Carol Gano - It’s a Mess

'Again?'

She honestly could not believe that their entire trip was about to be aborted.

‘I’ll take the train, drop me off here,’ he said.

She didn’t even have time to understand if that meant they’d meet up in Canberra, or not.

‘Well, if that’s the case, you can take all your antiques out of my car and that’s it. I can’t be your friend any longer,’ she explained.

That did it. The screaming started. ‘In spite of all I’ve done because you asked? You can’t do anything alone.’ At the top of his lungs.

People across the four lane street heard him, stopped in their tracks and looked to see just how violent he’d become.

More screaming. Her brain closed down. Too much like her father. As if she could be tricked into carting his belongings back, alone. What a mess!

How many years now? Five. Back and forth. Betrayed by him, to yet again, test out his lust and hopes on someone new in his life.

Well. Not this time. She thought. I’m not buying in. No. No more of me screaming she decided. That’s it. I truly have had enough.

A car inched up to her. An elderly kind gentleman opened his window. ‘Do you need some help, luv?’

‘No, sir,’ she responded.

‘I can call the police if you wish.’ He claimed.

‘No, it’s OK’ she told him. While she thought it over. To herself she finally admitted why his two previous wives and all the women he ever knew gave up on him. He pushed people away.

She had committed to attempting to not put an AVO out on him – as his last wife had done.

She was trying to not be another woman who gave up on him. But this was the very last straw. She wasn’t going to get yelled at for nothing, was not going to allow his warped view of the universe to spill into her vision.

As he threw out his free garage sale spoils, she began helping to move his precious belongings towards the train station from where she’d parked the car.

Then, it started again. The unprovoked screaming. ‘I don’t need your help,’ he bellowed.

She didn’t cower, but she got back into her car and drove to a monastery to cleanse his vile hatred.

So, that’s it. Finally free of the controlling narcissist. She must remain calm, she must not let him back.