Dear Children,
Well, I’m off to better myself. I suppose that’s the phrase I should use, it seems most appropriate. I’m going off to Rehabilitation, just like you’d all persuaded me. Except, I’m leaving you alone, with the things in our house and the hundred dollars I didn’t spend and that I’m not taking with me. You see, what struck my realization was my doctor’s appointment last night. What I told you was a “check-up” was actually an X-Ray of my lungs. The doctor bluntly explained to me that because of all the alcohol in my lungs, I would soon die from all the poison in my system. Also he exclaimed it didn’t help I smoke a pack a day.
But he said there is hope, and he gave me information about this lovely little center that can help me! He said it’s highly recommended to most people with alcohol problems and it specializes in completely ridding the body of the addiction altogether! This could take years, the doctor has explained, many years. Little Garrett might be a teen before I get out. And even then, I don’t think it’d be right for me to … come back. After everything I’ve done to you all, it just doesn’t seem appropriate, especially considering that some of you will be legal adults by the time I get out.
Well, that’s all I can explain without saying too much. I’ll write whenever I can. Good luck. I love you all.
-Your Mother, Ruth Anne Erikson
Preface
There were nine of the Erikson children in the family.
The eldest was Becky, 18.
Then came Rueben, 16.
And then Jacob, 14.
And his twin sister Jolie, 14.
Then there was Cecilia, 12.
Next came Quinn, 7.
And Justin, 5.
Then there was Lily, 2.
And lastly came 9 month old Garrett.
When there mother left them in the midst of July, leaving nothing for them but a poorly written note and the only money she had left that she hadn’t spent on Rehab, which was 100 dollars.
She distinctly left Becky and Rueben in charge of the house and groceries and making sure everything stay in order. Jacob and Jolie were left in charge specifically of the children, to make sure they go to school and dress properly and such. Cecilia, though not even a teenager yet, was left in charge of Garrett. And Jolie was to take special care of Lily.
Becky was to get a good paying job, now that she was a legal adult. And that was to pay for strictly school tuition for everybody but Becky, Rueben, Jacob, and Jolie, whom were told not to attend school since they had at least gotten somewhat of a high school education.
The children had mostly expected this situation to occur, their mother, Ruth, had a very severe drinking problem that was well-known among the children. They’d tried to persuade her time after time to attend some sort of rehabilitation, but she’d heard nothing of it, until her doctor’s appointment yesterday evening.
As she stated in her note, ‘The doctor bluntly explained to me that because of the amount of alcohol in my lungs, I would soon die from all the “poison” in my system. Also he exclaimed that it didn’t help I smoke a pack a day.’
The children’s first instinct was to contact somebody, a family member, a close friend, anybody that could help.
But after thinking for a moment, they realized they had no further connections than their mother, that their mom’s family wanted nothing to do with her and all of mom’s friends were either dead, lived at the pub 24/7, or were in rehab already.
Plus, they all knew (aside from Lily and Garrett who didn’t understand the concept of death) that their dad had died when their mother was pregnant with Garrett from a severe motorcycle accident.
So, they tried to be reasonable even when it sunk in that their mom had left them and they had to care for themselves for the rest of their lives. Rueben said it was simple, he and Becky would just have to take care of the house and the twins would just have to take care of the children.
But then, everyone, even Rueben lost hope, when they realized there was one problem.
Becky hasn’t said a word for three years.
