Fractured Foundations

The Robertsons passed away in their unfinished home, around 7pm, on November 2, leaving behind their 3 children & developing estate. It is not unheard of for couples to die at the same time, at least within a few days or weeks of one another when they have been together majority of their lives; it is said that dying from a broken heart is a real possibility. The Robertsons, Martha & Adam, met at age 18 when they were moving in to their dorm at University of Chicago. Martha, pushed up against the back right corner of the elevator like a pack mule as Adam entered-sweaty- holding a filing cabinet, an odd piece of furniture for a boy fresh at University, she thought. The conversation moved from the elevator, to the hallway, and so on, until the story winds up with them happily ever after. So it goes, anyone who goes the Robertsons would say there is no Martha without Adam, no Adam without Martha, which makes the circumstances of their death all that more romantic. They broke ground constructing their 10,000 square foot estate 15 years ago, never completing the ongoing project, which remains an unparalleled derelict.

This construction project was not intended to be the majority of my career but 15 years flew by before I could grab them. The wife never stops glaring at the husband, her name is Martha, his is Adam, but they prefer for the help to refer to them in forms terms, like “Mr & Mrs” though, I wouldn’t consider our relationship formal. I’m inclined to say we are more like family; they trust me with more than most, as their general contractor and developer I spend a significant amount of time listening to their wishes & compromises (or lack of). For 15 years I watched Martha & Adam attempt agreements on several topics, I learned Martha never won- she never will either. This is the exact reason construction never got finished, they were never able to agree exactly on what will make so-and-so just right. Martha is a tall brute of a woman with the attractiveness of Betty Davis, intelligence of Jane Goodall. I have never, or should I say rarely, see her dressed below the nines, even in the early mornings and late evenings. Her hair is always pristine, her makeup is never smudged or she opts for a completely fresh face. She is the conductor, unaware that her breaks are in a dual system where Adam is the controller. Adam, the tactful controller uses the dual system to tap the breaks when he deems it necessary; he of average stature & appearance, though his charm makes me question if he perhaps is better looking in different lighting. Like Martha, Adam dressed impeccably, if I didn’t know them so well I may be inclined to think she lays out both of their outfit, but surely it is the other way around. They are in a constant game of chess with one another.

In all our years I have only met with the Robertsons at the construction site or my office; but I have spent much time envisioning what their current home looks like. I imagine it is smaller than they would like to admit, dimly lit, & overgrown-greenery would be better than the pathetic excuse for architecture, as Martha once described their current home. The estate will be nothing like their current home & Martha will be sure of it. I have asked to see the home on many occasions, to ensure my work does not reflect the eye sore of the present, but the Robertsons insist it is a pig sty; which is why they must get out of the home as soon as possible.

The estate is monstrous, sitting at 10,000 square feet unfinished. For the last 5 years I have been encouraging them to stop with expansions, switch their focus to refinement to progress the project towards the end. The home started very intentional, but became an futile maze searching for agreement. Over the years Martha & Adam grew their family, they had 3 sons & 2 daughters who they primarily kept away from the construction site; not for fear of safety, more for fear of opinions because the couple had enough of their own to sort through.

We meet weekly, monthly, and annually to measure milestones of the construction.The estate began as a home with a large plot of land, the original layout was 5,000 sq feet, but Adam got inspired to add a grand dining room after visiting the Biltmore so things have spiraled from there on. He decided it could be beneficial to separate the master bedroom into two master bedrooms so each of the parents has as a suite to their own liking. Their rooms are extravagant, they were the first parts these home I consider “complete” - if one can consider any part of an unfinished home complete. The Robertsons were convinced there was a way they could have it all, without having to compromise their individual wants & needs. I thought, surely, they loathe their current home enough to wrap up the construction project & transition into the estate, but I underestimated the passivity of a couple with specific dogma & wealth. It is possible to have it all, that is what they believed.

After all this time I am inclined to believe they preferred the snug coziness of their humble pig sty, though they never noticed it because they were too busy strategizing their approach to getting their needs met. They saw no time as for directness, their relationship was far too happy for a disagreement which was surely the result of any amount of directness. The vastness of the estate was cold and lonely, eerie. Each of the children had their own room paired with grand bathrooms and walk in closets, master bedroom by most standards. There are 5 guest rooms & counting; Martha has thoughtfully designed 2 - requiring Adams stamp of approval-while Adam designed 3 in solitude. The offices are lavish, they head either side of the estate like the tips of wings. The kitchen is the heart of this home, that is one thing they can agree on. The appliances are all fresh stainless steel, top of the line as of 4 years ago when they were installed; Martha swore they were nearing the end date but she was not privy to the tweaks Adam was working on with me. It’s a shame they left the 3 kids to deal with the next steps of the estate, part of me wonders if the construction will ever be completed, I have not yet heard a word from the kids. The autopsies reported both of the Robertsons had Cyanide in their system; the detectives can’t conclude if this was a murder/suicide or double/suicide, as if semantics do not matter when it comes to mortality. I’m inclined to believe Martha put Cyanide in Adams drink, which Adam surely discovered and imitated as his final reminder to Martha that nothing goes without Adams final stamp of approval. One thing is clear, this would have gone on forever unless Martha initiated the moment that surely sparked a dogmatic response from Adam, sealing his fate as the forever last word.