A Day At The Circus

Today's high temperature was: 77 degrees

Sunny.  Breezy.  Beautiful

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Well Friends--I can go around all day muttering, "Not my circus.  Not my monkey's", but it appears that I am the RingMaster of this circus and I DO have to interact with the crazy monkey's

9:30 a.m. phone rings.   It was Monkey #1.  Pearl

"I saw you go with Dar last night.  What did ya do.  Go to a movie?"

"No.  She invited me to supper.  We went to Applebee's"

"I thought you couldn't afford to eat out!"

"She paid."

"Oh...so now I suppose she's your best friend?"

"No.  She's not my best friend.  I had helped her with something and she wanted to re-pay me I guess."

"Well!  Did you have a great time?"

"It was all right.  We just ate, talked a bit and came home."

"Oh.  I was wondering if you'd like a bouquet of blossoms off my Snow Ball bush."

"Sure.  I'd love some."

 Yes...I know.  It is not a Snow Ball bush, it is a Hydrangea, but we aren't going to argue about it.

A nice bouquet and I was informed that I was not to throw them away, but wait for them to dry and change colors.  Which I do every year, when she gives them to me...apparently she has forgotten. 

 Such pressure I am under.  I know she will look every time she comes down here, LOL.

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Monkey #2, Tami--arrived on my porch around 2:00.

She had seen Monkey #3 (Dar) in the store the other day and when Dar greeted her, Tami said, "My name is Tah Mar Ah.  That's what's on my birth certificate.  I wish people would call me by my right name!"

We were all introduced to her as Tami.  So, that is what we call her.  Now that she's a Vampire, I guess she wants to be called Tamara?

When I saw her, I went to the door and said, "Hi TAMI.  What's up?"

"Did you see the tree cutting guys this morning?"

"Yes."

"Where did they cut trees?"

"I know they trimmed some branches off Mike's Maple tree.  I don't know where else they went."

"Mike?  Who the hell is Mike?"

"Our neighbor on the other side of me.  On the corner."

"Oh.  Well why in the hell didn't they take down that pine tree I want cut?"

"I don't know, TAMI.  Are you on the list up at the office?"

"Yeah.  I been on the damn list since last summer."

"I don't know.  I guess you will have to call the office."

"Oh yeah!  I have never been late with my rent...well a couple of times, but....maybe that's why they aren't taking that tree down.  It's putting moss on my roof.  I need it out of there.  The squirrels get up there and throw the pine cones down on the roof and the ground.  I gotta pick all them bas***** up and the noise. I'm as good as anyone in this d*** park!   Yeah, I'm gonna call the office and I am going to ream them a new a**hole.  You just watch.  Those guys will be out here before the end of next week.  I'll lay money on it!"

and off she stomped.  Tami doesn't ever "walk"--she stomps...everywhere.
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Monkey #3 (Dar) didn't show up until 7:30.

"Connie is telling everyone that SHE bought the house!   She claims she paid fifty thousand for it!"

"The house?  Oh...you mean...your place?  And...who is everyone?"

"My sister-in-law, Mary! "

"And...why do you care?"

"She sent me twenty thousand to buy that place.  I got a great deal.  Now....."

"Is she listed as the owner?"

"Both our names are on the title.  She won't sign off, so it can be in my name alone!  She wants ME to buy her out!"

"But...she is the one who bought it?  Did you contribute money too?"

"I put in a thousand!  I bought it so she and her kids could get away from her husband and we all could live together.  Her and the four kids!"

"Well...that was your first mistake.  You know mother's and daughter's can't live together."

"Yeah and now Jeffery is texting my brothers and crying to them that I won't see him or talk to him while he's drinking and using drugs."

"Okay."

"I just don't know what to do.  If you see him over there...call the police."

"I thought he didn't have a car."

"He doesn't....but you just never know.  He might hitch-hike out here."

"I don't think that's very likely, but.............."

"And now Lisa has unfriended me on Face Book."

"Lisa?"

"Yes--my oldest daughter.  The queer one...ah...Lesbian....that lives in North Carolina.  Connie is filling her head with lies and nonsense and Lisa told my sister-in-law that she is now remembering instances of when she was little and I was abusive to her."

 "Hm-mm."

"Now, Michael won't accept any of my calls or texts.  Neither will Cindy."

"I don't know who Cindy is."

"Michael's wife.  She has cancer.  Remember?  I drove clear up to their place last summer with clothes for the kids and furniture and stuff I got from the Salvation Army...when I worked there."

"Yes...I remember.  Why is Michael mad at you?"

"He didn't like it when I told him they weren't bringing up their kids right!  Do you know....Cindy had their last baby out under the Maple tree in their back yard!  They are Vegans now.  She home schools them.  Michael said I was interfering and to not contact them again!"

"So...why are you contacting them again?"

"I'm done!  I wrote a seven page letter and made copies to send to all of them....except I don't know Connie's address, but I think Mary has it and the next time I am there---I am going to sneak around and find it!"

"I thought you did that last year."

"No...that was at Pat and Terry's house.  I went to the bathroom, but I used the one in their master bedroom and I looked through drawers until I found Jeffery's address."

"Oh.  Well...I don't think your letter to them is going to help.  They will only think that you are justifying things and probably....it's not at all the way they remember their life with you."

"Oh no.  I explained it all.  I told them why I neglected them when we lived with Cleveland."

"Cleveland.  I didn't know you ever lived in Cleveland."

"NO!  The guy I lived with for twenty years!  The black guy that played with the Globetrotters.   The guy I escaped from when I moved to Michigan.."

"Oh."

"We had a huge mansion.  He didn't like having the kids around.  He stayed in the master suite all day long and he wanted me in there with him.  It was just like a living room, bedroom, kitchen all in one.  He didn't care if the kids were in every other room in the house...he just wouldn't allow them in our room."

"So...who took care of the kids?"

"Oh...we had a cook and a woman who took care of them."

"For twenty years...you all lived like this?"

"Yes.  It was terrible on the kids, but.......it's not my fault!"

"Well...Dar...calm down.  Let's talk about this.  It IS your fault that you kept them in that kind of situation for twenty years.  All the time they were growing up.  They only see that.  To them...they grew up without a mother.  You told me that you didn't speak to your mother for thirty years...until just before she died.  Why didn't you speak with her or have a relationship with her?"

"Because, she was never there for me.  I'd come home from school and she was in her room.  She never cooked for us...my Daddy did all that.  My Aunt had to take me shopping to get my first bra.  I grew up without a Mother."

"You didn't really...she was in the house.  You felt like you grew up without a mother...just like your kids feel about you."

<I think I saw a flash of light as the bulb went off and settled in her mind.>

"Oh Dear Lord!"

"You had a rough life.  I had a rough life.  We both figured it out and here we are...still standing.  Your kids are going to have to do the same.  They have to figure it out for themselves and nothing...you say or do, will fix it."

<she nods>

"Step back.  Don't write them explanations---it won't help and it might make things worse.  Mellow out!  Quit bugging them!   If they call or text you with nasty comments--don't respond.  You are playing their game.  All you can do is wait and see...just like you did with your Mother."

"and pray."

"Yes."

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Other than tending to the monkey's--it has been a really nice day :-)