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Show THE MALEVOLENT SEVEN 5 I could survive going to parties and dinners without an escort. 1 could relax and enjoy myself. Most of all, I discovered the great support and friendship I shared with some very special people-friends who would drop in and say, "Hey, we're taking you to dinner!" on a Monday night. Those I loved showed they cared about me. Those who tried to insult or pass judgment didn't matter to me. Their feelings and pettiness were their problems. I could tolerate Society. The Toolbox was another matter. I came out of the property settlement with the house (the mortgage and a lien for his half of the equity). It turned out to be a dubious asset. There were four bedrooms, three baths, eight fruit trees, twenty lilac bushes, three thousand square feet of lawn and a leaky roof. The lawn mower quit right in the middle of the front yard. I couldn't get it started again. There was gas in it. Well, maybe it needs oil, I thought. I got a can of oil and a spout from the garage. Where do you pour it in at? Besides the gas tank cap, there was only one other cap on the mower. I took it off and filled up the compartment. The mower still wouldn't start. When all else fails, look for the instruction booklet that came with the machine. I soon discovered I had just filled the air cleaner with oil. I quickly learned how to read repair manuals and schematics. I found that the most useful tool of al1 is common sense. Time was also a demon at first. It lay heavily on my hands and tried to suffocate me in boredom and depression. I would cling to the men I dated; hang my life on the ring of the phone; sit around the house waiting...for what? I needed time. I needed to learn how to live with time and be independent. I needed time to heal and grow emotionally. Once the decision about |