Sunday, April 29, 2012

Bill and Shari 2


Unbeknownst to the kids in the neighborhood, one of the moms used to tell Shari to watch out for Brenda. The other moms would tell her to lighten up saying that Bill would never do anything to hurt Shari, so why worry? Well, once this news broke, everyone was looking at that mom wondering how she could have seen what the rest of the neighborhood missed.
This whole situation was so devastating. Even though Shari, Ann and Dave were the biggest victims of the tragedy, everyone in the neighborhood felt cheated as well. We thought we knew Bill. Before this cheating scandal we all thought of him as a good family man, a hard worker and an extreme player. But now…the only label he carried in any of our minds was Adulterer.
It’s a weird thing, an affair. It seems like the cheater can only think about his or her self and they forget about everything and everyone else. And Bill’s deception hurt so many people.
Maybe he felt a bit bad that he was hurting Shari, but it seemed as though nobody else mattered except his feelings. Well, wake up Bill, your actions hurt so many people and you will never ever know the extent of it.
Shari and Sean’s spirits were crushed, Ann and Dave’s faith in their father destroyed, and everyone in the neighborhood was disgusted and stunned. It went on from there: Family members on both sides and friends from every angle heard about Bill’s “extracurricular activities”. The word spread and it spread fast. Bill was not looking good to anyone any more.
Shari and Bill tried counseling but after five years of infidelity, their marriage was doomed. Ultimately, Bill said that he would not give Brenda up, so a divorce was inevitable.
Bill moved out of the neighborhood and became an outcast. He lost everything: His wife, his friends, his house, his money and worst of all, the respect of his children. I did not blame Ann and Dave for their loss of respect. If my dad had treated my mom with such an uncaring heart, I wouldn’t think very much of him either.
I remember the hours my mom spent with Shari, trying desperately to help her through that horrible time in her life. The number of tears shed during those days were immeasurable. Even after Shari would leave our house or after my mom hung up the phone, the tears would continue streaming down her face.
Bill’s actions had infested our home as well. His shameless, selfish actions found a way to damage the usually upbeat spirit of my family. I was so angry at him and he didn’t even know it. For five years, he fooled us all. Five years is a long time to keep up a lie. He was a super creep in my eyes. A lying, cheating asshole. I trusted him and believed that his intentions about life and family were good. Now all I could do was grimace at the thought of him. And adding insult to injury, he was leaving his wife and kids for her! For Brenda.
I was a typical teenager who looked up to pretty, older girls and hoped to be like them someday. Brenda was not one of those girls. For starters, I never liked the way she dressed. Her clothes were often a size too small which was an extremely unflattering look. Her frame was relatively thin but it was as if she purposely chose clothes to emphasize her flaws. I remember this one-piece swimsuit she wore that went around her neck, over her breasts and met just below her bellybutton exposing most of her belly and the sides of her breasts. She looked flat-chested and boxy in that suit. It seemed as if she was trying to turn heads but yikes, try a different approach.
She tried too hard to be noticed, which was weird to me because she had a boyfriend and all the other guys in the group were married. She was obviously looking for approval and, obviously, Bill decided that he approved.
Her costumes did not make her very popular with the women in the neighborhood, either. They could see that she was trouble yet put up with her anyway. The ladies felt secure in their marriages so they all chose to just deal with her. After all, Bill and Sean were great friends and Brenda just came with the package.
Her personality was okay. She never had kids and did not seem to have an innate connection with our type. One summer, I remember her boyfriend and her making out on the dock in broad daylight while we were all on a camping trip. How inappropriate for a family weekend.
I guess what I am trying to say is really. Her? Sure she and Bill had boating and work in common, sure she presented herself in a trampy and well, easy manner, but Bill had a family. He had wonderful children, a wife and a home. And he gave it all up for some selfish hussy.
He became the biggest disappointment in my life at that time and I wasn’t even his kid! I don’t think people who cheat realize how much their actions affect every person that they know, be it immediate family or friends.
I will never forget how Bill’s actions destroyed part of my innocence. The reality of this world was thrown in my seventeen-year-old face. Watching my friends suffer because their dad was an idiot crushed me. I felt powerless. There was nothing I could say or do that would take away their pain. They deserved better. Somewhere in their dad’s selfish brain, he lost sight of what is really important in life. I firmly believe that the best gift a father can give his children is to honor and respect their mother. Bill failed.

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