Thursday, 15 November 2007 04:23 pm
(no subject)
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deckardcanineIn the 14 months that I've lived in my basement suite, I have had little sympathy for the young boys upstairs. Let's just say that they are frequently very unhappy (not that I'm likely to notice when they're content), but from what I gather, that unhappiness results largely from immaturity even for their ages. To be fair, I never had to deal with a brother growing up, but that makes me no more inclined to side with them over the scolding parent. When I heard the mother say, "You can be a horrible child sometimes!", I thought her low on tact but high on accuracy. It was nice when they got relatively quiet in the summer.
Two nights ago, however, I really did feel for both brothers. First I heard one scream something about "my whole reason for living," which could have been just one of his more emo exclamations, but I got the impression from other noises that something was out of the ordinary for the whole family. Later, when the father, my landlord, was standing in a common room of the basement, I heard him say, "Stop acting like this is not your problem. Your son is upstairs, and he wants you to tell him why things can never be the same again."
Sure enough, when I talked to my landlord later, he confirmed they were "probably" getting a divorce, which would be his preference. He appreciated my concern and subsequent condolence while asserting that it would make little difference for my situation: He would be the one still living in this house, and I would continue making checks out to him.
It may well be that there will be almost no change where I'm concerned. I've rarely spoken with his wife, partly because there is frequently a hired caretaker in her stead. I know very little about her except that she, understandably, doesn't want me to call for my landlord from the basement stairs unless I hear his voice first. So I can't say I'll miss her presence.
Nevertheless, the news has depressed me a bit. It reminds me of when my mother's brother got divorced many years ago. My immediate family had gotten no idea from visiting that he and his wife were having serious trouble getting along. Naturally, the ones who must have suffered most were my cousins.
The good news is that those cousins and that uncle did not take long to appear generally happy and well-adjusted again (I don't know my former aunt's situation). If my landlord's marriage will not be rescued, I can still hope that the well-being of each family member will.
Two nights ago, however, I really did feel for both brothers. First I heard one scream something about "my whole reason for living," which could have been just one of his more emo exclamations, but I got the impression from other noises that something was out of the ordinary for the whole family. Later, when the father, my landlord, was standing in a common room of the basement, I heard him say, "Stop acting like this is not your problem. Your son is upstairs, and he wants you to tell him why things can never be the same again."
Sure enough, when I talked to my landlord later, he confirmed they were "probably" getting a divorce, which would be his preference. He appreciated my concern and subsequent condolence while asserting that it would make little difference for my situation: He would be the one still living in this house, and I would continue making checks out to him.
It may well be that there will be almost no change where I'm concerned. I've rarely spoken with his wife, partly because there is frequently a hired caretaker in her stead. I know very little about her except that she, understandably, doesn't want me to call for my landlord from the basement stairs unless I hear his voice first. So I can't say I'll miss her presence.
Nevertheless, the news has depressed me a bit. It reminds me of when my mother's brother got divorced many years ago. My immediate family had gotten no idea from visiting that he and his wife were having serious trouble getting along. Naturally, the ones who must have suffered most were my cousins.
The good news is that those cousins and that uncle did not take long to appear generally happy and well-adjusted again (I don't know my former aunt's situation). If my landlord's marriage will not be rescued, I can still hope that the well-being of each family member will.
