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11:39:00 AM EDT
How I refereed a fight and took the family fortune... Memoirs 155
Grandpa and Grandma King were getting more and more grim and less and less tolerable to be around after my second year in Phoenix. They went to Boulder to take care of some kind of business and when they returned I could tell that some terrible battle had occurred. I soon found out that they had been hammering out an agreement in Utah about a trust fund. Mother had finally agreed to sign the paper down to the lawyer's office in Phoenix.
When they came roaring back from the lawyer they practically ran into their duplex to fight. I heard such a battle going on I ran next door. When I opened the door Mother was trying to hit Daddy with a broom and he was bandishing a chair to defend himself. I was just thankful the boys were in school. "What is this all about?" I yelled.
"She won't sign the paper, she won't sign the paper!" roared Daddy. "She agreed to in Boulder and when we got clear down here in the lawyer's office she refused to sign it!"
"If I don't want to sign that paper, I am not going to!" said Mother stubbornly.
I was finally able to elicit the information that the trust fund specified that in the event of Daddy's death, the five daughters and Mother would each receive $20,000. I privately thought that $20,000 would likely be all we daughters would get with Mother in command of the money, so I did not see why she was trying to prevent us from getting any inheritance. "Do you want it all?" sneered Daddy, with utmost contempt, who appeared to have the same thought.
Mother would not say why she wouldn't sign, but I could see that Daddy was so steamed, he was not likely to get over his outrage for days. "Mother," I said, "Why do you always have to fight about money? Why don't you just be a mother for once and do what he wants?" I was quite surprised when this remark appeared to sting Mother so badly that she grabbed the paper and signed it!
Daddy sniffed with some satisfaction and off they went back down to the lawyer's to complete the trust fund. Daddy was happy, I was happy, but now Mother was the one who was furious. I got involved in some of their heated arguments off and on that day, and during the night the battle went on with such intensity I was no more able to sleep than fly. I finally screamed as loud as I could, "Shut your goddamn mouths, I have to go to work in the morning." They quieted a little bit.
I dragged myself out of bed the next morning feeling a lot worse for wear. I was very alarmed when I noticed a giant black and blue bruise on the underside of my arm. I could not imagine what bad thing was going on in my body now when I remembered I had pounded the table with my fist and arm in an argument with Father, apparently so hard that it left this bruise. I went out to start my car and it refused to turn over. I had to go ask Father if I could take his powerwagon to work. I could not remember when my car had ever refused to start.
When I got to work I went into the kitchen to get an order, was standing there when I started feeling definitely woozy. The next minute I found myself sliding spinelessly down to the floor. People came running and somebody said, "Call 911!" "No, no," I said, "Call my dad! It is just fatigue. Please, I will be all right."
But no they insisted on taking me to emergency where an old female doctor talked tough to me. She asked me what was going on and I told her a giant fight between my parents. She said, "Go home and commit them both!" "I am afraid that is not possible," I said. "They are too rich. I am just a poor daughter."
"Then get out of town," said the doctor firmly. "You don't need this You better think of your own health!"
A light dawned. Yes, this was a good time for me to leave. My job at Camelback Inn was surely gone. I thought about going to California where my sister Linda lived and felt a whole lot better, in fact, I got down right excited. I went home and told Mother and Dad the doctor said I had better leave the scene of battle for my health. They didn't say much. I suppose they were a tiny bit ashamed of themselves.
Ann, another daughter, and her husband Tom lived across town. She could keep checking to see if they had killed each other, I said. I told the boys and they were just as excited as I was. Now maybe they could find some kids to play with.
As for the trust fund, I found out a number of months later that Mother doctored this story until it came out that I had forced her to sign her rights away to a million dollars! I wanted it all. She did not get hardly anything. I will have to explain why she didn't in future installments, but making me the villain cut me deep for a long time. I guess it was impossible for Mother to be a real mother in the deepest sense of the word. It was a good thing I left town at that time, so she could not accuse me of even worse.
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Oh you have to love it when adults fight. LOL not. I love that picture.
Kelli
http://journals.aol.com/kamdghwmw/noonmom
4/19/08 11:19 AM
What a nightmare you endured. I'm glad you followed the Doc's advice and removed yourself from the situation.
From what I know of you, it sounds like you were/are a very good Mom. Amazing...since you really did not have such a good role model, did you?
Pam