Jonny's cancer diagnosis...and the continuation of the shit show

We were living in Casa Grande and my memories of that time period are all good really. Compared to what I had experienced to that point in my life it was really good. Mom and Jonny were married, we lived in a double wide mobile home (if you know, you know, say it again, double wide), and I remember well playing outside in Arizona with nothing but shorts on.  No shirt, no shoes, and not a care in the world. 

I think mom stayed home during this time. Jonny drove heavy equipment on construction sites and went to work every day. I remember dinner at a dinner table, not having to move every five minutes, and some semblance of stability. I was about 9, and for a 9 yr old boy, with what my history held between birth and that period, stability and structure fit me well.  Jonny, as I have said already, was a good one.

He took me under his wing and gave a shit about me. I would get in trouble, and what rings over and over again in my memory, is how he handled it.  I would get grounded......and once off, he would talk to me about the "why".  I learned a bit about right and wrong from Jonny.  He was leaving his mark on me in a way no man had to that point. 

I am not sure when exactly this happened, I just remember the move back to Washington.  Jonny had a work accident and next thing you know the word cancer was being thrown around.  Jonny, this larger than life man, who in my view, was an amazing and strong male role model, was all of a sudden weak and couldn't do much.  I remember this one blip where he was drinking buttermilk in the hopes he would feel better.  It's just the one memory that sticks out.  What sticks out more is our move back to Tacoma.

For health reasons after the cancer diagnosis we moved back so Jonny could be close to Doctor's up here. Thus, the move back. We moved in to a house just up from family friends Judy and Al who lived on E 61st Street in Tacoma. Ours was a small house, but it was nice.  It still sits there, and now, as these things go, my sister owns Judy and Al's old house two doors down from the house we moved back too at that time.  That house holds a ton of memories for our family over the years.  That street holds many memories for me as a young boy who loses a man that gave him so much in so little time.

By this time I was going into 7th grade and was enrolled in Stewart Jr High (old school model and school I know). I should note that 7th grade was a horrible experience for me. I was picked on and beat up on a nearly daily basis. It's interesting thinking about this time and what was happening for me personally, and for our family. I guess I am not to surprised this was happening to me. I am guessing at some level I was struggling emotionally with Jonny's health condition rapidly deteriorating. I don't think we were back six months when I got the call to go to the office.

I was in school and got called to the office. I was told to go home right away. I walked home and got the news......Jonny had died. He had been admitted to the hospital some time prior and I honestly remember this being a very short period of time between us moving back and him passing. Very short. This began the next period of my shit show of childhood continuing, and, mom's next marriage.......a very short time period after Jonny's death......to.......my Uncle Tom.  Yes, mom married our Uncle.