| KChiefer |
02-16-2013 05:37 PM |
The Young and the Hopeless...
Seven years ago, my friend Billy met a girl named Gypsy who had a daughter from a previous relationship. They themselves had two more daughters within 3 years of living together. The relationship went south and so did she, returning to Texas with here daughter while Billy raised the two they had. After 4 years, she came back to town, leaving a marriage in (where?) Florida, and they try reconcile for the sake of the children. This attempt fails just like before, but thankfully they don't have two more children to show for it.
Fast-forward to a week ago and enter another friend of mine, Mark. He calls me and says that Gypsy was just arrested for stealing about $10,000 from a 90 year-old woman for which she was a "caretaker." That's not shocking news to me because I know her, but the next thing he says freaks me out. Gypsy signed over some form of custody to him from jail and Mark is now watching her 10 year-old daughter!
Now, my friends Billy and Mark are good friends. While Mark said he was only hanging out with Gypsy to subside his loneliness and he's never slept with her, I knew this was a lie and confirmed it after talking to other people in the know. Billy had asked Mark specifically not to hookup with her, knowing he's done this with other friends' ex-girlfriends and even tried with friends' current girlfriends before. Mark literally ate dinner with Gypsy on Monday, then went bowling with Billy an hour later and never said a word about her.
I go to talk to Mark and he's discussing his plans to now raise this kid! I tell him it's honorable that he's looking out for the child, but what he is talking about is not an option. He needs to contact DCFS. While he was listening to my advice, I could tell it was only sinking in half way, so of course he never called DCFS. I believe this is because Gypsy told him not to, and/or he feared the child being entered into the state system.
I haven't talked to him much since. It's pointless as he'll do what he wants. A few days ago I learned that Gypsy posted bail and is staying with Mark, because "she has nowhere to go." He says he's letting her stay there for the good of the child, and it's not about him pursuing a relationship with Gypsy.
This is basically where things stand. I assume within a few months she will be going to prison for at least 4-5 years. Did I mention she ran away from these same charges in Texas? So really, more likely than prison, she will take her kid and run. My friend Billy has their other two daughters on lock-down in case she tries to steal them.
The question is, what is to become of the child? She has some family here and in Texas although the father is not involved at all to my knowledge. Mark insists that he could raise her, but there is no way the state would allow this. Let me tell you about Mark: He's a 33 year-old, single, two-time felon, part-time waiter that lives in his mother's house while she's retired in FL. Also, I'm not the only one amongst my friends that believe if this happened, he could rationalize going the "Woody Allen" route.
Mark is a thoughtful, caring, giving person but has a borderline sick drive for self-satisfaction. He says he's doing this with the kid's best interest in mind, and he'll "turn his life around...buckle down." However, I've heard these things before. He's made the New Year's pact to quit drinking/smoking at least 5 times only to fail within the month. This is the same thing he's said when he went back to school to become a Sci-Fi writer and didn't last a semester. These things scream to me, this situation is not all about the kid's best interests.
In the end, I think the kid will be alright. Well, as alright as she can be with absolute scum for a mother. This rant is mainly to vent on how mindbogglingly stupid Mark can be. He is going to be used for whatever she can get even though he's already seen her do this to Billy. While you don't ditch for friends for making mistakes, why be friends with someone like this? While you can count on him if you're in need, he's proven there are times where he puts his wants above friendship and/or common sense.
Are you not entertained?
One more WTF story before I go. Mark's sister lives near Billy. Last week Billy was picking up his daughters from the bus stop and Mark, Gypsy and the kid literally drive past him and all give him a friendly wave. On the one hand, it's good to make "appearances" for the kids, but my god Mark!?!? I know for a fact there's another route to his sister's...take that route. Gypsy even had the gall to text Billy to ask if they could turn around and say hello to her daughters. His answer, HELL NO!
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TLDR? My idiot friend thinks he can adopt our friend's babies-momma's kid when she goes to prison for felony theft.
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