Chapter 4

Maybe his behavior at the concert, in his own demented way, was that he liked the idea of family and was being protective of me. Indeed, he was to have seven children of

his own, but paradoxically a story was to emerge of such hellish abuse of his children that

I, in all conscience could not ignore it, and I got involved. Silly me, but I had no way of

knowing of the consequences that would profoundly affect my life and the lives of my

family.

Our dealings with one another after the concert were minimal for many years.

• • •

In 1987, Adam married Susan. He was only 21. She was just a few years younger than I

am, so that put her age at around 25.

They met at a Pharmacy store where they were both working. Adam had been seriously

involved with another young woman, Donna. I had already moved away from home, so I

did not get to know her that well, but the rest of the family liked her. Adam was tall and

very handsome. Women certainly took notice when he was around. Then suddenly, it was

Susan and marriage. It turned out she was three month's pregnant at the time.

The kindest way I can describe my relationship with Susan is that we were never close.

She is the antithesis of me. To look at, she reminds me of a tiny rodent, and if she ever

speaks her voice has the pinched quality of a squeaking mouse. We rarely shared

conversations. Well, except when I helped her move from hotel to hotel and to pay for

things. She was attractive, but thin, very thin, much thinner than I, and I'm about 105

pounds.

What is surprising is the way Adam is with Susan. Unlike how he controls and treats

everyone else, he would do anything for her, anything. It is I who he would call a stupid

idiot. He would never speak to Susan like that, ever.

Ma said, ―Oh, Adam and Susan together; it's a match made in heaven. They are so much

in love.‖

―C'mon, Ma, get real. A match made in hell is more like it,‖ I wanted to say.

What really got to me was the way they treated their children. They were never fed,

clothed, sheltered or schooled properly. They were not even taught the rudimentary

necessities of personal hygiene. A litany of charges, court appearances, jail sentences and

flights from the law were to become the core features of Adam and Susan's macabre trek

through life. Susan was hopeless as a mother. She would never defend her children over

him, ever, ever. They would reach out to her for affection, but she would never respond.

As said earlier, I didn't make it to their wedding. I tried to explain why. Adam couldn't

care less. It was a personal affront to him and Susan. He carried a grudge about it for his

whole life. He was not disappointed or upset; he was angry, mad angry.

I met their first child, my niece, Cindy, when she was born. What an exciting occasion

that was for me. I love children. My own, Lucas and Abbey, are everything to me.

I didn't see Cindy again until she was almost a year old. Adam and Susan came to visit

Jack and me in Syracuse. It was weird, really weird. Why would I expect anything

different? Hope springs eternal is a common saying, isn't it? God, I call it me being

naive, or as Jack would say when he was being very Australian, ―Bloody naive.‖

Cindy was pretty much confined to her playpen most of the day and night I was to find

out, poor little thing. When we first got there and I reached down to pick her up and give

her a hug, Adam stopped me short.

―Don't do that,‖ he snapped. ―And always ask us first if it's okay.‖

―What are you talking about? We haven't seen our niece in nearly a year, and you're

telling me I can't pick her up unless I ask first. What's the problem?‖

I was to find out that asking made no difference. When I did, they usually said no

anyway.

―She's not used to people,‖ Adam replied sharply.

―Dear God, how on earth can she ever be used to people, if you don't let us touch her?‖

Jack knew I was getting upset. ―Oh, Susan, we wouldn't want to spoil the child and have

her turn out a brat like some people we know, would we?‖ Jack said looking right at

Susan and ignoring Adam.

Jack could be so Australian at times. Later that night in bed we talked, or rather

whispered about how ‗fucked up,' Jack's words, was the way Adam and Susan were

raising Cindy.

―They won't let her do anything. We're walking on eggshells in our own apartment! And,

Susan is pregnant again. Why, Jack? They don't even like the one they already have.‖

―Your brother has never taken responsibility for his life, and he sure as hell is not about

to start. There are more kids to come and a whole lot more crap is going to come with

them, Amelia.‖

Prophetic words from the man I loved so deeply. We made love, conscious to adjust from

our usually robust and noisy romping.

When Adam and Susan left our apartment a few days later, I was relieved, but sad for the

life I knew was coming at my little niece, Cindy.

• • •

Adam was soon asking for larger amounts of money. He said needed fourteen hundred

dollars urgently, told us his tax refund was due, and that he could pay us back as soon as

the tax check arrived in the mail.

I had just had Abbey. ―Look, we have a brand-new baby; I can't afford to give you a

cent.‖

Well, we did end up giving him the money and, unbelievably, he paid it back. It was to be

the one and only time.

There was more, of course. The biggest amount we actually loaned was when Abbey was

two. We had just bought and moved into our first home, so we had a lot going on. Would

that deter dear brother Adam? Of course not!

Adam and Susan had bought a little house in Maine for something like $36,000. It was

cheap and it needed a lot of work, but it was the first house they bought, and Jack and I

were happy for them. They were only in it for eight months when Adam called.