Chapter 13: Miserable Day

―I'm sorry children. We'll do it another time.‖ The only one of them not crushed was

Keith. He was too young to know how mean and controlling was the creature who was

his father, or was he? Keith started raising hell. I had seen him have tantrums before, but

this one was frightening. It was an insight into a personality that I could tell would get

him and his parents into a lot of trouble.

Ma rushed into the room and picked him up. ―Goodness gracious, Keith,‖ she said patting

him on the back, her voice soft and soothing. ―It's all right; Nana will take care of you.‖

Keith started to calm down. ―What on earth happened, Adam?‖

―I was taking the children out to play in the snow, but Adam said they couldn't, Ma. It

would take way too much work for him and his precious wife to get them ready. What a

schmuck.‖

―It would do the kids good to go outside, Adam. I can help get them ready.‖

―Don't you start in on me, Ma. I said no and that's what I mean.‖

―You are being unreasonable and...‖

―Ma, let it go. I'm taking Abbey outside for a few minutes before we leave for home.‖

The children watched us from the front window looking so sad. I was all at once angry,

exhausted, disappointed with the continual let downs and tired of not being able to shut

Adam out of my life. Whatever I said, I knew I couldn't do it, not to the children.

Whenever I would think of them, I would see their sad little faces and know what they

were going through. I couldn't desert them. I just couldn't.

I enjoyed the children when we visited, and I liked that my baby got to play with her

cousins notwithstanding that it was on most occasions in a very odd way. Adam's

controlling and ―in charge‖ mentality over everything they did, how to play, when to

play, what to play would prove to be extremely damaging to them as they got older. He

hovered over them like a hawk. Even Ma and I had to talk to them in a certain way, play

with them in a certain way. We couldn't voice our opinions without being eventually

dragged into a vortex of darkness, which I now know it to be an ―evil‖ energy that would

leave me feeling empty and soulless for days.

On our drive back to Massachusetts Ma and I spent most of the journey talking about

Adam, Susan and the children. Frustrated at not being able to figure out Adam's crazy

behaviors, we agreed all we could do was let go and pray.

• • •

It was shortly after we arrived back in San Francisco from the trip to Massachusetts that

things really started to unravel for Adam. I have already told you part of the story about

the money we loaned him for the back mortgages, the time when he approached us and

we loaned him the $6,000. You have some understanding now why we couldn't let his

children suffer, we just couldn't. And this was the first time in their lives that they had

any stability. They had already moved, as I recall, in and out of at least nine homes.

So, you heard the first part of the home loan story, but there is ‗a rest of the story.' Just

when you think things can't get worse they do.

Before I get into the ‗rest of the story' and pick up on the business opportunity that went

bad, which Adam eventually told us about, I want to back up a little, because I did give

him some advice in the phone conversation when I told him Jack and I had agreed to give

them the money.

―Adam, you have to stop having babies. It's time for you to grow up and be responsible,

for God's sake! You've had seven different jobs in the last year.‖

―I keep telling you, I haven't found the right fit. It's tough. I try.‖

―Give it up, little brother, I've heard it all. The jobs will never be any good as long as you

keep quitting. The truth is you don't want to work to get ahead. You think you should be

the boss and giving orders right away.‖

―I've been injured working hard for these pigs and then they fire me.‖

―Yes, five times that I know of where it was disputed that you were actually injured on

the job.‖

―They happened for real, Amelia. You have a vat of hot grease spill on your arm, or a

heavy shelving unit that falls on your back and see how you feel. A back injury can

cripple you for life.‖

―That can happen, but, Adam, in every one of your accidents, it's never your fault, and

you sue, or try to sue the employer, every time.‖ ―But you've never been successful, have

you‖? You're just lazy and don't want to work for a living like everyone else.

―I got disability.‖

―And a reputation. The employers soon figure out whether or not someone's trying to

swindle them.‖

Adam had high hopes of suing all of these companies and making his fortune, but it never

worked out. He always wanted to be rich, but he wouldn't do the work it took. He was

willing to take the low road, to lie, cheat and break the law to get what he wanted. What's

really sad is that he's extremely smart. He could have gone to college and succeeded in

anything he set his mind on. It took me 12 years to get my bachelor's degree in

psychology, but I never gave up. He could have done the same.

―Adam, go to college in the evenings. Work hard at something that will take you into a

career and a good pay check every week for the rest of your life.‖

―What! I can't leave Susan alone day and night with all the children?‖

―I have an idea, stop having children!‖ I replied.

I was wasting my breath. His only chance an alcoholic friend of mine in recovery told me

was self recognition of the problem and then wanting to do something about it. Until he

reaches that point, no amount of counseling, cajoling, promises or threats will make him

want to change, my friend said.

So, here's ‗the rest of that story!' It was a miserable day. A misty rain had the roads wet

and visibility made driving difficult and dangerous. I was on my way to the airport to

pick up Jack who was returning from London after being away on business for 10 days. I

was so looking forward to his return. As I strained to see through the mist and the spray

flying up from the speeding cars that make up San Francisco's kamikaze traffic, thoughts

of Adam's latest mischief kept crowding my mind.

He'd lied to us. He had already lost the house when he asked us for the $6,000. He used

most of it to buy pallets of merchandise that he was going to sell cheap from a

warehouse. The story he fabricated was what my brother had become, a liar and a cheat.

He rented the warehouse, and they lived in it! I was shocked and furious that I had been

so duped and such an idiot.

God, where did that come from? Of course, that's what he called me, an idiot, didn't he?

Maybe, he was right; I am a soft touch, aren't I?

A car raced by and a huge wave of water blanketed the windshield. I had the wipers on

full speed, thank goodness. I saw the red brake lights of the car in front in time to brake

and avoid slamming into the back of it; just the sort of incident that starts one of those

deadly chain reaction accidents that happens all too often on Californian highways.

Abbey let out a tiny squeal, but I had her well strapped into her car seat. ―Sorry, baby

girl. We're nearly to the airport. We'll see daddy soon.‖

―Daddy,‖ she said and a big smile lit up her face.

Relieved, I smiled and then jerked my attention back to the road. Jack was so right when

he told me we would never see the money again. Adam was spiraling out of control and

making bad decision after bad decision. Now, he, his wife and four children were living

in a warehouse with no windows and no bathroom except a toilet and a sink. I was

disgusted that he would let that happen to his children. I didn't give a damn about his

wife, she was old enough to do something but she chose not to. What mother who would

allow her children to be...well, I didn't have a scrap of respect for her.

I was late by the time we made it to the San Francisco International Airport. Fortunately,

the bad weather had delayed the arrival time of Jack's flight, so he had been waiting no

more than a few minutes.

It was so good to have him back. I missed him when he was away, Abbey too. The sun

was starting to break through the mist as we reached the coast highway. Abbey was

strapped into her car seat in the back and Jack was driving, so I was able to look about

and appreciate the magnificent views of the surrounding hills that eventually dropped

spectacularly into the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean.

―What's the latest on that brother of yours?‖

I looked past Abbey at Jack and shrugged. ―As usual, nothing good. In fact, their

situation in the last few days has gone from worse to desperate.‖

―So? Tell me.‖

―They are on the street, sleeping in his van. They don't have a thing. The landlord found

out that they were living in the warehouse, and he told Adam they had to move out. Of

course, Adam was his usual belligerent self and that just made matters worse. One

evening when they were all out of the building, the landlord changed the locks. When

they returned they couldn't get back inside. Their clothing and furniture were still in

there, and the landlord's not letting them get a thing until they pay the rent they owe.‖