Tortured

[Guest guest]

Tonight was just awful.

Bear with me.

Sophie had a softball game. Last week Sophie's softball team had their pictures

taken; they got their uniforms the same day. When Sophie arrived home, she did

not have a hat. I wondered about it.

I didn't know that Sophie had a softball game until this morning. Apparently

the coach gave all the game details to Lou who did not bother to let me know

about it. When I objected, he said that I never told him anything unless he

asked. I have been calling him every morning to let him know what is going on

but apparently that is not enough. I do not think that most divorced or nearly

divorced parents do this; I shall stop doing it in the future for apparently it

is not appreciated.

No hat ever materialized. Lou told me to please look for it. But I did not

think it had ever come into the house for I had never seen it. However I looked

for it in all the places that it might be without ever finding it.

Lou was furious about this. And then we had the discussion about the soccer

pictures. He took Sophie to her softball game and he took Robbie and Putter. He

told me that he would bring Robbie and Putter home in the middle of the game so

that he could watch Sophie play.

As he drove off, Sophie later told me that he said that I was too lazy to bother

looking for the hat.

Her game started at 6 pm. I expected Robbie and Putter around 6:30. They did

not arrive. I figured that he was keeping them throughout the game, but we had

parted on such very hostile terms that I worried. Thoughts of kidnapping

entered my head. I didn't really believe them, but I could not relax.

They were not home at 8 p.m. I called Lou's apartment and got his answering

machine. They were not home at 9 p.m. All I could do was pace the floors and

wonder what I should do. I called Sophie's coach and found that Sophie was at

the game and that it had ended at 8:20. That was not too long ago. But by

9:15, I was really frightened and worried.

I told Enrique and to call me if the three younger kids ever got home.

I got in my car and I drove to Lou's apartment. On the way, at every light, I

called on my cell phone. No answering machine picked up; the phone just rang

and rang. His answering machine always picks up.. So I knew he was there.

I pulled into his driveway, and knocked loudly on the door. I had my cell phone

set at 911 in case he turned violent. I told him I wanted the kids now and why

hadn't he informed me that he was taking them to his place. " Well, " he said,

nastily, " I don't have a cell phone. "

But they had been at his place for over an hour, Sophie later confirmed. He did

it to torture me. That is the only explanation.

I told him that I was taking the kids home now. He said that they were taking a

bath. I started to go and get them but he told me that I was not welcome. So I

waited.

They all came down and I drove off with them. Sophie said that Lou had told

them that they would come over to his house to watch a movie and take a bath.

She had no idea that I did not konw.

I have them all safe at home again, but I wonder just how long he had planned to

keep them at his apartment, torturing me as I paced the floors at home and

waited.

I call my lawyer tomorrow. If I am not welcome in his apartment, I assure you

all that he is not welcome in my house.

Salli