Jodie and Boris grew and the garden flourished as my marriage festered, withering the love that once was there. Paul blamed work. He was now a train driver and working shift work. It wasn’t long before he started just not turning up for his rostered time and not unexpectedly they fired him. Life then became very difficult for me in many ways. The dogs, cats and fish being my only friends; no-one was welcome at our home and his reaction, if I went out alone, more than unpleasant. We did see his mother which kept us in touch with Sasha our dog from Chatswood days.
Sasha and me
The other person we did see was Paul’s brother and we often took the dogs to Windy Banks, a good nine kilometre walk. Downhill was easy and the dogs enjoyed a swim at the bottom. Coming up tested the lungs but the dogs loved it.
Before I started doing my intensive care course our life had further deteriorated. Paul was jealous of everything and anything that might take me away from him, even the housework. Things went to rack and ruin as nothing got done. It was just easier that way. In this environment I discovered that not one, but both cats were pregnant. How could I have been that irresponsible?
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 