Sunshine, laundry, families, and shit.
6:13 p.m.
We drove my brother to the bus station to catch the 10:00 a.m. express to Montreal and he admitted that he was feeling rather anxious. He had a beautiful and restful week chez nous and was now anticipating two weeks and three days at my mother’s dealing with the Frank problem. The latest news we had was that she is moving into this home on July 25, that my other brother has made all the arrangements, and that Frank will stay on in the house.
This is totally unacceptable to my older brother and me. While my mother was there, he was her guest. If she is not there, he is a squatter. My brother says he is going to consult with a lawyer to find out exactly what we can do about this. He is, after all, a joint owner of the house, and should have some say in the matter. As well, my other brother has power of attorney over my mother’s affairs, and he should be able to act as well. I’m really the odd man out here, but I will be there in a week and-a-half to help out in any way I can.
The lack of communication between my middle brother and me might be a problem, though. If he is totally unwilling to be in the same room with me, or partake in any discussion of which I am a part, we’re screwed. I was appalled when my big brother told us about his obsession with this “authority management” programme he was into. It seems that he has totally assimilated this way of behaviour so that he not only uses it to assert his parental authority and that of a teacher in his classroom, but he uses it when dealing with other people too, all the time! Everything he says is calculated, considered, there is no spontaneity for fear he might show some weakness and be vulnerable to attack. Whatever humanity he had left he must reserve for his wife alone, because it seems that he has become a total machine in his dealings with the rest of the world. No wonder my mother said that he didn’t act like a son!
If he wants to be an asshole for the rest of our lives, I can deal with that. I will be saddened by it, but it won’t greatly affect my life as it is now. However, he should be able to put aside his allergy to me for the amount of time it will take us to deal with my mother and the house and Frank. If he can’t do that, then I have lost total respect for him, if I had any left, that is.
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