Ages ago now it seems, I was married. We were married for seven years, dated for five and a half before that. For all of our dating years and I daresay the vast majority of our married ones, life was beautiful. I loved her more than anything.
While we dated we lived in the same city for about two years. During that time we played Animal Crossing (GCN) together. Almost every single day. We had so much fun playing that together- she loved completing sets, and getting four houses maxed out in a town. We were always chirping to each other about what we got whenever Gulliver washed up on the beach. I got the Spooky Set to outfit my house, and one time I stayed up all night and worked wonders with the clock to get her the entire Christmas set.
There are so many things that happen in a marriage or long-term relationship, so many unique things you can't even describe, articulate, that make it special. That make it truly feel like nobody has ever had what you have. There's so much history that makes it into the lives of the two that it becomes impossible to convey the impact of such a relationship-- and the impact of its dismantling.
The last year I could feel her moving away from me. I didn't understand what was happening, and for whatever reason she couldn't tell me. I tried everything- coaxing, crying, counseling, you name it.
One day I came home from work and she was gone. Just gone. Left a letter saying that she'd met someone and made horrible decisions, and couldn't bear to tell me. So she just left. I never saw her again.
I spent the next year basically just dying over and over. I couldn't eat, I couldn't relax. The experience was so jarring that I contracted an irrational fear that all my friends and family would disappear too. The only thing I could do is play Animal Crossing. I'd go to her town and pick up weeds, make sure everything was kept in order. I sent her letters and put messages up on her billboard saying I loved her. Looking back on it now I guess it seems pretty unhealthy and just weird.
Eventually I moved out of our apartment, far, far away. Completely started over, new setting, new life, new career, everything. I'd like to think that I am healed for the most part but to this day I cannot play that game. Whenever I hear anything that even kind of sounds like the music from Animal Crossing I start to get an anxiety attack.
Damn shame too. Because it's a hell of a game.