She loves her boyfriend more than anything in the world and for the first time in her life she feels safe, loved and wanted. She soon learns that all good things do come to an end!
It is at her 18th birthday party he first leaves her. He breaks off the engagement and takes his mate's girlfriend back to his mother's. Ironically, the record playing at the time is, "it's my party and I'll cry if I want to..." except she doesn't! She doesn't let anyone know just how much she is hurting.
They get back together a few weeks later and on Halloween of 1984 they move in together, renting a small Granny Annexe on a farm owned by a wonderful, old fashioned family, who basically adopt her and 'B' becomes her surrogate mum.
They get married, while living at the farm, when she is twenty and all seems to be going well (despite a few more minor 'flings' on his part before their marriage).
By this stage her work has included kennel maid, nanny, shepherdess, pigwoman and dog beautician.
In the first year of their marriage she is running her own business, dog grooming, back at the kennels but the pressure gets too much and the 'sex' scene is too much to cope with. She starts suffering panic attacks and has a mild breakdown.
After some weeks of counselling and hypnotherapy she is able to pull herself together and leaves the kennels once again. She takes work at a poultry factory, where she does yard maintenance and becomes a fork lift truck driver.
All is well until the Christmas after their first anniversary. On 27th December her husband goes out, with no warning, and doesn't come home again until the early hours of the following morning. The next day he tells her their marriage is over - he's met someone else!!
Fortunately, for her, this 'someone else' isn't seriously interested in him - he is just her 'play-thing' and the affair lasts about six months.
To begin with she just goes to pieces. She travels to Scotland, alone, for a few days to think things over and clear her head but eventually they agree to stay together - mainly because the 'other woman' doesn't really want him. He still goes to see the 'other woman' when she calls - until the 'other woman' discovers she is pregnant and has an abortion (they both deny the baby is his).
He stops seeing the 'other woman' shortly after the abortion and, by the August of 1988, the affair is over. However, by this stage she has other problems. During his affair, she has become addicted to gambling - fruit machines in the works canteen - and is drinking and smoking heavily. She is getting badly into debt feeding her habits.
Near the end of August she contracts Hepatitis 'A' - the doctor says it could be from contaminated water and rats in the yard at the poultry factory, especially if she has been smoking while she's working - although she wonders if it's because she's been drinking too much.
Whilst 'laid up' she's able to take a good look at herself and her life and doesn't like what she sees.
So, she changes - completely...
One Pound Food
11 years ago
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