The man took his new wife to one of the rooms in their home and opened the door.
“Look at this tilted room,” he said.
She turned to him in surprise,
“This room’s not tilted.”
“Yes it is!” he replied.
Thinking he was playing some kind of game – she laughed.
His bottom lip began to tremble and his eyes welled up.
“You really can’t see that this room is tilted?” He insisted
“No, because it’s NOT tilted.” She said.
Her husband then fell to the floor, and lying in the foetal position he began to sob.
“No one has ever seen things the way I see them. I thought you would because you’re my wife – but no! You obviously don’t love me!” He blubbed.
She was confused and concerned and stooped to comfort him.
She reassured him of her love.
The incident passed.
However, every few days he would again take her to the doorway of the same room.
“Look how tilted this room is.” He’d say.
She would reiterate that she didn’t see a tilted room, just a normal one.
Once again he would end up sobbing on the floor and state that no one had ever understood him, that he’d thought she would be different and love him enough to see things his way.
And again she would stoop down and comfort him.
One day, after several weeks of this, she had had enough.
Upon being taken to the doorway of the room again, she said,
“What is wrong with you? The room is NOT tilted!”
When his bottom lip began to tremble she lost patience with him.
“Oh yes! Go ahead and cry! That will solve everything!” She said.
His lip hardened and his face changed.
He slammed her hard up against the wall, made a fist and held it in front of her face.”
“IF I SAY THE ROOM IS TILTED THEN THE ROOM IS TILTED! DO YOU UNDERSTAND YOU FUCKING BITCH!”
He turned her to face the room.
“LOOK!” he said.
She was terrified.
He had never behaved like this before.
She lowered herself onto one knee,
Bent herself sideways,
And tilted her head.
Now the room looked tilted.
“Yes I see.” She said quietly.
And from that moment on she did.
Because the only thing that stopped him getting angry was seeing things his way.
THE TILTED ROOM 