** This article is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as shared with me by a friend who experienced them firsthand; used with permission.
I lived in a region of the United States for a number of years where there were many polygamous families. As long as they were subtle and well-behaved, they were pretty much left to their own devices by the public and the authorities.
One family I knew had two wives. The first wife, Kara, had been married to John for almost five years before John took his second wife, Alice. Although Kara and Alice tolerated one another, they were never the best of friends. Each wife had her own side of a duplex that John owned.
About five years into the marriage with his second wife, Alice, Kara’s mother passed away. It was a sad day for the entire household, and they all attended the funeral. A few days after the funeral, Kara was informed that she had inherited a very large sum of money.
John felt that the money should be spent to build a third addition to the duplex that they lived in so he could add another wife. Currently, they own a duplex, with each wife living on her own side of the duplex and John moving back and forth between the two households.
Kara decided to buy a nice luxury car for herself and her five children and to take her children on a trip to a children’s theme park. She did not feel obligated to take Alice and Alice’s four children with her, nor did she feel obligated to give in to John and allow him to build a third residence onto their current duplex.
While this upset John and Alice, it suited Kara just fine, and she embarked on her trip without any hesitation. She spent two weeks away on their trip with her five children and later told me that she felt at peace and well-rested.
Coming from a background where you’re only married to one person at a time, this family was rather difficult for me to understand. I know I couldn’t be in a polygamous relationship. I’m not sure how Kara and Alice do it. Do you think Kara was right in keeping the money for herself and her own five children? Or do you think she should’ve taken Alice and her four children as well? Do you think John should have any claim to the money?
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