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“DEE!” The voice coming
over the phone was without question coming from someone who was anxious.
“This is Genita!”
“Yes, Genita. Are you all
right?” Dee knew she wasn't.
“Has your mother called
this morning?”
“No. As a matter of fact,
not.” Dee wasn't too worried. Her mother was ninety years old, but she
had a way of keeping a lively life style. No telling what had gone on
over night. Genita was a retired business woman who was of her tribe and,
of course, always felt obligated to worry over the elders.”
“Well, you better call
her. She was very upset and scared last night. She called me and I called
911.”
“OH dear! What
happened?” Dee was waiting for no telling what now since 911 had been
called. She knew Genita was not so frivolous as to call them over
nothing.
“That woman who was staying
with her to help her? Well she got got drunk! Your mother was really
scared. I don't know why she didn't call you.”
“Oh she was ashamed to
call, probably. She knew we didn't want that girl to stay with her.”
“I'd better call her right
now. I'll talk with you later. Thank you so much for calling me.” Dee
was anxious to get off the telephone. She was more than a little peeved.
They all had tried to discourage their mother from using that particular
girl, but she, of course, was not in a habit of letting her children tell
her what to do.
“Mother, are you all
right?”
“What?”
Dee knew her mother's need
for wanting to be able to live alone and take care of herself.” “Genita
called me.”
“Oh yeah! I'm all right.”
“Genita told me Twila got
drunk last night?”
“She shore was.” Dee's
mother wasn't going to give out any information without being quizzed.
“She didn't try to hurt you
did she?”
“Oh no!” The older woman
was carefully thinking things through as she had done all her life.
She did not want to live
with any of her children, hated apartments, and the doctor told her a
rest home wasn't for her either. The comfortable living quarters her
younger daughter bought for her was exactly what she wanted. It was an
older bungalow and was a bit like their old ranch home except that it was
much smaller. The structure was located in among the older residential
dwellings where the people she had always known throughout her life had
lived. For some reason the area gave her a feeling of security. That
plus this homey place was like the one she and her husband enjoyed when
she was youthful.
The problem was that she
did have a heart attack at one time and it wasn't a good idea for her to
stay alone, thus the live-in girl. The problem as to having a girl who
was a recovering alcoholic meant nothing to their mother. The girl was
a distant relative. She needed a place to stay and she was good to the
older woman.
“You know, Mother, I didn't
agree with your having that girl, right from the start. I was worried she
would slip off the wagon.” Dee knew better than to express her
displeasure to a great extent. Her mother was aged but she wasn't stupid
or easily intimidated. For once her mother was more contrite. She wasn't
at all ready to defend her decision.
“Oh, I know. But, I
thought she was doing so well. She is related to me too, you know. I
couldn't just turn my back on her.”
“I doubt that she is that
desperate. She probably could teach us a thing or two about survival.”
Dee knew she best not say too much.
“Are you feeling all
right? Do you think you need to go in to the doctor?”
“I'm okay.” The older
woman was clipped in her speech and definite in her reply, which made her
daughter believe she was fine.
“I'll come in there as soon
as I can get away here.”
Dee hung up the phone and
called her sister. “What can you tell me about last night, Mother and
Twila?”
“Do you have at least and
hour?'' Dee's sister was chuckling. |
