ok, here’s the thing… We have a neighbor,”Dave.” and his mom,both on heavy-duty psych meds. I tolerate them, because in the complex I live in, I have to, in order to get along with everyone,and live peaceably.
Well,Dave is a nice guy,and his mom,well, let’s just say,she takes alot of getting used to.
She has this habit of barking,or cackling,when she laughs,and it hurts my ears.
At dinner,one night, we had treated them to an all you can eat buffet,that costed my hubby 60$,and we NEVER treat people out to eat,so this was a treat for us.
We were sitting in the restaraunt and she kept making comments on my kid’s weight. It was crowded,and made my kids upset.I glared at her and her son,Dave,asked her to stop. I didn’t say anything,as I was raised,that with “those kind” of people one does not make bad comments such as what I was going to make. I did, however,give her a dirty look,and she quit.
Her son,Dave, is an alcoholic. He is one that sneaks his booze,and on this night, had went into the store,under the guise of getting a prescription filled,and the pharmacy was closed. So,with the medicine money,he bought a 40 ounce bottle of beer.
I had told him,not once,but three times,that i do not allow alcohol in my van.This was on 3 seperate occasions.
He kept looking at my husband,as if he would intervene.
Hubby knows better than to do that,especially when it comes to alcohol. Not to mention,my kids were in that van,also.
Then next day,Sunday,his mom came over and gave us “gifts,and made comments about my hubby being shirtless.
in his own home!
It was hot and my husband has high blood pressure,so he likes to be cool.
She alwo went into my kids’s rooms without asking and kept playing with my cats,who really didn’t want her touching them.
Some of the “gifts” were broken ( a china tea set,she gave my 6 year old daughter),or old,( an “antique” doll) or torn ( this in the case of clothes), or a leather jacket, which was torn, but mendable.
Needless to say, my already-thinnming patience was gone,by the time we sat down to have lunch.
We are not a sociable family. We have our friends and we have our hobbies,and do not like interference with out routines,and weekends we like to have for family. I tried to convey this to “Linda” many times, but she didn’t pick up on the hint,till I had rudely taken a cat toy that had a bell in it,away from the cat and put it up.
Then,today,Dave had the gall, to knock on the door and ask if hubby can take him to the store,for “groceries”. I opened the door,and Dave didn’t even look at me,but ignored me and looked at hubby.
This was the final straw!
i have no patience with people who drink,and little patience for people who are doped up on psych meds,and can’t take a hint.
It wasn’t hubby who paid for that van,I did.
I went off,needless to say. I had told Dave,that we were not taking him anywhere,because for the last three times,he had alcohol in MY van,and I did not tolerate that.I had told him,three times, NO alcohol,and he said he “forgot.”
I then told him,that he would have to find another person to take him,that we were not taking him anywhere,because he ignored my rule,and I didn’t buy the “I forgot” BS.
I then told him,that i paid for that van,and that I said who rode in it, not hubby.
He asked if Eric would take him,and Hubby ignored him,kept on eating.
That man would not take “no” for an answer.
I went on to tell him to look at me when I spoke to him,and that Eric didn’t have any say-so,as to who rides in the van,that it was for our personal use,and that he would have to go elsewhere.
He stood in the door,and kept looking at me and Eric,and back again.
I told him,rather loudly,that we were just sitting down to eat lunch and he’d have to leave. Again,he stood there. By now,I was thoroughly furious.
Eric kept on eating and ignoring Dave.
I then began to shut the door,and he asked if we would take him shopping,since his food stamps came in on the first. i told him,that no, would would not take him,that I like my shopping to be for family,only,and that I load my van down.”
Again,he stood there,looking at Eric,as if he would respond. He didn’t,kept on eating.
I could tell i made hubby mad,as hubby hates to make anyone mad,and is a push-over. I am not.I am clearly not one to make mad,and have a very short fuse with people like Dave.
I take alot,but references to both of my daughter’s weight,in public, going into their rooms without asking and going into my Altar Room, ( i’m Wiccan) without asking and touching my altar,is a huuuuge offense)
and that I felt I had the right to go off on Dave,especially when he brought beer into my vehicle when he was told not to,is grounds for having his butt chewed.
Did I do the right thing, or could i have handleled it differently??
Ps,i’m still mad!
