Today I sat down to write a piece about a couple of men who showed up at my front door, but I have decided to write about Alice instead. I will write about the men another day.

First let me say Alice is my mother, even though everyone called her Alice from birth, her real name was Patricia Jo.

This is one of those memories that has popped into my head.....

When I was nine years old one night my mother came to me and said she was leaving. I wasn't surprised, because my parents were in and out of each others and my life all the time. Naturally I assumed this was one of those times, but my mother looked me in the eye and said "I am leaving and I won't be back." She went on to explain a few details and sent me to bed. The next morning she woke me up and got me off to school. I never really gave it much thought through the day, because I figured it was just another day. When I got home from school, I checked the mail box and as she had promised the key was there wrapped in a piece of yellow notebook paper, all it said was I won't be back.

I let myself in, the house was empty, what my mother failed to do was tell my father, he didn't know I was home alone. He worked until after dark. I can remember while I waited for him I sat and watched Alice In Wonderland. I never lived with her again.

I was never upset with my mother for leaving. I had always sensed she needed to leave in order to save herself, and not only did she save herself she saved me. I am thankful for that.