TTSOML #227: Making It In Blaine, WA

I just so happened to get a hotel room right next door to a Mexican restaurant. As he was leaving, his wife's friend, who was a bartender there, was outside smoking and saw him. He introduced me to them, and who knows what they thought. I hadn't done anything with him, but they didn't know that. They just saw him come out of the hotel room with me.

The next day I called my family again, but they wouldn't help me. They just said to go back to Wenatchee and that the most they'd do is pay for a bus ticket for me to go back.

I spent my free time, getting to know people at the bar. Through this, I met a hispanic worker who said I could stay at his place for awhile, no strings attached.

I tried to stay at the hotel, but the manager got suspicious or someone said something I think, and I don't know if my family called or not, or someone thought I was a hooker, or what. They said they didn't think I was safe there, and that they would give me $100 to go back to Wenatchee or find a different hotel. Then, I was walking by a Catholic church one day, and I decided to go in, incognito and see if I could get some used clothing. I figured after the Catholic church had taken so much, they could give back. So I went in, not saying who I was, and walked right into a CDC class of youth. One woman was very nice and I just told her I needed some other clothing and told her about the border situation. She was sympathetic because she's married a Canadian man and they'd had many problems with visas and intermarriage and things. So she set me up to go to a clothing thing, and gave me about $60 out of her pocket, which I tried to turn down, but accepted. It was very nice of her and she did a very good thing for me. Of course, I wasn't going to tell her my name and let that get back to her priest, and through the pipeline.

I made it through one whole week in Blaine, on almost nothing. But I did it myself, and I didn't do anything illegal or compromising either. I stayed with the hispanic guy for a couple of days, but quit pretty quickly because it was clear he wanted more. So I got out of that situation. I didn't do anything with him physically, at all, but had to get out. Right about that time, too, I was hearing his boss was a cocaine dealer or something, and I was told I'd "asked too many questions" so it was time for me to vamanos.

I ended up being able to eat, because of guys paying for my meals at the bar. I also had a couple drinks, which was definitely needed.

One day, I didn't know what I was going to do, and I had nowhere to go, and just $60 in my pocket, so I decided I needed some make-up and a curling iron. I wasn't going to prostitute myself, but I was going to make the most of my looks, which was the best investment I could make at that time.

So I got dressed in newer clothing from the clothing closet, and curled all of my hair, which took an hour, and did my make-up, and presented myself at the bar. I had about 4 or 5 different offers of places to stay, no strings attached, and my dinner was paid for.

I was just trying to survive. I didn't take advantage of anyone, but the bartender got jealous of the attention I received and tried to chase people away. That night, I took names and numbers and went with the best choice, which was the hispanic guy. People knew him, so he was known more, and probably woudn't try anything. From there, I was at a restaurant one day, drinking coffee and almost out of money, with maybe $15 left.

I noticed two guys sitting at a table and approached them to ask them if they knew where I could find access to a computer. They asked me to sit down and join them, and after hearing just a little bit, said they might know where I could use a computer, at the hostel nearby, where one of them worked. So on the way, in the truck, they learned more about my situation, and wanted to also offer me a place to stay until I was able to get on my feet.

I picked up my things from the other guys' car, and met my new "friends". Well, actually, the guy was the one who okayed it. He said he paid rent too, and that his mother didn't have a say (though I'm sure she had to ok it). So I was staying in a room off of their apartment. They said they would let me stay there until I got a job.

I was going to be fine.

I wasn't able to sleep though. I couldn't sleep at all, and was used to sleeping next to my son. I ended up sleeping next to this guy because it was the only way I could fall asleep, but he kept his hands off. Then I got sleeping pills.

If I fell asleep, I would still wake up throughout the night and not be able to go back asleep. My poor son was going through the same thing, but he didn't have sleeping pills and while I knew what was going on, he knew nothing. He was scared and alone.

That's what CPS and Wenatchee and the "Washington Authorities" did to my son.