My week in nut's hell

What a week

The events of the past week have been too difficult to put behind me, as I have ruminated over what I or we could do for my friend to help him, his family in Europe and myself have had thinking caps on trying to identify how to break through the iron curtain of denial and indifference to retrieve by force the man we once knew.

On Monday, I learnt that he had not caught the flight back home from Sunday and he was to have caught on Monday. My concerns were various, most critical being, if the police got involved, I would have been the last to see him; and he having left my home under a cloud would not have made the best reading for any suspicious mind.

Then, I heard he still was in Amsterdam on Monday night but would be catching a flight on Tuesday - thankfully, he arrived home safely on Tuesday, but clammed up to everyone wanted to hear the excuses.

Just as I was about to sigh in relief, I got a letter from my phone company that all international and premium calls would be barred from my phone - this could only be that unusual activity had taken place on a line that they would have had 7 years of records to and they would have noticed a pattern that was completely out of character with my usage.

An incalculable price

I cannot begin to imagine what other price I would have to pay for this whole saga, but this is all now a small thing, compared to the pressing issue of addressing a matter that could slip irretrievably out of our hands.

Meanwhile, I have kept contact with the family because comparing notes between the familial and the friends might help us home in on the core issues.

The bedroom has not seen much activity apart from the fact that I saw another little wad of money which I doubt I put on my shelf, all of which cannot begin to cover the cost of damage to material, goods or friendship.

One email would arrive in my friend's mailbox shortly, not to shoot him down but to awake him to the fact that if he needs help, we are all around to help out; however, this would require some really harsh decisions.

I could not spend the weekend in the house, I am still a bit distressed about it all, so, a long weekend in Antwerp is a breather most welcome.