Back then Ruth had also had dreams.

But as the years passed, Ruth realized that her dreams had been ignored, trampled underfoot really, as James sped about changing his own dreams into reality. First were just the little things, like where to go for an evening out. He would ask her and Ruth would say exactly where she wanted to go. James would always raise an eyebrow and say ‘you don’t want to go there, do you? I’ve heard it’s awful let’s go to…’ It had taken quite some time before Ruth finally realized that James away had an exact plan in his head not just about where they would dine out but about everything. He wasn’t a mean or cruel man; he just never noticed when his plans for them would leave her feeling disappointed and disillusioned. Never did he listen to what she wanted.

In the end she gave up trying to say anything at all.

And so it came to pass that James decided college wasn’t right for her. Well, she wouldn’t finish the course anyway, would she now? And not only that the kids needed a mother not a student. And so she stayed at home with the children.

James got a high-flying job in Arabia, He’d wanted his wife and children with him much to Ruth’s distress, they all went to Arabia, James would be away from the compound, which they were not allowed to leave, for over 16 hours a day. Ruth hardly saw anyone. And when the kids got old enough, James decided that they would be better off at boarding school. And so they were sent away, leaving Ruth lonelier than ever.

It was around this time that Ruth had made a stand, had told James that she would leave him if he didn’t stop deciding everything for her. ‘’it’s my life too’’ she’d cried James had looked shocked for a moment then decided it would do them good to go on holiday. And so they had gone to a destination of James’ choice and made passionate love like they’d done when they first married Ruth returned from that trip pregnant.

Next James had decided they should live in the country and have a smallholding. He told her she and the kids would love it. It didn’t take long before they had two dogs, several cats, Couple of sheep and a horse. She hated it. She’d never been that fond of animals in the first place. And when James then went off to Asia to work, she sold the sheep and horse James was livid.

This new job took James away for months at a time. On her own, Ruth slowly gathered more confidence; she started to do charity work to make contact with other people. Suddenly, James’ visits became times of stress and tension. Why did she insist on going out when she know he only had three weeks at home before he returned to Asia. She developed a better relationship with the children and truly missed the youngest, who was now just starting university. In fact, life hadn’t been so hadn’t been so bad while James was working in Asia