The arrival of Mummy
6:30 p.m.
I picked her up at the bus station at 5:00 p.m. and brought her home, and she talked and talked about the one subject that interests her these days: herself. If I interject and say something about something else, she always manages to put herself back into the conversation. She dwells on minutiae. It's boring!
Okay, so she forgot her pills. She takes handfuls of pills daily, some with breakfast, some with supper. The only one she was concerned about was her blood-pressure medication. Luckily, my neighbours across the street are doctors, and I went over there and Jos�e very generously made out a prescription so I could get her the missing medication. What nice people. Truly.
Then I have to make supper. She has a way of stationing herself in the kitchen right where I have to work, or right where the fridge door opens, or whatever. So I tell her to sit down, please, so she doesn't get bumped into. I finally get supper made and on the table. She talks with her mouth full. Finally, supper is over, I make tea. I'm overcome with fatigue, seriously. This is my chance to excuse myself. And here I am.
Mind you, as soon as the tea is drunk I have to go and get those pills from the pharmacy, but that's okay. Action is better than inaction. I've got to calm down. This is lunacy.
Why does my mother make me crazy? She just wears me down with her incessant self-centredness. She doesn't seem to take an interest in what is happening with anyone else, or at least she appears to until she can turn the conversation back to herself. It's perfectly normal for a person to ask after someone else's health, etc. She might do that, and immediately launch into a description of her own.
She was an only child with a meek mother and an authoritarian father. She married a man who barely spoke, and worked in social work where she dealt with people all day long. My father is dead, she is alone, and has few activities which get her out and among people, and so when she is with me she talks without cease about all the minute details of her life which she, no doubt, finds fascinating, but which I consider trivial and BORING!!!!!
I tell myself, she's only here for a few days. She leaves Monday morning. I can last until then. Besides I have activities planned. Tomorrow we go to T�shippers Day in C�sville. On Sunday, if the weather is good, we'll go apple picking in the morning. There's an organ concert in the afternoon. She wants to take us out for dinner Sunday evening. This should all be good stuff. Get a grip, kid.
Okay, my tea is finished, I have to get her pills. Let's hope I can keep my cool for a few days.
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