My Life: My sister has had enough of me in her home. She tells me she needs to be alone with her husband and I agree. Now I have to find a new place to live. In less than 6 months I was diagnosed, relocated, gone through withdrawals, put on medications, got a low paying job and started drinking and drugs again. Not as heavily as before but it was the beginning of what was to come. I told myself that I wouldn't get that bad again. Looking for another place to live was going to be hard since the job at the frameshop didn't pay well. I didn't want to quit and go to another city but I had to do something.
I looked into help with a local HIV/AIDS organization in Virginia. They didn't have very much to offer at the time. It was still quite taboo and hush hush because people just weren't educated or informed. They did hook me up with another guy in North Carolina who lived on a boat. This guy had full blown AIDS and was looking for someone to help with his expenses etc. I called him on the phone and he told me I could move in - sight unseen. He lived on the Outer Banks and told me I could find a job easily there. I said OK and left for NC.
I thought living on a houseboat was going to so cool. I pretty much only had a couple of big hefty size trash bags full of personal stuff and maybe a suitcase. I was ready for the next step in my life.
When I arrived I had to find the boat since the guy had no transportation. (Notice how I keep calling him "the guy"? - That's because I can't remember his name) When I did find the boat, he wasn't even home. I waited on board until he arrived. He was a mess! A little older than me and not very good looking at all. He worked in construction when he could find work.
We went on board and he showed me the living quarters. ARGH! Small and cramped. The sleeping was underneath and you couldn't lift your head without banging it on the ceiling. To top it all off, it was filthy. This was so going to suck!
The guy told me that he like to drink and that when he got drunk he had a habit of losing his money. That evening he told me he wanted me to hold all his cash while he drank and that no matter what he said I wasn't to give him any of it. We both started to drink. And drink. And drink.
Out of nowhere, it began. The guy asked me for his money so he could go out. We were both plastered and I told him no. He kept bugging me for it and I kept saying he couldn't have it back until the next day. He started yelling and screaming and tried to attack me. I was stronger and held him off. He finally gave up and passed out. The next day he accused me of trying to steal his money and told me I had to leave. He would give me a couple of days but I had to get out.
I had nowhere to go again. I started looking for a job and a place to live. The outer banks has a lot of art galleries so I went to all of them and applied. I landed a job with 2 days at Morales Art Gallery as a framer. Now all I needed was a home. I told the owner, Mitch, that I was looking and he said he would try to help me find something too. He was a compassionate man with a wife and 2 kids. He would give me thir paper and I would search. Within a couple more days I found a room that a little old lady rented out. It was something like 40.00 a week and I had access to the bathroom and samll kitchen. I moved in.
Her name was Rose and she was in her 70's. She had a couple of poodles that were about 100 years old. And she drank. Heavily. And she was a foul mouthed, angry drunk.
She like to drink with her tenants too. Having the addictive personality that I have, I drank with her...
Now: I'm worn out thinking about this phase in my life and what is coming up. I have so much work to do here to try and get this house in order for company too. A lot has been done but a lot more needs to be done. I'm about to dumsterize if I don't get on the ball. I'm still having a pain in my ribs where I fell on the ice. It won't seem to go away and I am getting a little worried about it. Scott is doiing well and the dogs are happy. Can we add a few hours to each day?
Love & Peace,
Clayton
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