Chapter 7 Jessie
~4 years ago~
I woke up in a confining cot and groaned. Mom was at a dig site in Brazil and it was the middle of summer.
"Hey Mom!" I greeted her after I'd changed and left my tent.
"Oh morning, Jessie." She said glumly. She's usually a morning person. I instantly knew that something was wrong.
"What's wrong, Mom?" I asked as I sat down beside her.
She took a drink of her coffee and sighed. "Your father called me this morning. He wants custody of you."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked. "No offense, Mom, but I miss Dad. I wouldn't mind seeing him. Besides you know I hate going on these digs."
"You want him to have custody of you?" she asked.
"Well, yeah." I said. "But I still want to be able to see you."
She laughed and hugged me. "He'll be in New York next week. You and I will leave for home tomorrow. I'll talk to your dad and tell him what you want. Ok?"
"Ok." I smiled.
A week later, Mom and I were in our New York apartment. I had just finished clearing the lunch dishes when there came a knock on our door.
"I got it" I called to Mom. I pulled open the door and gasped. "DADDY!!!" I cried and hugged him.
"Hey my little Ponchita." He said as he held me tight. "I've missed you so much!" He whispered.
"I missed you too, Daddy!" I pulled away and kissed his cheek.
"Jessie? Who's at the--?" Mom's voice came from behind me. "Hello Race." She greeted in a semi-sweet tone.
"Hey Estel." Dad said in the same tone.
I grabbed my dad's hand and led him inside. "Come in, Daddy." I said.
"Ok, Jess, but I can't stay long. Only a half hour."
I led Dad to the couch and sat next to him.
"Would you care for anything to drink, Race?" My mom asked.
"Water? Please." Dad said.
"Sure." She said and headed to the kitchen. A moment later, she returned with two water bottles. She handed one to Dad. "So, what brings you here?"
"Thanks," he said as he took the water. "I just wanted to see my daughter." He opened the water bottle and took a drink. "I also wanted to let you know that I don't want to take Jessie away from you. I want her to have an education better than what your offering."
"So you're saying I'm not doing a good enough job raising her?" Mom crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Don't look at me like that, Estel. And that's not what I'm saying at all. Quit trying to put words in my mouth. You're an archeologist. You're hardly ever home. Why can't I have the chance to raise my daughter?"
"Why can't I?" Mom was peeved.
"You have! Damn it Estella! She's my kid too!! I don't want her shut out of my life anymore! I'm her father for cryin' out loud!"
I couldn't take it anymore. The arguing had to stop.
"STOP IT!!!!!!!!" I shouted as I jumped to my feet.
"Jessie?" my parents stared at me.
"You two argue like you used to when you were still married! Now you guys are arguing over me like I'm some object! I'm not an object! I'm your child! Mom, I agree with Daddy. Daddy, I don't want to be shut out of your life any more. I love you both!"
A month later
We walked out of the courtroom, satisfied with the judge's decision. Dad got custody of me, but I have to visit my mom for two weeks every other month. After the trial, Dad took me out to lunch. At the restaurant, I met my dad's employer, Dr. Quest and his two sons Jonny and Hadji.
From that moment on, Hadji, Jonny and I have been inseparable. Best friends to the end.
~4 years ago~
I woke up in a confining cot and groaned. Mom was at a dig site in Brazil and it was the middle of summer.
"Hey Mom!" I greeted her after I'd changed and left my tent.
"Oh morning, Jessie." She said glumly. She's usually a morning person. I instantly knew that something was wrong.
"What's wrong, Mom?" I asked as I sat down beside her.
She took a drink of her coffee and sighed. "Your father called me this morning. He wants custody of you."
"What's wrong with that?" I asked. "No offense, Mom, but I miss Dad. I wouldn't mind seeing him. Besides you know I hate going on these digs."
"You want him to have custody of you?" she asked.
"Well, yeah." I said. "But I still want to be able to see you."
She laughed and hugged me. "He'll be in New York next week. You and I will leave for home tomorrow. I'll talk to your dad and tell him what you want. Ok?"
"Ok." I smiled.
A week later, Mom and I were in our New York apartment. I had just finished clearing the lunch dishes when there came a knock on our door.
"I got it" I called to Mom. I pulled open the door and gasped. "DADDY!!!" I cried and hugged him.
"Hey my little Ponchita." He said as he held me tight. "I've missed you so much!" He whispered.
"I missed you too, Daddy!" I pulled away and kissed his cheek.
"Jessie? Who's at the--?" Mom's voice came from behind me. "Hello Race." She greeted in a semi-sweet tone.
"Hey Estel." Dad said in the same tone.
I grabbed my dad's hand and led him inside. "Come in, Daddy." I said.
"Ok, Jess, but I can't stay long. Only a half hour."
I led Dad to the couch and sat next to him.
"Would you care for anything to drink, Race?" My mom asked.
"Water? Please." Dad said.
"Sure." She said and headed to the kitchen. A moment later, she returned with two water bottles. She handed one to Dad. "So, what brings you here?"
"Thanks," he said as he took the water. "I just wanted to see my daughter." He opened the water bottle and took a drink. "I also wanted to let you know that I don't want to take Jessie away from you. I want her to have an education better than what your offering."
"So you're saying I'm not doing a good enough job raising her?" Mom crossed her arms and glared at him.
"Don't look at me like that, Estel. And that's not what I'm saying at all. Quit trying to put words in my mouth. You're an archeologist. You're hardly ever home. Why can't I have the chance to raise my daughter?"
"Why can't I?" Mom was peeved.
"You have! Damn it Estella! She's my kid too!! I don't want her shut out of my life anymore! I'm her father for cryin' out loud!"
I couldn't take it anymore. The arguing had to stop.
"STOP IT!!!!!!!!" I shouted as I jumped to my feet.
"Jessie?" my parents stared at me.
"You two argue like you used to when you were still married! Now you guys are arguing over me like I'm some object! I'm not an object! I'm your child! Mom, I agree with Daddy. Daddy, I don't want to be shut out of your life any more. I love you both!"
A month later
We walked out of the courtroom, satisfied with the judge's decision. Dad got custody of me, but I have to visit my mom for two weeks every other month. After the trial, Dad took me out to lunch. At the restaurant, I met my dad's employer, Dr. Quest and his two sons Jonny and Hadji.
From that moment on, Hadji, Jonny and I have been inseparable. Best friends to the end.