Bonnie Murdock (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
is_the_motion) wrote2017-01-18 08:07 pm
is_the_motion) wrote2017-01-18 08:07 pm
(no subject)
Picking a neutral location to discuss child support and alimony was relatively straightforward. It had only been just over a week, but for Bonnie, it feels a lot longer, because she's had to get so much done.
Oddly, being able to do something, being angry, actually brings out strength in her.
It was an annoying blow to discover that Turtle had closed the joint account - what did he think she was going to do, rob him? Fortunately she'd just about managed to sort out the urgent bills enough to get the money for completing Jay's work.
A couple of days later, she'd had a visitor. Back in the day, such disaster would have brought dozens of bikers to her doorstep, but since the death of Black Ice and the resulting schism from the leadership arguments the group has become very disjointed. Picket had returned to 'lead' the gang, and she and Turtle had been set to start their own. She had expected the remaining bikers to side with Turtle after their split, and was therefore quite surprised when Rusty knocked on her door.
"Is it true you're startin' a new group?" Rusty asks, once she's shown him in.
"Not with Turtle." Bonnie says. "I mean, we were, but we cain't now, obviously. You'll have to ask him."
"We don't want to join a group with him, we want to join a group with you." Rusty says. "Me and Glassy and Scythe, and I'm sure Chains will come too since he's your boy, and of course Ernest will. Red, you've been in our lives a long time, you got Glassy through his GED, and we were ready to go with you when you said you wanted a more family friendly group. I'm gonna be a pa too, soon."
"Oh congratulations!" Bonnie says.
"Thanks. But my wife, she don't like me goin' off gettin' hammered with the boys, I got to be responsible now." Rusty says. "But I want my kid to see the road too."
Bonnie considers this. Starting a new group is a lot of work, but then they already did most of the donkey work. All they were lacking was...
"You help me come up with a name and I'll see what I can do." she says.
"Well I thought... I thought maybe the Rattlesnakes." Rusty says, hesitantly. "Because a bunch of the folks will come along with a rattle."
Bonnie barks a laugh. "You know, that actually could work."
***
When she gets to the 'neutral location', in the back room at Alvin's church, she sees Turtle arrive holding hands with a young woman. Ted had guessed that the woman was in her mid thirties, but Bonnie was used to looking at the faces of drinkers and she suspected the woman was younger. She's fair and slim and has nice skin; but when the woman turns around Bonnie is suddenly taken aback.
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" she says, causing the woman to jump in alarm. "Didn't... didn't I teach you? Weren't you in my homeroom class, about ten years ago? Celia whatshername..."
Celia blushes. "Celia Hart, Mrs Murdock."
"You got a younger brother?" Bonnie asks. "Robert Hart, in the senior year?"
Celia nods.
"Well, Celia, something very odd happened last year just after it came out at school that I was pregnant." Bonnie says. "Someone painted 'Whore' on my door. You know anything about that?"
Celia hesitates. "I can ask him. Would he be in trouble?"
"No, not if it clears it up." Bonnie says.
"Well, er, shall we sit down?" Turtle asks, going rather red himself.
"Sure. Why is she here?" Bonnie asks, sitting on the opposite side of the table. Alvin comes in, in his full preacher clothing, and sits next to her.
"Same reason as Alvin's here, I'm guessing." Turtle says.
"Alvin is here for moral support." Bonnie says. "Celia is presumably here for immoral support."
Celia sits next to Turtle. "I was with him first, Mrs Murdock."
"You were with him when he got with me. I was with him when you came to get him back." Bonnie shrugs. "The only difference is that I didn't know he was cheatin' on someone else, you did."
"Can we get to the arrangements?" Turtle asks.
"Fine." Bonnie says, getting out a sheet of paper. "Here's what you need to do in order that I don't take you to court. These are the current going rates fer child support and alimony on yer current salary. You will return my share of the joint account within seven days, which is detailed on this page."
"I cain't give you that just yet, I needed it to get somewhere to live when you kicked me out." Turtle protests.
"Tough shit, it ain't yours and I need it fer bills." Bonnie says. "Why cain't you move in with her?"
"Because we ain't married." Turtle says.
"Fuck's sake, Turtle, yer on yer second divorce, bit more living in sin ain't gonna make much difference."
"Aunt Bonnie." Alvin says gently. "I don't mean to be rude, but we are in the house of the Lord."
"Sorry honey." Bonnie nods at him then turns back to Turtle. "You will return my share of the joint account within twenty eight days or I will take you to court."
"Do I get any say in this?" Turtle asks.
"No." Bonnie says. "I do not want to take you to court but if I do, I will win. I know what you earn and I keep full accounts."
"We don't need to go to court." Turtle says. Not least because he knows she's had enough ventures into family court that she would win.
"Excellent." Bonnie says. "This is a contract fer the money owed. Sign and print here."
"Maybe you should get a lawyer to read it." Celia says, as Turtle takes the document.
"It's legit, one of her boys is a judge." Turtle says, reading it through and then signing it. "Visitation?"
"Well that depends. Obviously you work shifts." Bonnie says. "I am not happy fer Celia to be taking Billie on her own."
"You're happy leaving Billie with Lucy." Turtle says.
"We've both known Lucy as long as Celia's been alive, and she's family." Bonnie says. "The most I know about Celia is that she attends Alcoholics Anonymous with you, likes yellow and black lace underwear, and flounced outta my class in tenth grade because her bird box fell to pieces."
"I'm quite capable of looking after a baby, Mrs Murdock." Celia says.
"There is no reason fer you to." Bonnie says. "If Turtle is at work, there is no reason fer Billie to have visitation with you. I daresay your skills will come in handy when he's home, given I've never seen him change a diaper or get her dressed yet. I suggest we start with a provisional up to two weekend days a month, depending on shifts, no overnight stays, and you give me some notice when you get yer shifts."
"Why not overnight?" Turtle asks.
"When was the last time you took care of Billie at night when you lived with me?" Bonnie demands. "You should be thankin' me fer lettin' you off the hook."
"All right." Turtle nods. "What if I wanted to take her on holiday?"
"That will need discussion, but I'm sure we can make that work." Bonnie says. "If I take her on a trip with the bikers we'll rearrange the visitation time."
"You're still starting a new group? Without me?" Now Turtle looks hurt. "That was my idea, Bonnie."
"Tough..." Bonnie pauses, hearing a cough from Alvin. "Cheese. As Billie grows older and doesn't need so much care - diapers and things - we can adjust the arrangements as necessary. And if you don't pay child support, you don't get visitation. Objections?"
Turtle shakes his head. Bonnie presents him with another contract to sign.
"How is she being so cold?" Celia asks Turtle, as they pack their things up to leave.
"She's not." Turtle says, turning back to glance at Bonnie. "She's being a survivor."
Oddly, being able to do something, being angry, actually brings out strength in her.
It was an annoying blow to discover that Turtle had closed the joint account - what did he think she was going to do, rob him? Fortunately she'd just about managed to sort out the urgent bills enough to get the money for completing Jay's work.
A couple of days later, she'd had a visitor. Back in the day, such disaster would have brought dozens of bikers to her doorstep, but since the death of Black Ice and the resulting schism from the leadership arguments the group has become very disjointed. Picket had returned to 'lead' the gang, and she and Turtle had been set to start their own. She had expected the remaining bikers to side with Turtle after their split, and was therefore quite surprised when Rusty knocked on her door.
"Is it true you're startin' a new group?" Rusty asks, once she's shown him in.
"Not with Turtle." Bonnie says. "I mean, we were, but we cain't now, obviously. You'll have to ask him."
"We don't want to join a group with him, we want to join a group with you." Rusty says. "Me and Glassy and Scythe, and I'm sure Chains will come too since he's your boy, and of course Ernest will. Red, you've been in our lives a long time, you got Glassy through his GED, and we were ready to go with you when you said you wanted a more family friendly group. I'm gonna be a pa too, soon."
"Oh congratulations!" Bonnie says.
"Thanks. But my wife, she don't like me goin' off gettin' hammered with the boys, I got to be responsible now." Rusty says. "But I want my kid to see the road too."
Bonnie considers this. Starting a new group is a lot of work, but then they already did most of the donkey work. All they were lacking was...
"You help me come up with a name and I'll see what I can do." she says.
"Well I thought... I thought maybe the Rattlesnakes." Rusty says, hesitantly. "Because a bunch of the folks will come along with a rattle."
Bonnie barks a laugh. "You know, that actually could work."
***
When she gets to the 'neutral location', in the back room at Alvin's church, she sees Turtle arrive holding hands with a young woman. Ted had guessed that the woman was in her mid thirties, but Bonnie was used to looking at the faces of drinkers and she suspected the woman was younger. She's fair and slim and has nice skin; but when the woman turns around Bonnie is suddenly taken aback.
"You gotta be kiddin' me!" she says, causing the woman to jump in alarm. "Didn't... didn't I teach you? Weren't you in my homeroom class, about ten years ago? Celia whatshername..."
Celia blushes. "Celia Hart, Mrs Murdock."
"You got a younger brother?" Bonnie asks. "Robert Hart, in the senior year?"
Celia nods.
"Well, Celia, something very odd happened last year just after it came out at school that I was pregnant." Bonnie says. "Someone painted 'Whore' on my door. You know anything about that?"
Celia hesitates. "I can ask him. Would he be in trouble?"
"No, not if it clears it up." Bonnie says.
"Well, er, shall we sit down?" Turtle asks, going rather red himself.
"Sure. Why is she here?" Bonnie asks, sitting on the opposite side of the table. Alvin comes in, in his full preacher clothing, and sits next to her.
"Same reason as Alvin's here, I'm guessing." Turtle says.
"Alvin is here for moral support." Bonnie says. "Celia is presumably here for immoral support."
Celia sits next to Turtle. "I was with him first, Mrs Murdock."
"You were with him when he got with me. I was with him when you came to get him back." Bonnie shrugs. "The only difference is that I didn't know he was cheatin' on someone else, you did."
"Can we get to the arrangements?" Turtle asks.
"Fine." Bonnie says, getting out a sheet of paper. "Here's what you need to do in order that I don't take you to court. These are the current going rates fer child support and alimony on yer current salary. You will return my share of the joint account within seven days, which is detailed on this page."
"I cain't give you that just yet, I needed it to get somewhere to live when you kicked me out." Turtle protests.
"Tough shit, it ain't yours and I need it fer bills." Bonnie says. "Why cain't you move in with her?"
"Because we ain't married." Turtle says.
"Fuck's sake, Turtle, yer on yer second divorce, bit more living in sin ain't gonna make much difference."
"Aunt Bonnie." Alvin says gently. "I don't mean to be rude, but we are in the house of the Lord."
"Sorry honey." Bonnie nods at him then turns back to Turtle. "You will return my share of the joint account within twenty eight days or I will take you to court."
"Do I get any say in this?" Turtle asks.
"No." Bonnie says. "I do not want to take you to court but if I do, I will win. I know what you earn and I keep full accounts."
"We don't need to go to court." Turtle says. Not least because he knows she's had enough ventures into family court that she would win.
"Excellent." Bonnie says. "This is a contract fer the money owed. Sign and print here."
"Maybe you should get a lawyer to read it." Celia says, as Turtle takes the document.
"It's legit, one of her boys is a judge." Turtle says, reading it through and then signing it. "Visitation?"
"Well that depends. Obviously you work shifts." Bonnie says. "I am not happy fer Celia to be taking Billie on her own."
"You're happy leaving Billie with Lucy." Turtle says.
"We've both known Lucy as long as Celia's been alive, and she's family." Bonnie says. "The most I know about Celia is that she attends Alcoholics Anonymous with you, likes yellow and black lace underwear, and flounced outta my class in tenth grade because her bird box fell to pieces."
"I'm quite capable of looking after a baby, Mrs Murdock." Celia says.
"There is no reason fer you to." Bonnie says. "If Turtle is at work, there is no reason fer Billie to have visitation with you. I daresay your skills will come in handy when he's home, given I've never seen him change a diaper or get her dressed yet. I suggest we start with a provisional up to two weekend days a month, depending on shifts, no overnight stays, and you give me some notice when you get yer shifts."
"Why not overnight?" Turtle asks.
"When was the last time you took care of Billie at night when you lived with me?" Bonnie demands. "You should be thankin' me fer lettin' you off the hook."
"All right." Turtle nods. "What if I wanted to take her on holiday?"
"That will need discussion, but I'm sure we can make that work." Bonnie says. "If I take her on a trip with the bikers we'll rearrange the visitation time."
"You're still starting a new group? Without me?" Now Turtle looks hurt. "That was my idea, Bonnie."
"Tough..." Bonnie pauses, hearing a cough from Alvin. "Cheese. As Billie grows older and doesn't need so much care - diapers and things - we can adjust the arrangements as necessary. And if you don't pay child support, you don't get visitation. Objections?"
Turtle shakes his head. Bonnie presents him with another contract to sign.
"How is she being so cold?" Celia asks Turtle, as they pack their things up to leave.
"She's not." Turtle says, turning back to glance at Bonnie. "She's being a survivor."