Calling home (abridged version)

WARNING!READ IF YOU WANT, BUT DON’T COMPLAIN TO ME or TRY TO STOP ME WRITING THIS!!!

The weekly call home. I was somewhat apprehensive about calling, because I knew that there would be some kind of unpleasant news. I thought calling home would be a pleasant thing to do, but it’s gradually become something I dread […], but must do because…well, it’s a ‘must’.

So I called home, and as usual mum picked up. Immediately in her voice I could detect something was wrong. Perhaps she and dad had been arguing again, or perhaps the unbearable situation of living together has reached an impasse. She was hesitant about telling me what had happened, but eventually did. Perhaps I’m the only one she can talk to, and who can understand what is going on.
[…]
A cousin of mine is coming to Europe for a conference, and since computer gadgets in Taiwan are so cheap I asked him to buy some for me (remember, my computer is over 5 years old, losing its memory and becoming senile). Who would have thought that even something like this could cause an ‘international incident’?!?! My aunt called my parents and mentioned this to my dad, resulting in an inquiry and overreaction. All I wanted was for my cousin to buy some hardware, and to do so cheaply. But that somehow managed to draw two feuding families into the picture. A very simple request, but it managed to evolve into something touching sore tensions and nerves.

[…]

I saw this coming when I left home, what now is already three months ago. I knew they would not get along, I knew it would be torture for both mum and dad to live together again. So I told them to get a divorce, or at least live separately…that would have been the best for everyone. But they didn’t listen. And still don’t.

And I’m not even going to go into the ‘cold war’ situation between my parents and my brother. Let’s just say communication has frozen and relations have reached another low point, over money this, money that…

Oh, all that frustration from just a simple phone call of no more than ten minutes!
Really… GROW UP people!!!