How History Repeats Itself

The young teary eyed boy looked out through the rear window of the car. The scene before him emblazoned in his mind. The tears burned his cheeks as he watched his father's relatives pillage his home. This is where he lived with his parents and his four brothers and sisters. But today the marshall had come with some papers that made his mother tremble. He didn't understand why his mother took what she could and left, while others came in and ransacked their belongings. Didn't they know who his father was? His father was a well respected business man in the real estate field. He was well liked in the community and his children were well taken care of, so this scene before him was nonsensical. Where was his father? Why was his mother so shaken up? Why did the marshall say the man standing with him was the new owner of their home?

The conversation he had just had with his son-in-law had left him a pensive state. A few weeks earlier his daughter had phoned him and she was shaken. The owner of the home she rented had shown up without warning, with prospective buyers and proceeded to show them about. She had not been aware of the landlord's intentions. Now he had discussed with his son-in-law, purchasing the home for them. His son-in-law's step grandfather had intended to leave his home to the step-grandchild and his family. Unfortuantely, when his daughter-in-law heard this she threatened to sue. Instead the stepgrandfather decided to take out an equity loan and give it to the stepgrandson's father-in-law to purchase the home. Now it was up to him to make the decision to go about with the purchase of the home. He thought about his grandchildren, how they loved their new home. He thought about the peace that his daughter enjoyed. Although his wife warned him, he decided to make the decision solely on his love for his family...he signed all the papers and some months later he owned the home for his grandkids.

Unfortunately, we don't live in the happily ever after world. Less than a year after the purchase, the son-in-law left the house. He had been having an affair and to the father-in-law's dismay he witnessed it with his own eyes. The grandchildren that he loved so much were suffering, as their father had chosen to run around with these women and not be the family man he had vowed to be. So, now he had a decision to make. Does he sell the house they live in or continue the payments, the repairs, the upkeep? Not only had he helped this young man purchase the home, but he had also cosigned for a new van and helped him start a business that was booming. He was transported back in time to the painful day. The day the marshall came to their door. His father had run off with his mother's best friend and then sold the house from under them, without their knowledge. He still remembered looking out the window of the car, as his house grew smaller and smaller, trying to comprehend the chaos of that day. That image was forever seared in his mind. No. He would not let this happen to his grandchildren. As long as he was alive, he would prevent that loss. He would take the responsibility of the house and the car payments and give them as much stability as he possibly could.

Five years later, the son-in-law still has the business, that is doing very well. Unfortunately, for his daughter it is a cash business. You know, the kind where they fudge the books. So, his grandchildren are not receiving the child support they should be entitled to, but the man rests assured that God will always provide. That year, he got the paperwork. The son-in-law and his mother had decided that they wanted half the value of the house. The audacity, after five years, his child support was in arrears and he owed close to $14,000. His business was doing well, but his own children were not benenfiting from it. He had stated that he had no intention of paying the child support. This was unbelievable, the young man knew there wasn't any money avaliable to give to him. His father-in-law was already paying for all the expenses incurred by this young man's children. To make matters worse, this young man had two different women give birth to two girls a day apart from each other, but 5 months after his last child with his actual wife. The daughter of the woman he stayed with was constantly spoiled in front of his other children. So, now he wanted to get this money to move to Florida, (as the father-in-law found out through the father of his other grandchild). He wanted to make his own children homeless, so that he could move to another state. Undoubtedly, to completely dodge his child support responsibility. Again, this man of strong morals and family values decided to take the rough road and fight for the home of his grandchildren

Two years later, after a decision that favored his grandchildren, this young man...their own father.. appealed the decision. He vowed he would fight until he made his father-in-law broke. The man was retired and had limited income now. So like a snake that inches towards his prey, this young man was inching towards his father-in-law, waiting to strike. How could a father leave his own children, that he claims he loves...out in the street? A grandmother that claims to be a follower of Christ take from her own flesh and blood? The decision to the appeal came back a week and a half ago. The decision was that the the son-in-law and his mother be given $35,000. It might be considered a small sum compared to the half the value with interest that he was after, but the family doesn't have the $35,000.

I gathered the children together and explained the decision. In order to give their father the $35,000, we would have to sell the house and move. Questions abounded, but I told them the truth, that our future was uncertain. As the tears welled up in their eyes, I remembered the story of the little boy...my father that watched as his own father's relatives came into their home and walked out with paintings and furntiure. They walked by him, his brothers and his sister's as if they were invisible. I thank God that at least, we weren't pillaged like that, but I know that my children lost something that day. Their innocence, their simplistic view of life and they peeked at the ugly face of selfishness and greed. History repeated itself, they like my father, learned the cold hard reality of selfishness and greed... but the worst part is they learned it from their own flesh and blood...their earthly father. The man that they look like and that says that he loves them...but not enough to care for them as he cares for himself. History repeated itself in my life too. I like my grandmother, thought I had married Prince Charming, when all along I was kissing a frog...

***********************************************************This entry was originally posted 8/16/2005 on my other blog.