Driving Miss Crazy

Summer 2006...Exes mother now too sick to drive for daily shopping sprees. Sister is brought down again to be relief chauffer. Is constanly belittled by ex. Told that all the childrens personality flaws are from our side of family. Ex doesn't realize that children were fine before being forced to live in a household whose relations to the outside world is reminiscent of Japan's isolationist stance during the Tokugawa shogunate . Anyone caught talking about anything in regards to "Household issues" is chastised. Visitors are rare. (Only five people had visited at this point, all of them being exes siblings or my own. Any other persons visiting exes domicile are verboten .) Sister is constantly beleaguered by ex to drive her and her sickly mother here and there. The idea that my sister might need a few dollars here and there is frowned upon and anytime funds are given a lecture on financial prudency is given. This would be acceptable had the lecture not come from the two biggest shopaholics on the face of the earth. Sister finally gets fed up and with the assistance of one of her blog readers and his paypal donation escapes back to NY. Exes mother now critical. Ex has learners permit calls my mother back down, subjugates another family member once again. Keeps track of every expense. (Food, drink, toilet paper usage, etc., etc...) Mother schedules doctors appointment while helping ex and her mother and is summarily lambasted by ex for trying to steal the sympathy from exes mother. Her mother agrees that my mother going to see doctor while she is so sick is in poor taste. Soon the mother will pass and the power will shift...or so we thought...