatever I can do to make sure they have a good life, I will do.”
“That’s good,” said the woman, whose name was Deanna. “We’re going to leave now, but here’s my card. Call me any time, and I’ll be here to help as best I can.”
Mr. Big Page 7