Rain
Senior HTF Member
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2001
- Messages
- 5,015
- Real Name
- Rain
I'm not really sure where to begin here...
About 2 months ago, I borrowed $200 from my parents. They had just sold a practically new car that my grandparents (father's parents) bought for them outright.
At the time I told them I wasn't sure when I'd be able to pay them back, as my financial status is not what it once was.
They told me that was fine. And in the past it has been. I've borrowed money from them before and have always paid it back. In fact, when I was doing better myself, I even loaned them money from time to time.
Unfortunately since I borrowed the money, I am getting weekly drunken phone calls from my mother, calling me nasty things and saying I better pay them back ASAP or they are going to starve. Apparently beer is free in Alberta. :rolleyes
At this point I should mention that my mother has been an alcoholic all my life. She goes off on massive drinking binges about a couple of times a week.
Among other things, here are a few things that have happened over the years:
- When I was about 7 or 8, my mother disappeared to go drinking while my dad was at work. My younger brother and myself were left unattended. Dinner was in the stove and burned to a crisp, nearly starting a fire.
- During one binge, she hopped on a plane to Vancouver. I guess she sobered up enough during the flight to remember that she's afraid of flying. I don't exactly know what happened on that flight, but they had to make an emergency landing to let her off the plane.
- When I was 18, I underwent some fairly major surgery. On the day of the surgery, my mother was at home, drunk, phoning the hospital and threatening to sue the doctors. If I weren't 18 at the time and able to sign a waiver, they would not have done the surgery and I would be attached to an ostomy bag now.
For all my life my parents have been heavy drinkers. The usual routine was that they'd start drinking around dinner time. By about 9 or 10 my dad passes out, often with a smoke in his hand and my mother kicks it into high gear. She usually disappears without a trace for 48 hours or so.
During my childhood, it was always quite obvious that my brother was the family favourite and it remains so to this day.
About 3 years ago, he fathered a child and my grandparents shelled out for a downpayment on his 5 bedroom house with a pool in Kelowna.
The mother of his kid ended up splitting and he had to move to Vancouver for work. While talking with my grandparents I was made to feel as though I should feel ever so sorry for him that he had to give up the house. Meanwhile, I'm sharing a one bedroom apartment with another person.
About 8 years ago, my grandmother did loan me about $700. When I tried to pay it back, she said "no" and told me it was a gift as she's helped out my brother as well.
Well, apparently now my drunken mother and my grandmother, whom I thought was the only decent person in the family, are swapping stories behind my back about how I supposedly like to borrow money and not pay it back.
I can't believe this. They buy my parents a brand new minivan, give my brother a downpayment for a massive spread, but they are harping about a few hundred bucks that I was told years ago was a gift.
To tell you the honest truth, I'm sick of the lot of them. I have every intention of returning their money ASAP, but how much of this do I have to deal with?
When I was a kid, I wasn't spanked. I was punched in the back of the head with a closed fist by my father and slapped with kitchen utensils by my mother.
My parents fought and argued constantly. And they always told me "We're fighting because of you."
When I confront them about these things, they deny it. My mother claims she doesn't drink, that I was never hit as a kid and that she has always been by my side through thick and thin.
Now I realize some people feel that family is everything and that I am under some obligation to maintain some sort of relationship with mine. But I just can't do it anymore.
There is so much more that has happened over the years that I haven't even mentioned. I could go on for pages and pages and pages.
Now I'm not looking for pity here...that's not what this is about. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest and maybe get some input. It helps to write things down.
When I look back on my life, I don't feel like I've missed out. Admittedly, my childhood was hard and I've never had a close relationship with my family, but...
I do want to say that I've met some amazing people and made some great friends. They are my family to me and I love them all more than words can say.
I think that's about all I can say right now...thanks for listening.
About 2 months ago, I borrowed $200 from my parents. They had just sold a practically new car that my grandparents (father's parents) bought for them outright.
At the time I told them I wasn't sure when I'd be able to pay them back, as my financial status is not what it once was.
They told me that was fine. And in the past it has been. I've borrowed money from them before and have always paid it back. In fact, when I was doing better myself, I even loaned them money from time to time.
Unfortunately since I borrowed the money, I am getting weekly drunken phone calls from my mother, calling me nasty things and saying I better pay them back ASAP or they are going to starve. Apparently beer is free in Alberta. :rolleyes
At this point I should mention that my mother has been an alcoholic all my life. She goes off on massive drinking binges about a couple of times a week.
Among other things, here are a few things that have happened over the years:
- When I was about 7 or 8, my mother disappeared to go drinking while my dad was at work. My younger brother and myself were left unattended. Dinner was in the stove and burned to a crisp, nearly starting a fire.
- During one binge, she hopped on a plane to Vancouver. I guess she sobered up enough during the flight to remember that she's afraid of flying. I don't exactly know what happened on that flight, but they had to make an emergency landing to let her off the plane.
- When I was 18, I underwent some fairly major surgery. On the day of the surgery, my mother was at home, drunk, phoning the hospital and threatening to sue the doctors. If I weren't 18 at the time and able to sign a waiver, they would not have done the surgery and I would be attached to an ostomy bag now.
For all my life my parents have been heavy drinkers. The usual routine was that they'd start drinking around dinner time. By about 9 or 10 my dad passes out, often with a smoke in his hand and my mother kicks it into high gear. She usually disappears without a trace for 48 hours or so.
During my childhood, it was always quite obvious that my brother was the family favourite and it remains so to this day.
About 3 years ago, he fathered a child and my grandparents shelled out for a downpayment on his 5 bedroom house with a pool in Kelowna.
The mother of his kid ended up splitting and he had to move to Vancouver for work. While talking with my grandparents I was made to feel as though I should feel ever so sorry for him that he had to give up the house. Meanwhile, I'm sharing a one bedroom apartment with another person.
About 8 years ago, my grandmother did loan me about $700. When I tried to pay it back, she said "no" and told me it was a gift as she's helped out my brother as well.
Well, apparently now my drunken mother and my grandmother, whom I thought was the only decent person in the family, are swapping stories behind my back about how I supposedly like to borrow money and not pay it back.
I can't believe this. They buy my parents a brand new minivan, give my brother a downpayment for a massive spread, but they are harping about a few hundred bucks that I was told years ago was a gift.
To tell you the honest truth, I'm sick of the lot of them. I have every intention of returning their money ASAP, but how much of this do I have to deal with?
When I was a kid, I wasn't spanked. I was punched in the back of the head with a closed fist by my father and slapped with kitchen utensils by my mother.
My parents fought and argued constantly. And they always told me "We're fighting because of you."
When I confront them about these things, they deny it. My mother claims she doesn't drink, that I was never hit as a kid and that she has always been by my side through thick and thin.
Now I realize some people feel that family is everything and that I am under some obligation to maintain some sort of relationship with mine. But I just can't do it anymore.
There is so much more that has happened over the years that I haven't even mentioned. I could go on for pages and pages and pages.
Now I'm not looking for pity here...that's not what this is about. I just wanted to get a few things off my chest and maybe get some input. It helps to write things down.
When I look back on my life, I don't feel like I've missed out. Admittedly, my childhood was hard and I've never had a close relationship with my family, but...
I do want to say that I've met some amazing people and made some great friends. They are my family to me and I love them all more than words can say.
I think that's about all I can say right now...thanks for listening.