Two Different Worlds: A Most Improbable Love Affair

© Copyright 2013 Gwen & Fred Gobrath.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-9293-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-9295-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-9294-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013907629

Trafford rev. 05/09/2013

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Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Preface

Chapter 1    What Happened to My Life?

Chapter 2    Ugly Baby!

Chapter 3    Innocent Part of Childhood, Although in Poverty

Chapter 4    Separate Nightmarish Part of Childhood

Chapter 5    Pregnancy at Eleven?

Chapter 6    A Boy Shows Up

Chapter 7    Trouble as a Teen

Chapter 8    More Serious Trouble—Joyriding

Chapter 9    Fred’s Theater Career

Chapter 10  Even Bigger Problems when 19

Chapter 11  Skydiving!—Are You Nuts?

Chapter 12  The Twain Finally Meet

Chapter 13  Growth of a Screaming Liberal

Chapter 14  Time for Parole?

Chapter 15  Finally Parole—but Still Some Problems

Chapter 16  A Fugitive Again?

Chapter 17  Another Chance? Or Serious Extortion?

Chapter 18  Rock Bottom—Suicide?

Chapter 19  Justice When You Have No Money?

Chapter 20  More Help from USAA

Chapter 21  Life of a Lifer

Appendix A  Open Letter—Draft #6

Appendix B  Canoe U. Memories

Appendix C  Books That Helped Turn Gwen’s Life Around

Appendix D  Songs That Kept Gwen and Fred Going

Dedication

This book dedicated to Gwen’s mother, who in spite of all of the disappointments and heartbreak over the years, never gave up on Gwen. Thank you Mom.

Acknowledgments

Gwen had long been encouraged to write her story, by her Mom, other relatives, friends, and fellow inmates in the Texas Criminal Justice System, especially several of those she had helped to get through tough times, or had actually turned away from drugs or prostitution.

Fred was helped with suggestions, and much positive feed back on drafts, especially from several of his Naval Academy classmates, and from various friends and neighbors.

But naming any of these people whose support was so instrumental in getting this book completed would make it that much clearer just who Gwen and Fred really are, and might even result in hassles for those named. So we name none of them, but they know who they are, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their help and encouragement.

Foreword

This book is based on the true story of two lives, separate and totally different at first, then merging through a series of bizarre experiences, involving the most upstanding of citizens, outright criminals, and corrupt public officials, finally developing into a deep, lifelong love for each other. They clearly came from two different worlds, one with every advantage, education, experiences, and support from all sides, and the other with poverty, prolonged sexual abuse, drugs, and many negative influences, in spite of the attempts to help and heartbreaks of a loving mother. Just in case any of their activities might appear to break the law, let’s say that we have used some poetic license, and call this a work of fiction. All names and locations have been changed to avoid law suits from those corrupt individuals we do not have the money or power to see convicted of their crimes. We will not say that any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental and unintentional, but we will certainly attempt to give scanty enough information so that those persons cannot be identified.

Preface

Caution: If you are a devout member of a religion which does not accept the possibility of reincarnation, perhaps you might skip this preface, as we do not wish to become embroiled in a theological debate, or perhaps just look at this preface as a whimsical preview of what’s to come?

1973. Hello, Dear Reader. My name is Cynthia, or at least that was my name in my last life. My last life was pretty nice, and of course I hated to leave it. But now that it’s over, and I have had time to reflect on the lessons I learned, and where I should go from here, I am ready to think about my next life. The Big Guy (You Know—Up There 40170.jpg  ) says I have some degree of freedom in choosing my next life, and the lessons to be learned, and I’ve been shown a few possible choices. One looks very nice, with a degree of wealth and ease, and not many lessons to be learned. But I’ve decided I’m ready to tackle a more difficult situation, and have made my choice.

My mother to be has been pregnant for a few months now, at the ripe old age of 12. Don’t worry, she’ll be 13 by the time I’m born. If you think the life I’ve chosen is hard, you should see hers. Her future seems to hold nothing but misery and a very early death. I hope she can learn the lessons she was sent to this life for, and have an easier life next time. I feel very sad for her.

As far as my own life goes, there are people already planning to adopt me, and it looks as though it will be a loving environment. But I’ve also been forewarned of some of the trials and lessons I’ll have to go through. There will be extreme poverty, prolonged sexual abuse, drugs, criminal activities, more drugs, more criminal activity, injury and disease, more drugs, etc. They tell me that once I’m into this next life, I won’t remember the trials I’ve been sent down to this life to experience, but hopefully I will work my way through it all and learn the proper lessons.

They also tell me I’ll meet a rather unusual man, who has many of his own lessons to learn, and that together we will endure betrayal, hardship, and many trials. Actually I’ve been shown glimpses of this man, as he has been in his current life for some time now, but they tell me I won’t remember him until he enters my life many years from now. I can see that he’s a good person, and I’m assured that I, too, will be a good person, and will help many other people through their trials in spite of my own problems. Part of my lessons will be to spend much of my life in prison, although I’m assured that I will not hurt anyone while committing the crimes which will send me there. While there I should develop a compassion and empathy far beyond what I’ve felt in earlier lives.

CHAPTER 1

What Happened to My Life?

Case Number 10784490… Life Sentence. Pause. Case Number 10784670… Life Sentence. . . . . The judge droned on and on, case after case. Gwen just sat there in a fog, numb all over. After the first couple of cases, she was hardly aware of what was going on. Somewhere through the fog behind her she could hear her Mom screaming and crying. She was also vaguely aware that Fred was sitting back there somewhere.

What had happened? Fred hadn’t even testified. Come to think of it, neither had her sister. Her court appointed lawyer had presented none of the defense they had given him. He had implied (although he would later deny it), that he had had conversations with the judge and district attorney’s office, and that if Gwen chose a trial without a jury with this judge, he would give her no more than a 40 year sentence. She later found out that her lawyer had lied to Fred and her sister, telling them that Gwen did not want them to testify. They had not even been allowed in the trial, until the final statements, as they had been sworn in as witnesses then forced to leave. Her lawyer had also not allowed her family psychiatrist to examine her and testify, free of charge. Then his closing statement had sounded more like a statement for the prosecution, and he hadn’t even cross examined any of the prosecution’s witnesses who were clearly coached, and in several cases, clearly lying. In fact, he had forced her to plead guilty to one charge where he knew very well she had had no involvement.

Something was wrong! Horribly wrong! But aside from this terrible betrayal of a trial, how did she get here anyway? Obviously her attempts at suicide by cop had gone terribly astray, and now instead of being dead, she was facing life in prison. But at least Fred had come back to her, they were remarried, and his support gave her life some hope amidst the overwhelming desperation. What had happened to her life?!?

Gwen’s mind started to drift back through her life, a little like it is said that dying people sometimes see their whole life flash before them… her sad birth Mom, the loving family who were thrilled to adopt her, the extreme poverty after her Dad, who had turned out to be not so loving, had strayed, then left them in a mobile home without ever paying the child support, years of sexual abuse when she had been forced to visit her Dad during summers, early resentment, rebellion, and drugs, minor brushes with the law, her youth spent in prison after being caught shoplifting food when she was homeless, hungry and addicted, how Fred had come into her life, and everything that had happened since then. What the heck had happened? Gwen had never hurt anybody, and in fact was known both in prison and in the neighborhoods where she hung out, for helping other people—yet here she was having spent most of her adult life in prison, and about to face the remainder there too.

As Gwen started to reminisce about her difficult life, little did she realize that her life was about to change for the better. Even in prison, she was about to blossom into an even more caring, empathetic person than she had been, continue to help other people, educate herself, study music even without any access to instruments at the prison, and develop writing skills. Her education would involve not only college courses leading to degrees, but extensive reading on a vast array of topics from spiritual matters through health and healing, through ending addictions for once and for all, through the oneness of all life, all creatures, and all peoples, through psychology and the search for meaning. But all that is to come later. Right now her mind is drifting back through her life… Words from a song Fred used to sing came drifting into her mind: Ah, little did my mother think, when first she cradled me….

CHAPTER 2

Ugly Baby!

Just as she was hanging up the phone, Lois heard Robert coming home from work. Darling. Wonderful news. she exclaimed excitedly as she rushed up and embraced him. They’ve got a baby down in Louisiana that we can adopt. A girl?, Robert replied. Yep, sure is. They just held each other for a few minutes.

Their reverie was finally broken by Robert: That’s really great, we can finally get a little sister for Richard. Do you have any more details?

Lois started to lay out as much as she knew at the time. It turned out that the little girl was due to be born in Baton Rouge in about two months. But she was going to be somewhat premature, and her mother, who had now turned thirteen was not too healthy. The child could actually be born any day now, so Lois would have to fly down to Baton Rouge and stay there for awhile, both to wait for the actual birth, and to see if the baby would need special care before she could be moved. So they agreed, Lois would fly down now, and stay in their mobile home right next to her parents until the baby was born.

It was an exciting trip for Lois, and gave her a break from her routine back in Michigan. And it was great to see her parents again. She got to spend some time with them every day, between visits to the hospital. They really helped her to prepare for the baby, and they all took in a few shopping trips together. Lois didn’t want to buy the big items, then have to carry them back on the plane, but they got several small items to actually help with the plane trip, including formula, bottles, diapers, baby clothes, bedding, and a little baby carrier that looked a little like a basket, except was much more sturdy.

As the expected birth day approached, Lois was getting more and more excited, and couldn’t wait to see her new baby. Unfortunately there were still a few weeks to go. But suddenly one day, her Mom burst through the door, exclaiming excitedly, They called!. What are you talking about? replied Lois. The baby! The baby! It’s here!.

Lois’s mobile home had no phone, so the hospital had called her Mom, as planned. Lois got as excited as her Mom, then suddenly got nervous. It felt wonderful, and she couldn’t wait to see the new daughter. But a feeling of responsibility also crept in, and a little worry. The baby was quite premature. Was that fairly normal? Would she be healthy? Would Lois be able to figure out what to do and how to take care of a sickly baby? Oh well, time would tell.

Lois and her Mom rushed to the hospital., and were shown up, not to the birth mother’s room, but the room with all the little incubators, or whatever it was they called those things. Most were empty, but a couple had tiny babies in them. They led Lois and her Mom over to the one. They couldn’t wait to look inside.

My God! What an ugly baby! escaped from Lois’s mouth before she even realized what she was saying. It was, of course, premature, tiny, and her