Chapter 16 Changes Again
Someone once said the only thing constant is change. This was a time of many changes for Theresa Traynham. There were many opportunities presented to her and she wasn't sure about her next steps. In her heart of hearts she wanted to be married and settle down with a family. It wasn't to be just yet.
Theresa found out from Nate why he ended their relationship years earlier. He said he was falling in love and wasn't ready to get married. OK. she thought, a simple explanation, but why had you been so secretive about it? Theresa wasn't ready for marriage. That whole experience and the aftermath of it had been a growing experience for her. She was saving her money to buy a house. At one point she was going to get an apartment and her dad was telling her paying rent was giving someone money each month with nothing to show for it. So every month she put money into a savings account to buy a house.
Nate and Theresa's relationship was rocky at best. He was a nice person, but not a husband or boyfriend material. Everything came first and then if he had time for Theresa he would call her. It was the same thing as earlier, but now with a twist. Nate had been called to the ministry. Theresa had no doubt of his calling. She went to his first sermon, but the way he was going about things was all wrong. The way he treated her was all wrong. He would get up to preach and he would talk about her weight and other things. She would go with him places and he ignored her. Sometimes he would forget to pick her up from work. All of this was very stressful for Theresa and finally she had had enough and told him, she couldn't live like this and broke off the engagement. She handed him the ring back. He was shocked. Then the church people began to turn on her. How could she do this to a minister. It was hard and hurtful to go back to her church, but she did. She questioned her own decision and God told her that she was not to walk behind someone in their ministry, she had her own ministry. She didn't know what that meant and she left it alone.
At work things began to change, there was a call from a local hotel who wanted to do some gospel sings for the guests every once in a while. Theresa took on this project. They had planned a local concert with local groups. This was the first of many shows there. It was free admission and they had a nice respectable crowd for the first one. The lady from the hotel was pleased and they planned other events. The radio station seemed to be doing well until the ratings came out. When they did, there would be drastic changes take place. The afternoon ratings were not good. So the plans were to move Theresa to afternoons, get someone else to do mornings and put Ted on the night shift. No one liked the changes, but they went along with them.
During the time after the breakup with Nate, Theresa decided that it was time to move out on her own. Every evening her mom would drive around and look at real estate. It was fun to imagine living in your own place. Nate was trying to get back in the picture and he set up a showing with a real estate agent. The house she showed Theresa was big, but something about it seemed strange. Later she found out that someone had killed themselves in the upstairs bedroom. She kept looking until one day she drove by a house with a bank sign in the yard. Theresa knew this house. She had been it it before. She was thirteen and a friend from school had invited her over. It had enough rooms and enough closets to do for Theresa. She called to bank and asked to see it, and they said that they had to go in and clean it. She told them she had been in the house as a teenager and she just wanted to see what the place looked like. She went by after work and got the key. When she and her mom came in, they fell in love with the place. Theresa's dad had someone come in and she went back to the bank they told her it was "as is". Theresa's dad was going to do the work and get others to help him. Everyone thought it was a good deal and they told her what to offer the bank. Her credit was good. The only problem was that she had never made any major purchases before, like a car. Most of her credit was short term financing and department store credit cards. They took the offer of $22,500 for the house. The whole transaction took about three weeks.
Theresa was now a homeowner. The real work began. They invited her grandmother to come and help and someone from work came by. Some people were happy for Theresa and other thought she was stupid for buying a house. This was her way of saying goodbye to Nate and investing in her career. She was a homeowner now, she had to work.....
Theresa found out from Nate why he ended their relationship years earlier. He said he was falling in love and wasn't ready to get married. OK. she thought, a simple explanation, but why had you been so secretive about it? Theresa wasn't ready for marriage. That whole experience and the aftermath of it had been a growing experience for her. She was saving her money to buy a house. At one point she was going to get an apartment and her dad was telling her paying rent was giving someone money each month with nothing to show for it. So every month she put money into a savings account to buy a house.
Nate and Theresa's relationship was rocky at best. He was a nice person, but not a husband or boyfriend material. Everything came first and then if he had time for Theresa he would call her. It was the same thing as earlier, but now with a twist. Nate had been called to the ministry. Theresa had no doubt of his calling. She went to his first sermon, but the way he was going about things was all wrong. The way he treated her was all wrong. He would get up to preach and he would talk about her weight and other things. She would go with him places and he ignored her. Sometimes he would forget to pick her up from work. All of this was very stressful for Theresa and finally she had had enough and told him, she couldn't live like this and broke off the engagement. She handed him the ring back. He was shocked. Then the church people began to turn on her. How could she do this to a minister. It was hard and hurtful to go back to her church, but she did. She questioned her own decision and God told her that she was not to walk behind someone in their ministry, she had her own ministry. She didn't know what that meant and she left it alone.
At work things began to change, there was a call from a local hotel who wanted to do some gospel sings for the guests every once in a while. Theresa took on this project. They had planned a local concert with local groups. This was the first of many shows there. It was free admission and they had a nice respectable crowd for the first one. The lady from the hotel was pleased and they planned other events. The radio station seemed to be doing well until the ratings came out. When they did, there would be drastic changes take place. The afternoon ratings were not good. So the plans were to move Theresa to afternoons, get someone else to do mornings and put Ted on the night shift. No one liked the changes, but they went along with them.
During the time after the breakup with Nate, Theresa decided that it was time to move out on her own. Every evening her mom would drive around and look at real estate. It was fun to imagine living in your own place. Nate was trying to get back in the picture and he set up a showing with a real estate agent. The house she showed Theresa was big, but something about it seemed strange. Later she found out that someone had killed themselves in the upstairs bedroom. She kept looking until one day she drove by a house with a bank sign in the yard. Theresa knew this house. She had been it it before. She was thirteen and a friend from school had invited her over. It had enough rooms and enough closets to do for Theresa. She called to bank and asked to see it, and they said that they had to go in and clean it. She told them she had been in the house as a teenager and she just wanted to see what the place looked like. She went by after work and got the key. When she and her mom came in, they fell in love with the place. Theresa's dad had someone come in and she went back to the bank they told her it was "as is". Theresa's dad was going to do the work and get others to help him. Everyone thought it was a good deal and they told her what to offer the bank. Her credit was good. The only problem was that she had never made any major purchases before, like a car. Most of her credit was short term financing and department store credit cards. They took the offer of $22,500 for the house. The whole transaction took about three weeks.
Theresa was now a homeowner. The real work began. They invited her grandmother to come and help and someone from work came by. Some people were happy for Theresa and other thought she was stupid for buying a house. This was her way of saying goodbye to Nate and investing in her career. She was a homeowner now, she had to work.....
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