Although Andy and I were prepared for many responsibilities as dog owners, but once we paid and took Penny not only did we understand we'd need to take her for vet injections and other important things like that however it didn't enter our heads about a family holiday that was all booked but there was one thing we understood - we couldn't go. There was no way we could take Penny. It wasn't a dog friendly resort. We'd get in trouble if I took her. It would upset Annie's allergies being in the same area as Penny and Annie had two small children so I understood it may contribute to another reason for her but in fact, we didn't want to leave Penny. Plus, I, didn't want to go on any more of these Centre Park holidays anymore I didn't enjoy going with my family with these "chats" once the kids were put down for the night so I was pulling out for two reasons and of course this did not go down well with my family, and I especially got moaned at, especially from Annie. I always expected it from my Mom, I handled it better but her... when Annie started, it felt a little more personal.
This was all communiated through Watsap and she sent me this long message and the jist of the message was how dare I get a dog knowing that it would complicate matters due to the holiday she'd booked (and we'd already paid our hundred pound deposit which regrettably Andy and I weren't getting back.) The message was very snotty and because she can act very entitled when she wants to be I more than understand how she feels like she gets to speak to me how the hell she pleases, (so can my Mother and Father) elevating their self importance and then getting away with it. Annie begins by suggesting that because Andy and I acted on a puppy that we both liked at that moment, I was told that I saw you both this morning up town which was true, we did because Andy and I spent a brief hour up the town and I came out of Card Party and saw her around the corner and neither one of you mentioned this to me. You did everything in secret. Basically, everything was on me, and it was our fault for plotting it. Ah, I realised all her niceness was just a facade and that she couldn't handle a bit of stress because something didn't go the way as planned. It was hard reading this because she was throwing jabs right out and centre because at the end, she put oh well, shame Thomas and Bernie were looking forward to seeing their Aunty Kim and Uncle Andy!
That was a guilt trip and a half!
Now I too would give her a piece of my mind because I was upset after that comment because I am the bigger person between me and her as I do let alot of things bypass, just roll my eyes and let the jabs roll off like water off a ducks back with an am I bothered attitude and not start things because I knew I wouldn't get support from Mom and Dad. This time, I was bothered, the water wasn't sliding off me like a ducks back, and I wasn't being the bigger person because I wasn't letting her speak to me like that. I wasn't nasty in my message because that wouldn't have solved anything, so I started off by saying...
First of all, I did not just get a dog to get out of the holiday. I'm no saint, I'll bring her to the resort because I don't care for no dog friendly rules...
and that was just for starters, but I was just enough straightforward in my approach that Andy came down the stairs because Annie was doing this publicly over our group chat that everyone could see.
"Delete that last message," he says. "I saw what you wrote."
"No," I replied because I stood by everything I said, and by retracting it, it would look like I was ashamed I had put something I didn't want her to read.
"It was very bitchy."
"No it wasn't. I haven't put anything I regret."
"Yes it was," he says. "You came across in a bad way."
I understood he was trying to look out for me but putting a message out there just for me to then delete it - it would make it look like I didn't stand to my word and ashamed about what I'd put. So, I stook to my guns. We debated and in his words, he said that we didn't really want to start anything and perhaps next time we could find dog friendly place within the resort. So I took it down because he appealed to my better nature. Immediately I get a message from Annie which started from I saw what you put and it was a mean spirited angry message so much so I couldn't read it because I knew I'd want to reply but Andy was just like let's calm everybody down.
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Fallen From Grace
Short StoryA story based on real experiences and events through the relationships and hardships of life whilst diagnosed from Mosaic Down Syndrome.