Talk of the Town - Full house June 12 2003

While most houses in this Roswell subdivision are perched atop hills, Manya Kalom’s is nestled near a small ravine at the foot of a drive so precarious the dwelling stood vacant for several years before she and boyfriend Cooper Richter chose to make it their home. Their toddler, Joseph, roams freely indoors among folk art under the watchful eye of his canine companion, Charlie. Out back, a large deck opens up onto acres of protected woodlands where owls, hawks and young deer spend time at the creek.

This idyllic setting doesn’t stay quiet for long, however. Kalom lives with her boyfriend, her child, a former roommate and Richter’s two sons from a previous marriage. So this pad is typically abuzz with activity.

Creative Loafing: How did so many seemingly disconnected people end up together under one roof?

Kalom: I was a waitress for a couple of years at Manuel’s Tavern, and Cooper’s been a regular there for years. One day, my boss’s wife called to let me know that Cooper was really bummed out from a separation he was going through, and asked that if I saw him to pat him on the back and make sure he was all right.

We’d been talking for years but just began dating at that point. I got pregnant only about six months later and figured that maybe we should try and raise our baby in the same house. So, at 55, Cooper became a father for the fourth time.

It was about five months into the baby when all of a sudden his 16-year-old son Ryan showed up on the doorstep mad at his mom. About six months later, Cooper’s 21-year-old son, Christopher, transferred to GSU and we got another one. My old roommate, Amy, had been living in the basement for a while by then. She thought that if she had to drive further [to get] home from work and classes at GSU, then she might not stop by as many bars on the way home.

Did you end up taking on any stepmother roles?

Not really. Dad is still the official who makes them do their homework and grounds them if that needs to happen. I’m more the one who helps proofread their English papers. We’ve made an arrangement where two nights a week, one of the boys will cook and baby-sit for two hours. It was hard at first trying to keep a relationship going with so many people in the house, but now it’s nice having built-in babysitters.

Do you still head back to Manuel’s?

That’s our big hangout. We had our baby shower and Joseph’s first birthday there. Joseph always sits at the front window in the corner booth to watch the traffic go by, and we can eat our hot wings in peace. Joseph was all but conceived at the bar. We’ll probably get him baptized there too at some point.

You seem to have some fairly liberal views. Do you ever feel isolated up here?

Yes. I went from living with seven artists in a warehouse downtown, to a duplex behind Manuel’s, and finally all the way out to Roswell. When we first moved here, I felt like I was living on the moon. But the energy here has healed me a whole bunch.

I have to try and provide this kind of tree-climbing atmosphere for my little boy. I couldn’t have had a baby if I was still living in a warehouse, so it all works out. I feel like, if you get a grip on the fact that stuff changes and just go with the flow, eventually the big picture will unravel in the right direction.

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