Twice Around the Block, then the Park

By Frances Cardriche Leon

This story begins on June 28, 1959, when nineteen years old Janet, married Jake,
a worldly man and eleven years her senior. Janet had high exceptions when they
moved into their Shotgun cottage. She imagined that they would live happily
ever after. She was not prepared for her future with Jake.
Janet’s life experiences would have been devastating for most women but, she
stood tall and turned each experience into opportunities to move forward faster
than normal. Using money, she save from her household budget and her sewing,
Janet secretly pursued a college education. During this time, she gave birth to
two sons and earned her college degree and later earned two post grad degrees.
Jake’s sudden death brought her family new challenges that they were well
prepared for.
Janet’s life became more meaningful and fulfilling when she met the man that was
worthy of her love. This new life had its difficult time but, Janet’s experiences and
training skills played a major role in easing the pain that came about.
She always remembered that experiences are learning steps that you take one at
a time and learn from each step.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jun 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9781663262240

Frances Cardriche Leon

TWICE AROUND THE BLOCK, THEN THE PARK, is Frances Leon’s first novel and the culmination of a rich and varied background in the arts and education. Born in New Orleans, LA, Frances majored in music while attending Xavier University. But after graduating, marrying, having three children, and moving to Los Angeles, she began a long career as a teacher. When teaching drama, she penned her own plays for her students to perform. In retirement, she has made forays into modeling and commercial acting. “TWICE AROUND THE BLOCK, THEN THE PARK” is the result of her love of travel, culture, and most of all, family.

Book preview

Copyright © 2023 Frances Cardriche Leon.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Certain characters in this work are historical figures, and certain events portrayed did take place. However, this is a work of fiction. All of the other characters, names, and events as well as all places, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

844-349-9409

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Interior Image Credit: Earl Alden Eaton

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6223-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6225-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6632-6224-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024907895

iUniverse rev. date:  06/10/2024

CONTENTS

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1     Twice around the Block, Then the Park

Chapter 2     Walking the First Block: My Journal, My Journey

Chapter 3     Attacking Me and What I Stand For

Chapter 4     Shocked and Proud: Graduation Weekend

Chapter 5     Let Me Be a Part of This Family

Chapter 6     Brett’s Day

Chapter 7     Another Turn in the Road

Chapter 8     Jake’s Other Side: Who Are You?

Chapter 9     I Don’t Care

Chapter 10   Another Mystery Solved

Chapter 11   Change Is a Necessary Part of Life

Chapter 12   The Big Move

Chapter 13   Can I Fix It?

Chapter 14   Mother and Me

Chapter 15   Willing to Take Care of Her Forever

Chapter 16   My Walk, My Journey

Chapter 17   Someone is Sitting in Her Seat

Chapter 18   A Walking Partner

Chapter 19   An Evening of Surprises

Chapter 20   A Tribute to David

Chapter 21   Questions, Answers, and Advice

Chapter 22   Show Me Your Friends, and I’ll Know Who You Are

Chapter 23   Getting to Know More about You

Chapter 24   My Afterthoughts

Chapter 25   These Were Not Happy Times

Chapter 26   Why?

Acknowledgement

DEDICATION

Peggy, I used your name and vibrant personality in, TWICE AROUND THE BLOCK, THEN THE PARK. I did not use your terms of endearment.

I couldn't think of anyone else that would be as effective because Janet needed you and loved you.

I love you my sister.

I don't know of any other person that would have filled the void and given sisterly love to Janet. It is extremely important to me to let the world know what a loving person you were. I want to keep your voice alive by sharing your unlimited love and kindness. AND to our mother who was the strongest woman I knew.

To all the women who suffer through abuse, I dedicate this book to you also and pray that you too will find a Peggy in your life. Please keep your hopes alive. You will preserve and find a better life.

Frances Cardriche Leon

PROLOGUE

This is the story of many women in the world. The characters might fit someone you know or even you.

Janet, the storyteller, has a life worth talking about, and she does talk about it. She knows she has endured and persevered in a life that many women would not and could not go through. Her gift of forgiving goes far beyond what is expected of any human. At first, she is naive and has not learned the ways of older people with lots of experience. Janet goes into her marriage without thinking about how the dropping of the atomic bomb, the Korean War, discrimination, the murder of Emmett Till, freedom marchers, and her in-laws will affect her life. Later, the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin L. King Jr., Malcolm X, and Robert Kennedy add to her perspective in life.

What she gives and what she expects of others are short of what she receives. Janet finds that she is sometimes the laughingstock of her in-laws. She still, most of the time, maintains her poise and sanity.

Don’t be critical of Janet when you walk with her on her journey. Be patient, and see how she blossoms into a full-grown woman. See what she learns through her experiences with people you wouldn’t expect to help or harm her.

Although she struggles with self-confidence and self-worth at times, she finds a way to achieve her dream.

This story takes the reader through an account of Janet’s life written by her friend Laura, based on Janet’s journal, in which she tells of her early life and life with her husband, Jake, and her two children. While reading her story, Janet stops to reckon with what is on the printed page. It is not easy for her to relive the past. It is as if she is going through those difficult times again.

When her life takes a turn she does not expect, she marches with the band and doesn’t miss a step. Her exceptional ability to cope pays off, and she uses all her experiences to make her life better. As she walks through new and different stages of life, she takes time to put everything in perspective before she makes any decisions.

Janet learns that life doesn’t hand you a golden key to open all doors. She understands that nothing, and no one, is perfect. She is ready for the unexpected because her experiences have taught her many grave lessons. She knows that change will come whether she wants it or not. That’s life.

Her strength, weaknesses, faith, and love for mankind erupt when she is called upon to perform a task or render a favor.

Come with her, be with her, and see how she has prepared herself for a new life of unforeseen experiences.

CHAPTER 1

TWICE AROUND THE

BLOCK, THEN THE PARK

The phone rang, and I answered it. I laughed and said, Yes, this is Janet. I know it is you, Laura, because no one else would call me by that name. How are you? That’s great. Yes, I am doing well. Thank you for asking. I have been waiting for your call. I do hope you have good news for me. Ah, that sounds like an excellent plan. Yes, I’ll be here waiting for the letter carrier tomorrow. Thank you, Laura. You have been so patient with me. I’ll call you after I have finished reading it. Oh yes, I know I will be pleased. Thanks again, Laura. Goodbye.

Even though we have become great friends since that flight to New York, I never prolong our conversations. I know she is very busy, and I let her set the pace. When she calls me, I know there is something she needs to clarify. If an extensive conversation emerges from that, it is of her doing.

She called me just to see how I was doing. That was nice of her. I am sure she’s learned more about my personality than I’ve learned about hers. I enjoy our chats and the relationship we have developed. She is easy to talk to.

My thoughts always go back to five years ago, when I met Laura on a flight to New York. I knew who she was before she sat down next to me. Her picture was in every gift shop in the airport, but she was shorter than I expected. Her hairstyle was different from the one in her picture, but her smile was the same. A big smile lit up her thin, diamond-shaped face. Her smile was a clue to what her personality was like. We both spoke at the same time and laughed about it. It was an icebreaker. She let our laughter go right into a conversation. I really do not like to talk while flying, because I am usually very tired and want to sleep but, I could see that she really wanted to chat.

A thought came to my mind: I bet she gets many of her writing ideas from people like me.

I am just happy to say that I sat next to the author Laura Wright. I don’t have anything to say to her that she might want to use in one of her novels. I love my life as it is, and I don’t need to tell anyone about it. If I had met her thirty years ago, I could have curled her ears with my life stories. Now that things are different and I am so very happy, I don’t like to think of the sad times I had and what I went through.

Laura told me she was on her way to Europe for work and pleasure. She needed to do some research for a novel she was working on, and at the same time, she would meet with longtime friends for some R and R.

We talked about many subjects. Love and following your dreams were two topics that took most of the time. We had a lot of time because we had to sit on the tarmac for an hour after the airplane landed. Our wait was the result of a storm that brought lightning and thunder. We had to wait our turn to pull in at the gate.

All of Laura’s works are about strong women. She is an advocate for women and is easy to talk to. I am sure I fell into her trap and gave her information she did not ask for. I don’t know why I told her so much after saying to myself that I wouldn’t talk about my sad life.

When we finally got to the gate, we hugged, and she gave me her card and asked for mine. I was happy she thought so kindly of me to ask me to call her when I felt like talking.

She knew then that I had a lot of stories in me that were crying to get out. I gave her my card, and she read it and smiled.

She read something on the card that I hadn’t revealed in our conversation.

She said, I see you followed your dream.

I replied, I did what I had to do.

We promised to keep in touch after her stay in Paris and England.

It was hard not to reveal my true reason for going to New York. I really didn’t know the real reason myself. I believe you should never tell someone everything about yourself. Just try to be a good listener and learn about the other person. Most of all, never underestimate anyone.

She seemed to have the same principle. I am sure that was why she wanted to talk more, especially after she read my card.

Months passed, and I didn’t think of her. I was too busy traveling, planning, and meeting other people who had come into my life. It was time well spent, because life was so joyfully light and uncomplicated at that point. It was just what I always had wanted, a simplified life, and I was responsible for it being that way. I had to learn to say what pleased me and what I disliked. There were times when I compromised, but it was of my own thinking. It didn’t matter, because I did get part of what I wanted, and I had some say in what was going on.

I’ll never forget this day, the first day of June. Laura is a lady of her word. Now I must keep my end of the bargain and read this manuscript in two days.

It is a cloudy day, but I feel sunny and bright because the project is complete, and I did what I wanted to do.

Oh, how I love this house. It is just perfect. I can see the ocean, the garden, and the forest from almost every room. This place makes me feel full of life and love. I just want to go to every room and embrace the good feelings projected from each one.

One day Rita, the housekeeper, caught me dancing and waving a towel in the air. She just smiled, threw her arms toward heaven, and said, Thank you. She said it was something she’d wanted to see in this house for a long time.

When Ann came to visit me here, she was impressed and fell in love with the house and garden. We spent hours enjoying lunch on the patio while the birds serenaded us.

She was fascinated by the antique fountain I’d found in a junkyard. It went well with the Italian tile on the patio.

I guess that was why she wanted to know if I was going to read the book in my garden. She knows that it is my favorite place and that I have grown and blossomed over the years just like the plants that surround me.

Before I go outside, I must open the shutters so I can look out and see the birds take food from the feeder. Now that the project is over, I am going to take pictures of the birds and do research on them, so I’ll know what kinds of birds I have in my own private park. Just look at them. They are waiting for me to come outside to do my morning walk. The birds make me feel like Saint Francis of Assisi when they come up close to me and eat out of my hands. They don’t know this is a special day for me, and I will not walk the entire path leading to the waterfall on the northwest end of the garden. I will stop at the swing near the pond and the wishing well, and I’ll read until lunchtime. I want to read at least half of the manuscript by dinner.

My mind has been running rapidly since I received the phone call from Laura. I am now having mixed feelings about what I did. This project was hard for me to do, but on the other hand, I want to help other women. I guess I don’t want to revisit some parts of my life again.

Life hasn’t always been this favorable to me. I feel blessed that I can enjoy all of this. Laura’s last novel certainly has helped many women. Even though she lives many miles away, she is part of my new life here in Santa Barbara. I don’t have many friends here, but I have my park and wildlife. We make this our sanctuary.

It is cool and damp out here. I must be careful not to fall on the dew-covered stone path. I hope my sweater will be enough to keep me warm, along with the hat Rita put out for me to wear.

Rita has put a thermos of hot tea and crackers on the table, and she has wiped the night dew off the swing and folded a blanket for me just in case I get too cool. I am lucky to have her. She thinks of everything.

I hope I do not get too emotional while reading this. The title is so real. It is just the way my life is and was. I really don’t know how I lived through the thirty years of my marriage to Jake. I asked Laura to write this in the first person, and now I am afraid to read it. She told me it is a novel, not a biography. I must get started, and I don’t care if everybody knows it is about Elizabeth Labeaud. There are probably more women like me out there than I can imagine.

CHAPTER 2

WALKING THE FIRST BLOCK:

MY JOURNAL, MY JOURNEY

Rain stayed up in the clouds on my wedding day until noon. After that, it rained off and on until late afternoon on June 28, 1959. People in New Orleans always believed that if it rained on your wedding day, God was pouring His blessings onto the newly married couple. They could conjure up a reason for everything. I was happy the rain stopped before the wedding party luncheon and that evening for our night reception.

What was my reason for crying when I was taking my vows? Was it because I really didn’t know what I was getting into, or was it because I was happy? I should have been happy, because I had known