When Will They Learn?

I have 2 younger sisters in their 40's. They both have children. I
remember telling them, that the hard time they give our mother, about
following rules about dating and staying out late, under her roof, when
they have kids, its all gonna come back at you. One of my sisters, she
has a boy, only child, never gave her a problem whatsoever. The other
sister, 2 boys, no problem. The girl, the oldest of the 3...BIG
problems. Its beyond problems, its issues.

She's 20 now, and made a full circle, she's back at home with her
mother. After losing a job where her aunt, my sister got her in with a
major banking firm, she blew that cause she thought she was grown. Moved
in with her bf, cause she loves him. Good job, but him living in a very
dangerous part of Manhattan, those 2 don't mix. Tried to tell her
myself, but she didn't listen now, no job, but going to school.. For
what? There aren't any jobs out here for the next 3 to 5 years the way I
see it. But y sister got what she wanted, her daughter at home. Oh, she
has straighten up quite a bit too. Which brings me to this.

I made a female coworker cry yesterday when she came to pick her check
up. I didn't mean to, but what I said was from the heart. Also, her
mother came to my counter as a customer, and she opened up her heart to
me. So I had to speak, say something to my coworker, her daughter.

She just turned 18 last month, got a 34 year old boyfriend that has a
child. her bf lives at home with hsi mother. He's a good father to his
child, sees him 2 to 3 times a week, but... a just turned 18 year old
for a gf, and you're 34 years old? I don't know if he is working, but
that's besides the point. The gir, my coworker has told people that her
mother abuses her. Its not called abuse sweetheart, its called love, I
told her this. Her mother made the mistakes, that you're about to make
and she trying to steer you clear from them but you see it as abuse.

Her mother owns her house. I told her, she wants to leave that house to
you. Her days on earth are numbered, no bad health, but hey, we all die
at some time or another. You have a home to always come home to. So what
you have a curfew. Keep your ass at home, or be at home at a certain
time and maybe you won't get pregnant and not be able to live your
dreams. Where's your father? Oh, upstate, NY, find him. That's when the
tears started to flow. I think she misses that father fiqure in her
life.

Everyone at work thought I said something bad to her, and started to get
in my shit, but she told them to mind their business, I'm talking to
her. See, we all spend a lot of time at work with our coworkers that
they become like family. But then, its mostly females, y'all can't seem
to bond so well and you both work side by side. Its a shame for a
coworker to be hurting on the inside and is afraid to tell another
coworker less than 2 feet away that she is hurting. That bullshit, gucci
shit, 'good morning, how are you', giving that automated response, 'I'm
ok', isn't gonna cut with me.

So, I received a text late last night from her. Thanking me for being
her father, telling her what she needs to hear, not what she wants to
hear. She also is back at home, and her mother wants to talk with me
today. Oh shit !!
--michaelchappell