my dysfunctional but lovely Peruvian mom

I know that I live with a dysfunctional family but its all good. Every day is an experience.

Let's see, pretend names....Maria and Jack. hehe.

Since I moved into their apartment and starting renting a room Maria and Jack didn't sleep together. Maria slept in the same tiny room as her young son and Jack in another. Their relationship was most like friends than anything else. No kisses no touching, nothing. But still, it seemed to work for them. A couple months living there, I overheard a fight between them, having to do with the fact that Jack wasn't spending enough time with their son (Jack always came home from work late and just watched tv at home, he would take the family out on Sundays sometimes. p.s. Maria knew that Jack had another son from a different woman that he would often visit).

Everything fine. Then, I don't know what sparked it, but they had a huge fight in the middle of the night. Maria laid into him, like, it wasn't worth having him around a few minutes here and there and not paying for a single thing, while she is trying to make ends meet for her son, living in a tiny bedroom. ANDATE, she told him. Leave, basically. (p.s. Jack has left before, sometimes for months at a time. He has gone on vacation without them and Maria never questioned him...all positive energy is her philosophy I think, not worth fighting over, my love for him is already dead, I just want the best for my kid).

In the meantime everyone found out (don't know how) that Jack has two other kids from another woman. One kid is a year old, the other just a few months.

Two wednesdays ago Jack left. The following Sunday, he came back. He "needed" to ask Maria to accept the fact that he is a "normal" guy who cheats on his wife, and she should accept him like that. (I am telling this story impartially, but ESPECIALLY HERE I WOULD INSERT A BILLION EXPLETIVES). Maria told me all this, and that she told him, "Geez Jack, what bad luck you have, to have married a women who isn't going to accept that fact. Leave us, my son and me, in peace. I am not oging to ask you to pay for a thing. Not a cent. Just let me start working, give us peace. (Jack makes enough money, doesn't share a thing).

Jack has come back one more time, saying that he left is bathing suit and needed it. His son said to him, "Dad, no discussions today, we have visitors". The Dad said, "No I am not going to discuss anything with your mom, I am already living in a new place".

Maria is still cordial to him, and I guess it is better that way. I mean, i have a new found respect for her. We talked about how, if there aren't more Latinas like her, every man is going to keep doing what he learned from this dad. lovers and families all over the place.

The classic disease that Jack has is that he is perpetually unsatisfied. He doesn't know a wonderful family situation even when he has it. WHY do people cheat? WHY do some women accept this? Jack is bored, well Jack, I have ZERO sympathy for you. Maybe if you got to know your son instead of watch tv, you would realize he is a great kid and needs a dad.