Tidbits

In getting back in touch with some of my in-laws, Amanda and Terri in particular, I've found out some things.

Let's start with X. First of all, it's getting increasingly hard to refer to her with that single initial. When I'm talking about her with Dan, Terri, or Amanda, using her real name is just unavoidable. There's no way around it. But I'm still not going to use it here.

Anyway, she's apparently back in North Carolina. I'd learned from Amanda that she was living with Terri not two years ago, and fearing an accidental run-in while down there sometime, I asked Terri what she knew. I guess X had worn out her welcome, you know, like she tends to do, was a pain in the ass, and according to Terri said some "horrible things" to her son. I don't doubt that for a second. While Lynne might be a little "conceited" (that's Terri's words, not mine), Troy can be a leech, and Terri is a nuisance at worst, the Other One is pure evil and not to be trusted. Now granted, she's my ex-wife and I'm biased on the subject, but if you don't believe me, ask *anyone*. Ask anyone who's met her. Ask her own freaking family. To a person, they will back up my opinion.

Apparently, she's also lost a lot of weight, but Terri says that's mostly due to the crack usage. That also doesn't surprise me at all. She never let me see her using hard drugs, but I did suspect. I suspected when the money I gave her to pay bills ended up paying nothing. I really suspected this one afternoon after she and Crystal had a big fight, Crystal threw her out, and X came home and was completely apeshit bananas over it. And I mean completely apeshit bonkers compared to how she usually was. I was so sketched out by that I abandoned ship and went up to Shannon's apartment and hung out there as late as I could (I'd known Shannon maybe two weeks at this point). My theory then was: she's desperate for a fix and having a total fucking meltdown. I bet I was right.

I am curious to see what the smaller version of X looks like, however. Not curious enough to seek her out. Maybe somebody has a picture of this.

She's down in NC with some guy. Terri mentioned a name, but I don't remember it. It wasn't a name name, though. It was some kind of redneck hillbilly nickname kind of thing. Terri says that he's an asshole and beats her, but she goes back again and again to him. Now, I don't condone this sort of thing, but in this one case *only*, I find there to be some sort of ironic justice at work in the universe. In my eyes, she deserves whatever she gets.

Meanwhile, Troy is living in Pennsylvania, has cancer, and it sounds bad. That sucks. He isn't really a bad guy. He's actually very charming and personable ... when he isn't on cocaine or out of his mind drunk. I've had to deal with him that way a couple times, and it wasn't fun. This one night he showed up drunk at his mom's house while X and me were living there. It was like the middle of the night. He got into it with his mom, X went down to try and sort it out, and I tried to sit it out while listening in the doorway. But he got abusive, so I had to intervene, and it ended up with me putting him on the floor and holding him in a headlock until he promised to behave .... oh, and I made him apologize to his mother, too. Other than that, though, I never had a problem with the guy.

Terri mentioned to her mom that she'd been in touch with me. Lois then went on about how she always liked me and that I was the best thing that happened to X, and that she was stupid for screwing it up. I always liked Lois. Best mother-in-law ever.

While visiting with Amanda she brought up a story that I'd forgotten all about. This goes back to 1992, not long after I'd met Lynne and Amanda, and almost directly after the Bad Thing happened, so suffice to say I was a walking trainwreck. Anyway, we were over at Lynne's, and X had one of her blow-ups. I don't remember what it was about, and I only have vague memories of it, but it was big. It kind of erupted into a scene where X got violent towards me, throwing punches and whatnot, because she could be like that, and Amanda -- all of 7 years old -- jumped in and tried to pull X off. "You leave my uncle alone RIGHT NOW!" Remember that Amanda was a tiny girl, and X was a monster. I'd forgotten this completely, but listening to Amanda tell the story brought it back clear as day. That girl is my motherfucking hero.

Naturally, back in those days, I had opportunities to return the favor. There was a week where Jason and Amanda were staying with us in Greenfield. Again, I don't know what sparked it, but X went off the deep end and was *pissed* at the both of them over some stupid thing, and it was clear to me that she intended some violence. And I got in her way and made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was going to touch them over my dead body. And that time she backed down.

So that's one Crowning Moment of Awesome for Amanda, one for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't help her with Charlie, but that sonofabitch's day will come. Karma is one bad motherfucker, and I know that for certain.

I guess my ex-wife knows that, too.