Way Too Late Pt 3

[1313]

Journaling:

This morning getting ready to go out on job, begging Mother to just hold still, don't go manic etc (didn't work). My phone started ringing while I was gathering equipment - looked and it was a private number. There are only 2 private numbers of people I know. My Wife's real estate coach and friend, and a tenant. I figured it was the tenant, as there's no reason for the coach to call me.

Brief history: The coach has been a friend for over a decade, and I've made friends with her H. He got Parkinson's, and I would sit with him as the coach travels around the country - the W used to help her a lot, as did I at various seminars. Last year, when the W started going sideways she had a falling out with the coach.

What had happened was the coach had pulled some strings to get a broker to take the W in at a very high end company in a very high end town. The W had talked about doing this, and suddenly here was an offer. The coach even called me and asked me to try to get the W to make the move. I declined. I wanted the W to be happy, and didn't care about the $. (the W later accused me of never loving her - it was all about the $).

So, the W went to this brokerage, and they treated her like the red-headed step child. She was devastated, and I was there for her every step of the way. I asked her to go back to her old office - which accepted her back with open arms. It was right at this time the W snapped. Hindsight is always 20/20. So, the coach felt as though she made a fool of herself pulling strings to have the W leave. The W never should have gone - and whether or not the W really believes it, I got the blame. The W and coach stopped talking, and the long, downhill spiral in my M began (although I thought things would be great for her - I even made up a bunch of Dorothy "there's no place like home" cards and posters and we had a party.

So, for just about a year - the coach has been out of our lives, which made me quite upset as I no longer got to see the coach's H, I didn't want the W to be uncomfortable, and I felt weird about it too. The coach has always kept a strange "distance" in friendship - I could never just stay with the H, but had to be paid. I didn't like that at all. Although now I'm reevaluating just what friendship means - so maybe she had it right after all!

I was actually glad the W wasn't seeing the coach, because when I get my license I had hoped to start classes with her. Unfortunately, all of a sudden and out of the blue - they kissed and made up. The W is helping at all the classes again. This would make attending impossible at this point for me, and if I move past the pain, just extremely awkward.

Fast forward back to today. The phone rings a minute later, same private number. I get a strange feeling who it might be. I listen to the message and yes - it's the coach. This is the same person who may or may not have talked some sense into the W last week, prompting that "stop the divorce" text and call to L.

She was asking me to sit with her H, as she had been having problems finding somebody to care for him when they're in town. Just to let you know - these people are, um, very well off. They used to rent a home of another friend in the Monterey Bay area, but gave it up so now they just get a couple of very nice hotel rooms it seems. She told me when they'd like me - and said they'd pay me $375 a day. Again, I'd sit with him for free.

While I was at the job, the number called again, and I started feeling stressed. So, I called back. First I said I thought I'd never hear from them again, she didn't quite understand and I didn't explain. (I felt that the W would certainly have poisoned that well - I used to think she was a good judge of character - but she sure misread the W as did I!). I explained that I couldn't do it though, as I would have to find somebody to sit with my Mother. Kind of a laugh there.

I said I would love to see the H, I've really missed him an awful lot. He's terribly crippled up - but God, what a sweet guy. Of all my friends, of all the people I know, he was the only one who called me when I lost my little dog to cancer 3 years ago. Right away, the morning it happened.

So I talked briefly about classes, she said she'd do anything to help me. I didn't explain anything about my sitch - except that I'm in financial straights as the only money I have is being contested.

So, that left me feeling very strange. I really wanted to tell her a few weeks ago just what the W has said and done to me, but now I just don't care. What I do care about is the fact I have to work through seeing the W at the classes, the fact she'll be having to interact with me as she's helping - I'm not strong enough gang. I'm just not.

Part 2 continued below.