01-05-2008, 11:31 PM
The following article was in our Abbotsford News today, January 5, 2008. It is written by Allen Unrau and is fiction about real-life issues, however, I had heard of these kinds of things really happening. So.........what do you think about these crazy kind of women and a man who married before he had fully recovered from his divorce?
"Dad, why are you driving Uncle Bill's old farm truck?"
It's early Monday morning, and Phillip Chamberlain was just pulled into his daughter's driveway. His white shirt is soiled, his face unshaven, and he smells stale.
Phillip looks down at his feet.
"Elly kicked me out last week."
Tears well up as he sags against the doorframe in Jeanie's kitchen.
"Can I stay here with you and Reg?"
Jeannie is shocked. She and her husband have just moved into an empty-nester bungalow. There's no room for an unexpected family member.
"That woman kicked you out of your own house?"
Phillip whipes his eyes with his shirtsleeve.
"I don't know what I did wrong. She changed overnight."
Phillip Chamberlain is retired from a successful career as an auditor. He went through a traumatic divorce five years ago and vowed never to remarry.
He told his daughter that she and her family were the most important things in his life. They were shocked and hurt when he suddenly remarried 18 months ago in a private ceremony without inviting them.
His new wife has taken all his time since then. Phillip hasn't seen his two grandsons in almost a year.
Jeanie brews a pot of coffee and starts to probe.
"I guess you can stay here for a bit till you get a place. Where have you been staying?"
"Bill's couch," he replies.
"Why didn't you go to a hotel?"
Phillip looks away and doesn't answer.
"She didn't persuade you to change your will or anything like that, did she, Dad?"
Startled by the question, Phillip spills coffee on the white tablecloth.
"Worse than that, honey. I signed over the house, my investments and my insurance policies to her. I don't have anything left. Bill helped me load my wood-working tools. Elly didn't think they were worth much."
Jeanie gasps. "You're broke? How could you have been so foolish?"
"I was lonely for female company, Jeanie. You can't fault me for that. She was beautiful and exciting. We went on cruises and met lots of new people. We were really living."
"Then, she started acting strangely. She told me she'd heard from a friend that I had feelings for another woman. She said she'd heard I was interested in a waitress at the golf club."
"She set you up, Dad. That sleaze knew exactly what she was doing. It's like something right out of the movies. She probably asked you to prove your love for her by signing things over."
Phillip's hands were shaking badly. He spills his coffee again.
"How did you know? That's exactly what she said."
"But why would you fall for that?"
Phillip sighs. "Your mother divorced me because I was too careful with money. She always wanted to spend more, and I wanted to save everything. She said I was cheap. I thought I was being careful to provide security for our older years, but she said what she really needed was for me to pay attention to her and 'live a little' before we got too old."
He swallows hard. "I never told you about this. When I went through the divorce with your mother, it amlost killed me. I was sure it was all my fault. I felt so guilty for not giving her what she wanted."
Phillip sighs. "When Elly started talking about divorce, I couldn't take that again. So I gave her what she wanted. I was determined not to make another mistake."
"But you let that woman take everything."
Phillip leans forward with his head in his hands.
"I guess I'm just not very good with my money."
"Dad, why are you driving Uncle Bill's old farm truck?"
It's early Monday morning, and Phillip Chamberlain was just pulled into his daughter's driveway. His white shirt is soiled, his face unshaven, and he smells stale.
Phillip looks down at his feet.
"Elly kicked me out last week."
Tears well up as he sags against the doorframe in Jeanie's kitchen.
"Can I stay here with you and Reg?"
Jeannie is shocked. She and her husband have just moved into an empty-nester bungalow. There's no room for an unexpected family member.
"That woman kicked you out of your own house?"
Phillip whipes his eyes with his shirtsleeve.
"I don't know what I did wrong. She changed overnight."
Phillip Chamberlain is retired from a successful career as an auditor. He went through a traumatic divorce five years ago and vowed never to remarry.
He told his daughter that she and her family were the most important things in his life. They were shocked and hurt when he suddenly remarried 18 months ago in a private ceremony without inviting them.
His new wife has taken all his time since then. Phillip hasn't seen his two grandsons in almost a year.
Jeanie brews a pot of coffee and starts to probe.
"I guess you can stay here for a bit till you get a place. Where have you been staying?"
"Bill's couch," he replies.
"Why didn't you go to a hotel?"
Phillip looks away and doesn't answer.
"She didn't persuade you to change your will or anything like that, did she, Dad?"
Startled by the question, Phillip spills coffee on the white tablecloth.
"Worse than that, honey. I signed over the house, my investments and my insurance policies to her. I don't have anything left. Bill helped me load my wood-working tools. Elly didn't think they were worth much."
Jeanie gasps. "You're broke? How could you have been so foolish?"
"I was lonely for female company, Jeanie. You can't fault me for that. She was beautiful and exciting. We went on cruises and met lots of new people. We were really living."
"Then, she started acting strangely. She told me she'd heard from a friend that I had feelings for another woman. She said she'd heard I was interested in a waitress at the golf club."
"She set you up, Dad. That sleaze knew exactly what she was doing. It's like something right out of the movies. She probably asked you to prove your love for her by signing things over."
Phillip's hands were shaking badly. He spills his coffee again.
"How did you know? That's exactly what she said."
"But why would you fall for that?"
Phillip sighs. "Your mother divorced me because I was too careful with money. She always wanted to spend more, and I wanted to save everything. She said I was cheap. I thought I was being careful to provide security for our older years, but she said what she really needed was for me to pay attention to her and 'live a little' before we got too old."
He swallows hard. "I never told you about this. When I went through the divorce with your mother, it amlost killed me. I was sure it was all my fault. I felt so guilty for not giving her what she wanted."
Phillip sighs. "When Elly started talking about divorce, I couldn't take that again. So I gave her what she wanted. I was determined not to make another mistake."
"But you let that woman take everything."
Phillip leans forward with his head in his hands.
"I guess I'm just not very good with my money."