Now that we have come this far. Yesterday was a blessed
day for Clay & us as well. Clay is safe at last.
I will now go back some to the past of last year of what it was like for the family.
Mainly to shed some light & also to maybe help others if they are going through this & let them know what they may
expect from others.
After we left court the first time the family was devistated.None of us could understand
the actions from the judge. We still don't, other than he said he was protecting the child. This thought still blows
us away. We were very upset at the lawyer because of several reasons. Our pictures was not entered into evidence, wittnesses
were not called into court that was listed.Nor was the wittnesses that was there called in & questioned. Her side was
fully questioned. What she called evidence had no documented proof, only what she & her family & friends said.
All that was stated in court has proved to be lies. Not only from her but her wittnesses
as well.We still wonder why ?
As you know on this web site we were raiseing money to get ready for court. We did several
things to get us there. If you have delt with the court system you know it is not cheap. We sold donuts,walked,ebay,etc..
We made it work. I will never forget in the town I live in, I was selling donuts for Clay, someone (a woman) went to
City Hall & tried to get me stopped. I was so hurt & it still bothers me. Why would someone do this? Why would they
take their important time out of their life to stop this.We know it was not of God. Yes we had all the legal things we needed,
but someone wanted to stop me.Why hurt Clay? Why keep him in a place of hell? All I can say to this is lady I pray for
you. All you had to do was ask me, but again that is someone going behind your back & throwing that one piece of sand
between the mill stones.
The truck drivers were wonderful they gave us so much support. Friendships were made,
bonds were made, stories were shared.Our most sincere Thanks goes out to these men & women.
Our friends that went through this with us are still with us. Although miles are between
us the internet, telephones, letters keep us all together & close.
Clay's father was a wreck, worried & missing his son.Not knowing from one day to
the next how he was, if he was happy, if he was safe, loved, how was he being treated.
All this was on his & our minds.It was really hard on us that had Clay in our lives
everyday then suddenly have him ripped away. It was a very hard time for us but his dad as well & more so for his father.Clay
adored his daddy.
We did go back to court & his dad was given vistation & of course he had to pay
child support & he did.He loved his child & wanted the best for him.
We lived by the judges decision, we abided by the courts wishes.
Clay would come & spend more & more time with us. A weekend turned into a week,
then 2 weeks, then a month. Red flags started going up. Clay would make statemnets, she would call & say she was homeless
& couldn't take care of Clay. My son worked with her on this. He tried to give her a chance. She had 2 other children
so he tried. He would give her extra money for Clay, to get his hair cut, school supplies, clothes,shoes, anything for Clay.
Red flags again started going up, Clays hair wasn't cut, my son had to go &
buy the things Clay needed or they wasn't gotten for him.Clay would tell me things & his daddy things. Clay stopped asking
for drinks & food or candy when we went to the store. I would beg him to please get something. If he didn't want it then
he could save it for later. He would take 2 or 3 bites at the table & he would say he was done, I would beg him to eat,
I never forced him, I didn't know what was going on. He was loseing weight, I went & bought vitamins. He was pale looking
just not healthy looking 5 year old. She would send old clothes of her older children & none of Clay's & they didn't
fit him.
We started weighing him everytime he came, his weight had decreased by a pound
or two almost everytime. Clay told me one day when I went & got him. "Meemee I'm not sleeping on the floor anymore"
I said your not? He said "no mama bought this blow up thing & now I sleep on the couch." I said baby why don't you sleep
with mama, he said "she won't let me." My heart broke.
Then the nightmares started. Nightmares that makes him scream, cry with all his little
mite.All you can do is hold him & love him. He was so happy when he would come to see his daddy & us. He would cry
when his mom said he had to go back with her.He was stuck like glue to his dad. No smiles when we took him back.
We had gotten phone calls from her wanting us to get Clay, so when I called her back
she told me never mind she had gotten everything under control. I asked her waht was wrong & she said she was having heart
problems & had been at the hospital all morning but she was out & it was all ok. I also had spoke to her mother before
talking to her & her mother was with her & NEVER told me anything, nothing.I asked about Clay & she said oh hes
ok. I told them both we would come get him & they declined.
Now I know how mothers want to protect their children BUT the bottom line to this story
IS her mom had ALREADY taken custody of her other 2 children & left Clay with her? What kind of grandmother is that?????
What were they thinking?
1) Everyone will find out they lied in court.
2) She is still on drugs, which led to Clay's injuries in the beginning.
3)Without Clay she will have no money.
4) Everyone will find out her other children are not with her.
This list can go on & on.
I had also recived a phone call weeks before that her mother had taken the other children
from her due to abuse from a man she was living with, & her drug use & that in fact she was seeking advice how
to get custody of Clay.
Now her own mother knew of this drug abuse & how bad it was & she declined in
calling any of us. Clay needed protection, this was CLAY needing protection, & she never said a word, WHY??????
Clay would come over with bruses on him from being whipped by her male compaions, yes
there was reports made on them.
Then it happened.................
I got a phone call........ "Ugh you may or may not know this but Clays mom had a drug
overdose".
We suspected this due to her history & due to the money fact & Clay
never had anything to show for. Clay would tell us things that we took as a child saying things. It was Clays way of asking
for help.
Then I started recieving calls from relitives, friends, people that LOVES Clay &
cares what happens to that precious baby.
Gossip no way it was *L*O*V*E* that made those calls. Right now I Thank God for everyone
of them. Without them today God only knows what that baby would still be living in & going through.
During all this in June & July we really started investigating more. The more
we found out the more it made us shutter with fear for Clay. Clay's other grandmother picked Clay up this weekend. The things
that Clay told them would make your skin crawl.
Clay's father went & picked him up & took him home with him.Clay's mom found
out about it & tried to file papers on Clay's father for kidnapping.This has happened before so we just faxed them the
papers & fixed that. It was his weekend anyway. Such a mess, she just wanted him arrested.
We contacted the judge, lawers, everyone so we could take the right steps &
not the wrong ones.With the paper work filed & in order my son had Clay about 2 or 3 weeks now. With her child support
coming due she was ready for Clay to come home, with special orders from her to my son how much to send her for the child
support. He put her off as long as he could then when he had to tell her Clay was not coming back until they went back to
court. She tried again to have him locked up. She brought out the old papers from when they first went to court tring to use
those but with the new ones filed, she failed after we faxed papers again. Claimed she talked to the judge & she had a
letter from the judge saying he had never signed papers for Jimmy to get him. The judge never gave her nor talked to her at
all.
Well Clay started telling us a story about a murder. Things he heard his mom &
her male friend talking about.
Things about being left alone in a room & he could not come out. Being left alone
in that room & the house alone. Not being let go to the bathroom when he needed to be. Then if he wet his clothes he was
"whipped" (his words).He is getting counciling. He told them a lot of that we have recorded. More than I will &
can say at this point.
Oh the murder that Clay told us about, the guy that they were staying with has been charged
with 2 counts. They happened in 2003 in Maplesville Alabama.
A 23 year old man & his 3 year old baby was burned up in a house fire. Over
a dog. He killed them over a dog?? My God what have he had done to my grandbaby if he got angry at him? I will be putting
this story in this site so look for it. I'll list it as "Maplesville Murder"
She showed up at the lawyers office yesterday & signed over custody of Clay
to his father. A blessing yes. We know that even after all of this we have to pray for her.
Drugs can ruin not only your life but others around you. Drugs has ruined her life.
She needs to be prayed for. I mean she is Clay's mom we can't change that. In order for him to have a healthy relatioship
with her she has to get clean & stay clean.
