Episode 3 Mel's allyA Chapter by FrankyRobert as a young boy is asked by his desperate father to intercede in his parents marital situation.By the end of 1977, Robert's parents are near a final divorce. They had been separated for about two years now and Jeannie wants to put an end to their difficult marriage. Neither have been unfaithful to the other, and neither are looking to necessarily get involved with anyone else. They just can't seem to be married to each other. Call it a personality clash or whatever, but the marriage just seems to have fallen apart. A perfect example of Jeannie and Mel's differences have to do with a single incident a few years after they were married. When they were first married Jeannie was not driving yet. Mel encouraged her to get her license since they were planning a family. Right before Jeannie was to take her behind the wheel test, Mel was giving her as much practice time as possible. While driving on a frontage road near Minneapolis Jeannie came to a stop sign and paused for a second to check something. A car with a young man driving right behind them honks his horn a few times loudly. This startles Jeannie. Mel immediately gets out of the car and approaches the car behind them and punches the young driver in the face. Mel looks at the situation as one of protecting his young wife, while teaching a pushy young man a lesson in manners. Jeannie looks at the situation as a bully assaulting an unsuspecting young man just out for a drive. Thus, the basic problem in their marriage. Mel is adventurous. Jeannie is practical. Mel likes last minute plans and spontaneity. Jeannie likes routine and living on a budget. Mel is direct, Jeanie is tactful. In spite of the struggles, Robert's dad wants the marriage to continue. He misses his kids and calls to talk with them as much as he can. Meanwhile, Mel and Jeanies oldest child Kay has married young and is living in Chicago. When going for a drive to get some ice cream one day, Mel asks Robert how he feels about his parents getting a divorce. Robert replies, "I like having you around all the time dad. But I know you guys aren't always on the same wavelength." "Here's the deal Robert." Mel begins. "I need you to back me up with your mom. Can you do that?" "How?" Robert asks nervously. Mel then explains to his middle son how he wants Robert to support him in front of his mom the following weekend. A week later Mel comes to the home on Saturday morning which is now a custom. Mel is dressed a little better than usual, more focussed too. When the other kids are busy involved in one thing or another, Mel asks Jeannie to come into the living room. Robert is already there waiting nervously. Mel starts talking to a cautious Jeannie about how he misses everyone. How he loves his family and doesn't want to be away from them anymore. Mel gets to the point by saying, "Jeannie, Robert has mentioned to me that he really wants me to move back home. He doesn't want to see us divorce and neither do I. Why don't we just drop this and try again? We can make this work." "Robert, is this what you really want?" Jeannie asks. Robert isn't able to speak. He loves and respects both parents. He sees his dad's point about the whole family being together. But, he sees his mom's point too about the continual tension that exists between the two of them in the marriage. The two of them just don't get along and dad drinks too much. But, Robert misses his dad and feels better about him being around. Robert can't speak. He can't form the words. He doesn't say anything while both wait for his thoughts. He finally gets up from the couch and walks quietly into the kitchen. He stands alone in the kitchen feeling like a traitor. A minute later Mel walks in and angrily says, "Thanks Robert. Yeah, thanks for that." Robert feels numb. He feels sad that he has disappointed his dad. Has he ruined things? His dad leaves without spending any time with him. His mom then spends time alone in her room. Robert sits on the linoleum floor in the kitchen. He sits alone for what seems like hours. © 2023 FrankyAuthor's Note
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9 Reviews Added on May 17, 2021 Last Updated on February 24, 2023 AuthorFrankyOHAboutI need a space to share my writings so i can grow as a writer. I mostly write short stories, but I'm working on a book about a serious family saga. Things seem calmer these days at the cafe. I'.. more..Writing
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