The Story A 20-Year-Old Couple Who Doesn’t Talk To One Another Under The Same Roof
How bad can things get between couples?
It was a beautiful Monday evening, my brother and I with the help of a couple of friendly strangers were offloading our loads into our new apartment. One of these guys, Beth, about the same age as me extended a handshake “welcome to the community, we’ll be your silent neighbor”
Silent neighbor? what kind of a ridiculous joke is that? Well, it took me less than a week to realize that Beth’s statement wasn’t a joke but a true reflection of his family’s mysterious situation.
Beth was always away from home, he attended a boarding school. But his dad and mom lived together as a couple. Maybe the definition of “marriage” is not the same for everyone but I’m sure no one in their right mind would say that man and wife needn’t discuss anything.
They always leave the building every morning like regular government workers and return around the same time in the evening. You would expect normal couples to argue about things, and discuss issues pertaining to the well-being of the family but the Rudolfs don’t do this. They were like two strangers living in the same apartment for 10years!
So, I got close with Beth, played soccer together during the holidays and he always wanted more time away from his family, the measurement of the boredom he received. And I did him right.
“You know my parents weren’t always a mute towards one another” that was when I knew Beth was ready to talk. They loved each other. Maybe they still do, I don’t know but what I know is they’ve been that way for a very long time.
Our household used to be filled with nothing but joy. Dad would joke at every chance he gets and mom would pretend he isn’t funny and when she can’t hide it anymore she burst into laughter. Cooking wasn’t only for mama, I still remember dad walking over to the kitchen every Sunday night to prepare mom’s favorite, Tater tots and milk before she return from her shift. Trust me, friend, I see no household in this street that didn’t feel jealous of my parents’ intimacy.
Everything changed when I was nine, Mom began quarreling with dad. The fights never last more than a few days but when dad started coming home late thick with the smell of alcohol and contained with the effect of it I realized that my family's peace was fast fading away.
In their last argument that happened around many years ago. I heard my dad say -You’re nothing but a whore selling what’s between your legs to anyone of interest. Mom said a few words in reaction but that night was unfortunately the last time they would talk. It was as if the light in the home have been switched off, the element that defined a peaceful home stolen. It was clear that dad fought with mom because she cheated or something but dad was not a saint either. He was a complete replica of whatever mom was.
My grandma, may her soul rest in peace, wanted to take me in due what happened but she was diagnosed with cancer. That's how I ended up in a boarding school.
I was the only kid you know, and I choose mom like most other kids in my situation would have. I talked to dad sometimes.
Dad doesn't stay home often anymore, he seems to be on with a woman in town but mom doesn't care. It's a dead life for my family. I’m leaving on my 18th birthday. I hate them.
There you have it, the silent couples. There is no — darling would you call the technician please or the TV show is starting now if you still wanna watch, and One thing that isn’t clear in this is why the hell didn’t they get a divorce? Why live like strangers under the same roof?
Issues get escalated between love birds. I mean I have seen a lot of scenarios while moving around the country. I’ve seen domestic violence, husband beating wife to pulp like UFC matches, and a woman killed her husband with food poison in California over a disagreement but I’ve never seen the case of the Rudolfs. An emotional fight that lasted for a decade.
