Posted by Baron Greenback [24.8.14.102 - c-24-8-14-102.client.comcast.net] on 05 January 2004 at 08.25.20 ZuluTime:

I figured I needed to present the missing details. Not that it changes anything in the what's new.

First, and foremost, Swyndle was able to pick me up last night, after a few hours. I ended up in Golden for a while (don't ask; things are just weird), and ended up back here at around Seven AM.

And went to sleep, something I hadn't done much of in some time.

And woke up at Four PM, to a nightmare.

The big part of the backstory, though, involves the house.

I'm computer literate. My mother claims to be; claims to know Pascal and Basic, and last night asked me the cryptic question, "where is the tab key", when I was asking her to alt+tab. Her computer is actually a device, from what I've been able to tell, for playing D&D online, as well as printing out character sheets until the printer runs out of ink. This plays in, of coure, because every visit to her house involves her trying to get me to "fix" her computer. This time, it involved making sure other people could print on her computer across the LAN. That way, I assume, my Brother could print up a character sheet for a video game while never having to leave the comfort of his Counterstrike game. I don't know. The problem, of course, is that she needs me to believe she is computer literate, and therefore, needs to sit in, kibitz, and occasionally seize control of the keyboard whenever I am doing anything regarding it. A smarter person would, of course, ignore such pleas, as it is a formula for disaster, the fact that one's mother is making the request aside. I, of course, have a short term memory.

A little over a year ago, it was a different situation. My parent's definition of 'rent' has, in the past, included 'the summation of your paycheck, fifty dollars, and labor'. Paying actual rent does not work unless I manage to hide my paystubs. Which, after a while, was not an option anyway, as the labor tasks, which included tile work, floor work, painting, weatherproofing, and drywall, as well as all the daily chores my brother neglected, prevented me from being able to attend college and work. I escaped, for a few days at a time several times, to friend's houses and hotels. I eventually ignored the yelling, threats, and sabotage to my personal life that came with noncompliance. Until, of course, it was brought up that Gremlin and Hunter were getting their money from somewhere, and financial contribution was something they really should be doing. It was brought up to me, personally, and at the time, I was at the end of my mental capabilities. I lost it, woke several neighbors, brought up the conversation I was just having (which, of course, was a dumb move, as it was a conversation I had privately, and therefore was subject to denial of the whole thing, and I was raving like a fucking lunatic at the time). This is only mentioned, because my parents did, actually, expect me to tell Hunter and Gremlin about some mysterious rent of unnamed amount, even if they denied the entire thing at the time, and waited only until it was convenient to bring it up.

Now, I entered into the Navy. I thought my problems were over. Then, I started getting mail like this...
     I need your help. The $3,000 is just too much, by at
     least $1000, possibly the full thing. It appears we
     are looking at foreclosure if I do not come up with
     $1000 of it by the 30th. I was able to negotiate
     time, but that was all, I can pay an extra $350.00 a
     month for 3 months. It is so ironic, since that was
     how I got here to start with, when I had you and your
     friends here. I know you do not have the money. I
     know they do, but will never honor their debts and
     think it is smart to make promises they intend to not
     keep. Arguing that they did not cost the extra is
     bogus and they know it. Nothing in life is ever free
     and they agreed to it anyway prior to staying. They
     then took the goods and services and never kept their
     promise. Now I am going to loose my house. Can you
     co-sign a loan or take a loan and we co-sign it? Even
     a loan for $1000.00 would help. The full $3000.00
     would remove the issue.
     I have tried to do this without asking you. However,
     I would never have trusted them had you not asked me
     to and vouched for them. Terry told me I was letting
     myself in for it. She was right.
     No, I can not go to my mother. She is sure that she
     has helped us many times, though she did not. She is
     also sure because Henry is black that he is after her
     money and sees her as a money bag. She will not see
     that we were trying to help you and your friends and
     got in over our heads. Trips to Hawaii are more
     important anyway for her. She made it really clear
     when they took out the loan for the floor that she
     would never help me with a thing again.
     I will of course look at all the other options I have.
     I am sorry to have to ask you for his help.
     Love,
     Mom

Now, that they never agreed to do anything is immaterial. I agreed to continue to contribute my paycheck from the security job to them, provided I did not have to endure labor, and was free to attend work and school. That the other side of the bargain was never held was immaterial; the point is, Gremlin and Hunter never said a thing. Of course, I was smart enough not to cosign a loan; rather, I forwarded the e-mail to my grandparents, who helped her out anyway.