I remember the summer my parents divorced. Dad and I came home from a camping trip a day early and my Dads friend Mike was in the bedroom with my Mom.
They had a big fight and Dad packed up his clothes and told me to pack my things too, as we were leaving. We stayed in a motel for a few days, before Dad rented a place in a rundown mobile home park.
Being in a new neighborhood, I didn’t know anyone. The only person I had met was the landlord who ran the trailer park. His name was John and he was in his late 50s, gray hair, with a big beer gut.
Shortly after we had moved in, I was outside looking for something to do when I saw the landlord sweeping up around the little cinder block building that housed the laundry room.
I said hi to him and asked him what he was doing. He told me it was a full time job keeping the place up. He told me he sure wished he could find someone to help, but hadn’t found anyone looking for work. I told him I didn’t have anything to do and that I would like the job. He said he would probably have to talk to my dad and he wasn’t sure if I was big enough to handle the job yet.
I should probably tell you a little about myself: My name is Tommy. I am built small , just like my mother. Back then I was only 4’10, about 85lbs. I had long straight black hair that hung almost to my shoulders, with big brown eyes. My mothers friends had always told me I looked just like her.
I was sure my dad wouldn’t mind if I got a job, so I told the landlord that I would have my dad talk to him that evening. When dad got home from work I told him that I might be able to get a job and that the landlord just needed him to tell him it was okay. My dad and I walked over to the landlords trailer. John was sitting outside his trailer drinking a beer. He offered one to my dad and they began talking about what kind of work I would be doing and who would be supervising. John told my dad it would mostly be yard work, mowing, weeding, raking leaves. And if I was good and paid attention and did what I was told, he could even teach me some light household maintenance jobs.