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The kids don't stay long. They will spending the night at daughter Sandy's and Michael's place.

Speaking of which after Jim and Loretta gather up Mari Grace and depart I get a phone call from Michael asking me how big Jim's car is.

There is a delicious irony to the question. Jim had arrived in a car that eventually will be given to Loretta by her step-dad and mother (when she gets a driver's license). I had asked her what model it was and she didn't know. The irony being that even though I have been a AAA dispatcher for almost 13 years if you asked me what cars my co-workers drove and Avengers comics would be the reward for every correct answer my collection would not be growing by so much as an issue. All I know is that's Loretta's loaner is white, small and the right front bumper has been intimate with a parking lot pole (to be kind) or a hit and run fender bender in the past no doubt. The kids will be leaving it at her place in Tennessee and returning by bus to Ft Irwin CA.

I hem haw around wondering what the meaning of this question is and finally grab Ferdinand by the horns and ask. Now the long suffering one had mentioned Michael 'thinking' about moving from Xenia to new quarters for a number of good and not-so-good reasons but I'm usually a mile ahead of him in procrastination. This was one hot summer and a constant whine to God about lawn mowing by a dutiful son-in-law went unanswered in the manner I thought it should be resolved in. Anyhoo Michael and Sandy are moving to Wilmington Oh--approximately 15 miles further away and a guarantee I won't be practicing winter driving skills in visitation. They really should stock Mountain Dews for me when I visit. Next year will be financially better after the 1st when a major bill is paid off but for now I really do have to think about gasoline use as the Grand Marquis drinks it like gatorade at a football game. Michael was hoping Jim's car had a lot of room for moving stuff and he is in for for a disappointment. By Sunday the move is almost over and it seems to going well.

Michael is hoping Jim will help him move. I tremble waiting for the invite to help. My relief at not getting said acknowledgement of my possession of muscles does no credit for my lack of zeal to father/son-in-law harmony. Lately I have noticed I get out of breath over seemingly simple physical tasks and I'm not THAT overweight. Jim does help him and I contribute one good idea. Michael's buddies arrived late and he had only about 8 boxes to load stuff in so I told Jim to have him use the play pen as a glorified box back and forth in the u-haul. Said advice passed on and acted upon and I'm sure saved them one trip at least. This will put Michael five minutes from work and save a lot on gas. His rent is slightly lower but some utilities will be paid by the landlord so maybe the kids can start to have a life.

Court day for the custody hearing is scheduled for 8:30 am in Springfield Domestic Relations courtroom. Jim is suing his ex-mother-in-law Shelia for custody of his first born son Damion by way of Gina the Devil Child when in a sad and grievious lack of judgement he signed away custody to Shelia going on over two years now. Worse--at the time--he and I had mended much of the turbulent teen years/parental arguments. He signed and then called us. I told him a parent never gives their guttersnipes up no matter how bad. Jim has been suffering for that error ever since. The marriage broke up within the year and while both have remarried (Jim for the better) and hopefully Gina though what little I hear she's well on her way to sending this one to an early grave. I give it three more years. But little Damion is caught up in this mess.

In my heart of hearts I always thought Shelia was trying to give Jim and Gina a wake up call for responsibility. The custody was not based on neglect (which would well have summed up Gina) or abuse (Michael and I disagree on that point re Gina but he's seen things I haven't) but on financial stability. Both kids were between jobs. Jim had left the Army. He went back to get some of that stability back. After about a year Shelia takes Jim to court (and Gina) to sue for child support. Now let's see if I understand this--you take a kid from parents that have no finances--continue to hold him on that basis and yet turn around and want money they supposedly don't have. In all this it seems very simple to me. The kids have money now--give the son back. Of course a contentious divorce and continuing rancor on all parties parts aren't helping. Shelia's second marriage is breaking up and I'll gladly take Gina over Craig ANY DAY ANY YEAR--he is a piece of work. I do feel Shelia and Craig MIGHT have stayed together but Shelia was ALWAYS putting Gina ahead of him and for that I do not blame him. The slob actually does care for Damion but he hates Gina which she has returned in full.

My policy was, is and still to NEVER voluntarily contact Shelia or visit. I contend she stole Damion and continues to keep him from his rightful parents. Now she does send Damion down to stay with Gina weeks at a time which the very loosely written court orders allow and still remain custodian. I feel that anything I do in way of contact/visit is a tacit agreement that I condone HER actions as acceptable. One good thing about my upbringing is I can stand to lose people, places and things for years at a time and wait (somewhat patiently for happier times). I do believe two things. I think when the divorce from Craig is over Shelia will try to sign custody over to Gina (can't be done without Jim's approval) and she fears Jim will not let her see Damion again when he gets possession. Gina had twice made the same threat to ME and I've called the bluff. Emotional blackmail is never pretty and I'm better at it (not proud of it) and I'be learned best solution is take your glove and go home.

AT 6:20 I awake in a frenzy thinking it's an hour later. When assured otherwise the grizzley goes back to bed for another hour. Ruth and I dress up just a bit and find the proper court building without too much detouring. Jim is ahead of us dressed in Army greens (which always looked cooler then my Air Force blues) and Sheila, her mother and a gentleman who I surmise is her lawyer are on a bench ahead of us. She's changed her hair color but all the harshness of her life (and some of it explains much about her but I'm past bleeding for her sins--my own are troublesome enough) has aged her.

She does not look at us and I spend time studying her mother who also makes no acknowledement of our presence. I remind myself I have not seen her since Damion was born and she looks about the same compared to Shelia. We are both Chritians on opposite sides of the fence and I feel sad that we'll have better conversations in Heaven that must be postponed.

The hearing is almost anticlimatic. Lasts about an hour. No one is allowed in unless called for. Jim represents himself and only Ruth is called as an outside witness. I truly wish Jim had called me but he explained afterwards most anything I would have said would be treated as heresay.

Which brings me to THIS point. I feel the court does NOT have a well laid out pattern of the lives being lived in this little drama. Gina failed to show for health reasons. I believe a major discussion of Shelia, Gina, Jim, Ruth and I should take place to see what the reality of Damion's life is (or isn't). Besides the facts what are feelings, motives and aspirations for this child on all parties parts should be noted and considered. It did come out per Ruth that she and I were left out of the custody snatch that took place but little seems to made of it. I wanted it known why I don't deal myself in more. You would think the courst would respect a principle being lived out. Majority of the questions dealt with whether Ruth, Jim and I had contact or not. I believe a distorted picture came out of this. No call from Jim on Damion's birthday--pretty hard to do when you're out in the field. No contact past three months--a signed order on an Army form clears that mystery up.

A decision is made to render a decision in two to three weeks. No happy campers there. My sole contribution to the proceedings now occurs. Ruth had gone to the ladies room, Jim and Loretta quickly exited the building while Shelia and lawyer friend sit on the bench seats.

Shelia finally looks my way. I give her my my friendly "Hi there what's your sign?" smile and she jerks her head away clearly annoyed. My work is done. My revenge complete. Whichever way the decision I hope to honor God's hand in it. But I pity the day Damion realizes his grand-mother kept him from his father so she could get money for him. If he's a teen and inherited the Mtpspur self-righteousness the day will not be pretty and Shelia will wake up at last to what she has done though I still do not believe it STARTED out that way. And there are lamentations in Rama for the lost children and Rachel weeps..

NEXT: Reasonably short epilog.