1. The Airport
Sometimes mom stops and turns just as the airport sliding doors open. She stops and turns and smiles. And we wave one last time. But this time she didn’t.
I was standing there in case she did. And I was smiling, because we had a good week. But she was preoccupied and made a beeline to the checkin counter.
We had a good week. We did a few things. We went a few places. We sat in the sun with the dogs on our laps. We had a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn’t be beat. And then the week was up before it even started, and mom was walking thru the sliding glass doors.
2. Dallas in the Distance
When we got home three hours later after a long hike with the dogs in the woods, there was a message on our answering machine. There had been some kind of maintenance problem with the airplane, and mom was stranded in Dallas.
The airline has treated her well, putting her up in a hotel, providing transportation there and back and giving her dinner and breakfast vouchers. We called to see if everything was ok.
When she answered the phone, she sounded positively giddy. She talked about seeing the city in the distance. And about her room and the TV and how she was having a wonderful adventure.
Her voice was chipper, and was under control. So we chatted briefly and said our good byes again.
3. Did She Even Leave Austin?
I hung up the phone, and we continued our luxurious lounging in the afternoon sun. Then Trudy looked over at me.
“Did she even leave Austin?”
My eyes widened.
Mom actually didn’t say that it was Dallas downtown she could see out her hotel window. Could it be? Did I just chat with my mother who was stranded at a hotel on the other side of town and then wish her a good time and hang up!?
“What time did she leave the message?”
I looked down at the phone. Her message came in at 2:58pm.
Trudy shook her head. No, they never even took off.
4. A Lame Son
I called her back.
“Hello again!” came her muffled voice on the phone.
“Mom, are you in Dallas or Austin?”
“I’m in Austin. We never left.”
OMG. What a lame son. What a lame son.
“Well, you want to go to dinner?”
“Oh no. I’m fine. They gave me a voucher that I can use downstairs.”
“Well you want to do something else this evening? How about if we go out and do something? We have the whole evening!”
“Oh no. I’m fine. I’m having a bit of an adventure.”
Lame son or not, she seemed to be enjoying herself.
5. One Last Goodbye
I called her later at about dinner time. I figured that the least we could do is drive over to the hotel and eat with her at the restaurant downstairs.
“Oh no,” she said. “I’m really fine. I ordered a mushroom sandwich. One of those big mushrooms … Portobello. And I’m eating right now in my room. It’s a really good sandwich, and I have onion rings and fries.
I could hear the TV in the background. I think it was football.
“I love you mom,” I said.
“I love you, Davy.”