(19 of 26)
"But I could always work. Even going to beauty school, I can get work before Christmas, like I did last year in Toys R Us.
"Anyway, I met Davey's father, Davey Senior, at 18. I met him in an after- school center, where I played Ping-Pong every day, which I loved. Davey Senior was thrown out of his house for something, so he came to live with my mother and me. And then my grandmother moved in too. My grandmother was a rip; she used to beat up all the kids with a broom. Davey and me lived in the same house, but we didn't do nothin'--would you believe it? I was a virgin till I got married. I was a very good girl, raised myself with honor." She holds her fists over her head like a winning boxer and laughs. "I didn't have no bed of roses. I came from a broken home. So what? I don't go for blaming everyone else for what you do wrong. Here's a kick: I was even a virgin the day after I got married. I got drunk at the wedding--nice Italian wedding--and went home and fell asleep."
A few years later, Davey Senior ran off to Florida with another woman, leaving Rose with the first of her children, Davey Junior, a boy of 15 today. Davey's one winter jacket was stolen last week. Rose vows to get it back. Joey, the second-oldest child, was produced by Frankie, with whom Rose lived for a year. The four other children belong to Vincent, with whom, until recently, Rose has been in an on-and-off custody war. Rose won the first * battle after Vincent had taken Sabrina and was sent to jail in handcuffs. "I hated to see him that way. I still had feeling for him.
"But a week later Vinnie comes and takes all my kids. He called B.C.W., which is the old child welfare, and tells them I'm neglecting my children and I'm beating them and they never go to school and they weren't up to date with their shots and dah dah dah. I tried to fight, but I wasn't ready for court. I am not a smart person by any means. They closed my welfare case because I had no children, which meant that I had no money, no electric money, food money. I got thrown out of my apartment. I would have been a goner if I hadn't been taken in by Vinnie's brother and wife. So I took care of their six kids while I was waiting for the court to give me back my own. I took those kids to school. I bathed them. The judge says I got to prove I'm able to be a fit mother. I got jobs. I was a cashier in Pathmark. I worked from 11 at night to 8 in the morning, and then I took care of Vinnie's brother's kids, which meant I got maybe two, three hours' sleep a night. But I proved something to the judge, and I got my kids back.
"Not that my troubles were behind me. I lost my apartment because I fell behind in my rent. Day after Easter, they sent me to a welfare hotel. I could not stand it. That's when I lived in the car. Finally, I came to Sunset Park and I got this place, which is fine, so I think things are going to be good from now on. The kids are doing O.K. in school. Not great but passing. I stick with it at the beauty school. There's a lot to read, that's the trouble there, the way I read.
"When I graduate, I'm going to get a good job. If there's no good job, I'll get a bad one. You know what I'll do if there never is a job? I'll cut hair in the street and charge five bucks a head. What do you think? Will they go for it? You can't beat the price."
XI MARIA