Consolation Prize
Before I start in on today's events, I think I need to forewarn people that somewhere in the middle of this post, it's going to turn into a rant about christians and how I hate most supposedly "devout" christians and their hypocritical ways.
That said, I guess I should first inform you that I called the courthouse as instructed this weekend and found out that I was excused from jury duty along with all the other people they'd summoned for August 28th. Which was a good thing, because Sunday, my lawyer called and told me that the final papers were at his office and we could come and sign them Monday morning. At long last, we've finally moved into the last leg of this insufferable process of which I hope you take note and make sure doesn't happen to any of your families when the time comes.
So my sister came down to sign the papers with me just to expediate things, which is nice because I like any chance I can get to spend time with her. So, I drove us to the office and we went up to sign the papers. However, before we started putting fresh ink on anything, there were a few things my lawyer felt compelled to tell us.
Along with all the legal forms and court documents on the table, there was also one curious form. On it, after he explained it to us, was a list of all the settlements Vickie was getting out of my father's estate. Would you be shocked to discover that the one life insurance policy for my brother was the only one he had at the time of his death? I know I was when I was told, because if I know anything about my family it's that we are big believers in life insurance. Even as young as I am right now, I still have a $100,000 policy on myself past what my company automatically gives me and I know that by the time I hit 50, I'll probably still have that one and most likely two or three more. Well, after reviewing the totals, it seems my dad was a true Donley at heart, if not in spirit. He did indeed have multiple life insurance policies. All told, it comes up to somewhere in the realm of $590,000. All of it with Vickie as the sole beneficiary.
Which is odd, because at one point, he did have one that had me and my siblings listed no more than two years ago that Dad had told Laura about. But, that one seems to have gone away mysteriously. Almost as mysteriously as how none of this was told to anyone before now.
When out lawyer came out and told all this and showed us the figures, I started laughing. I was laughing because it was that instant that I realized now amazingly naive my brother is. I remember him telling me more than once during all this how Vickie is a good person and she's a good Christian and, "She won't try to screw us over because it's not in her nature as a Christian." Well guess what? She did! Splendidly, in fact! She screwed us over to such an extent that even I have to sit back and marvel at how well she's managed to make us think that she wasn't getting much and that the $250,000 wrongful death settlement we got was the most any of us could hope to get out of this entire sad situation. I mean, I knew for the most part that we were being played in some way, I had just assumed that it was because the actual assets my father owned (house, bank account, etc.) could have come into contention if we had decided we wanted more. Little did I realize that she would have conned or strong armed him into signing not one, not two, but three insurance policies specifically for her while letting the one that was for my, Laura and Ryan to lapse and be cancelled. You're right Ryan. She's a wonderful Christian!
This is why I am not nor will I ever be conned into going back to that hypocritical religion ever again. I've seen what those kinds of people are. They take a great and wonderful set of values and a set of guidelines on how to live a good and selfless life based on love and helping those around you and manage to tear out most of the pages until they can edit it down to something that means that it's ok for you to screw people over and get away with it, because you've been bathed in the blood of a two thousand year old martyr and so it's ok, because you're a good person for believing in him. Following his lead is completely optional. Don't like a specific group of people? Blacks, asians, muslims, fags, poor, people who are just plain different than you? Come join our church!! Here, you can hate them all you want and it's ok because our god? He hates them to! See, it says so right here on this page! Love thy neighbor? Do unto others? Love your fellow man as you would love me? Oh, just ignore that part. He wasn't talking about them on that page.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, because it bares repeating: Christianity is like communism. It looks great on paper, and in theory works brilliantly. But, when you add the human element of greed, distrust, and hatred born of fear of things that are different, it turns into a big mess and just falls apart beneath the hypocracy of people who go to a sacred place, sit and smile and tell everyone how much you love to give to the church and in doing so help other people, all the while spending your other six days out of the week doing the best you can to hurt people that you don't know or just don't give a damn about.
I think that's why I initially just didn't trust her when this all started. I knew how horrible of a life he lived with her for the last eight years. How unhappy he was because she wouldn't let him spend time with his kids or his grandchild and if he did, how mad she would be with him and how she would go for days afterwards not speaking to him because she couldn't stand the fact that there were other people in his life besides her. I pray to my gods tonight, hoping that once this is all over, I never have to look at her again and if I do, I pray I have the strength to not say what's in my heart.
Of course, this isn't all her fault. I have no idea how or why or where it happened, but at some point, my dad totally gave up his backbone and didn't stand up to her. He signed those insurance papers giving her all the benefits if he died. He didn't have a gun to his head or anything like that. He just didn't care enough to stand up for his children. Even his favorite daughter. He abandoned all of us because it was just easier for him that way. I'm glad mom never did that with us, or else I would be living on the streets right now and would have been for about ten years.
So, there it is. The end of a long journey through the legal system is coming to a close. If we're lucky, we'll have the money in our hands before the end of September.
Right now, I'm just a little disgusted with people and how cold and evil they can be. I wouldn't be surprised if she was praying he'd die the way he did so she could collect.
That said, I guess I should first inform you that I called the courthouse as instructed this weekend and found out that I was excused from jury duty along with all the other people they'd summoned for August 28th. Which was a good thing, because Sunday, my lawyer called and told me that the final papers were at his office and we could come and sign them Monday morning. At long last, we've finally moved into the last leg of this insufferable process of which I hope you take note and make sure doesn't happen to any of your families when the time comes.
So my sister came down to sign the papers with me just to expediate things, which is nice because I like any chance I can get to spend time with her. So, I drove us to the office and we went up to sign the papers. However, before we started putting fresh ink on anything, there were a few things my lawyer felt compelled to tell us.
Along with all the legal forms and court documents on the table, there was also one curious form. On it, after he explained it to us, was a list of all the settlements Vickie was getting out of my father's estate. Would you be shocked to discover that the one life insurance policy for my brother was the only one he had at the time of his death? I know I was when I was told, because if I know anything about my family it's that we are big believers in life insurance. Even as young as I am right now, I still have a $100,000 policy on myself past what my company automatically gives me and I know that by the time I hit 50, I'll probably still have that one and most likely two or three more. Well, after reviewing the totals, it seems my dad was a true Donley at heart, if not in spirit. He did indeed have multiple life insurance policies. All told, it comes up to somewhere in the realm of $590,000. All of it with Vickie as the sole beneficiary.
Which is odd, because at one point, he did have one that had me and my siblings listed no more than two years ago that Dad had told Laura about. But, that one seems to have gone away mysteriously. Almost as mysteriously as how none of this was told to anyone before now.
When out lawyer came out and told all this and showed us the figures, I started laughing. I was laughing because it was that instant that I realized now amazingly naive my brother is. I remember him telling me more than once during all this how Vickie is a good person and she's a good Christian and, "She won't try to screw us over because it's not in her nature as a Christian." Well guess what? She did! Splendidly, in fact! She screwed us over to such an extent that even I have to sit back and marvel at how well she's managed to make us think that she wasn't getting much and that the $250,000 wrongful death settlement we got was the most any of us could hope to get out of this entire sad situation. I mean, I knew for the most part that we were being played in some way, I had just assumed that it was because the actual assets my father owned (house, bank account, etc.) could have come into contention if we had decided we wanted more. Little did I realize that she would have conned or strong armed him into signing not one, not two, but three insurance policies specifically for her while letting the one that was for my, Laura and Ryan to lapse and be cancelled. You're right Ryan. She's a wonderful Christian!
This is why I am not nor will I ever be conned into going back to that hypocritical religion ever again. I've seen what those kinds of people are. They take a great and wonderful set of values and a set of guidelines on how to live a good and selfless life based on love and helping those around you and manage to tear out most of the pages until they can edit it down to something that means that it's ok for you to screw people over and get away with it, because you've been bathed in the blood of a two thousand year old martyr and so it's ok, because you're a good person for believing in him. Following his lead is completely optional. Don't like a specific group of people? Blacks, asians, muslims, fags, poor, people who are just plain different than you? Come join our church!! Here, you can hate them all you want and it's ok because our god? He hates them to! See, it says so right here on this page! Love thy neighbor? Do unto others? Love your fellow man as you would love me? Oh, just ignore that part. He wasn't talking about them on that page.
I've said this before, and I'll say it again, because it bares repeating: Christianity is like communism. It looks great on paper, and in theory works brilliantly. But, when you add the human element of greed, distrust, and hatred born of fear of things that are different, it turns into a big mess and just falls apart beneath the hypocracy of people who go to a sacred place, sit and smile and tell everyone how much you love to give to the church and in doing so help other people, all the while spending your other six days out of the week doing the best you can to hurt people that you don't know or just don't give a damn about.
I think that's why I initially just didn't trust her when this all started. I knew how horrible of a life he lived with her for the last eight years. How unhappy he was because she wouldn't let him spend time with his kids or his grandchild and if he did, how mad she would be with him and how she would go for days afterwards not speaking to him because she couldn't stand the fact that there were other people in his life besides her. I pray to my gods tonight, hoping that once this is all over, I never have to look at her again and if I do, I pray I have the strength to not say what's in my heart.
Of course, this isn't all her fault. I have no idea how or why or where it happened, but at some point, my dad totally gave up his backbone and didn't stand up to her. He signed those insurance papers giving her all the benefits if he died. He didn't have a gun to his head or anything like that. He just didn't care enough to stand up for his children. Even his favorite daughter. He abandoned all of us because it was just easier for him that way. I'm glad mom never did that with us, or else I would be living on the streets right now and would have been for about ten years.
So, there it is. The end of a long journey through the legal system is coming to a close. If we're lucky, we'll have the money in our hands before the end of September.
Right now, I'm just a little disgusted with people and how cold and evil they can be. I wouldn't be surprised if she was praying he'd die the way he did so she could collect.
posted by Not Your TGM | 9:59 AM
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