His name was Ernie

He was born in 1934, upstate NY- a son of a fisherman, his mother- a keeper of children, today they would call her a foster mother.

He grew up with so many people around him- siblings, foster siblings, neighbors, and friends. He became a social butterfly- always looking for another place to land, trying to live a life carefree and yet searching for a place to belong.

Everyone who knew him loved him, he had beautiful blue eyes- that marked him friendly and outgoing. He made friends easily- always wanted to give someone a hand. When he turned 18 he left NY to head to his uncles in Michigan, his cousins had enlisted in the military, he thought he could give his uncle a hand on the farm. When he arrived, his cousins were already gone, they were serving in the Army. WWII was ending- they went to relieve soldiers ready to come home from a long horrible war. Ernie, painted and cleaned the barns, fed the animals and helped his uncle hire some barn hands. After a few months he became restless, the war ended- but life was a little scary for American's. He heard the war was heating up in Korea- he decided to head to Battle Creek to enlist.

Enlisting in the military was the honorable thing to do- especially for a restless youngman. Making his way to Battle Creek- he met a woman named Sally. She worked in the recruiting office- they soon became friends- before he left for the reserves, they got married- he would make more money if he had a bride at home. Ernie left for Korea, Sally stayed home and tended to the home and her job. Before too long Sally got a letter from Ernie- he had found true love in Korea, and was divorcing her. Devastated, Sally went back to her parents home and went through with the divorce.

A short time later, Sally received a phone call from the department of the Army informing her that her husband was wounded in Korea and sent back to America, he was recovering in a NY hospital- but would soon be headed to the Veterans Home in Battle Creek. Sally was perplexed- why were they calling her? They were divorced!

Ernie was transferred to Battle Creek, Sally went to visit him- but when she arrived a woman was setting next to him. Sally walked in the room, not sure who the woman was, she explained to the woman that she was Ernie's ex wife. The woman was Victoria- Ernie's sister. They spoke for a while, Sally learned that Ernie had a big family including many foster siblings that he was born in NY, moved to Michigan after the war to help his uncles with the farm.

Victoria left, when Ernie woke up Sally was there to great him. He told her he was sorry for what he had put her through. Sally told him- she had moved on and married another man. Ernie said nothing. Sally left, never to see him again.

Eleanor was visiting her father- he was at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, she met Ernie in the patient visiting room. Each day Eleanor visited her father she watched Ernie, he was always alone, talking to whoever would listen to him; soon they struck up a conversation. ELeanor really like the attention she garnered from Ernie, and before long Eleanor was visiting Ernie- he told her he had no family, no one that cared for him.

Eleanor- fell for him, soon she was telling her best friend all about the man. Her friend knew she had a bad crush on him and was falling deeply for this guy. Rose was waiting for the phone call when it came. Eleanor was getting married! Rose was not surprised that Ernie had proposed.

The wedding was a simple affair, Ernie and Eleanor, her best friend Rose, and the judge. A quick honeymoon up north and before long Eleanor was pregnant with her son. They settled in Rives Junction Michigan. Two years later her daughter was born. Eleanor was working at the phone company in Jackson, one day she was meeting a friend for lunch and the friend told her that Ernie was in the jewelry store- buying a diamond for a young pregnant woman.

Eleanor said she must be mistaken, there was no young woman in the family, Ernie was always home each night. A few days later as she was making dinner- Ernie, did not come home. She was sorely afraid, and wondering is he had indeed had a girlfriend. Eleanor, wsa sad- she went to her friend Rose, telling her all about the conversation and Ernie not coming home. Rose told Eleanor she needed to confront him. That night Ernie came home, he acted like nothing had happened, pretending that he had nothing to hide. When ELeanor asked him where he was, he said it was none of her business. He as a working man and there were times he would not be home- she better get used to it.

Eleanor, went to Rose the next morning after getting the children off to school. Rose told her they would plan to follow him the next day and see where he went. Rose told her to get the children packed and she would leave them with her mother, and her mother would get the children off to school. The next morning Ernie left, Rose was waiting around the corner- Eleanor ran to get in her car. They stayed a few streets behind his car. Ernie went to work, at noon he left the shop- he drove downtown to Woolworths cafe. Rose went in to pretend to shop while Eleanor waited in the car. Ernie sat at the counter, a young waitress waited on Ernie- he flirted with her like you would someone you loved. As Rose pretended to shop- she could not help but notice that the woman's belly was protruding like a pregnant woman.

Rose left the store, went back to the car and told Eleanor what she had saw. Eleanor was devastated. she cried. How could he be so cruel and heartless. Ernie came home that night the children were at Roses. Eleanor confronted Ernie- he denied it all, said she was paranoid and crazy. They fought throughout the night, Ernie left for work the next day and never came back home.

A few weeks later Eleanor was downtown shopping, she saw a pregnant women walking arm in arm with Ernie, she watched them. Ernie kissed the woman and they parted. Ernie got in his car and drove off. Eleanor approached the woman, her name was Karen and told her he was a married man, she showed him pictures of the children. Karen laughed in her face- and told her Ernie was marrying her. Eleanor cried. Karen walked away laughing, saying no wonder Ernie left her- she was pathetic!

A few weeks later, Ernie and Eleanor divorced, he met another woman- a young teenager, he got her pregnant too. Karen was unaware of the teen who was pregnant, Ernest proposed to Karen, and soon Karen's mother helped her plan a small wedding in their home. After the wedding- Karen was in a car accident and lost the baby. Devastated, Ernie told her not to worry- he had a plan, he would get her another baby. Karen had no idea what he was talking about. Sandy- the pregnant teenager, had her son- she named him Matthew. Ernie tried to adopt Matthew- Sandy told him no way! I found out you are a player- I want nothing to do with you. GET LOST! Before I call the police.

Ernie came back to the hospital brought Karen home, and took care of her. He seemed really remorseful. He went to work each day, came home and cared for her. Soon Karen was pregnant again. The pregnancy went well, and soon she had a son. All was well- he gave up custody of his first two children, Karen was happy and pregnant again. With this pregnancy- Ernie again became restless, he started flirting with other women, not coming home. They argued, they fought, more and more tension in the home- Ernie was coming home less and less. Before long Karen was pregnant again. Ernie was coming home less and less. He stopped caring for the yard work, he stopped tending to household chores. He would be gone for days at at time and come home like nothing had happened.

One day Karen was really pregnant- she had a hard time getting on the riding lawn mower. The lawn needs mowing, no choice but to do it. She asked her son to play on the swingset with his sister while she mowed the lawn. She found a comfortable solution to her belly rubbing on the steering wheel. She tied a rope around the steering wheel and walked around the lawn with the mower being led with the rope. The children were playing her son in the tree, her daughter on the swing, as Karen walked by the swing set, her daughter fell off the swing and her leg went into the blade. The mower stalled, Karen screamed to her son to run and get the neighbor man. He ran as fast as his little feet could travel. The neighbor man helped Karen wrap the little girl and placed her in his car as they drove as fast as they could to the hospital. Everyone was in shock. The doctors rushed her in to surgery, and were able to reconstruct her leg, it was a mangled chopped up limb. Their lives would never be the same.

Ernie rushed to the hospital- Karen could not even look at him. She was so mad- blamed him for the accident- if he had been home doing his chores, she would not have injured her baby girl.

Karen delivered her baby in the late fall, Ernie brought her home and before long- guilt got the best of him and he left for good.