Steven and Jessica (Part Three)

The camper was small and cramped and not meant for permanent habitation. It leaked. There was mold and traces of dog hair from the days of a former occupant. The stove didn't work so Jessica was forced to cook their meals in the microwave. Instant noodles had become the staple meal for her family in what was turning out to be a surreal existence that was spiraling out of control. Cramped nights meant sluggish days. The family crowded onto mattresses each night and tried to steal as much sleep as possible.

The job in Kalispell was supposed to come with a cabin. The Craigslist ad promised legitimate work and a place to rent as part of a package deal. It was March, 2015, and Steven and Jessica had been in Montana for a few weeks because life in South Dakota had become unlivable.

After scouring different sources for potential employment, Steven found a managerial job in a garage. The employer expressed the beginning pay would not be great but after a few jobs, the money would increase. After working a certain amount of jobs on commission, Steven would be put on an hourly wage. In any event, the position would be supplemented with food and Steven was told his family would certainly not starve.

And while they never starved, they came close.

Their oldest son was enrolled in a school only a 15- minute walk from where they were staying. The cabin they anticipated living in would not be a reality and the garage was using Steven for free labor. Their current situation reduced them into a condition of indentured servitude and they were trapped. After numerous disputes regarding the bait-and-switch pulled on them, Steven and Jessica had to leave. Their dream of moving to a new place and beginning a life based on hard work and family values was disappearing a little more each passing day.

The situation was further inflamed when the employer kept most of Jessica's and Steve's dress clothes that were being stored in the garage. After a few weeks, they found themselves in dire straits and staring homeless right in the face. A false promise from a dishonest employer coaxed them into believing in a future that cruelly teased the family.

They would soon undertake a new task of trying to resurrect dignity while putting their life back together. Through no fault of their own, Steven and Jessica had been begrudged of money owed to them, food, lodging, and even their own clothing. It was time to move on, so they needed to find something else.