Whatta Bum!

I have often heard my Nona say, “Be careful who you help because they will turn around and lord their successes over you. Before you know it, they will try to treat you like dung beneath their feet.”

As usual, it was often one of those conversations where I walked away mystified, reluctantly reassuring her, “Gee, thanks for the chat Nona. It was really helpful.”

Secretly I was thinking, “There she goes again, the warner woman of the family.”

As I matured I learned to revere her as a prophet because truer words were never spoken.

My adoptive parents have a penchant for helping people, where they may drag their feet at helping me; when it comes to others they will quickly and promptly move mountains to be of assistance.

The problem is, they will seek to help and better those who have diabolical intentions. Although they are educated in their own right, they will assist my adoptive mother’s nieces and nephews in getting a first class education only for them to turn around and bite them in the arse with their new and improved status in life.

For instance, at 69 years old my adoptive father experienced early retirement because the company he had worked for over 50 years had a change of management which appeared to be less than stellar.

Since that time he has been semi-retired, working on a freelance basis and designing projects around the house. My adoptive mother on the other hand prefers to be a career woman. As long as she has the will power and energy to work she will do so until it is time to say “Goodnight Gracie”.

Even though in the beginning of my adoptive parents marriage my adoptive father told her she did not have to work because he was quite willing to handle the bills and financial responsibilities, she insisted on making her own way and being a contributing partner.

Although my adoptive father may appear to be quite abrasive sometimes and has cad-like ways he has always treated her like a queen. Whatever she wanted she got and there was never any worldly possession too good for her to have.

Now that his career has plateaued and he is delving in the world of retirement my adoptive mother’s nieces and nephews have been taunting him in his own home exclaiming what a bum he is.

What do they want from the man? He is way passed three scores and ten, he has battled cancer and colon disease and he did so all while going to work every single day. I believe he has earned the right to goof off.

Minnie’s (my adoptive mother) nieces and nephews feel they have a right to harass him because at one time my adoptive mother divulged her personal frustrations regarding certain household matters to them so they believe they can have a say as they like.

Since she is the one going to work everyday and he stays home holding down the fort he is inundated with bullying tactics and intimidation. On a frequent basis they are telling him they will put him out of the house if he does not do as they say.

Mind you, my adoptive father (Mickey) contributes to the household finances with his pension and social security, so where the heck do they get off bossing him around when they are there due to his graciousness?

How quickly they forget the times when he sacrificed having a car of his own so my adoptive mother would never have to battle the snow or take public transportation. They have forgotten all the times when he was writing big hefty checks to finance all of their dreams, education endeavors as well as personal adventures.

Every day they are working like little gnats in my adoptive mother’s ears urging her to put him in a nursing home because he is sick and does not contribute when that is such a lie.

As usual, they want to take over with their crowd of drug dealing, interfering thugs at my adoptive parents’ expense.

My adoptive mother’s niece has resorted to leaving him lists of things to do around the house as if she believes he is her yard boy. My adoptive mother is ambivalent to chastise her because of her round the way girl persona and the fear she will start a brawl like she often does.

So, on a daily basis they are under siege. Yet, if I get involved I will be perceived as the trouble maker and Miss Champumnanny.

It has all become clear to me that my Nona was right. My adoptive parents have built these ingrates up only for them to turn around and play the boss of them in their own home.

I could say it is karma reaching out because of how they tossed me to the side to give them top billing, but I won’t because at the end of the day bullies have no conscience and they will keep doing the degenerate things they do until God puts them out of commission.

 

Champumnanny-Jamaican name for war boat or warrior