leopards - pt. 7 (enter at your leisure...)

OR - ATTACK AT THE PYRAMID...

well, well, well... at this particular time, we've learned a great deal about "everything and all". the suspense has been building as we wait for more info to come rolling in.

thankfully, the $100 do-it-yourself, handy-dandy, DNA testing kit had arrived at my house, finally... it has a hodgepodge of instuctional information, along with wooden stick swabs and packets to identify and seal the samples for analysis. it was a fairly easy thing to conduct and i saw no reason why we couldn't take care of it quick and easy.

i contacted 'Rette and we made arrangements to meet on a wednesday, i think. it was my day off. well, it was actually both of our days off. or better stated, "off days". she slept really late and by the time she was up and around, i had a paranoia and anxiety attack that just exploded in my face. i couldn't work up the nerve to step out of the door. i called her and told her that it was a washout. she said she was ok with it, but i knew better. i know that at some level she was disappointed. Hell, I was disappointed!

the next possible day we could meet was sunday. i was bound and determined to make it work. Karen was ready to accompany me on the trek to the southshore. we loaded up and took to the road.

i spoke with Lirette and coordinated times. we were going to her home. she told me that Mom L was going to take a ride or something to give us some time to do what we needed. we arrived at the home and noted that it was very nice. memory glands were triggered as i saw the house across the street and remembered that i had once lived there in another life.

we approached the door and Lirette opened it to greet us. she was so beautiful that i found it difficult not to stare at her. i find myself disbelieving that i was part of bringing her into the world. she had me right there, hook, line and sinker. but i could also see the boys in her appearance, too. as we walked up the stairs to the main floor, i unexpectedly saw Mom L standing in the kitchen at the island. i looked for a reaction from Karen, but couldn't pick one up, so we continued up.

pleasant introductions ensued and were completed quickly. Mom L immediately asked for the retrieval code number for the DNA testing online results. without thinking, i just gave her the paper with the code on it. i don't know why, but i began to get irritated with myself for doing that. i was the one that shelled out the hundred bucks for the test. the results should come through me. i found the action boorish and intrusive. in the spirit of cooperation, i said nothing more. after all, this whole thing was for Lirette and i.

as i started to bring out all of the materials for the test, Mom L started into the line of inheritance again. i shrunk away from it and concetrated on getting things prepared for the test. Karen gave me a squeeze on the leg and i honestly can't remember a word of what i said.

then came a bigger surprise. one of Mom L's friends, let's call him Leisure Suit Larry, came into the room. i had met him once, a long time ago, the circumstances i'll leave to the wind. he came to the kitchen and injected himself into the conversation. he actually asked about my mother & father's house and whether or not the mortgage was paid off! now i went into complete freak out mode and was determined to get things done and get the Hell out! Karen could sense the same and we took care of the test as fast as possible. it took near fifteen minutes to complete things before we could go. when it was finished, we did the vamoose dance as graciously as we could.

i believe that this whole performance was in very poor taste and hurt Lirette more than anyone. i'm used to being shit on. she was robbed of time that she could have spent with me. being on strange turf and confronted by what might as well have been strangers concerning information that had nothing to do with the situation at hand and was certainly none of their business, i was worried about the whole thing. why the intrusive questions? why couldn't Lirette and I build our own relationship without interference from outsiders? Lirette, at nineteen, should be able to have some degree of freedom and privacy. i was being judged by Wife A, from who i'd been divorced from for many years; and by Mom L, who remains an enigma to me as to her behavior concerning this. who knows? Hell, Wife A is making a sport out of informing people that i am some kind of malicious degenerate... conspiring to steal my daughters trust fund? what incredible nerve they both have accusing me of something like that. i've done nothing to warrant that attack.

the crazy thing is that I don't/didn't/haven't wish/wished any ill will or harm to either of them. i just wish they'd let me live my life and leave me alone.  what can i do but roll with the punches...

the results are due in ten days. come back and see what they are... thanks for reading...