I have outlined this story. Well, actually I have identified some key words that trigger my memories. I thought telling the happy tale might be a better subject matter then dwelling on the failures. There will be plenty of time to explore the other six topics.
What were the happy times? Like Barbara says it's the laughter we will remember. There were fun times, more in the beginning. Actually, it was a rollercoaster ride.
At first, we did things together. We went to Disneyland. We went to the beach. We went to antique malls and shows. We collected things and memories. We experienced things. We or I was in love.
We went to his parents for Christmas almost every year. There was a time, he told me when his mom refused to let him in the front door. This proved to be the case in the beginning, we often met them at a restaurant and not their house. But they liked me. They thought I was helping him. Eventually, we were spending the night and having home cooked meals. Sometimes his cousin would be there too.
His brother was never there at the same time. We went to his brother's wedding. I felt like they were my family.
We visited his mom's sister who lived in Little Tokyo, downtown Los Angeles. We went to her funeral. We help his mom clear out her apartment. And that is where the Mahjong game came from that triggered this whole memory lane. His aunt was a sweet person. She told stories about the family and what it was like during World War II. The camps. How his mother got out of the camps by being sponsored by a white family in the Midwest.
It was all fascinating to me.
He came to my parents' house too. My dad accepted him immediately. We played card games. 500 was the one we learned. We followed the rules from Hoyle, the Bible of cards.
My mother saw what I could not. But she allowed me to continue. She accepted the situation. We made the best of it.
I am trying to remember good things. We had a song. Twisting the night away. He made it into a sort of silliness that ended in us rolling around on the couch or the floor.
He had a friend who was married. She would go out with us. She liked gay clubs, and her husband didn't mind her leaving him behind. She had three children. In the time we were together, I watched them grow up and become young adults. I don't call her my friend because there were things she knew and didn't share with me. But that will come out in the other parts of this story.
One thing I will say is he was probably bipolar. There were times when he wouldn't leave the house for days. I tried to encourage him and help him, but he was damaged. I couldn't fix him. More to come .....
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