the outing

This afternoon Mom and I took an outing:

First stop:  Bank of America. I imagine after our trip there this afternoon, BOA wishes that old Mrs. Sanford would withdraw all her money and bank elsewhere.

It started out fine.  We sat down and her favorite banker, Michael, came over and doted on Mom.  He told her she looked great and she told him she felt great . . .and then she let him rub her slightly furry balding head.  But Michael was not who we needed to see.

We needed to speak with the loan officer who could add me to Mom's account and jiggle funds from one account to another. 

Well.  The young girl loan officer was helping a cute 30'ish male customer, so we waited our turn.  And we waited. . .and waited . . .and waited.

Clearly this young man's business was done (I know because I have ears in the back of my head, being a teacher and all); and another young female loan officer came out and started chatting with the others.  But then it turned sour.  They began giggling.  And giggling.

Uh, oh!  I could feel Mom's tension building by her deep sighs, her twisting and turning in her chai,r and her blurts, "Are they done yet?" 

So I hurried up to Michael and said, "Michael, it's not right that they're socializing since we've been here about 45 minutes and my mother is about to lose it.

Then, before I could return to my seat, I hear my mom shout, "Are y'all done now?  We've been waiting over an hour and I'm an old woman . . .and I'm SICK!"

Well, instantly another employee of the bank rushed over and said,  "Is there a problem?" 

I answered, "Yes.  We've been here quite a while and my mother really needs to take care of her banking business."  Then I whispered,  "She's just been through two chemos and this is her first outing and she's about to fall apart."

To make a long story shorter, the third employee took care of us, Mom had to cancel her toenail clipping appointment with Christy, and we hurried to The Great Outdoors to eat dinner with Mom's friends from her neighborhood.

I really wish the story ended there, but it didn't. 

The trip to The Great Outdoors Restaurant  wasn't nealry as harsh as the trip to Bank of America. Plus,I warned all the friendly waiters and waitresses at the restaurant that Mom was a little testy and forgive her if she snapped at them.  They were so nice.  They bowed to Mom.  They smiled.  Poor Blake, our waiter,  put up with Mom calling him "Brett" or "Brad" or "Whatever your name is." 

But, all in all, dinner was a piece of cake compared to the banking experience.

Lordy me.  Now I'm showing re-runs of photographs because the story doesn't end here.

On to Winn-Dixie, the local grocery store, only to find out the doctor did not fax a prescription for Mom's sleeping pill.  So when I returned to the car Mom says, "I have a story to tell you."

"Okay, Mom."  And she begins.

So I see this little girl in the parking lot and I wave my hand out the window and yell,  "Hey, little girl.  Come here.  Little girl, come here!"  But the little girl doesn't come here.  Instead she runs to her mom's car and says, "There's an old lady yelling at me, "Hey, little girl.  Come here."

By now I'm thinking that this outing was a bad idea.

So the mom of the little girl comes over to the car and it's Christy, the toe-nail clipper person...(I'm sorry here, folks.  The Pedicurist.)

And she hugs my mother's neck and tells her she looks great and she rubs her head and says, "I'm going to see you next Tuesday since you had to cancel today."  So...I guess alls well that ends well.

Finally, we arrived home.  Mom fell into the bed and I raced to the computer.

By the way, have you had any exciting outings lately?  And Myk.  Where the heck were you today?...but thanks for having the mashed potatoes and catfish menu ready for my mother.

PS. Blake.  We still love you even though Mom doesn't want to remember anyone's name.

 

 

 

 
 

Comments

[sherry pearl]

Beautiful dogwood blossoms. You scared me with the little girl story.

[tina]

My eyes got bigger and bigger as I read your story, especially when you got to the little girl. I am SO happy everything ended well. WHat a great story you've written!