Part Fourteen

  Kathy and Tommy had been left behind in West Monroe when the rest of the family had moved to Missouri. They were living with Eva, Virginia's mother and Eva's nerves proved way too bad for her to care for them. She did the best she could yet living with her alcoholic boyfriend at his one bedroom residence didn't give any of them enough room. Eva's home stood on the corner, a wrap around porch and plenty of room with the six bedrooms in her home, yet Eva preferred to live with her boyfriend thus leaving her home empty. When James Michael discovered this, he asked Virginia if he could possibly go home to live in Eva's home since it was empty and there he'd take care of Tommy and Kathy. James Michael didn't know if he could take good care of Tommy and Kathy but he'd try his best. Anything to get away from Kansas City and the death he'd seen there, anything to get back home to West Monroe where at least things were somewhat peaceful. Virginia said she'd think about it and let him know when she came to a decision. Word got out that Eva had been calling Virginia daily to tell her to get back home and take care of her kids she'd left behind. Eva related to Virginia that her nerves were too bad to care for them. James Michael perked up when he learned Virginia was going to allow him to move back to Louisiana to live in Eva's home and care for his little brother and sister. Virginia told James Michael she was worried about his heart condition and that she wasn't sure he could care for himself and two younger siblings, Tommy was 3 years old and kathy was 1 year of age. James Michael jumped at the chance to return home, especially since his poor health was rapidly deteriorating since living in Kansas City.

  Virginia and Billy Ray were to be married so returning home had to wait several weeks. Time went on and James Michael and his siblings saw more violence and death during this waiting period. More and more James Michael stayed inside the apartment, due to him feeling weak and not getting enough sleep. He'd sleep in the daytime whenever possible, doing his best to survive the harsh living conditions. The day the wedding was to be held, Billy Ray and Virginia were both so drunk that neither could make it to the church where their wedding was to be held. Chip tried and tried to wake them up to make it there to no avail. They simply kept living together and never married, much to the relief of Virginia's children. Finally Virginia sobered up enough to drive James Michael to Louisiana so he could begin caring for Tommy and Kathy. Eva was so happy when she realized she'd no longer have to care for them. Eva was also an alcoholic and nothing was easy for her. As happy as James Michael was, knowing he was returning to West Monroe to live, he was sad about seeing the deaths in the big city. His last day in Kansas City, a young girl named Lisa that lived across the hall was taken by emergency to the hospital. James Michael was to learn later that she'd died at the young age of 13, her white blood cells had attacked and eaten up all her red blood cells.

  On the drive back to Louisiana, Virginia stopped for a rest break in the mountains. James Michael, Jimmy Don, Ricky, and Ronny got out and wandered to the foothills of the mountains and discovered some underground caves. A hundred degrees outside, they were surprised to discover the cool temperatures inside the caves and cold, fresh water to drink. They went back to the car to retrieve some empty one gallon containers to fill with delicious, fresh spring mountain water for the long drive ahead. Also on the way back they passed the same apple orchards and asked Virginia to make another stop so that they could gather all of the apples they could. Eight hundred miles was a long, punishing drive and the apples would be needed. Virginia drank beer and whiskey until she was drunk and couldn't drive. After pulling over at a rest stop, Jimmy Don decided he'd try to drive and the trip back home continued until Virginia woke up hours later into the night and took over driving. They hoped to arrive in West Monroe safely by the next day.