Because of her wild-kitten-like, retaliating ways, as strikingly beautiful young lady paints herself into a corner with all her people connections, but she discovers a way to contentment and becomes a ptoductive Christian leader.
FROM FRUSTRATION TO CONTENTMENT
Retaliation- sometimes with words, sometimes with physical force, but always with fierce determination- is Maddie Jepson’s response to people around her. That includes her family. It seizes her when she is young and shadows her into adulthood, causing others, and herself, much grief.
Maddie possesses two redeeming qualities, however: beauty and smarts. They get her attention and the envy of her peers and siblings, but it is not the kind of notice she expects and demands from life.
Her approach to life eventually leaves her empty and frustrated. This climaxes in an internal upheaval. In this state, she finds what she wants. That encounter transforms her into a happy and competent leader of a ministry.
The author: Don Krause
Give Me Respect is the second in-print novel for Don. The story grew out of an encounter Don had with a bitter, angry but beautiful young lady, resulting in Don asking himself about how anyone could become so jaded about life and people, and what, if anything, could restore her to a happy, productive person.
Excerpt
PART ONE
CHAPTER 1
Consider one another Hebrews 10:24
Respect is love in plain clothes – Frankie Byrne
The Jepson family cohabited. That is the way Maddie’s mother, Myrna, thought about the arrangements between them; not an agreement, but a non-verbalized arrangement to have the least possible contact to avoid predictable conflict, should their lives intersect. Myrna walked on eggshells daily, hoping, praying no family explosion would erupt. She kept the four of them reasonably dressed and clean and replenished the fridge with her meagre welfare checks and her brother, Max=s generous weekly packages. She noticed how her oldest daughter, Birdie, at seventeen, took over the couch and the remote for the television. Birdie also increasingly took on her father=s tube-like shape. Birdie had few friends. She presented herself most like a spoiled, cowering dog. Myrna relied on Chuck. He was eighteen now, and had lost most of his zits. Physically, he reached five feet, ten inches, if he stood up straight. Myrna occasionally reminded him to stand erect rather than resort to his perpetual slouch. He compensated for his lack of real accomplishment by talking non-stop. He seemed to believe that he didn=t have to face himself if he dominated any meeting with people - his age or adults - with his incessant chatter. Myrna smarted when what came out of his mouth would be better said by a ten-year-old. When she asked him why he had so few friends, he would shrug. Myrna wondered why other boys, his age and much younger, were shaving, but Chuck’s face was as smooth as a baby’s. Nonetheless, Myrna came to rely on him as the man of the house since Cec had stumbled in front of a car and was killed on his way home from the pub.
In Maddie=s mind- she was the third child- life became no easier since Cec died. She secretly hoped it might. He had given her none of his time, and much less, respect which she felt she deserved to get at least to the same degree as Chuck and Birdie. Since Cec’s death, Chuck and Birdie, now both in high school, locked her out of their lives and unitedly harassed her. This she resented.
Maddie was different and she knew it. But she did not know why. Whereas the other family members lived a cowering, apologetic life, fear of people never motivated Maddie, whether family members or school mates. She held most of them in disdain. Her mom, Chuck, and Birdie lived in the same house as she did - lived in the same house; that=s how Maddie looked at it. She could not find it in herself to dismiss her mother to the same degree as her siblings because Myrna did come up with the occasional positive observation about Maddie, but since her mom refused to or did not have the pluck to confront Chuck and Birdie about their treatment of her, Maddie deduced her Mom had abandoned her motherly responsibilities. It was not right. So her mother deserved little more respect than the other two.
By now, at fourteen, Maddie was taller than Birdie, and she was quite aware that she could out-manoeuvre her sister. She knew she had looks, and did well in school. And with her sharp tongue, could silence Birdie in one or two sentences. One day she came up to her sister and said, “I don’t mind if you sleep in this bedroom, but since you can’t keep your side of the room clean and tidy, I don’t want you in there at other times.You have the living room couch and the remote. That’s all you need anyway. Isn’t it?” From that day on, Maddie had marked their bedroom as her territory.
Maddie noticed how their house stood out even among the other unkept homes on Falcon Street, on the periphery of Cook Harbour, a pretty, mid-sized city in the north west corner of Washington State. She liked to look out to the rolling mountains which filled the horizon to the east, and admired the tall firs and cedars lining the roads and remembered, as a little girl, lying down to feel the lush green grass which bordered the sidewalks. She felt embarrassed by the scraggly weeds dominating the front yard of their house. Their house had half the roof covered by a bright blue tarp. She got annoyed by the slapping sounds of the plastic which hung loose from their windows, which her Dad and Chuck had quickly stapled up in fall to keep their home a little warmer through winter. Her Dad said he would, but never got around to, replacing the one rotten step which crumbled and caused her Mom to fall and break her arm.
The only room of the house that Maddie and Chuck both frequented and could not totally avoid meeting in was the kitchen. It had no window, one forty-watt bulb, featuring as always, a sink piled with dishes and the lino-covered counter unwiped from use the previous day. And it was too narrow for two cooks. Civil words between these two siblings? Maddie could not remember when that ever happened. But she refused to reveal an ounce of fear for Chuck or to avoid entering a room because he got there before she did.
Maddie sauntered in at 10:30 Saturday morning. Chuck was leaning over the kitchen counter, pouring Corn Pops into the large bowl Myrna had left for them. Maddie knew Birdie would sleep until the afternoon. This was Saturday, and since Birdie watched television Friday nights until she could not keep her eyes open any longer, she would not emerge for several hours. Maddie went straight for the fridge, took out two eggs, several slices of bacon, the jar of orange juice and two slices of bread for toast. She pulled out the frying pan from the drawer of the stove, and turned the back right-hand element nob to medium. Her movements, as always, suggested confidence and efficiency. Maddie had grown into a tall, shapely young lady. She kept herself looking tidy. This morning she wore jeans and a snug, white sweater. Her wavy hair, pushed back behind her ears, hung just past her shoulders. She did not acknowledge Chuck. She turned to check her bacon and eggs, and poured the orange juice for herself. Chuck looked over and said, AI wouldn=t mind having some of that.@
AThere=s more in the fridge. Help yourself.@ She had another sip of her juice.
AYou=re already frying some. How about doing some up for me?@
ANo thanks, @ turning to check the eggs again.
ACome on, sis....adding a couple of eggs (make that three for me) and another four slices of bacon won=t hurt you.@ He put down the bowl of cereal and placed both hands on his hips.
AI came down to make my own breakfast, not the rest of the world=s,@ she said not looking at him.
ABoy. Talk about stubborn! Get that? Stubborn.@
AI’ve got a question, big brother.@ She glanced in his direction. ASince you=re the oldest, when have you been a good example and made me anything? When have you ever done anything for me?@
AWell, I thought since you think yourself so beautiful, you might want to match that with something good on your inside.@ He raised his eyebrow thinking he=d hit on a sensitive button.
AI=m the youngest. When have you done anything for me? Anything?@ Now she looked right into his eyes.
AHuh?@
ACome on, Chuck. You usually can=t stop jabbering. I asked the question- >anything?= Suddenly you think that I should do something for you. When are you going to start?@
AOh, forget it, Mad. I=ll eat my Corn Pops.@
“Since you mentioned the inside, Chuck, I noticed the zits on your outside are about gone. You know what I think? They’ve attacked your brain.@
The button of intelligence hit a sore point every time within Chuck. AYou little wench. You think you=re so all fired smart. I wish you would use some of those smarts to keep out of trouble. You are an embarrassment to our family. You hang around with those two hootchies who everyone knows steal the local stores clean. One is in the clink right now. And the guys you hang around with - the whole city knows them. They kick game with every girl within four blocks. Don=t you talk to me about the brain being attacked. Your head hasn=t got any eyes or ears or you=d stay clear of that whole gang.@
AOkay, smart guy.@ She stepped up to Chuck, staring into his eyes, and with a drawn mouth and squinting eyes said, AThen tell me why you have to ask me questions about your math problems?@
Chuck became so exasperated he threw his cereal into the sink, breaking the bowl and splashing the counter and cupboards with milk and cereal. AYou’re hopeless! I=m outa here.”
Maddie had her breakfast standing up and looking out of the dining room window. She sighed and began to imagine what it would be like to live in a loving, warm home. She had to pull out a tissue to catch a couple of tears. She felt angry because in this house, the only respect she got was what she demanded and that never satisfied her.
Dozens of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Pathological Narcissism, relationships with abusive narcissists, and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Dozens of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Pathological Narcissism, relationships with abusive narcissists, and the Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
