Stitched Heart

  “Stitched Heart”

  By: AK Andrews

  For: Ericka Ra’Sha

  The Barrow Family

  and

  The Kuschke Family

  Introduction

  “Stitched Heart” a real life story based off of real life events.

  In this story you’ll be introduced to a person who is so sweet, so innocent, and who is also very loving as well as caring.

  However, the life of the person you’ll be introduced to is more than what meets the eyes.

  As a descendent of world famous Barrow family. The family has been shunned from society and scrutinized to this very day due to the actions taken place in the early 1930’s from the crimes committed by Clyde Barrow, and his love Bonnie Parker.

  In my opinion they were survivalist of a very hard time in American history, but that didn’t stop people of that era who ran the Barrow name through the mud, in example, the media, the papers, police etc.

  Almost a century later, their legacy still proceeds them, and the Barrow family of today are still picking up the pieces, and trying to make sense of everything. From the dirty looks, which are full of negative hateful judgement, to the horrible verbal put downs.

  As for the real star of this story “Ra’Sha”.

  She’s been picked on, beaten, thrown like a rag doll, and the target of most scrutiny due to the pride she carries for the Barrow name.

  Despite it all, she wakes up with a smile on her face and a finger to the world.

  She is who she is, and there is not a damn thing anyone can do about it.

  However, she does have a sensitive side, she is very family oriented, she loves her momma, and her daddy Dave, as well as whoever she allows into her heart, That’s where the Author of this story come’s in. It’s an inseparable love she has for AK Andrew’s, she has a nickname that stemmed from him, I/He calls her “Snuggles”..

  (Part One)

  1988

  On a sunny afternoon of October 4th, 1988. Mary Jane Barrow, 37. The daughter Thelma who is 17, were visiting Mary Jane’s mother that everyone called “Grandma Barrow” her real name was Thelma Marie Barrow.

  (To clear up any confusion, Mary Jane named her daughter after her mother.)

  However, they’d often visit Grandma Barrow for either lunch, dinner or to just stay the night. They’d play cards, board games or go into town to hit the shops an do a little shopping, and just gossip of the old days

  Grandma Barrow loved to tell them stories of her oldest brother, the infamous, Clyde Barrow. She would tell them of how he got away with more robberies, killings that actually happened from the letters they’d write to each other. Which gave proof to the fabrications the cops and media told to the world.

  So to the people who think they know the truth, y’all don’t know shit. So continue reading to know the Truth! I think you’re ready..

  Onward!

  [Continuation]

  Grandma Barrow would even tell them what Bonnie was really like along with the poetry she would write, that also inspired Clyde to write poetry. His poetry showed a side of him that the world doesn’t even consider, or care to know about.

  No matter the tale.

  Every time Grandma Barrow would share the untold, each one of her stories were always very interesting, intriguing, and she’d always end them with Bonnie got shot 53 times, and Clyde was shot 57 times. Clyde did what he could to save Bonnie during the infamous police shoot out. The Police set them up in a desolate wooded area of Louisiana, to ambush Bonnie and Clyde to murder them in cold blood, but before that infamous day. Clyde knew they wouldn’t make it out of Louisiana alive. Although, that didn’t stop him from trying.

  This is one afternoon of story telling that had to stop abruptly. Grandma Barrow and her daughter, Mary Jane had to rush Thelma to the hospital. Thelma in excruciating pain, her water broke. She began to go into labor.

  Thelma on her way to the hospital is now about to give birth to her first and only child that would carry the name Ericka Ra’Sha.

  When Mary Jane and Grandma Barrow arrived at the hospital with Thelma she pulled up as close as she could to the front doors. Mary Jane quickly gets out of her car and screams for a nurse to assist with helping her daughter (Thelma) out of the vehicle, and into a wheelchair.

  A nurse at the entrance of the Emergency room heard Mary Jane, and quickly rushed over to her with a wheelchair. Thelma in extreme pain and in labor was rushed to the maternity ward on the other side of the hospital. When the nurse got Thelma to the maternity check in desk.

  She cussed at the nurse to take her straight to the delivery room. She didn’t care she in pain, and about to give birth. Mary Jane stayed behind to check Thelma in to the Hospital. Everything seemed to be going smoothly at first according to the doctors and nurses.

  However, that was not the case with Thelma, she began to have complications with the delivery, and with no time to administer an epidural. The doctor ordered an immediate ultrasound to see how the baby was laying in the womb.

  As the nurse puts the wand on Thelma’s belly an begins to preform the ultrasound, it turns out the baby was in the right position for delivery, but her feet were so far up into Thelma’s Diaphragm. This caused complete discomfort, as well as breathing complications for her.

  When the nurse noticed, she immediately had the doctor order a breathing apparatus machine, as well as an immediate C-Section.

  The C-Section was ordered due to the ultrasound showing the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around Ericka’s neck.

  As the commotion continued, the staff worked quickly and diligently to prevent any potential birth defects that are commonly associated with the positioning of how she was laying in the womb.

  Stress levels rising due to the unknown, the Hospital staff did everything they could to calm the nerves of everyone in the delivery room as well as Thelma and proceed with the C-section cautiously but effiecently.

  (Not Going into detail here)

  In the end, the doctor did preform a successful C-Section, and Ericka Ra’Sha was welcomed into the world at 8lbs 5 ounces, and a length of 10 inches. Before Thelma could see her baby for the first time, the doctors had to stitch the wound from the C-Section.

  After the Nurse cleaned off the new born in a small water basin, she wrapped her in a pink blanket, then proceeded to carefully hand her to Thelma’s mother Mary Jane. That was the moment in Mary Jane’s life when she became a Proud grandmother, of a very beautiful baby girl. She was full of smiles, she couldn’t believe it. She was a Grandma and at an early age, before 40. But she didn’t care, not one bit.

  Soon after Thelma came back from the Operating room. She was able to finally meet what was growing inside of her for one week shy of nine months. When Thelma reentered the hospital room Mary Jane asked how she was feeling, even though she was groggy Thelma’s only response was, “Well mom, how did I do? how is she doing? Let me see her, I want to hold my daughter.”

  Mary Jane with pride in her voice, “oh honey, she’s so precious, she’s perfect. Here honey, meet your daughter?”…..

  Part 2-4

  Only available

  In

  “Stitched Heart:

  The Missing Chapters”

  Part 5.

  “Ra’sha”

  In the early years of Ra’sha’s life, it was full of family, fun, and a lot of good times. One of her fondest memories was Christmas of 1996, She was hoping she got the Bicycle that she’d been asking for, for months. But that Christmas morning she was eager to find out, and to get to her “Gran’s”(Mary Jane) house, where the festivities of Christmas were being held at, like every other holiday or occasion. When Ra’sha woke up that Christmas morning, she ran into her mother’s bedroom, and jumped
on the bed in between her mother, and her stepdad at the time. Ra’sha expressed such great excitement an said, “Merry Christmas mommy, it’s time to wake up, I want to open my presents! Peez peez mommy.”

  As her mother woke up she said to Ra’sha, “Merry Christmas baby, are you excited to see what you Santa brought you?

  Ra’sha would reply, “Yes mommy, I’m so excited.”

  Her mother with a smile replied, “Okay baby, I’m getting up now. Last one to the presents is a rotten egg.”

  Of course, Ra’Sha was the first one around the Christmas tree, then her mother Thelma, and her ex-Stepdad. he ended up being the rotten egg. Ra’Sha didn’t waste anytime when it came to opening her presents.

  The first one was a Cabbage Patch Doll, Then she opened up other presents which was Barbie’s, Clothes, a couple Disney movies, pretty much what a typical little girl would get on Christmas morning. But, not the bicycle she had hoped for. She did love her gift’s but she really wanted the bicycle. Although she was bummed out, she was still happy with what she got for Christmas.

  Ra’Sha was hopeful that Santa might’ve brought it to her “Gran’s” house (Mary Jane). Soon after opening presents, Thelma received a phone call from her mother. When Thelma answered it she said, “Hi mom, Merry Christmas.” Mary Jane then replied with joy in her voice, “Merry Christmas, Now where is my favorite granddaughter?”

  Thelma with a smile on her face said, “She’s in the living room playing with her new toy’s, you want to talk her?”

  Mary Jane replied, “Well yeah, I need to tell my baby girl Santa has left something here for her.”

  Thelma quickly said out loud, “Ericka! Gran’s on the phone, she wants to tell you something.”

  Ra’Sha with absolute excitement in her voice said, “Oh okay, I’m coming.” When Ra’sha got to her mother, Thelma proceeded to hand her the phone. Then Ra’Sha answered it and said excitedly, “Merry Christmas Gran! I love you. What did Santa get you for Christmas?”

  Mary Jane replied, “Santa Didn’t get me anything but coal, but he left something here for you. It’s pretty big, I cant even lift it.”

  Ra’Sha then exclaimed, “What did bring me! Is it a bicycle?”

  Mary Jane then said, “Well I don’t know what it is, we’ll find out once you guys come here for Christmas Dinner. We can all open it together.”

  Ra’sha responded back by saying, “ Oh okay, well I’m going to get ready now. I’ll try to rush mommy, so I can open it. Okay! Here’s Mom. Love you, bye.”

  When Ra’Sha handed the phone back to her mother, she began to jump for joy, and told her mother, “Gran said Santa got something big for me at here house. So let’s hurry and go so I can see what it is.”

  Thelma chuckles, and say’s to Ra’Sha, “Okay baby, let me say bye to Gran, and we’ll all get ready, and head over.”

  Ra’Sha so excited say’s, “Okay Mommy, I’m going to wear the new Outfit Santa brought me cause it’s really cute.”

  About 2 hours goes by, Thelma, Her husband at the time, and Ra’Sha finally arrived at Mary Jane’s house. When they did, Ra’sha didn’t hesitate to get out of the car. Mary Jane waiting outside, Ra’Sha ran up to her and gave her a great big hug and said, “Merry Christmas Gran.” Mary Jane full of joy gave her a great big tight hug back then said, “Merry Christmas baby, Now let’s go see what Santa brought you.” Ra’Sha excitedly exclaimed, “Okay!” then they proceeded into the house. Yet again, Ra’Sha was the first one to the Christmas Tree. When she seen the really big present, she couldn’t even wait for her mom and stepdad to come inside. She started to rip apart the Christmas wrapping, throwing it over her head and everywhere else. Once Ra’Sha saw what this great big present was, she then screamed with excitement, “It’s a Bicycle!”

  She couldn’t wait to ride it, so she went outside, and then began to ride all over Gran’s great big property. She went up and down the driveway so many times, back and forth, back and forth.

  She was full of so much excitement, screaming, Mommy look.. Mommy look, and when Thelma turned her head to watch her ride her bike, Ra’sha rode it straight into the side of the house.

  It scared her Mom, and Gran half to death, they hurried up to see if she was okay. When they approached Ra’Sha, Thelma realized her daughter had a Stare off Seizure, which was the cause of the accident. This was the second one she had that year. Due to all the excitement Ra’Sha was having it was to much for her. Her body just shut down, she wasn’t able to stop herself from crashing into the house. Now lets learn of the first seizure she ever experienced. Earlier that year, Ra’Sha just 8 years old doing her household choirs. She was doing the dishes for her mom, as she was emptying the dishwasher, she had a glass cup in her hand. Next thing anyone heard was glass breaking as it hit the ground, the noise was loud. But, Ra’Sha didn’t fall she blacked out, then immediately came back to consciousness. She started crying, she didn’t understand what happened. However, that was when her mother knew something was wrong with her daughter.

  (Part 6)

  When it comes to Ra’Sha, besides her mother, (Thelma).

  “Gran” (Mary Jane), as well as her Great Grandparents. Those people were always her favorite people.

  Her Great Grandparents she completely adored.

  Until they’d passed away when she was young, her great grandmother died in 1999 making her 11 at the time.

  In 2005 her great grandpa died a month after she turned 17. She was hurt, and very devastated from their passing’s. She felt lost, she even for a short time grew a hatred towards God. Late at night when she’d be in bed some nights, she would cry her self asleep, and sometimes scream out things like, “Why god??? Why the fuck did they have to go? How could you take them from me? I want my grandpa Barrow, I want him back, I miss him so much!” then she would cry, sometimes hysterically until she fell asleep. but, sometimes she would get herself so worked up she would convulse into a seizure. These Seizures were caused from Thelma’s complications during delivery, and from the lack of oxygen due to the umbilical cord being wrapped her neck.

  However, The times she couldn’t cry her self to sleep she would turn on the Television, and look for episodes of “Jerry Springer”.

  That was the show she would watch with her Grandpa Barrow everyday after school.

  They would enjoy a delicious afternoon snack of Milk and Chocolate chip cookies, and they’d watch and make fun of, and laugh at some of the shameless freak shows that would appear on the show. When ever the show would end, Ra’sha and her Grandpa Barrow would go for walks to spend more quality time together, as well as work off the milk and cookies before dinner to gain their appetite back.

  She would dwell on the past a lot in this stage of her life. She adored her Great Grandma, and Great Grandpa Barrow. Even to this present day she enjoys talking about them. She loves to share her fondest memories then.

  A Complete Update of this Title will be available 12/10/2019

  Thank you, AK Andrew’s

 

 

  AK Andrews, Stitched Heart

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