Jax

February 22nd, 2008, a man named John Myers nicknamed Jax thought he had everything until one day he lost it all. Jax lives in rural Odessa, Texas with his son, born in 1975 Jax is now 33 years old, he is a caucasian in good shape and is tall measuring at 6’5 with greying brown hair and brown eyes. Everyone who knows Jax knows that he is an extremely hard worker because he has always had to work for his own after his mother died when he was just 19, she was also a hard worker because she was an only parent even when she was diagnosed with cancer she still worked hard to provide for Jax and now Jax tries to do the same for his son while working late hours at Mass Welding in Odessa.

But first the story about Jax’s wife, she had complications when she tried to give birth to Jax’s son Jonah, however, she didn’t die until 3 months later, although Jonah was born without any birth complications Jax’s wife passed away and, it crushed Jax, who immediately started to blame Jonah even though he had nothing to do with it. After his wife’s death Jax started to return to bars and that’s where he started his decline, getting into bar fights almost every week coming home drunk, passing out, missing work and eventually getting arrested for getting into a more violent scuffle, it all started with some other guy that Jax had gotten into arguments with before started on about his wife and how it was all his fault for his wife’s death and Jax wasn’t going to take that and so Jax grabbed the nearest bottle and broke it over his head then tried to stab him with that same bottle, police were called and the scuffle was broken up after the man was sent to the hospital. That man then pressed charges against Jax for assault with a deadly weapon and Jax was sentenced to 6 months in jail after pleading guilty to those charges, it made Jax wake up.

Once Jax got out of jail 6 months later he went to his grandparents because he had figured that his son would be there and he was, but when Jax got there his grandmother tried to keep Jax from taking the child and she gave him a letter stating that Jax had lost his job at Mass Welding. Jax was furious, so he stormed down to Mass Welding and tried to understand why he was fired from his job, the owner had said “You were arrested and we had good guys on the bench that wanted a shot at your job and we couldn’t wait six months for you to come back so we gave away your job”, Jax eventually understood and tried to plead for his job and at some point the owner said that he could have a 3rd shift job and that he could come back to the line later tonight for the 3rd shift, Jax was satisfied that he had a job now, but he knew that 3rd shift was at 9:00 p.m. and it was already 2:00 p.m., so Jax went home and went to sleep until 8:00 p.m.. Jax got ready for his job and Jax got to work at 8:45 p.m., he put on that jacket he hadn’t seen in 6 months, a little shocked to see it he threw it on and got to his workbench, the shift manager had told him to get to work immediately, Jax already didn’t like him because he felt that the manager was on some sort of power trip, but anyway he got to work and got his work done by 10:00 p.m. and finished the first shift back at Mass Welding.

Next Day, Jax decided to go back to his grandparents home and tell them that he got his job back and he would be taking back Jonas in about 2 months. When he told them they said, “No you won’t, we got parental rights while you were sitting in jail.”

Jax responded, “what the hell is wrong with you, you said I could have him back if I got my job back and I am going to be taking him one way or another.”

“No you won’t.” stated Jax’s grandma.

“I have had enough of this, do you think this is some kind of sick game, I will have my son back and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it!,” stated Jax furiously, Jax stormed out of his grandparents home furious, got in his truck, and roared down the road to the child’s services.

BAM! Slammed the door.

“Sir, do you have an appointment, sir!,” exclaimed the woman.

Jax didn’t care, he just stormed past her and pushed anybody who got in his way out of his way. Jax finally reached the main office and yelled, “who gave away my son”.

There was a pause and finally a man that Jax knew from high school stepped up to him and sorrowfully stated, “I did”. It was Brian Vereoux, the exchange student from Canada back in High School, however Jax didn’t seem to notice him at first, but then Brian told him who he was and at that moment Jax’s eyes grew big.

Brian was the kid everybody loved, because his accent was so laughable and because he tried to help anybody he could, mostly cause he wanted to make an impression being the new kid and all. Fast forward 17 years and now he is a child services officer. Not as lovable to Jax now;Brian told Jax to step in his office, but Jax was way too stunned;then out of nowhere Jax snapped out of what looked like a hundred year slumber, Jax turned towards Brian and wondrously asked, “what happened to you.”

Brian told Jax that he couldn’t do anything because Jax wasn’t around to say no. “So, they took advantage of me,” exclaimed Jax.

“Well”, slowly exclaimed Brian as if trying to explain his side but not knowing how to.

“Just stop, there is nothing you can say to make it seem any less confusing.”

“I apologize for what I did, but you have to understand that there was nothing I could do to keep Jonah in your custody, however there is only one thing we…”

“No, there is no WE anymore.”

“Let’s just got to court and see what happens,” pleads Brian.

“Fine, but I am only doing this to get my kid back, but we are done”

“I’m sorry to hear that, however I wish you would consider the position I was in.”

The court date had been set for July 8th. The jury was selected and Jax was ready to take this situation to court even if he had to have Brian by his side along with Jax’s lawyer. Weeks had passed and Jax was living his life like this: Wake up, eat, work, eat, and sleep again, it was boring for him;all he wanted was to have his son back, so he could have some excitement back in his life. Eventually he snapped, Jax knew Jonah had been playing hockey on the school’s team, because a co-worker had told him his son was in hockey and he said that his son and Jonah were good friends, then the man said there was a game this weekend at the local rink. Jax went down to the rink looked around the rink for his son and eventually he spotted him, so Jax started walking over to him, but someone else spotted Jax, it was his grandparents. Grabbing Jax’s arms with her bony arthritis crippled hands Jax’s grandma asked, “Where do you think you’re going”

“Get your hands off me you cruel old woman” stated Jax.

“What do you think, you’re just going to take him;do that and you will never get him back,” stated Jax’s grandma in a way that struck Jax as sounding as they don’t want him anymore.

“Why did you say that.”

“What?”

‘“You will never get him back’, sounds like you don’t want him anymore”

“I never said that” this struck Jax, what is she playing at?

Weeks later at the court date Jax was ready for court when he got a phone call, not

really in the mood to answer another stupid phone call, Jax turned away from the door and sluggishly walked over to the phone that was laying on the coffee table and looked at the phone, an unknown number, well he didn’t want to answer it but he did anyway. Two words came out of the phone, “she’s dead”.

He could only think of one person and that would be his grandma, but that didn’t make any sense he never knew she was sick or anything like that. Jax went down to the courthouse as quickly as possible and met Brian there, Brian was grinning from ear to ear, “do you know what this means”.

Jax was creeped out by Brian’s smile considering the situation, but he asked “no, what happens now”.

“Jonah is yours!” said Brian uncontrollably.

“You’re kidding me.”

“No, since your grandfather is in mourning and has agreed not to keep Jonah he is yours”

Brian was right as long as Jax’s grandfather agreed to give up Jonah, Jonah would become Jax’s once again. Now Jax will have to support Jonah as well himself, but he thought he had planned for that. Jax went back to work for a couple of years and eventually he found out that he didn’t plan to be laid off, but he had when the company had begun to slow down production and had to lay off people to save money. Jax then found out that he couldn’t support a 14 year old and himself while being laid off, so Jax quit his job at Mass welding and got a new job at a manufacturing warehouse in Odessa. Jax would be making nearly twice the amount of money at the warehouse and he would be working more often, therefore he would be making much more in a smaller amount of time. Jax went to his new job the next week and began to work, Jax would be working on bigger machinery and he was the one who would weld the joints and beams together for the machinery. Management was so impressed at how quickly Jax worked after a few months that they promoted him, Jax would make 10 dollars more and overtime was 15 dollars more. Jax would see plenty of overtime in the next couple months when the workload had begun to double. Jax would be doing this for the next three years, Jax would now be 44 and Jonah’s now 17. Jax finally made a consistent life for himself and his son Jonah and as it looks right now they are going to live in harmony for a long time and will get that father son life that Jax fought for what seems like an eternity ago.

Jax has worked his way up even further at that manufacturing warehouse that he has been working at for the past few years and now they have made him VP of the new welding division that the company has created. This new position also means more money, Jax will now be making $68 per/hour as he continues to work on the floor and continue to develop the new division of welders, however in the end once Jax makes enough money he will be able to start his own welding company and all in all that is his true goal at this stage in his life. And Jax bought a vintage 30-30 lever action rifle just like his dad had and Jax now has that to keep memory of him. Every Jax takes it out to Wyoming to hunt antelope just like he and his dad did every year when Jax was young. Lastly, Jax visits his dad and mom’s grave every week to pay respects, but his son knows that he really goes almost every day to have someone to metaphorically talk to for things about life and death.

The last thing in Jax’s life is to own his own welding company, but he wants to send Jonah to college for him to have a better life than he had. As Jonah comes home one afternoon after work at the same company Jax works for, Jax gives Jonah an envelope and tells him to make something of himself. Jonah won’t accept it. “Dad, I want to work for you and I know you want your own company, so own one and I’ll come work for you.”

“Son, are you sure?” asks Jax.

“I’m sure.”

This was great news for Jax, not that he is selfish, but Jax has wanted this ever since he got into welding and now he could finally have his dream. Two years passed and Jax got what he wanted, not in the way he imagined though. The owner of the manufacturing warehouse passed away and he knew about Jax’s dream, not having any family to pass the company on to, the owner gave Jax the warehouse in his will, but he would have to keep everyone that was working there and that was fine for Jax because he was going to open a welding shop. Jax would pay all the manufacturing guys extra money to get schooling for welding or they could leave with a bonus check from the previous owner. It looks like a children’s story, but if you looked at Jax’s life through his eyes you would realize that his life has been a living hell. Jax now owns Father & Sons Welding Shop in rural Odessa, Texas, where Jax has lived his entire life and his roots go back into the early existence of Odessa. Jonah will eventually become the owner of the company when Jax dies, but for now Jax is going to take over the welding companies in Texas. King of Welding, John Jax Myers and Jonah Daniel Myers. They will go down into history for being the best at welding in Texas, something that Jax couldn’t have dreamed of 10 years ago, but it has come true, thanks to his family Jax has made something of himself and his son is now going to become something as well. Through thick and thin Jax forgives his grandmother and Jax now realizes that she made him what he is now. As Jax rides off into the sunset, if you look hard enough, you will see a cloud that looks like his mom smiling back at him saying, “Good Job, Son.” 35 years later that little welding shop in rural Odessa, Texas is still running with an angry 79 year old man is known to everybody as the one who keeps this town running and is also known for the man who saved his son from the clutches of a system that many have tried to beat before and have failed. Jax Myers and Jonah Myers, keeping Father & Son Welding going strong even in these tough times. Today, we know that Jax will go down in Odessa History as one of the most inspirational people Odessa has ever seen. Jax now has Alzheimer's, but he doesn't let that hold him back keeping all of his workers on his toes especially his son Jonah who now cares for Jax, quite the coincidence. Jax cared for Jonah before and now Jonah is taking care of an ornery old man named John Jax Myers.

When you travel down Oakwood AVE. in Odessa, Texas you will see Jax sitting on his rocking chair outside of the welding shop smoking his pipe and stringing his guitar while staring into the abyss. When you walk up to him even today, he will tell you some tales about his life in Odessa, some you will make you cry and some will make you think about your own life. What will happen to Jax? What will happen to Jonah? What will happen next in Odessa? Visit Odessa today and the locals will tell the story of Jax and Jonah. Friday night lights aren’t the only thing that you will see in rural Odessa. The story will shine brighter to you then the friday night lights. Jonah is the main owner of Father & Son and to this day he hasn’t changed a thing with the business and won’t at any time in the future. Jonah has a girlfriend of two years and has a kid on the way, he is going to name him Jackson after his father Jax. Jonah now looks exactly like his father and the only ones who know the difference are the locals. Jax has a scar on his eyebrow and to this day everyone in Odessa still knows the story of the bar fight that changed Odessa’s future. 6’5 with a scar on his brow and fiery determination to save his son from the clutches of the U.S. system and making his story along the way.