What Goes Around. . .

BellaDonna's latest ploy for holding up settlement of the property issues is to insist that she be reimbursed for payment of Trey's student loans, most of which were paid with his inheritance from my mother. BD has an interesting habit of not listening to (or maybe I mean hearing) anything she doesn't believe reflects her views. So, never mind that my mother, who hated the way BD talked to her and to children as if they were half-witted and feral, very specifically left money exclusively for Trey. Never mind that BD was so opposed to Trey going to med school that she dug in and stayed in her condo, a block from her parents, in California while he flew back and forth to New York State every third weekend. What she's trying to do is make so many diverse financial claims that it'll add up to what his share of the house is and she won't have to buy him out. The falling houaing market plays right into her plans. She's probably also counting on Trey's track record as a capitulator: anything rather than continual war.

Meanwhile, we have these boychiks that BD birthed. At the ages of 12 and 10, Hale and Hardy have been repeatedly required, by their loving mama, to choose sides. Hale has done so, at the expense of his autonomy. We'll all be surprised if BD doesn't climb right on the schoolbus to middle school with Hale, just to make sure everybody knows Hale has a Mother. Hardy, who has had some sad moments regretting being born second to such a perfect older brother, does his best to keep his mother out of the loop of himself and his father. Ever watch Keeping Up Appearances? BD is Patricia Routledge - surprisingly un-funny, up close and personal.

What should be done about BD? If I was the judge, I'd take the kids out of her custody for her failure to support their relationship with their father. She's had a lot of input about what would work best for the boys (that hearing problem again) and a lot of time to correct her behavior and she just hasn't bothered. Told how important it is for her to support the boys' relationship with their father, she says "I would never make my child do what he didn't want to."

Oh yeah? Getting up in the morning? Turning off the TV? Going to school? What are we talking here, Rule Queen? Could Joe Spears straighten up this woman's act? Can we wait long enough, patiently enough, for what goes around to come around?