The Father

by Mel Waldman

Epilogue

What is real and what is fantasy? Sheri was an alcoholic and perhaps a pathological liar. In her own words, she could not love a man. Indeed, she was a battered woman, traumatized by her father’s suicide and her husband’s violence. Did she have sex with Norman? We will never know. Nor will we know if she was pregnant or not or if she had an abortion. Yet in any case, she appeared to be playing a game with Norman, a very sick game.

What was the purpose of her soap opera performance? There is no definitive answer. But we can speculate that her theatrical presentation was motivated by rage and hatred. If this were the case, Norman was simply the latest object of contempt. Nothing personal against Norman except that he evoked horrific memories of her past. And of course, he was a man. And not just any man. He was the man who had married Laura.

It is also possible that Sheri’s alcoholism induced a state of psychosis. Or perhaps she was a paranoid schizophrenic from the start. In that case, she used alcohol as a tranquilizer to reduce her high level of anxiety. Yet she was mad, floating in the Twilight Zone and trying to find her way home to reality. Unfortunately, Norman had been with Sheri during a psychotic episode. And afterwards, she apparently suffered a full-fledged psychotic breakdown.

We will never know the truth and perhaps, it doesn’t matter. There is a concatenation of related and separate hypotheses. Take your pick. The permutations are intriguing. Alcoholism and sadism, alcoholism and madness, and madness and...

What happened on that November day in Kennebunkport? Why did Norman suffer amnesia? Did he threaten Mrs. Madison in her home? Did he ever represent a real threat to anyone? In my opinion, he’s a good man: a kind and responsible young man in his late twenties. Of course, he seems much older than his age. But he has suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). So I’m not surprised he’s still having a rough time. Indeed, his life is a living hell!

Norman asked me to write the ending to his story. He signed a release form so I could feel free to write whatever I wished. You see, I’m Norman’s therapist. He’s been with me for the past five years. Unfortunately, he has not seen his son Jonathan since that horrific day in November when his wife ran off with the boy.

Overwhelmed by a vicious divorce and loss of wife and son, he lost his job and could no longer pay child support. Subsequently, he was denied visitation until he paid the back child support.

Einstein said that time is an illusion. In any case, Norman has not seen his son in six years and he tells me that he feels like a very old man. Psychologically, he feels that fifty to a hundred years have gone by. As a father who loves his son, he continues to be devastated by his son’s absence.

I am seeing Norman pro bono. When he gets a job, he will start paying for his therapy sessions.

We will never know the truth and perhaps, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we live life to its fullest. Like my patient Norman, we will most likely experience tragedies during our stay on earth. As humans, we are resilient and capable of overcoming the worst hardships and traumas. But we must persevere. We must never give up.

And for sure, in the face of tragedy, we must ask for help. We can’t heal alone. Yet it takes courage to seek help. And thus, I am proud to say that Norman is a courageous warrior seeking salvation in the waste land of human suffering and trying to find his way home.

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