[This article has been retroactively posted from my Kuro5hin Diary.]
I recently found out that my parents finally have custody of my nephew, Jake.
Jake is a typical 12 year old boy who excels in math and science at school and has made the honour roll every semester since he came to live with my parnets over two years ago. He likes computers and video games, and sometimes you’ll find him actually readng a book. He also has a pet lizard named Roy. Lori, his mother, is my older sister.
I was visiting my family over the weekend and was informed by Mom and Dad that they were awarded custody of Jake. This means they can finally get him on my father’s health insurance through Pepsico, which is a huge relief. He takes regular medication for his ADHD and recently had braces put on his teeth — neither of which are cheap.
I can’t say it was an arduous battle in court. Lori didn’t fight it — she simply signed papers while she was in jail (a whole other story). She is fully aware that Jake is much better off being in a stable home, which she is completely unable to provide him. I wish I could say that Lori has been the greatest mother to Jake. She certainly loves him, but has never been able to get her life together in a way that’s allowed her to provide long-term stability for her son.
Mom and Dad learned some interesting things while enrolling Jake in school. He hadn’t attended any school, at that point, in about a year and had not actually finished the second grade. Fortunately, he was able to pick up where he finished and was promoted to the third grade. (Jake’s now finishing up his fourth grade year.) I find it sad that Jake is now two years behind in his schooling, as he was already held back a year in Kindergarten.
The family was enraged to find out Jake missed school. The people over in Wayne Township had been trying to contact Lori and told her they were not interested in going after her criminally, but simply wanted to get Jake in school. I honestly don’t understand how Lori was able to just let him not attend, especially after they literally offered her immunity. Perhaps she was afraid of conflict or unwilling to fess up to the fact that she failed her motherly duties? Of course, I’m sure that if Mom and Dad had not decided to raise Jake, eventually Lori would have been in trouble with the law due to Jake’s truancy from school.
So, finally, Mom and Dad have custody of Jake and we no longer have to concern ourselves with Lori storming into the house with police officers to take Jake away. (Keep in mind that Lori has never been barred from visiting Jake.) We weren’t terribly concerned about it, anyway, especially since Jake told his mother that he wanted to live with his grandparents, and Lori is respecting that. But in the back of our minds, we did fear that Lori would some day get a crazy idea in her head and try to take Jake back. Thankfully, the law is now on our side since she has forfeited her rights as Jake’s mother.
I have no idea where Lori lives right now or what she is doing. Mom and Dad probably have an idea, but generally she goes from one friend’s house to the next, using people and getting in trouble with the law. The last time I saw or spoke to Lori was Christmas, and prior to that she had called me on the phone to ask if she could use my shower. I told her that I wasn’t going to be home (and I was literally about to leave) and did not offer to let her come over because I was afraid that something would be stolen, especially since she’s done it to me and everyone else in the past. I don’t know where she even got my telephone number.
Lori has been given numerous chances to get her life together. Mom and Dad have helped her time after time, and sometimes still do a little, but Lori’s never been able to make it last. Things will be fine for a little while (say six months to a year) and then everything just crashes and burns. She is a 39 year old woman who has yet to get her life together (and I’m her 26 year old little brother).
Thankfully, our energies are focuses on Jake, who has a chance at having a good life. I don’t know what kind of relationship he’s going to have with his mother — he’s probably seen a lot of bad things and is old enough to understand the type of person she is. Hopefully, it’ll all work out in the end, as most things seem to do.
