New Year, new problem

Eeeholay, the new year was only a few days old when the family's newest and probably biggest problem to date fell on our laps. Eric had been working for a hard wood flooring company since before I moved here in 01. It was the most bizarre business I had ever witnessed. His boss, Bob had the worst temper I had ever witnessed. He would blow up at his employees in front of us using language that would make a long shore man's hair curl. I maybe would have taken it once before walking out the door but was amazed Eric could hang in there and usually give it right back to Bob. It was very uncomfortable being at his office and hated to go there.

Eric was the office manager and was on the list of company officers and often told us that Bob didn't even know how to send a FAX so it was left up to Eric to do everything for the company. He had a company credit card and was in charge of all the finances including payroll.

A few years ago when Eric and Francine started getting all new furniture and a big screen TV Kal and I joked that maybe Eric was moving money around the company so they could get all of this "stuff". It was at this same time they were trying to get pregnant but due to both of their plumbing problems they were looking into invetro-fertilization and had two procedures that didn't work.

Last year Bob called Eric in and told him to gather all his stuff up and get out of the office immediately. Bob told him that after going through the books it was clear that Eric had embezzled about 90K from the business and they were going to go after him. Eric seemed pretty nonchalant about the whole thing thinking the company would recuperate their losses through insurance.

Well, guess what? Last week the Grand Jury heard the case and found Eric liable in about 12 charges of embezzlement so he and Francine wanted to gather the family (his) to tell us about it. Eric seemed too cool about it, Francine cried and seemed pretty convinced Eric was going to jail and MIL turned everything into "it's all about me" as usual talking about the time in El Paso when these guys were selling watermelons and she got arrested and put on a terrorist list and blah blah. After getting that off her chest the next thing was that the police have nothing better to do then harass Mexicans.

So there we are sitting around the table talking about the "what ifs". Eric and Francine are pretty much on line with the fact that they have to sell their house and move into an apartment. MIL told them they could move into her house but the last time that happened everything went to hell in a handbag. Does anyone really think it would be better now? Oh puhleez! Then MIL said she would put her house up for sale and if it sold Eric could have the proceeds and she would move in with her friend Sharon. Sharon may be her friend now but I know that the writing is on the wall that won't last long. MIL does not have any friends because of her personality and temper. She is the queen of being a victim because as far as she is concerned she is right and everyone else is a stupid idiot. Is it just a coincidence that in five years she has worked at three different schools in three different school districts? And that each of those principals were ass holes who didn't know anything.

OK I'm far from being a fan of MIL's and really love the periods when she is pissed off at us and doesn't come by or call but I think she is making a huge mistake if she sells her house for Eric. Number one, that is all she has and if she gives the money to Eric when (not if) she has that fight with Sharon she won't have any place to live and have no money and I fear she will want to move in with us. Knowing Kal is such a mush ball when it comes to his mom I know he will let her just like last summer when I really felt there was going to be a body found at our house. Number two, in my opinion Eric knows much more then he is telling us and I don't think he has a problem taking down his family with him. He knows his mom's financial position and I don't think he cares because I know he is thinking Kal and I will take her in, not him.

Another pisser is I sat there listening for the most part and when I heard MIL going on and on about helping out her mijo Eric financially the madder I was getting. I thought to myself why the fuck is she so worried about getting Eric money when she has owed me over $4500 for over 6 years without even one whisper about paying me back. Back when Efren Sr. passed away in 03 she didn't have the money to pay for his funeral and I was stupid enough to believe her story about how she could have me paid back within 4 months and "loaned" her the money. I still feel like a fucking chump when I think about that and of course Eric and Francine never made any effort to pay me anything to help out either.

I don't know what is going to happen but I do know that Kal hasn't mentioned our giving anything to help out his brother financially and he better not because as far as I'm concerned it ain't going to happen.