One car family

We have a blackboard in the kitchen because we are a one car family.

The blackboard enables each of us, me, my son and my wife to chalk up who is doing what on a particular day. This supposedly stops each of us clashing in the use of the one car. Most of the times it works, but now and again things get confusing. Usually because of simple things like bad, by that I mean undecipherable, handwriting, but as I said, most of the time it works.

Rosie: Mums at 11.00.

Seems clear enough.

‘Mum’ (100) is Rosie’s mother and at her great age things are slowly…well, slowing down. She sleeps most of the time, is bed-ridden and I think it is fair to say semi-conscious. She is in no pain; she eats and drinks but sadly that is about it. Conversation and even her avid TV watching is sadly, gone forever.

For the past few years, she has been well catered for in a local home for the elderly. She has her own flat, with her own furniture. She has friends and has for some time lived a comfortable life. Unfortunately, as she hit her 100^th, in fact just before, things changed dramatically and to cut a long story short she has had to be moved from the home for the elderly to a nursing home.

Her flat is now empty, and her daughters are having to face the inevitable. Preparations are being made for what is, everybody knows, to come.

The point I’m trying to make here is, everybody, especially the close family, i.e. Rosie and her two sisters are under a lot of stress. Emotions are to the fore and tensions are running high.

Which takes me back to the message on the blackboard.

Rosie: Mums at 11.00.

(This gets complicated but stick with me).

We were running slightly late but as I had to deliver a sample to my doctors which was on the way (NOT), I offered to drive.

Pee delivered I proceeded to head for Mums. Except as it turned out, right Mum, wrong place.

I was headed well on the way to the nursing home when Rosie suddenly said, ‘You know we’re going to the home for the elderly right’?

Slightly annoyed, it was when I replied something to the effect, ‘but the message on the board said, ‘Mum’s (i.e. the nursing home – i.e. where Mum actually IS) at 11.00’. (Not the home for the elderly where Mum actually, WASN’T), that all hell broke loose.

*Apparently, I was supposed to know that the message referred to where she wasn’t and NOT to where she IS.

At this point I should perhaps make it clear that ‘Mum (s)’ was not involved in this debacle at all. It was nothing to do with my dear old Mother-in-Law, no this was to do with the sisters meeting at 11.00 where Mum used to be (her empty flat), to go through her personal items.

Anyway, if you are still following this…

…to cut another long story short and in an effort to keep this piece clean by leaving out the obscene language…

Have you ever had one of those all-mighty screaming and shouting matches while mobile. Dangerous to say the least. How we arrived at the er…destination (where Mum wasn’t) without being involved in a major road accident I do not know.

This happened two days ago, and we have yet to speak to each other.

IFH.

 

*Mind reader