My sophomore year of college I came home one weekend to find my dad standing in the kitchen. We had this conversation:
Dad: Your mother's moving out this weekend into her own apartment.
Me: [stunned silence then manage to recover enough to give my dad an awkward side hug]
Dad: I guess you knew we've been having problems for a long time.
Me: [outloud] No. [to myself] absolutely no fucking clue.
Dad: Are you ok?
Me: Yeah.
Then I went to my room and cried on the phone to my best friend, which I can never seem to do in front of my family. Later that night:
Me: [curled up on the basement sofa staring blankly at the TV]
Mom: I wanted to check on you. Are you ok?
Me: Yeah.
Mom: Ok.
I went back to school and, after about a week passed, I started to wonder if my brother knew. So I did what any emotionally-repressed little sister would do: I got on AOL instant messenger.
Me72: You heard from Dad lately?
B_rother: No
Me72: He didn't call you? And tell you Mom moved out?
B_rother: Are you serious?
Me72: He didn't tell you?
B_rother: No.
Me72: Did you have any idea they had problems?
B_rother: Not really.
I know it sounds horrible, but I think both of us sort of preferred having this conversation on IM. We both absolutely loathe talking on the phone. I have a hard time getting him to call me back. In fact, I don't think he has ever called me back in the 25 years I have known him. My family has problems, I know.
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2 comments:
awkward side hugs from JLR are the best
This really isn't all too different from when my mom moved out at the beginning of the year. The only exception was that it was pretty clear they should have split 15 years ago.
Awkward high fives from JLR are also fantastic.
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