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[first notes of "The Star-Spangled Banner" play]
[downtrodden guitar music]
- A typical day for me
is getting up, getting ready for work...
Now I'm on my way to get school supplies
just before work.
Trying to catch the best deals of the year.
$2 for 72 pencils.
[laughs]
Hopefully they'll last all year long.
Going to work.
Making sure the kids are off to school.
You need pencils, right?
I tell them that's their employment.
Just like I have to go to work every day,
you have to go to school every day.
I always wanted to be a homeowner,
and when I had the opportunity to do it,
I went ahead and did it.
I went ahead and did it, for one, because
I didn't want to displace my kids again.
And it was a choice: either I purchase the house,
or I had to start looking for another place for us to go.
Got to pay the water bill and the taxes.
- Mom. - I'm sending my whole check.
One of the reasons I shield my kids
from the issues that I'm having with the house
is because I don't want them to take these issues to school.
Right now, all of them are doing so well in school.
They're all honor roll students,
and I don't want to put any stress on them.
You know, just everyday stresses about,
"Are we coming home today?"
"Am I gonna have to move and go somewhere else?"
It's exhausting.
And every time I go and buy groceries,
I have to remember, you know, you can only buy so much
because you got to pay the taxes in a couple weeks.
Or, you know, you got to try to save some money
just in case so the kids won't be homeless,
but that's what I think about almost every day.
You know, I worry about,
"Is anything gonna happen to me?"
'cause I'm the only one in the house
who is working.
The only one taking care of the family.
I pray every day that nothing ever happens to me
where I can't make that payment.
[downtrodden guitar music]