A couple of days ago I mentioned in passing that a very bad thing had happened and promised to tell you about it later, so here it is.
I have to tell this in the starkest possible terms because it's not a sympathetic tale. Last Tuesday (the 15th) Charlie got a DWI. He has prior alcohol offenses from his younger, wilder days and Missouri's laws are such that he's been charged with a felony. The circumstances of his arrest aren't worth mentioning because what it boils down to is this: he made the careless decision to drive after he'd had 3 or 4 beers and he knows better. He has an attorney who said he'll do all he can, but there's not much room for haggling so Charlie's likely facing prison time. How much, we don't know yet. His court date's in mid-June and between now and then the prosecutor and the lawyer will come to some kind of an agreement, so we'll know then what Charlie's facing.
Understandably, this is a double-edged sword for me. On the one hand, I believe that there's no excuse for drinking and driving and that folks should have to accept the consequences of their stupidity and carelessness. On the other hand, selfishly, I don't want him to go to prison. Since we've been together, Charlie has, in his quiet way, become indispensable to me. He's my best friend and a true companion and the first man in a long, long time that I've been able to really see myself settling down with. I've noticed (and y'all probably have too) that sometimes when I'm talking about the house I say "we" instead of "I". Charlie's the first guy who ever had Kelly House projects of his own.
And now, as he said the other night, "I might lose everything I've worked for." His own house, his job, and his freedom are on the line. My happy little life has been turned upside-down. I'm equal parts angry, terrified, and sad about that.
Robert Frost once said, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." It sure does. Regular programming resumes here tomorrow, with pictures too.