All Novel Sweet
158
Eventually I found out how those extra services like that would eat through a retainer. Stella and Ted could afford to spend that kind of money as they had to expedite filing and serving me so quickly. That alone would have cost me an entire week’s payday.
Anyway, there I was in the attorney’s office watching him behind his desk reading through the paperwork that I brought him and taking notes. Then he asked me all kinds of questions. Finally, he gave me the bad news.
“John, I’ve been practicing law ten years and I can already tell you this is going to be one of the worst cases I’ve ever seen. Start with the fact that your wife was able to retain a firm of cold conniving snakes like the Ferriday’s firm and to get them to file and have you served the Monday after you discovered your wife’s infidelity means that someone had to pay some big overtime for those attorneys to work on the weekend.
Then you have the petition for a restraining order already signed by a judge at an ex parte hearing. After reading what you allegedly did to your wife and kids, that was a no brainer. They are alleging that you physically assaulted your wife and were mentally cruel to her and your kids throughout the entire marriage. Your wife fear for her safety, blah, blah, blah. Here’s the no contact order that you are required to obey unless and until the court lifts it.
Restraining order keeping you away from your wife and minor children except as permitted by the court. Said restraining order allows you to come no closer than 500 yards to them or your house. No contact by electronic means or writings or conveyances by third parties. Request to keep you from having visitation; or, in the alternative, supervised visits at a neutral location not to exceed one hour in duration. Request for sole custody. Request for the house to be adjudicated to your wife. Request for the court to award your wife alimony for her lifetime at triple what the state’s guidelines requires based on the unusual aspect of this case. Request for your wife to be awarded all the assets of the marital estate due to the unusual aspect of the case.
And so on and so on.” He waved the paperwork over his head.
“You also got a request for psychological evaluations on your children at your expense.” He sighed, “She is plumb pissed at you.”
“I just want to know when I can see my kids.” I said in despair, “Can we fight all this nonsense?”
“Hey, you can always fight it, John. The problem is going to be whether you can afford it. What they are going to do is bury you in paperwork and legal fees. They are going to stall you and fight you on every issue until you’ve exhausted every penny you’ve got or until you give up.”
And that was pretty much how it was. It took me a hearing before I could get the court to order my clothes and personal effects returned to me and still her lawyers insisted to be allowed a month to review my list of property.
At least the court refused that request. The one that broke my heart was the court agreeing to limited supervised visitations until the final disposition. I originally thought I could rent an apartment and ride out the storm of the divorce, but, that was cutting too much into the money I needed to fight the custody. A buddy at work had an old small trailer that he only used during deer season that he was willing to let go for $3, 000. I found the cheapest trailer park around and while it helped it still did not staunch the tide of money needed for experts’ testimony and legal fees.
That was why I was so agreeable to Stella’s proposal to meet. I thought at the very least we could come to some arrangement on Carol and Steven. At the very best we could reconcile and get counseling and I would have my family again.
Her little ploy paid dividends that even she didn’t anticipate. I lost my job, I had to move away, I was no longer steadily employed, and I was living in a small decrepit trailer on my grandparents’ property. I was also getting more and more mired in legal costs.
The judge took all that into account when he finally adjudicated the custody of Carol and Steven. Given that I no longer resided within the jurisdictional boundaries of the court; that I was not gainfully employed and could not provide a living area capable to sustain the needs of myself and my two minor children, the court determined that sole custody would be awarded to Stella Perry.
Furthermore, due to the reasons aforestated and the allegations of abuse, the court ordered that it was in the best interest of the children that visitation by the father continue to be limited to an hour duration of supervised visitation within the jurisdictional boundaries of the court, Said visitation to commence on the second Saturday of each month.
The bitterness I felt sitting watching Stella celebrating her victory with Ted Jefferson and their team of lawyer plummeted me to the darkest depth a human being could endure. To keep me away from my children. How could she? How could the court believe all those lies? Despite all the efforts by Stella’s experts, none of them could get Steven or Carol to say anything bad about me. Why wasn’t the court listening to my children?
I had to wait for the entire courtroom to empty before I could leave. My shoes echoed down the deserted hallways of the courthouse as I approached the statute of Justice. Now I knew for a certainty that Justice was blind… and deaf.
I continued to battle as best I could, but, it was a forgone conclusion, Stella was awarded the use of the marital home until Carol reached the age of eighteen. At which time the house would be sold and the proceeds split 50/50. But, guess who was still responsible for making the mortgage payments?
Child Support? You betcha!
Alimony? You betcha! (Small victory in that it was the regular rate and only for five years)
Responsibility for all the debts accrued in the marriage? You betcha!
It was laughable when the assets were divided up. They were so meager that I basically came out with my Dodge pickup truck and my trailer. I figuratively left town with my tail tucked between my legs. I had two conflicting thoughts; first, at least they’d have to burn gas to come pick me up when I wasn’t able to pay for everything and second, that I would do my damndest not to get to the point that they would have to come pick me up.
I scrambled around to make every buck I could. I was working 12 to 16 hours everyday with no day off except the second Saturday of the month circled in red on my calendar. When that day finally arrived I sped down the highway to the designated spot where the visit was to take place. I arrived with two hours to spare and eagerly awaited their arrival.
A half hour before they were scheduled to arrive the social worker showed up and we took up spots in neutral corners in the room and the seconds ticked away… and ticked away… and ticked away. Fifteen minutes into the designated hour, the social worker deduced they were not coming and perhaps we should leave. I refused saying they were just running late.
Thirty five minutes into the hour she suggested that I call my ex and find out what was the holdup. I tried to explain why that wasn’t a viable option. She asked for the number and called from her phone.
Oh, was that suppose to be today? Gosh, they had miscalculated and they were at the zoo in Dallas. Well, they would make sure that mistake didn’t happen again!-was the response Stella gave the social worker. The social worker packed up her belongings to leave and I begged her to stay for the last twenty minutes.
The look she gave me. You poor sad son of a bitch was what her eyes expressed as she walked out. I remained rooted watching every second ticking away in the countdown until the minute hand finally clicked on twelve. Then I picked up all the little gifts I was able to buy and carry for the visit and carried them back to the truck for the long quiet drive back home.
So the court’s reaction was what I expected, Stella got yelled at and then everybody went home. My request for an alternate day was objected to by Stella as it would be “too disruptive for plans that had already been made”. The court harumphed and said he would let it slide this time, but, don’t let it happen again.
I went back and scrambled for another month to keep all the payments up to date. My Saturday rolled around and I paced in the room waiting for Carol and Steven’s arrival. Finally they came running into the room and I fell to my knees as they surrounded me in a hug. I openly cried tears of joy as we rocked back and forth. Then trying to take advantage of every minute I asked them how they had been.
Vicariously, I became aware of Stella’s events as they pertained to the kids. They were no longer living in the house. They had moved across to the new part of town in a great big house with their “Uncle Ted.” Some people had moved into our old house and were paying Mommy rent to live there.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.