Amicable, Surprise, Temporary, Child-Parent Divorce

Authored by Kristi

        Before my mom passed away in November 2022, in her 76 years, she had been a successful real estate broker--specializing as a property manager. But before all that, she and my dad worked as onsite apartment managers. On-site manager positions usually come with an apartment, otherwise known as a roof over our heads.

        In one such arrangement, later on in my years, my mom and dad signed on to be onsite property managers for yet another dilapidated apartment complex that needed a facelift inside and out. My mom was enthused to whip the property into shape. She was pretty good at that. As a family, we already owned and lived in a house--but the apartment owners required onsite managers. 

        My dad kept his regular job. The new location doubled his commute. On the evenings and weekends, he performed all manner of maintenance at the apartments. I can't say for certain why he went along with all this bullshit, but I suspect that my mom had once again gotten him and us into a financial bind.

        My little sister, Janna, was 13 and I was 17. My older brother and sister had long since moved out of our family home on Swift Boulevard. My mom informally summoned Janna and me to see the apartment in the hood where they would live. 

    Thanks to my mom's hoarding, my parents quickly popped up a mini home for themselves in the newly provided manager's apartment without moving a stitch of furniture from our house. Alongside the living room recliner, my mom had one of those yarn baskets with a crochet blanket already in progress--hanging on the arm of the chair. 

        When we needed lunch or grocery money, we asked Mama for it. Eventually, she would swing by our house and leave some cash on the kitchen counter. Their departure wasn't all bad. Janna and I could keep the living areas in reasonable shape since my mom wasn't constantly bringing in bags of purposeless shit.

        I do not remember how long they lived there. There was no more fanfare when they returned than we had when they left. When my parents left the apartments, the assistant managers were promoted to their rank. 

        This is one of those dysfunctional anecdotes where others attempt to insert sense or logic where there is none. Curious folks ask, "What did you say to them? How did you respond?" Respond to what? We said nothing. In this case, we just randomly lived alone in our family home for about 6 months for no specific reason told to us.