A Study of My Parents
Part One: The Last Time Mum Walked Out or The Time Dad Nearly Killed Adrian
MUM: We didn't fight often, but when we did, if I got too angry, I would leave the house. I would walk away. I could not look at him, couldn't even breathe the same air as him.
DAD: God, I hated that.
MUM: Yes, this was a particular pet peeve of his.
DAD: Drove me crazy ‘cause it wasn't like she'd just leave the house. She wouldn't answer her phone, texts, tweets, FB messages, nothing. She would go completely off-grid. And I never knew for how long she would be gone. Hours, days. And with her passport she could be just about anywhere.
ME: Really? (Addressing Mum) I don't remember you doing this?
MUM: Well, that's because I had to stop. Or you guys may not be here today. (Giggles.)
DAD: They would be here. It wasn't that bad.
MUM: It was that bad.
ME: What happened?
MUM: One night, he and I got into a nasty one over…(looks at Dad) What was it over?
DAD: I honestly can't say I remember. It's been so long.
MUM: Well, anyway…
DAD: I lost; I know that.
MUM: Well, I threw on…
DAD: (Possibly speaking to himself, I'm not sure.) Because I always lost.
MUM: (Looks at me shaking her head. Seems to be waiting for him to finish having a moment.)
DAD: (Suddenly, aware of the silence.) Oh, please, continue.
MUM: (Smiling.) So, I threw on a pair of shoes and stormed out the house and I marched to the car. (She makes marching gestures with her arms.) I hopped in the car and took off, with him yelling at me the entire time.
ME: You couldn't stop her?
DAD: What was I supposed to do? Grab her, wrestle her to the ground? There was one time that I jumped in front of the car to stop her leaving. She drove down the block in reverse and turned around at the intersection.
MUM: That's true. I did do that. It wasn't the whole block though.
DAD: It was…
MUM: It was like half.
DAD: Wait. Which time are you thinking of?
ME: It happened more than once?
MUM: Well, he tried it more than once.
(I'm surprised. I've never heard this story before. I look at my father who only shakes his head that his wife has yet again missed the point.)
MUM: So, anyway, this night, I get mad and storm out of the house…
ME: Where'd you go?
MUM: Just to a hotel. I think you were a year old at the time. Adrian was four about to turn five. We'd been married for five years.
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