Steven and Jessica (Part Two)

Moving from one locale to another is not just a physical exercise. Boxes and furniture can be loaded and transported from one area code to another with relative ease. Its the emotional and mental aspects of moving that can be terrifying, especially so for children. When a person spends their entire life in one place, attachments are made and bonds are forged organically and normally. A sense of home is cultivate and the familiarity of one's surroundings makes life comfortable. Starting over in a foreign environment uproots every element of life and resurrects all manner of insecurities. Staring into the great unknown is great in novels and movies, but doing this in real time and space is neither romantic or beautiful; it simply is.

Problems with family members forced Steven and Jessica into an unenviable situation. If they remained in their current situation in Massachusetts, the results would be calamitous. The couple had never left the state but had family in other parts of the country. A decision was presenting itself to them and they needed to be sure whatever choice was made would be in the best interest of their family. To stay in Massachusetts meant alienation and estrangement; moving meant starting over.

The South Dakota town they moved to was nestled in the south eastern part of the state and had just over 600 people. It was different from Worcester, Massachusetts in nearly every way one place can be different from another. The climate, topography, and culture were foreign to Steven and Jessica and they understood that 'starting over' was not merely an overused phrase; It was a stark reality.

August in South Dakota can be brutally hot. Steven had family there and it made sense to relocate in order to have a fresh start. He found work as a carpenter and did body work on the side for extra income. The days were long and he worked diligently to provide for his family but he was having difficulty in securing payment for his work. It was mentally taxing as well as physically stressful to work so hard with no payment for his services. The couple was trapped in a small town and began rethinking the choice they made.

On one hand they could try and eek out an existence in their new home. Steven had family in the area and that had been the main reason they made the jump from New England. But the strain of Steven's employment was compounded with some difficulties they began having with some of the families in their new town. In spite of having some of their own relations in the area, there were a few entrenched families in the town who controlled several aspects of daily life for everyone. Again, the family faced another decision.

Things were about to change, and not for the better.