A Clean Break
That's what Dad wanted. A clean break. I don't know if I would have had the nerve to abandon W. if I hadn't been in Marion with my parents. All those years they had tried not to interfere. Little comments here and there, but they never pressured me. This changed. They were determined the best thing I could do was make a clean break. After all they reasoned with me, his sister was there now and able to stay as long as she wanted. He wasn't alone.
One of my parents phoned the Hospital later on that following day after my collapse. They didn't even want me to talk to the hospital. They learned that he was being released for the trip to the Columbus hospital. Shortly after that his sister called the house to say she was going with him and to threaten me if she ever saw me again. Mom handled the call. Even with her M.S., she could be a formidable woman when she had to. It was enough to make me feel better about breaking it off like that. I never went to the Columbus hospital. But, I did make phone calls to check his progress. I was a bit surprised that they always told me. (Maybe because I'd signed the papers for those procedures before he left Marion.)
JT had to go back to Toledo. His city school started a week before our school. I know he didn't want to leave me then. Making him return was another burden for my raw emotions.
TK and I returned to Mt. Vernon. We only packed a few personal things and it was Labor Day weekend when we moved in with Bear. I left my dishes and furniture and just about everything else. I left the checkbook and only took a bit out of the savings account with me. (I still actually get angry when someone tells me how women get everything after a divorce. I went through two of them and never got a thing.) The hardest part for TK at that time, was leaving our two large dogs. There was no way to keep them in town at Bears. We went back out every day to play with them and feed them until W was released from the hospital.
When I learned that W was being released from the hospital, I went to the Sheriff to ask if there was any way to keep that rifle from being returned to W. I just knew that he would be after it right away. I had to finally tell the Sheriff what I believed and why. Oh, which reminds me. There was another little detail to convince me that W was planning his accident. When I got back to the house the first time after the shooting, I found his wedding band on top of my underware in the drawer. He had to have put it there before he took the rifle to the field. He knew I'd find it after the accident and he knew he wouldn't be back to the house. I don't believe he meant to kill himself. I don't think he thought through how much damage he was going to cause. But, every time he told me I couldn't leave him now, it was there in his voice and in his eyes that this was what he intended. I explained this to the Sheriff and pleaded that I was afraid of what would happen when W returned to the house that TK and I had already moved out of, if they gave that rifle back to W. The Sheriff assured me he understood. I don't know what he really thought, but there must have been some doubt in his mind after we talked. I hope he didn't still think my oldest son shot W. He told me there were ways to avoid releasing the gun immediately. Eventually they would have to give it back to him, unless I wanted to take it. NO WAY.
One more detail. There was also a pistol at the house. (I don't know why he didn't use it.) But, I couldn't find it anywhere. I knew exactly where it was suppose to be and it wasn't there. I reported that to the Sheriff. That mystery was solved when I learned that FLF and BBR had gone out and taken it while we were still in Marion.
W. did go to the Sheriffs office, and to my dismay, someone gave him the rifle. I had a couple more nervous days before I learned he'd taken it right to another friend to keep for him. I don't know what happened to the pistol BBR took. But, I guess W. had hurt himself enough. Like I said, I never believed he wanted to die. When I learned he'd given the rifle to someone else, I knew TK and I were safe too.
One of my parents phoned the Hospital later on that following day after my collapse. They didn't even want me to talk to the hospital. They learned that he was being released for the trip to the Columbus hospital. Shortly after that his sister called the house to say she was going with him and to threaten me if she ever saw me again. Mom handled the call. Even with her M.S., she could be a formidable woman when she had to. It was enough to make me feel better about breaking it off like that. I never went to the Columbus hospital. But, I did make phone calls to check his progress. I was a bit surprised that they always told me. (Maybe because I'd signed the papers for those procedures before he left Marion.)
JT had to go back to Toledo. His city school started a week before our school. I know he didn't want to leave me then. Making him return was another burden for my raw emotions.
TK and I returned to Mt. Vernon. We only packed a few personal things and it was Labor Day weekend when we moved in with Bear. I left my dishes and furniture and just about everything else. I left the checkbook and only took a bit out of the savings account with me. (I still actually get angry when someone tells me how women get everything after a divorce. I went through two of them and never got a thing.) The hardest part for TK at that time, was leaving our two large dogs. There was no way to keep them in town at Bears. We went back out every day to play with them and feed them until W was released from the hospital.
When I learned that W was being released from the hospital, I went to the Sheriff to ask if there was any way to keep that rifle from being returned to W. I just knew that he would be after it right away. I had to finally tell the Sheriff what I believed and why. Oh, which reminds me. There was another little detail to convince me that W was planning his accident. When I got back to the house the first time after the shooting, I found his wedding band on top of my underware in the drawer. He had to have put it there before he took the rifle to the field. He knew I'd find it after the accident and he knew he wouldn't be back to the house. I don't believe he meant to kill himself. I don't think he thought through how much damage he was going to cause. But, every time he told me I couldn't leave him now, it was there in his voice and in his eyes that this was what he intended. I explained this to the Sheriff and pleaded that I was afraid of what would happen when W returned to the house that TK and I had already moved out of, if they gave that rifle back to W. The Sheriff assured me he understood. I don't know what he really thought, but there must have been some doubt in his mind after we talked. I hope he didn't still think my oldest son shot W. He told me there were ways to avoid releasing the gun immediately. Eventually they would have to give it back to him, unless I wanted to take it. NO WAY.
One more detail. There was also a pistol at the house. (I don't know why he didn't use it.) But, I couldn't find it anywhere. I knew exactly where it was suppose to be and it wasn't there. I reported that to the Sheriff. That mystery was solved when I learned that FLF and BBR had gone out and taken it while we were still in Marion.
W. did go to the Sheriffs office, and to my dismay, someone gave him the rifle. I had a couple more nervous days before I learned he'd taken it right to another friend to keep for him. I don't know what happened to the pistol BBR took. But, I guess W. had hurt himself enough. Like I said, I never believed he wanted to die. When I learned he'd given the rifle to someone else, I knew TK and I were safe too.
posted by LeeAnn | 2:10 PM
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