When the first time I called she didn't answer, I did that stare at the wall clock thing and noted to myself 'she's probably at church' (minus five hundred points if you just noted to yourself 'Why wasn't he at church, too? Wasn't it Sunday in Connecticut as well?'). I rang back a couple or three hours later and this time when there was no answer I figured 'she's probably at the beach' (which is, I'm told, across the street from where she lives in Florida).
Our Mom is a seashore type of person. She did a lot of lakes when we were kids and, to my knowledge, she ain't done any since we are all growed up. Yes, I am suggesting cause and effect and thank you for noticing. Can't blame her-she was a child of the seashore herself and some things are deeper in your blood than habit. If our Mom wants to smell salt air, then that's what she's gonna do and I wouldn't stand between her and the ocean when she has the yen, if you follow my drift.
However, that didn't help me understand the phone situation especially when even later, after I rang, I wasn't getting through. I need very little excuse to go to the little projection booth in the inside of my head and put a reel of 'really awful things that can happen to' insert the name of a relative or loved one here. I'm good, trust me on this one. As an oldest child I've had ample reason my entire life to not just fret but to take fretting to another dimension.
Not only was I in Full Fret Fever on Sunday evening I had to stifle myself because I didn't want to alarm my wife, Sigrid, that Mom wasn't answering the bell. My wife doesn't fret and wring her hands like her husband-she leaps into action and gets things done. I am always impressed and grateful but I didn't say anything to her because I wasn't sure and had nothing really to go on except Mommy wasn't picking up the phone.
It never occurred to me that she would be have decided to beat the Florida heat by traveling North and catching up with her children and grandchildren and, in some instances, people who look like both but are possibly neither. She's only been doing the North Trek for a decade or so-not sure why I thought this year would be different.
Anyway, reading Adam's notes I discovered again proof that the brains of the genetic inheritance were placed on the opposite to Bill end of the family tree. Aside from my not having to worry my brothers and sisters for what would have really been absolutely nothing at all, the even better news is that I now have an empty take up reel from that scary movie I don't have to show and I know just how to use it.
-bill kenny
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