f_inscreenname
Commander
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2001
- Messages
- 2,591
The wife, I and our two kids were sitting at Friendlys today around 2 oclock waiting for our order to arrive. The wifes cell phone rings and she picks up. After a few seconds she has a bad look and gets up from the table and walks out to the lobby area. Now this is nothing new on a Saturday. She works for a big bank running the maintenance and interior remodels for there 22 story building in downtown Baltimore. I just figured that some big wigs office didnt get the right lamp and she world be off for the rest of the day making sure that big wig didnt have to use a non matching lamp to read the Monday morning paper. So when she came back to the table I was ready for I have to go in to the office and the kids can go with me, its happened before and I am thinking cool, boat hide. But when she gets back she doesnt say anything. I ask whats up? She says We can talk when we get home. Now I am thinking she doesnt want to say anything in front of the kids meaning she needs to leave them home with me. Now I have to know. I ask again while the kids are happy just after they got there sodas (there both under 6 so sodas at a restaurant are still a big deal). She looks at me and mouths the word Franklin and almost looses it right there. She gets herself back together in less then a second and I feel like I am ready to pass out. My wife is a tough girl and a look like that meant it was not good. <br /> Now we are in our late 30s and Franklin grew up with my wife and her older brother (by a couple years) and were always best friends. I really think my wife had a crush on him for a while but she would never admit to it and it became a little joke in our marriage. As people do over the years they tend to move away (from NJ). I met my wife in Maryland 7 years ago where we live now and Patrick, my wifes older brother did his 20 years in the Air Force in New Jersey (always a joke in the family. He joined to see the world, spent a year in Germany and then was stationed 30 miles from his childhood home and stayed there because the Air Force needed him there) but for his last post he went to So Carolina were he retired at. Two weeks ago we had a surprise party for my mother in laws 75th birthday and everybody made there way to NJ for the party. It was like getting the band back together. Franklin brought his new wife that is 6 months pregnant and everyone seemed to have a great time. My wife even made the comment on the way home that they acted like newlyweds and to tease me she said, I only got a kiss on the cheek goodbye, he must really love this girl. And as we talked we both came to the conclusion that he was doing OK. Especially after his divorce from his first wife. It was ugly and some of the stuff we herd didnt seem like they fit the person. Like it was said he was one of those people who wants to know why it took you 15 minuets instead of 10 to get home today, you must have been talking to some guy or girl. My ex-wife was just like that and that is one reason she is my ex. It is a miserable life. Now from what we herd (and that is very little) is Franklin and the new wife had a fight about the late thing and she told him if he didnt get help they would be divorced also. I am sure some of it was the hormones talking but she is a independent woman with a job as a administrator in NY city so she also could have had enough. I dont know. I dont know her well enough after the one meeting. Franklin decides to call his ex-wife and have her pick up his daughter that is over for visitation (his ex was always very good about letting him see her anytime he wanted). The new wife is not home for some reason. Maybe due to the fight or not, I dont know. After the daughter leaves, Franklin leaves a phone message on the exs answer machine, something like I will be the Angel that watches over the daughter and hangs up. When the ex hears this she calls his brother and tells him he better check on him. After Franklin makes the phone call he goes out to the garage and ends his life. As I am typing this I have tears running down my face but earlier I was very angry for him hurting my wife. Remember I didnt know him nearly as much as she did. Through all the time I have known about this (the last 12 hours) I have been mostly confused. How can someone do that?? Now that I am in my late 30s I have had the idea cross my mind now and then that I may have seen more years then I have left and that bothers me. Sometimes for a day or so, so I try not to think about to often but the though of shorting it by my own hand is just something I cant comprehend. I always thought suicide was a cowardly thing to do (if you didnt have mental issues). A copout. Now I just feel sorry it has happened for everyone involved and the guy I was drinking beer and cutting it up with two weeks ago is gone. What a F_in mess this is.<br /> I guess all I can ask for from you folks is your prayers and any psychologists that want to donate there time to a widow, her unborn child, a pre teen daughter, two step children, mother, father, 2 brothers, 2 sisters, family, friends, his 5th grade class (did I mention he was a grade school teacher?)
<br /> Now I am sad again.