Soon after the first meeting, Vince invited me to go to his house. He picked me up in the yellow Stingray. We drove to his house near the ocean. When he pulled up to the front of the house my eyes opened wide and gazed at the jungle look of his landscape. His estate looked like a hidden paradise surrounded by tropical trees and lush grass. When we stepped out of the car I fell down on the curb. I was so embarrassed! Being around him I acted clumsy and stumbled. I feared he would think I was an idiot. We were greeted by his new wife who had brown hair and brown eyes. She gave me a tour of their home.

"The house was large and had other smaller homes on the land. There were Koi ponds and rare tropical plants. The landscaping was spectacular and worthy of any home and garden magazine. Vince was a general contractor and Real Estate Broker. He built custom homes for the rich and famous. His skills were shown off here at his home, where he turned the land into a 'Garden of Eden'.

There was much to explore on the grounds. I played in the garden making believe that I was a princess out of some modern fairy tale. I chased frogs and crickets, stomping my feet to make them jump. There were many ponds with large Koi. I enjoyed watching them swim in their aquatic homes. Many of the Koi were as large as 12 inches. The sound of the waterfalls was relaxing. I could sit and listen for long periods of time without interruption.

When darkness came it brought the wind and wrestled its way through the tall grasses and bamboo reeds creating an eerie howling. The howling sounds scared me and I got goose bumps. Colored lights turned on illuminating the walking path. I walked slowly and carefully through the path to the house. Paradise was frightening at night. Everything looked different then earlier. Every step I took, I imagined a monster would jump out and grab me. By the time I made it to the door, I was a nervous wreck.

I walked into the house and smelled the aroma of food in the air. My stomach grumbled I had not eaten since morning. I went into the kitchen where Vince's wife was cooking. I asked, "Is dinner ready?"
"Not yet." she uttered.
I went to the bathroom and washed my hands. I combed my hair and went to the living room to watch TV.

An hour later dinner was finally served. It was 9:00pm when I looked at the clock. I had never eaten that late before. I was so hungry I forgot to say a prayer. I gobbled up the food and fell asleep soon after. Vince and his wife brought me to bed. They tucked me in and kissed me goodnight.

The next morning, Vince took me home. I hugged him and went into the house. He called about 3 weeks later and again invited me to come over. This time, he was greeted by my Grandfather, who was in the garage at the time he came. Grandfather extended his hand out to Vince, "Long times no see!" "Hello Smithy." replying back while they shared a strong grip and long look.

Vince told me to get my stuff and he would wait in the car. I felt a little angry with my Grandfather. I didn't want him to discourage my dad from coming around. I got my stuff as fast as I could and forgot my toothbrush.

These visitations took place once a month for a few years. Slowly there were longer periods of time between each visit. And during the times we visited each other, we hardly talked about anything. He never did anything to make up for the lost time. I only remember him taking me somewhere once; 'The Ice Capades.' I think that was his wife's idea. He was not a loving man, never hugged me other then to say goodbye. If I needed him, he would tell me to ask my mom for it. He felt since he paid child support then my mom should have everything under control. He visited with me because he was paying for it, plain and simple.

And I still called him Vince!

Now back to the leg story Next