Crashing Down

In the weeks before Kelz gave birth to Sasd, I was still hanging out with Thoz
from time to time. At this point, we had gotten into watching the Special Editions of the original "Star Wars" Trilogy as they were making their way to movie theatres in February and March of 1997. We agreed that we would go see all three together.

We had no problem seeing "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back." It was common for me to leave Kelz at home alone. I frequently went out during those times that she was sleeping. She just didn't always know where I was. I never told her I was going with Thoz to the movies.

The thing about our "Star Wars" outings was that we would go see the movies at Mann's Cinema 21, which featured a 60-foot wide screen. It and the Valley Circle were the best places to see movies like this. However, Thoz and I could only go when our schedules allowed. We saw "A New Hope" the first week it was out. We had to wait a week before seeing "Empire." Then Sasd was born and we had a difficult time scheduling "Return of the Jedi." We found out that this would be the last week it would be showing on the big screen, so we made plans to go see it on a particular night. The only problem was that Kelz and Sasd were going to have to go with us.

I did sense a little bit of anxiety from Thoz when I explained that I had to invite Kelz and Sasd. I told her that Kelz' attitude had greatly improved and it shouldn't be a problem. There wasn't going to be anything that would keep me from completing the Trilogy with Thoz. It was something I felt I HAD to do.

I started getting ready to go around 6pm. I asked Kelz if she and Sasd were ready. She asked why we were leaving so early since the movie didn't start until 7pm. I told her we had to go and pick up Thoz first. "WHY IS SHE COMING WITH US?" "Because Thoz and I saw the first two movies together." "WELL, I'M NOT GOING, THEN!" "Are you sure?" "YES, I'M SURE! JUST GO OFF AND HAVE A GOOD TIME WITH YOUR WOMAN!!!!"

In my mind, this solved a lot of problems. I'd still get to take Thoz to the movie and I wouldn't have to worry about Sasd crying. And besides, Kelz and I were still getting along great. I saw absolutely no consequences from this.

At this point, Thoz had recently moved in with her grandmother. When I arrived, Thoz looked like she was ready to get out of there in a hurry. She was surprised that Kelz and Sasd weren't with me. I told her Kelz decided not to come. She seemed kind of relieved.

We still had a lot of time before the movie started. We went over to a nearby Bennigan's and got something to drink. We talked a little about what was going on with us. After we got to the theatre and got our seats, Thoz realized that she had never seen "Jedi" before. She'd seen the first two before, but somehow, never got around to watching the last chapter. I felt rather honored to watch the Special Edition with someone experiencing it for the first time. After it was over, she said she liked it better than the first two, but knew it was likely because it was very new to her.

I took Thoz back to her grandmother's and drove home. I was not prepared for what happened when I got back to my home.

"Did you have a good time with your WOMAN?" "Yeah, we had a good time. You should have come with us." "YOU LIED TO ME LAST NIGHT! YOU KEPT TELLING ME THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE YOU WANTED TO BE WITH AND THEN YOU WENT OUT WITH THAT SLUT!" "Well, it wasn't like it was a date. Thoz and I have only ever been friends." "I DON'T CARE! YOU WERE CHEATING ON ME! YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER MAN I'VE EVER MET!" "I didn't have sex with her." "DON'T LIE TO ME! I DON'T LOVE YOU ANYMORE!"

After hitting all these emotional highs the last three weeks, this was a shock to my system. I honestly had no idea she was going to have this big a problem with me going out because it hadn't been a problem the previous seven months when I went out. She didn't seem to care then. Why did she care now?

At that moment, I regretted taking Thoz to the movie. It wasn't my intention to make Kelz so mad. But I determined later that I had made the right decision. Because bad stuff was eventually going to happen, it was best that it started then, and not several months down the line.

There will be plenty more to come.