Well, I promise it’s not going to be a “never-ending” saga, but for those who are keeping up, here’s the latest installment in the Kenihiko story. It’s been a very frustrating process of one-step forward, one step back, driving me nuts, and needless to say, wearing her nerves to their last fine frazzle. Since the last time I posted we had just enough donations come in to continue to cover the rent at the Motel 6 and food for her and Nick, keeping them off the street. Then one wonderful Saiyuki-lover, who choses to remain anonymous but who will forever be on my friends-list, donated enough to cover the cost of the bus tickets. That was most wonderful, until MK called her father to let him know she was coming and he started hesitating- she talked to him again today, and he simply doesn’t have space in his tiny trailer for two more people, plus has major health problems, and she just doesn’t want to stress him. One step forward, one back.

So with a good suggestion from a friend, I started looking into hostels down around that area Thursday, and found we can get her into a hostel for around half the rent per night of what she is paying now- maybe less. I sent emails to a couple of them explaining her situation, asking if they could maybe even cut her a break on a rate for a whole month, but haven’t heard back yet. Her stepdad made noises about driving her in his van for a day or so, so we got excited about that: cheaper, and she would be able to take more of her stuff, but that didn’t pan out – no big surprise if you know anything about her family. Meanwhile these three nights have eaten up $150 more of the bus ticket money! *Sigh.*

There are two more bits of good news. She did find an excellent rate on a rental car today, $200 bucks, from Alamo. Even with the gas calculated in she will come out with a cost comparable to the bus with $4/gal.gas and the car getting 25MPG highway. Plus she can take more of her things, and thus save on shipping them later or buying them down there, and it will be so much easier on her and Nick than two days straight of riding on a bus. She is more than ready to leave Monday if she can get the money together to go. She is sitting down tonight to figure the finances – what she will have left after paying for tomorrow and Sunday night (she can’t get the bus to the airport to get the car or money out of the bank until Monday) and what she more will need to get there.

The biggest good news at this point is I had a great phone conversation on Friday with Daxzia, one of our LiveJournal Saiyuki friends, who lives down in the area near Kenihiko’s dad in Central Florida. She has been overwhelmed lately with problems with her friends and family, but very much wants to help her with her transition, and really resolved some of our worry with her determination to help out once they get there. She has lots of connections throughout the community, and seems confident she can help Kenihiko and her son find temporary free or cheap shelter somewhere and an affordable place they can rent to live in as well. I told her that at this point the way Kenihiko and I were looking at it, it had come down to “close your eyes and jump”: she has to be somewhere, and she would much rather be there, at least if, god forbid, she ended up on the street there she wouldn’t fucking freeze to death! (That’s gallows humor, folks – something she and I have always had in common. ^__~ ) But Dax put my mind to rest more than it has been since this started, saying she would make sure that it didn’t ever come to that. It’s SO good to know there will be someone down there ready to help them when they get there – the first month will be the hardest.

And many blessings upon any of you that have helped Kenihiko and Nick already – I don’t know what would have happened to them if it wasn’t for all of you. She told me today that her online family was more family to her than her “real” family. I know the feeling. I know you all are tired of me putting the touch on you for this, but if there is anyone who has been meaning to help her out and just forgotten, or hasn’t gotten around to it, now would be a good time. She has got to get out of that motel and on to Florida, and to get by between now and the first when her checks come when she gets there, which is still ten days that she and Nick have to eat, regardless of wherever they end up staying. She is going to be packed and ready to go Monday morning; she is talking about doing one of those “cash advance” things just so she can get the rest of the cash to go (I hate to see her do that because then she will just be short later next month, but I guess if it takes that to her down there, hey, whatever works.) Any money any of you could come up with now would help her get on the road and to Florida, and that’s what’s the most important at this point.

Hopefully the next update you get from either of us will be one letting you know she’s there and all is well. And thanks again from both of us to all of you, not just the ones that have donated, but also all of you that have emailed and msg’d your love, moral support, and helpful suggestions. This really could have easily been any one of a number of us – what happened with the economy this week has pointed that out very vividly. It just happened to be her, and she needs all the help we can muster as she tries to start life all over again for herself and her son.

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UPDATE: 9/25 - They are on the road!!!!!!!!

Until I get it posted here, which I may or may not manage to do, anyone who is interested is welcome to read my most recent post on my LiveJournal account at [link] for the most recent info on kenihiko and her son, as well as a few random thoughts of mine on her situation and recent events in my life. It is not friends-locked, so anyone can read it. Thanks, y'all. Peace.