Romance
and Reality
On
November 17th 1984, I met my first wife at a Thanksgiving food
drive,
where we were both stuck in a freezing warehouse in between cartons
of donated food
and empty grocery bags to stuff with a holiday meal.
She spoke no English, but she was able to show me, she was interested
that
lasted 18 years
creating four beautiful children
surviving extra-marital affairs
crashing head strong into unwanted debt
before we could endure more grief or slithers of joy
we said goodbye
in words that never came out
on
November 17th, 2002
I left my rusty key to our ranch style home
on the kitchen table,
never to return
after
sleeping on my nephews couch for three months
I got the nerve to ask
would she consider taking me back
her response was “go rent a one bedroom apartment”
which my children later said was too small for them to visit
four
months later, one of my sons decided to live with me
not because I was a great father and he choose me over his mother,
he liked the attention of being the only child for me to dote
on.
I played the part perfectly
Last
summer, my ex-wife realized that her two older sons needed some
changes
including their father more involved in their lives
I bought a house in a bedroom community and they moved in with
me
started life in a new high school
with
three men in the house, I cook, clean and discipline,
not necessarily in that order
The freedom I was looking forward too
since my divorce
looks a lot more like responsibility
and the romance in my life
has become a reality
I have yet to get my arms around.
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