“Gwen, you’re home! Hon, could you please bring me a
coaster?”
“Sure, Mom!” I quickly shed my jacket and hung it on a hook
by the front door. Then hurried to the kitchen to grab a little circle of
leather from the heap in the basket on the cupboard.
The sunlight was spilling through the large picture window
in the front room as I walked in, catching my mom and her recliner in a great shaft
of light that turned her skin to gleaming gold and her light hair to silver. I
smiled. For just a moment, she became something more than Emma Hart. Single Mom
to two teenaged girls and newest Assistant General Manager of Sewel
International. Department of Accounting.
For a moment, she looked like what she really was.
Amazing.
She lifted her cup. “Here, dear.”
I set the coaster on the small table beside her and she set
her tea on it. Then sighed and sat back. “I could get used to this. I could
really get used to this!” She smiled. “Pottering in the garden all morning.
Sitting with my feet up and a cup of tea at my elbow all afternoon. Just . . . watching.”
“You’ve earned it, Mom,” I told her. “You worked a lot of
years at the bottom. Now you’ve finally risen to the top and you get to call
the shots.”
“And have a day off now and then.” She lifted her phone from
her lap. “And maybe use the time to figure out this new iPhone.”
“Don’t push it, Mom. This is your first day off!”
She laughed. “Imagine being able to use the word ‘first’ in
front of ‘day off’! Like there was going to be more than one!”
I turned to go back into the kitchen. “Well get used to it.”
I stopped as something outside caught my eye.
“What is it?” Mom asked.
“Ummm . . .”
“Gwen?” She leaned forward to see past me.
A dusty and dented Volvo was coasting down the street,
obviously driverless and picking up speed. Standing with her upper body sticking
out of the sunroof was my sister, her arms in the air.
“Wheeee! This. Is. Aaaawesooooome!” she squealed as she sped
past our window.
Behind her, long, skinny legs pumping as he struggled in
vain to catch his runaway vehicle was the freckle-faced love-of-her-life,
Mort. “Saaaaalleeeeee! Put on the brake! Put on the braaaaake!”
I looked at mom.
She settled back in her recliner and, lifting her cup, took
a sip of sweet tea.
Once a month, Karen of Baking in a Tornado gathers words from her varied and wondrous group of friends. Then redistributes and issues a challenge. You get to witness the results--as varied and wondrous as those same friends.
My words this month jacket ~ iPhone ~ coaster ~ sweet tea ~ recliner came from my very good friend, Rena, of Wandering Web Designer.
Thank you so much, Rena!
Now continue the fun.
See what the others have created...
Love the story and the fact that you "kept" the Volvo (from my words last month!) Sally seems like a pill, but a pill I'd love to know!
ReplyDeleteOh, your Volvo will definitely keep cropping up!
DeleteAnd thank you for the idea! :)
What a lovely story. I could see your mom in my mind's eye.
ReplyDeleteI feel quite peaceful right now!
Me, too. Pass the tea!
DeleteYou scared me, I thought you had abandoned Sally! But right there in the end, there she is!
ReplyDeleteOh, no. We can never do without Sally! Life would just be . . . peaceful. And totally boring! ;)
DeleteMom is determined not to get stressed out on her first day off! Good for her!
ReplyDeleteThe other day a friend was desperate. She claimed she couldn't release the hand break of her mini van, and could I please help?
I *did* release her hand break, no sweat. Problem was, I wasn't aware it was a manual shift, and I should have hit the foot break. Instead my foot was on the clutch, and the car slowly started to roll downhill...
Yikes! Quick! Open the sunroof . . .
DeleteI think I'd like to be a little more like Sally..just a little mind you.
ReplyDeleteMe, too. Just enough to keep life from being boring . . .
Deleteoh that Sally! There's a scary lifestyle. I'm so gad mine is much more dull and far safer.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely something to be said for 'dull'! ;)
DeleteMom's going to need more than sweet tea to handle this situation, I think :D Where did Sally get those genes?!
ReplyDeleteI can definitely see Mom heading for the liquor cabinet!
DeleteOh boy, they will need something stronger than tea! Sally is something else. A pistol. Does she have red hair? I imagine she does. :) Love it
ReplyDeleteYep. Red hair would certainly complete the picture, wouldn't it?! ;)
ReplyDeleteI love Sally stories. She's such a fun, free spirit!
ReplyDelete