I took the week off to try to make sense of it all, and I threw myself into work. I knew that if my hands were busy, my head would follow, and I could traverse the puzzle that had spread out before me, and find the answers I've been looking for.
First off, and again, I don't condone what he did. I have never been for child abuse of any sort. It is true that I don't consider spanking a form of abuse, because it isn't. I was spanked as a child, it taught me right from wrong, and I grew up just fine. However, what he did, was not spanking. The fact that he created a weapon and used it against a child with a mental illness, an innocent, someone he should have been protecting and helping, and beat him so bad he bruised and bled, is not something I cannot just look the other way and find the middle ground on. I have never tolerated that from my own brother, and I don't think I should be making an exception because he'd been a good friend to me. That part, is over.
Secondly, regardless if she tried to stop him, she was obviously lax in getting anything done about it, and didn't even report it so they could have someone looking in on him, so I can't exclude her. Leaving out the fact that she is a registered sex offender, she allowed her son to be abused, didn't even try to get him help or get him away from Michael. She is just as guilty as he is, if not more so. So my friendship with her was over as well.
And lastly, I know that in situations like this, because I am only an online friend (ex-friend now), I have no obligation or even reason to stay in contact with his daughter, his mom and dad, or the other children, but for five years I watched those children grow, heard about their wonderful deeds, and was happy to see them away from drama (at least, I thought so at the time). I can't just walk away from that. Bobby has known me as her father's friend and another fighter on her behalf all this time. I want to be there to help her when she feels no one else can, and I want her to be able to see that she will be taken care of, thought of, and have an ally on the battle ahead. I know she'll be called to testify. I know that, given the circumstances; my friendship, our damn near every day contact, our back and forth through Skype, Facebook, email, phone calls, text, etc, there is a high chance that I will be called to testify, or at least give a statement, and I can be there to help her and give her a shoulder if it comes to it. It's all I can do for her given the distance between our cities.
The obstacles themselves will work themselves out in time, but I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I won't abide having a friend who did those horrible and terrible things. I won't allow myself be dragged down by all of it, because I am nothing like him, and I tried to help. He's the one who turned his back on everyone. He's made his bed, now he can sleep in it.
Thank you all for your understanding. I greatly appreciate and love all of you.
You're amazing.
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