Toni
I laid across the couch in the living room, watching tv. I usually relax and chill at Janet's apartment but Gil and Preston moved in and she wants them to get settled. Plus she's been really busy. In fact, the last time I actually saw Janet was the morning after Janelise's celebration dinner. From that morning to now, she's been very busy and acting differently. I wonder what happened.
Along with that, things at my house have been weird. My parents haven't been talking as much and when they do, it's not pleasant. I've been trying to figure out what's going on with them but I can never hear enough. All I know is, my father leaves to do work at the church and my mother does her usual cleaning and cooking around the house. It should all feel normal but I know something else is going on.
I laid flat on the couch and looked at the ceiling. What is going on around me? "Hey, sweet pea." My mother stood above me. "Are you okay?" I sighed.
"Yeah. I'm good mom."
"No you're not." She lifted my head and sat down, resting my head on her lap. "Talk to me."
"It's just....Janet's been acting weird this past week. She's suddenly super busy and because Gil and Preston moved in, she wants to give them space to get settled, so I can't really go over there. Even if I could, she's apparently not there lately. Then all this stuff with you and dad. It's just..becoming a lot." She stroked my hair.
"I know, sweetie. Life can be a real pain sometimes. Trust me. The smallest things can seem gigantic when you don't know how to handle them."
"So how do I handle it?"
"Well, with Janet you need to communicate your feelings. Explain to her what's bothering you."
"Really?"
"Of course. One of the main reasons most relationships don't work out is due to a lack of communication. There can be so many bigger issues that all started because you didn't communicate. You need to tell her that you feel like she's acting weird and how that's affecting you. Who knows, maybe she'll tell you why or maybe she really is just busy. You'll never know unless you talk."
"Okay. I understand."
"And me and your father....well...we have our issues. You don't need to make them yours. You can worry and be concerned but don't let that navigate anything in your life." I sat up and faced her.
"But mommy, what is going on with you guys? Everything seems normal but it's not and I know it." She took a deep breath.
"Sweetie, sometimes in a marriage you hit a rough patch and it's hard to power through but you do it anyway. At times, it'll seem easier to throw everything away and give up but that's not always the best decision."
"Do you guys communicate your feelings?"
"No and that's something we need to be better at. That's why I'm telling you what I'm telling you. Janet is someone that I know loves you. There's no doubt in my mind that you two will stay together and I never want there to be a moment in your relationship where you feel like two familiar strangers. It's a sad place to be." She looked down.
"Mom. Are you not happy?"
"I haven't been happy in years, baby." She kissed my forehead and stood up. "Remember what I said." I nodded.
"Yes, ma'am." I watched my mom as she went into the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and looked through. Taking out a white envelope, she opened it and there was a big thing of cash in there. She looked through it before putting it back. She started turning back this way and I looked at the tv.
"Toni, I'm heading out. If you leave, let me know."
"Okay, mom. Love you."
"Love you too, dear." She left and I went to the window and watched her leave. Once she was far enough, I went to their bedroom. My mother kept it pristine so I had to be careful.
I looked through the drawers of her dresser and nightstand but found nothing but a Bible. I continued to look around but all of the obvious places were bare. I thought for a second. If I was her and I wanted to hide something from my husband, where would I put it? That's when it hit me.
I left their bedroom and ran down to the laundry room. Looking around, I saw something behind the ironing board. When I moved it, I turned it over and saw a folder taped to the back of it. I took it off and opened it. There were papers and information about bank accounts and business information. The accounts were under the name of a company called EVN Enterprises. What's that?
I put the folded back where I found it and hung the ironing board back up. Going down the hall, I went into the office. Both of my parents kept things in here so maybe there was more information. I looked through the drawers and in cabinets before I found a big binder.
Sitting it on the desk, I opened it and was immediately stunned. This wasn't my mother's. It was my father's and it was a checkbook and account record. Apparently my father has been writing very big checks and they've been deposited into an unknown account going back at least twelve years. What the heck?
I heard a car door slam and I quickly put the binder back before running back to the couch. The door opened and my father came in. "Hi, sweetie."
"Hi, dad. How was your day?"
"It was busy and stressful. I'm so happy to finally be home to rest."
"That's good." He went upstairs and I heard their bedroom door close. I immediately caught my breath and laid back onto the couch. I processed everything, I had just seen and knew that I needed someone's help with this. Picking up my phone, I called the only person I could think of.
"Hey baby."
"Hey, are you at home? I really need to talk."
"Uhhh...sure come on. I'll see you when you get here."
"Okay. Love you."
"I love you too." She hung up. I'll deal with that later. Right now, I needed to figure this out.
----------------------------
Hmmm...I wonder what could be going on.
Follow Me!!!!
Thoughts?
