Years and years ago, I made the unwitting decision to become a part of a house full of men. I was just shy of turning 22, and was smitten with the carefree guy who asked me to join him as a roommate. Of course hindsight tells me now that agreeing to become the roommate of someone you are crushing on is decision making at its worst! Nevertheless, I followed my heart instead of my head, and embarked on yet another in a series of lifestyle changes. I figured, perhaps foolishly, that if I could travel across Canada and start a new life by myself, there wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Then I became roommates with Rob (my crush), Phil (a friend), and Jon (a stranger). It was an odd foursome to say the least. Rob was a ladies man and confirmed bachelor. Phil was married but separated. Jon was a new father. As for me, well, I was just as odd as the rest of them, so I figured I fit right in! For awhile, while everyone settled and got to know each other, things seemed just about perfect. We did what any normal bachelor house would do. Threw parties every few weekends for no reason, let dishes pile up in the sink and on the counter till nary a clean one could be found, had music playing at all hours, it was a relatively simple life. I also grew somewhat content with my friends with benefits relationship that living with Rob seemed to create. Then "The Change" happened. A friend of Jon's came to stay at the house, bunking in his room. It was easy to see, right from the start, that for whatever reason Chris did NOT like me. It was in his attitude, his mannerisms, his looks, he just did not like me being in that house. Ironic to me, really, since HE was the newbie in my eyes. I kept reminding myself that he was just a house guest, we had lots of house guests come and go, and he would eventually go.
Boy was I in for a rude surprise. Phil and his estranged wife started making amends to their relationship. Then there was talk of him moving out. All of a sudden I was confronted by Rob and Jon, asking me would I mind if they asked Chris to move in permanently. Well HELL YES I minded! I knew from the moment he had 'permanent' status in the house that life would become unbearable for me. But how could I say no? I knew we needed a fourth person to afford to keep the house, and where else would we all go? So I grudgingly agreed. They promised me Chris wouldn't be a problem. They promised he'd be on his best behaviour toward me. They were wrong.
He got his own room, right above my basement one. I think maybe one second had passed after he'd gotten the last of his things into his room before his stereo kicked in, with the volume loud enough to rattle everything on my shelves. That was just the beginning. What followed soon after was a six month battle of wills. I fought with Chris, I fought with my feelings towards Rob, and I fought with my own growing depression. At one point or another I lost all three battles, which landed me a very brief stay in the hospital. It was only after being medicated to help fight off the overwhelming demons of depression that I began to regain my perspective. My happiness was NOT worth losing to keep the other three in the house. They'd just have to figure something out without me. I made arrangements to move out, to Vancouver no less, to become a live-in Nanny. I figured, if I could survive a year with three single guys, I could certainly take care of three kids!
So I left. I took the lessons learned along with many MANY stories and memories, and definitely not all bad ones. Also, for those keeping track, that former roommate of mine, Jon, is now my husband and father of my three beautiful children. I think everyone needs a little pink house in their past to look back on! Some day I may write a book ;)
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