Sagehen Mesa - Season 4, Episode 5 - Ronda Faces Reality
Hi, it's me, Ronda.
My life is over! Carmen isn't the man I thought he was, and despite having a job, I'm broke! It's cold; I'm tire of sleeping on the ground, and I miss my Dad. I don't see how I'm ever going to get ahead and have a comfortable life. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you about my week from the beginning.
First, I got picked up by the cops for violating curfew. I was just trying to get a shower at the gym because there's no plumbing at Davina's shipping container. There were other people around, so I figured it would be fine for me to clean myself up a bit. It's REALLY hard to stay clean when you don't have a proper tub or shower.
The police woman was hesitant to leave me at the shipping container. I think she's figured out I'm a runaway, but I told her Davina was my grandma, and I was just staying with her a few days to help her get some government assistance so she would be in a better situation. I gave her Carmen's phone number and said he was my brother and would verify my story. He's my best friend, so I figured he wouldn't rat me out. But you never really know about people.
I've been surprised that we haven't been spending more time together. He's always busy when I call, and I've got a lot of things of my own going on. For one, I've saved up enough money from my job at the grocery store to enroll in an online entrepreneur's course. I'm pretty excited about it and would like to run my own business someday - maybe a bar. I think it would be really fun to be a mixologist. I really wanted to tell Carmen about it, but first I had class, then I had to work. Adulting is so hard sometimes!
When I finally got off work, went over to Carmen's camp looking for him. He wasn't there, but the girl he says is a friend of his was - and she's preggers! I congratulated her and asked her if the father was planning on helping her out with finding an apartment or house or something so the kid would have a real home.
She said, "Of course, Carmen is working really hard and thinks he might have some great gigs lined up. We should be able to get our own place soon."
"Are you suggesting that Carmen's the father?!"
"I'm not suggesting it, I'm telling you. We've been seeing each other for months!"
"You're lying! Carmen and I are close! He would have told me if you guys were in a romantic relationship!"
"How irresponsible are you? Gettin' knocked up when you have no where to go! That's just stupid!"
"You need to calm down. Attacking me is inappropriate! I know I've gotten myself into a fix, but Carmen and I will figure it out! We are together, and if you don't believe me, you can ask him yourself!
"Look, you seem like a nice kid. I bet you have a great family at home who misses you. Learn from my bad example, go home, and finish school while you have the chance. Carmen is working tonight, but if you come over tomorrow afternoon, you can talk to him yourself and he'll tell you what's what."
Then Paulo came up to me, "Tough break about Carmen," he said. "Angie's telling the truth; she and Carmen share that tent over there. Mine's next to it. Why don't you join me and I'll give you a tour of my place, I always thought you were kinda hot."
"What are you suggesting, Paulo?"
"I think you know. Don't play all innocent with me. You've on the streets long enough to know how things are. Carmen is too old for you, but I'll look after you. What da ya say?"
"Paulo! I can't believe you are suggesting such a thing! I think I'm gonna be sick!"
"What's the big deal, Ronda? I thought you liked me! You've always been nice to me."
"Just because a girl is nice to you doesn't mean she wants to sleep with you! Honestly! How many girls have you tried this scheme on?!"
"I'm sorry! You were giving me mixed signals! How was I to know you weren't interested?"
"I'm sure you KNEW I was interested in Carmen! I'm sure everyone knew! Am I just a big joke to all of you?"
"If you think you're gonna be my rebound guy, you've to another think comin'! This is so humiliating! I'm leaving."
So it seems I've lost both Carmen and a guy my own age who I thought was a potential friend! Life is so unfair!
The next day I went back to get the story from Carmen. I figured if he was the father of Angie's baby, he could tell me himself!
I confronted him right there in front of everybody! And he LAUGHED AT ME!
"You think this is funny? You broke my heart! I hope you're happy with yourself!"
"I'm sorry, Ronda. I never meant to hurt you. I've always thought of you as a really good friend. But I am too old for you. We are in different places in our lives, and frankly, you're too good for me. You need to go home, finish school, and find a guy your own age. I'm really sorry about the misunderstanding."
"I'm sorry about last night, Angie. I know this isn't really your fault. You're BOYFRIEND has a screw loose. Good luck with that.
Then Paulo came up to me. "I want to apologize for last night. I made some assumptions I had no business making. I hope you can forgive me. I'd like us to be "just friends" if that's all you want."
Maybe Paulo isn't all that bad.
The events of the past few days have taken a lot out of me, and I was exhausted. I was back at Davina's place, just wanting to crawl into my sleeping bag and die, when who should come down the street by my sister Dara!
"Ronda! I'm so glad you're okay! We've been searching for you for weeks!"
Dara and I have never really gotten along very well, but I was sure glad to see her. I really needed a hug after the past few days.
She told me all about the efforts she and Deputy Rae, and Mr. Barclay, and Jolene Lawson had made to locate me.
They learned that the police had picked me up and dropped me off at a shipping container where an elderly woman was known to camp out at and was told that she was frequently seen at the gyms around town, so Deputy Rae started questioning every elderly woman she saw in the gym to see if she could track down Davina and learn of my whereabouts.
Mr. Barclay was staking out various public places, trying to find me. . .
He was even cultivating a relationship with Carmen to try and get him on board with turning me in, so they could bring me home.
"I'm glad I didn't tell Carmen where I was staying, or I'm sure he'd have betrayed me, the scum!"
"Oh, I don't know about that. I've confronted him a time or two myself, and he swore he didn't know where your were staying," Dara said.
Jolene Lawson worked closely with the police, did online research, . . .
and staked out some lots in an effort to find me. I was just about to agree to go home with Dara, when she started in on me, making fun on me for living in a shipping container, and basically acting like . . . you know, Dara . . . .
Then I got a text from Paulo's friend saying he liked me and asked me to go to his prom with him.
I decided I was too tired to think straight, so I got the address where Dara was staying and told her I was too tired to discuss anything with her, especially if she was going to act like a B-word.
I was going to get some sleep before deciding anything.
Deputy Rae said I was missed back home, and reminded me of what a nice life I had there, she brought up the fishing pond we had on our property, my dog, my own room with a real bed, . . .
and then said Dara also found a stray puppy she plans on taking home with us. I went to ask Dara about the puppy, . . .
but she was still being a condescending jerk, . . .
So I deciding to just go to bed.
I didn't see Davina when I left, but I left her a note and fed the kitten she brought home the other night. I hope she gets on okay. She was crazy, but she was nice.
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