Life with an Addict

Now

Fifteen years ago I married my friend, someone I thought would always be there for me but somewhere between then and now I woke up beside a stranger.
In the beginning of our relationship he went to the bars frequently and spent alot of money. I assumed the money was simply being drained into his little parties but over time I realized that there was too much money missing for that and eventually the truth dawned on me.
I can't say that it hit me in the face like a hard blow because it was a gradual thing and it would be years before I realized how serious his gambling addiction really was.
His job took him away for months at a time which may be one reason I got so caught up in this nighmare for so long. His absence gave me a break from the stress of it all, it gave me time to recharge and each time he returned I managed to convince myself that things would be different this time.
We were given a piece of land with a small home. The home wasn't much but the land was beautiful so we figured we'd eventually build something new or fix the place up. His income was high so we didn't foresee any problems.
Since money slipped through his fingers like water we ended up living in that place for ten years and although I was thankful for someone giving me a home there were many "nightmares" involved.
Over time we were infested with mice, they didn't bother me at first because I was so used to seeing them run around the place. Then one morning I woke up on the sofa and one was crawling over me. Needless to say, I moved out for three days and had pest control work their magic.
Our water heater was located under the cupboards and unknown to us it had a leak and the floor beneath it was rotten. One day when my infant son was standing beside me at the kitchen counter he pulled one of the cupboard doors open and there on a mousetrap was a snake. The snakes around here are harmless but all the same, I ran from the house screaming. The next day there was another one in the same place.
There were other problems with the place, the basement always flooded in a rain storm and it was cozy but very small. My son's bedroom wasn't big enough for a bed so I gave him ours and we took turns sleeping on a fold out chair while the other one would sleep on the sofa.
Five years ago we were finally tore down the old place and replaced it with a new mini home.