Calling home

The weekly call home. I was somewhat apprehensive about calling, because I knew that there would be some kind of unpleasant news. I thought calling home would be a pleasant thing to do, but it’s actually become something I dread and don’t feel like doing, but must do because…well, it’s a ‘must’.

So I called home, and as usual mum picked up. Immediately in her voice I could detect something was wrong. Perhaps she and dad had been arguing again, or perhaps the unbearable situation of living together has reached an impasse. She was hesitant about telling me what had happened, but eventually did. Perhaps I’m the only one she can talk to, and who can understand what is going on.

A cousin of mine is coming to Europe for a conference, and since computer gadgets in Taiwan are so cheap I asked him to buy some for me (remember, my computer is over 5 years old, is losing its memory and becoming senile). Who would have thought that even something like this could cause an ‘international incident’?!?! My aunt called my parents and mentioned this to my dad, resulting in an inquiry and overreaction. All I wanted was for my cousin to buy some hardware, and to do so cheaply. But that somehow managed to draw two feuding families into the picture. A very simple request, but it managed to evolve into something touching sore tensions and nerves.

And that’s not all. Mum says she can’t stand living with dad. He disappears to who-knows-where, and whenever he’s home he hogs the TV (sounds like my brother) and turns off all the lights and spares the aircon despite the searing heat. OK, I can understand that he is a very thrifty person, but why live in a dark house and in the boiling heat and let other people suffer at the same time? How much can electricity possibly cost, and might I add that he’s not even the one paying!

I saw this coming when I left home, what now is already three months ago. I knew they would not get along, I knew it would be torture for both mum and dad to live together again. So I told them to get a divorce, or at least live separately…that would have been the best for everyone. But they didn’t listen. And still don’t.

So mum has to now live with dad, who doesn’t seem to care about his own wellbeing and health, despite the fact that he’s seriously ill and in poor health. Smoking, eating badly, sleeping badly, not exercising, not socializing…the more I think about it, the more I think, to be very frank, that ‘it may not be long before…’

And I’m not even going to go into the ‘cold war’ situation between my parents and my brother. Let’s just say communication has frozen and relations have reached another low point, over money this, money that…

Oh, all that frustration from just a simple phone call of no more than ten minutes!
Really…GROW UP people!!!