I couldn’t very well drive all the way across town, pick up Jordan, drive all the way back here, check on Adeline, then drive all the way across town, talk to my mom, drive all the way back here, check on Adeline, then go home and feed AJ, then come back across town. I knew that wouldn’t work, but at the same time, I felt terrible leaving Adeline alone.
I got as many things in order as I could. I wrote down directions, thinking that might help. I put my phone number by the phone, every phone, and I made sure to tell Adeline that I’d call her later in the afternoon.
I jumped in my car and zoomed toward the elementary school. Made it to the ice cream store parking lot with several minutes to spare.
Called Adeline, she was fine.
Called AJ, no answer.
Called Teagan, too busy to talk.
Got out of the car and walked to the school.
Jordan was one of the first kids to the street. Ice cream in your near future will do that for you.
His pants had a ripped out knee. He explained that his mom was gonna kill him. Second pair this week. His friend, Creighton, tore out the knees of his uniform pants twice in one week, and his mom went to the fabric store and got these really scratchy patches and ironed them on the inside of his pants. You aren’t supposed to be able to tell they’re there, but once the pants are washed a couple of times, you can see the outline of the square and everybody knows the patch is there, just like the little kids, and because it is elementary school, everybody has something to say about it. Jordan’s pretty sure that his mom’s going to do the same.
That, or military school.
While we ate ice cream, I called my mom, and mentioned Jordan’s dilemma, asked if she had any suggestions. She laughed and said she would take care of it. Grandmas have super powers when it comes to these things.
Jordan and I enjoyed our ice cream. I had mint chocolate chip, my favorite, he had something blue with gum or candy or something in it. By the time we left there was no hiding the fact we’d done what we’d done, he had blue teeth, gums and tongue.
I should have known better.
For a few weeks, when we were in grade school, Teagan and I would take the money Mom gave us to bring to church, and instead, walk over to Ott’s Ice Cream and have an orange Slush. They were so good they were worth the risk of going to hell, cause when you are a Catholic kid and you’re spending the collection money on slush, that you are not even supposed to be eating, and skipping church to get to it, hell is a distinct possibility. I’m just sayin’.
It wasn’t until after we’d gotten away with it several times, or at least we assumed we’d gotten away with it several times, since we were still alive it seemed a valid assumption, that my oldest brother informed us during a loud argument, that Mom and Daddy knew exactly what we were doing instead of going to church on Sunday. He took great pleasure in describing our orange lips and tongues that anyone would notice from one hundred paces.
You would think that we would have noticed it on each other, even if we didn’t notice it in a mirror, but we didn’t.
Maybe that is when Teagan started checking herself out in mirrors more regularly.
Jordan and I went to the grocery store, grabbed my mom’s favorite raisin bread, fresh butter, and some apples just to put a healthier spin on the day.
We got to Mom and Daddy’s, my plan still fully intact and practically foolproof.
What is it they say about the best-laid plans?
My Dad was out in the backyard, doing some guy thing, that he wanted help with, from Jordan of course, which left me all alone to face my mother.
“Hey.”
“It has been a while since I’ve seen you Love. How are things?”
“Well, long story short, they haven’t changed all that much. I finally got moving forward with the whole Officer Jerkface thing, but it is moving slowly.”
“Officer Jerkface?”
“Joe-the-cop.”
“Well, normally I’d feel the need to say something about your disrespect of him, but to be honest Cara, I think your name for him is more than appropriate.”
I almost fainted.
Not only did my mother get my name right, on the first try, which is rare when you have so many kids, but she didn’t even correct the whole Jerkface thing.
Either things are changing in the O’Flynn world, even more than I had imagined, or Mom knows something I don’t, or…”
Daddy called in from the backyard. “We’ll need a few things out here Cara. We’ll need a ladder. The big net I’ve got sitting on the washing machine. The big ball of yellow twine. We’ll need two large glasses, probably the red plastic ones, a Pepsi to share, maybe a chocolate bar for energy, and the pole off the mop.”
I looked at my mother, “What are they doing out there?”
“Your father has it in his mind that he needs to put a net over the fig tree to keep the birds from eating every single fig that forms.”
“Is he going to put Jordan on a ladder? Seems he has rubbed elbows with Liam and is a bit clumsy these days. I don’t want my first turn at babysitting to end up in the emergency room.”
“You know your father would never let anything happen to one of the children. He could easily do all of this himself, but he has to make a production out of it, just the way he did with you when you were young.”
“I beg to differ, Daddy didn’t make a production out of things, it’s just the things that he did were kind of complicated and took a lot to figure out.”
“Did it never dawn on you Love, that when Liam was having trouble with arithmetic, your father had problems with figuring out the proper amount of wood he would need for a project at work? When your sister was having problems with reading, your father had that mysterious eye ailment, that miraculously healed when she took and passed the test, no longer needing her to read his reports to him.”
“Well, now that you put it that way it seems pretty obvious, but at the time, no.”
“Well, Love, at the time, you were a child. You are now a fine woman.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. How about young woman.”
“You aren’t as young as you think Love.”
“Well, I don’t exactly have one foot in the grave.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.”
“I’m going to go get all the stuff Daddy and Jordan need, then I need to ask you a question. I’ll put the kettle on and we can have a cup of tea.”
“I’ll get the kettle. You go and get the things your father needs.”
Once Daddy and Jordan were happily munching their chocolate and drinking their Pepsi, I came back in. Mom had the tea brewing and the raisin toast made, with butter to the very edges just the way she likes it.
“Mom, I’ve been so wrapped up in all things Officer Jerkface, that I’ve completely neglected everyone and everything else. What happened when you went to visit Morgan’s mother? Did everything work out?”
“She didn’t come. Instead she called and left a voice message and said that she had an appointment. I called her back and left yet another message saying that I would make myself available to her at any time. I’ve not yet heard from her.”
“Mom, maybe it’s a God thing. Maybe it was God’s way of allowing you and Morgan’s mom a graceful exit. Maybe it would be better if we just stayed out of it.”
“That is what your father said to me.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to do?”
“I’ve decided to leave it in the Good Lord’s hands. If she calls me back, I’ll meet with her and have my say. If she chooses not to call, then I’ll take that as a sign and I’ll keep to myself what it is that I think she needs to hear.”
“That sounds like a good plan.”
We chatted for a while longer. About my sister painting Bernie’s house, and about my brother’s wedding. About my youngest sister Sinead and her new boyfriend, who no one officially knows about yet, but my mother has her ways.
When Dad
dy and Jordan came in, Jordan was covered in something I couldn’t identify. My mother winked at me.
“Well then Jordan just take a look at you, you are quite the mess aren’t you? Your mother will have our heads. I’ll tell you what I’ll do, I’ll just wash those clothes for you, and you can wear home something I have here in the house. Then the next time you come to visit, you can pick up the clothes after they’ve been washed.”
Jordan followed Mom off and came back a few minutes later, face freshly washed, a new pair of uniform pants, no hole in the knee, and a clean shirt.
I’m pretty sure when Jordan comes back to find his clothes washed there will have been a miracle and the torn pants will have been healed in the dryer.
I’ve experienced those miracles at my mother’s house, so I know they can happen. It’s part of the magic of being an O’Flynn and while some would argue that there are no miracles or magic, I’m here to tell you that they are wrong.
Some of us just have a more gentle definition of such things.
With Jordan all spiffed up but on a sugar high that might rival the one that Steph and Teagan had from indulging in multiple slices of Sin, I decided that it was in everybody’s best interest to let the child run off a bit of energy. Then I thought better of it. Just my luck I’d bring the child to the park to run off the sugar and he’d take the knee of his new pants out. That is exactly what Liam would do, Rory too for that matter.
I decided to circumvent that issue and brought him to the pool at the apartment complex to splash his way back to normalcy.
Fortunately, I have several sets of swim trunks left over from last summer when Teagan and I were at a kid’s store in the outlet mall that had all of their swimming suits on sale for fifty cents a piece, and Teagan decided that we should buy one in every size. Her logic was that we would always have nieces or nephews that could use them.
This would be the first time they would actually come in handy, and I have every flipping size from six months up to junior high. Shopping with Teagan can be a challenge, and expensive.
When Liam and Morgan arrived to pick Jordan up, he was more than slightly waterlogged, but happy and tired. That’s the important balance point. Getting a child to tire, but not get too tired. It can be a tricky point to find. Fortunately, as an O’Flynn, I have plenty of practice.
Liam scooped Jordan up and carried him to the apartment to dry off and get dressed.
Morgan and I stayed out by the pool to chat.
“How did the presentation go?”
“I think it went well. I hope it did. They are going to let me know in a couple of weeks.”
“I’m sure it was fine. You’re better at this stuff than you think you are. I saw some of the stuff you did for Jovana. I was over there this morning stuffing envelopes. I didn’t know people still did that kind of thing, but it was kind of fun, except for the paper cuts.”
“We are hittin’ it from all sides. We are having the girls at the club hand out flyers whenever they are out in a group. We are having them do a couple of charity events. One of the girls is a breast cancer survivor. She was only 16 when she was diagnosed. I can’t imagine how scared she was. So, one of the charity events is a dinner the girls are serving at.”
“I had no idea.”
“Well, you have to think outside the box. And with the Internet being what it is, that can be difficult. Seems human nature has kicked in for every area. Everybody is pushing the limits, and they are so far out there now, it’s getting pretty outrageous.”
I rolled my eyes, “I know. I think someone should start a bar where everyone dresses like they just came in off the prairie. Or maybe flapper. Or maybe like nuns. Try to get the pendulum to swing back in the direction of normal.”
“Your definition of normal is a girl dressed as a nun in a bar?”
We laughed.
“Okay, I’ve officially lost my mind. Write down the date and time.”
“No need, my memory is long.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.”
“What does that mean?”
“Well, part of being an O’Flynn is the ability to remember things creatively. Knowing that something wasn’t so good at the time, but allowing your inner O’Flynn-ness to take over and let you remember it with a little kindness.”
“My inner O’Flynn-ness?”
“You’re going to be an O’Flynn aren’t you? Are you going to keep your last name? I never thought about that. Maybe you want to keep it the same as Jordan’s.”
“Jordan and I will definitely always have the same last name.”
“I can understand that.”
With that, Liam and Jordan showed up, laughing about something.
Liam’s stage whisper “Don’t tell your mom!” started Jordan out in great peals of laughter.
“You guys want to get some dinner? My treat.”
“No thanks Morgan, I need to get some stuff done around here. I’ll take a rain check though.”
Without even being prompted, Jordan said, “Thanks for picking me up this afternoon Auntie. I had a great time.”
“You are very welcome sir. I look forward to doing it again soon.”
“Me too.”
I got a hug and thanks from Morgan and Liam too, then the three of them walked toward their car, Liam carrying Jordan, with his arm around Morgan.
I wish AJ had been there to take a picture, but the truth is, I’ll remember it forever.
Steph and Teagan called while I was fixing dinner. They were on the speakerphone, driving to get mummified. I hate speakerphones. Steph wanted to know if I’d decided what I was going to do about the memory cards.
I have.
I’m going to do the right thing.
I’m going to act like a big chicken and let the little tiny attorney take care of it. I didn’t phrase it quite that way, but I let her know.
Teagan suggested I call AJ and see if he was still at the studio, if so, they would swing by on their way to their appointment, pick up the memory cards, deposit them in Steph’s office safe. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about the mess any more.
My guess is that Steph already told Teagan she would let her know what’s on the cards and that’s why they were willing to do the whole transfer tonight, on their way to be beautified, but in keeping with the whole chicken theme, I decided I was okay with that.
I called AJ. He agreed to wait for Teagan to show up, and then to come home for a great dinner and a quiet evening, just the two of us.
Half way through dinner preparations, there was a knock on my door. My neighbor the ex-spy guy. He just wanted to know if I’d made a decision. It felt good to let him know that I had, and that the decision was to move forward, inside the law, with the help of a knowledgeable attorney. Seems to me, a great decision.
When dinner was pretty much done, I jumped in the shower, did my super speed not quite glam thing, shaved and/or pumiced everything important, washed my hair, did the smelly good stuff, and dressed in evening wear. A beautiful cream-colored chemise, tea length, very very sheer from just under the bust down, with little sparkles on the bodice and tiny pink bows at the really thin straps. I found the matching robe. I didn’t buy the robe with the chemise, but the fabric in the inset at the fitted waist, matched the chemise perfectly. I love it when things work. The best part, I got them both at Dillard’s, and they were on sale, and marked down, and on sale on top of that, and they cost me almost nothing.
AJ arrived. We dined after a quick shower, him, not us, and sat on the couch talking about his day. I’d completely forgotten to ask Morgan about Sara, the bridal gown designer, and AJ hadn’t heard from her at all.
I’m beginning to worry about my memory. I’m a little young to be forgetting everything all the time.
I’m putting it down to lack of ritual at the moment. I never have the same day twice. I don’t do anything in the same order. I don’t even get up or go to bed at the same time. I read somewhere once that if you have n
o rituals in your life, your brain has nothing to anchor your memories on and you forget everything. At least that is what I think I remember. Which is, after all, the whole issue.
When we ran out of chat, we decided that we would just spend the evening reading. No need for the noise of a TV to intrude. Each of us took one end of the sofa, my feet tucked into the crack where the cushions meet the back of the thing, cause even in Florida, my toes get cold.
AJ was reading a spy novel and I was reading a book I’d found on Alzheimer’s and downloaded onto my Kindle. I’m bound and determined to figure out if Adeline’s problems are Alzheimer’s or something else. Something just doesn’t feel right about the whole thing.
My phone rang. I thought about just ignoring it, but there are two problems with that: firstly, it dawned on me that I’d give Adeline my number and maybe she needed help; secondly, I’m too nosey. Within moments I would have had to check to see who called, and then, if it was a number I didn’t recognize, I’d have to get up and check online to see if it was a scam, and if it was someone I did know, I’d have to call back and see what they wanted.
When I picked up the phone and saw the little clock icon, I was really surprised to see it was so late.
“If you love me, for that matter, if you love you, you will do what I ask, and you won’t ask me a single question, and you will never tell a living soul.”
“Hello to you too Teagan. What’s wrong?”
“I swear to you Cara, this is one of those times you can not be Cara.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I need you to go down to that ice place, on Bellflower and Bingum.”
“If you need some ice Teagan, why can’t you just run over to Sonic? You can buy it by the bag and it’s great ice.”
“I can’t go, or I wouldn’t be calling you, Dingleberry. I need you to go to the ice place because I need a bunch of ice, and I need you to just go and do it and not ask a bunch of questions because they’re going to close in about half an hour. It’s only by the grace of God they were open this late in the first place, so stop screwing around and go get me a bunch of ice!”
Iced Tea Page 21