The Friend vs The Father

I've known Joe almost 20 years now. He introduced me to the Discordians, although he is not one himself. He gave me half of my Holy Name, "Fenderson". He made this picture of my avatar last year.

I met his new girlfriend at his New Year's party this year. That the woman was married didn't set very well with me, but The Friend insisted that it's none of my business and I should ignore it. When I heard that she was a very light drinker (a condition I share), The Trickster decided to see how drunk he could get her. My plan required me to match her drink for drink. A few hours later, everyone at the party had decided to go out for a post-midnight rampage on the beach, but we were far too intoxicated for that and stayed behind.

That's when she Confessed. The Trickster hates that kind of shit, so The Reverend came out. She told me all about her relationship with Joe. She told me how wonderful her husband and kids were and how much she loved them. She told me about how her husband knows about Joe, and won't divorce her if she goes back to him soon. She doesn't want to lose her family, she said, but she was bored and Joe was exciting and besides, she loved him too.

At the mention of children, The Father shoved The Reverend aside. The Father had an opinion on this matter, and all of his opinions revolve around a "kids first" philosophy. She was throwing away a stable home for her children, including a good man that she loves, in exchange for excitement and a slim chance that she'll be happier with Joe. The Father thought that perhaps everyone would be better served if she found another way of filling her emotional needs.

The Father spoke his mind. The Friend was appalled at this breach of loyalty. So was Joe when she told him what I had said and that she wasn't so sure the relationship was a good idea.

I don't blame him for being angry at all. I dealt him a terrible blow. I still don't know what else I could have done. If I had stayed silent, I would have betrayed my own principles. By speaking up, I betrayed a friend.

Last month, he sent me a new picture of my avatar, taken on that night. He named it "Devil's Details". I am no longer a saint.

Perhaps the ugliness there isn't evil, though. Perhaps it's the duststorm caused by the battle of The Friend and The Father. I hope my friendship with Joe isn't a permanent casualty of that battle.

Looking back, I still wonder how I could have handled this better. Any ideas?