Betty
Southern California ~ Larry phoned a week later and asked Betty what she’d heard about Mother.
“How would I know?” Betty retorted. “I haven’t called.”
“Call the hospital! Right now! Find out!”
Betty got the head nurse on the phone, identified herself as Noreen Clemens’ daughter, and asked, “Is she dead yet?”
“No. Actually, your mother is fine and we’re getting ready to release her. You know, I’ve been talking to your mother and she’s told me her dreadfully sad story. I just don’t understand. It’s Christmas time and none of her children seem to even care about her. How could this be? This is your mo… .”
Betty cut her off. “Wait just a damn minute! Think about it! This woman has five children and none of them want her around them. Doesn’t that tell you there may be another side to our mother’s pitiful sad-sack story?”
Tony drove Betty to Loma Linda to pick up Mom and waited in the car. As my sister entered into her hospital room, Mom noted her angry countenance and whined, “Oh Betty, all you girls have let me down again.”
Betty stalked over to Mother, leaned hard into her face, and hissed through clenched teeth, “Listen, Dearie, who’s the mother and who’re the children here? Get this straight—who’s let who down?”
Mom ended up at Betty’s until she got back on her feet. Larry wouldn’t take her, Claudia’s place was too small, and Carleen refused to ever take her in again after the last time Mom feigned her death, slicing her wrists just deep enough to make a mess. When Carleen walked in and found blood everywhere, she threw a fit and tossed Mom out. “I have three kids in this house and you pull a goddam stunt like this? Get out! Get out! GET OUT AND DON’T COME BACK!”
Mom and her 1959 Hillman Minx, 1961
Well enough to be up and around, Mom was rummaging through her car in Betty’s garage when the mailman showed up. As Betty walked out to get the mail he said, “I swear I saw your mother in the garage going through her car. I thought she died.”
“Ahh, …ahh, …ahh,” Betty stuttered. Oh my God. I’m not explaining this to him. “Ahh, ahh, no. Ahh, that’s her sister.”
to be continued…
© 2018. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.
Susie Price says
Some mothers need to be held at arms’ length…
Elke Matzen says
If nothing else, she gave birth to strong children and bizarre stories, the youngest child becoming a great humorist!
Catherine Sevenau says
Humor is the way through and over to the other side.
Barbara Jacobsen says
She’s just like Frank’s mother…..none of her 5 grown kids want to be near her either…..these witchy women have amazing endurance…seem to thrive on negativity. Guess they’re big-time teachers!
Catherine Sevenau says
It happens, and they are.