Broken Tears 2

Broken Tears #2

When we did finally get home, my hand was really throbbing. Grace was at the front door with a big welcome home look on her face. On our answering machine, the red light was blinking to let us know that we had missed several phone calls. Message number one was from a charity collection who wanted our car. Message two was for Mother to return a call to someone about work tomorrow. The third message was for me from Clara who had figured out the solution to the math challenge for the day. Then there was the mysterious number four. It was a blank. You could tell that someone was there because after 15 seconds, you could hear a hang up. Oh well that was their loss.

Mother hurried to give me the medicine for my pain. She looked into my eyes and tried to give me the ‘it will be alright’ look that she was famous for. When my brother and I was alright, that look was all it took to make a skinned knee or elbow better. Now I know that her heart was in the right place, but her power to be convincing has been reduced a bit.

I tried to get ready for bed, but found that my strength was leaving me quickly. My new unwanted friend, who I nicknamed ‘the hook’ seemed was getting in the way for face washing, teeth brushing, and changing my clothes. I consider my effort to get ready for bed a poor effort at best. I did not see mother enter the room. I was setting my alarm of my clock for wake up for school when I looked up and saw her.

“Caroline, the boss wanted the staff to come in early tomorrow about 30 minutes early. That means that you will have to get your breakfast on your own. If you are well enough, do you think that is possible?” she asked as she looked at my overall condition.

“Oh sure. I have just set the alarm. Just put me a sandwich in the refrigerator. Oh my gosh! We forgot to ask the doctor for a note for school. I just know that I am going to have problems.”

“No, don’t think that way. I’ll call the doctor’s office tomorrow and ask him to fax a note. Do you really think that you will be able to go to school? Maybe you should rest. “

Now if this was any other day, with any other situation pending, I would have asked for the world, but my medication fogged up mind was telling me that it was time to turn out the lights. “No thank you.” I looked at Grace who just walked in the doorway. “Maybe you could take Grace out one more time quickly to see if she needs to go?”

“Oh yes, yes dear. Just relax” said mother as she pulled up the cover and tucked me in like she did when I was a very little girl. She picked up an empty soft drink can from the night stand and looked around for any more trash. She started for the doorway and turned around, “I want you to call me tonight if there is any more pain or if you have a problem. Ok?”

“Sure mom. I responded. My eyes slowly closed as mother turned out the light and softly tiptoed out of the room. “Come on Grace. We have a quick date outside and then time for bed.” I heard her say. She softly walked out the door and all that I heard was the sound of an airplane passing overhead and a car slowing down for a speed bump that was on our street.

The next thing I knew was that I was in a dream world having the time of my life playing the part of a female Captain Hook and dancing like an idiot. Instead of little children in my version of “Peter Pan” I had little puppies that looked like Grace and kittens that looked like our neighbor’s cat Henry, dancing like that celebrity show. I just wondered how they managed to make all of those animals stay still until they measured them for those beautiful costumes they wore.

What I missed while in that medicated limbo was the scene of Mother going through the mail. As she looked at bill after bill, she seemed to be trying to keep from crying. The last letter was from my brother, Conrad, who had joined the military because he had decided that college was for jerks. His trip through boot camp was a time that he thought would never end. He had signed up when he thought that he could travel and see the world at someone else’s expense. He did manage to see that there was fine print that let the signer know that they would not chose where to go or for how long. Conrad was a man of honor would stay in for the length of time agreed upon. He had just hoped that he would carry a camera instead of a gun.

Before Mother went to bed, she checked on me and then fixed me the famous egg salad sandwich she had promised. In the bag, she also popped a bag of chips and a couple of pieces of candy. My sweet tooth never had any complaints for the lunches she made. She finally found the last set of checks that she thought she had in her purse. As she put the checks in the holder and in her purse, she pulled out the ticket that she had received that night. She wanted to send a copy to dad but decided that this might only make him ignore her further. She had hoped that his life would change for the better and soon.