Chronology of an Old Woman's Death part 2
March 2nd 2008 21:26
So, I gave you the basic history of this family and hopefully it was clear enough to understand the level of dysfunction. There is a current player, though, that I did not tell you about. He is the son of the next to the youngest daughter (there were four boys and three girls).
When this daughter became pregnant at 17, as her sister did, Dad must have just given up. He did not beat her like the other one, he simply ignored her. She was a wild one and really had no interest in having a child. So when her son was born, Grandma decided she would take him and raise him. (which was a bit surprising since they were building their new house at that point and the kids were all out, though not necessarily grown). This arrangement lasted without incident until the child was four years old. At that point the daughter had married her child's father and they both had decent jobs. She decided that she wanted to raise her son now. Well this started the custody battle of the century. My mother-in-law literally made up huge lies in court to try to keip custody of her grandson. The court saw through it and gave them shared custody. They have fought verbally and physcally over this kid ever since,
As an outsider just observing, this grandson set the stage for some interesting turns of events. First off, both my mother-in-law and my father-in-law suddenly became doting parents. They gave this kid everything and anything he asked for. He treated them like crap, cussing them and such beginning around 14 years old. And all of the kids really resented him. He stayed at his grandmother's until he was about 20, moved out for a few months until he got a domestic violence charge with his girlfriend and then he moved back in. He could not hold a job and could not stay in a relationship and ALWAYS came back to grandma's house. Okay....today, this young man is 41 and hasn't worked over a year...still at grandma's and failed at a couple of businesses she funded for him. He has a newer van equipped for carpet cleaning, a harley and a Mazda Spider. He pays $400 a month for child support and has never been late...go figure???
Let's give some of these characters a name for the sake of clarity because I don't want anyone feeling confused as this story unfolds. Let's call the grandson, Ron. Grandma and Grandpa will be Charley and Claire. The adult kids from oldest to youngest shall be known as: Frank, Rob, Roy (my husband), James, Sherry, Suzanne and Karen.
Roy and I moved away from these people more than twenty years ago. Ten years ago, my husband said he was sick of his mother's evil ways and he just simply does not acknowledge his father, so on one final phone call, my husband told his mother that he was done and not to call again. Then we changed our phone number. He did give it to his three sisters, but none of his brothers as he never really got along with them anyway. Over the years, his sisters would call and tell us the latest drama. We'd listen politely and then forget about it. Most of it was about what Ron had manipulated out of Charley and Claire. Not much talk of Charley hurting Claire so we just figured that he must have mellowed in his old age.
Well, three weeks ago we got a call from Sherry telling us that Charley seemed a bit lost every now and then...maybe Alzimers? She added that Claire went to Bingo and had bruises that she claimed she got by falling. Everyone figured that Charley did it to her. Sherry also told us that Claire looked wonderful in that she had lost probably 60 pounds (she was always heavy set).
Two weeks ago, our phone rings and its Sherry telling us that Claire had a major stroke and was in the hospital. She wanted my husband to come home immeidiately, but he declined, telling her to just keep him posted. She was incredibly emotional about the whole thing to the point that one would think this was a very loving family. My husband did ask who found her and was told that Ron found her on the kitchen floor and took her to the hospital.
After two days Sherry called and said that Claire was responsive and five of the kids were at the hospital visiting her as well as Ron, the grandson. A nurse came in with a tray of food for her. When the nurse left the room, Claire went to take a bite of the food and Ron hit the tray throwing it across the room shouting, "Are you crazy you old bitch, do you think I went to all that trouble to get your fat ass thin to have you ruin it in here!?"
Sherry said everyone was stunned but when questioned by my husband she said no one did anything or even said anything. My husband was tripping about this. "Why?" was all he could ask Sherry. Sherry hesitated and then said that Ron is a scarey kind of guy. He's been doing steroids for quite some time and is really bulked up. He is so agressive that no one wants to confront him. She added that was the reason she really wanted my husband to come home because she knew he would stand up to Ron. But to be honest, this is the exact reason I'm glad my husband does not want to go. I don't want to be bailing a sixty year old man out of jail.
The next day's phone call was even more interesting.....be back tomorrow.
When this daughter became pregnant at 17, as her sister did, Dad must have just given up. He did not beat her like the other one, he simply ignored her. She was a wild one and really had no interest in having a child. So when her son was born, Grandma decided she would take him and raise him. (which was a bit surprising since they were building their new house at that point and the kids were all out, though not necessarily grown). This arrangement lasted without incident until the child was four years old. At that point the daughter had married her child's father and they both had decent jobs. She decided that she wanted to raise her son now. Well this started the custody battle of the century. My mother-in-law literally made up huge lies in court to try to keip custody of her grandson. The court saw through it and gave them shared custody. They have fought verbally and physcally over this kid ever since,
As an outsider just observing, this grandson set the stage for some interesting turns of events. First off, both my mother-in-law and my father-in-law suddenly became doting parents. They gave this kid everything and anything he asked for. He treated them like crap, cussing them and such beginning around 14 years old. And all of the kids really resented him. He stayed at his grandmother's until he was about 20, moved out for a few months until he got a domestic violence charge with his girlfriend and then he moved back in. He could not hold a job and could not stay in a relationship and ALWAYS came back to grandma's house. Okay....today, this young man is 41 and hasn't worked over a year...still at grandma's and failed at a couple of businesses she funded for him. He has a newer van equipped for carpet cleaning, a harley and a Mazda Spider. He pays $400 a month for child support and has never been late...go figure???
Let's give some of these characters a name for the sake of clarity because I don't want anyone feeling confused as this story unfolds. Let's call the grandson, Ron. Grandma and Grandpa will be Charley and Claire. The adult kids from oldest to youngest shall be known as: Frank, Rob, Roy (my husband), James, Sherry, Suzanne and Karen.
Roy and I moved away from these people more than twenty years ago. Ten years ago, my husband said he was sick of his mother's evil ways and he just simply does not acknowledge his father, so on one final phone call, my husband told his mother that he was done and not to call again. Then we changed our phone number. He did give it to his three sisters, but none of his brothers as he never really got along with them anyway. Over the years, his sisters would call and tell us the latest drama. We'd listen politely and then forget about it. Most of it was about what Ron had manipulated out of Charley and Claire. Not much talk of Charley hurting Claire so we just figured that he must have mellowed in his old age.
Well, three weeks ago we got a call from Sherry telling us that Charley seemed a bit lost every now and then...maybe Alzimers? She added that Claire went to Bingo and had bruises that she claimed she got by falling. Everyone figured that Charley did it to her. Sherry also told us that Claire looked wonderful in that she had lost probably 60 pounds (she was always heavy set).
Two weeks ago, our phone rings and its Sherry telling us that Claire had a major stroke and was in the hospital. She wanted my husband to come home immeidiately, but he declined, telling her to just keep him posted. She was incredibly emotional about the whole thing to the point that one would think this was a very loving family. My husband did ask who found her and was told that Ron found her on the kitchen floor and took her to the hospital.
After two days Sherry called and said that Claire was responsive and five of the kids were at the hospital visiting her as well as Ron, the grandson. A nurse came in with a tray of food for her. When the nurse left the room, Claire went to take a bite of the food and Ron hit the tray throwing it across the room shouting, "Are you crazy you old bitch, do you think I went to all that trouble to get your fat ass thin to have you ruin it in here!?"
Sherry said everyone was stunned but when questioned by my husband she said no one did anything or even said anything. My husband was tripping about this. "Why?" was all he could ask Sherry. Sherry hesitated and then said that Ron is a scarey kind of guy. He's been doing steroids for quite some time and is really bulked up. He is so agressive that no one wants to confront him. She added that was the reason she really wanted my husband to come home because she knew he would stand up to Ron. But to be honest, this is the exact reason I'm glad my husband does not want to go. I don't want to be bailing a sixty year old man out of jail.
The next day's phone call was even more interesting.....be back tomorrow.
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Comment by S.L. Bradish
Looking forward to the next chapter!
Comment by Cathy
Fakes Frauds Fools
Artist Quirk
Best Emerging Artists
Have a great day!