for an example of the "abuse", helene's mother was once ran over a few streets away from the house.
When someone ran to the house to tell us, I ran down the street barefoot in my pajamas not knowing if she was alive or dead. This was probably less than a year since we lost helene's father Hans, who was my best friend.
I found her in agony, surrounded by dozens of cops, paramedics and two ambulances. Her hip was shattered and she was in extreme pain. I held her hand and talked to her to keep her calm while the paramedics worked. I heard noises come out of her mouth I won't ever forget. I won't forget the look on her face.
Around 45 minutes later, Helene showed up as the ambulance doors were being closed. She'd gone for a shower and picked out nice clothes.
I was "abusive" in that I was shocked by this behavior.
Helene's mother will probably walk on a crutch for the rest of her life, and writing this has brought me to tears.