Quiet Life Homestead

I think I've cooled off enough to write

I'll try to do this as diplomatically as possible, hoping that after three days the hurt has diminished and I can be clear-headed, calm, and unbiased.  Well, I know I can be all three and could even then, its more like being able to type without crying.  So here goes....

As you may know, the kids and I agreed to work at a fireworks stand.  The stand is run by the aunt and uncle of my niece, Nicole.  Well, technically, they are step aunt and uncle. I'm going to call them Mrs. and Mr. Fireworks.  Anyway, they have been running this stand for years, and Nicole has been working at it for 5 of those years.  I've been told that what happened isn't normal, but we WON'T be working at their stand EVER again.  In fact, if I had known, I would'nt have left Bethany there last week to work without me.  Shoot, if I'd known, we'd never done it in the first place!

Okay, I'll do my best here so bear with me.  The boys changed their schedules at the library so we could go up on Friday.  Within 10 minutes of being there, Mrs. Fireworks was already yelling at all of us (my four, Nicole, and Mrs Fireworks' other niece).  We were doing nothing wrong, it had something to do with all the rain.  Every few minutes she kept asking me if the kids even wanted to work, because they weren't pushing fireworks the way she wanted.  (NOTE: my children and I have 4 years experience running - or help running a retail business.  You don't push anything, if a customer feels pressured to purchase, they are going to turn around and leave.)  What we would do is greet the customer and ask if we could help them find anything.  That usually opened them up and then we could assist them in their purchases, which were normally very big purchases.  

I won't get into all the details, but this continued every day, the yelling (mostly over stuff we had no control over, like the rain and the condition of the driveway, also over how many customers the other fireworks stand was currently having).  She wasn't even satisfied when we had tons of customers and wouldn't hesitate to tell them that they were __________amount behind from last year, the rain's killing us, etc.  It was always negative.  My kids were griped at for going to the bathroom, while her's watched television and wrote in her notebook in the airconditioned camper unheeded.  

The last straw was when Nicole tried to help fix the driveway which was very muddy.  We had some gravel delivered but the guy who was to spread it out didn't show up (he ended up getting there at 9pm).  Nicole and the boys went out there and tried to spread it out themselves.  Pretty soon, some guys from the other fireworks stand (those people were really great) came over with shovels and helped spread it out.  Nicole accidently got Mr. Firework's truck stuck and so Mrs. Fireworks called him in histerics (not spelled right).  Mr. Fireworks freaked and said Nicole would ruin the truck (funny, Mr. Fireworks did the exact same thing the day before).  The guys and Nicole finally got the truck unstuck.  One of the guys was driving the truck while another was pulling it with their truck.  Nicole was upset with herself and so she went for a walk, not to mention the fact that she was being yelled and cussed at from Mrs. Fireworks!  

Then Mrs. Fireworks went to get into the truck, but the door was locked.  She freaked, knowing that Nicole had locked the keys in (something that Mrs. Fireworks had done a few days earlier herself), when the guy who had driven the truck came back up from the other stand and gave her the keys.  He said he put them into his pocket without even thinking.  So here's Mrs. Fireworks, still cussing and yelling - maybe I should say screaming her head off.  Her other niece and I tried to talk to her.  To get her to calm down (since she'd already scared off all the customers).  Nicole was gone and all she could think about was that silly truck (which had nothing wrong with it, by the way).  I told her that I couldn't believe her.  That she couldn't see what Nicole had tried to do FOR HER and that while Nicole was gone and no one knew where she was, all she could think about was wanting to gripe her out.  While all I could think about was if something happened to her, I'd have to call her Mom, my sister.

The kids and I found Nicole okay and when we brought her back to the tent, Mrs. Fireworks told her thank you for what she had done.  Then offered to buy my kids and I something to make us feel better.  Excuse me?!  I decided to give her ANOTHER second chance (something I did every morning and night) and we went back to work.  Once we closed the tent after midnight, her other niece told me and the kids to go ahead and go to bed.  That Mrs. Fireworks needed to be the one to stay up until the guy was finished with the driveway and then she could turn off the generator and lights.  About five minutes later, she (niece) came into the camper and asked if I'd pick up some cigarettes for her (that's something I've never done).  Bethany and I had to go to the next town over to find somewhere still open (its after 1am)  and bought her some cigarettes.  When we got back, gave her the cigarettes and her change, she told me that when her husband got there in the morning, she was leaving.  What followed was an hour and a half of arguing (between the niece and Mrs. Fireworks), me crying, because the kids and I just couldn't take any more of it.  The people from the other stand even tried to help.  You guys would be so proud of Dallas.  He told Mrs. Fireworks that if I decided to give her one more chance and she did the same thing, we were going to drop whatever was in our hands, abandon our customers, and leave.  He said he never wanted to see his Mom like I was right then every again!  Not bad for a 14 (almost 15) year old!  Long story short (kinda late) I called Charlie and he said to come home.  The kids packed all our stuff and I asked for however much money we'd earned.  Mrs. Fireworks changed the amount that she'd promised Charlie for unloading the truck which made both Mrs. Fireworks' nieces jump back into the fray.  Finally, Nicole talked her into $150 per person instead of the $200 we were suposed to get. 

I've left out a few things, including what Mrs. Fireworks said to me when she gave me the check.  Lets just put it this way, Nicole was in there with me when she said what she said.  Nicole went outside and told the other niece and those that were there.  When I came out of the camper, they all hugged me and told me how embarrassed of Mrs. Fireworks they were. 

You'd be so proud of the kids.  Cody sold the most expensive thing that we had and the total came to almost $700 dollars!  This was just minutes after Mrs. Fireworks sent him over to work with me because "he wasn't trying to sell anything."  Bethany was very helpful to all the customers, gave advice, even memorized what all the different  fireworks did.  Dallas, besides the above, when given a tip by a customer, went across the street to the Braums and bought a fudge sundae.  He brought it over to me with two spoons and shared it with me.  Then he took Bethany across the street so she could buy some ice cream and he also took her to the fireworks stand that was over there so she could pick out some fireworks.  Every time the other fireworks people brought back another load of fireworks, the kids ran over there and helped unload.  The man who ran it had stomach surgery a few days before and couldn't lift anything heavy.  

I could go on and on, but think I may finally have it out of my system.  When I got back onto I-40, I felt more at peace than I had since we'd come to first unload the truck.  God has used this situation, this experience to further cement in me what He has called me to do.  I am thankful and praised Him even in the midst of all that happened (now I know why I felt so compelled to bring my Bible with me) and I am still thankful and still praise Him as the healing process begins.  Thank you to anyone to read all the way through this!  And please know that I do not harbor any bad feelings on the Fireworks family at all.  I have forgiven or are working on forgiving them.  They are in my prayers as I hope they will be in yours as well, if you feel lead to it. 

So sorry

{ 11:25, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by rashel }

I am so very sorry about your entire experience. I think you and your kids handled yourselves very well considering the circumstances. I can also tell God is working in you, you are showing His love by trying to forgive this family.
Blessings
Rashel

What a bummer

{ 12:41, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by UnlikelyHomesteader }

But it was a learning experience and I'm sure a reminder to appreciate our families and of just how differently other people live sometimes.

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{ 01:30, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by HandsNHearts }

WOW.
Um....WOW....
You have far more Christian charity and compassion than I have....I'd have walked out with the children long long long before you did.
Wow.

The fireworks stands around here (and there are millions of them, all year long, every holiday) aren't too bad. Some try to 'push' certain packages, most tend to let you go about your business, and if you get some things and they have a better deal in a package, most will tell you. But to do that whole 'push' job with the fireworks sets my feet and pocketbook to walking out the door fast. I hate pushy salesmen.

Deanna

Interesting...

{ 01:40, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by srusnowangel }

Sounds like you and your children handled yourselves beautifully. I can see why you were so upset. But all happens for a reason and it is in God's plans. Maybe in your testament (the way you and your children handled yourselves) you touch lives you might not even realized. Or planted a seed in the minds of those around you during that time that will take root and bloom. I will pray for mr/mrs fireworks.

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{ 04:18, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by Kitty }

Some people you just cant do enough for. They are never appreciative for anything. I know a few people like that, even worked for a couple. But the yelling and screaming would have drove me and my children off the first day. You are a better person than I think I would have been.
Kitty

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{ 06:58, Thursday, July 5, 2007 } { Posted by Roberta }

Wow, it sounds like you had your hands full. I am not sure I would of stuck it out as long as you did. There are people out there that will find fault no matter what and Mrs. Fireworks sounds like that type of person. it wasn't fair that she didn't keep her end of the deal about payment. You handled yourself with maturity and I am sure your kids learned somethings along the way that will help them in the future. Now that you are home, take a break and enjoy your kids. :)
God Bless
Roberta