CHAPTER 9 - New Move

DeAnna told the social workers she didn't want to but Keith up for adoption. Her mom took him until she could get settled. George was a very easy going man and didn't mind a bit. It would give Angelia someone to play with.
DeAnna moved into Manistique with a friend, Paula Brown. She was a single mom too. There was a company van she could ride to work and she paid Paula to baby sit. Her baby was about the same age. After work they would party. Paula's brothers and friends would come back. DeAnna liked them all and enjoyed their company.
Steve had finally wrote to her. When she got the letter she called him right away. In the letter he told her he didn't know why he slept with other girls. It wasn't because of her. Sex with her was EXCELLENT!!!! It was the best he ever had in his life. It was just a guy thing. He really only loved her. But felt like he wanted to live life a bit before he settled down. But being without her he couldn't stand.
God, she was glad to hear from him. He wanted her to come out there. But at the time neither one had the money for a ticket. DeAnna was getting her income tax back shortly. So she told him she would be out there then.
God, she was so excited! He left his dad in Oregon and moved to California. Wow! Imagine that! California!
As the days went by she really got to thinking about everything. She was really happy now being single. She thought of all the pain and torment she went through being in love with Steve. The more she thought about it the more she realized she didn't want to go out there.
When her income tax finally came in she thought to herself, 'Do I really want to do this or not?' Finally she said no! She was not going through that kind of Hell anymore with him. She knew she could never trust him. So told Paula and everyone. The said they were all glad she wasn't leaving.
She had found out from Duane in Germfask that Steve missed her so much he was hanging around a model school because he knew she always wanted to be a model. DeAnna thought to herself 'Yep........... just out looking for another girl.'

DeAnna loved living with Paula. They hung out with a couple other girls and go to all kinds of parties out in the woods. They build huge bomb fires and they drank Yukon Jack out of the bottle with beer chaser. DeAnna would get to feeling so good she'd howl out loud. She got to be known around town as the girl who loved to howl!
Sometimes the guys would get stuck in the snow and everyone would have to push them out. They'd all get on the back bumper and with their backs against the bumper they'd pick it up and push. It was usually the only way to get them out.
On weekends she would walk King into town with John on her back. King went with her everywhere she went. It was so nice out. There was 8' of snow on the ground but the sun would be kicking.
DeAnna got home one afternoon from her walk and told Paula she wanted to lay in the sun and get a tan.
"What?" Paula asked her as she set John on the ground. King right behind her. "Are you crazy?"
"No! For real! Let's put our swim suits on and lay on top of the roof and get a tan!"
Kathy and Laura was sitting there looking at each other.
"Alright!" They said. "We'll go home and get our suits and be right back!"
"Cool!" DeAnna said going through her things in the bedroom looking for her suit. As she found it she went into the bathroom to change.
"Alright! But if it's too cold I'm coming back in." Paula said as she looked for her suit. DeAnna walked out of the bathroom. The kids were asleep. She went into the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of Yukon and some beer. Tammy and Laura walked in. DeAnna handed them the cooler and climbed the rail up to the roof top. There was no snow on the roof where the sun was hitting. The girls threw her up some blankets, handed her the cooler then turned on the radio and climbed up with her.
They laid up there for hours. Cars riding through town seen them up there and would honk their horns and wave. When the kids got up they took turns watching them. People started stopping by and the party was on!
Mike came by and said he'd watch the kids. He was Paula's older brother and was always in love with DeAnna. She liked him alot but just as friends.
One night they were all just hanging out and DeAnna got to talking with Laura about her childhood. Laura couldn't believe it.
"You been through so much!" Laura said.
"Yea! As I tell it, it sometimes sounds hard to believe. You know I ought to write a book about it someday!" DeAnna said all the sudden the thought hit her!
"Yea! It would be interesting. That's for sure!"Laura said.
So DeAnna kept that thought in mind. Someday she'd take the pain she'd suffered as a child and do some good with it! Maybe help others who have been through the same kinda things to see their not alone!
As summer came DeAnna was feeling rather restless. She thought about what she wanted to do with her life. She would hitch hike to go and see Keith at her moms. One the way out while hitch hiking she would sing the sound Turn The Page by Bob Seager. Her mom would give her a ride home. They lived 120 miles apart. It would hurt her to leave Keith. Although he seemed happy there.
DeAnna decided to call her dad in Georgia one day. They had a long talk. He said he would help her if she wanted to move down there.
She thought it over for a few days then called him back. She told him she wanted to move there. He said grandma, pa and Uncle Stan was taking a vacation to Detroit in a few weeks and they would drive up to pick her and John up. So DeAnna packed her things to move to Georgia.
Paula had a big going away party for her. They all teased her that night. The song "The Devils Going Down To Georgia" just came it. Yep! Guess that's me she thought!