Capital

Warning: if you have read and dislike my previous offerings then skip this one. I have also misused a few terms and expressions.

Just a yarn about relationships. As usual nothing sexual.

The Capital is normally a reference the major city or seat of power of a state province or country, capital is also the term for the start-up of a business venture, we rarely associate it with things of a personal nature.

As an example we do not sink x amount of dollars into y, the y can be substituted for your girlfriend, wife or boyfriend, husbands name. After all we would all find that idea a little crass, mmm, okay maybe some would do it that way.

My partner and I had often discuss this topic, not that we viewed our relationship in this manner. We are both involved in the financial world although at a low level, in other words we do the bidding of others in our working world. We both have to put our hands up as being public servants. Both at the same level six and no we do not work in the same office nor even the same building nor department. She works in taxation, I work in defence.

That is about as much as will be divulged concerning our work place. Oh, we both receive almost the same salary, me fifteen hundred dollars a year more than her. Neither of us travel for work and at this level never will, which suits us fine. Our flexible hours means one of us are always home for our three children. Who just by the way are our world. Family above all else is our unspoken manifesto [yes incorrectly used but just getting a point across]

Cassandra, my partner and I, Mikhael, met by accident. She bumped into me when she turned sharply and promptly lost her large decaf soy latte all over my clean white shirt and jacket. Some how it missed the awful tie my brother-in-law had given me for my birthday, what a shame I was looking for an excuse to ditch it.

Her attempts to mop up the spill only made the pain of the scalding worse. In the end the only way I could stem the apologies, was agree to her getting me a coffee of my own, long black hotter than hell please, no sugar. It turned into our first date. Cost ten dollars for her, new shirt and dry cleaning bill for me, I did ditch the tie so balance sheet showed nil.

I have no idea how much we spent after that; I was in love. AND so was she, balance sheet nil, bank account depleted by a few thousand dollars.

Back in the day, it was not unusual for two people to go to bed on the first date. It took us three months. She was a not a virgin nor was I, we somehow instinctively knew to take it slowly. As in truthfully, we did openly discuss why that was and why had we not jumped each others bones and came up with respect, wanting something more than a fling and wanting to make sure.

When we finally did make it to the bedroom, compatible in the extreme was a word that came to mind. I knew a few things she did not and she knew a few things I did not. Experiment we did, learning together we became rather good.

It helped that I'd missed all the branches of the ugly tree when I fell to earth, landing on my feet so to speak, well endowed in the manhood department at eight and three quarter inches, with very acceptable girth, I stood six foot two inches in my stocking feet, nice and broad in the shoulder tapered waist, and fleet of foot. No genius nor dummy, just had to start work rather than continue with my education at university.

My exercise came from playing rugby union, that just a quirk of the school I went to, if I'd gone to the school a suburb over it would have been rugby league. I was not serious about it, just enjoyed the physical exercise, it kept me in shape and I could use the clubs gym free of charge. I did get ribbed for been a non drinker, well I could not afford to drink like my team mates, all who had better jobs than me thanks to the old boy network of private schools.

Cassandra was up there in the looks department, a solid seven and a half maybe an eight, but for me she was an eleven. Five foot nine inches of hourglass figure, she played netball and was fit as. She avoided gyms preferring to run and do body weight exercise. Having attended a catholic school thanks to her parents religious beliefs, she however was a non believer as a lot of our peers were.

She did not mind the odd glass of wine with a meal but it was never more than one, not once have I seen her have a second. More often than not she declined even one. A few of her work mates had tried to force a second glass on her with a spectacular failure to get her to drink it. I'd seen others try in more inventive ways to fail as well. Why men though everyone should drink and get drunk was beyond me and her.

Her mom and dad were not fans of me to begin with, eventually they warmed then became red hot fans when they saw I treated their little girl like a princess, within reason I will add, you know how it is don't ruin a good thing.

At six months we moved in together when our leases expired, by crazy coincidence they were for the same period. Our "stellar" careers were just starting and the combining our rental payments were able to get a two bed apartment, felt like a mansion to us after our respective bedsits. By this time we had decided to make a go of it as a couple.

Making a commitment to each other we started saving for our first house. A solid budget saw that grow slowly at first but then as we progressed it picked up speed. We spoke at length about kids, as in when to start a family and what sort of wedding, type of house, blah blah, blah.

The wedding was put off in favour of house first, why spend good money on trappings when that could pay towards the mortgage? We lucked out when a friend of ours, at one of the big four banks told us of a place that had been foreclosed on. Initially we shied away from someone's misery, only to learn it was due to choice. They had just walked away from their obligations and left town to return to their native country. It was probably way more than that but it fitted with our thoughts at that time.

That they had done it that way in itself was strange but apparently they were in a rush and could not hang about for the marketing and waiting periods. We took the plunge and committed. The two bedroom cottage had potential and we had the deposit and now a foot in the door of home ownership.

It took a year of hard work but we knocked it into shape, then added an extension of a master bedroom with ensuite, two years later. We both worked like trojans, late nights, weekends full of heavy duty work. Scrubbing, painting, sanding, remodelling and then there was the yard work. In short not just an investment in the house but our relationship. We had barely squared away the place and Cassandra dropped a bomb, a fantastic bomb, she was expecting. Marriage took an even further back seat! Our parents had other ideas.

Her mom and dad, Gloria and Lee, really wanted us to marry, my mom and dad could not have cared less. Both wanted us to be happy and really wanted stability for their grandchild. Gloria and Lee offered to help out with the wedding costs and my parents monied up as well. We were ambivalent to it all, a case of keep the oldies happy. So a church wedding was required and only one church would do, catholic of course. Good fortune smile on me even when I was told, "No, you have to become a catholic to marry in our church!"

Me, being such an upstanding citizen agreed to go through the pain of learning all the mumbo jumbo, only to be told I'd be expected to front every Sunday or more days to atone for my perceived yet to be committed sins. This coming from a bunch of hypocrites still hiding away from their sins against the children in their care! That was more than I could take. Cassandra however as adamant her church or not at all.

Did that mean I wondered for a bit, we were done and I'd not get to see our child. Instead of just asking her what she meant turned up for the first day of brain washing. Hallelujah! Something was looking out for me, Lucifer no doubt!

"Oh no, this will take longer than a few months, it's at least ten months," delivered with a smile from the lady in a batman suit.

Cassandra rarely swore, so her, "fuck it, that's that then no wedding, you don't mind do you?"

"Only if you don't."

"Well, really it was only for the oldies. You know how I feel about you as I do you."

She had that part of it right. First trimester was almost over anyway and she would start to show soon, no baby in the history of man waited thirteen months.

But having learnt my lessons well did raise that old chestnut about a wedding days. That it was the time a woman got to play princess for a day. Cassandra informed me, "well that may be for the common folk, but you make me feel like a queen every day and don't you ever dare drop the ball on that Mikhael."

So, forewarned is forearmed. I have never forgotten, and never dropped the ball. That I was aware off, but no doubt she would raise something from the depths of sludge when the time came.

Annabelle arrived on time and healthy as can be, Cassandra returned to work after three months, our budget and savings would not allow her longer even though she was entitled to maternity leave, as was I. Besides we had free childcare, willing, able and desperate to get their hands on their first grandchild.

We were both now level four public servants, we both did all the courses we were offered and while not spectacular were above average, due to a little thing called a degree, our chances for promotion was a hit and miss affair. We both would get to act one or two levels up and while the money was handy we did not go overboard with it, instead it went into our 'later' account; it was money for whatever later.

Courtney arrived two years after Annabelle, and Rosemary seventeen months after that. Why you ask, simple Cassandra had decided that was our number and something about odd numbers, it came from aesthetics in art she said. I did read up on it, it had reference to tension in the works, something we found out as the kids grew up! We debated the ins and outs of the snip or tying. In the end we just left it there. The pill or condoms were going to be our future. It worked quite well, every twelve months we went off the pill and stayed that way for three to six months. We had a few close calls when pushing the rhythm method and while another child would be great especially a boy, good fortune followed us in the expense department and remained at three daughters.

I was first to get a permanent position as a five, we were holding our own financially, owned our house, saved enough for a deposit on a second and went on family holidays every year. Okay nothing flash but still a holiday away from our city. The kids were happy, wife was happy, I was happy. We extended the house again and it became a large five bedroom three bathroom, to us mansion. I was super happy with a boon I'd not though about, less lawn to mow.

Middle age was just over the horizon and so it was time to discuss our future. To advance to the point of reaching our potential we both knew we had to get at least an advanced diploma in something better still a degree. Logic said in finance. That is what we did, I enrolled at Uni and Cassandra opted for CIT, she would go the accounting direction and add to it from there. I did try talk her into Uni, only she was not ready for the work load.

By that I mean she wanted to still play netball competitively, while I was happy to finish getting bashed about the park. We worked out a timetable, had our slowing down parents act as monitors and minders then jumped in boots and all. My plan was to try finish the degree in as short a time as possible, it cut into family time very little. I just started my day two hours before the household. Snuck in a few hours here and there during the week and late nights on the weekend.

By year three, the end was closing in, one year to go for me. Cassandra had finished her advanced diploma and was putting in for public servant level six jobs left right and centre, so far she was missing out each time to younger candidates who had a degree in basically anything but finance or economics. I had the joy of becoming an acting six, that added to Cassandra's pissed off attitude. Not with the family but the system. My suggestion of going into private industry negated.

We managed to talk her into a calm place and suggested she go for a degree, then add an MBA to it and that would see her have more opportunities. To be honest I was jaded at work and would happily marked time till retirement age. My loving wife had become fixated on getting into the executive bands, I was going on the ride willingly or she would drag me there by the ear.

We had a change of government, the new regime wanted small government and swung the axe, a bloody big axe it left a swathe of beheaded department heads and executives blood and guts everywhere, the bloodless body of departments soon showed up in poor government, corporate memory was lost and money was getting wasted by the tanker load.

Four years later, the people beheaded the government and there was a crazy rush of promotions. No, Cassandra and I lost out to begin with, we sat firmly in the role of sixes. Now while all this was going on, our family life was really at its best our kids were doing great at school and with social activities. We were in the middle of it all and for me it gave sense and reason to put up with the grinding millstone of work. Cassandra agreed that was in the main for her as well, even though work was hard to take, having to show the ropes to kids with degrees that had to be helped almost every day in the role of government business, to then have them boss her around.

We were more attentive of each other and as we had always done made time for us, in and out of bed. Each was as important as the other in our opinions. Unlike a lot of people we did not have date nights programmed and set aside, you know Friday night dinner and dancing, or Saturday off with a group of ex- school or team mates for a piss up and partying to all hours. Still we would average two or three lunches and at least one dinner by ourselves. We always made time for sex, passionate or a little rough what ever was called for at the time. All our experimentation while childless came along for the ride.

We went to movies together, when ever we wanted, we just dropped the kids off at the oldies, or they came to the girls, enjoyed ourselves and picked them up on the way home, we had dinner out and occasionally went to a dance, we'd even had a week away to the barrier reef to celebrate an anniversary. Most times it was just a long weekend, all and any of them were special.

So back to Cassandra enrolling at Uni, I had just finished and now had more time on my hands to help at home freeing her up to take on a bigger workload of units. I had suggested she ease her way into it all but she was in a rush to prove a point to work. Silly really as government departments are not the same as private business and flaunt the normal protocols in favour of their own. The merit system was not all cut out as espoused.

To begin we rolled along smoothly, then as her semester ramped up we hit a few wobbles, firstly it was the odd assignment she needed to get out the way, we, as in the girls and I adjusted our time to give her time and space. She would lock herself away in the study and we would head to the other side of the house. I took on all the meals and roped Annabelle into helping, she did it willingly and with obvious enjoyment.

Our menu expanded and we were willing to try all and any cuisine. Dishes, well what's a dishwashing machine for? It was only the pots and pans we did by hand, simply as it was quicker, besides many hands make light work. I became a little annoyed when her study time drifted into the weekends, first Saturday, then Sunday. Biting my tongue went with the flow. Then very slowly at first but noticed by me our time together started to go off the boil.

A few snapped words from Cassandra at the children, hinted that the pressure was mounting at the coal face and or study. Annabelle was about to start year twelve, was desperate to do well and get an ATAR to go to med school. She had planned it from two years before, knew what was required and had worked tirelessly to position herself for that. Courtney at two years younger still had not decided on any passion, she was in the main a generalist with a strong bent towards righting wrongs. I saw law for her, be it in uniform or in a court of law. Rosemary who now wanted to know as Rose was too young to be bothered with anything just yet but that would come soon we all knew that.

I tried to act as peacemaker and in the main succeeded, covering for theirs mothers odd behaviour. Then work had to put a spanner in the works. I was told to put an application in for a position. The telling was in the form of my application been almost written for me, then the coaching for the interview, round one came and went and I was still in the running. No shit Sherlock I was a shoe-in for the promotion I did not want or need. Cassandra lost her shit. It was not really directed at me, only I copped it, the full force of her anger at the unfair system.

The house was a bit icy when she was out in the house instead of locked in her lair as Rose called the home office. Rose was into some dragon fantasy series of books and oh boy did I despair at that but at least she was reading! Courtney just ignored her, and Anabelle kept to her room and books.

The bedroom however was an ice cave at the bottom of Neptune's surface. Kisses forget that, hugs well fuck off, as for passionate or any other sex, here is a pair of lead pants, wear them. I let it go for three days then gave back as good as I had been given. Packing the children off to the oldies, made dinner and ensure there were fresh flowers a few candles and a very good dessert in the fridge. She did not stand a chance.

She came home a half hour late to be greeted with a, "Cassandra, we need to talk!"

"I'm busy can it wait till bed time?"

"Actually no Cassandra, you have a choice we discuss it now or not at all."

"Discuss what exactly."

"Us, our marriage and family."

"What's to discuss huh...everything is fine."

No need for you to wade though the uptight conversation that followed, I did enjoy the dinner I had made the dessert was very nice and the flowers well they were wasted. There was no resolution to the we need to talk about where we were at. I did discover that my idea of icy cold did not meet the definition of zero kelvin, I must have been working in Celsius, while she obviously was more scientifical advanced!

So, biting my tongue and placing my sexual drive in park but shifting to overdrive with the house and kids. We would do things without Cassandra over the weekends and somehow I became super dad. It was not all plain sailing though; the girls became narky whenever we brought up Cassandra in discussion. She was becoming persona non gratis in our girls eyes, I tried to go into bat for my wife only to have the three of them gang up on me and shoot down my arguments.

Amongst all this I realised our eldest was gay, no biggie in my opinion. I had a lot of things fall into place for me and hopefully when Annabelle came to discuss or say something about her sexuality she would know she would always be our daughter and welcome to bring anyone home with her.

The year ended Annabelle reached her goal going to med school, she decided to stay local and save by been at home. Courtney was still undecided and Rose was finding her feet still, I was a little concerned about her it could not be easy growing into a woman's teenage body, hell it was hard enough for a guy and we were way less complicated. Not having her mother to help threw it on me, only I had her two older sibling to help out, between us I think we did a good job throughout that year.