The Gift

On Thanksgiving, my uncle sent me home with most of a bottle of wine.  For Ron. 

During catastrophic blackouts, I have called my aunt and uncle to come pick us up.  Probably the most memorable was the one in 2007 where he beat me up, I only got him to stop by whacking him over the head with a sneaker and telling him (I lied) I called the police. 

When my uncle showed up, he wanted to check on Ron.  He went in there and Ron thought he was the officer assigned to investigate my call.  He told my uncle he'd had a blackout because I was a bad housekeeper. 

Yeah. 

Now, I am a bad housekeeper but I have never read anything that says bad housekeeping forces formerly sober individuals to become alcoholics.  That a cluttered sink somehow forces an individual to down obscene amounts of intoxicants. 

But that has always been Ron's argument: I'm a bad housekeeper, so he drinks.  Some have told me to "clean up" as if that will fix Ron.  No, he will just find something else to bitch about.  I have brain damage; and cognitive issues due to my medication.  I am lucky to keep up with the laundry and litterboxes. 

Let's note he married me after living with 11 years of bad housekeeping.  So obviously it wasn't that big a deal. 

I know better, but I worry others will get sucked into Ron's games, so I try not to bring others into it.  If my safety is at risk, though, I have no problem calling for help and getting the hell out. 

"But who will take care of him?" someone asked my aunt after I had fled in 2007.  Well, that's his problem, I thought.  It's certainly not mine.  Not if he's endangering me. 

So, last night Ron had a blackout and fell on the floor.  He told me today he had drunk some of the wine and wanted to know how much.  From what I can tell, he had about a third of the bottle, plus God knows what else. 

He said he will be more careful with it from now on.  Good.  I hope he is. 

"Why did he give me a bottle of wine?" Ron asked. 

"I guess he figured with what you drink, this would be nothing to you." 

Now, I'm sure you have a lot to say.  I will not be posting any comments on this, but I will read them.