Dear Abby: I am a 30-year-old divorcee. I married Larry (not his real name) when I was 16 and left him (like a fool) for another man when I was 18. I never realized what a jewel Larry was until it was too late.
Larry got married and now he has three children. In the meantime, I`ve been living with this other guy, ”Barney,” for six years. We have a child but we`re not married yet. We plan to make it legal in the near future.
I have always regretted leaving Larry and have prayed for a reconciliation, but after all these years I never thought I had a chance. Well, I ran into him two weeks ago in a parking lot, and it was like our very first meeting all over again! We have seen each other a couple of times since and now he wants to leave his wife and marry me.
Should I leave Barney and go back to Larry? Let me know soon. Barney and I are booked on a cruise, and we`ll lose our deposit if we don`t cancel by March 10. Thank you.
Libby (Not My Real Name)
Dear Libby: Slow down. If Larry isn`t thinking about his family obligations, he should be. You also have a child to consider as well as a six- year relationship. Don`t do anything without considering the consequences very carefully. Go on the cruise you`ve planned with Barney and try to get your head straight before you go off the deep end.
Dear Abby: You asked ”Forgotten Parents,” who had never seen a dime of the $10,000 their son had borrowed from them 10 years ago, if they had a promissory note. This reminded me that years ago, we foolishly loaned $5,000 to a relative without any kind of IOU or promissory note. Instead of asking for one after he had the money, my wife wrote to him asking when we could expect a partial payment on the $7,500 he owed us.
Quick as a flash we received a letter from him advising us that he did not owe us $7,500–it was only $5,000!
Mission accomplished. We got it in writing.
Shrewd in El Centro, Calif.
